As a former teacher, I'm so impressed with your efficient, no-nonsense presentations. Maybe you rehearse beforehand, or edit well, but I really prefer yours, as one can always pause/rewind/replay as needed, but I go crazy watching others take 30 minutes to ramble, digress, fumble, pontificate and still cover less actual informative material than you get into less than 10. Teaching the essential craft of art is invaluable, and art schools often act as if it's beneath them, when they really lack technically trained faculty. Good job!
This comparison is by far the best I've ever seen. It's incredibly informative, straight to the point, and professionally executed. Your dedication to providing efficient and valuable content without any time-wasting nonsense is truly commendable. Thank you for setting such a high standard in your reviews-it's a pleasure to learn from your expertise!
I love your fast speaking, keeps me alert. Slow speakers makes me forget that I was listening to something. Btw, most importantly... this was the best comparison I´ve heard, so thank you very much :*
I love your art and that fact that you have these videos but you talk faster than I can think and already there is a lot to absorb! But I do appreciate that you are doing this!
I find myself coming back to this video many times in these three years span, and recommend it to others asking about which colored pencils to buy. Thank you for the great video, Lisa!
I bought the polychromos after seeing your comparison video with the Prismacolor pencils and even after seeing this comparison to the Caran D'ache, I really love the results you achieved with the oil based pencils the best. I will definitely put the "Luminous White" on my list of must haves to use with my Prismacolors, great tip, thanks!
One of my professors at school gave us the option to purchase Prismacolors, Faber Castell, or Caran d'Ache Luminance colored pencils for class and your review and comparison videos have helped me. Thank you very much!
Thank you for making this! I’ve been debating which set to get for quite some time. To hear you speak so highly of them was a great comfort to me! Maybe I’ll go to Blick’s and swatch some again. 😂 Ahahaha your dog at the end was great!
As I watched in awe, I thought how much you know & how very kind of you to take the time to share with us. You're artwork (why don't they call it artplay) :) is incredibly inspiring. I'm excited to view more of your videos.
haha I went with Polychromos because it is a lot more affordable. But, I did pick up some white pencils from the Luminance. The rest really depend on if you want to use an oil based pencil or wax based.
I think there is a huge difference in skin tones between the two, luminance skin tone colors are amazing, they layer so well and so smooth. Polychromos just takes longer to layer and it’s just harder to do skin tones with it. If you do a lot of portraits, I think luminance will make your life so much easier and make your skin tone very smooth and realistic
Excellent review, thank you. Very thorough and helped me decide which set to buy. I am going to buy the Caran D'ache but I will make sure to purchase a black Polychromos!
Thank you for this, and YES it was useful! I LOVE your doggy. You talk extremely fast and I love that because it is not boring at all and I don't waste my time listening to you! American is not my mother tongue so I can't understand how people have difficulty understanding you because I do..!
A very helpful video. I watched it some time ago and bought Polychromos and watched it again and decided to invest in Luminance. Thanks for your honest reviews. They ARE helpful :)
I almost bought the Lumiance this weekend with the great deal at Blick but I couldn't afford them. I still plan to do it someday when money is better. I have Fibro as well, and I think the creamier pencils are easier for my hands and wrists. I will probably add some of the polychromos from open stock as I can. Thank you so much for doing these videos, they really help. I love your doggie, and enjoyed watching the bloopers at the end ;-)
I appreciate and enjoy your tutorials and reviews. Excellent and very helpful for me, a beginner. Your videos are terrific! I learn a lot. And you pack in a lot of information. Very accessible -easy to understand - you get the information across. I was very happy to learn so much about lightfastness. Thanks!
I'm still laughing when Jessie refused to lay down and you put her in the video. BTW, thanks for your review about the luminance and polychromos. this is by far my favorite video.
I 2nd that a comparison with pablo to the polychromos would be neat. As for Luminance, they are just a dream. At well over $5 a pencil open stock (in our local art store) that's a bit steep atm for me. I'll keep it on my mind and scope out online for deals on the sets.
After much thought and research as well as watching your other videos, I turned in my Prismacolor Set of 150 (just bought tried them out, LOVED the blendability, then found out they were mostly FUGITIVE/NOT lightfast, (BIG dealbreaker for me UGH!!!!) let alone the breakage issues when applying pressure and sometimes when sharpening! So I am investing in a set of Luminance. I will eventually get a set of Polychhromos also. Thanks for this most informative and well thought out video. Live and learn ;) Jesse is SO CUTE BTW
I love your videos! So inspiring to watch! I've been using the same prismacolors from the 90s, and even with the old ones, there is limited layering and wax blooms! It has always frustrated me, so years later I am finally going to get some beautiful new pencils! I've taken every you have said, the videos and other reviews and demos into consideration. When starting the search, lightfast pencils hadn't occurred to me.. I thought they all were, so that's removed many of the brands from my search. It's colour and quality that I want to invest in and my selections have come a long way from Renoir... and the more I use Derwent, the more I dislike them. After watching you and others work, I would love a set of Luminance (who wouldn't?) but have selected to go with the harder version, Caran D'Ache Pablo and perhaps some polychromos. So, if you had to make a choice as to which purchase to make, what would be your personal choice? I would really appreciate your input and opinion! Caran D'ache Pablo 80 set OR CD'A Pablo 40 set & FB Polychromos 24 or maybe 36? I'm a capable blender of colours, so range is less important than the question of, would you rather be able to use both CD'A Pablo and FB Polychromos for their unique qualities or just the CD'A Pablo by themselves? PS I'll probably get some black and white individual Luminance pencils!
