thanks so much for this review, it's always a dilemma of what pencils to spend money on so I do appreciate the information. I'm so glad to see you back on youtube!
It is a blessing to see a recent video of yours. I have spent countless hours viewing RUclips videos trying to find a colorist who has your talent for teaching others. There is no comparison. You are the best!
I love that you specify that you're reviewing them for adult colouring book needs, as depending on what someone was intending to do with them, I would rate certain colored pencils very differently! I love how you've reviewed these by dividing a mandala into sections. What a cute and gorgeous way of demonstrating the color and shading differences between 8 different brands. I hope you have a wonderful day!
HI Peta, Good to see you back. :D Well, i once ask a Sales Promoter regarding their Staedtler Coloured pencils. And was told the Noris Club Range of pencils are made to be lightly pigmented, so much so that are best for shading and layer. And ideal if use together with the Ergosoft range by using the Noris Club as the base. And there is another one called Noris Colour which is much lighter in colour then the Noris Club. And the Ergosoft is the best among the blue box series. And the darker and richer colour ones are their Luna Series which is in red box. Hope that explains why Staedtler Noris Clubs dont feel like its up to their standards of quality.
i'm on a tight budget so i just tried faber castell and i'm reasonably happy with them. from watching your experience here they seem much better than the other budget ones you've shown here and maybe even the derwents.
Great review as always. Lovely to see you back. You were missed. The Staedtler Norris were my first pencils. I soon gave up on them. I found them very hard to use and just not enough colour for me.
Hi Peta, Good to have you back. Thank you for this video. In the past 2 months, I have bought the 72 set of Derwent Colorsoft, and the 132 set of Prismacolors. I have used Prismas all my life (from the 50's) and have always loved them. When I got the Colorsoft (for $49.00 Canadian from Amazon) they have a different feel and the colours react differently with one another.I use "Lost Ocean" so the paper is heavy with a little tooth. The feeling is like satin going onto the paper , and the pigment is so strong that I don't press hard at all. I love them. On the other hand, in a month I have broken 6 leads sharpening them. Hope to get a Kum sharpener soon. Re the Prismas, I know the pencils and what they will do and am learning more from your videos. So far not one pencil has broken while sharpening. I recommend that a person who finds coloring a relaxing and special activity, should buy the best pencil set you can afford, just from the pleasure those pencils will give you. And Peta, try those Colorsoft on smoot pressed watercolour paper and watch them pop.
Great pencil review. Peta, Santa was very good to me, I got the full set of Luminance pencils and lots of colouring books. Hope Santa was good to you and I look forward to a year of your wonderful videos. Thanks so much for all hard work. :)
Thank you for this review. I have been missing your videos. Can't wait to see the update on your coloring books and some color along. Just love those. I have learned so much from your videos. Love your work!
I love them... for some reason particularly in Hanna Karlzon's books. It took me a little while to adjust to them after using many Poly's and Derwents but ... those colours... so rich and dense. :)
Those Staedtlers were horrible. I bet you were glad when you were done with those. In this case, I do believe it's the pencil and not the user because I've watched enough of your videos to know that you know what you're doing. I also agree with you 100% that those Contès are very "sexy-looking" pencils. 😂 I adored that comment! I pretty much agree with your assessment of all of these pencils and I absolutely love your reviews and the way you present each set of pencils and demonstrate each side-by-side all within the same picture.. I always learn so much, not only about the brands of pencils you're reviewing, but about pencils and coloring in general. You always toss in some little golden nuggets of very useful information and I greatly greatly appreciate it.
I am a proud owner of a full 72 pencil set of Lyra Polycolors. I can say that all the paler or lighter colors are quite harder and scratchy compared to the darker and most vivid colors. Especially this pale blue you have tried, and a very pale green have scratchy and smeary leads. I think that Polychromos have a nice silky feel on paper, a lot more silky than Lyras, and I will replace my lyras with polychromos as long as they wear out. I have also to try the caran d'ache Pablos, that are said to be oil based and very soft.
