Lightfastness needs to be a priority for anyone with any interest in displaying or gifting their work as well. This is something manufacturers have gotten away with skimping on for too long. We should be able to use our artist quality materials without concern, it's just a matter of holding brands accountable and voting with our dollars.
@@Tsukiyumi3 A fixative does not create lightfast pigments. They have been tested extensively in the watercolor community and found to give little protection. All the usual colors can be made with lightfast pigments, and most are quite inexpensive, it's simply a matter of customer demand or rather the lack thereof.
Almost all of the Chinese oil pencils claim to be professional quality and many come right out and say lightfast pigments. But these are just keywords to these companies. Words that consumers use to search for pencils so they think they should use them to sell more product. I don’t think the companies even understand they are making claims by using the terms. Most don’t speak English. They don’t even know what lightfast means. Most don’t use the product to understand the consumer’s point of view. They don’t color and they are not artists. When there is such a language barrier how do you communicate? How do you hold them accountable?
Prismacolors were the first pencils I started with and I loved them...Until I got the 120 set of Polychromos for my birthday in 2018. I never touched my Prismacolors again! But this year I got the Pablos for my birthday and OMG, they are AMAZING! To me they're almost a combo of the Prismacolors and Polychromos. So they're my favs for right now. Loved the video!!
Faber-Castell's Polychromos will always be my favourite of the "big brands", followed by the Derwent Lightfast/Caran D'Ache Luminance and then the Holbeins. While I love the vibrancy of the Prismacolor pencils, they're just too much hard work to use, having to constantly re-sharpen them, having them break etc. I'm definitely a layering kind of artist/colourist too so a harder lead really works for me, I'm not a fan of smushing cores together. This was a fab video Sarah, full of really useful info! Although Prismacolor aren't the cheapest, they're way more expensive in the UK/Europe compared to the US and there's zero customer support here if something goes wrong. I'm a total freak when it comes to mixing coloured pencils though, can't do it :D I can mix different mediums, but not different coloured pencil brands!
I love using Derwent artist with polychromos. They clay binder in the artist brand blends very nicely with polychromos, and the set has colors that I have not seen in many other sets
@@tanyarobinson1146 good to know! Derwent Artists are one of the few of their coloured pencil brands I don't have :D I love their Drawing line though and have the Grraphtinit, Coloured Charcoal, Chromaflow, Inktense and Metallics.
The Luminance are out of my budget but I tried all the other ones in small and/or middle sized Sets. Like a lot of people, I started my Coloring journey with Sanford Prismacolor. The Pablo are my latest ones and I still try to learn the ropes with using these properly. From what I found, the Prismacolor have the most tendency to get shiny very easy. Not neccessaryly a bad thing if you go for a glossy finish to your drawings. The "more layering than blending" approach can be a bit to much for some coloring books paper. Might be just me but I'd say for those who like Prismacolor with a bit more quality feel - you might like to give the Winsor & Newton Colored Pencils a try.
I mix brands too! After 5,5 years I now have the Polychromos and Luminance set complete. They work sooo well together! I added a few Pablo's to it, colour that are ot in the other 2 sets. But I found that most Pablo's match the Luminance set. I actually started out with Polychromos, which makes that I learned how to blend with oil based pencils which worked out great
My father was an architect and only used Caran d’Ache. I have a special place in my heart for them because of that. Whenever I use them I think of him and it makes me feel a little closer to him.
In my opinion, I love all three. Prismacolor is definitely my preferred pencil; Personally, I have not experienced any prismacolor breakage after I switched to the Faber Castel double sided pencil sharpener, which has a side made with a quality blade for colored pencils. When I use a cheaper sharpener, my prismacolors broke constantly, but the Faber Castell sharpener has changed the game, as it allows me to use my favorite pencils again without worry. I do prefer polychromos for the harder lead, as the prismas do not hold a point for long (but the vibrancy and blending ability makes up for that for me!), and the oil based pigment helps for vibrant color as well. The quality of the barrells helps prevent breakage as well! I have not used polychromos for as long, but I look forward to using them more! Caran d'ache I have only experimented with the water soluble pencils, and I must say the quality of the pigment and lay down are on par with the polychromos, but lay down more heavily and have a hard time layering color if you don't start off lightly or blend together before going with a heavy hand. The fact they are water soluble is incredibly fun; you can create watercolor with just a water brush, saving space and materials! All in all, I love all three brands, and you definitely get what you pay for with quality colored pencil brands!
I've tried all of these and Polychromos are my absolute favorites. Pablos would be a second place, though I don't reach for then often. Luminance is a third (I don't like how soft they are) and Primacolors are definitely not for me.
I've never really been a big fan of how Prismacolor feels and the constant breakage is just... grrrr. I've recently got a set of the Polychromos (they were sale for half off!) and I really REALLY love them. I used to use this old Canadian brand called Laurentein and it has the same feel so I think I'm just more used to that harder lead. Best part is my local store has the single pencils too. If I ever find a small set of the Caran d'Ache on sale, I'll have to totally give them a try.
I LOVE seeing your thoughts and process on tackling a coloring page, it makes me start to think of ways I can change how I do things! Beautiful and I love when you pick to color from books we all know and love!
I have the Luminence on my wishlist, which is a little silly, because I prefer to color the whole thing with alcohol markers and then add details, more shading, etc with colored pencils and my Prismacolor Premiers and Faber-Castell Polychromos work just fine for that… but also this is my hobby, I don’t do the whole purses, shoes, clothes, general shopping thing. If I were a dragon art supplies would be my hoard, therefore they get to be my expensive splurge.
I started with the Castle Arts soft Core and the Brutfuner pencils as my cheap sets. Slowly, I'm getting the Faber Castel, Derwent Lightfast, and the Luminance to replace them. I'm not a professional artist but if I go through all the work of making something look fantastic and hang it up on my wall, I want to know that the colours are not going to fade for a long time.
I love my Polychromos set, because among the pencils I have, they were for me the best to work with in terms of results on almost every paper, you can blend them quite nicely because of the high pigmentation and they hold their point for fine detail work. Also they last very long which makes them far more worth the money as the set of prismacolor I have. But to be fair, I live in Germany and have good access to individual polychromos pencils, not so with prismacolor. I had to buy the 48 set from the US and yes they are cheaper than the other brands but not so cheap that I can use them very often. Because they are so soft they wear down so quickly that I would have to buy new ones in the near future, and it then would be another whole set which becomes more expensive over the long run, than replacing individual pencils. I just have one coloring book series I use them with (and there they work like a dream) and this is the Romatic country books by Eriy. The Paper in these books is just soo smooth, its a chore to work with the polys or other harder lead pencils in it. You just cant layer on that paper, so the polys look very pale on it. Therefore the Prismas are great and as I want to have them as long as I can, I just use them for this. Luminance I want to try out, but they are just to expensive, and as long as i am content with the polys I dont need another brand. But if I come across a lonely white pencil of the luminance, it will go with me :D.
