Scratching the Surface: How I use watercolour crayons

If you look closely at my paintings, you’ll notice textures that don’t quite look like standard acrylic paint. That is because I love blending acrylic paint with the unpredictable grit of watercolour crayons.

For me, mixed-media isn’t just about using different materials; it’s about how those materials push and pull against each other to create interesting, unpredictable effects. Watercolour crayons are the ultimate tools for this because they are complete shape shifters.

Dry Scratch Vs Liquid Wash

Depending on my mood, I use these crayons in two different ways:

Leaving them raw: I love drawing aggressively underneath acrylic paint and letting the ‘dry, chalky texture peek through the paint layers.

Activating the pigments: Other times I’ll scribble heavily and then allow the wet acrylic brush to go over the top in uneven marks. This creates marks that sometimes melt instantly and seep into the grooves of the art paper.

The magic of the mess

The real magic happens when the crayons bleed into charcoal and pastel layers, creating a smoky, atmospheric effect that is impossible to replicate with a standard paintbrush. Everything feels a little bit alive, shifting as the painting evolves.

Next time you stand in front of one of my pieces, see if you spot where the sharp acrylic edges stop and the underlying drawing layers begin.