+Organic Road Map I would go with the polychromos. The pablos are a wax based pencil that are to the Luminance what prisma verithins are to prismacolors. They have their use but if going with only one, I would hands down go with the polychromos :)
haha! That's not what I wanted to hear - the part about Pablo being wax, that is! The CD'A site doesn't make that information easy to find. Although I like that they are the high end equivalent of a verithin - I was hoping they were - I really was hoping they were oil I may still get a smaller set of the CD'A to compliment the FCs because it's feeling like Polychromos is the winner here! THANK YOU for your help and honest input!
I love all your colored pencil review videos!!! If you can, can you please do a video for people starting out colored pencil and graphite? Thank you ☺️
I am a graphite artist, which pencil would you recommend to someone who is used to the way you use graphite as far as blending and layering, and being able to erase. Thanks for your videos I love what you do!!!.
I'm going to have to end up going on the artists diet after this. I need both sets which means there'll be little room for food shopping :D I love your videos. So educational and funny at the same time.
I got Faber-Castell Polychromos as Xmas gift :D and I am going to buy Luminance colored pencil - White as per your suggestion. Please advise if you know Luminance 's White color pencil has any color code can be referred to ? Thanks!
Mona Lisa odorless blender is for oil-based paints and the only one that does come close is the Faber-Castell, which are mineral oil-based colors. Why use it with wax-based pencils like the Caran d'Ashe? Doesn't using a fixative increase the light fastness of colored pencil work?
A - Thank you so much for putting the time and effort into doing this. I know you have fibro and Celiac and I know what that does to you. B- I think I read through all the comments, but I didn't see it. You mentioned 2 colours that only had a 1 star rating, which two were those, please? C - Did I mention Thank you? And I think your art is absolutely amazing.
Got my Luminance on Monday, and I haven't touched either of my Polychromos or Prismacolor's since! *Prismacolor* - There's just too much wax bloom. It feels like using a set of cheap crayons that you would give a 3 year old. couple that with the poor build quality of the Prisma's and its a no brainer. *Polychromos* - I want to like them but my heart has never really been in it. The jury is still out. They feel more chalky in use than the Prisma's and I don't feel they blend that well. They have more resistance when in use, more so than the Prisma's. *Luminance* - My experience of Caran D'ache has been nothing but first class, and the expensive Luminance perpetuates that 1st class experience. For me they are leagues ahead of anything else I own or have tried, and its hard to go back (and it is a back-step) to either the Poly's or Prisma's. Distinct lack of wax bloom compared to the Prisma's, super smooth feel unlike the Poly's which feels like you're scraping the paper, I can't foresee any reason for using the others, other than maybe a lack of colour choice in the Luminance range. But the blend-ability makes them a far better prospect. I will be significantly increasing my Luminance collection in the near future with the view of phasing out or getting rid of the Prisma's and Poly's.
I've been a fan of your channel for quite a while now. Thanks for making these videos. They are both educational and inspiring. I just ordered a few Luminance pencils to try as I love the creaminess of Prismas but am concerned about its lightfastness. I love the feel and pigment of Polychromos but still cannot get over that creaminess feeling of wax-based pencils. Unfortunately, Caran d'ache Thailand doesn't import Luminance. I'll definitely get myself a set when I go to the US in Janauary! Thanks again! : )
Thanks for the great review! It was very helpful. I don't have the full set of polychromos so I will add from the open stock of luminance to expand my set :) !
Couldn't you just do a spray for UV protection and maybe frame in UV glass and be done with lightfastness issues? Really great review. Glad to hear your opinion.
