I recommend the Lyra Aquacolour wax crayons. I've done some comparison tests with the Neocolor 2's and they're the closest I could find so far. They're larger than the Neocolors and only have 48 colors but you can add Neocolors to supplement the sets. And you can't beat the price for the quality you get. 😁
Thank you so much for sharing this rec! They don't seem to be much cheaper here in the UK compared to neocolors but interesting to know they are larger!
@@KatieMoody bummer bc I agree with maryann for supplementing the colors where needed. I have the Lyra's and a good portion of the Neo2's and there may be slight differences but they are the closest and most comparable. Best part is they both fill in blanks with each other.
I love the way you test and compare products, it’s really nice actually seeing the products side by side like that 😄 thank you so much for recommending me those luminance colors under your last video. I ordered five of the colors you recommended and a few extra colors (I had to pay shipping so I felt I could justify buying a few more 😂). They arrived on Friday and I’ve had so much fun playing with them over the weekend. They are so buttery and gorgeous to use, the colors you recommended are beautiful and I’m so happy with my purchase 😄 I have a strong feeling they will be my new favorite colored pencils ✨
Aah thank you, and you're welcome! So pleased that you like the Luminance pencils 😄 Haha what's a few more pencils when you're buying a set anyway 😏😆 So glad you're enjoying them as much as I am!!
@@KatieMoody Kwiksticks are amazing but do dry down to a more permanent state. Look into washable Tempera sticks too. All have amazing contributions and attributes!
Your reviews are amazing! You're so comprehensive in testing out the product and comparing it to a like-material. I use the Sargent Art 36 set of watercolor crayons and they blend out amazingly well, as well as layering over other mediums such as gouache, watercolor or watercolor pencil, and they blend with eachother well too. Thanks for sharing this review! 🙏😊
Oh that's so kind of you and means a lot to me, thank you so much! I haven't heard of the Sargent brand before so I just looked them up - they definitely look like the closest I've seen to Neocolors! Thank you for watching 🥰
I have these and I use them in my sketchbooks as a cheaper option. They work well on carandache palette when you pick them up from brush. I also like swiping colour of crayon direct with soft brush for nice moody backgrounds. I keep my Melville for my final pieces.
Oh that's great to know it works well with the Caran D'Ache palette, thanks Tracy! I think I just expected them to be much harder than they were but I need to do some more experiments in other ways 😄
@@KatieMoody yeah theyre really soft and creamy. Ive also just picked up tempera sticks too. They look fun for sketchbooks too. Unsure what a more lightfast likeness would be. Maybe guoache? X
Thanks for this. I already have the cheap set, and was thinking of investing in neocolours, but now I won’t need to as I was looking for something comparable to gelatos 👍🏼
Neocolors are amazingly priced when you consider all the pigment you get. But it is fun to play with other supplies to confirm that you're making the right choice. Of course we all knew the kid-craft supplies probably wouldn't win the contest. I have a recently developed theory about kids and art. I've heard that all kids enjoy and pursue art up until about 10 years of age. At that point the ones with true inspiration continue on while the rest lose interest. However, I do wonder if some of the youngsters get frustrated with the challenges of using kid's art supplies. If you give them better supplies, would more of them stick with art for a longer period of their lives?
Yes I totally agree, and they last a really good amount of time!! Kid-supplies are fun to play with for sure, and make me grateful for my artist-quality materials too 🥰 That's such an interesting theory!! I definitely think there's something there, I wonder if there have been any studies? Maybe kids do get frustrated with the cheaper stuff and would continue creating if they had better materials? Really interesting to think about!
@@KatieMoody Sunny water-soluble pastels are also a fantastic alternative(and dirt cheap, and the palette they come in can be reused for Neocolors as they are the same size!). They are closer to the creaminess of Neos than the Lyra are, if you like to use them dry (the Lyra tend to be best with water, as they feel waxier dry). They are a bit creamier than the Neos but can be used much in the same way (and in use they are better than any name-brand water-soluble oil pastels I have tried, and I prefer them to the Mungyo). They are meant for children so won't be lightfast, and there are only 25 colours that I know of, but this won't matter for sketchbook use and they mix well with Neos if you need extra colour. The Lyra are great with water if you want your pastels to look more watercolour-like (more so than the Neo. which are creamy like gouache). They dissolve really well, especially on hot press paper - no lines at all.I also use the as an underlayer to Neos I & II.