Tried Pablos: not so good as expected, almost like Lyra but leads are less soft and are more pricey ( I've tried greens in open stock). Same price of Polychromos but non so silky feel when coloring. Will try the new Derwents Procolour
Hi Peta. So happy that you are back, missed your videos. Thank you for doing the comparison, always nice to hear what a professional think of the pencils before I go out to buy the specific pencils.
I like how you designed the test, too, so that the same parts and shading are right next to each other in the diff. brands. TY!! Also, for the Progresso's, just want to point out you didn't blend the gradient using the lighter color a second time, making it more patchy; I was pulling for them bc of the extraordinary value of being all core.
Hi, I have only just recently started watching your channel which I think is so good. You explain things really well and are easy to understand. I have only just this last year started colouring. I am recently retired and widowed and have found that colouring is good for relaxation and mindfulness. Thank you so much. Oh! just one thing I would like to know. I have ordered a pencil case which holds 160 and I was wondering (hope this doesn't sound too stupid!) What do you do with your empty tins?
Hi, Peta, So nice to see your reviews, again. I was really glad to see you review Koh-I-Noor. I've used them for years and love them. And when I don't feel like searching my Prismacolors or Polychromos, I can just pick these up and go straight to my coloring books! And as you said, it's fun sometimes, to see if I can get what I want by blending. There aren't many reviews of those, so I'm glad you posted the review!
So happy you are back! Great video. I have the same 12 pack of Lyra Rembrants as yours and had a giggle when you finally discovered there was no purple or pink. When I started coloring, I just had my Crayolas and didn't start to explore other brands until I watched your first pencil comparison. I now own probably 15 or more types, but I am really in love with the softer pencils, and my Prismacolors are my very favorite. Thanks so much!!!
I have several questions, do you keep all of your pencils in a set, or do you pull out ones you like from different sets? It seems there are significant inconsistencies within a brand. What erasers do you like, and I notice you brush away debris with your hand on the video, do you ever use a brush or blow away the bits and pieces? You have become my primary tutor, and I can see a serious improvement in my pages. I've added a date and supplies note on each - at least for now. Whenever I feel stuck, I go back and review and get inspired again. I'm still working on my first books, the paper isn't the best, but I'm nervous about starting in my good books - Johanna Basford and Kerby Rosales.
Hooray, 🎉🎉I am so glad that you are back. You have been missed. Wishing you and your love ones a happy and healthy New Year! Can't wait to see more of your videos. Lol!
Thank you PETA for these wonderful comparisons. I have now got the pencils that I can afford and know from your work, they will be fine for me. Thanks again
Happy new year, Peta! The Staedtler Ergo Soft pencils are probably a much better experience than the Norris club ones. I've heard nothing but bad things about the Norris Club pencils.
I also have the 24 pack of the woodless Koh-I-Noor pencils. They are so awesome! I've done some awesome work with them and they feel good in my hand which I didn't expect because it was a woodless. They work well with Gamsol and with my Caran d'Ache blender pencil.
Hi Peta, first of all thank you so much for both your reviews on colored pencils!!! Golden material! Following your example I also took all my sets and colored mandalas too see which is best. It's quite enlightening. From what you already shared, the only ones not covered and in my personal sets are the Koh-i -Noor Polycolor, Bruynzeel Sakura and the Marco Renoir ones. I was quite happy with the results. Maybe if you are thinking to make a part 3 of this series (which would be fantastic!) you could also include them. Thank you so much again for everything!
I love these videos as they let me know about any pencils I don't have so thank you so much Peta. :) I have the Luminance pencils and I adore them. Have you tried the Museum in the range? They are the watercolour version of Luminance and I have to say they are very expensive but have a wonderful colour when added to water and so smooth and soft like the Luminance and Holbeins which I just got. Thanks so much for once again giving us a great video to help us in our colouring endeavours.
So glad to see you back, Peta. I really missed your videos and I loved watching this review. Of all the brands of colored pencils I use, the Lyra's are the ones that surprised me the most personally. I was really surprised by how much I love them. They blend amazing! I think they blend the most effortlessly all of the pencils I have tried, even the most expensive brands. (I have tried them all, haha) From my experience, they don't take to a lot of layers as well as, say, polychromos do, but the blending is so smooth and effortless. Not crazy about the skinny barrels, but the blending is wonderful.
