I’m getting these this week and I can’t wait! I’m also buying Faber-Castell Albrecht Durer Watercolor Pencils 120 set, it’s my birthday treat to myself and my last week of CHEMO. 🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉
These look nice. I only have Prismacolor and a 12-set of Polychromos in the "top" brands, plus a few cheap sets that are good for coloring books and just playing around.
Great review. Being in Canada these pencils are ridiculously expensive! I was thinking of buying just a couple open stock. I'm glad you mentioned about prismacolor still having a similar color range they are just arranged differently.
They are not professional artist grade. I am a colored pencil artist and these were probably close to if not the worst. They were not lightfast tested, they apply like oil pastels and leave oil slicks. They are more money than Polychromos and the Holbein don’t play with others. Even the Derwent Lightfast go on sale frequently for $2something. You don’t have to believe me. Lisa Lachri did a review and others who were sick about it and US customer service from Holbein.
@@jenniefrench1338 yes I watched Lisa”s review. I didn’t know until then they were not lightfast! Why would anyone pay that much for them. I won’t be buying them as I have polys, luminance and lightfast pencils. Though I am signed up for paletteful and they are sending some in this months box so at least I’ll get to test them out, but won’t use them for actual art pieces. Thanks 😃
@@jenniefrench1338 I just watched her review all the way through and it sounds like she really likes them. She's just bummed about the uncertainty of the lightfastness and her experience with that one customer rep.
@@jenniefrench1338 you sound like you’re projecting a personal bias. They tell you upfront they are made of a unique blend of pigment, fats, and oil. Hence, you should probably use them with oil mediums. Though it says in the box that you could use over Holbein acrylic products. I love mine. Regards
nice review, the pencils seem to blend pretty well together I would love a set of these, but no more pencils for me, nowhere to put any more of them lol
You're welcome. Sorry, I don't know where you could find swatches on black paper. But at some point I'm hoping to find the time to draw something on black paper and see how well they work.
Thanks for the review, it's simple and easy to digest! I was thinking to grab the small set or some loose pencil since the price tag is too overwhelming and still I'm interested in the 'soft white' pencils. What's your opinion on that particular pencil compared to Derwent Drawing Chinese white or any other white colored pencils?
They really are not professional artist grade pencils. They haven’t allowed themselves to be tested either ASTM or Blue Wool testing for lightfast so those stars mean absolutely nothing. They are sold very cheaply in Japan. I am a colored pencil artist and these did not mix at all with my other pro brands but they are as expensive as buying either Polychromos(more expensive) or is Derwent Lightfast are on sale through Blick’s they cost $2 something. I tried them and wanted them too work. They leave an oil slick on your paper like working with oil pastels. Yuck. Even here they bearly or hardly show up on black paper because in my opinion they were cheaply made and hoped that others would fall for it. Well they did. My blender solvent is in my Caran’de ache water brush the one with the fibrous marker tip and it’s completely enclosed and I throw it in my bag. Holbein blends horribly as in your details disappear because they are oily. The colored pencil artist association tested the lightfastness in a Blue Wool way and the stars didn’t mean a thing. I sent mine back. Wow! They really buffaloed a lot of people.
Sorry you feel this way about them. I thought they were quite nice. Of course, I need to test them more to see if I really like them, but so far so good. They are very expensive, I do agree with that.
Colored pencils like other art mediums are tools and having the right one for the job is critical. While your style might not lend itself to them mine does. I like oil pastels so the adjustment to Holbein was like muscle memory- easy. As far as artist-grade, many in Japan would disagree. In the US, Prisma is considered entry-level professional-grade, and Holbein pencil and pigment quality is head and shoulders above them. They are not sold "cheap" in Japan. I bought mine for 25000 yen which is $250 US dollars. I have had no problems blending them with my Caran d'Ache blender or using them with my Luminance pencils. They have their own blending solution which makes them soluble like watercolors. They tell you upfront that they are made with oil, wax, AND fat so they are not like anything on the market and will perform differently than a harder, more oil-dominant pencil. I work on good paper with them and I have no oil streaks but I blend them with solutions usually after I am finished, much like I cure my pastel work with spray. I often use them on mandala on black paper with no issues. Holbein is owned and operated by CHEMISTS who did their own testing rather than spending MILLIONS on the ASTM and Blue Wool tests. I know many who have performed their own testing and they did fine. I also know that Poly Chromos has passed those tests but fails on many tests performed by others so testing bias is kinda part of the industry's hidden secrets and many know this. I used to not like certain pencils until I learned I had to use them differently, Prisma is a good example. At first, I felt they were "bad pencils" but then I learned different technics with them. Holbein I feel is like that. If you like oil pastels you will like them, if you don't you won't.
