What is the difference between wax-based and oil-based colored pencils for Patreon documentation?

Wax-based colored pencils (Prismacolor Premier, Caran d'Ache Pablo, Derwent Coloursoft) use paraffin and microcrystalline wax as the binder that holds pigment particles together and adheres them to the paper surface. The wax melts slightly from friction heat during application, distributing pigment. Wax-based pencils are highly blendable with light-to-medium pressure and produce soft, smooth coverage in early layers. The primary documentation variable for wax-based pencils is wax bloom: over 24–72 hours after application, uncured wax binder migrates slowly to the surface, forming a thin whitish haze that shifts the final color toward desaturated cooler tones. Wax bloom is fixed with one or two light coats of workable fixative (Krylon Workable Fixatif or Spectrafix casein-based fixative); document fixative brand and coat count because different fixatives shift color slightly. Oil-based colored pencils (Faber-Castell Polychromos, Caran d'Ache Luminance) use an isoparaffin mineral spirit or similar oil binder rather than wax. The oil binder produces no bloom, a firmer and harder pencil core, higher overall lightfastness for equivalent pigments, and more resistance to smearing. Oil-based pencils require slightly more pressure in early layers to deposit pigment but are more resistant to tooth exhaustion because the oil binder is less thermoplastic than wax. Mixing wax-based and oil-based pencils in the same drawing is possible: apply wax-based first for early blending, then oil-based on top for fine detail in later layers (oil on wax adheres better than wax on oil in fully loaded paper). The reverse order (oil first) can cause adhesion problems. Document which brand and type is used in which layer, as this is the primary variable that determines blendability and burnishing outcome.

How does paper tooth affect layering capacity and what papers do colored pencil creators document?

The tooth of paper refers to the microscopic surface texture — peaks and valleys visible at low magnification — that physically holds the wax or oil binder in recesses during pigment application. Smooth papers (Bristol smooth, Stonehenge smooth) have shallow, densely packed tooth with small recesses: they hold fewer layers before reaching tooth exhaustion (the point where all recesses are filled and additional pigment slides off the surface rather than adhering) but produce the finest detail and most uniform color blending in portraits. Textured papers (Stonehenge Aquarius II, Pastelmat, Canson Mi-Teintes rough side, Uart sanded pastel paper) have deeper, coarser tooth: they hold many more layers before exhaustion, accept more total pigment weight, and produce visible texture in the finished piece from the remaining unfilled tooth at mid-tones — a texture that is aesthetically appropriate for botanical illustration and landscape work but undesirable in portrait smooth skin rendering. Pastelmat is unique: it has a very fine-grained sanded surface that holds many layers without the coarse texture of regular textured papers, making it suitable for both detailed portrait work and heavily-layered color blending. Colored pencil Patreon documentation at the paper level includes: paper brand and weight, which side was used (where two sides are textured differently), whether the paper was toned or colored in advance, and the layer count at which tooth exhaustion occurred. This layer-count documentation is the exclusive Patreon deliverable because it is specific to the creator's pressure, pencil brand, and paper batch.

Explainers · 2026-07-08

Patreon for colored pencil creators: wax vs oil binder mechanics, layering and burnishing physics, lightfastness documentation, paper tooth selection, iOS rates, Apple Tax 2026

Q: How does the Apple Tax affect colored pencil Patreon creator income?

Colored pencil creators build audience primarily through YouTube time-lapse and real-time drawing tutorials and Instagram finished work and process photographs. The iOS concentration for colored pencil and fine art illustration audiences: YouTube colored pencil tutorials 55–68% iOS; Instagram colored pencil artwork and process Reels 72–84% iOS; TikTok colored pencil time-lapse content 72–84% iOS. Beginning November 1, 2026, Apple charges Patreon 30% on every subscription payment processed through the iOS app. At $200/month with 62% iOS: approximately $37.20/month ($446.40/year) in Apple fees. At $350/month with 70% iOS: approximately $73.50/month ($882/year). At $500/month with 76% iOS: approximately $114/month ($1,368/year). Enable Patreon's web-only billing toggle in Creator Settings before October 31, 2026 and update all social media bio links to the Patreon web URL.

Colored pencil Patreon tiers retain subscribers when they deliver the layer-by-layer calibration data the finished-piece photograph cannot carry: which binder type was used and in which sequence, when tooth exhaustion occurred, what fixative was applied and why, and which CI numbers make a palette archivally safe. The colored pencil audience is heavily iOS on Instagram and TikTok — the November 1, 2026 Apple Tax warrants action before October 31.