I'm very fond of my little selection of Lyras. Beautiful, soft colours. But unfortunately the skinny barrels were a bit of a deal breaker. I found them a bit hard on my hands to hold over a long period of time.
I agree the skinny barrels are not good at all. It's the reason I never added to my small set. That and because I find it hard to add a lot of layers with them.
Good to see you! I love your videos. Your first 8 pencil review was fantastic and I'm so glad you did it again. I have a couple or three brands from each video so I really enjoyed this. I do not have the set of caran d'ache but I did buy a couple of the white pencils. They are the best white pencils ever! In my opinion of course. Again so nice to see you! I miss your vids.
I love my FC Polychromos but I have to say, the Caran ‘Ache Luminance pencils are absolutely gorgeous pencils in every way. I purchased just one to try out and it was love at first sight! For starters, the outer wood casing is so beautiful and the pencil has a nice diameter. The pencils lay down pigment like none other and they are lightfast. Definitely on my wish list! I also liked the Lyra pencils which I sampled at the same time as the Luminance and felt that they were kind of like a budget Luminance in feel.
So glad you included the Staedler Noris. I recently tried a set purchased on sale because the box had an endorsement by Johanna Basford for her Lost Ocean book. Frankly, I am appalled that she endorsed these. Your results echo mine, so now I know I wasn't missing something in technique. Not sure what I will do with them, but it won't be for coloring.
I really enjoy these round robin color pencil comparisons. When the coloring is complete, you can easily pick out which pencils are better. Koh-I-Noor pencils are oil as are all their pencils. They are made the Czech Republic and are marketed in the USA under Chartpak. I love my set. Wish they had more colors but they mix so well if you use layering method. Thanks again for doing these type of reviews. Happy Coloring!
I've missed your videos. Glad to find this today. You would find the Staedler Ergosoft a lot better than the Norris. I have 1 orange Norris, sent to me as a freebie. It's dreadful. Can't get any colour off it. The Ergosoft are nicer to use. I have a 12 set and just challenged myself to do a whole colouring with them. And it was OK. I love my Koh I Noor Polycolour. And Fabre Castel Polys. But am desperate to try the Caran D'ach Luminance and Pablo. Why? I have some pencils I really love! I don't need more. I have a decent set of open stock Coloursoft too. I definitely don't need more pencils. - It's an addiction I think :-) Could be worse I suppose.
I agree with you about the Staedler Norris pencils. When I first started colouring, I used them because they're really cheap here. But now that I've started using other pencils such as the Ergosoft, I can't bring myself to using the Norris pencils cause they just don't do the job. I now take them when I go babysitting so the kids can use my pencils and I don't have to worry about them breaking anything.
+Tracey L prismacolor is actually an American brand, not Canadian. The prismas used to be made in the US too, but a few years ago, the Newell-Rubbermaid company purchased the company, and moved production to Mexico. Since they have been manufactured in Mexico, production standards and quality control have decreased, to the point of being extremely poor. The only difference between the premier and the scholar line is the makeup of the core, with the scholar line being a "harder" core due to an additive. Both lines have the same amount of pigment, which is unusual, as most pencil brands decrease the amount of pigment in their scholar (non artist) line. There are only 60 colors available in the scholar line, as opposed to 150 in the premier line (there have been about 20 colors discontinued in the premier line, but these colors are occasionally brought back as a "limited time"release).