@@PursuingHeaven Thank you for this. It's nice to hear from someone who's used to using them. I totally agree with you regarding different pencils potentially needing different techniques. I've encountered this before and I think that taking the time to adjust to the different styles made me grow as an artist. So far, I really like the Holbein colored pencils, and I also like the Prismacolors, and the Polychromos, and the Caran d'Ache etc.. they all have their own nice traits.
There is no colored pencil out there that I hate as much as Holbein. They may be lovely, but they don't do ANYTHING as well as a number of other brands, including some very cheap Chinese brands. Or even Crayola, in some areas. I didn't thing any product could be this bad at this price, or so unbelievably overrated, but here that product is. This, and they're also incredibly toxic, if you believe the US Government testing facilities. No thanks.
I do feel like people who buy these gorgeous sets are in denial over the lack of versatility that these pencils offer. I have a selection of 6 that I bought open stock and they have come close to turning me off pencils altogether. They also MELT IN YOUR EYES and get gunky when layered. They are paint sticks in pencil form that require you to jump through hoops to get a decent effect. I lowkey consider them a scam lol.
@@bachelorofstuffI have never heard all of that stuff about them being that toxic unless you ingest them, which it's just natural selection at that point (unless this is a pet or a small child, in which, that's on you for keeping your supplies in their reach) and is the case for a lot of art supplies. Stop fearmongering people. They couldn't be allowed to sell them in the US if they were seriously that toxic 🙄. Also, they're a unique pencil and require a learning curve. You need to practice with them and get a feel for them, maybe even change your technique, in order to get them to work for you. It's like going from a Prismacolor to a Polychromos, there's a learning curve there. They're fantastic pencils once you figure out how to use them and are very versatile on top of playing nicely with other pencil brands. Could even be that they're simply not for you, certain pencils work better for certain styles, and that's okay too. Don't spread negativity and misinformation just because something doesn't work for you.
Thank you for your review. I love mine and very happy Blick in the US carries singles.
Yes, I'm glad they are more readily available.
I’m getting these this week and I can’t wait! I’m also buying Faber-Castell Albrecht Durer Watercolor Pencils 120 set, it’s my birthday treat to myself and my last week of CHEMO. 🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉
Happy bday and congrats on your last treatment.
Well deserved ❤
These look nice. I only have Prismacolor and a 12-set of Polychromos in the "top" brands, plus a few cheap sets that are good for coloring books and just playing around.
They are very nice, but sooo expensive!
Great review. Being in Canada these pencils are ridiculously expensive! I was thinking of buying just a couple open stock. I'm glad you mentioned about prismacolor still having a similar color range they are just arranged differently.
They are very expensive in the US too. But if you purchase them on Amazon Japan, you can save a lot of money, even with the shipping.
They are not professional artist grade. I am a colored pencil artist and these were probably close to if not the worst. They were not lightfast tested, they apply like oil pastels and leave oil slicks. They are more money than Polychromos and the Holbein don’t play with others. Even the Derwent Lightfast go on sale frequently for $2something. You don’t have to believe me. Lisa Lachri did a review and others who were sick about it and US customer service from Holbein.
@@jenniefrench1338 yes I watched Lisa”s review. I didn’t know until then they were not lightfast! Why would anyone pay that much for them. I won’t be buying them as I have polys, luminance and lightfast pencils. Though I am signed up for paletteful and they are sending some in this months box so at least I’ll get to test them out, but won’t use them for actual art pieces. Thanks 😃
@@jenniefrench1338 I just watched her review all the way through and it sounds like she really likes them. She's just bummed about the uncertainty of the lightfastness and her experience with that one customer rep.
@@jenniefrench1338 you sound like you’re projecting a personal bias. They tell you upfront they are made of a unique blend of pigment, fats, and oil. Hence, you should probably use them with oil mediums. Though it says in the box that you could use over Holbein acrylic products. I love mine. Regards
nice review, the pencils seem to blend pretty well together
I would love a set of these, but no more pencils for me, nowhere to put any more of them lol
That's what I told myself a while ago until I started using Holbein products and found out they made colored pencils too. Argh!!! Heheh!
this was sooo useful! thank you so much! 😆🥰 would you happen to have a resource link for the range swatched on black paper?
You're welcome. Sorry, I don't know where you could find swatches on black paper. But at some point I'm hoping to find the time to draw something on black paper and see how well they work.
Thank you for your review. I just got mine. I have a Tihoo pencil sharpener but they’re too big. What kind of sharpener can be used?
Any standard hand held sharpener should work. I use a Kum sharpener with mine pencil because that's what I have on hand right now. It works fine.
Thanks for the review, it's simple and easy to digest! I was thinking to grab the small set or some loose pencil since the price tag is too overwhelming and still I'm interested in the 'soft white' pencils. What's your opinion on that particular pencil compared to Derwent Drawing Chinese white or any other white colored pencils?
They are indeed very expensive but that soft white is VERY good! I think it's worth getting at least that one.