They look like the king art gel sticks. I got them too thinking they may be a cheaper alternative to neocolors but they’re really not worth it. They’re pigmented but if you’re used to good quality art supplies they just don’t cut it. But for kids they’re fantastic and for scribbling or things like that they’re fun but not useful for anything detailed.
Agreed, definitely no good for detail as they are sooo soft! I'm going to use them for backgrounds, I like how they smudge and they could have some fun opportunities for texture! Just very different to what I expected 😆
I was please with Hashi brand from Temu as a cheap alternative to Caran d'ache! There is a comparison review available here on YT if you're interested.
Would be good to hear about lightfastness/pigments in the cheaper set. It’s not important for everyone, but I have caran d’ache neo-colonial 2 due to the lightfast pigments. I may have missed it if you covered that 🥴
Totally understand - I didn't cover that in the video! I rarely worry about lightfastness as I work primarily in my sketchbook 😊 I've just seen another commenter mention that Neocolors aren't as lightfast as they claim to be so I'll do some more research before making those claims!
@@KatieMoody thanks for your response Katie ✨ will be interested to hear about your further research into neocolors lightfast facts as opposed to claims 👍🏼
I would love to see you try the Mungyo gallery watercolor crayons! I just bought a 24 set and I'm waiting for them to arrive. I plan to use them along side some more specialty colors from Caran d'Ache. I'd love to see what you think of them!
@@actuallyfrankie I can't wait to play with them!! Based on what you've said, I can imagine that they would work amazingly as a base layer under the neocolors!
I have them. They are fun. I only have a few very old sticks of Caran d'ache to compare with. The Mungyo don't seem to be as vibrant, but they dissolve nicely. I'm using mostly in a sketchbook.
Yes I think the name 'Crayons' on the listing is very misleading! Definitely much softer. Interesting that the ones you have don't smudge - I'll have a watch of your video!
Lyra has watersoluble crayons too,I got them in an upcrate box and they work really well and have pretty much the same consistency as the neocolor 2.!!😊 I hate how creamy the one's from ideen mit herz are😅
Someone else suggested these too - they sound great! These ones were soooo much softer than I expected, I thought they'd have the same consistency as crayons!
I don’t think I’d buy these. Seems like they’d be like drawing with lipstick and the colors are too bright for me. I prefer more muted, natural shades for the most part. All those little bits coming off would drive me nuts.
I really wasn’t expecting them to be so soft! I’d like to experiment with them more as a base and to play with textures and layers, but I agree - definitely not as a standalone product for me!
I recommend the Lyra Aquacolour wax crayons. I've done some comparison tests with the Neocolor 2's and they're the closest I could find so far. They're larger than the Neocolors and only have 48 colors but you can add Neocolors to supplement the sets. And you can't beat the price for the quality you get. 😁
Thank you so much for sharing this rec! They don't seem to be much cheaper here in the UK compared to neocolors but interesting to know they are larger!
@@KatieMoody bummer bc I agree with maryann for supplementing the colors where needed. I have the Lyra's and a good portion of the Neo2's and there may be slight differences but they are the closest and most comparable. Best part is they both fill in blanks with each other.
I love the way you test and compare products, it’s really nice actually seeing the products side by side like that 😄 thank you so much for recommending me those luminance colors under your last video. I ordered five of the colors you recommended and a few extra colors (I had to pay shipping so I felt I could justify buying a few more 😂). They arrived on Friday and I’ve had so much fun playing with them over the weekend. They are so buttery and gorgeous to use, the colors you recommended are beautiful and I’m so happy with my purchase 😄 I have a strong feeling they will be my new favorite colored pencils ✨
Aah thank you, and you're welcome! So pleased that you like the Luminance pencils 😄 Haha what's a few more pencils when you're buying a set anyway 😏😆 So glad you're enjoying them as much as I am!!
I love your reviews! Thank you for being so comprehensive so we can make our own minds up and avoid wasting money 🧡
Oh that's so kind, thank you so much!! I'm so glad you find them helpful 🥰
I like the big kwikstix tempera paint sticks. I like using them on a smooth paper as a background and then using neocolors on top.