+Peta Hewitt the scholar line is softer than the verithin line, but harder than the premiers. The core is almost the thickness of the premier core. There are only 60 colors available in the scholar line. In my opinion, there is no reason to try the scholar line, unless you want a harder "lead" than the premiers have, if you already have a set of premiers or can afford the premiers. (Prismacolor is, and has always been, an American owned company, though it has been purchased by other companies-recently Berol, then Sanford, and a few years ago Newell Rubbermaid purchased the company from Sanford. Rubbermaid made the decision to move production to Mexico a few years ago, and there has been a marked decrease in manufacturing standards and quality control~most especially in the quality control)
I'm stumbled across your video again. In between I had the chance to test different pencils myself and to find my favourites for my hobby. Turned out I prefer oilbased pencils over waxbased pencils, so I bought LYRA Polycolor because they are not as expensive as Polychromos and thought that might be the ones I like and can afford. I was right! I loooove my Lyra Polycolors so much! Indeed I use a "KUM sattler grip" to thicken the pencil for a more comfortable grip if I colour much. What I can tell you about the feeling you experienced while coloring and the wax/oil theme is that they are originally described as "Ölkreide = oil pastels / -chalk" (translated literally) and as "Farbstifte" instead of "Buntstifte". Can't really translate this because the English language doesn't differ. It's like "colour-pencils" instead of "coloured pencils". I have never read this on any other colored pencil. Also in German there is a very big difference between "pastel/chalk" and also between "colour/coloured". But it's not translated like this into the other languages on the packaging. I think that's one of the secrets these pencils have and why many people are confused about oil vs wax. To be honest, I also don't know but I would say oilbased. Even oilbased coloured pencils usually don't have a blender and Lyra has one. Because the Splender acts much more as a burnisher. Hm.... And I absolutely go with you about the Coloursoft. I have the set of 24 and don't like them for your mentioned reasons. The reason why I still keep these pencils is the gorgeous coloring on really dark paper or dark acryl surfaces. Only Luminance give me a equivalent result
I have tried some at my colouring club where several members have them. I can't afford them right night, they are very pricey. I like them, though. They seem nice and soft and deeply pigmented.
Thank you so much for doing this again! I've been agonizing about my next buy - Bruynzeel, Graphitint or the Uni no. 888 ... or just save for a year and go all in for a full set of Holbien just to get my hands on those pastel colors... don't know if I have the discipline to save for it. The Mitsubishi 888 are really new and there's very little reviews out there that are from unbiased sources, but I do know that Uni makes high quality products, especially in their Signo inks, I'd just never thought they'd make an artist grade colored pencil until now. I was very pleasantly surprised at the performance of the Blackwing Colors 12 set - they are very smooth and the black is BLACK I tell you, a deeper black than the Derwent Drawing Ivory Black, and I could only just barely tell the difference between the Blackwing black and the Luminance Black. Very impressed with this little pack. Densely pigmented, no waxy bullshit like the black Prismacolor. I would like to see someone compare the Blackwing Colors to the Palomino Colors, and then compare the Uni no.888 to the other Uni line of colored pencils. Oh and also wanted to say that the Tombow Recycled pencils gave me quite a surprise! Just as high quality as the Irojiten but with much softer, wider cores, still wax based but densely pigmented - wax bloom almost nonexistent as compared to Prismacolor. And perfectly centered. Very smooth and appropriately priced Hoping that they will expand their color range one day.
Thank you! I have been waiting since your husband gave you the Caran D'Ache for you to do a review on them. 😊. Have you ever used the Pablo's? I'd be interested to see how you think they compare with the Caran D'Ache, I have read where some people claim they perform the same. Thanks again, I am so happy to see you back!
Peta, I am just moving into Polychromos and have bought 14 open stock this year to augment my greens and browns. They behave differently than Prismas which I have used all my life, but I find there is more control in the colour laydown. I also have a 72 set of Colorsoft which are not as bright, but require layering.
Jean Thompson I've never tried the prismacolors because they are not really available in Denmark where I live. But I have to agree with you on the Polychromos. I loooove them. I hvert a full set of 120 and I'm really addicted. They are so lovely to work with. I'm happy you have found the wonderful world of them as well.
The Luminance 6901 are the set i dream about. My son gets married in April so all money needed for that. When that is done watch out because definitely getting the 76 pack. I have now the white in that brand and I love it more than prisma or polychromas. Great review Peta. Thank you very much. ❤❤❤
They are very nice but you will need to play around with them to get the feel of them first. They work rather differently compared to my other oencils. I particularly love using them in Dagdrommar (HannaKarlzon). the colours are VERY rich and intense but go lightly in lots of layers if you like blending or subtle effects.
Peta Hewitt Thank you. I started with prismacolor but prefer the polychromas now. I guess being so soft you couls easily waste the pencil being too hard with it.