Creator subtypes and tier structures

Portrait realism artists work primarily with wax-based pencils (Prismacolor Premier, Derwent Coloursoft) on smooth Bristol or Stonehenge smooth paper, building 6–12 or more layers of pigment with progressive pressure increases. Tier documentation covers the layer sequence by pressure zone (very light for first three layers, light for layers 4–6, medium for 7–9, burnishing pressure for final layers), the color sequencing rationale (which color was placed first and why, what the underpainting color does to the layers applied on top), and the skin tone mixing formula expressed as pencil brand + color name + layer count + pressure setting. Tier examples: Sketch tier ($7/month) — monthly in-progress photographs of a single portrait in development plus process notes; Studio tier ($19/month) — complete step-by-step portrait walkthroughs with layer sequence, pressure documentation, and paper and pencil specifications; Master tier ($60/month) — full video process walkthroughs with real-time commentary and subscriber request portrait cycles.

Botanical illustration creators work with a mixed palette of wax and oil-based pencils (Polychromos for fine control, Prismacolor for blending) on textured paper (Stonehenge Aquarius, Pastelmat) or vellum. Botanical illustration documentation differs from portrait documentation: rather than focusing on skin tones, it centers on accurate species representation, color matching protocols (CI number-based palette selection for repeatable results), and the leaf and petal texture documentation (which pencil strokes mimic venation, which strokes reproduce waxy surface bloom of a leaf, how the direction of marks relative to the structure of the subject is determined and executed). Tier structure typically includes tiered reference photograph access and access to the creator’s CI-number-annotated palette sheet per species.

Mixed-media colored pencil illustrators use colored pencil over watercolor washes, gouache underpainting, gesso texturing, or ink linework. The mixed-media documentation layer is the Patreon exclusive: the sequence matters because some substrates accept colored pencil poorly (fully sealed surfaces with varnish or acrylic medium may not hold pencil adhesion), the color interaction between the underlying wash and the pencil layer affects final color (watercolor that is slightly different from the pencil color creates optical mixing in the visible tooth), and the compatibility of fixatives with the underlying medium requires testing (some fixatives dissolve watercolor or lift gouache).

Wax and oil binder mechanics

Wax-based pencils (Prismacolor Premier, most student-grade colored pencils) use a paraffin and microcrystalline wax binder at 20–40% by volume that holds the pigment particles together and creates adhesion to the paper surface by thermal softening under the friction of application. The wax binder melts very slightly from the heat generated by pressure and friction, distributing pigment by depositing a thin wax film carrying pigment onto the paper tooth. Wax binder produces highly blendable, smooth layers with minimal pressure in early applications, and is the reason that Prismacolor pencils blend easily with a colorless blender pencil — the blender pushes the already-soft wax laterally to fill remaining tooth without adding new pigment. The primary working limitation of wax-based pencils is wax bloom: over 24–72 hours after the drawing is completed, uncured wax continues to slowly migrate toward the paper surface (driven by the concentration gradient between the dense subsurface wax deposit and the less-waxy surface); the thin surface wax layer scatters light and appears as a whitish haze, shifting all colors toward a cooler, slightly desaturated version of the original. Wax bloom is prevented by applying 1–2 coats of workable fixative spray immediately after completing the drawing.

Oil-based pencils (Faber-Castell Polychromos, Caran d’Ache Luminance) use an isoparaffin mineral spirit or similar organic oil as the binder rather than wax. The oil binder produces no wax bloom because oils do not migrate to the surface in the same way. Oil-based pencils have a firmer, harder core that requires slightly more pressure to deposit pigment in early layers but is more resistant to premature tooth loading: the oil binder particles are smaller and deposit more selectively into the deepest tooth recesses first, leaving shallower recesses available for subsequent layers. Polychromos pencils are particularly valued in botanical illustration and technical drawing for their ability to deposit very fine lines with a sharp point that holds longer under drawing pressure than a wax-based core. Lightfastness ratings for Polychromos and Luminance are among the highest of any colored pencil range, with most pigments rated ASTM I or II.