Hi Lisa, I didnt see this video til a few minutes ago. I just bought a pencil set, Prismacolor, two days ago....and just gave it away. Ok, so I recently started painting with acrylic...which led me to drawing. ASnd since black and white is kind of boring I thought I'd color things up a bit with color pencils. I also thought that blending them like water colors would be cool. Ok so I bought this Prismacolor 36. well, it doesn't do any thing that I wanted lol. Story of my life right? :-) Now I watch your video and the light bulb went off in my head. So my daughter, who was drooling all over the prismacolor pencils, just got a new set. and I just ordered a Luminance 80 pc set. I'll head over to the art supply and get some odor free paint thinner tomorrow. My Luminance set should arrive on Tuesday. Thanks for the video, you are great. Jerry
LOL, no... this did NOT help me in deciding which brand to buy! I was going to treat myself to new pencils for Christmas, but now I want both. Hmm... Xmas and early B-day pressie??? Thanks for your awesome reviews, Lisa! Much appreciated!! =)
This might be a silly question, but do you ever have difficulty layering wax base over oil base or vice versa? Like in paints where you can put oil on top of acrylic, but not acrylic on oil?
The Artistic Biker No, they seem to work great in either order from what I've experienced. On my current project I layered polychromos (oil) first then went ontop of it with the luminance (wax) then kept layering on top of that with each brand. For my final layers I used my polychromos to burnish, but that was about 15 layers in :)
Hi Lisa, Many thanks for this great video. I'm new to drawing art and still have some pencils from when i was a kid. I fancy the luminance best i think but they are so expensive. I could afford the 40 set of luminance. For the same money i could buy a 60 polychromos set + some luminance pencils like the white you suggested. At a push the full 120 polychromos set price is not that far off either. I am still learning about colour basics and layers. Do beginners get frustrated if the layering doesn't work out and therefor a bigger set will be 'easier'.I liked the comment of ability to correct dark layers better with luminance. Also having less colors, i suppose stimulate me more to develop the skills. Realise there is no best answer but i appreciate a reflective comment based on your experience.
frank honings I definitely think it's easier to have as many colors available to you as possible. Mixing and layering colors can be frustrating for people who are new to the medium. Heck it can be frustrating sometimes for those of us with a lot of experience haha.
is it worth buying (open stock) a white luminance pencil? i have a 60 set of polychromos and im planning to extend my collection.the problem is that i prefer doing yellow toned small portraits.
+Jm Cornwell I suspect they'd be very similar in their opacity to the polychromos. Lately I've been picking at open stock of both. I like the grip and lead feel of the Pablo slightly better. I also find it to blend slightly easier with less pressure. I also really like how smooth I can get something colored with the pablos. As for the Luminance, that is a bit of a dream for me right now. The video has me wanting the white and cream now, but sadly my local store sells them at well over $5 a pencil. Yikes! The Pablos at about $2.80-2.99 a pencil and the polychromos at about $2.42-2.80 a pencil. Though still a bit of a reach, I've been slowly gathering a decent amount of those two kinds. I'll just have to wait and look online for the Luminance sets for a better bargain.
Wow, thanks for the review! I was always confused about the BW scale vs ASTM standard, no more. :0) Thanks for all your hard work. Good job, Jesse! I have a Whippet. :0)
What are your favorite colored pencils ? I can’t decide on I already have 72 Prismacolor Pencils and now want to buy Faber Castel or Caran D'Ache Pablo , Caran D'Ache Pablo luminance.
hello ... I really wonder if I have to buy luminance set ? to make drawings of nature (landscape and landscape with animals, sub-mairn fish etc ... I thought I would buy blue and green luminance individually and the set of 120 polychromos? what do you think? ... thank you very much!
No tienes idea de cómo me pude reír viendo este video jejejeje sobre todo en la parte final. Mira, en mi opinión, las cerezas quedan con un color más ¿intenso? o llamativo con los lápices Pylychromos y con los lápices Luminance los colores quedan más 'mate'... Esa fue la impresión que yo tuve al ver los dos dibujos. Por cierto: Eres excelente repitiendo un mismo dibujo, los dos quedaron exactos... ¡Guao!... Deberías hacer un video-tutorial en donde tú expliques cómo hace uno (amateur) para cuando se le presente la ocasión de tener que realizar un mismo dibujo varias veces y que cada uno de ellos quede igual a los demás.
Chane Garcia Oh, that's easier than you might think. Just draw your subject out once, and then trace it onto the second paper with a lightbox so that you have two identical drawings. Of course actually filling in color is the hard part, but if your drawing is the same, they should both look pretty close in the end :)
Lachri Fine Art¡Guao!, no tenía idea que tú usabas la técnica de la caja de luz... Yo pensaba que tú hacías ambos dibujos desde cero, cada uno lo comenzadas desde el principio. Por eso yo decía dentro de mi: "Esta mujer es fabulosa porque ambos dibujos le quedan idénticos." jajajajajajaja Gracias por el dato.
Okay, I am down to the last few inches of a prismacolor set bought in the late 90's....I don't work often in CP, but like to have them on hand. I've bought a few open stock in the last several years, and am frustrated with the crumbling leads/sharpening issues. Other brands don't do it for me. I've got a 25% off coupon at Jerry's, and it applies to the Luminance pencils, but not to Polychromos. My question is, if you were only going to buy one set, which one would it be first? I say first, because eventually, I'll get them both!
