ARTEZA Colored Pencils - Should You Be Worried?
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- Опубліковано 23 сер 2024
- There has been a lot of discussion lately about the quality of certain batches of Arteza colored pencils. In this video watch me test 3 different Arteza colored pencil sets from different years: pre-2018; pre-2019; post 2019. Let’s see what happens when we hit them with water-we even compare them side-by-side with Prismacolor Premier and Faber-Castell Polychromos colored pencils.
Let’s also have a discussion about the marketing and sales tactics of these companies, and the expectations we should have for the art supplies we purchase.
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I really appreciate how this video wasn't dramatic. I've honestly thought most of the reviews of this "issue" was overtly overblown. I know that this is an issue that some users will worry with, but for myself it doesn't. I don't plan on getting water involved with my coloring. Im really glad I've discovered Coloring Bliss and I appreciate your honest opinions. ❤️
Allen I’m so glad our video was helpful to you and I’m so glad you find our content here at Coloring Bliss valuable. 😊😊
I honestly think this could actually be an advantage for some. How cool would it be to colour flowers and dilute the pencil almost like watercolour and drag it out to other areas.
Allen, exactly! I've seen a couple of videos and it was as if it was their sole purpose in life to damage Arteza.
I don't have their colour pencils, by the way, so I can't judge, but I do have their gouache, acrylic and oil paints and they are a joy to work with.
Sorry to be offtopic but does anybody know a tool to log back into an Instagram account?
I somehow forgot the account password. I would appreciate any help you can give me.
@Wilson Grey instablaster =)
Thank you for your informative review! I don't own any products by Arteza but I don't think they deserve the "cancel culture" attack. If you buy a budget friendly product, you will not get professional results. I'm just in it for the joy it brings me. Love your channel and your positive spirit ❤️🇨🇦
I agree, I’m here for learning and enjoyment in my retirement years. I’m not expecting to become a professional artist, so the midrange-to-cheap supplies fit my ability level and my fixed income.
I agree. Most people buying these pencils are using them dry in colouring books, not making works of art to hang in the National Gallery.
And I know there are some amazingly talented colourists but the majority of those use Polys or Prismas or Caran d’Ache or Derwent due to the way those pencils perform.
I agree. We need to be careful how we treat companies and each other. Expect respect and act with respect. Thanks for your comment.
I started formal art classes back in the eighties, and the quality of mid-range “hobbyist” products are better than anything I could afford back in the day. I went back to art during Lockdown last year and I’m positively wallowing in the affordable art supplies. It’s amazing. I’m gradually putting together a professional grade watercolors (if you want an art scandal and haven’t heard yet, look into the Daniel Smith Primatek pigment issues), but otherwise I’m delighted with the quality of my mid-level supplies. (I just got the last set of Black Widow pencils, and now the dragon set. Hmm. Decisions.)
Thanks for all the honesty, I think a lot of colorists need to know the information you share. 👍🏻💕
I have always used both in mixed media. I generally use the colored pencils over watercolor not under so I have never had any issues
Tamara that’s a great “order of operations”. There are many art supplies that need to be used in the correct order to avoid issues. Now we know this may be another one of those situations.
I am so sorry to hear about your dad's illness. You are both in my prayers. Love to you both.♥️
I agree with your assessment on expectations. I love these pencils. I don't expect liquid solubility because I use pencils dry and I think paper between coloring pages works and there is no chemical exposure. If l wanted water color pencils this company does make them. If there's something that you love here then making another purchase makes sense. I have many pencil sets in very different price ranges. I enjoy these pencils because of their beautiful color saturation and blend abilities. Also color quality is comparable to prismas without the fragility that is a problem with them. My favorite pencils are the polychromos. But they have some issues too. Point being if your in a marriage with a great friend you don't show them the door because you don't like all the same movies.
Thank you for a measured and thoughtful review of what is happening. I always appreciate the way your channel handles bringing us information. Thanks 💚
MrsC B I’m glad you found the video helpful. We try very hard to make useful content for everyone.
I love how you review Jennifer. It's so fun and light, yet informative and looked at from all angles. 🥰
I would say one of the things you are paying that premium price for with the professional companies is consistency and quality control, as you said we need realistic expectations when going for the cheaper option, and deciding whether that is worth it for you personally. That being said - I'm kinda impressed with how well the pre 2019 artezas performed in the bleeding test against Prismacolour and Polychromos!
Lucy you are definitely right about part our money going towards quality control in the more expensive products. I will gladly put some of my dollars towards knowing I will get a great product. But like I said in the video...I’m glad we have the cheaper products so we can try and experiment with a variety of art mediums.
Thanks for your comment.
I’m a true beginner because I’ve never known how to shade, contour, highlight or blend until I started watching videos in December 2020. For Christmas, I got a 120 set of Castle Arts colored pencils which was quite an upgrade from 36 Crayolas. But because the Castle Arts aren’t open stock and one has to purchase the entire set again to get replacement pencils; I find myself going back to my small set of Crayolas while I’m training my eyes to see light and shadows and and my hand to color very lightly with very pointed pencils to layer my colors. These can be replaced easily on my retirement’s fixed income. If/As I grow as a colorist, I can move back to my Castle Arts and explore more as I start saving for Prisma Colors and PolyChromos. I appreciate learning from you and I have benefited from the swatch charts and other materials I’ve been able to download. You both provide a great service to me, and to many colorists and artists of all abilities. My main focus is to learn new skills and have fun doing so. Thank you again for all both of you do!
Marsha I am excited to hear about your coloring journey. Have fun learning and don’t be too afraid to dive into those Castle Art pencils. I know the fear of avoiding your “precious “ tools but you are worth it. You may find the learning process easier and more enjoyable.
Good luck and have fun!