Layering, tooth exhaustion, and burnishing mechanics

Paper tooth and layer capacity: Each paper surface has a finite holding capacity for pigment, determined by the number, depth, and spacing of tooth micro-features. The tooth holds wax and oil binder physically by lodging particles in surface recesses. Each successive layer deposits more binder into remaining unfilled recesses. At tooth exhaustion (typically 4–8 layers on smooth Bristol, 8–15+ layers on Pastelmat or Stonehenge Aquarius), all accessible recesses are filled and new pigment deposits only on the already-loaded surface — where it has little mechanical grip and can be wiped away. The visual and tactile indicator of tooth exhaustion is that the pencil begins to slide and glide rather than catching on the surface, and the paper appears glossy rather than matte under a raking light.

Fixative reset: Workable fixative spray (Krylon Workable Fixatif, Spectrafix, or equivalent) partially re-opens the tooth after exhaustion by depositing a thin lacquer or casein matrix that creates new adhesion sites on the now-smooth surface. One light coat of fixative can add 2–4 additional layers of colored pencil before the fixed surface itself reaches capacity. Document fixative brand, distance from surface, number of coats, and drying time before applying additional pencil. Fixative shifts color slightly — Krylon tends to slightly darken and shift toward warm on some papers; Spectrafix shifts minimally. Photograph the work before and after fixative application to document the color shift.

Burnishing: Burnishing is the application of strong pressure with either a white or colorless blender pencil or a light, neutral color to the fully loaded surface. The pressure physically compresses the wax binder deposits in the tooth, forcing them laterally to fill the last remaining recesses and creating a smooth, unified surface that reflects light evenly rather than showing individual tooth as white specks. Burnishing produces the “smooth” finish characteristic of professional colored pencil portraiture and high-key illustration styles. Burnishing permanently compresses the tooth, making further layering difficult without fixative. It slightly lightens dark colors by mixing dark pigment with the white or neutral burnisher. Burnishing with a matching color rather than a colorless blender avoids this slight lightening. Document the burnisher color and brand used in each area, because different burnisher types (wax-based colorless blender vs a light-colored pencil) produce different surface finishes.

Lightfastness documentation: CI numbers and ASTM ratings

Colour Index number (CI number): The CI number identifies the specific pigment compound used in a pencil color, independent of brand name or color name. A pencil labeled “Scarlet” from one brand might contain PO64 (pyrrole orange, ASTM II lightfastness) while the same name from another brand contains PR4 (chlorinated para red, ASTM IV — poor lightfastness). Only the CI number reveals which pigment is actually present. The two-letter prefix indicates pigment type: PY = yellow, PO = orange, PR = red, PV = violet, PB = blue, PG = green, PW = white, PBk = black. Many branded colored pencil colors use a single pigment (single-pigment colors have highest tinting strength and clearest hue); some use two or three pigments. Multi-pigment colors have unpredictable fading characteristics because different pigments in the mix fade at different rates, shifting color over time.

ASTM D6901 lightfastness ratings: The American Society for Testing and Materials rates art pigments for lightfastness under defined accelerated UV exposure conditions. Rating I = Excellent (unchanged after 100 years of display in museum conditions, or equivalent accelerated test); II = Very Good (unchanged for 50–100 years); III = Fair (significant fading or hue shift in 15–50 years); IV = Poor; V = Very Poor. For archival colored pencil work, only pigments rated ASTM I or II should be used in finished pieces intended to last. Document the ASTM rating for each pencil in the palette, with CI number. Some pigments not listed in ASTM D6901 (newer synthetic pigments, proprietary compounds) should be verified by accelerated UV testing or by reference to the manufacturer’s lightfastness data sheet.

iOS rates and Apple Tax

Colored pencil creators build audience through YouTube drawing tutorials (time-lapse and real-time), Instagram finished portrait and botanical work photography, and TikTok transformation and process videos. The iOS concentration: YouTube colored pencil tutorials 55–68% iOS; Instagram colored pencil artwork and Reels 72–84% iOS; TikTok time-lapse content 72–84% iOS. Beginning November 1, 2026, Apple charges Patreon 30% on every iOS subscription. At $200/month with 62% iOS: approximately $37.20/month ($446.40/year). At $350/month with 70% iOS: approximately $73.50/month ($882/year). At $500/month with 76% iOS: approximately $114/month ($1,368/year). Enable Patreon’s web-only billing toggle in Creator Settings before October 31, 2026.

KeepTier is a self-hosted membership page for creators who want 100% of their tier revenue and zero Apple tax. Plans start at $9/month.