I'm getting so many great recommendations from this video - thank you for sharing! 😊
@@KatieMoody Kwiksticks are amazing but do dry down to a more permanent state. Look into washable Tempera sticks too. All have amazing contributions and attributes!
@@stephanie_smith Thanks so much for the recs!
how fun, thanks for posting Katie
You are so welcome, thank you for watching every week 🥰
Your reviews are amazing! You're so comprehensive in testing out the product and comparing it to a like-material.
I use the Sargent Art 36 set of watercolor crayons and they blend out amazingly well, as well as layering over other mediums such as gouache, watercolor or watercolor pencil, and they blend with eachother well too.
Thanks for sharing this review! 🙏😊
Oh that's so kind of you and means a lot to me, thank you so much! I haven't heard of the Sargent brand before so I just looked them up - they definitely look like the closest I've seen to Neocolors! Thank you for watching 🥰
I have these and I use them in my sketchbooks as a cheaper option. They work well on carandache palette when you pick them up from brush. I also like swiping colour of crayon direct with soft brush for nice moody backgrounds. I keep my Melville for my final pieces.
Sorry that meant to read neocolour.
Oh that's great to know it works well with the Caran D'Ache palette, thanks Tracy! I think I just expected them to be much harder than they were but I need to do some more experiments in other ways 😄
@@KatieMoody yeah theyre really soft and creamy.
Ive also just picked up tempera sticks too. They look fun for sketchbooks too. Unsure what a more lightfast likeness would be. Maybe guoache? X
Thanks for this. I already have the cheap set, and was thinking of investing in neocolours, but now I won’t need to as I was looking for something comparable to gelatos 👍🏼
Thanks so much Sally, so glad this was helpful! 💛
I spotted some Talens Art Creations water soluble oil pastels on Jackson's which I was tempted to try . . .
Oooh I've not seen these ones before - looks like there are quite a few options out there I wasn't aware of!
I love my neocolours so may have to give these a go ☺☺
These are very different!
I use the Lyra Aquarela crayons. I live in Spain and the price is very good plus they are very good quality.
Thank you for sharing - I've had a few recommendations for these in the comments! They are pricier here in the UK sadly!
Neocolors are amazingly priced when you consider all the pigment you get. But it is fun to play with other supplies to confirm that you're making the right choice. Of course we all knew the kid-craft supplies probably wouldn't win the contest.
I have a recently developed theory about kids and art. I've heard that all kids enjoy and pursue art up until about 10 years of age. At that point the ones with true inspiration continue on while the rest lose interest. However, I do wonder if some of the youngsters get frustrated with the challenges of using kid's art supplies. If you give them better supplies, would more of them stick with art for a longer period of their lives?
Yes I totally agree, and they last a really good amount of time!! Kid-supplies are fun to play with for sure, and make me grateful for my artist-quality materials too 🥰
That's such an interesting theory!! I definitely think there's something there, I wonder if there have been any studies? Maybe kids do get frustrated with the cheaper stuff and would continue creating if they had better materials? Really interesting to think about!
Your new product looks comparable to the Faber-Castell Gelatos. Definitely not interchangeable with Neocolor IIs but can be fun to use.
Yes for sure - I compare them to my Faber Castell gelato's later in the video once I realised! Definitely very different to what I expected!
I think you might enjoy the Lyra Rembrandt Aquacolor. They are the closest I’ve found to Neocolor II and I think Lyra is a German company.
Oh thank you so much for the rec! Thats so helpful, I’ll keep my eye out for these to try 😊
@@KatieMoody Sunny water-soluble pastels are also a fantastic alternative(and dirt cheap, and the palette they come in can be reused for Neocolors as they are the same size!). They are closer to the creaminess of Neos than the Lyra are, if you like to use them dry (the Lyra tend to be best with water, as they feel waxier dry). They are a bit creamier than the Neos but can be used much in the same way (and in use they are better than any name-brand water-soluble oil pastels I have tried, and I prefer them to the Mungyo). They are meant for children so won't be lightfast, and there are only 25 colours that I know of, but this won't matter for sketchbook use and they mix well with Neos if you need extra colour. The Lyra are great with water if you want your pastels to look more watercolour-like (more so than the Neo. which are creamy like gouache). They dissolve really well, especially on hot press paper - no lines at all.I also use the as an underlayer to Neos I & II.
