Comments about Lyra Aquacolor Crayon Sets:

I purchased the 24-crayon set to use with my watercolor pencils and ink drawings. I'm delighted at how well the colors dissolve in water and how vibrant the colors are. Also, the selection of 24 colors seems like a good choice -- there are about an equal number of warm and of cool colors, and a decent range of more earthy colors. Plus, like watercolors, you can mix these in their wet form to form new hues. So, 24 colors seem sufficient.
I made color samples, using crayons in both their dry and wet form -- there were no surprises in hue between the two forms -- unlike some watercolor pencils I've used. In their dry form they tend to be opaque, but are transparent (translucent?) in their wet form as determined by using a black India ink marker test.
My only grumbles are that the crayons are labeled only by number. And, when I went to the official website, there was no listing of the different colors for different set sizes -- nor was there any color lightfast information. (Guess I'll have to do my own lightfast tests.) Finally, as another reviewer mentioned, they seem to be sold only in sets -- although I think I'll be using ALL of the crayons in the 24 colors set. Because of these limitations I gave it only four stars instead of five.

Comments about Lyra Aquacolor Crayon Sets:

Note: I have also reviewed Neocolor II water soluble crayons. The comments there apply equally to Lyra. They are both fine products that create a very similar look in the finished work. However, I will add a few comments on this specific brand. I bought the 48-color set. There is something magical about opening the box and seeing all the colors right there, ready to go.

How I use them: I have mainly painted with watercolor tube and pan paints on paper or illustration board using a fairly wet approach. I also use oil pastels. I love these water-soluble crayons because they combine some favorite features of both media. This allows many choices during the painting process. Here are a few of the possibilities - try these and you will soon be thinking up more!

1.Use no water, and draw in a traditional pastel style leaving the marks intact. 2. Use a small amount of water for blending. 3. Use more water to really spread the colors for a translucent or transparent wash that resembles traditional watercolor. Or combine all three methods. Etc. Etc. The crayons are also useful in mixed media, such as adding color to an ink or charcoal drawing. My favorite surface for these is 140-lb watercolor paper as it gives the option of working with or without water. (Bockingford has a very crayon-friendly surface, and it's not expensive). But if you want to use them on pastel paper or Bristol board they will work fine, if you don't try to over-wet the surface. I use good-quality synthetic brushes, in large sizes. That's just my preference, but I see no advantage in using natural brushes, as the modern synthetics are so good. Also my style when using the crayons involves a lot of scrubbing and lifting color, so synthetics last a lot longer too:).
Pros: Versatile, many great colors, easy to use for beginners or experienced painters, non-toxic and colorfast. Bonus: it's easy to create amazing, complex neutrals and shadow tones by mixing colors right on the paper, no palette needed.
Cons: Nothing is perfect, so I do have a few cons. These are sold in sets, so you may end up with a bunch of unwanted colors, and can't buy your favorites in open stock. Boo! Also, in the 48-color set I found many beauties, but also a few colors that are either not as soluble as they should be, or are too weak in tinting strength to be useful. But that's true of any art product sold in sets, and the ones I don't like may turn out to be fine for someone else.
Bottom line: try them!!

Comments about Lyra Aquacolor Crayon Sets:

Delighted with the crayons. Delivery time was really fast. Thanks!

Comments about Lyra Aquacolor Crayon Sets:

I love these for the fact they are perfect for ATC decorating :).