+ChainsawKitten If I could only do one I would personally go with polychromos with a handful of luminance. If I were going to focus just on portraits I would go with the Luminance.
Chris Fink White for sure, the rest are totally up to you. I really like the violet gray, raw umber, sepia, olive brown, french grey, and brown ochre in 10 and 50% :)
Lachri Fine Art Thanks for the reply! I had already bought the white thanks to your recommendation, and really enjoy using it and just wanted to know which other luminance pencils to try next. For your incredible soft backgrounds have you experimented with pastel or pastel pencils?
Hi Lisa. What size of Fabriano Artistico Extra White Watercolor Paper do you usually use? And what colored pencils do you recommend buying first: Caran D'ache Luminance or Faber Castell Polychromos? Thanks!
+Chalender I get the large sheets and cut them down to whatever size I want. Usually 11x14". I can't say which to get first because I love them both so much, sorry :)
New subscriber here, I work with charcoals right now but I'm really interested in starting working with colored pencils. It's clever of you to combine the use of different colored pencil producers. I was looking at the Dick Blick website and the price for one Polychromos is $1.43 ($1.34 if you buy the 120 set) and the Luminance is $4.09 each. I have some very old Prisma pencils that were my dad's so I'll play with them before I invest in new ones. I'm looking forward to watching your videos (I have clicked several for "watch later").
What colors are not available in the Polychromos, but there are as Luminance. I would like to expand my color selection. Which colors do you suggest to me?
hi lisa, I recently came across the new book on amazon called the COLORED PENCIL PAINTING BIBLE BY ALYONA NICKELSEN . I was thinking to add this to my cart but on looking on youtube for reviews on this book I just can't seem to find any except on amazon.....my questions are 1- have you read this book and if so can you give a review as to if it really worth adding to my cart. thanks a million
xcxdreams I've not had an issue with it lifting much color with prismas or polychromos. It pushes the paint into the paper, which dulls it some, but I end up with around 20 layers on top of that so it's never a real issue for me.
As a former teacher, I'm so impressed with your efficient, no-nonsense presentations. Maybe you rehearse beforehand, or edit well, but I really prefer yours, as one can always pause/rewind/replay as needed, but I go crazy watching others take 30 minutes to ramble, digress, fumble, pontificate and still cover less actual informative material than you get into less than 10. Teaching the essential craft of art is invaluable, and art schools often act as if it's beneath them, when they really lack technically trained faculty. Good job!
+z1522 Thanks :D
z1522 does that mean luminance is better
This comparison is by far the best I've ever seen. It's incredibly informative, straight to the point, and professionally executed. Your dedication to providing efficient and valuable content without any time-wasting nonsense is truly commendable. Thank you for setting such a high standard in your reviews-it's a pleasure to learn from your expertise!
I love your fast speaking, keeps me alert. Slow speakers makes me forget that I was listening to something.
Btw, most importantly... this was the best comparison I´ve heard, so thank you very much :*
I love your art and that fact that you have these videos but you talk faster than I can think and already there is a lot to absorb! But I do appreciate that you are doing this!
I find myself coming back to this video many times in these three years span, and recommend it to others asking about which colored pencils to buy. Thank you for the great video, Lisa!
I bought the polychromos after seeing your comparison video with the Prismacolor pencils and even after seeing this comparison to the Caran D'ache, I really love the results you achieved with the oil based pencils the best. I will definitely put the "Luminous White" on my list of must haves to use with my Prismacolors, great tip, thanks!
One of my professors at school gave us the option to purchase Prismacolors, Faber Castell, or Caran d'Ache Luminance colored pencils for class and your review and comparison videos have helped me. Thank you very much!
My favorite answer: BUY BOTH!
+Susan D hehe :D
Unfortunately Luminance is expensive as fudge, and Polychromos isn’t exactly inexpensive either.
*Laughs in broke*
Thank you for making this! I’ve been debating which set to get for quite some time. To hear you speak so highly of them was a great comfort to me! Maybe I’ll go to Blick’s and swatch some again. 😂 Ahahaha your dog at the end was great!
I never thought i would need help with my work, but I've learned so much from you. Thank you.
Jude Tube I'm glad to help :D
You art work is so amazing Lisa! I did get the white Luminance pencil, one day I hope to buy the full set from Caran d'ache.
Craftin Kate :D
As I watched in awe, I thought how much you know & how very kind of you to take the time to share with us. You're artwork (why don't they call it artplay) :) is incredibly inspiring. I'm excited to view more of your videos.
You are hands down the best! Your reviews are superb! I am learning so much through watching your videos
Thanks! I'm so glad to hear it!
haha I went with Polychromos because it is a lot more affordable. But, I did pick up some white pencils from the Luminance. The rest really depend on if you want to use an oil based pencil or wax based.
