Remember those first nondescript scratches on paper? Or what about how proud you were when you first colored everything without going over the lines? Crayons were your first drawing tools, but you eventually moved on. You picked up some color pencils, maybe even some paints later. But what if you had stuck with crayons? Maybe you would be like Don Marco, the Master Crayon Artist. Born in the late 1920’s, Don Marco didn’t seriously start pursuing art until after his retirement working for air traffic control in Honolulu, Hawaii. Since then, he has sold over one-million prints.
Don Marco starts each piece by drawing a rough outline with “peach-ish crayon” on fade-less tan construction paper, then he builds on the layers. The heat from his fingers is used to blend the colors. With experience and practice you learn what crayons work well with others and which techniques work best. However, he didn’t always only work with crayons. He has used oils and pencils, although his preference is clearly wax. I don’t really have to say much, the quality of his work speaks for itself.
Don Marco is also a mentor. For a year he worked with artist Tiona Marco. Her original name is unknown to me, but as a tribute to Don she combined her family name with that of her mentor. She was familiar with crayon art before teaming up with Don Marco and after her apprenticeship she began selling her artwork. She has a gallery from which you can buy prints or her original drawings. Below are a few examples of her work.
Inside My Head 