I agree with smoother books! Polychromos really thrive with a little texture. Smooth books are better suited to wax pencils that can blend and layer without needing the paper texture.
Thanks Sarah, another beautiful page! I just received my Worlds of Wonder book today😀Johanna Basford is definitely my favourite. I am really glad you made this video talking about your favourite pencils and am looking forward to seeing your new channel. Stay safe, hope your son had a great birthday 🎂🎈
I have a little art box filled with Prismacolor Premiere pencils that I have had since the 1980s when I was doing more art and am now picking it up again. These old Prismacolor pencils perform today as well as they did when I bought them. The only thing I've noticed (and it might have to do with age) is that while some colors have the same number, the name is different and the color is slightly (not much, but slightly) different.
I would love you to add Derwent Lightfast into this mix. I have all of the pencils you show here and love them all in their place. For realism, none of them are as good as my Lightfast. They don't have a bright palette so some mightn't love them for that but for pigment, lightfastness and enjoyment of use, no others come close.
You have to use each for what they do best. Back when I was using pencils as my primary medium I had one favorite for watercolor, another for blending/filling, and yet a third for detail. This was a significant time ago and so brands have changed extensively (Prisma in particular has been completely redesigned and even changed manufacturers at least twice since then) and the choices were much more limited...but back in the day it was the Kimberly watercolor, Prismacolor standard, and Prismacolor verithins. These days my choices would certainly be different but the concept remains the same. The one thing I would never do is invest in any that are not available in open stock... it's just a waste of money. There are always a few you blow through over and over again and you need to be able to just buy one or two of the ones you need.
I would love to see you add color to some Woodblock prints like the ones of Gustave Doré or the designs of Francisco de Goya. There are some beautiful images and i can only imagine what they would look like with added color. Keep up the great work!
I have only ever really worked with Prismacolors until a few days ago when I stumbled upon the Polychromos on sale. I bought the smallest set, just to see what all the fuss is about but haven't had a chance to work with them yet. Honestly I don't have any trouble with my Prismacolors breaking at all and i tend to have a light hand in the first place so i find the point to last a decent amount of time except, of course, when I'm doing really fine detail work and even then i don't mind sharpening a few more times. I really love the process so i don't mind if it takes a bit longer.
@@asdfgha Yeah... I even managed to get a full set of Luminance for less than a full set of Prismacolors. Open Stock: there is an online shop in Germany that sells Polys for 1.84 a pencil. Prismacolor costs 2.19 a pencil.
@@fizbanpernegelf5363 oh the luminance I so wish to have. I have just bought me the white one and it. Is. So. Good! Afterwards I'm debating if it's better to buy a Prisma alternative in addition to the polys
@@asdfgha Currently I am still struggling with the Luminance but I love that there are so many more muted colors to accompany the Polys. What you can do is check office supply shops for the Luminance. That is how I got mine for 50% off of the original Caran d'Ache price. But be carefull some shops just give the price without MwSt (Vat) and some only sell to businesses.
I know i wont't use the prismacolors, because I will likely break them (heavy hand, and I am still not good at blending), so it will be a combo of polycromos, derwent lightfast and luminance for me (With luminance and lightfast, I will have to be extra carefull, and will need to learn blending tecniches). Thank God they all have great lightfastness ranges. The softer pencils I might try out (outside of watercolor pencils) might be derwent drawing, but I don't know if I will adapt, as I am better at layaring techniches (polycromos might turn ou to be my favorites), but if I learn to use luminance, it might not be necessary to buy the drawing ones...
Great video. Thoroughly enjoyed it so🙏🥰I have all sets too Sarah Renae and I use Prismas the most but I love the colours of the Pablos, absolutely adore the Luminance and frankly the Polys I find the best for layering colour and fine work so frankly I’ve hedged my bets haven’t I? 😂😘🌹
Thank you for another great video, Sarah!! 😍I haven‘t tried the Luminance yet but adore my Polychromos and Derwent Lightfast as they‘re perfect for my more realistic/lots of layering art style. I‘d totally love to see you testing the Derwent Lightfast in another video, please!! Lots of love from Japan ❤️❤️
I personnally use both polychromos and Luminance in my drawings. Polys feel more dark than luminance in some colours so I would rather have both. Lumince's cobalt blue is definitely lighter than the cobalt blue in the polys set. I never tried the derwent lightfast though.🇨🇦
For me it depends on what I'm doing. If I'm trying to get smooth and creamy textures I use caran d'ache because they blend so well! If I'm trying to do fine detail I use polychromos. I've never tried prismacolour but for me they cost as much as the luminance. I live in France and the caran d'ache cost less than in the USA and the prismacolour cost more than in the USA
You made a good choice. I also find the Prismacolors too soft, but they can be used on just about any kind of paper. The Polychromos are beautiful pencils. Although it took me a long time to adjust to them, I find myself reaching for them more and more these days. Since the Polychromos are on the hard side, I find that I have the most success when I color on paper with tooth. In my experience they don’t do well on smooth paper. That’s when I turn to either my Prismacolors or my Derwent Light-fast pencils. Thank you for this honest review.
Love my pablos (a 40 set) luminance (20 basic, 20 portrait + all the greens) and my full set of Polychromos! I have a few Holbeins and they do remind me strongly of what I used to like about prismas but I’m not sure I’m ready to splurge for a full set yet especially since I already have so many great pencils. 🙃 I’d love to have the full set of luminance but what I have is a pretty good range for me right now.
I would love to try the Luminance but I was concerned with something called wax bloom that happens with wax based pencils so I went with Polychromos instead. I use the Polychromos on top of watercolor and toned paper so it works fine.
I don't mind you talking at all but oh my god the second channel of coloring with no commentary in real time sounds so soothing to also color too? So I will certainly be subscribing to that.
Love my Faber castell box i enjoyed all the colours. Bought my self a cheaper set of pastel colours Cheaper make. Love them too i an not an artist just love coloring in adult or children coloring books Have done most of my childhood 😜. So thats why my husband bought me the gorgeous set of Faber castell ( same box you have ) Most beautiful gift ever. Great video gorgeous page you colored🥰🥰
In so excited you did a Johannah page, the 2 of you create my favourite colouring pages! Thanks for the reminder that I can mix my pencils brands. My prismas live on my desk my my Derwents sit on the shelf and my arteza in my handbag 😂. Your background is fabulous, can't wait for the slow mo to see how you did that in more detail 💜 Have an amazing weekend Sarah and Shane
Some of the the darker colours in the Derwent Lightfast set compliment the Caran d’Ache set nicely. They’re amazing pencils for larger more expressive work.