They look like the king art gel sticks. I got them too thinking they may be a cheaper alternative to neocolors but they’re really not worth it. They’re pigmented but if you’re used to good quality art supplies they just don’t cut it. But for kids they’re fantastic and for scribbling or things like that they’re fun but not useful for anything detailed.
Agreed, definitely no good for detail as they are sooo soft! I'm going to use them for backgrounds, I like how they smudge and they could have some fun opportunities for texture! Just very different to what I expected 😆
I was please with Hashi brand from Temu as a cheap alternative to Caran d'ache! There is a comparison review available here on YT if you're interested.
Oh I'll be sure to look that up! Thank you! 💜
Would be good to hear about lightfastness/pigments in the cheaper set. It’s not important for everyone, but I have caran d’ache neo-colonial 2 due to the lightfast pigments. I may have missed it if you covered that 🥴
Totally understand - I didn't cover that in the video! I rarely worry about lightfastness as I work primarily in my sketchbook 😊 I've just seen another commenter mention that Neocolors aren't as lightfast as they claim to be so I'll do some more research before making those claims!
@@KatieMoody thanks for your response Katie ✨ will be interested to hear about your further research into neocolors lightfast facts as opposed to claims 👍🏼
I would love to see you try the Mungyo gallery watercolor crayons! I just bought a 24 set and I'm waiting for them to arrive. I plan to use them along side some more specialty colors from Caran d'Ache. I'd love to see what you think of them!
I hadn’t heard of them before, they sound interesting! Thanks so much for the recommendation, I’ll definitely buy some and share my thoughts! 😊
I have them! They are quite dry, sort of borderline colored pencils or dried out oil pastels. Good for detail work but not as fun as Neocolor IIs!
@@actuallyfrankie I can't wait to play with them!! Based on what you've said, I can imagine that they would work amazingly as a base layer under the neocolors!
@@actuallyfrankie That's good to know, thank you! ☺
I have them. They are fun. I only have a few very old sticks of Caran d'ache to compare with. The Mungyo don't seem to be as vibrant, but they dissolve nicely. I'm using mostly in a sketchbook.
These look to me like tempera sticks. I have a video trying some, but the ones I got don’t smudge after dry, they get pretty flat too.
Yes I think the name 'Crayons' on the listing is very misleading! Definitely much softer. Interesting that the ones you have don't smudge - I'll have a watch of your video!
@@KatieMoody thank you 😊
The KoH-I-NOOR wax Aquarelle are similar to neocolour 2’s Katie
Oooh that’s great to know! Thank you so much!
Lyra has watersoluble crayons too,I got them in an upcrate box and they work really well and have pretty much the same consistency as the neocolor 2.!!😊
I hate how creamy the one's from ideen mit herz are😅
Someone else suggested these too - they sound great! These ones were soooo much softer than I expected, I thought they'd have the same consistency as crayons!
I love you, Gonzo crayon
That colour will forevermore be known as Gonzo blue 🤣🤣
You should try the Gallery Mungyo watercolor crayons
Thanks for the tip, I'll have a look!
Thank you
Thanks for watching 😊
These remind me of the Jane davenport lipsticks that I use like gelatos to add shading to things when I’m doing mixed media
Oh I've not seen these - they sound fun!
I don’t think I’d buy these. Seems like they’d be like drawing with lipstick and the colors are too bright for me. I prefer more muted, natural shades for the most part. All those little bits coming off would drive me nuts.
I really wasn’t expecting them to be so soft! I’d like to experiment with them more as a base and to play with textures and layers, but I agree - definitely not as a standalone product for me!
Have you tried mungyo gallery watercolour crayons? What are your thoughts on them?
I haven’t tried them, but I’ll add them to my cart and give them a go! 😄
The muppets 😂😂😂
Honestly it made me laugh too much 😅
5:00 the blue crayon needs a blue pill 😝prob good for life drawing actually, except for the really soft ones
Hahaha 🤣 Oooh yes, I'll have to try them out with a few subjects!
I did a test on the neocolors and let me tell you, they are not as lightfast as they claim to be..
Oh really! That's interesting - can you share more about your test?
@@KatieMoody sure, I'll send you a message on instagram!
So basically, there isn't a darn thing wrong with them except they aren't bougie. Got it
They're very different! I mention quite a few downsides in the video, but I wouldn't say Neocolors are boujee either 🙂