Caran d'Ache Supracolor Soft Watercolor Pencils
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- Опубліковано 4 лют 2025
- This is a look at the very excellent Caran d'Ache Supracolor Soft water-soluble pencil set. I'll put these pencils to the test and compare them against many of today's most popular watercolor pencils.
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I really appreciate your channel. You have been a favorite of mine for a long time and I find that your reviews are always thorough and professionally done. I especially want to say Thanks So Much for this comparison. I have been trying to decide which watercolor pencils to buy and you've convinced me to save my pennies and get the better quality.
Wow! Thank you so much for the kind comments, I really appreciate it. You made my day. Always better to save up for the quality stuff than buy cheap and regret it.
I love that you did the comparison at the end since many people wonder which of the FC brands to go after based on rating. You made my decision so much easier. Thank you. Like sharing your videos bc of the great detailed explanations that you share with us
Hi Yolita - I'm happy this helped. Please share my videos on social networks if you like them. :-) Thanks ~Marty
Marty, I think you make the best art supply trial and comparison videos out there. Thank you!
+Judy Mason - Hi Judy - Thank you very much Judy for the kind comment. I really enjoy making these videos and testing the supplies I use in my own work. Thank you for watching!!
After your review...i bought myself a set and the watercolor pencils are awesome!
Nice.
I just got the 30 set
Love my derwent inktense looking forward to using my new set of 30 suprasoft carendache pencils
I really appreciate your reviews on different products. It helps a lot in deciding what to purchase.
+Yvonne Irish Hi Yvonne - Thank you for the very kind remark. I really appreciate you watching and the comments. Have a great day!
I love supracolors! They're lovely indeed. Haven't used them in ages, gotta buy me this some soon~ The colour selection in this set is too nice! Plus great price too. But wow that comparison was very fun to see, thanks a lot for sharing it. I'm really happy to see the normal Faber Castell watercolour pencil holding it's own amidst all these other ones, considering it is a scholastic grade pencil [supposed to be anyways] but I've used them for years and for how cheap they are, they're easily the best affordable watercolour pencils. Even for dry work, they're a joy to use.
Aren't they beautiful. I think you have the right idea though, by using the more inexpensive student grade pencils made by great companies. To me it's a bit like being able to buy a Mercedes at Hyundai price :-) I'm with you, I love these pencils. Cheers! ~Marty
Yes they are. I bought some of their non watercolour pencils recently for the cheap art supply challenge, and damn they hold up really well. Seemed better than I remember them to be! And thanks Marty, I think the good companies do make some great student grade stuff. What a nice analogy! I'm glad you enjoy them too 😃
Wow! Thank you so much for doing this! I've been looking for watercolor pencils, as my Derwent watercolor pencils are mostly just nubs now- this was so helpful! Loved seeing the blendability between colors and each brand swatched next to another. Thanks again!!!
Glad you liked it. Hope it helps! ~Marty
Thank you so much for the review, I just bought a box of 40. I having so much fun.
+sofluffyunicorn For sure, these are really good. Thank you for watching.
Thank you for very helpful video. As to the comparison it would also be very helpful to do the comparisons on black watercolour paper. The coverage with Albrecht Dürer is good but with the Supracolor much better. So Supracolour would be number 1 on black paper .
Thanks for the comparison! I just bought the Faber Castell Albrecht Durer pencils, so I'm glad they performed well.
I think you're going to love them. ~Marty
You make wonderful reviews and tutorials, very easy to follow for a beginner. Thank you :)
Thank you glad you are enjoying them.
Excellente vidéo de comparaison il y a tellement d excellentes marques on ne sait plus lesquelles choisir .merci❤
You are very welcome! Thank you for watching.
Thanks for all the high quality product reviews! I am just getting into coloring and am having difficulty determining what materials to buy. You have given such great insights. Thanks!