I think there is a huge difference in skin tones between the two, luminance skin tone colors are amazing, they layer so well and so smooth. Polychromos just takes longer to layer and it’s just harder to do skin tones with it. If you do a lot of portraits, I think luminance will make your life so much easier and make your skin tone very smooth and realistic
or you could end up buying skintones from luminance open stock like me ;)
Excellent review, thank you. Very thorough and helped me decide which set to buy. I am going to buy the Caran D'ache but I will make sure to purchase a black Polychromos!
Thank you for this, and YES it was useful! I LOVE your doggy. You talk extremely fast and I love that because it is not boring at all and I don't waste my time listening to you! American is not my mother tongue so I can't understand how people have difficulty understanding you because I do..!
He he, I love your voice. You remind me of the cartoons I watched as a kid. You could certainly win a speed contest!
I like how you are honest and other UA-cam artist really try to say good things about there main brand
+Miguel Ticas I'm a terrible liar so it's best if I just give my honest opinion on things :D
I just so love your product reviews. These are the best and so informative
Lisa, you're an amazing artist. you have inspired me so much.
OMG Jessie is adorable!!!! Sight-hounds are so awesome and devoted!! Good for you!!!
Lauri
Windkisssed Thanks :)
A very helpful video. I watched it some time ago and bought Polychromos and watched it again and decided to invest in Luminance. Thanks for your honest reviews. They ARE helpful :)
I almost bought the Lumiance this weekend with the great deal at Blick but I couldn't afford them. I still plan to do it someday when money is better. I have Fibro as well, and I think the creamier pencils are easier for my hands and wrists. I will probably add some of the polychromos from open stock as I can. Thank you so much for doing these videos, they really help. I love your doggie, and enjoyed watching the bloopers at the end ;-)
I appreciate and enjoy your tutorials and reviews. Excellent and very helpful for me, a beginner. Your videos are terrific! I learn a lot. And you pack in a lot of information. Very accessible -easy to understand - you get the information across. I was very happy to learn so much about lightfastness. Thanks!
You're just delightful, and a superb artist and teacher. Subscribed!
Ive never heard of a blue wool scale! Thanks for going in depth with explaining that haha....im totally craving cherries now
I love Jessie! Please show more of her ❤️
Great comparison, I think the luminance mug and the poly fruit were the best bits. Thanks Lisa.
I've already got the polychromos so now I want the luminance 😍😍😍😍
cute blooper reel :) ty for the comparison. now, i'm even more confused. lol. love how in depth you get with your reviews.
I'm still laughing when Jessie refused to lay down and you put her in the video. BTW, thanks for your review about the luminance and polychromos. this is by far my favorite video.
I 2nd that a comparison with pablo to the polychromos would be neat. As for Luminance, they are just a dream. At well over $5 a pencil open stock (in our local art store) that's a bit steep atm for me. I'll keep it on my mind and scope out online for deals on the sets.
I have polycromos and prismacolor. I need those luminance. Looks amazing
Appreciate your depth of knowledge and experience, you've saved me money and time. Thank you so much!
OMG I just found you and I love your videos! Very informative! Love the bloopers at the end too! XO
After much thought and research as well as watching your other videos, I turned in my Prismacolor Set of 150 (just bought tried them out, LOVED the blendability, then found out they were mostly FUGITIVE/NOT lightfast, (BIG dealbreaker for me UGH!!!!) let alone the breakage issues when applying pressure and sometimes when sharpening! So I am investing in a set of Luminance. I will eventually get a set of Polychhromos also. Thanks for this most informative and well thought out video. Live and learn ;) Jesse is SO CUTE BTW
Thank you for the review! Really helpful! Love your work! So inspiring!
I love your videos! So inspiring to watch!
I've been using the same prismacolors from the 90s, and even with the old ones, there is limited layering and wax blooms! It has always frustrated me, so years later I am finally going to get some beautiful new pencils! I've taken every you have said, the videos and other reviews and demos into consideration. When starting the search, lightfast pencils hadn't occurred to me.. I thought they all were, so that's removed many of the brands from my search. It's colour and quality that I want to invest in and my selections have come a long way from Renoir... and the more I use Derwent, the more I dislike them.
After watching you and others work, I would love a set of Luminance (who wouldn't?) but have selected to go with the harder version, Caran D'Ache Pablo and perhaps some polychromos.
So, if you had to make a choice as to which purchase to make, what would be your personal choice? I would really appreciate your input and opinion!
Caran D'ache Pablo 80 set OR CD'A Pablo 40 set & FB Polychromos 24 or maybe 36?
I'm a capable blender of colours, so range is less important than the question of, would you rather be able to use both CD'A Pablo and FB Polychromos for their unique qualities or just the CD'A Pablo by themselves?
PS I'll probably get some black and white individual Luminance pencils!
