Art Graf Artist Water Soluble Tailors Chalk Set of 3 Rich & Intense (Cork Box), Primary Color 3 Pc Set

I purchased this item with a little reserve. I was afraid that they would not mix well and be chalky looking. They were neither, all the colors mixed well, were strong bold colors, and looked just like a good quality watercolor. I own two other sets of Art Graf which I use for monochrome and earth colors now I have a set that will add the capabilities of some color.

Saw many negative reviews: too dull, difficult to mix, dull purples... what were they talking about?! Excellent and brilliant colors, durable and nice to work with. They rapidly became an integral part of my watercolor station.

Wow! I love this product! I only recently learned that "water soluble graphite" was a thing, and after trying some regular black-gray pencils and sticks, and really loving how they easily dissolve into a variety of washes, decided to try out these brightly colored shades. You can use them to draw directly onto your paper, but I found that I prefer to use them like watercolor. The pigment is VERY rich, so a wet brush picks up a LOT of color. You can paint directly from the blocks, or go ahead and create a mix of color and water onto a palette of some kind. I had to experiment to avoid picking up TOO much paint from the block. By the way, if you draw directly with the blocks, you can erase them much like regular graphite pencil, but after water is added and they dry, they don't erase. They will re-wet from the paper, and lift up somewhat from the paper, but I haven't tried anything too drastic regarding this. If the water/pigment mix dries on the palette, even though it might crack, you CAN actually reactivate the color and continue to use it. Or, if you have a lot of leftover you don't want to dump, you can just cover the palette with plastic wrap or something and it will be good to go the next day. Now, I did take off a point for one very BIG issue (in my opinion). These are supposedly "primary colors"--red, blue, and yellow. Alone they are exactly that--and you can get either a sheer or very opaque look depending on how much water (if any) you use or how much you layer these. You are supposed to be able to mix "primary colors" and get other basic colors. And to a point, I managed to get a variety of interesting shades. For example, it will mix some really gorgeous greens and oranges, and even a mix of lovely browns and grays. What you really CAN'T get is a true violet or purple by mixing the red and blue together. I got a few "mauve-y" shades, and even a kind of muted blue-violet, but no bright purples or violets. Obviously, there is something either in the red or blue pigment (maybe the graphite even) that makes it mix into a much more muted, grayish or brownish shade.You should be able to use this media WITH traditional watercolors, so if you absolutely needed purples, you could add in some watercolor to this set and there you go.Artgraf also makes this product in grayscale and some really beautiful earthtones, so I definitely recommend these for any artist or hobbyist that wish to expand the kind of media they work with.I mainly have been doing coloring books, but I did at one time take art classes in high school and college. I never was that into water media, and I'm not that good at it, but I find it extremely relaxing now, and using great materials like the Artgraf Water Soluble blocks is encouraging me to try to make my own art. The color chart, which has been printed from Jennifer Stay's "Coloring Bliss" site, was reproduced on real watercolor paper which is why the colors are so vibrant here. The floral sample is from a Horizon Group Botantical Coloring Pages that come in a booklet of slightly textured cardstock-type paper (so the color kind of "sinks in" and is not as bright as if you used better quality art papers). Hopefully, depending on your color monitor, it does give you an idea of what kind of color you can get from these three blocks. As for colorfastness (important for artists who NEED long lasting work that will not fade), you might need to do some more online research if you need to know and keep your art out of direct sunlight which can even damage the paper the pigment is on.Note: I've noticed some reviewers are mistaking these graphite blocks for actual tailor's chalk. They are merely look like chalk, but they are not AT all. Those needing tailor's chalk for sewing and other textile projects where they need the color to easily brush or wash out, should buy actual tailor's chalk. This is not even close.

The back ground color was painted by this product, plus a little bit of the Earth color series. I am very pleased with the result.

This set is wonderful! The colors blend well to create new colors, it is rich, lovely pigment. And the cork case protects the color land very well and doesn’t distract your eye from the color itself.

My favorite water product! I just wish they came in more colors!

Enjoy these alot. They mix well together and are not chalky. Easy to wet. Very versatile.

Cool stuff. Colors are good for mixing. A great option for plein aire work.