I just started my adult coloring journey early last year (2021). My sister bought me the 150 Prismacolor pencil set last September as an early birthday present at Blick Art supply. We ran to get it because it was on sale and I couldn’t wait another freaking second to own it. I kid you not, I came home hugging the box. I opened it and fell in love! I was literally like a lil kid who just got a new box of crayons! ♥️😂
The Caran d'Ache Luminance are not affordable for most of us hobbyists. I know many have them but for my coloring books and simple sketches, I just can't. If I want to give someone a gift to hang in their house, Polychromos will do. They are all good pencils when it comes down to it :)
True! Although I’m always surprised at how many people can’t afford nice pencils, but are happy to buy 5-10 sets of cheaper pencils, adding up to much more than a really good set! I know I have a lot of pencils, but if it weren’t for my UA-cam channel, I’d only have 2-3 sets at the most- and I’ve save up for the high-quality ones, even if it took longer to earn them. But of course, everyone is different! And that’s ok! That’s why I try to offer a variety of videos with cheap and expensive supplies x
@@SarahRenaeClark I do get that and I did save for my Polys rather than buying a bunch of cheap sets. I prefer them not just because they are nicer but also because I can replace colors without having to buy a whole new set. It's just that I feel like the price tag of the Luminances is too high for what I do with my pencils. Then I'd start telling myself what I can or can't use them for or feel like I am wasting them and there is no point in that either.
Great comparison. For people using coloring books, Prismacolors are good: they’re everywhere (at least in the US), they are reasonably priced, they lay down color well, and you can great results. Their quality control is awful (and mine were the US made version before production switched to Mexico and got even worse), they aren’t good for detail work, and their lightfastness is very spotty. Even the ones that are good, a staggering amount are gray and earth tones. My general recommendation for quality pencils are the Polychromos: excellent selection of lightfast colors, layer well, might be the best for detail work, and even if you move on to Luminance or Lightfast pencils, they work well in combination with them for the details. They aren’t cheap, but still affordable in comparison to the Luminance or Lightfast lines.
I read Prismacolor breaks easily and seen heaps of reviews complaining about quality control. I break everything so don't want stuff that's already got a reputation for breaking.
I consider myself a mediocre coloring person. I love to do adult coloring and experimenting with different pencils. I used to have the 120 set of the polychromos, but as a beginner/mediocre artist I found them SO incredibly hard to work with. The blending (for me personally) was really hard. I know that is lack of skill and experience, but I noticed because of that issue I stopped coloring completely! I love coloring so much so I decided and sold my set. I got recommended the luminance so I ordered the 100 set yesterday. I’m curious to see how I like them! If anyone has tips for coloring (like shading, of general tips) I would love to hear them! I really enjoyed this video☺️
I really appreciate the work you've done here! There's so much valuable information packed into this video. And also thank you for having a second channel ❤️ Gotta go sub!
I love Prismacolor pencils! Although the breakage can sometimes be a problem, i found that it has improved since i purchased the Prismacolor sharpener. I like them because they are very affordable, and they are just so wonderful when it comes to blending. Im not really a fan of hard cores in pencils, i much prefer the waxiness of Prismacolor. I would like to try Caran d'Ache pencils though.
Ooo, tough choice! Honestly they're all a joy to color with...except when they break. So I have a question. Can clutch pencils / lead holders be used to hold the broken tips of colored pencils? My Prismacolor and Brutfuner square pencils break very frequently, so I got the idea to not waste the broken bits by using a clutch pencil to grip them. Potential problem and solution: Would leaving a piece of graphite lead inside the clutch pencil prevent the waxy colored pencil from slipping up inside the clutch pencil? After doing some research, I'm wondering if a Faber-Castell TK9400 would work. I've read that the 4B-6B range comes in a 3.15mm size, which might fit... Or maybe there's a more adjustable brand? What do you think?
Thanks for this video because I literally just decided, this week, to buy a large set of pencils. I have a small set each of polychromos and prismacolor and was leaning towards the prismas....I think I want to try some luminance now before I go all in so yeah well timed info for me 👍
Yes! Caran d’Ache luminance are awesome! I wish they’d make more colors. But they are so smooth and creamy. I am trying to love all of my pencils, lately. I want, desperately, to learn to use them well. I prefer markers, but have books that my Copics will not work in (if I care about the picture on the flip side). And I must confess, sharpening my fancy pencils makes me want to cry. I know I got them to use them, but it’s hard to see them get shorter. It can’t be just me, right?! Do you have any skin toned videos? I think I need a slow video for skin tone.
I don’t have long videos for skin on the second channel yet, but my Hanna Karlzon video was a face, so I talked a bit about skin tone. And I previously did a video about skin tone with Ohuhu alcohol markers.
In Europe the Prismas are not affordable at all and it is difficult to get them. There is one online shop in my country I know that sells Polychromos, several Derwent artist grade pencils, Prismacolor and Luminance open stock. The Polychromos are the cheapest in that shop (1.84 for the Polys, 2.19 for the Prismas). Most times even cheaper than the Pablos. Even without the financiel difference I prefer the Polychromos the most and I have tried Pablo and Luminance too. I love just the ability to layer so easily.
I have a large set of Prismacolor premium at home they are great. But I can't find anywhere to buy the crayons individually by the piece. Where do you buy them?
@@SarahRenaeClark Don't forget to soak up enjoying kids while they're small! My "baby" turned 21 on May 11th. It really does fly by before you know it! 💕
Hi Sarah, did you already try the Windsor & Newton Studio collection soft thick core pencils? The prismacolor isn't available in the Netherlands and I'm looking for an alternative. Greets Priscilla
This was so satisfying to see the illustration come together, and the colors - oh my gosh! I only have a handful of prismacolors, but am thinking about picking up some individual Lumanance ones because they sound so luxurios 😁
I also just made a video Faber Castell vs, Prismacolor so I am interested to see how this goes for you! By the way, I love your videos, and they have helped me on my colored pencil journey!
Faber Castell Polychromos are the best!!! Caran d'Ache are great too, but very expensive, the Polychromos perform as good, if not better at some points. Anything wooden or lead holders for drawing, like Faber Castell TK 4600, TK 9400, Pitt Matt Graphite, 9000 etc are the best out there, both in terms of quality and performance. Faber Castell is no1 for the reasons I mentioned. Can't be beat! Prismacolours are for kids between 6 and 12 age, I know this will trigger many people lol
@@SarahRenaeClark That's because you're a pencil junky and do kids art too. As a 43 year old teacher, both the color pencils we had as kids and the pencils that I've seen on all kids hands since then, all were soft core pencils as all non artists pencils usually are.
That turned out beautifully! I love my Prismacolors, they work great for coloring. I would love to get the Derwent Lightfast, please do more with them. 🙂
Where I live I can´t really get the Prismacolor brand, and if I find it, it is very VERY expensive. Last time I looked they were about double the price of the Polychromos. And considering what everyone says about their quality, I don´t think I will ever get them. With that said, my polys are wonderful, and I really enjoy coloring through layering as you can create so many color variations that way.
Loved this video. I already own the Faber-Castell and was looking to add to my collection. So thank you. I was wondering what white marker you used for the white dots and accents??