You can get castle arts in smaller sets now I also follow Shell Arty on you tube
Marsha Braswell Welcome to the world of adult coloring!!! Our fearless leader speaks true (always, actually! Just one of many reasons we ❤️ her!) - you'll do your best learning, and easiest learning, using your best available tools. It sounds like you're doing your homework where it comes to value for money - good for you! A couple of additional options you may already know about - alternate pathways to filling your toy/tool chest: 1. Crayola also makes a set of 50, as well as a set of 100 colored pencils, both fairly budget-friendly in the USA at the moment (
Hey there!. I'm one of those people on a tight budget too. One thing I like is that Prismacolors are sold in sets of like 12 pencils, and sometimes you can find those at Walmart as well as the craft stores for a good price. Michael's also has them open stock, and has their own store-brand version of them. You can just buy a couple here and there and build up what you want. Heck, I've even learned some neat techniques with good old Crayola crayons from watching Jennifer's channel. You can use anything and get a nice result. Welcome to the coloring crew!
I so enjoyed reading your reply. Welcome to the wonderful world of adult coloring. Perhaps when your budget allows, purchase some open stock prisma colors in colors you love, even 3 pencils to try blending with them. Places like Dick Blick sell open stock and it is not so frightening to buy 3 pencils at a time. This month prismas, next month Blicks, the following month another brand and then you can see which you enjoy, before buying a small 12 set of basic colors.
I bought my Arteza’s a couple of years ago and I have no problem with them! I wanted something that was a step down from prisma’s and it was but I love them and they are also precious to me as well!!
W P I’m so glad your enjoying your Arteza pencils. Keep coloring!!! 😊
I use Arteza products for card making. I use their color paint brushes and fine point markers to highlight my drawings. However, I use Prisma colored pencils for sketching and blending. Thank you for your presentation. As always, your tutorials and demonstrations are so full of informative details that I probably would not have considered before watching your videos. I appreciate your honesty and non biased opinion on these products. Thank you for sharing your knowledge and experience 🙏 😊
I'd like to know how the various brands react to a light coat of spray fixative. That could help with the mixed media/wet media issue.
That was my thoughts exactly with the spray. I think it would make a good video if they re-did this with another set of recent purchased pencils and try a fixative. Apparently though another channel did a video on this 9 months ago and showed that the pencils were actually worse than here. The thing about Chinese manufacturing they aren't afraid to cut corners.
I can relate to your father. I got the 150 prismacolor set and my mom was thrilled i was getting back into groove. She has wanted me to get back into it for 35 yrs. Sometimes the art isnt the only thing that comes along for the ride.
It's interesting to see the difference between the pencils from different time periods. I have the 2018 set and never had an issue with them! Granted I also don't normally do mixed media. However this is great information since if I do run my 2018 set into the ground (not likely with all the pencil sets I have), I'm not sure I would buy the post-2019 due to the awful blending. As a side note, I absolutely love my swatch book I ordered!
I love my prismas, i have bought these budget brands and they are cheap, you get what you pay for. And you are right, need to have the right expectations.
Lucia...Exactly. 😊
But they aren't even that cheap! You can get the full set of Prismas for less than 100 dollars.
Prismas are cheap too. Try polychromos for more detailed work (they keep a point well) or Caran D'Ache for quality. They last so much longer they are still good value
I just ordered the Arteza from amazon for $14.44 for 48 pencils. That is 30 cents per pencil. I can afford 14.00. I don't do mixed media. We shall see if they work good enough. Thanks for the review. HUGS
I'm honestly not sure why this blew up all of a sudden. I thought it was common knowledge that Arteza colored pencils - at least specific batches - had the issue of behaving like watercolor. My old 72 set has this issue, my newer 120 one does not. I specifically tested this when I received both sets.
I also definitely agree that Arteza (and to an extent Castle Arts now) are too expensive for what they are. I mean $80 for 120 Arteza or $85-$90 for 150 Prismacolor pencils? NO CONTEST!! I remember getting the 72 set for less than $20 and I got the 120 set for $40 (I was not planning to get them at the launch price of $75 or whatever but at $40? No brainer!).
Here's my take on what happened. Arteza launched coloring supplies aimed specifically at colorists, you can see it by their range. They literally do every arty/crafty supply you can think of. They launched at a price point that's not too expensive and the pencils were definitely better than what you'd find at Walmart. So they're aiming for adults (not kids) who can afford to spend on coloring supplies but who don't particularly care about lightfast ratings. But then their sales blew up and they realized people are willing to spend quite a bit more, so they hiked up the price to where they're as expensive as Prismacolors! WTH!
I see the same thing happening with the Black Widow pencils. I have no doubt they're nice, excellent even. But when a set of pencils costs more than the 150 set of Prismacolors, I hesitate to buy/recommend them. I don't think they would be worth the price and I'm not even a huge fan of Prismas LOL.
Let me end this rather looong comment with this: If you can afford multiple sets of pencils or you like collecting art supplies, then yes go for these (I call them) 'colorist' brands. If you want just one set of pencils or don't have space/time/money for multiple sets, just get the 150 Prismas and you're all set.
I agree, 100%!
Agreed! Prismacolors have issues, but end of the day, your money gets quality. Sometimes off-centered or splintered, even a rust spot or two on the tin (all happened with my pack), but it’s quality overall. I trust Prismas. If it goes onto my paper, I know it’s good. Assuming I can sharpen it, lol. Still, mostly good product. And price difference from Luminance, Polychromos, even Derwent Coloursoft make the risk worth it. The price of Arteza doesn’t justify the issues. It’s a crafter’s/hobbiest’s pencil at a Prisma price. And that’s not okay. Double Crayola price would be about right. Crayola is $7 for 50 pencils. $15 for 100.
They don't behave like watercolor. They are gummy and sticky when wet. It is not nice.
The price difference depends on part of world you live in, here prismacolor is mor expensive. Castel Arts are much cheaper. And polychromos are cheaper as well. I think Arteza problem is overblown only a problem if you use mixed media with them.
