Faber-Castell professional art supplies

As someone who bonds with loved ones over art projects, a shipment of brand new Faber-Castell professional art supplies is definitely the way to my heart. And, when that shipment includes pro level supplies for us adults as well as items for the kids, you can bet I’m swooning. Our most recent order included gorgeous pastels, some fancy and colorful Gelatos, watercolor pencils, and a fun assortment of kids arts and crafts to keep them busy while us adults got to play.

And, oh boy, did we play. A few months ago, my sister moved close by – so close that we can literally walk to each other’s homes whenever we feel like. In addition to spending our time fixing up her new house, we’ve also set aside numerous days for the sole purpose of experimenting with different types of art. So, for us, this box of goodness was like Christmas.

You see, to those that love art, just about the most glorious thing they can think of is brand new, never-before-used art supplies. There’s just something about that super sharp point on a new pencil, the perfect corner of a perfectly formed pastel, and all the possibilities that await you when you’re trying a brand new medium for the very first time. This box had all of these and more.

The first thing we played with were the watercolor pencils. I got big into watercolors a few years ago when I realized that even though it is technically painting, it’s one of the cleanest art projects you can do with kids. Even better is that the results are usually amazing and your kids end up creating masterpieces instead of sketches.

But, as much as I love watercolor with kids, for some reason I don’t ever think to paint something myself. The watercolor pencils changed all of that.

While there are numerous ways to use watercolor pencils, my favorite way to play with them is by coloring my piece first as if they are colored pencils, and then adding water at the very end to help blend and combine colors so your work really pops. The best part is that the end result has the look of watercolor, but has the control of colored pencils. Our results were really fun with this set, and I know these are going to be a hit for years to come.

After our watercolor paintings were drying, we moved onto the pastels. Should I admit now that I had never in my life tried pastels before this point? I honestly wasn’t even sure how they worked until I picked them up to try them the first time, and I’m still not 100% that I used them correctly at all. In fact, it wasn’t until I read more about smudging and fixatives that I realized that there is a lot more to pastels than I had realized.

I started out with pastels on paper and then moved to canvas as I experimented with colors and textures. I had already painted a base layer on the canvas and it was fun to add pastels over the top to add dimension and as a fun change from acrylics.

The last thing we played with was also new in our art kit: the Faber-Castell Gelatos. Having never used the Gelatos before, upon first inspection I imagined them writing and designing in a crayon-like fashion. But, I was shocked at how different they are than any other medium I’ve ever used.

The package calls Gelatos “creamy, vibrant pigment” and after trying them out, that’s the best description I can think of for them. Nearly impossible to describe, but oh so much fun to use. They come in a twist up container, much like chapstick, and go on much like lipstick.

Whereas crayons drag over the surface and you have to press really hard in order to make a mark, Gelatos just glide right across the page leaving vibrant color in their wake. The pigments are acid-free so you can create permanent masterpieces, and you can smudge them or dilute them with a dampened sponge if you so desire.

The results are not only incredibly satisfying to make, they are beautifully vibrant in a way that’s hard to capture on film. I’m looking forward to using them for all sorts of art projects and kiddo projects because they’re just so fun to use.

Now that we have some new professional adult art supplies, it has re-invigorated our resolve to have a sister’s art date every few weeks. I’m excited to see what more we can create with our new Faber-Castell art supplies and even some collaborative works together. And, I can even get the kids in on the fun with their own Faber-Castell goodies that are made just for them but are very similar to the supplies we’re using.

Faber-Castell is one of the oldest companies in the world, and while they got their start in making pencils, they have since expanded to include just about any art medium you can imagine. From kids items all the way to professional, there are Faber-Castell sets for any artist.

Check out their vast selection and choose some great art supplies to spend the summer creating – with or without your littles.