+5898MJ Thank you for the note. Lot's of choices out there for sure. - Marty
I got four of these watercolor pencils and I loved them, but I wasn't sure if I should buy the big 30 count since it's $50. But, now I am defiantly going to order them next month for my birthday 😌💗
That is awesome! And well worth the money.
I found it Marty. This is the video I was looking for. I just love your videos. Thanks
+Jewel M EUREKA! I'm just catching up with you! Thank you for the note. - Marty
+Owings Art You're the kindest and most accommodating youtuber ever. Thanks Marty 😁.
Jewel M Well thank you! I try. - Marty
Great comparison! Thanks Marty.
Thank you hitgar.
Wow! I just discovered your channel and I have been watching video after video. I love your thorough reviwes and I love that you're consisten with you channel, thank you so much! I'm a high school studenet that is just getting into this kind of art, and your videos are so helpful, I'm definitely looking forward to your upcoming videos, thank you so much!
Thank you so much Natalie! Glad you found my channel and happy you're here. Keep watching. :-)
Great video! Very comprehensive. Inktense are untouchable in terms of vibrancy but once they dry they cant be reworked. I might get a set of Supracolors though.
+TheVanillatech Additionally, the Inktense aren't very lightfast in my tests. I love them in a sketchbook, but not for finished work. I find that Caran d'Ache and Faber-Castell are better choices for me. Thanks for watching! - Marty
Whats the Difference between the two types of the Caran D'Ache water color pencils are they like the student/artist split?
+NoblesseObliged Hi Nobless - They don't market them like that, rather you're looking at GREAT and FREAKIN AWESOME when it comes to these two pencils. The Museum are more pigment loaded and lightfast in my tests, but both are outstanding pencils. I think the Supracolors pre-date the Museum's by years and years and so for a long time, the Supra's were the primo Caran d'Ache WC pencil. They're both great, but the Museum's are the best out there.
great review
i went for the albrecht dürer brand
they might be a better choice in terms of the price over the caran d'ache museum aquarelle ones
+Tales Of Color Thanks and let me know how they work out for you! All the best! - Marty
I really enjoyed your review, although I must disagree with you when it comes to the Derwent Inktense pencils. They are by far my favorite pencil that I have used but I have never had the honor to use any of the Caran D' ache pencils or the faber castill pencils. I love watching your reviews!
+Susie Lalonde Hi Susie - Thank you for the comments. Yes, I like the Derwent's as well but my chief complaint with them is that they are not lightfast in my tests. They just don't hold up very well over time. I hope you get the opportunity to use the Faber-Castell and Caran d'Ache pencils, they're both great. Thank you for watching and for the kind comments.
I'm not to bright when it comes to lightfast and stuff like that. I really should pay more attention though. At this time I don't sell my artwork so what I've been doing is mainly for practice or for pure pleasure. I do need a really good set of colored pencils, I only own a very small set at this time of decent pencils and even fewer watercolor pencils which are my favorite thing to use at this time.
Susie LaLonde Thanks Susie - Either way, it's hard to go wrong with either Faber-Castell Albrecht Duerer or the Caran d'Ache Museum wc pencils. They are both AWESOME!!
Yes, I do believe it from watching your review videos. I really appreciate you taking the time to do them.
Susie LaLonde Absolutely Susie, it's my pleasure.
I'm a newbie at 51 and I learn best by watching the supplies in action.
I would like to see you use them on a project instead of a color chart.
Perhaps it's a male and female difference! lol!!!!!
Thank you!!!!!!!!!!
Renée
Interesting. I sometimes do drawings or paintings to highlight the performance characteristics. Check out my other videos to see those. Thanks for watching.
I love these pencils!! They're one of my favorites. Great Review Marty. 😊
+Shannon Sand Hi Shannon - They're pretty sweet. How many of these do you have? And what do you use them on? - Marty
Hi Marty, I have the 80 piece set it was my birthday gift to myself. 😊 I use them for just about every from sketching to layering I really like how vibrant the colors are and the way they glide on the paper.