@@Schwefeldrache, yup, same here, I live in Spain. I can get the 120-set of Arteza's for around EUR 60.00, which I think isn't bad at all. The Prismacolors are way, WAY more expensive than that.
I'm so glad you mentioned that arteza is just an art supply distributor and not a manufacturer! It's not very well known but I think it's important, especially considering how expensive arteza is.
Also completely agree on the sleazy marketing.
And their prices used to be really competitive, but then they started to become more and more popular, and prices went up.
@@leonnehaaijman4709 Somebody has to pay for all the free products that UA-camrs are receiving, I guess. :')
@@RamoArt :D :D
I love the way you combined the Professional Brands to this too.
Hoping some start to calm down over this...
Christa I’m so glad we did grab those 2 professional brands. If I had the time and energy it would have been fun to test more brands.
Right? It’s so sad how everyone just jumped on bandwagon on hating the Arteza pencils just for this. I mean I understand the professional artists or those who sell their artwork, but then again they would need lightfast pencils not Arteza.
Thank you for a balanced review of the situation. Thank you for bringing in the higher quality as well. I love your setting expectations talk. I dont own arteza colored pencils but hate to see folks so negative about any company.
Pricing changes a lot over time, that's a huge thing. Right now the 72 set Prismacolor Premier are €72 here, while you can get the Arteza Expert 72 set for €25 (just bought them). That's quite a price difference. Interesting video, but this 'issue' isn't an issue for me personally. I always use my colored pencils last in a mixed-media piece, so no more water applied after I use them.
I will never buy prismacolor pencils again, the core is great but the casings are absolutely awful 😖. Every time I sharpen them the wood splits or the core drops out, the quality has gone down so much I feel they are not worth paying their exorbitant prices.
Prayers for your daddy 🙏💗 Thank you for all your art supply testing and reviews. I really appreciate it. 😁
Really appreciate yr honest, frank & fair appraisal! Thank u both so much!
I got my set in summer 2020 they don’t bleed at all it’s all good for me and Arteza customer service are so really great always towards me in the past.
Natalia that’s great to hear! Have fun coloring and thanks for your comment.
Same for me, my Arteza didn't react to water at all. I bought them in July 2020. I prefer my 72 Prisma's over my 120 Arteza because they are a bit softer and they don't cause my hand to hurt as fast.
My Arteza's from 2018 ran like a track star.
😂😂😂
It would be a useful test to do some swatches of different pencils (and brands) and see how they react to spray fixatives. Do they run when the fixative is applied ?
I personally love my new Arteza 72 colored pencil set (new one's with the snail on the tin). They are so smooth and vibrant, I find that they blend beautifully.
I do also have Prismacolor Premier colored pencils...which of course are lovely.
Water test, I've just done the same test on Prisma and Arteza with various colors and they are about the same. Quality, some of my Prisma are scratchy and some of the Arteza are scratchy. Overall both are smooth. I find that a lot of the time the Arteza pencils do a better job of filling the grain of the paper.
As to expert (Arteza) to me they are expert quality pencils vs. Premier (Prismacolor) to me they are premier compared to their scholar sets but not compared to Polychromos Pencils or Caran D'ache (and that goes for both these companies).
Their tactics: I'm not seeing their tactics as anything different from Prismacolor.
Quality: Arteza is a pretty new company and growing fast, I'm sure they will make more changes as they go along. Prismacolor has done the same thing...I don't remember the channel on here but a lady managed to buy prismacolor sets all the way from their first set to I think it was 2018 or 19 and their formulas change along the way. I've seen long term Prismacolor users call the new Prismacolors rubbish because of the quality issues with build, how easily their leads are crumbling or break, off center cores, splitting pencils...blah blah.
I love my Arteza and my Prisma. I'm not seeing or feeling much difference.
Lmao deffo sponsored by Arteza
How does someone get color pencils from pre 2018? O.o especially so many.
Thank you for doing this test! When I saw people complaining again about their new Arteza pencils running again, I thought to pull out my Prismas and PolyChromos and see how the water reacts with them as well. It’s only fair to compare against the Professional options. I don’t have the Arteza colored pencils, because I already have plenty of professional pencils but I do have their watercolor pencils and I find them to be better than other options I have, including some of the professional ones. All companies have some good products and some that aren’t so good. Also, thanks for the free gnome, I’m excited to color it this weekend!
I was worried at first, I thought why is Jennifer jumping on the Arteza “will it run” video bandwagon? But I needn’t have been worried, as usual you gave a fair, balanced and honest review and opinion.
*Most* people (not all before commenters come @ me) will use these pencils dry in their colouring books and would have no inkling or care of how they react with water and they’d remain just as happy as they currently are. Wax based coloured pencils have always released some pigment when wetted and always will. It’s a balance between more wax and more pigment.
With regards to price, in the US Prismacolors are much more keenly priced than in the UK. 150 Prismas are £150, whereas 120 Arteza are £60. So to us, Prismas are double the price.
You are so kind ArtJourneyUK! Steve and I really debated about this video but in the end, we decided because we had experience with the company and so many sets of pencils, we had a unique perspective and an opportunity to do an Interesting test. I’m glad you found the video to be fair and helpful.
Also...I wish I could make pencils and all art supplies more affordable for your region. So sorry.
I agree. I trust Jennifer and Steve. I love my Arteza products. I was upset bec they advertise that their tubed watercolor paints could be panned...didn’t work at all...but they credited me for the paints. Anyway, I was-am- new to adult coloring, so Arteza was affordable. I use them for coloring not mixed media. I appreciate this review.
Thank you for the comparison information. I always enjoy your videos. You are always so level headed and knowledgeable.
I’m glad you enjoyed it Laverne
Your videos make me feel nostalgic and safe, like I’m back in the library from my elementary school surrounded by the smell of old books and interesting stories to choose from, and I’m listening to the librarian tell my class a story as we sit around with the impatience and excitement of young kids wanting to explore. Does that make sense ?