Thank you for all the colors. Caran d'Ache Luminance 6901 is the standard and now has 100 total colors (expanding from the original 76), however Derwent's lightfast line of 100 is also a standard. They have a different feel and Derwent went through several types of testing in UV light to verify the stability of its most professional line.
wow! The truth is pretty colored with several brands :D Thank you very much for the information you share with us. Yes it is true that the Prismacolor are adored by many but what I do not like is the experience that the ends break oops! I will continue experimenting with the Polychromos in a project
Caran has no competition. They have the smoothest of the premier and the strength of the Castels. Can put layer over layer over layer and blend beautifully.
I’ve talked about Holbein in a few other videos- they are good pencils, but personally I consider them to be overrated. I rank them closer to the experience of Arteza. On the scale here, they’d probably fall closer to the Prismacolor, but with a stronger core. The main difference is they lay down quite differently
I hardly ever sharpen my prismacolor pencils. For the details, I use a cheaper wax based brand that I can sharp to a fine point. That’s a way to save some money related to my prismacolors. Faber Castell and Caran D’Ache are way toooo expensive for me. The dollar - local currency exchange is just imposible for me to budget any of those. Only the prismacolor pencils are already expensive enough. To give some of you an idea: imagine each dollar is a stone. I need close to 21 smaller stones to get one stone (1 dollar).
Great video. Prismacolor are wonderful to use, something about the softness make them a joy to use. But as you have pointed out there is a downside. You really should give Derwent pencils a test. They have Artist, Coloursoft, Procolour, and Lighfast ranges. All with different characteristics. Being in the UK Derwent are often easier to find and cheaper than the other brands but perform on par and better in many situations.
@@SarahRenaeClark They are so nice to hold. Considering they are Derwent's first oil based pencil, they have done really well. They feel as soft as the Luminance but a touch more wax like. Like if Luminance and Prismacolor had a baby. That's just my opinion for what's worth.
@@SarahRenaeClark I love using my Luminance & Lightfast as one combined set. Lightfast is more muted colors & they go great with the vibrancy of the Luminance. Sometimes I can’t even tell which one I’m holding without looking at the pencil!
I've never tried the Luminance before. They don't sell them open stock at my local art store. Whenever trying a new art supply that's on the pricey end I like to grab a couple open stock to try out. That's how I started my collection of Prismacolors. My local art store honestly doesn't have much of a selection of open stock brands unfortunately. Those were always my add on item splurge, 1-2 high end open stock items. I may have to check out the art store in the town over and see what they have. (I haven't lived here very long, so I have yet to really explore the surrounding towns art stores). After seeing this video I will definitely have to keep a look out for the Luminance. Thanks. 💜
I use artist loft and prisma they work just fine for what I can afford!! I burnish all pic's using a method from another hobby!! Find a good paper towel!! I cover in clear pencil and polish in small circular motion!! This lady is off the charts!!
I have 200 Usd , what colored pencils is the best to buy ? Prismacolor Premier 150 or Caran d'ache Luminance or Faber-Castell Polychromos 60 everyone ?
Prisma isn't actually the most affordable. It's being compared as price per pencil but the thing people don't factor in when considering this is the amount of byproduct and waste through additional sharpening as well as the soft core by nature wearing down way faster because it's soft and smushy! The best bang for your buck is actually polychromos because they wear down so slowly from the same amount of use that the mileage makes it worth it. So they all look like a similar size and similar amount of product per pencil, but they're not. Luminance is the best this way besides polychromos because the fat barrel helps with technique and the formula is really forgiving. It doesn't surprise me that you'd like them and this is kinda why luminance is considered the upgrade you graduate to when you're done practicing with prismas - though I disagree and I'll keep them both for different kinds of projects.
I currently use caran d ache watercolour set which I love, but I might just have to get a set of prismacolor or polychromos to have a nice set of soft coloured pencils as well, love your videos as always they’re so informative and fun ♥️
Come say hi on my second channel! ua-cam.com/channels/2GAHK8EKMDve9l37RRgKoQ.html
(please reply) have a reccomendation for you try, I know you like Johanna Basford so I reallyyyyy recommend 'enchanted forest *artist edition'
Already have, Sarah!
Just subscribed to your second channel!!!
Ok!
25:40 TLDR Caran d’Ache Luminance
Lightfastness needs to be a priority for anyone with any interest in displaying or gifting their work as well. This is something manufacturers have gotten away with skimping on for too long. We should be able to use our artist quality materials without concern, it's just a matter of holding brands accountable and voting with our dollars.
A fixative would easily fix that problem lol
@@Tsukiyumi3 A fixative does not create lightfast pigments. They have been tested extensively in the watercolor community and found to give little protection. All the usual colors can be made with lightfast pigments, and most are quite inexpensive, it's simply a matter of customer demand or rather the lack thereof.
Almost all of the Chinese oil pencils claim to be professional quality and many come right out and say lightfast pigments. But these are just keywords to these companies. Words that consumers use to search for pencils so they think they should use them to sell more product. I don’t think the companies even understand they are making claims by using the terms. Most don’t speak English. They don’t even know what lightfast means. Most don’t use the product to understand the consumer’s point of view. They don’t color and they are not artists. When there is such a language barrier how do you communicate? How do you hold them accountable?
@@polarbearhero9803Purchase European brands. Problem solved.
Prismacolors were the first pencils I started with and I loved them...Until I got the 120 set of Polychromos for my birthday in 2018. I never touched my Prismacolors again! But this year I got the Pablos for my birthday and OMG, they are AMAZING! To me they're almost a combo of the Prismacolors and Polychromos. So they're my favs for right now. Loved the video!!
Who gifts you all these 😂
I really needed this!! I’m planning on buying a bigger set of one of these and this video will definitely help me! Thank you so much!
Faber-Castell's Polychromos will always be my favourite of the "big brands", followed by the Derwent Lightfast/Caran D'Ache Luminance and then the Holbeins. While I love the vibrancy of the Prismacolor pencils, they're just too much hard work to use, having to constantly re-sharpen them, having them break etc.
I'm definitely a layering kind of artist/colourist too so a harder lead really works for me, I'm not a fan of smushing cores together.
This was a fab video Sarah, full of really useful info! Although Prismacolor aren't the cheapest, they're way more expensive in the UK/Europe compared to the US and there's zero customer support here if something goes wrong.
I'm a total freak when it comes to mixing coloured pencils though, can't do it :D I can mix different mediums, but not different coloured pencil brands!
I love using Derwent artist with polychromos. They clay binder in the artist brand blends very nicely with polychromos, and the set has colors that I have not seen in many other sets
@@tanyarobinson1146 good to know! Derwent Artists are one of the few of their coloured pencil brands I don't have :D I love their Drawing line though and have the Grraphtinit, Coloured Charcoal, Chromaflow, Inktense and Metallics.
I’m about to buy the inktense to use on backgrounds. Are derwent colored pencils good? Are they very pigmented and soft?