I found some Blackwood pencils ADEL brand at riot arts and crafts store in Australia and I only got the 12 pack I wish I had got the 24 pack you might want to try them they are a really nice colour lay down and blend good. I am not a great artist but learn lots from people like you 🙂
Thank you for posting! Those Luminance are gorgeous! I got a new colored pencil set for Christmas - 150 set Holbein's, they are pretty good, but expensive like the Luminance, but as you said, you get what you pay for :o)
Nice! Looking forward to the Conte, Mitsubishi and caran dache!!!! Conte to me is a nicer brand for pastel crayons or chalks if I can remember properly...it's not a medium I have explored. Would you consider further down the road doing watercolor pencils? Lastly, I've been using a particular pencil sharpener for about a year now if not longer called the Mitsubishi UNI it's about $20 us on Amazon and is worth every penny in fact I'd pay more for it it's so awesome! Glad to see you back!!! Missed your content and even though I am a patreon I just never remember to visit there lol. Hope you had a lovely Christmas/Holiday and wishing you a brilliant New Year!
I'm so glad I got the 120 set of Faber Castell polychromos pencils for my birthday in the middle of last month I've only used them a few times but they work very well but are pricey which is why I'm glad I got them as a gift I use Crayola and artist choice pencils as well
This was so much help for me. I want to get a better set of pencils and like the softer kind, but want a good saturated color. I just have to save up for those Caren D'Ache.
They work really well in Hanna Karlzon's books. They have a dry feel to them but are super rich and pigmented. The full set has a lot of diluted neutrals that I have not seen in any other pencil sets.
I'm a bit of a coloured pencil fanatic. I have a set of Polychromos, Derwent Coloursoft, Derwent Artist, Caran D'Ache Luminance. My favourites are the Polychromos and the Caran D'Ache Luminance which are amazing and worth every penny. Great video and welcome back, Peta
I'm very biased because I've used them all my life, but I love how nice the Progressos looked :). I'm German, so they're really cheap here, and they're my go-to pencils for sketching or normal colouring. I would say they're wax-based, if you layer a lot of colours, you will get a slight bloom eventually.
I think one falls most deeply in love with the first (good quality) pencils one uses. I think its because you spend the time to really get to know them and get the best out of them. i find you do your best work with a pencil that you are intimately familiar with. I guess that's me and Polychromos. (Derwents don't count because I never did use them much before.)
I actually am curious about that myself. I saw a couple of reviews on Derwent Drawing colored pencils and I was thinking to get a set to try them. From the colored pencil line those were the only ones that got my attention since they seem vibrant and buttery but still good for details. I have the Coloursoft ones and they are not great for my coloring books, but again I am no artist so maybe I don't know how to use them at their full potential. Looking forward to that comparison video! :D
heupsche I’ve got the Derwent Drawing and I really like them. They are very creamy, like the Prismacolors. But they have a very thick core, so I would think about doing details with them. They tend to go blind pretty fast because of their softness. I have a video on my channel about them ( in German). But I love the colors and the pencils itself very much!
This review was awesome thank-you so much. I am sold to the budget pencil Progresso, looks very rich in colour and you said they are soft to use but not too soft. Australia now retailed at 22 dollars for 24 colours. They look better than The Staedtler Ergo soft pencil results too shown on another video. Does anyone got a second opinion I have used neither. At the moment using Milan pack 36 retailed at 15 dollars au . I am looking for better quality but not too expensive.
Yeah I was asking because Johanna Basford says she uses them but her special edition set of pencils was the noirs club. I really hate the noirs club. They are so hard and hurt the hands when you try and color. Thanks again for the video.
+Boo Songz i actually REALLY LIKE the ergosoft. Yes, the barrel feels awesome! As for the comment about the core being small, they are not. They are about 3 mm, which is a good size, about the size of crayola. I think not every pencil needs to be huge, and they still cover an area quickly. Ergosoft have strongly pigmented leads, good color saturation, and lay down well. The leads are fairly soft, though not as soft as prismacolor, of course. I have not encountered anyone who did not like the ergosoft! We all just wished there were more colors! For the price, which is fairly inexpensive, I think you can't go wrong. They are definitely worth a try! They are the best pencil staedtler makes that are not the very expensive "artist" quality.