Great video! I’ve been using Prismacolor pencils since art school 30 years ago. Thank you for all you do❤️❤️❤️❤️
Michelle I’m glad you liked the video. That’s awesome that you have such a long history with Prismacolor!
Excellent information, thank you for the well researched and fair presentation of what is happening! You and Steve are my go to channel for honest information, THANK YOU
I work with dementia affected patients and we too use colouring-in books. It helps in some many ways. Helps in fostering good social relations conversation and achievement plus it's fun. Staff and patients colour in together I have just started using colouring books as I now have sleep problems. When I can't sleep get up and colour. It relaxes my mind better than medication. I would not have believed this before. I'm no artist but enjoy my effects. Find your channel very helpful and inspiring
It's lovely to hear that your dad enjoyed colouring x❤
Thank you for all your videos you make. I discovered your channel and have been watching all your videos. I love them and have been learning alot. Today I purchased your Quick Color Picker Book and I'm so excited. I think it will help me alot with learning about colors and picking colors. Thank you.❤
SO glad to have stumbled on to your video!! Thank you for your insightful review!! I was actually watching videos comparing Castle Arts to Arteza. Since both are in a similar price range and all. I have not been very happy with the Arteza. Many of the pencils I have (I got the Expert 120 set) are scratchy and will not blend well. In fact, some of them are so terrible, I have gotten out my Polychromos and Prismas to help blend better. I can say the Artezas simply just do NOT break though. Not in the set I got. I broke one. And that was because I dropped it and then accidentally rolled my chair over it while looking for it. Luckily, just popped off the tip but it was such a weird brake that it broke in the pencil sharpener once. LOL. Anyway, I have been trying to find the right pencils for me. I want a set that is good for just coloring. Maybe use some of the professional ones with it to create different blends/highlights/shadows/colors/etc. But I wanted to leave my professional pencils to be used with my drawings. I don't really care for the Prismas I got. The colors are beautiful AND they are very creamy and blend well. My only issue is that the majority of these have broken at least once. And I have tried different sharpeners.. They still break. A LOT. For a professional set, even thought they cost very little more than Arteza, this is unacceptable. I will not be buying them again. So I have looked at Derwent (to replace Prisma), Castle Art and even Amazon basic to replace Arteza. I can tell you the Amazon basics, for their price point, NOT BAD!! They just need a larger color variety. I can say they feel like a crayola in my hand but put down like I would expect Arteza to go down. These will be my travel set for coloring pages when I am riding down to Florida this year. hahaha. Anyway, thanks again. I probably wrote entirely too much. But I appreciate all of your work!!
It matters very much to be fully informed so thanks for this FULL informational video. Very much appreciated and we need more like you in YT land.
It took me to 12+minutes into the video to notice the pupper lol. So cute!♡♡
There has been this "thing" about counterfeit art supplies, specifically color pencils, circulating on art forums. To give the major brands credit, I know they will change their fonts, font sizes and placements on their pencils. It's all part of freshening their brand. Old sets are still in circulation and makes for confusion when the newer ones are on the market. I personally have old pencils that are over fifty years old. Other than confusion, the quality of these brands, Spectracolor, Prismacolor, Kor-I-Noor and Faber Castell are the same. Quality rules. Counterfeit pencils should be obvious. Packaging is different, quality of the pencils and their core are different. It's true what they say about something being too good to be true, it isn't.
Companies change their formulas all the time. It's when they go the cheaper route they hurt themselves. Artists just starting out aren't clear about what's student grade or professional.. But you get educated as you go. The bad thing is when an artist feels ripped-off. Seriously, one bad review equals 10 lost purchases. Bad quality i.e. crumbling leads, split barrels, lousy binders and cheap fillers in a pencil will get people to stop buying them. Bad customer service will get a company a bad reputation and loss of sales they can't recover from. Vote with your dollars.
We know what brands are stable and worth the money we spend on them. That's why we have these lovely videos! Checking them out is important. Thanks for the work you do.
Thanks for joining the conversation. We address a lot of these ideas in this video. It is great to see so many people becoming more educated and savvy as they shop for art products.
I do think another reason we have seen this problem is since the pandemic began more people have, due to home quarantine & safety issues (low immune systems etc) began new hobbies. This with having to home school children has made any part of an art product harder to source. Everything from binder to pigment etc & to look further afield for their sources as many ppl have been laid of in non essential services.
Having said that I own no Arteza products & LOVE my Derwent & Faber Castel, both polychromos & watercolour. My Albrecht Druher I have owned for 35 yrs. Since the pandemic my art has been paramount & my collection & mediums has expanded hugely. Thank you for being a big part of my entertainment for information on all sorts of art mediums.
As I live in Australia & have a poor immune system I have been on lockdown for nigh on a year now & art has been the therapy I needed. Although I had not drawn for 30 yrs after bringing up 5 kids under 10 it took me 3 days for my muscle memory to return much to my astonishment. So never give up or give in and if you like the tools you use & they work for you, GREAT!!! God bless everyone & best wishes from Australia. Kisses to your adorable furbaby too. XXX
It matters to me because I would like to begin using fixative but I have seen what happens to artwork with these pencils that run. I like very much to be informed. You did a terrific job, thank you for your video!🥰
Lori thanks for your kind comment. 😊
I appreciate your honest reviews! I had just ordered the 120 colored pencils, and canceled it...then got thier watercolor pencils instead! If I hadn't come across that video today, I would have been getting those first ones on Tuesday! Since I wanted a set I could color with on the couch, and actually have more versatility, I'm really glad I was able to switch!
Now, I also bought the Inktense Pencils 72 set- last month and used them in a fabric project and a painting. I love them!
Also, I just ordered the Arteza 24 half pan metallic watercolors. I'm going to experiment with mixing them with the different types of media I just mentioned!
Thank you Both!
Oh, I just sent in a join request for your Facebook group...and forgot to hit the "I agree to the rules"button ! I agree!