The Luminance are out of my budget but I tried all the other ones in small and/or middle sized Sets. Like a lot of people, I started my Coloring journey with Sanford Prismacolor. The Pablo are my latest ones and I still try to learn the ropes with using these properly. From what I found, the Prismacolor have the most tendency to get shiny very easy. Not neccessaryly a bad thing if you go for a glossy finish to your drawings. The "more layering than blending" approach can be a bit to much for some coloring books paper.
Might be just me but I'd say for those who like Prismacolor with a bit more quality feel - you might like to give the Winsor & Newton Colored Pencils a try.
I mix brands too! After 5,5 years I now have the Polychromos and Luminance set complete. They work sooo well together! I added a few Pablo's to it, colour that are ot in the other 2 sets. But I found that most Pablo's match the Luminance set. I actually started out with Polychromos, which makes that I learned how to blend with oil based pencils which worked out great
Absolutely 💯 needed this, as I'm currently trying to decide which one
Watching your videos is so educational and Im not gonna lie. Ended up buying Prismas (36), Polychromos (70) and all Luminance
My father was an architect and only used Caran d’Ache. I have a special place in my heart for them because of that. Whenever I use them I think of him and it makes me feel a little closer to him.
In my opinion, I love all three. Prismacolor is definitely my preferred pencil; Personally, I have not experienced any prismacolor breakage after I switched to the Faber Castel double sided pencil sharpener, which has a side made with a quality blade for colored pencils. When I use a cheaper sharpener, my prismacolors broke constantly, but the Faber Castell sharpener has changed the game, as it allows me to use my favorite pencils again without worry. I do prefer polychromos for the harder lead, as the prismas do not hold a point for long (but the vibrancy and blending ability makes up for that for me!), and the oil based pigment helps for vibrant color as well. The quality of the barrells helps prevent breakage as well! I have not used polychromos for as long, but I look forward to using them more! Caran d'ache I have only experimented with the water soluble pencils, and I must say the quality of the pigment and lay down are on par with the polychromos, but lay down more heavily and have a hard time layering color if you don't start off lightly or blend together before going with a heavy hand. The fact they are water soluble is incredibly fun; you can create watercolor with just a water brush, saving space and materials! All in all, I love all three brands, and you definitely get what you pay for with quality colored pencil brands!
I've tried all of these and Polychromos are my absolute favorites. Pablos would be a second place, though I don't reach for then often. Luminance is a third (I don't like how soft they are) and Primacolors are definitely not for me.
I love how soft luminance are. I wish I could find more like it. I’m new to pencils.
The drawing and your colouring looks so pretty together!
I’m not a professional artist by any means, but this is so interesting to me! I love the science behind it and the lightfastness rating systems
omg I can't WAIT to go to sleep watching long timelapse videos of your art!!!!! gonna start with space man tonight 🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉
I've never really been a big fan of how Prismacolor feels and the constant breakage is just... grrrr. I've recently got a set of the Polychromos (they were sale for half off!) and I really REALLY love them. I used to use this old Canadian brand called Laurentein and it has the same feel so I think I'm just more used to that harder lead. Best part is my local store has the single pencils too.
If I ever find a small set of the Caran d'Ache on sale, I'll have to totally give them a try.
High five, I bought a set of 60 polychromos for half the price as the box was broken and I love them so much!
Edgey! Didn't expect to see you here! :D
I recently found half a pack of Laurentiens in an old box in my basement and I was SO happy!! They were awesome!
@@TheNerdyKiwi Yup I'm here! Mostly lurking but I comment every once in awhile :)
@@SilentProti Local art stores are the way to go. The one in my city always has some sort of customer appreciation sale and they price match.
I LOVE seeing your thoughts and process on tackling a coloring page, it makes me start to think of ways I can change how I do things! Beautiful and I love when you pick to color from books we all know and love!
I have the Luminence on my wishlist, which is a little silly, because I prefer to color the whole thing with alcohol markers and then add details, more shading, etc with colored pencils and my Prismacolor Premiers and Faber-Castell Polychromos work just fine for that… but also this is my hobby, I don’t do the whole purses, shoes, clothes, general shopping thing. If I were a dragon art supplies would be my hoard, therefore they get to be my expensive splurge.
I love the Derwent Lightfast pencils and I would quite enjoy you doing a review of them.
I started with the Castle Arts soft Core and the Brutfuner pencils as my cheap sets. Slowly, I'm getting the Faber Castel, Derwent Lightfast, and the Luminance to replace them. I'm not a professional artist but if I go through all the work of making something look fantastic and hang it up on my wall, I want to know that the colours are not going to fade for a long time.
I love my Polychromos set, because among the pencils I have, they were for me the best to work with in terms of results on almost every paper, you can blend them quite nicely because of the high pigmentation and they hold their point for fine detail work. Also they last very long which makes them far more worth the money as the set of prismacolor I have. But to be fair, I live in Germany and have good access to individual polychromos pencils, not so with prismacolor. I had to buy the 48 set from the US and yes they are cheaper than the other brands but not so cheap that I can use them very often. Because they are so soft they wear down so quickly that I would have to buy new ones in the near future, and it then would be another whole set which becomes more expensive over the long run, than replacing individual pencils. I just have one coloring book series I use them with (and there they work like a dream) and this is the Romatic country books by Eriy. The Paper in these books is just soo smooth, its a chore to work with the polys or other harder lead pencils in it. You just cant layer on that paper, so the polys look very pale on it. Therefore the Prismas are great and as I want to have them as long as I can, I just use them for this. Luminance I want to try out, but they are just to expensive, and as long as i am content with the polys I dont need another brand. But if I come across a lonely white pencil of the luminance, it will go with me :D.
I agree with smoother books! Polychromos really thrive with a little texture. Smooth books are better suited to wax pencils that can blend and layer without needing the paper texture.
I would swim the Atlantic to buy polychromos if I had to. Love them.
Thanks Sarah, another beautiful page! I just received my Worlds of Wonder book today😀Johanna Basford is definitely my favourite. I am really glad you made this video talking about your favourite pencils and am looking forward to seeing your new channel. Stay safe, hope your son had a great birthday 🎂🎈
The end result is gorgeous you’ve inspired me to make some art today
I love these kind of videos. Thank you for all the content you're making ❤️
Sarah you never disappoint 😁 You are always positive. You love what you do. Again it's a pleasure to see you create your masterpiece ❤🤗
Yes you would love Derwent Lightfast Sarah. Very similar lay down to Luminance and a different colour range. Very beautiful natural colours.
I have a little art box filled with Prismacolor Premiere pencils that I have had since the 1980s when I was doing more art and am now picking it up again. These old Prismacolor pencils perform today as well as they did when I bought them. The only thing I've noticed (and it might have to do with age) is that while some colors have the same number, the name is different and the color is slightly (not much, but slightly) different.
I would love you to add Derwent Lightfast into this mix. I have all of the pencils you show here and love them all in their place. For realism, none of them are as good as my Lightfast. They don't have a bright palette so some mightn't love them for that but for pigment, lightfastness and enjoyment of use, no others come close.
