Colour Crayons, also referred to as Cont? ? Paris carr?s, are harder than pastels or charcoals. This hardness creates crisp, tight lines rather than the more smudged look of pastel and charcoal. They are produced from a highly rigorous choice of pigments, clay and a binder. They are then baked after being extruded and dried. Prop. 65 Warning: These products contain a chemical known in the State of California to cause cancer.