The problem I had when they broke up with water is they also tended to spread a bit if sprayed with a fixative, which kind of ruined several pages before I figured out what was happening. Otherwise, I do really like the Arteza pencils. But the new set I ordered in February, I returned. They were terrible to work with. Disappointing
It matters if you need to spray a staler over your art. It doesn’t matter if your making beautiful cooking art in your book. They are fine pencils just keep the water away from them.
Beth thanks for your comment. Definitely depends on the person and the situation.
I mean, for some it’s a huge con, but it can actually be a pro, if you don’t have watercolours and need that little cute bleed. They can actually go for it as a “specialty pencil”.
I really agree that we must see both sides - pros and cons, not just praise or hate something.
And also this is why I research a lot before I buy because most often than not I have just one shot at buying the best for the money I have.
I didn’t get Arteza because I couldn’t get it open stock and that was the only reason, because to me bleeding is something that I don’t care.
Egija I think your comment about “you get one shot” is very important. Investing in the right tool the first time is very tricky when there is so much to choose from and the marketing is so confusing. Thanks for your comment
I think it's a great feature if they are water soluble. It's a matter on knowing what to expect and then use those strengths.
Thank you for your honesty about products. Now that I’m pretty old I draw just to please myself, but I do expect honesty out of a company so that I know what I’m buying and how it will perform. If I find that a company is actually misrepresenting their product I won’t buy from them again.
I have the Premium 48 set. It is my first hobbyist grade pencils, so I didn't know what to expect. I had it for a few months now. I'm planning to either shelf it or give it to my little cousin because I'm not loving them. Not getting the feeling that I should continue using them.
Yes! Just finishing up my tostada and street tacos from our local Mexican food place and with 15 minutes to spare can’t wait to see you all tonight
Sounds delicious!! I’m finishing up my Jimmy John’s sandwich and salt & vinegar chips. ❤️❤️
@@ColoringBliss that sounds good too! I’m on a low bread kick right now due to fighting my blood sugar levels while being on steroids 😓
I Truly APPRECIATE What you and your husband do.THANK YOU!!!💞🤟🙏❣
For years I heard about the wonderful Prismacolor Premiers and bought the 150 about 3 years ago and I have to say they are not my favs - way too soft and I rarely use them. I quite like the 120 Artezas I got at Christmas this year.
Would you recommend Artezas for a beginner? I looove coloring in adult coloring books and i want to learn to color like a pro, but i know with the classic faber castell's i cant become what i want, because i can't layer a lot of colors at all with those. I am i doubt if i should buy Arteza's, Goldfaber or polycromos (lol just a small case of 36 colors)
@@MissMoi1985 yes, I like them very much. They have a good range of colours, soft, but not too soft, hold a point quite well.
@@marleycritcher8068 i ordered the 72 set, should be here on saturday, can't wait 😍😍
All the brands started out this way. I remember when it was difficult to find the lightfastness of the pro brands. Had to test them ourselves.
I love my Artiza CP's. :) I actually like them more than Prismacolour, tbh. I think my top three brands are: Polychromos, Arteza, and a tie between Holbein/CD Luminance...with a VERY close Black Widow's. Prismacolour, Derwent and Cameleon's are my least favourite...although they do have their strengths, and my Derwents (ProColour and Coloursoft) are odd though. Sometimes I use them and think "These are horrible! Why am I even bothering?"...and then I'll try them again a couple months later and think "These are really nice! What was I thinking before?"...then back to "What'tha?! These suck!", "I like these", "These are bad...", "These are good...", etc, etc. Call it a "love/hate" relationship with my Derwent. :)
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(Side Note on Derwent: Inktense. BEST. MEDIUM. EVARRR!!! Easily my top choice for any alcohol-marker medium; paint, charcoal, graphite, coloured pencil, watercolour, etc. Inktense are *AMAZING!* Ok. Enough gushing about inktense).
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Arteza "drama"? Huh. Haven't heard anything. Haven't heard of their new "Pro" CP's either. So I guess I'll just listen now...
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EDIT: Ok. Listening to the "complaint/concerns" about Arteza. First, anyone, and I mean ANYONE who uses "buzz words" when searching for products deserve exactly what they want. Want a good colour pencil? Don't put in "creamy", "buttery", "silky smooth", "expert", "professional", etc. Just don't. Why? People who do marketing are The Devil! Their job is to lie to you convincingly enough to take your money. After that? They don't care. They will sell you a product by lying their teeth off, that product will give you cancer, and their reaction will be "Don't look at me! *I* didn't create the product...you should have read the fine print and the ToS. Not my problem".
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So, yeah. You want to find an ACTUAL pro-level coloured product or marker? Look for the price first; you get what you pay for. Also, one word: "Lightfast". If a company *isn't* giving you a Lightfast rating for their product, be warry and/or just stay away until you do see it. If it's a brand new product/release...give them time. If they never bother...be warry. They are not "pro".
I have used Prismacolor watercolor pencils for 21+ years because I am a watercolor artist. While this is interesting, am not sure why anyone would care. If you want to the Crayola crayons can be used in watercolor for mixed media. It doesn't bleed or run.
This truly cleared up my thinking with Arteza!
I’m a hobby colourist with colouring books and I bought the 72 set of artezas in Sept 2020 for £32 on Amazon UK. I’ve found they perform great to be honest, bare movement with water and I think can get a really nice blend. I’m not experienced with any other pencils except Ergosofts and they’re very different feeling. I do put a lot of pressure on them to blend and I find they crumble/get dusty and need sharpening frequently but I do regret not buying the 120 tin at the time. Definitely looking to buy the full set of prismas next though. Thank you for this great and thorough video.
I should also say that I think Arteza have some deeply dodgy marketing going on with their sales/discounts and pricing though which is disappointing but means I watch them like a hawk for when the price is the best and then pounce.
The metallic pan watercolours are beautiful for instance and I like their paper too.