Shannon Sand What a nice Birthday gift to yourself, lucky girl. These are also a fave of mine. And you're right, they do glide on paper. :-)
+Owings Art I know right Marty. :) I just love how vibrant the colors are! :)
I’ve been comparing and it seems the Supracolor might have a more light and bright payoff, otherwise the extra price puts me off and I’m leaning to Faber Castell.
Hi Martin! One question: Do you think its a good idea buy the prismalo water color pencils special edition set 25 pencils? Or maybe buy the supracolor set 40? Thanks
+Nova Strike Hi Nova - They are both outstanding so you won't go wrong with either. That said, I always like more pencils if I can get them so I'd be tempted to go with the Supracolor 40. Have a great weekend. - Marty
can fixative be used with inktense to halt to fading. I am surprised by the light fastness issue because i thought ink would degrade slower than watercolor.
+Eden Heaven Hi Eden and thanks for the question. I'm not certain about the chemical composition of the Inktense or if it really contains "ink" or if this refers more to the vibrancy and intensity of the colors. Regardless, the fixative can help a great deal, especially the good fixative like this: www.dickblick.com/products/lascaux-fine-art-fixative/
It cannot however, prevent all fading over time. In a sketchbook it's not a problem, but in light, especially direct or indirect sunlight, the fading will accelerate. Hope that helps! - Marty
Why did the Derwent inktense pencils come in so low? The colors seemed very vibrant...is it because once they're dry they're permanent and can't blend? Thanks!
+Desiree Webster Hi Desiree - Yes, that's one reason, but most importantly they aren't very lightfast. That means the colors will fade quickly in light. Thanks for the question and for watching the channel.
Thank you Owings Art for your professional opinions and review. It is a big personal help for me. I heard that the Japanese brand Holbein is a strong competition to Caran DÁche?
Hi Dorte Aviaja - Thank you for the note. Not too sure about that. Caran d'Ache is still the best in the world as far as I'm concerned. Holbein will have to do better in terms of single pigment colors. :-) Holbein is very good, but not yet in the same class as Caran d'Ache, IMO. ~Marty
Thank you for your expert answer that was a great help especially when I am about to buy art supplies
dorte aviaja petersen Anytime. Thank you for the question. :-)
Hi Marty :-) I found your review very interesting but as far as favorites go I think I would put Inktense at the top of my list and we have all of the same pencils. Its so funny how different artists have different preferences.
+thefrugalcrafter Lindsay Weirich - Hi Lindsay - I think a LOT of people are in your camp on this. They really like the POP and vibrancy from the inktense and the color just jumps off of the page, I do to. For me, though I can't ignore that they are not very lightfast. In my tests, they fade really fast in regular light and super fast in direct sun. That fact may not sway folks enough to overlook their other great properties though. :-)
+Owings Art good point Marty! I just found some pencils on sale at ACmoore called Fantasia, it was 36 set on sale for $16 and very much like derwent watercolor. I have a review/demo posting tonight:)
+thefrugalcrafter Lindsay Weirich Okay, I've never heard of them. Do you have a link I can share on Facebook? So peeps can watch.
+Owings Art Thanks for pointing out the lightfast issue on the Inktense. That is a bummer. Knowing this I can save my money and not get the full set of them unless I plan to digitalize my work. I only have a few of the Supracolors and thought they were on par with the Faber Castell ones if not better. Interesting you marked them lower. How is the lightfastness working with these?
BugFolk Thanks for the question. These are fairly lightfast. In my tests they held up very well. I put them in a 1, 3 and 5 day light test, both ambient and direct sunlight. They performed about the same as the Faber-Castell Albrecht Duerer's in the 3 and 5 day tests, but slightly better in the 1 day. That's about it, they're pretty outstanding. :-)
Btw, what is the difference between supracolor and supracolor II? TIA :)
+Joyce N. (EnjoyScrappin2) Hi Joyce - As far as I can tell there is no difference at all. The Caran d'Ache website doesn't seem to define any difference either. Perhaps it was related to various iterations of the product or something, but I can't tell from any reliable source. It's a mystery for now, but next week I'll call my contact at Caran d'Ache and ask them directly. - Marty
? Color selection?