I'm a new colorist, only starting out since Christmas time when I gave art to all three of my grandchilden - ages 6-10-13. the youngest was coloring in an adult book at Thanksgiving - children's books were "for babies Nana" made me decide she needed supplies of her own. I know my daughter had Prismacolors I bought her when she was in school - very pricey in their day. So I sent a 168 set of the Guang Hui for Valentine's Day for them to share, and hopefully leave their Mom's Prismacolors be, I cringed when I saw one hit the floor at Christmas.
Hey Peta, have you ever tried art subscription boxes? Such as Scrawlrbox for example. I would be interested in hearing your opinions on that kind of product. (And unboxings of them is a lot of fun to watch, lol.)
Not even Scrawlrbox? I think they ship worldwide for £5 or so (box costs £15 I think, so £20 in total for everything outside UK). Or would you get additional costs to that? I don't really know how your mail system works.
What considerations would be important if you wanted to mix manufacturers? You liked that mitsubishi red, for instance. Could that not become your red or would the different brands not blend properly? I'm not sure if that's what you meant by supplementing purples on the progressos or just meant adding from a larger selection of purples by same manufacturer.
It's all a matter of experimentation. there is absolutely nothing wrong with mixing different pencils that i have ever found. I'll often combine different sets if because of colour preferences (most commonly Polychromos and Derwent Artist pencils.) I do find that Prismacolors are a bit too intense to mix heavily with some of the less dense pencils but it's really a matter of getting to know your pencils and trying different combinations.
Hello Peta. I have watched this and the other comparison videos three times. I love how you organize them. When you are using each set, there is no doubt how they are performing. Some other comparison's that I've seen, try to skip through that, and you have only their impressions, which are, of course, subjective. Thank you. I have a "stash" of '"bargain" pencil sets myself: Prismacolor Premiere 24-piece set Funlavie 24-piece set iArtker 36-piece set Loew-Cornell 36-piece set Timeless Creations 36-piece set (by CraZart) Leisure Arts 48-piece set Staedtler 48-piece set (2100 series?) triangular Crayola Yellow box 50-piece set Prang 50-piece set Lelix 60-piece set Marco Raffine' 72-piece set CraZart 72-piece set (& CraZart "Super Bright" 10-piece set) Crayola Yellow box 100-piece set (all different) Feela 152-piece set Some are really VERY nice colored pencils, and a couple are (:-P). (that's a raspberry) In other words, not fun to color with at all. Funny thing, I will most likely color with them every now and again, just to use them. They do have their own individual color shades. I, by no means, have all the budget brands. Who does or even wants to? (Wait! Is that a loaded question?) Just wanted to see if, in the time since this video, you had collected any new "bargain" or otherwise colored pencils that you might like to compare for us. I really do enjoy your videos. Thank you. Mindy
INow... that is a lot of pencils. I haven't heard of most of those, we don't have them in Australia. On the other hand we have brands that seem unique to Australia: Mont Marte and Micador are two that come to mind.
Hi Yvette. I have not tried them yet, but I did get the "FEELA" 152-piece set. I LOVE THEM! They are oil-based, and soft enough, but not too soft. The color range is fabulous. If you had asked, I would have said, "Try this brand first." They are under $30 USD, and can be found on Amazon easily. Just thought you might like to know about this set. I have personally used them, so I'm not just suggesting something I read about. Thanx, Mindy
Hi Peta, well come back! I have a question for you. I want to try the color pencils Koh-I-Noor Progresso but I don't know how to sharpen them. Have you some advice for me? Other side Down Under Sonia :-) (from Italy!).
others have beaten me to it (Thanks guys. :) )but yes... they do sharpen with a normal sharpener. But here's a pro tip... get hold of some little tiny containers and save the sharpener shavings... great for rubbing into paper for a soft pastel effect. Plus such a pity to waste all that core.