I heard there was an uproar in the community and this is the 1st video that I am paying attention so far this is why it matters to me and I really do appreciate and hear what you and Steve are saying BUT: Since March 2020 (COVID 19) I really got into coloring, have and continue to buy products artist and non-artist grade supplies. I have watched dozens of UA-cam videos this past year on where to start, what to buy etc...etc.... since it was a new hobby for calm and at the time I was ignorant to my new craft. I had some basic budget friendly that I purchased at the store. One of my favorite ColorTubers talked about Arteza quite a bit and he/she had an affiliate link so thinking that I could support that person for their time-I bought into it plus I loved Arteza's Inkonics line for my ❌ method kind of books. I bought the watercolor pencils 1st because I found a Crayola watercolor set with 8 colors. I tried a couple of the Arteza's and I myself being inexperienced and heavy handed.... I didn't think to blame the quality of the pencil but looking back it probably was the pencil. I even just bought a book a month or so ago before this came out on how to do watercolors and you are supposed to color in the book because I thought I was doing something wrong. I do like the regular colored pencils by Arteza because it reminds me of a cross between a polychromos and a PrismaColor.... there's my thoughts and lesson learned. Back to the video and I hope you don't think I am judging because I'm just telling you my experience.
everyone's attacking arteza now
look they are cheaper, have lower expectations
if you don't like cheaper pencils don't buy them
everyone was attacking prisma at 1 point and even today I see people attack them but heres information for you I've only been using prisma for 7 years and I can get a defined point with little to no wastage, change your sharpener for a crank or electric jakar and you'll never be as unhappy, I've had 1 breakage in that time
yes I went off topic but I can't understand unnecessary hate when prisma changed hands so quality will shift but artiza aren't processional at all, they are good cheap alternatives for casual drawings for yourself, they are not commission quality
I think some are mad bc arteza 120 set says "expert " meaning they are for professionals and they charge $80 almost as much as a 150 prismas atm
Snake you are very right. I am a Prisma girl and like most tools you just need to know how to use them right and you won’t have problems with them.
I think one big problem is all these reviewers that keep trying to put Arteza at the same quality level as Prisma. They just are not and can not be at the same level until they can control their products.
@@ColoringBliss I consider arteza personally at the same level as derwent, middle of the range but good for those who are doing personal drawing maybe even koh I noor can be in this group
Faber castell polychromo, prismacolour, cretacolour and luminance are more high end for those professionals like copic, those that make money and lots of it for commissioned work
@snake Prismacolor is also not really high end pencils. These pencils tend to break very often (i have derwent drawing pencils and they are extremely creamy and soft and they don't break) and prismas don't have high lightfastness. What makes a high quality pencil is the lightfastness, the pigments, break resistence and how they were processed (for example the wood)
@@lisa4471 really I've never had any breakages at all and haven't in 7 years
You not only can color but you can draw also God has given you a great gift Bless you.
Omg I was half way through and I noticed your dog in the background lol so adorable 🥰
I don't care if the product is water soluble or not as long as I know. I try to swatch all of my colors before I use them especially if it is for a project I'm making to sell or gift. It would be easier if companies were just honest, but I guess that's why I watch you. Thanks for all of your great reviews
Hi Jennifer!! I have a question for you, which do you prefer Artiza or Castle Arts Gold Edition? thank you so much for your recommendation
Doesn't matter if you bought a true artist grade pencil or crafters grade. They all run to some degree.
Tip for Arteza. Sign up for their newsletter. The colored pencils go on sale quite a bit. If you have made a previous purchase or Arteza brand anything, you can stack the sale discount with the discount printed on the package of Arteza products.
Wendy thanks for the Arteza purchasing advice. Sounds like they definitely have built in lots of room for deep discounts on their products if you know how to work their system.
Yep. I just did this to get their WC version👍😊 a lot cheaper than anywhere else at the moment.
Thank you for your detailed description and assisting those of us who may be new to coloring and supplies to understand the supplies, and how to adjust our expectations.
Jennifer I hope I was helpful. Thanks for watching and good luck with your art journey
Jennifer I had tested my Arteza set (10 different colors) prior to your video. Of the 10, 3 moved more than others. If I remember correctly Ultramarine was one. I’m pretty sure my set falls in the center column for the date. It doesn’t matter to me because I’m not going to sell my art and I like my pencils. From now on I know not to use these for mixed media. I so appreciate your calm and thorough approach and all the research behind it. Thanks for sharing your thoughts on this issue. You are spot on! ❣️
Donna thanks for sharing your test results. I think you are definitely right...different colors are bleeding more then others...this was true for the artist grade pencils too. I’m glad to hear you enjoyed the video and that you still plan to use your pencils. Have fun coloring!
So thankful to see an honest review, as always Jennifer and Steve...well done!!
I recently got Arteza pencils and am a bit dissapointed. I find them very difficult to layer, although I don't press hard. Maybe this is because of the wax in them, not sure.
If I try to put on few layers of different colours, I finish with the muddy mess. Also I find it difficult to add small details. Not sure about them, I had really high hopes from the reviews, however I am actually much more happy with Brutfuner square pencils which I also purchased recently.
I appreciate your reasonable approach rather than an emotional one. Well done and pretty rare in an age on social media outrage. I agree that expectations have to be proportionate to the product manufacturer’s claims. I won’t say anything regarding this specific product because I have had too many negative experiences with products that come from a country of origin that has absolutely no idea of what quality control is, so I never bought the product-any of them and certainly not at their prices. However, right from the beginning, the aggressive marketing campaign that introduced this product to the market and the flooding of reviews on UA-cam was suspicious to me. These reviews, the ones that I saw, were mostly positive, but I never saw the Vogger/artist using them again. Art products, especially expensive ones, build their name on word of mouth and time not on pushing them down consumer’s throats. Great vid, I just subscribed.