Great review!!!! I completely agree with your ranking although I have yet to try out the Museum Aquarelle pencils!!! I make a point to call them Water Soluble Pencils as what they actually are but the Museum Aquarelle are the only ones that I feel you can accurately call watercolor pencils just based on reviews and performance videos. Just went to an art store today and was able to pick up a few open stock Caran D'Ache Neocolour II Wax Watersoluble Crayons and have been playing with them which has been fun. Caran D'Ache so far have not been able to do any wrong by me as far as quality of art materials which they produce. If I could, I'd buy everything they make. Thanks for the great video again and love your new editing style!!!
In viewing others' comments about Inktense rating, I think that is where the split goes between artists and crafters. Artists know that part of a quality material is its longevity but with a crafter, it's about spontaneity and getting your creativity out in any way possible. Both have merits and I am not saying crafters aren't artists, but when you want your artwork to be permanent and/or you are doing commissions or selling your art, lightfastness is a quality just as important as saturation, pigment strength/load, medium, and usability. Seriously, so many thumbs up on this video and each person will rank differently because their priorities won't be the same and that's ok!!! (As long as they aren't using fugitive colors/products in artwork they are selling).
Fantastic informative review....appreciated, as I'm in the process of buying some new watercolour pencils....mine are only 30 years old..lol
+claudia dobson Hi Claudia - If they're good wc's, they'll last that long. :-) - Marty
great and thorough reviews as always Marty, thank you so much :)
+Rhonda Magee Hi Rhonda - Thank you! Hope you're having an AWESOME weekend.
thank you Marty...hope you are as well :)
Rhonda Magee I'm in the woods and it is wonderful.
make us a painting with these pencils and waterbrushes :) How's about it??
Rhonda Magee Stay tuned! ;-)
Nice. I'm surprised you put inktense so low. I love my inktense for the jobs I use them for (although they can't do everything regular pencils can...).. But I also love my Supracolors. Next up are my Polychromos. Thanks for another great, thorough review.
Lauri
+Windkisssed Yeah the inktense are pretty good.
+Windkisssed I was surprised by this too.. but I think they don't lay down as true watercolors because they are more intense like ink... so you don't get that soft watercolor look when used... they are wonderful in another way.
Hi Lauri - I like the Inktense by Derwent but they aren't very lightfast so that's a big drawback for me. They fade quickly in light. They do pop though and if you're not planning to take them out of a sketchbook they'll hold up okay. Thanks for watching as always, much appreciated. :-)
+Shreykishore Bangera I like them okay, but they fade too fast.
True. I don`t have a lot of experience with the inktense because Caran d`ache is always better even though its so expensive.
Have you tried the caran D'ache prismalo water color pencils? I am wondering how they compare with the other watercolor pencils you have reviewed. Thank you for your reviews.
I have tried the Fibralo pencils, and it seems to me that I have tried the Prismalo's, but I can't find the video in my list right now..,lol. The Fibralo's are great, but sort of expensive. I like the Caran d'Ache Museum Aquarelle if money is no object, otherwise my favorites are Faber-Castell Albrecht Durer watercolor pencils. ~Marty
Thank you for your reply. I will look into the Museum Aquarelles and the Albrecht Durer!
That was very helpful, thank you!