I've really enjoyed these comparisons, PETA. One of my chief irritations with many brands is whether they can take the pencil sharpener well and if they hold their point. If you're of a mind to do it, I'd love a comparison of that issue. 😍 Thanks again.
Hi Pat. Peta has done a video on a particular pencil sharpener that uses called, "Dahle". I works very differently from standard sharpeners. I got so curious about it, that I purchased the "Dahle 133". I am in heaven. Even the Prismacolor pencils sharpened to a beautiful point. I'm NEVER going back. (:-D) Thanx, Mindy
Mindy Lafler Hi Mindy, Do you know if that sharpener will work on Faber Castell polys? I’m looking into investing in some (tin of 36), but I’m most frightened about the sharpening process!! Thanks so much, Laura
Laura Williams Hi Laura. I have to be honest with you. I don't have any of the Polychromos, as yet. I have Prismacolors & and a dozen other budget brands. More honesty here, I have not had a single pencil lead core break since I got the sharpener. I have other sharpeners, but it didn't matter what brand I had. They would break at least half the time. Right now, I'm enjoying the budget brand "Feela". 152 oil-based pencils. Much easier to use than Prisma's. All I seem to do is smear them. Not bad, mind you, but irritating to have to erase so much. I believe that the Feela brand are a harder core, like the Polychromos. The only pencils I had a little problem with were a couple that are quite old. Venus Unique is one, but it sharpened beautifully. It's at least 40 years old. One pencil that is quite short didn't do as well, either. That is the only problem I think this sharpener has, but I'm going to figure that one out. Perhaps, if I use a pencil extender of sorts? We shall see. With that short pencil, I used my cheap .50 cent basic sharpener, and just went slow. Too precious a color to lose any of the core. It's a Roseart pencil. (I have a lot of pencils that my children left when they moved out. That was one of them.) I'll have to show you the page that I'm coloring using these old pencils, once I finish it. Feel free to look me up on Facebook. Thanx, Mindy
Hi Peta thanks a lot for this informative video! Do the Derwent Colorsoft pencils come in the same lovely natural colours as the Artists? I love their soft hues but they are too hard for my liking, so I'm thinking of the Colorsofts as an alternative.
Hmmm... I'll have to get back to you on that. I have a feeling the range isn't quite as big though. And I agree... I love the colour range of the Artist pencils. probably my favourite range out of any pencil brand ever.
+Heike Martin the color soft pencils do not have exactly the same colors as the artists. This is due to the makeup of the materials they use to make the cores. In my opinion, the majority of the Coloursoft are similar to the artist line, with softer hues, but there are some that are more brightly colored. Hope that helps!
+Heike Martin oh, I forgot to mention: if you can, get an open stock Coloursoft or two to try if you haven't tried them previously. It's hard to describe the performance, but many colors create a lot of dust, especially on paper that isn't totally smooth. They also have a bit of a "tacky" feel to them, almost like a wet, sticky feel. This tacky feeling is at its worst when layering, especially. A lot of friends really enjoy the Coloursoft, they aren't my favorites, though I love the other derwent lines. I always suggest trying a few pencils from open stock if you can, from any brand. But I strongly recommend that especially with the Coloursoft ones.
The disappointment with the Luminance is the lack of pinks, not a really great choice for books such as World of Flowers, I use them together with either Prismacolor or Black Widows they are a lovely soft pencil and I got the extra set they released also the open stock extras I think that made about 100 pencils plus the open stock ones I had bought earlier so I have a few spares.
The only good pinks in luminance is purplish red and Quinacridone purple (its a purplish pink colour) Anthraquinoid pink, hibiscus pink, violet pink are definitely more skin tone type pinks because they are muted. Pinks are not very lightfast so that could be a reason why they are so little.
pinks are easily mixed, so you don't need them. Professional artists know how to mix and so clean pigments are more important, and also give a larger colour range.
I had Staedtler pencils at first and it was so frustrating to use them. I had to press so hard to get some pigment out. I didn't enjoy using them at all. Then I have bought set of 24 mondeluz aquarelle coloured pencils from Koh-I-Noor and I love them. These are so buttery, soft and really pigmented. At the shop I had chance to try koh-i-noor (the ones i own now) and Derwent (same as in video) and I prefered koh-i-noor, and they were even cheaper than Derwent.