How do you know what year your pencils are or what stock you have? Do you go by if they have the new numbers? Because, I can't find a year anywhere on the product even though I bought them this year.
That is part of the problem. A couple indicators of the set would be the art on the tin, and the number system you have.
@@ColoringBliss I have the "new" numbering system I'm assuming since it doesn't match the tri-tone worksheets from the website and the owl is on the front of the case. I found these to be very scratchy and inconsistent but they keep sending me replacements if I email them with questions...they don't answer the questions - they just keep replacing the pencils. So, I've wound up with 3 tins now of 120
Oh wow! 3 tins!! Yes...new numbers mean you should have the new formula or the right hand column from the test...BUT...who really knows?! Maybe there is another batch that I don’t own?! So confusing!
I like my Arteza pencils 😊
I'm glad your pup started twitching in the background. For at least a few minutes, I wondered if it was a real dog! I just stumbled upon your review and disclaimers. Interesting review and great presentation! I have a wide collection of colored pencils - ranging from Derwent to Crayola. It's fun working with all of them and seeing how they work together, as well as separately.
Thank you for all the information. Also, I always wonder about the chemicals used and how toxic the products are.
Eleni unfortunately we don’t know much about the pencils. I think there are some regulations about what they can’t put into the pencils (Holbein had to reformulate their pencils for selling them in the USA because of this) but no one is required to disclose this to us.
As a general rule...I usually treat all art products with a lot of caution.
Thankyou for the informative and not over dramatic video.
I have just brought a tin of the 72 post 2021 and thought it was just me unable to blend them properly.
However, I brought them as my everyday workhorse pencil to save my various Derwent pencils for specific projects so for me not that much of an issue.
I also purposely brought their "expert" brand than just normal, even though they are probably the same, as I wanted round rather than triangular pencils.
I am in the UK and here ( at the moment at least) they are well under half the price of Prismacolours so no question really.
Looks like the binder is different from 2020 to 2021. The 2020’s seem more pigmented. Ish I had those but the 2021’s I’ve got layer well too.
I'm glad you brought the issue up and give both advantages and disadvantages. I have strong feelings about this kind of thing, and it really does originate from the marketing tactics that we all know are meant to mislead and sometimes deceive us. Arteza charges a pretty penny for their products (tho second-tier, they have raised prices and had continued) -- which puts upward pressure on the price of all pencils, and costs us more in the end. The most important point, to my mind, is that people obtain knowledge about the problem and the issue is out there enough to cause Arteza to correct and -- especially -- making customers whole. All companies will keep money in their own accounts, unless there is a very good reason to return the money. A good reputation is important enough. So, they are doing what they must to rebuild and maintain that again. I don't hear customers swearing off the company forever; moreso, they are reacting and passing on the message so others will be wary, so as to be saavy shoppers. The message is being shared enough times to reach people who need to know because they do business with Arteza. Depending on the community, the message may have to be loud ;-)
l have 2 sets of Arteza color pencils plus their water color pencils - got all mine post 2019
It's like a mixed bag because I just got the 72 bundle from Black Friday sales on Amazon, tested it and nothing happened... Now it's been 9 months so maybe they fixed the problem. Would love to see another test done now and see what happens
Pencils are a dry medium, people should expect even high end dry medium to move in water. I have that first column of arteza and I cant say I have ever tried wet solvents with them, but as I like watercolor pencils better anyway, I have no issues with them.
Lin thanks for sharing your thoughts. I also really enjoy watercolor pencils. So many fun art supplies in this amazing world!!
I'm so glad I saved up and bought the Faber Castell set. Thanks for your honest review.
I was wondering where you got the round pen holders that are next to your cute dog? Your video is, of course, even better with the dog!
Hello, thanks a lot for these so wise and objective words about this (or these) issue(s).
In particular : what could be the real problem with this watersoluble issue ? I love this so accurate question !!
In fact, it is the first time I'm hearing to other far annoying issues like : bad blending, scratching, est...Did the older versions have these same issues ?
*Considering the price differences* : today on Amazon US : Prismacolor is 87 cents per pencil, and Arteza is 50 cents per pencil. So, this gap has increased since last february.
Here in France, prisma is 1,31 $ per pencil (in the 150 tin) !! And Arteza is 0,66 $ per pencil (in the 120 tin). So, Prisma are double priced !
I bought their 72, pastels set and I’m excited! I LOVE using pastels for backgrounds. They have 3 neon, pastels that I’m excited try.
Those Valentine's Day pics you drew are gorgeous! You are so talented!
This was interesting to watch, I have not used the Arteza pencils but have been curious with all the negativity towards them lately.
I’m glad you found it interesting. Thanks for the comment Naomi
When I decided to buy colored pencils, I bought a few of several different companies. The one's I bought as a set are PrismaColor. For me, the price is good vs the quality of pencil. I am no artist, I just color because I like to but I also don't want to "fight" with the depth of color. PrismaColor gave me what I wanted.
Thanks for addressing this. It is shocking that the new Artezas are lacking in quality though.
I think the lack of quality is explained quite well by the fact that they don’t own the factory and have no control over the continued quality of manufacturing
Susan I sure hope it all gets sorted out soon - and I’m glad to hear in these comments that a lot of people are getting refunds or store credits to make up for the poor pencils. That’s good news.
The reds are supposed to be the worst. I just color in books. I don’t use water. The arteza pencils for me are quite nice. I think the 120 set is overpriced though and I’m totally happy with my 72 set.
Until you accidentally drop a bit of liquid....you don't expect colors to run....but. OR....add pastel, then spray a fixative....careful!!!!!!
Karen I’m so glad you are happy with your set of 72. Yay! Keep coloring !!!
I like my older set of 72 and excitedly looked forward to the new colors but they are too expensive for me. I wait for the Deals on Amazon to buy my pencils. I was in Marketing, and was good at it, but the key for me was to only market products or services I
believed in. I always read reviews! Thank you Jennifer & Steve for all the effort you put in to your videos.