Whats really the difference between museum aquarelle and the supracolor soft ? Both Watercolors from caran dache
+Alexandra J Hi Alexandra - There is definitely a difference in terms of pigment saturation and overall vividness of the colors. They're both great, but the Museum are simply the best watercolor pencils made in the world today (in my opinion). Also, there are other watercolor pencils out there that I haven't tested yet, so maybe I'll be surprised. The ones I tested represent just some of the watercolor pencils out there and these are just my opinions. :-)
Ah Marty, Stop signs are octagonal, and those pencils are hexagonal, (6 sides). Does your rating include a price comparison? Great info in your review! Thank you.
You're right Gwenneth, lol. Thanks for the catch. Yes, I try to consider value.
Great, great, great. I really liked the paper chart (is the name correct?) with a comparasion between with all these 8 watercolor pencils you show on this video. I don´t have the supracolor but I do have the Caran D´Ache swisscolor, the basic CD watercolor pencil and I like them. Caran D´Ache is Caran D´Ache, is very difficult to find other pencils to bit them. I got surprised with your ranking puting Derwent Inktense to the end of the list, I find them soooo nice, but this is a proof that not only the quality counts, but also our personal tastes. Thanks again, Marty!
+Cris Costa Hi Cris - A lot of people have commented on my low ranking of the Derwent Inktense. I do like them, they're just not very lightfast and I want the drawings and paintings that people do, to hold up over time. :-)
But you´re not wrong Marty, I mean, it´s nice to know one´s point of view about a material. You have your personal opinion about it, and I like to know different opinions too! Keep up the wonderful work you do, I´m quite sure everyone appreciate it! Take care! :)
Cris Costa Thank you so much Cris. Have a wonderful evening in Brasil.
Fantastic review!! Thank you :)
+Joyce N. (EnjoyScrappin2) Thank you very much Joyce. - Marty
Do you think I should invest in a set of these?
They are very nice watercolor pencils. I recommend them. ~Marty
have u tried steadtler Luna colour pencils?
if u have..can u please tell which is better ...faber castle water colours or staedlter Luna water colour pencils?
pls help!!
+duo lon I've tried the Karat and the Ergosoft and both were good, but I prefer the Albrecht Durer.
+Owings Art thanq !! but if u have to choose between FC and steadtler as a whole...which one wud it be? sorry if m being too pushy...
duo lon No worries, that's not pushy at all. I think I'd go with the FC's every time. :-)
+Owings Art ah ...thanku very much!!! :) and very helpful videos always!
the supracolors ones they are dry are they permanent
Thank you Raymond.
Hey Marty are theses pencil better than prismacolor in dry form because I might buy a set
+Nines I better ask you a few questions before giving an answer. What are you going to use them for? Are you looking for a good dry pencil or pencils you can use both dry and wet so you can avoid the expense of buying both types?
+Owings Art mostly dry form as already have the Caran d'ache Swiss Color which are both but I wanted to take a step up
Nines In that case have you thought about Faber-Castell's Polychromo's?
+Owings Art yes I have but they're a bit pricey
Nines Yeah, not cheap.
Hello Marti¡and thank you for the answer¡Could you make a video for Holbein Pencil?Thank for all¡
Thank you for a great review. I just bought the set but having difficulty finding the correct sharpener for the shape. Any help would be appreciated. Thank You
Hi Mozarts - I have a video on sharpeners. Just search my videos and you'll find it. :-) Marty
I really like this videos where you compare different brands! The Supracolor pencils surprised me a bit. Although i love Caran D'Ache products - i recently bought a set of 18 Pablo pencis - i came across some written reviews which stated that the pigments don't dissolve very well. Your video shows something different though and i like that because i appreciate the colour selection of the Supracolor pencils!
Moreover I would really like to try some of the Museum Aquarelle pencils. Too bad that they come only in these sets.
My favourite watercolour pencil is still the Faber Castell Albrecht Duerer. I think i should finally get the whole set. I am confused that people are talking about Inktense pencils. Derwent watercolour pencils are something different or am i wrong? However, i love the look of the Derwent Inktense pencils itself, round and thick, but somehow i don't tend to use them. Now that i read that they aren't that lightfast doesn't make me like them more...