+Organic Road Map I would go with the polychromos. The pablos are a wax based pencil that are to the Luminance what prisma verithins are to prismacolors. They have their use but if going with only one, I would hands down go with the polychromos :)
haha! That's not what I wanted to hear - the part about Pablo being wax, that is! The CD'A site doesn't make that information easy to find.
Although I like that they are the high end equivalent of a verithin - I was hoping they were - I really was hoping they were oil I may still get a smaller set of the CD'A to compliment the FCs because it's feeling like Polychromos is the winner here!
THANK YOU for your help and honest input!
You are an amazing talent, WOW!! Thank you for this really thorough review!!
I love all your colored pencil review videos!!! If you can, can you please do a video for people starting out colored pencil and graphite? Thank you ☺️
Jennifer Song Good idea! I need to work on that :)
I am a graphite artist, which pencil would you recommend to someone who is used to the way you use graphite as far as blending and layering, and being able to erase.
Thanks for your videos I love what you do!!!.
Lisa as always great vid :)
This is great as usual!! Also am loving the bloopers and the whippet (or is it an Italian Greyhound?)!!
I'm going to have to end up going on the artists diet after this. I need both sets which means there'll be little room for food shopping :D I love your videos. So educational and funny at the same time.
Lene Marie Thorsen HAHA, the diet is TOTALLY worth it :P
could you do tutorials on different pencils and how to choose the right colours like how you colour
I find your reviews very helpful Thank you
your work is so amazing
I love these Pencils both! I make Animal Drawings. For me the Luminance are just a step above the Polychromos. I think your videos are very helpful
Being from the South your words went by extremely fast and I had to listen twice to catch up. Very informative and exhausting. Thank you.
Rick Croucher my first reaction too but you get used to it and it becomes normal a few videos in
You can always go to your setting and slow down the speed of the video. I like her speed, it keeps you awake.
I like her speed, normally I play videos at 1.5/2 times speed and with her I don't need to.
I'm from New York City. I love the speed at which you speak.
I got Faber-Castell Polychromos as Xmas gift :D and I am going to buy Luminance colored pencil - White as per your suggestion. Please advise if you know Luminance 's White color pencil has any color code can be referred to ? Thanks!
Love the fact your dog made a guess appearance on your video... :3
Mona Lisa odorless blender is for oil-based paints and the only one that does come close is the Faber-Castell, which are mineral oil-based colors. Why use it with wax-based pencils like the Caran d'Ashe?
Doesn't using a fixative increase the light fastness of colored pencil work?
A - Thank you so much for putting the time and effort into doing this. I know you have fibro and Celiac and I know what that does to you.
B- I think I read through all the comments, but I didn't see it. You mentioned 2 colours that only had a 1 star rating, which two were those, please?
C - Did I mention Thank you? And I think your art is absolutely amazing.
+Krys Spellsong they are maganese violet and light magenta :D
Thank you!
Got my Luminance on Monday, and I haven't touched either of my Polychromos or Prismacolor's since!
*Prismacolor* - There's just too much wax bloom. It feels like using a set of cheap crayons that you would give a 3 year old. couple that with the poor build quality of the Prisma's and its a no brainer.
*Polychromos* - I want to like them but my heart has never really been in it. The jury is still out. They feel more chalky in use than the Prisma's and I don't feel they blend that well. They have more resistance when in use, more so than the Prisma's.
*Luminance* - My experience of Caran D'ache has been nothing but first class, and the expensive Luminance perpetuates that 1st class experience. For me they are leagues ahead of anything else I own or have tried, and its hard to go back (and it is a back-step) to either the Poly's or Prisma's. Distinct lack of wax bloom compared to the Prisma's, super smooth feel unlike the Poly's which feels like you're scraping the paper, I can't foresee any reason for using the others, other than maybe a lack of colour choice in the Luminance range. But the blend-ability makes them a far better prospect. I will be significantly increasing my Luminance collection in the near future with the view of phasing out or getting rid of the Prisma's and Poly's.
Haha! I've only been watching your videos for a week, but seeing you with your dog makes me like them that much more
I've been a fan of your channel for quite a while now. Thanks for making these videos. They are both educational and inspiring. I just ordered a few Luminance pencils to try as I love the creaminess of Prismas but am concerned about its lightfastness. I love the feel and pigment of Polychromos but still cannot get over that creaminess feeling of wax-based pencils. Unfortunately, Caran d'ache Thailand doesn't import Luminance. I'll definitely get myself a set when I go to the US in Janauary! Thanks again! : )
Suchai Mai Glad I could help :D
Thanks for the great review! It was very helpful. I don't have the full set of polychromos so I will add from the open stock of luminance to expand my set :) !
Couldn't you just do a spray for UV protection and maybe frame in UV glass and be done with lightfastness issues?
Really great review. Glad to hear your opinion.