Thank you for this wonderful review and demo!! Moral of story for me.. just don't get it near water.. LOL. So long as they look good and work, I'm ok with it. 😊
Thanks for giving a more balanced assessment of the water solubility of Arteza pencils. I have loved using Arteza colored pencils, but I never considered them to be artist grade. It's clear to me that all budget and mid-range pencils dissolve with water. The Castle Art set I have dissolves much worse than Arteza with water. I'm more concerned about the scratch, not blending well issues you found with the newest Arteza formula. I already have two 120 sets of Artezas and will use those, but probably won't buy new ones not because of the water issue but because of the new formula issues. I also have Prismas but I find them a little too waxy for my preference. Still I use them all the time when I follow color alongs.
P. S. I only paid $65 for my last $120 set in Nov 2020 so still at least $20-25 less than Prismacolor if you wait for a deal. My last 150 Prisma cost $95.
I have purchased several items from Arteza. I have the set of 72 watercolor pencils and a 36 pan watercolor set. I am a fine artist looking for a good quality product to use outdoors. I have had the above for a few months and have not used them as of yet. I also purchased a small set of Castle colored pencils regular not watercolor. Though I have to use them for some reason Castle seems to be of better quality. I have purchased the new Cezanne line of regular colored pencils from Jerry's via Walmart. I find them to be wonderful to work with. I also liked Jerry's Soho colored pencils which are now apparently discontinued. The biggest gripe that I have with Artezaz, so far, is their system for rating lightfastness. It is backwards from other companies.1 star is high resistance to fading and 4 stars are the least resistant? That is way too cute. I expect that my Arteza watercolor pencils will be as lightfast as the Derwent Studio watercolor pencils. That means that some will fade upon prolonged exposure to light especially the purples, violets ,pinks & a few others. So I will use the Arteza & Derwent watercolor but I know what I am getting into. My problem with Prismacolors is that they break when sharpening and many colors especially the violets, purples & pinks are prone to fading. In the future I am going to stay with Derwent, Caran D' Ache and Faber Castell. For a mid grade I will go with Faber Castell's Goldfarb , Castle and Cezanne. BTW your review was excellent and very fair. One more point - a number of years ago Talens had their North American distributors stock in the USA the Van Gogh colored and watercolor pencils. They were a delight to use & I wish that they would re introduce them
Why order through amazon if you can buy from arteza direct?
Jennifer, I can really recommend the big Koh-I-Noor set. Absolutely stunning colour pencils. Really pleasant to work with.
Good point about price checking. I'm shopping their color pencils and Arteza's website is much cheaper than Amazon's. Makes sense, too, because they have to pay Amazon for access to the larger audience. Just like with the other art companies, it's jacks up the price having Amazon as the marketing middle-man or storefront. Good thing we know where the original products can be purchased without Amazon in the mix.
I was not even aware of any drama around Arteza pencils.im not big on drama. Shows how much I pay attention to those kind of comments. I started with Prismacolor pencils around 1986. I was using them for art therapy and I still have them. They are the Scholars and too hard for my taste. So four years ago when I started adult colouring I dug them out. Then I found colouring groups on social media, oh boy was that overwhelming. I purchased the Prismacolor Premier after try another cheap very hard pencil. Being heavy handed I always felt there was I put just too much wax on the page...that was a me issue. Then I started having issues with sharpening...I tried everything. I was so annoyed I put them away bye then I had fallen down the rabbit hole purchasing art supplies and colouring books 🤣. One day I pulled out the Prismas because I see many colourists creating beautiful images with vibrant colours etc. Needed to sharpen one and it started agin. So after some research I purchase the Arteza 120 Expert set, this was October I think.. I unpacked those all excited to use them. They come with a flat tip, first pencil broke while sharpening (I use the M&R 3 hole little manual sharpener. If you twist the sharpener and not the pencil, great results). So after 3 or 4 broke I called Arteza. I live in Canada and had ordered Amazon. I explained how disappointed I was as the whole reason I purchased these pencils was because they are not supposed to break. Next day had a new set at my door. I must have had an off set, mine do not break, they layer beautifully (especially since I have learned to use a light touch). I am very happy with them. They perform how I expected. I use watercolour and Neocolor II’s in addition to these pencils and have had no smear issues. I guess what I am trying to convey is, do your own research, be clear on what you want out of your pencils or markers etc. Your choices may be limited due to budget, you can purchase a smaller set of pencils, do you get 120 colour choices? No, probably not. The whole idea with layering and blending is to create your own custom colours. You can adjust for shadows and light. My question is do you REALLY need 120 colours?
I agree with you about not attacking Arteza. I think Arteza is great for making more affordable products for crafters that don't want to spend tons of money on their supplies. However, I also don't like any companies using false advertising.
Thank you for this video - I hadn't intended to watch the whole thing, but you kept me interested the whole time. :)
I'm sat here waiting for my new tin of 120 Arteza pencils wondering what I will get! After seeing reviews I thought £52 was a bargain, not so sure now. Hope they are OK. To be fair as a new colourist, working on my anxiety issues, I don't do water colours but I have been thinking about it...
I'm not a color book hobbyist, if so, it wouldn't matter. Lightfastness matters to me because I'm a portrait artist. I also have to be able to buy open stock because I know that a large piece can nearly use up an entire pencil that needs replaced. Arteza's lightfast ratings are not that good in the sets and you get stuck with lots of them having to buy them in sets. With Prismacolor you can at least buy open stock so I get to choose the most lightfast ones. In sets, especially large ones you get stuck with nearly 40 percent of the pencils being fugitive. Its the same with artist grade watercolor. I paint portraits in watercolor & I buy all my watercolor open stock also or get stuck with fugitive pigments I cannot and will never use. Thanks so much for the honest review! God bless.
You always give very informative and helpful information keep making more awesome art videos 🙂
Thanks Toys! 😊
Your welcome 🙂