+Anja Meurer Hallo Anja , es stimmt, die Supracolor Bleistifte haben auch auflösen in meinen Tests . Zu wissen, dass Caran d'Ache hat strenge Qualitätskontrollen , würde ich sicher sein, dass ist das, was die Menschen von diesen Stiften erwartet.
Das Museum Aquarelle sind sehr teuer, aber jeden Cent wert, meiner Meinung nach . Sie sind die feinsten heute in der Welt produziert Aquarell-Bleistift sehr wahrscheinlich. Noch ich liebe den FC Albrecht Dürer , wie Sie tun . Sie sind auch erschwinglich.
Ja , es gibt einen deutlichen Unterschied zwischen den Derwent WC Bleistifte und den Derwent Inktense Bleistifte. Die Inktense sind viel lebhafter und intensiv, aber sie sind nicht sehr lichtecht und so habe ich in meiner Arbeit nutzen sie nicht sehr viel. Vielleicht Derwent wird dieses Problem irgendwann lösen.
Vielen Dank für das Ansehen von Anja . Ich mag Ihre Kommentare und Einsichten. Du bist sehr groß, auf dem Kanal zu haben. Haben eine fantastische Nacht. - Marty
+Owings Art Hey Marty, your German answers made my day :-). Google translator is one of my best online friends!
Anja Meurer Very good Anja. Was it accurate or just funny? Sometimes Google translate messes things up just enough to be funny. My German is rusty, but still recognize words and phrases. It's funny how I could speak it so fluently in the 1980's, but when you don't use it, it just floats away....
+Owings Art Let's say i got what you said! But you also used some nice phrases like 'jeden Cent wert'. You learned German at school? Probably it's a pretty difficult language? Learning languages is something i enjoy and the internet offers so many possibilities. My English was rather bad after school but i met interesting people from all around the world on facebook and communicate in English almost every day. I learned italian and i read some sentences every day or listen to an italian radio show to keep it fresh until my next journey to Italy! Google translator is so funny at times! It's strange, just like us it seems to have good and bad days as the translation varies very much.
+Anja Meurer Lol, agreed.
Thanks for all your informative videos! I was surprised that the Inktense pencils ranked so low on your comparison. Will you explain? Thanks so much!
Hi KT - I like Inktense, but they ranked lower because they are NOT lightfast. ~Marty
Hola Marti¡quisiera hacerte una pregunta¡Sabes algo de Olbein pencil?Tengo mis polychromos y Pablos y me encantan¡pero me gustaría saber mas de estos lápices por ti-Muchas gracias
Oi Mariaraquel - Obrigado pela pergunta. Já ouvi falar daqueles (Olbein), mas nunca os usei. Já experimentou?
Hi Marty! Nice review, as usual. Can they be used without water? Will they still be very vibrant in color? How do they blend (without any water)?
+zainalu Yes, for sure you can use them dry. The color is good, but not a good as Faber-Castell Polychromo's or Caran d'Ache Luminance/Pablo's. They blend okay without water, but their strength is really as a watercolor pencil. - Marty
Thanks
zainalu Sure, anytime. :-)
Hi Marty! I would like to known, what it means the stars in the pencils. I can't remember or find something about. There's pencil with one, two and three stars. I have some colors and my sister bring me a box with 120 colors. In Brazil is very, very expensive, about four times more. I'm very excited! I have a Mondeluz box, with 72 colors and still want a Museum, Inktense and anothers boxes for try hahahahaha Love your videos!
Greetings Rafaella - The stars represent lightfastness I believe. The more stars, the more lightfast it will be. The Mondeluz are also outstanding! Let me know what you think of them both. Good luck and happy holidays! ~Marty
Hello Marty, I have a question. Is there an advantage of having watercolor pencils if I already own regular watercolors? Would these give me more control with my work or compared to regular watercolors, are the colors not as vibrant? Thanks in advance.