You have to use each for what they do best. Back when I was using pencils as my primary medium I had one favorite for watercolor, another for blending/filling, and yet a third for detail. This was a significant time ago and so brands have changed extensively (Prisma in particular has been completely redesigned and even changed manufacturers at least twice since then) and the choices were much more limited...but back in the day it was the Kimberly watercolor, Prismacolor standard, and Prismacolor verithins. These days my choices would certainly be different but the concept remains the same. The one thing I would never do is invest in any that are not available in open stock... it's just a waste of money. There are always a few you blow through over and over again and you need to be able to just buy one or two of the ones you need.
I would love to see you add color to some Woodblock prints like the ones of Gustave Doré or the designs of Francisco de Goya. There are some beautiful images and i can only imagine what they would look like with added color. Keep up the great work!
pablo from caran d'ache are my absolut favourites. Love your channel ❤
I have only ever really worked with Prismacolors until a few days ago when I stumbled upon the Polychromos on sale. I bought the smallest set, just to see what all the fuss is about but haven't had a chance to work with them yet. Honestly I don't have any trouble with my Prismacolors breaking at all and i tend to have a light hand in the first place so i find the point to last a decent amount of time except, of course, when I'm doing really fine detail work and even then i don't mind sharpening a few more times. I really love the process so i don't mind if it takes a bit longer.
Really. Prismacolor are NOT that cheap, especially in Europe (Germany). Here they are outrageous expensive. More expensive than the polychromos!
Wow!
@@SarahRenaeClark yeah. Wow sadly. But I wanted them so bad and I'm kind of torn. And the longer I have the prismas the more I value the polys :)
@@asdfgha
Yeah... I even managed to get a full set of Luminance for less than a full set of Prismacolors. Open Stock: there is an online shop in Germany that sells Polys for 1.84 a pencil. Prismacolor costs 2.19 a pencil.
@@fizbanpernegelf5363 oh the luminance I so wish to have. I have just bought me the white one and it. Is. So. Good!
Afterwards I'm debating if it's better to buy a Prisma alternative in addition to the polys
@@asdfgha Currently I am still struggling with the Luminance but I love that there are so many more muted colors to accompany the Polys.
What you can do is check office supply shops for the Luminance. That is how I got mine for 50% off of the original Caran d'Ache price. But be carefull some shops just give the price without MwSt (Vat) and some only sell to businesses.
I really needed this vedio. Thank you for making me decide ❤❤❤
I know i wont't use the prismacolors, because I will likely break them (heavy hand, and I am still not good at blending), so it will be a combo of polycromos, derwent lightfast and luminance for me (With luminance and lightfast, I will have to be extra carefull, and will need to learn blending tecniches). Thank God they all have great lightfastness ranges. The softer pencils I might try out (outside of watercolor pencils) might be derwent drawing, but I don't know if I will adapt, as I am better at layaring techniches (polycromos might turn ou to be my favorites), but if I learn to use luminance, it might not be necessary to buy the drawing ones...
Great video. Thoroughly enjoyed it so🙏🥰I have all sets too Sarah Renae and I use Prismas the most but I love the colours of the Pablos, absolutely adore the Luminance and frankly the Polys I find the best for layering colour and fine work so frankly I’ve hedged my bets haven’t I? 😂😘🌹
Thank you for another great video, Sarah!! 😍I haven‘t tried the Luminance yet but adore my Polychromos and Derwent Lightfast as they‘re perfect for my more realistic/lots of layering art style. I‘d totally love to see you testing the Derwent Lightfast in another video, please!! Lots of love from Japan ❤️❤️
I personnally use both polychromos and Luminance in my drawings. Polys feel more dark than luminance in some colours so I would rather have both. Lumince's cobalt blue is definitely lighter than the cobalt blue in the polys set. I never tried the derwent lightfast though.🇨🇦
For me it depends on what I'm doing. If I'm trying to get smooth and creamy textures I use caran d'ache because they blend so well! If I'm trying to do fine detail I use polychromos. I've never tried prismacolour but for me they cost as much as the luminance. I live in France and the caran d'ache cost less than in the USA and the prismacolour cost more than in the USA
You made a good choice. I also find the Prismacolors too soft, but they can be used on just about any kind of paper. The Polychromos are beautiful pencils. Although it took me a long time to adjust to them, I find myself reaching for them more and more these days. Since the Polychromos are on the hard side, I find that I have the most success when I color on paper with tooth. In my experience they don’t do well on smooth paper. That’s when I turn to either my Prismacolors or my Derwent Light-fast pencils. Thank you for this honest review.
I agree!
Thank you so much for this! I bought Prismacolor because of you and I love them!
Your coloring page looks so beautiful!
Love my pablos (a 40 set) luminance (20 basic, 20 portrait + all the greens) and my full set of Polychromos! I have a few Holbeins and they do remind me strongly of what I used to like about prismas but I’m not sure I’m ready to splurge for a full set yet especially since I already have so many great pencils. 🙃 I’d love to have the full set of luminance but what I have is a pretty good range for me right now.
I would love to try the Luminance but I was concerned with something called wax bloom that happens with wax based pencils so I went with Polychromos instead. I use the Polychromos on top of watercolor and toned paper so it works fine.
In my experience, the Luminance have had very little wax bloom. This is mostly an issue with cheaper brands like Prismacolor
@@SarahRenaeClark thank you for letting me know. I may give them a go 😊
I don't mind you talking at all but oh my god the second channel of coloring with no commentary in real time sounds so soothing to also color too? So I will certainly be subscribing to that.
Love my Faber castell box i enjoyed all the colours. Bought my self a cheaper set of pastel colours
Cheaper make. Love them too i an not an artist just love coloring in adult or children coloring books
Have done most of my childhood 😜.
So thats why my husband bought me the gorgeous set of Faber castell ( same box you have )
Most beautiful gift ever.
Great video gorgeous page you colored🥰🥰
In so excited you did a Johannah page, the 2 of you create my favourite colouring pages! Thanks for the reminder that I can mix my pencils brands. My prismas live on my desk my my Derwents sit on the shelf and my arteza in my handbag 😂. Your background is fabulous, can't wait for the slow mo to see how you did that in more detail 💜 Have an amazing weekend Sarah and Shane
The slower version is already up on the second channel!
@@SarahRenaeClark awesome! Thanks!
Some of the the darker colours in the Derwent Lightfast set compliment the Caran d’Ache set nicely. They’re amazing pencils for larger more expressive work.
Good to know!
Caran d'Ache Luminance are my FAV art supply ever!!! Although POSCA's are giving them a run for their money lately haha. Loved the video!
I definitely mix brands on most of my portraits due to needing a different color
I would love to see more of your pencil art!
