New Kwik Stix!

I have written before about my love for Kwik Stix so when they asked me if I'd like to try out their new products- Kwik Stix "metalix" and "neons" I jumped at the chance. I think these are one of my almost 6 year old's favorite art supplies, right up there with sharpies.  We had a lot of fun testing out the new colors/finishes and we got a jump start on making some Christmas projects.

I think the Metalix are my favorites of the new finishes but my son loves Neon. Either way, it's fun to have more color options to mix in with the 12 color set we have. Kwik Stix dry super fast so they aren't very messy to use. More important to me than being "neat" is that they are bold! They are about the size of a small glue stick so they are easy for little hands to hold and make a big impact. This art product would be a great stocking stuffer.  The Neons, Metalix, and basic color sets are now available in Target stores and if you're more of an online shopper, I've also seen them on Amazon and the basic colors on Dick Blick. 

We started with Christmas trees. My son wanted to make the whole living room so he also included a chair in his artwork.

I wanted to see how the colors would layer so I did each color in mostly one line.

We're into recycling around here so I pulled out a granola bar box and we made some colorful Christmas ornaments that we'll hang on our tree if we can still find them when it's time to decorate. :)

Thanksgiving is my husband's favorite holiday so we also made a turkey on a board that we'll turn into a hanging decoration. He drew the turkey from observing a photo in an old bird guide book.

Back to more Christmas- I got curious as to how the colors would look on colored construction paper. I took a picture from two different views so you can see how the light plats on the Metalix.

Why not go ahead and try it out on black paper too? The silver shows up really well on black. The other colors don't show up quite as well on such a dark surface.

Guys, I know I keep using the word excited, but this was new to me and I think it's brilliant. One of my art teacher friends, Casi Jo, texted me a couple weeks ago and said that you can use Kwik Stix for printmaking, so I had to test that out, too. We used the foam printmaking sheets you can order super cheap (or you can recycle a foam meat tray) and my son made his image by pressing his drawing into the surface with a dull pencil. Next, he chose a color and went over the whole surface with a Kwik Stick? Stix? Anyway, the next step is to just cover the plate with a piece of paper, rub it making sure to get all the edges, and then peel the paper up to reveal the print. You don't even need to soak the paper or spray the surface! So easy! Just be careful on the edges of the plate because your fingers will lift off the paint. Try working from the center out.

We had so much fun testing out the new Kwik Stix! I can't wait to see what this company develops in the future.