+Funandots Yes, you hit it on the head. It does help with control and for some, it's a bit easier to start with watercolor pencils then it is watercolors. - Marty
+Owings Art Thanks for your answer. I wanted to get watercolor pencils before jumping into watercolor paints but I went for the latter because the thought of mixing your own colors seemed more fun to me. Could you mix many colors with the pencils as you can with the paints?
Funandots It's possible, but not the same. It's easier to mix with paints, although some very good pencil Artist's might argue with me about that. :-)
+Owings Art Thanks much appreciated!
great comparison, please rank artists grade color pencils also :)
+K8 tirona-brioso Thank you for the suggestion K8. It's on my list. Thanks for watching and please stay tuned.
Hi Marty....thank you for this review. I'm a bit confused....is Caran d'ache Supracolor Soft the same pencil as Supracolor II? I see some marked as just "supracolor soft" and then I see "supracolor II"....same pencil?
Hi Alicia - Yes, I believe they are the same, one is just the older branding, however I could be corrected if someone else thinks I'm wrong on that. ~Marty
Marty thank you....that had me a bit confused but I'm only seeing "Supracolor Soft" on the packaging and then "Supracolor II" on the actual pencil so it made me wonder if there was a "Supracolor I" I was missing somewhere. LOL! I've seen written articles stating some people use these both dry and wet but I've yet to find any works done like this....very interesting...and I'd love to see. Still taking a long hard look at the Museum Aquarelle's"....they seem really nice I just wish they had more color selection like the Supracolors and Faber Castell's. I do have a set of Albrecht Durer's I absolutely adore 😍 so I'm pretty sure the next step up from those would be the Museum's. These Supracolors are pretty enticing though....would love to see some wet and dry works with these. If anyone has any links do please share. I haven't seen any reviews on using them both ways.
Alicia Hadden Hi Alicia - I'm guessing there are lot's of works out there with dry and wet application of these Supracolors. Like you ask, maybe others can share some links. There were Supracolor I's at one time. You can still find them in vintage stock on eBay and other places sometimes. The Museum's are simply the best watercolor in the world today, in my opinion. To use them is to fall in love. ~Marty
Please add Prismacolor and Renoir (chinese brand) to the comparison?
Thanks
Thank you Tanya.
someone gave me a set of I think 80 pencils, which is great, but I have no idea how to use them, I’m used to the basic prismacolor premier wax based pencil, so with water color pencil I have zero clue of what I’m doing
thank you for what. you didn't answer my question, all I wanted to know is once they are dry are they permanent.
I'm sorry, I must've missed that Raymond. You can do some lifting with them. No watercolors are absolutely positively permanent, except maybe ink based watercolors.
I see you’ve include Derwent Inktense in this test along with watercolor pencils. I have people arguing with me that you cannot call them watercolor pencils because they work so differently. I thought they worked the same except the Inktense are permanent once dried. Please expound on Inktense. I have the whole set of them and wondering if I also need to buy watercolor pencils as folk are telling me I need to do. Thank you. I am a coloring book colorist.
Thank you!
Happy to do it Renee. Thank you so much for watching.
Derwnt Inktense looks the best to me from your testing
It’s also very good.
Great review though :-)
+thefrugalcrafter Lindsay Weiricc Thanks my friend. I like the Supracolor a lot.
so so so pretty
Hi Lura - they are very nice.
Would you consider using these on one of the super popular adult colorbooks and teach us how to color and layer in our own work???
+Renee Lanier He has another video out there but he uses markers and doesn't blend much. I too would love to find someone coloring one of these adult books with good quality materials... the fact remains that the books themselves are typically printed on junk paper so you can't use watercolors on them or the paper will warp and rip.
+pesto12601 Peta Hewitt does gorgeous colouring in the adult colouring books on her channel. She does reviews on various books, does tutorials, and pencil reviews.