Hi Lisa, I didnt see this video til a few minutes ago. I just bought a pencil set, Prismacolor, two days ago....and just gave it away. Ok, so I recently started painting with acrylic...which led me to drawing. ASnd since black and white is kind of boring I thought I'd color things up a bit with color pencils. I also thought that blending them like water colors would be cool. Ok so I bought this Prismacolor 36. well, it doesn't do any thing that I wanted lol. Story of my life right? :-) Now I watch your video and the light bulb went off in my head. So my daughter, who was drooling all over the prismacolor pencils, just got a new set. and I just ordered a Luminance 80 pc set. I'll head over to the art supply and get some odor free paint thinner tomorrow. My Luminance set should arrive on Tuesday. Thanks for the video, you are great. Jerry
Haha so did you stay with the luminance?
What are the numbers of those two pencils of the Polychromos which aren't really lightfast?
FC119 Light Magenta FC 160 Manganese Violet
I will eventually get both large sets!
LOL, no... this did NOT help me in deciding which brand to buy! I was going to treat myself to new pencils for Christmas, but now I want both. Hmm... Xmas and early B-day pressie??? Thanks for your awesome reviews, Lisa! Much appreciated!! =)
Here in Germany you can buy the luminance individualy.
which one is best for portraits
This might be a silly question, but do you ever have difficulty layering wax base over oil base or vice versa? Like in paints where you can put oil on top of acrylic, but not acrylic on oil?
The Artistic Biker No, they seem to work great in either order from what I've experienced. On my current project I layered polychromos (oil) first then went ontop of it with the luminance (wax) then kept layering on top of that with each brand. For my final layers I used my polychromos to burnish, but that was about 15 layers in :)
One of the useful reviews.
Glad it was helpful!
Hi Lisa,
Many thanks for this great video. I'm new to drawing art and still have some pencils from when i was a kid. I fancy the luminance best i think but they are so expensive. I could afford the 40 set of luminance. For the same money i could buy a 60 polychromos set + some luminance pencils like the white you suggested. At a push the full 120 polychromos set price is not that far off either. I am still learning about colour basics and layers. Do beginners get frustrated if the layering doesn't work out and therefor a bigger set will be 'easier'.I liked the comment of ability to correct dark layers better with luminance. Also having less colors, i suppose stimulate me more to develop the skills. Realise there is no best answer but i appreciate a reflective comment based on your experience.
frank honings I definitely think it's easier to have as many colors available to you as possible. Mixing and layering colors can be frustrating for people who are new to the medium. Heck it can be frustrating sometimes for those of us with a lot of experience haha.
Thanks Lisa that is really helpful. I likely to go for the 120 and luminance white.
Finally! Someone that talks at a decent pace!
Can you use a Luminance white on Faber-Castell Polychromos drawing?
How did u make the background black just with a brush?!!!!?!????
3:58 what did you use to blend the background color, a solvent? Thank you!
Great review- thanks!
what about pablo compare to luminance? which one is better?
is it worth buying (open stock) a white luminance pencil? i have a 60 set of polychromos and im planning to extend my collection.the problem is that i prefer doing yellow toned small portraits.
What about a Prisma v. Luminance comparison, being that they are both wax-based?
and here i am thinking that Faber Castell Classic colors are the best ones ....Poor me!!
Have you tried the Caran d'Ache Pablo pencils? How do they stack up against the Polychromos and the Luminance?
+Jm Cornwell I suspect they'd be very similar in their opacity to the polychromos. Lately I've been picking at open stock of both. I like the grip and lead feel of the Pablo slightly better. I also find it to blend slightly easier with less pressure. I also really like how smooth I can get something colored with the pablos. As for the Luminance, that is a bit of a dream for me right now. The video has me wanting the white and cream now, but sadly my local store sells them at well over $5 a pencil. Yikes! The Pablos at about $2.80-2.99 a pencil and the polychromos at about $2.42-2.80 a pencil. Though still a bit of a reach, I've been slowly gathering a decent amount of those two kinds. I'll just have to wait and look online for the Luminance sets for a better bargain.
How is your luminance white working so much better than mine? It barely lightens up my dark colors.
Id prefer luminance its a softer pencil that i as a person who does alot of blending would prefer
can you compare fbc polychromos with lyra Rembrandt's polycolor both are oil based color pencil
She’s a true professional
Wow, thanks for the review! I was always confused about the BW scale vs ASTM standard, no more. :0)
Thanks for all your hard work.
Good job, Jesse! I have a Whippet. :0)
John Garrett Aren't sighthounds the best?! :D
What are your favorite colored pencils ? I can’t decide on I already have 72 Prismacolor Pencils and now want to buy Faber Castel or Caran D'Ache Pablo , Caran D'Ache Pablo luminance.
the only complaint i have is that you used the paint thinner on luminance, because I feel like it would be better if it was RAW tested ya know?
Can I just buy the polychromos set and the luminance white and cream?