Thank you very much for the information.
You're welcome.
What brush did you use for blending the color?
It's a Cheap Joe's Uggly brush. Any synthetic brush that's not too soft will do.
❤️❤️ amazing
Thank you.
They really are not professional artist grade pencils. They haven’t allowed themselves to be tested either ASTM or Blue Wool testing for lightfast so those stars mean absolutely nothing. They are sold very cheaply in Japan. I am a colored pencil artist and these did not mix at all with my other pro brands but they are as expensive as buying either Polychromos(more expensive) or is Derwent Lightfast are on sale through Blick’s they cost $2 something. I tried them and wanted them too work. They leave an oil slick on your paper like working with oil pastels. Yuck. Even here they bearly or hardly show up on black paper because in my opinion they were cheaply made and hoped that others would fall for it. Well they did. My blender solvent is in my Caran’de ache water brush the one with the fibrous marker tip and it’s completely enclosed and I throw it in my bag. Holbein blends horribly as in your details disappear because they are oily. The colored pencil artist association tested the lightfastness in a Blue Wool way and the stars didn’t mean a thing. I sent mine back. Wow! They really buffaloed a lot of people.
Sorry you feel this way about them. I thought they were quite nice. Of course, I need to test them more to see if I really like them, but so far so good. They are very expensive, I do agree with that.
This set costs nearly 400 euros on Amazon Spain. Sorry, but for that kind of money, they should be made of solid gold.
@@leonnehaaijman4709 😂
Colored pencils like other art mediums are tools and having the right one for the job is critical. While your style might not lend itself to them mine does. I like oil pastels so the adjustment to Holbein was like muscle memory- easy. As far as artist-grade, many in Japan would disagree. In the US, Prisma is considered entry-level professional-grade, and Holbein pencil and pigment quality is head and shoulders above them. They are not sold "cheap" in Japan. I bought mine for 25000 yen which is $250 US dollars. I have had no problems blending them with my Caran d'Ache blender or using them with my Luminance pencils. They have their own blending solution which makes them soluble like watercolors. They tell you upfront that they are made with oil, wax, AND fat so they are not like anything on the market and will perform differently than a harder, more oil-dominant pencil. I work on good paper with them and I have no oil streaks but I blend them with solutions usually after I am finished, much like I cure my pastel work with spray. I often use them on mandala on black paper with no issues. Holbein is owned and operated by CHEMISTS who did their own testing rather than spending MILLIONS on the ASTM and Blue Wool tests. I know many who have performed their own testing and they did fine. I also know that Poly Chromos has passed those tests but fails on many tests performed by others so testing bias is kinda part of the industry's hidden secrets and many know this. I used to not like certain pencils until I learned I had to use them differently, Prisma is a good example. At first, I felt they were "bad pencils" but then I learned different technics with them. Holbein I feel is like that. If you like oil pastels you will like them, if you don't you won't.
@@PursuingHeaven Thank you for this. It's nice to hear from someone who's used to using them. I totally agree with you regarding different pencils potentially needing different techniques. I've encountered this before and I think that taking the time to adjust to the different styles made me grow as an artist. So far, I really like the Holbein colored pencils, and I also like the Prismacolors, and the Polychromos, and the Caran d'Ache etc.. they all have their own nice traits.
There is no colored pencil out there that I hate as much as Holbein. They may be lovely, but they don't do ANYTHING as well as a number of other brands, including some very cheap Chinese brands. Or even Crayola, in some areas. I didn't thing any product could be this bad at this price, or so unbelievably overrated, but here that product is.
This, and they're also incredibly toxic, if you believe the US Government testing facilities. No thanks.
To each their own, I guess.
I do feel like people who buy these gorgeous sets are in denial over the lack of versatility that these pencils offer. I have a selection of 6 that I bought open stock and they have come close to turning me off pencils altogether. They also MELT IN YOUR EYES and get gunky when layered. They are paint sticks in pencil form that require you to jump through hoops to get a decent effect. I lowkey consider them a scam lol.
@@bachelorofstuffI have never heard all of that stuff about them being that toxic unless you ingest them, which it's just natural selection at that point (unless this is a pet or a small child, in which, that's on you for keeping your supplies in their reach) and is the case for a lot of art supplies. Stop fearmongering people. They couldn't be allowed to sell them in the US if they were seriously that toxic 🙄. Also, they're a unique pencil and require a learning curve. You need to practice with them and get a feel for them, maybe even change your technique, in order to get them to work for you. It's like going from a Prismacolor to a Polychromos, there's a learning curve there. They're fantastic pencils once you figure out how to use them and are very versatile on top of playing nicely with other pencil brands. Could even be that they're simply not for you, certain pencils work better for certain styles, and that's okay too. Don't spread negativity and misinformation just because something doesn't work for you.