The Ginger Owl
Thx Ginger - yes.. I am subbed to Peta and she really does amazing work... I like her easy approach to things too... thx for the thought!
+Renee Lanier Thank you Renee. Yes, I would definitely use these in an adult coloring book. I'm not a great coloring book artist, but it's a nice suggestion and I will add it to my list. :-) - Marty
What was your criteria for rating the pencils?
Both quantitative and qualitative considerations. For instance I compare them in several areas to other brands in their category (Artist or Student Grade). I look at color vibrancy, core, consistency among colors, how well they blend, layer, how well they sharpen and erase. Overall quality of the pencils and workmanship. And lastly lightfastness. Then I rate them on a scale of 1 to 10. 1 being very poor and 10 being the best ever. Hope that helps.
It does, I was considering the supracolor pencils and I was wondering how the Albrecht Durers were better?
Aaron Kruglikov Hi Aaron - The thing is the Faber-Castell Albrecht Durer are comparable and they usually cost less. They are an outstanding every day watercolor pencils and I use them all the time. The very best watercolor pencils in the world are Caran d'Ache Museum Aquarelle, in my opinion.
You didn’t explain why this ranking!
I tried to.
What would you rate these pencils out of 10?
At least a solid 8.
Owings Art ok thanks
Caran D'Ache Supracolor are fun to work with but they are not lightfast. Museum is the better choice if you want your work to last.
Hang on there Chris - I've tested Supracolor II extensively and most of the colors hold up well. I've been testing them for more than a year in direct and indirect sunlight. Not all the colors held up, but in comparison to other watercolor pencils they did well. The ones I have are recent production and might might explain things. I do agree that Museum's are better overall, in fact they are probably the best watercolor pencils in the world. Thanks for the comment. ~Marty
As a retired art teacher, I also acquired some experience. It might depend on how you use them. If you simply draw with them, the colours won't fade as much, but if you use them as watercolours, they don't hold up as well. We made swatches on Fabriano 140 lb hot pressed paper to test them. Out of the 80 colours from the set, half faded in a couple of months while others completely disappeared. The earth colours and some shades of blue-green held up better. This is what we experienced with this brand of watercolour pencils.
Chris123 Did you put them in direct or indirect light? Also, it can make a significant difference if the pigment is laid heavily or lightly on the paper. The tests done at the Caran d'Ache workshop/lab was very likely controlled, mine weren't. That said, I tried to be as consistent as possible in my application of color. I respect your opinion though. Thanks ~Marty
Thank you Marty... To answer your question, we made two sets of swatches: one was exposed to daylight, winter light; the other was put between two sheets of archival paper in a sketchbook. Two months later, we compared them: the one in the sketchbook had faded as well, but not as much as the one exposed to daylight. Marino (Cretacolor) held up better. From our experience, Supracolor did well in delicate renderings of pastel hues of flowers in botanical watercolour paintings, and subtle gradations in the sky and water, but those colours faded within a few months. For these types of subjects, they are not the best choice. Museum aquarelle pencils might be a better choice since they are all lightfast.
I appreciate your reviews. Keep up the good work-- Christiane
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Chris123 wow, is Supracolor soft really that bad on lightfastness? how is it comparing to Faber-Castell Albrecht Durer? I prefer Caran d'Ache color selection, but if it is not good in lightfastness, I might need to switch to Faber-Castell... Thank you both if answering it. 😇
It looks like the color was boosted in the thumbnail.
Hi Mary - I avoid boosting any colors in my videos. I'd rather be honest and have the viewers trust, than pimp a product. ~Marty
I see you’ve include Derwent Inktense in this test along with watercolor pencils. I have people arguing with me that you cannot call them watercolor pencils because they work so differently. I thought they worked the same except the Inktense are permanent once dried. Please expound on Inktense. I have the whole set of them and wondering if I also need to buy watercolor pencils as folk are telling me I need to do. Thank you. I am a coloring book colorist.