Original Colored Pencil Painting, Dancing Peppers

Why do I call this a painting when it's a drawing?  To me, the word painting is more recognizable as a work of art than the word drawing.  It immediately seems to raise the bar.  Many pastel artists also use the word painting to describe their work.  I really enjoyed doing my latest painting, "Dancing Peppers".  When I set up the still life I was mindful of creating deep shadows.  I played with the placement of the small peppers on the table, so the reflections would be seen in the silver bowl.  I shot this photo from above at an angle which is my preferred shot.  I tried something new on this piece, Caran d'Ache NeoColor water soluable crayons as a base layer on the peppers in the pot.  I used them so I could cover the paper quickly and apply a few less layers of pencil, hoping to save time.  I like the results, but I love the layering process even though it's very time consuming.  So far, I like the red and green crayons as a base layer; the yellow, not so much.  I recently tried a gray crayon for a back round in another painting and I was very disappointed.  Have you experimented with different materials in your art or craft?  Sometimes I feel as if I'm wasting time - after alll, I could be working on a new painting using my tried and true method.  Experimenting with new ideas is good for me though, it keeps me thinking outside the box (or in my case, paper)! 

 Dancing Peppers 8" X 10" colored pencil on Stonehenge archival paper.  Purchase this painting:     http://www.etsy.com/listing/76513390/original-fine-art-contemporary-painting