Art and Stuff Yeah you can, that is how I started off :D
hello ... I really wonder if I have to buy luminance set ? to make drawings of nature (landscape and landscape with animals, sub-mairn fish etc ... I thought I would buy blue and green luminance individually and the set of 120 polychromos? what do you think? ... thank you very much!
No tienes idea de cómo me pude reír viendo este video jejejeje sobre todo en la parte final. Mira, en mi opinión, las cerezas quedan con un color más ¿intenso? o llamativo con los lápices Pylychromos y con los lápices Luminance los colores quedan más 'mate'... Esa fue la impresión que yo tuve al ver los dos dibujos. Por cierto: Eres excelente repitiendo un mismo dibujo, los dos quedaron exactos... ¡Guao!... Deberías hacer un video-tutorial en donde tú expliques cómo hace uno (amateur) para cuando se le presente la ocasión de tener que realizar un mismo dibujo varias veces y que cada uno de ellos quede igual a los demás.
Chane Garcia Oh, that's easier than you might think. Just draw your subject out once, and then trace it onto the second paper with a lightbox so that you have two identical drawings. Of course actually filling in color is the hard part, but if your drawing is the same, they should both look pretty close in the end :)
Lachri Fine Art¡Guao!, no tenía idea que tú usabas la técnica de la caja de luz... Yo pensaba que tú hacías ambos dibujos desde cero, cada uno lo comenzadas desde el principio. Por eso yo decía dentro de mi: "Esta mujer es fabulosa porque ambos dibujos le quedan idénticos." jajajajajajaja Gracias por el dato.
Okay, I am down to the last few inches of a prismacolor set bought in the late 90's....I don't work often in CP, but like to have them on hand. I've bought a few open stock in the last several years, and am frustrated with the crumbling leads/sharpening issues. Other brands don't do it for me. I've got a 25% off coupon at Jerry's, and it applies to the Luminance pencils, but not to Polychromos. My question is, if you were only going to buy one set, which one would it be first? I say first, because eventually, I'll get them both!
+ChainsawKitten If I could only do one I would personally go with polychromos with a handful of luminance. If I were going to focus just on portraits I would go with the Luminance.
Hi Lisa, I really like your great videos! Could I please have a list of the luminance pencils you would add to a polychromos set?
Chris Fink White for sure, the rest are totally up to you. I really like the violet gray, raw umber, sepia, olive brown, french grey, and brown ochre in 10 and 50% :)
Lachri Fine Art Thanks for the reply! I had already bought the white thanks to your recommendation, and really enjoy using it and just wanted to know which other luminance pencils to try next. For your incredible soft backgrounds have you experimented with pastel or pastel pencils?
Thank you so much for sharing your expertise. Can’t wait to get started.
Very informative, really appreciate the info! TFS
Hi Lisa. What size of Fabriano Artistico Extra White Watercolor Paper do you usually use? And what colored pencils do you recommend buying first: Caran D'ache Luminance or Faber Castell Polychromos? Thanks!
+Chalender I get the large sheets and cut them down to whatever size I want. Usually 11x14". I can't say which to get first because I love them both so much, sorry :)
New subscriber here, I work with charcoals right now but I'm really interested in starting working with colored pencils. It's clever of you to combine the use of different colored pencil producers. I was looking at the Dick Blick website and the price for one Polychromos is $1.43 ($1.34 if you buy the 120 set) and the Luminance is $4.09 each. I have some very old Prisma pencils that were my dad's so I'll play with them before I invest in new ones. I'm looking forward to watching your videos (I have clicked several for "watch later").
:D
Which colors of Polychromos aren't as archival?
light magenta and manganese violet
What colors are not available in the Polychromos, but there are as Luminance.
I would like to expand my color selection. Which colors do you suggest to me?
hi lisa, I recently came across the new book on amazon called the COLORED PENCIL PAINTING BIBLE BY ALYONA NICKELSEN . I was thinking to add this to my cart but on looking on youtube for reviews on this book I just can't seem to find any except on amazon.....my questions are 1- have you read this book and if so can you give a review as to if it really worth adding to my cart. thanks a million
+zionwarrior It is the one colored pencil book that I liked enough to purchase myself. There are some great techniques within that book!
+Lachri Fine Art ....thanks for responding so quickly and thanks for the review.....love the work your doing
What pencil sharpener do you recommend with these pencils. Do you ever recommend an electric sharpener and if so which one. Thanks
When you use paint thinner on the Polychromos, does it usually have a problem with picking up the color from the paper like it does with Prismacolor?
xcxdreams I've not had an issue with it lifting much color with prismas or polychromos. It pushes the paint into the paper, which dulls it some, but I end up with around 20 layers on top of that so it's never a real issue for me.
actually i just got really confiused can youplz do a video between faber castell art grip and faber castell polychromos
Could you use water to blend Polychromos? I am trying to decide whether to buy Faber Castell watercolor pencils or Polychromos