@@SarahRenaeClark I just uploaded a new color pencil portrait using Caran d’Ache luminance 🤗✌🏼
My Prismacolor 150 set arrived 2 weeks ago and i approved sooo much
I just started my adult coloring journey early last year (2021). My sister bought me the 150 Prismacolor pencil set last September as an early birthday present at Blick Art supply. We ran to get it because it was on sale and I couldn’t wait another freaking second to own it. I kid you not, I came home hugging the box. I opened it and fell in love! I was literally like a lil kid who just got a new box of crayons! ♥️😂
Glad to meet a fellow artist
The Caran d'Ache Luminance are not affordable for most of us hobbyists. I know many have them but for my coloring books and simple sketches, I just can't. If I want to give someone a gift to hang in their house, Polychromos will do.
They are all good pencils when it comes down to it :)
True!
Although I’m always surprised at how many people can’t afford nice pencils, but are happy to buy 5-10 sets of cheaper pencils, adding up to much more than a really good set!
I know I have a lot of pencils, but if it weren’t for my UA-cam channel, I’d only have 2-3 sets at the most- and I’ve save up for the high-quality ones, even if it took longer to earn them.
But of course, everyone is different! And that’s ok! That’s why I try to offer a variety of videos with cheap and expensive supplies x
@@SarahRenaeClark I do get that and I did save for my Polys rather than buying a bunch of cheap sets. I prefer them not just because they are nicer but also because I can replace colors without having to buy a whole new set. It's just that I feel like the price tag of the Luminances is too high for what I do with my pencils. Then I'd start telling myself what I can or can't use them for or feel like I am wasting them and there is no point in that either.
Great comparison. For people using coloring books, Prismacolors are good: they’re everywhere (at least in the US), they are reasonably priced, they lay down color well, and you can great results. Their quality control is awful (and mine were the US made version before production switched to Mexico and got even worse), they aren’t good for detail work, and their lightfastness is very spotty. Even the ones that are good, a staggering amount are gray and earth tones. My general recommendation for quality pencils are the Polychromos: excellent selection of lightfast colors, layer well, might be the best for detail work, and even if you move on to Luminance or Lightfast pencils, they work well in combination with them for the details. They aren’t cheap, but still affordable in comparison to the Luminance or Lightfast lines.
The Polychromos come on sale often on Amazon, and for a slightly smaller set, the price is often not too much higher than Prismacolor.
I read Prismacolor breaks easily and seen heaps of reviews complaining about quality control. I break everything so don't want stuff that's already got a reputation for breaking.
I consider myself a mediocre coloring person. I love to do adult coloring and experimenting with different pencils. I used to have the 120 set of the polychromos, but as a beginner/mediocre artist I found them SO incredibly hard to work with. The blending (for me personally) was really hard. I know that is lack of skill and experience, but I noticed because of that issue I stopped coloring completely! I love coloring so much so I decided and sold my set. I got recommended the luminance so I ordered the 100 set yesterday. I’m curious to see how I like them! If anyone has tips for coloring (like shading, of general tips) I would love to hear them! I really enjoyed this video☺️
Wow beautiful art
I really appreciate the work you've done here! There's so much valuable information packed into this video.
And also thank you for having a second channel ❤️ Gotta go sub!
I love Prismacolor pencils! Although the breakage can sometimes be a problem, i found that it has improved since i purchased the Prismacolor sharpener. I like them because they are very affordable, and they are just so wonderful when it comes to blending. Im not really a fan of hard cores in pencils, i much prefer the waxiness of Prismacolor. I would like to try Caran d'Ache pencils though.
Ooo, tough choice! Honestly they're all a joy to color with...except when they break. So I have a question. Can clutch pencils / lead holders be used to hold the broken tips of colored pencils? My Prismacolor and Brutfuner square pencils break very frequently, so I got the idea to not waste the broken bits by using a clutch pencil to grip them.
Potential problem and solution: Would leaving a piece of graphite lead inside the clutch pencil prevent the waxy colored pencil from slipping up inside the clutch pencil? After doing some research, I'm wondering if a Faber-Castell TK9400 would work. I've read that the 4B-6B range comes in a 3.15mm size, which might fit... Or maybe there's a more adjustable brand? What do you think?
Sorry I’m not sure! I don’t think I’ve ever used one
Thanks for this video because I literally just decided, this week, to buy a large set of pencils. I have a small set each of polychromos and prismacolor and was leaning towards the prismas....I think I want to try some luminance now before I go all in so yeah well timed info for me 👍
What white paint pen/marker did you use?
Yes! Caran d’Ache luminance are awesome! I wish they’d make more colors. But they are so smooth and creamy. I am trying to love all of my pencils, lately. I want, desperately, to learn to use them well. I prefer markers, but have books that my Copics will not work in (if I care about the picture on the flip side).
And I must confess, sharpening my fancy pencils makes me want to cry. I know I got them to use them, but it’s hard to see them get shorter. It can’t be just me, right?!
Do you have any skin toned videos? I think I need a slow video for skin tone.
I don’t have long videos for skin on the second channel yet, but my Hanna Karlzon video was a face, so I talked a bit about skin tone. And I previously did a video about skin tone with Ohuhu alcohol markers.
@@SarahRenaeClark Thanks. I have seen those two. I bought my first (and several) Hanna Karlzon books after seeing your video. 🙂
I have both Prisma and Polychromos. I love my Prismacolours! Great review. ❤️🇨🇦
In Europe the Prismas are not affordable at all and it is difficult to get them. There is one online shop in my country I know that sells Polychromos, several Derwent artist grade pencils, Prismacolor and Luminance open stock. The Polychromos are the cheapest in that shop (1.84 for the Polys, 2.19 for the Prismas). Most times even cheaper than the Pablos.
Even without the financiel difference I prefer the Polychromos the most and I have tried Pablo and Luminance too. I love just the ability to layer so easily.
I have a large set of Prismacolor premium at home they are great. But I can't find anywhere to buy the crayons individually by the piece. Where do you buy them?
Happy Birthday to your little boy! I hope he's having a great day!🥳💝
Thank you!
@@SarahRenaeClark Don't forget to soak up enjoying kids while they're small! My "baby" turned 21 on May 11th. It really does fly by before you know it! 💕
Oh ghad FINALLY 😭❤️🧡💛💚💙💜
Agreed! Best investment of my long coloring journey!
**Cries in cheap color pencils**
Thank you! I’m deciding which one to get if I do prismas I’m gonna do 150 pack and caren dache probably on of the 32 packs don’t know for the others
Have you tried Van Gogh pencils? I have never seen more rich colors.
Hi Sarah, did you already try the Windsor & Newton Studio collection soft thick core pencils? The prismacolor isn't available in the Netherlands and I'm looking for an alternative. Greets Priscilla
This was so satisfying to see the illustration come together, and the colors - oh my gosh! I only have a handful of prismacolors, but am thinking about picking up some individual Lumanance ones because they sound so luxurios 😁
I also just made a video Faber Castell vs, Prismacolor so I am interested to see how this goes for you! By the way, I love your videos, and they have helped me on my colored pencil journey!
