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Beginning Our Countdown to Collage Breakthrough with Crayon Resist Papers!
I love kicking off a series with a paper that’s both magical and simple, and crayon resist is exactly that. It’s the first paper in our Countdown to Collage Breakthrough, and it sets the tone for a beautiful month of paper-making play. These resist papers use basic supplies like crayons and acrylic paint to create luminous, unexpected depth and softness to any collage.
If you’re planning to join me for the free Collage Breakthrough workshop this January, this is a great way to get ready. We’ll be using the papers we make in December to build four collage projects together starting January 5, so this is a perfect starting point to build your collection of collage papers.
Gather Up Some Simple Supplies
- White crayons (beeswax or parafin-Crayola brand), acrylic paint (I use Nova brand in Phthalo Blue Green Shade, Hansa Yellow Light, Quinacridone Magenta, plus black and white), spray bottle for water, flat brush (1- or 2-inch), rice paper or mixed media paper (a bit sturdier holds up best)
- Optional: stencils, embossing folders, textured objects for rubbing.
- You can find the complete supplies linked below.
How It Works
The magic of this technique is in how the wax from the crayon repels the watery paint, revealing your marks and textures underneath. I used it with stencils, embossing folders, kitchen tools, even leftover collage paper I didn’t love, and ended up transforming each one into something gorgeous that I could add to my collage paper stash for Collage Breakthrough.
My favorite part is making layered effects. For one piece, I rubbed white crayon through a stencil, shifted the stencil slightly, and added a second color on top to create a 3D shadow effect. Another paper started with gold crayon on watercolor paper, followed by a wash of Quin Magenta. The gold shimmered through just enough to the magenta seem extra special.
Quiet vs. Patterned Papers
As you create, I encourage you to sort your results into values; light, medium, and dark for patterned papers, and light, medium, and dark for quiet papers.
You’ll thank yourself later during Collage Breakthrough when we need specific types of paper to create each collage omposition. For instance, I noticed I naturally created lots of medium-value patterns, so I made a point to add more light and quiet options to my stash.
Bonus: Rescue Old Papers
One of the most satisfying parts of creating these papers was taking older collage papers I didn’t love and giving them a second life with a layer of crayon resist. A few strokes of crayon and a transparent wash of color completely changed how they looked, and now I can’t wait to use them in January.
What You’ll Walk Away With
By the end of this first demo, you’ll have:
- A set of luminous, layered collage papers
- Practice creating across a full value range
- A growing understanding of how your papers will work together in January
And most importantly, you’ll be creatively warmed up for everything to come, both in Countdown to Collage Breakthrough and Collage Breakthrough.
Now that you’ve got one of six collage paper techniques done, don’t forget to sign up for Collage Breakthrough and get notified when the next Countdown paper releases next week. (BTW – if you sign up for Collage Breakthrough, you get links to all 6 collage papers today, and you won’t have to wait!)
Ready to go deeper? Join me in Collage Breakthrough, my free 2026 workshop, where we’ll use your handmade papers to build four beautiful collage compositions starting January 5.
Subscribe to my YouTube channel to get notified when I post new art demos!
The Supplies to Create These Papers:
Crayons, choose one type (white is the most versatile color) White Crayola Crayons
Crayons, variety box
Bees Wax Crayons
Stockmar Wax Crayons
Choose one or more papers:
Rice Paper
Drawing paper 80 lbs
Copy paper, book pages
Wide flat brush 2″ or 1″
Mister spray bottle and painters tape
Things with raised surfaces: stencils, coasters, embossing packets
Palette paper or plastic plate to mix paint on
Rangers non-stick craft mat (optional)
Nova Acrylic Paint or any other soft body brand paint like Liquetex Basics
Are you interested in learning more about how to incorporate your collage papers into your art?
Check out my Collage Workshops!
