I have been cutting down on doing product reviews towards the last quarter of year 2016 to prepare for our coming 4th kiddo who was born in early November 2016 and I am now slowly resuming doing product reviews but prioritizing those that can fit into our family dynamics (especially books on parenting or educational stuff, family products, something along those genre)
However, as busy as I am with 4 kiddos, home cooking, taking care of hubby's administration site of the business and swamped up with managing my FB page and blog, I just can't say no to reviewing products that either myself and/or my family can use, what more reviewing a well-known stationery products' brand like Faber-Castell, I would be mad to say no, right?!
About the company/products:
"Faber-Castell is one of the world’s leading manufacturers and distributors of high-quality products for writing, drawing and creative design. Founded as a pencil factory in 1761 in Stein, near Nuremberg, today the firm is one of the oldest industrial companies in the world and remains a family-owned business even after more than eight generations of family ownership. Faber-Castell is represented in over 120 countries, with production sites in nine countries and sales companies in 23 countries. Its product range includes more than 2,000 items divided into the areas of “Playing & Learning”, “Art & Graphic”, “Premium”, “General Writing” and “Marking”.
Faber-Castell is delighted to present its latest innovation in colouring tools with the new Watercolour Soft Pastels. The Watercolour Soft Pastels is able to provide different finishing to the users – they are able to use it as it is which gives a silky smooth and pigmented crayon to an oil pastel finishing or add an additional step by lightly brushing it with water to achieve a watercolour effect. There is no sharpening required on the Watercolour Soft Pastels, making it a very convenient colouring tool for school-going children."
We received a box of Faber-Castell Watercolour Soft Pastels with 11 colours which also comes with a paintbrush as well. I breathed a sigh of relief as our older 3 kiddos take turn and not fight over one another to use the Watercolour Soft Pastels.
To open the Faber-Castell Watercolour Soft Pastels packaging box, you just need to flip open the 2 small tabs on the sides like how you do for briefcases. The watercolour soft pastels are securely placed in a structured case that allows easy packing and carrying about without the fear of the pastels falling out.
The Watercolour Soft Pastels' length is just nice and its size is also just right for children's fingers to grasp on to. You just need to gently turn the top cap clockwise to extend the pastels and continue using it. There's no need to sharpen anything!
I made some photocopies of a printable colouring sheet for them to colour in and get themselves busy. I just told them to go crazy in colouring the paper given and they went on their own creative ways to colour their paper. One studiously coloured within the lines, one tried to blend and mix the colours while one tried to use different methods in colouring.
Results of their first colouring using Faber-Castell Watercolour Soft Pastels:
First one was by our 8-year-old boy, who studiously coloured within the lines and tried to match as close as possible to the objects' colours.
Second one was by our 5.5-year-old girl, who tried to blend and mix the colours and every now and then announces the new colours she created. "Blue and yellow makes GREEN!", "Blue and red makes PURPLE!!!" Whoaa... learning opportunities everywhere!
Last one was by our 3.5-year-old girl, who tried to use different methods in colouring. After her initial colouring, she excitedly took a brush and dipped it into a container of water that I prepared and happily blend in the colours on her paper.
There are several techniques that you can try with Faber-Castell Watercolour Soft Pastels such as:
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Blending & Watercolour Techniques - where you can easily smudged the colours using fingertips, cotton buds or tissue paper and a touch of water to create a watercolour effect.
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Scratching Technique - where you apply bright vibrant colours as the base and then overlaps it with a darker shade. You can use the tip of a ruler to scratch the dark surface to reveal the colours beneath.
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Water Colour Technique with Mirror Image Effect - where you leave some space where the image is meant to be transferred to and apply the colours on the actual artwork.
The Faber-Castell Watercolour Soft Pastels is a wonderful product for children and I'm happy that our kiddos have the opportunity to try out this product.
Faber-Castell Watercolour Soft Pastels are available at all major bookstores and stationery shops in Malaysia.
Do note that I received no monetary compensation for this review, I was provided with the products in order to facilitate my review. All opinions expressed in this post are my own. Please do your own research when purchasing products, as your opinions may differ from mine.
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