Faber Castell Polychromos are the best!!! Caran d'Ache are great too, but very expensive, the Polychromos perform as good, if not better at some points. Anything wooden or lead holders for drawing, like Faber Castell TK 4600, TK 9400, Pitt Matt Graphite, 9000 etc are the best out there, both in terms of quality and performance. Faber Castell is no1 for the reasons I mentioned. Can't be beat!
Prismacolours are for kids between 6 and 12 age, I know this will trigger many people lol
I have a kid between 6 and 12, and there's no way I'd give him my Prismacolors! They are way too soft!
@@SarahRenaeClark That's because you're a pencil junky and do kids art too. As a 43 year old teacher, both the color pencils we had as kids and the pencils that I've seen on all kids hands since then, all were soft core pencils as all non artists pencils usually are.
So I'm mainly a pet portrait artist and have the fabre castell, Derwent artist and colour sort. I haven't used the others
can you try to use serbian color pencils they are caled junior I use them and I think they are good for beginers and they blend well
That turned out beautifully! I love my Prismacolors, they work great for coloring. I would love to get the Derwent Lightfast, please do more with them. 🙂
Where I live I can´t really get the Prismacolor brand, and if I find it, it is very VERY expensive. Last time I looked they were about double the price of the Polychromos. And considering what everyone says about their quality, I don´t think I will ever get them.
With that said, my polys are wonderful, and I really enjoy coloring through layering as you can create so many color variations that way.
The video is awesome like always tysm for making such beautiful videos for us 💟💖
Loved this video. I already own the Faber-Castell and was looking to add to my collection. So thank you. I was wondering what white marker you used for the white dots and accents??
Hi can u compare Derwent light-fast vs carandace luminance? That's really helpful for all of us ! 😀😀
Hey sarah i loved this video so much you're so inspiring and amazing at art ❤️❤️!!!!
Thanks!
Thank you for all the colors. Caran d'Ache Luminance 6901 is the standard and now has 100 total colors (expanding from the original 76), however Derwent's lightfast line of 100 is also a standard. They have a different feel and Derwent went through several types of testing in UV light to verify the stability of its most professional line.
How do you expand from 76 to 100? did you buy individual pencils?
@@ladanmohammadi2247 I think he just meant that the company has expanded from 74 to 98 (I ecluded 2 pencils because these 2 are just blenders).
@@oiseaufeu Thanks :)
Have you tried the Derwent lightfast pencils?.
I love them all! Thanks so much for sharing! :)
wow! The truth is pretty colored with several brands :D
Thank you very much for the information you share with us.
Yes it is true that the Prismacolor are adored by many but what I do not like is the experience that the ends break oops! I will continue experimenting with the Polychromos in a project
Hi Sarah! What is the white paint pen you used in this video please?
I can’t imagine coloring that beautiful with anything I would use❤️
It just takes practice over time!
Caran has no competition. They have the smoothest of the premier and the strength of the Castels. Can put layer over layer over layer and blend beautifully.
Great video! Can you please review the Amazon Basics Colored Pencils! Thank you for all of your wonderful content.
Where do you buy Faber Castell polychromos open stock?
Which pencil sharpener would you recommend for Albrecht Durer Watercolour pencils and the Luminance? I'm not sure which ones would fit.
Hi! where would you put Holbeins on Faber-Castell vs Prismacolor vs Caran d'Ache spectrum in terms of blending, softness and general user experience?
I’ve talked about Holbein in a few other videos- they are good pencils, but personally I consider them to be overrated. I rank them closer to the experience of Arteza.
On the scale here, they’d probably fall closer to the Prismacolor, but with a stronger core. The main difference is they lay down quite differently
I hardly ever sharpen my prismacolor pencils. For the details, I use a cheaper wax based brand that I can sharp to a fine point. That’s a way to save some money related to my prismacolors. Faber Castell and Caran D’Ache are way toooo expensive for me. The dollar - local currency exchange is just imposible for me to budget any of those. Only the prismacolor pencils are already expensive enough. To give some of you an idea: imagine each dollar is a stone. I need close to 21 smaller stones to get one stone (1 dollar).
Such a helpful video! Thank you!!!
Great video. Prismacolor are wonderful to use, something about the softness make them a joy to use. But as you have pointed out there is a downside. You really should give Derwent pencils a test. They have Artist, Coloursoft, Procolour, and Lighfast ranges. All with different characteristics. Being in the UK Derwent are often easier to find and cheaper than the other brands but perform on par and better in many situations.
I’ve got many of those, but it the Lightfast in particular I want to try further. Although I did like the Chromaflow!
@@SarahRenaeClark They are so nice to hold. Considering they are Derwent's first oil based pencil, they have done really well. They feel as soft as the Luminance but a touch more wax like. Like if Luminance and Prismacolor had a baby. That's just my opinion for what's worth.
@@SarahRenaeClark I love using my Luminance & Lightfast as one combined set. Lightfast is more muted colors & they go great with the vibrancy of the Luminance. Sometimes I can’t even tell which one I’m holding without looking at the pencil!
I've never tried the Luminance before. They don't sell them open stock at my local art store. Whenever trying a new art supply that's on the pricey end I like to grab a couple open stock to try out. That's how I started my collection of Prismacolors. My local art store honestly doesn't have much of a selection of open stock brands unfortunately. Those were always my add on item splurge, 1-2 high end open stock items. I may have to check out the art store in the town over and see what they have. (I haven't lived here very long, so I have yet to really explore the surrounding towns art stores). After seeing this video I will definitely have to keep a look out for the Luminance. Thanks. 💜
I use artist loft and prisma they work just fine for what I can afford!! I burnish all pic's using a method from another hobby!! Find a good paper towel!! I cover in clear pencil and polish in small circular motion!! This lady is off the charts!!
I have 200 Usd , what colored pencils is the best to buy ? Prismacolor Premier 150 or Caran d'ache Luminance or Faber-Castell Polychromos 60 everyone ?
Prisma isn't actually the most affordable. It's being compared as price per pencil but the thing people don't factor in when considering this is the amount of byproduct and waste through additional sharpening as well as the soft core by nature wearing down way faster because it's soft and smushy! The best bang for your buck is actually polychromos because they wear down so slowly from the same amount of use that the mileage makes it worth it. So they all look like a similar size and similar amount of product per pencil, but they're not. Luminance is the best this way besides polychromos because the fat barrel helps with technique and the formula is really forgiving. It doesn't surprise me that you'd like them and this is kinda why luminance is considered the upgrade you graduate to when you're done practicing with prismas - though I disagree and I'll keep them both for different kinds of projects.
This is a really good point! My Prismacolors are so short, and all my other pencils from this video are much longer!
I currently use caran d ache watercolour set which I love, but I might just have to get a set of prismacolor or polychromos to have a nice set of soft coloured pencils as well, love your videos as always they’re so informative and fun ♥️
Thanks Sophie!