What Makes iCrayon Different?
Based on customer feedback, iCrayon Water Soluble Pastels do not behave like a standard crayon, and they do not behave exactly like watercolor pencils either. That difference is what many users find most interesting.
Artists describe the feel as slightly waxy, but not in the ordinary sense of a traditional wax crayon. On paper, the sticks go down smoothly and expressively, with bright, concentrated color that feels more substantial than many beginner-grade coloring tools. Several customers noted that the product is most comparable to a water-soluble crayon, but with a more versatile, artistic edge.
Rather than trying to imitate every other medium, iCrayon seems to offer a format of its own: one that combines dry mark-making, water activation, sharpening, layering, and experimental surface work.
Bright Color and Strong Dry Application
One of the most consistent compliments from customers is the color itself. Reviewers repeatedly mention that the colors are vibrant, rich, and concentrated, which makes the sticks enjoyable to use even before adding water.
Dry on paper, iCrayon can create expressive strokes with a tactile, hand-drawn quality. Some artists compare the line to a crayon, but with a noticeably higher pigment feel. That makes the product useful not just for loose sketching and playful artwork, but also for more intentional drawing and mixed media layering.
For artists who enjoy visible texture and direct contact with the page, this dry performance is part of the appeal.
Water Changes the Experience
Customers also highlight that iCrayon becomes more versatile when water enters the process. A wet brush can help move the pigment, soften edges, and create painterly transitions. On wet paper, the color can bleed and run, producing unexpected and often beautiful watercolor-like effects.
That said, customer expectations matter here.
Some reviewers expected behavior closer to watercolor pencils and were surprised that the sticks did not dissolve as quickly or as fully. Others found that the best results came not from treating them like ordinary watercolor tools, but from learning how to work with their more wax-forward nature. In practice, that means the medium often rewards patience, layering, and experimentation rather than instant wash effects.
For some artists, this is a limitation. For others, it is exactly what makes the product more interesting.
A Medium With a Learning Curve
A recurring theme in the reviews is that iCrayon has a learning curve. Customers who spent time experimenting often found the product extremely versatile, while those expecting immediate watercolor-pencil performance were sometimes less impressed.
This distinction is important.
iCrayon appears to work best for artists who enjoy discovering what a material can do rather than forcing it into a familiar workflow. Several reviewers explained that the first wash can look very light, and building color may take more work than expected. But once they adjusted their technique, they found the sticks highly flexible and rewarding.
In other words, iCrayon is not necessarily about instant results. It is about creative control through exploration.
Surface Matters More Than You Think
Customers also observed that the paper surface changes the experience significantly.
On cold press paper, the line can feel more textured or even slightly “skippy,” similar to a crayon moving across a toothy surface. On hot press paper, dry application can appear more consistent and controlled. When using water, several reviewers recommended heavier paper, since achieving painterly effects may require a generous amount of moisture.
For artists working across sketchbooks, watercolor pads, mixed media paper, or textured surfaces, this makes iCrayon a particularly interesting tool. The same stick can behave quite differently depending on the paper beneath it.
Sharpening Adds Precision
Another detail customers appreciated is that the sticks can be sharpened or shaped with a blade. This makes it possible to create a finer point for more detailed mark-making, closer to the control of a colored pencil than many users initially expected.
That combination of broad side coverage and fine-point detail gives the product a wider range of uses. It can move from loose color blocking to smaller accents and linear drawing without switching tools.
Even better, some customers shared ways to make sharpening more useful rather than wasteful.
The Unexpected Benefit of Shavings
One of the most creative takeaways from customer reviews is what happens after sharpening.
Rather than treating the shavings as waste, artists suggested collecting them in small containers and mixing them with water to create liquid paint. Others recommended sprinkling the shavings directly onto wet watercolor paper to create unusual textures and effects.
This kind of feedback says something important about the product: people are not just using it, they are experimenting with it.
That is usually a strong sign that a material has depth.
Brittle, But Still Useful
Some customers noted that the sticks can break easily. Instead of viewing that as purely negative, a number of artists actually incorporated the smaller pieces into their process.
Broken pieces can be easier to scrub into wet paper, easier to control in small-hand grip situations, and useful when pushing pigment directly with a wet brush. One reviewer even described breaking off a tiny piece and working it against a wet surface with a brush until the color blended out.
This suggests that the product is not only usable in its original stick form, but also adaptable in fragments, shavings, and mixed applications.
Who Is iCrayon Best For?
Looking at the customer feedback as a whole, iCrayon seems best suited for a few specific types of users:
- Mixed media artists who enjoy combining drawing and painting methods
- Creative hobbyists looking for bright color and flexible experimentation
- Artists who enjoy material discovery, rather than rigid, one-method tools
- Value-conscious users who want an affordable but still artistically interesting medium
Reviewers repeatedly mention that the product offers good value for the price, especially for artists who understand what it is and what it is not.
It may not replace every premium watercolor crayon on the market. But that is not necessarily the point. What customers seem to appreciate most is that iCrayon offers its own creative language: tactile, waxy, colorful, and full of possibility when used with intention.
Final Thoughts
The most revealing part of the customer feedback is that iCrayon inspires both comparison and experimentation. Some users approach it expecting one thing and discover another. Some love the water effects immediately. Others prefer it more as an elevated wax pastel or water-soluble crayon. But across these different reactions, one pattern remains clear: this is a medium that invites artists to play, test, sharpen, layer, dissolve, scrub, and explore.
For the right artist, that is not a drawback. It is the whole reason to use it.
If you enjoy bright color, tactile control, and a tool that can move between drawing and water-based expression, iCrayon Water Soluble Pastels may be exactly the kind of material worth adding to your studio.
