Paint Like O’Keeffe (or Matisse)

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Two Demos Using the Marabu Art Crayon

Enjoy the buttery-smooth quality of a wax-based medium that has superior blendability? Looking for an art material that is highly pigmented and water-soluble for transparent effects and reductive techniques? If so, the Marabu Art Crayon could be the perfect art product for you.

For creative experimentation, this is a dynamic crayon fit for a variety of surfaces and treatments. Use it on dry paper, work with it wet-into-wet, or apply with a heavy hand on gessoed board and go crazy with blending.

The Marabu Art Crayons can also be used with graphite, ink, charcoal and other drawing materials. It is also a highly forgiving art product that you can work with in tons of ways, working and reworking to your creative heart’s content. It is a product that encourages play and experimentation, so you can let your experimentations run a little wild.

Add water to lift off pigment. Use hard-edged rubber tools to incise the wax layers, or use stencils to layer on even more texture and imagery.

An Art Homage Times Two

You can also make an art piece in homage to the greats with the Marabu Art Crayon! Here we show two demos from artist-instructor Frances Tyler: one inspired by Georgia O’Keeffe’s red poppies and one by Henri Matisse’s Icarus.

Art Demo #1: Georgia O’Keeffe’s Red Poppies

SUPPLIES

• Acryl Mousse – White

• Art Crayons – Lovely Red set, Black, Sky Blue

• Heavy cardstock

• Pencil, paint brush

• Palette knife or craft stick

Step 1

Spread a thin coat of Acryl Mousse across the paper with a palette knife in circular motions, working out from the center to create raised “flower petals.“ Allow to dry.

Step 2

Lightly draw a large poppy flower on the textured paper with a pencil. Let the petals bleed off the edges.

Step 3

Apply Art Crayon colors to each petal – start with Orange, then layer Rose Pink (highlights) and Chili (shading) to create the folds and dips in the petals. Add Pomegranate for deeper shadows.

Step 4

Carefully blend the colors of each petal with your finger or a damp brush. Add more layers for shading and highlights until all the petals are defined. Use a baby wipe to remove color as needed.

Step 5

Color the flower center with the Black Art Crayon. Layer some short strokes of Orange on top.

Step 6

Fill in the areas around the flower with the Sky Blue Art Crayon, blending the color out to the edges of the paper to create the background. Adding the blue against the orange and red creates a nice contrast of warm and cool color temperatures.

Final Work by Frances Tyler

Art Demo #2: Henri Matisse’s Icarus

SUPPLIES

• Acryl Mousse – White

• Art Crayons – Sunshine Yellow, Gentian, Cherry Red, Black

• Heavy cardstock

• Pencil, paint brush

• Palette knife or craft stick

Step 1

Spread a thin coat of Acryl Mousse across the paper with a palette knife in long, vertical strokes. Allow to dry, then sketch a body shape with some asymmetrical stars in pencil.

Step 2

Color the stars with Sunshine Yellow by adding a dot of color in the center of each star, then use a damp paintbrush to spread the color into the points.

Step 3

Color the areas around the starbursts and body with the Gentian Art Crayon to complete the background (all the way to the edges of the paper).

Step 4

Blend the background color with your fingers. Use a damp paintbrush to smooth the color around edges and between the stars’ points.

Step 5 and 6

Color in the body with the Black Art Crayon. Smooth the edges with a damp brush. Draw a small dot of Cherry Red for the heart.

Final Work by Frances Tyler

About Marabu Art Crayons

Marabu has formulated 25 highly-pigmented artist-quality colors and a clear blender, with custom color sets also available. Each Marabu Art Crayon is sturdy and comes capped for easy transport and on-the-go use with a fully-loaded, twistable holder (think lipstick). Each also has an ergonomic grip so you can use and apply comfortably. The crayon is also wipe-resistant after 24 hours.

For over 150 years, Marabu has been a leading manufacturer of high-quality art and craft materials. They have a diverse range of art products that allow you to paint on almost any surface, from glass to ceramics to candles, fabric and paper. Visit the Marabu website for more information about the company and their products.