A broad patch of color and a tiny line around a window ask different things of a drawing tool. Before choosing the biggest box, we'd think about the marks you want to make. Crayons, gel crayons and markers each bring something different to the paper, and the tip is often the detail that makes the choice clearer.
Eight triangular crayons or nine broad gel tips
The eco-kids beeswax set contains eight triangular crayons in a reusable cardboard tube. They're made in North Carolina, and the shape keeps them from rolling off the table. That is a useful bit of construction when you're sharing a small drawing space.
OMY's gel crayons come in a set of nine, with broad tips and strong color. We'd consider them for someone who wants to work in generous marks and filled areas. Gel and wax are different media, so choosing between them is more than choosing an extra color or a different box.
Two marker tips, or one much broader range
The sixteen-color OMY marker set has broad and fine tips. That gives you two approaches within the same set: a narrower line for a detail and a broader tip for another part of the drawing.
The nine jumbo markers have large tips with a listed line range of 2–12 mm. Their box is designed to hold them upright. If you like making large marks, look at that range and the way the tools sit on the table, rather than treating sixteen colors as automatically better than nine.
Let your own paper settle the comparison
On suitable paper, try a short line, a filled patch and a repeating mark. If you have more than one medium, make the same marks with each and label the samples. The resulting sheet tells you what these particular tools do on the paper you actually use.
Our texture and color sampler gives that experiment a little more room. You might discover a mark you want for a background, then choose another tool for the details.
A few practical details before drawing
Check the age and intended-use guidance on the actual pack. A natural ingredient isn't an age rating or a reason to treat an art material as food. Keep these drawing supplies on approved surfaces; paper markers aren't automatically suitable for skin, fabric or an inflatable craft.
OMY uses washable or ultrawashable wording for the marker sets. Follow the selected set's cleanup directions and protect the work surface, since that wording isn't a guarantee for every fabric or finish.
For taking the materials out with you, our compact drawing-kit guide considers caps, containers and paper size. If you're in the mood for a wet medium instead, try the powdered finger-paint setup. Start with the mark you want to spend time making, then choose its tool.
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