I'm not saying I'd buy them but the effect of the Staedtler Noris Club reminds me of an old t-shirt that has seen better days but you cant get rid of it.... Almost looks like a pastel set compared to the others.
Nobody knows for sure that Mitsubishi isn't lightfast. Just bc they haven't been tested for lightfastness, it doesn't mean that they're not. If somebody wishes to test them, they only need to have 3 acid-free swatch sheets of all the colors. One that is hidden in a safe away from light, the second in a hot desert sun (Caran D'ache does their tests in Arizona), and the 3rd swatch sheet under a UV light indoors. After 3 months, each swatch sheet should be compared for any oxidation or fading. A 4th swatch sheet with a brand new lay-down of color can be used as a *control* to determine how well the colors held up in each scenario. In case you were wondering, the swatch sheet hidden in the safe is meant to test for other types of oxidation, either from the air or the paper.
The Noris Club Pencils didn't surprise me, they're one of the cheapest ones I know, about 3€ here in germany and are made for very young preschool kids and the only prioritys are: do not break and don't color on furniture! . Ther're meant for kids that haven't yet a good coordination, and still hold pencils with the whole hand or the fist, and burnish right away, with all strength they have over the paper in long strokes or cruelty angles. So they are intentionally so hard and low colored. Staedler has some pencils with higher quality, these are named "Ergosoft" and are kind of student grade and the ones you would buy for a coloringbook. Here in germany it's mostly known as a company for bureau and school supplies but not for art. You can but these brand without buying crap but you won't get high quality in the art section. They have some good erasers and rulers :D I think Koh-I-Noor is a quite good effordable brand with very good quality for the price. Never heard anything negative about any coloured pencils from them. The Polycolors are often referred to as a very good alternative to the expensive and high grade brands and even the watercolor pencils get very good reviews too.
I have a lot of different sets but I really enjoy my Lyra's and my Prismas over all, even over my Polychromos. I agree that Lyra's are thin barreled but they have pretty colors and go on paper so nicely. Not as pricey as some of he other artist grade pencils. The Luminance pencils are nice but still not my favs. I find that only certain colors have that really nice texture. I some Pablo's too, don't like them at all. Super thick and waxy to me me.
thanks so much for this review, it's always a dilemma of what pencils to spend money on so I do appreciate the information. I'm so glad to see you back on youtube!
It is a blessing to see a recent video of yours. I have spent countless hours viewing RUclips videos trying to find a colorist who has your talent for teaching others. There is no comparison. You are the best!
There are SO many new brands out now, I think it's about time for another one of these. Maybe even two!
I love that you specify that you're reviewing them for adult colouring book needs, as depending on what someone was intending to do with them, I would rate certain colored pencils very differently! I love how you've reviewed these by dividing a mandala into sections. What a cute and gorgeous way of demonstrating the color and shading differences between 8 different brands. I hope you have a wonderful day!
I for one are very glad to see you back!
Thank you. :)
HI Peta,
Good to see you back. :D
Well, i once ask a Sales Promoter regarding their Staedtler Coloured pencils. And was told the Noris Club Range of pencils are made to be lightly pigmented, so much so that are best for shading and layer. And ideal if use together with the Ergosoft range by using the Noris Club as the base. And there is another one called Noris Colour which is much lighter in colour then the Noris Club. And the Ergosoft is the best among the blue box series. And the darker and richer colour ones are their Luna Series which is in red box.
Hope that explains why Staedtler Noris Clubs dont feel like its up to their standards of quality.
i'm on a tight budget so i just tried faber castell and i'm reasonably happy with them. from watching your experience here they seem much better than the other budget ones you've shown here and maybe even the derwents.
Great review as always. Lovely to see you back. You were missed.
The Staedtler Norris were my first pencils. I soon gave up on them. I found them very hard to use and just not enough colour for me.
Best demo I've seen so far. Thanks for taking the time to post it
Hi Peta, Good to have you back. Thank you for this video. In the past 2 months, I have bought the 72 set of Derwent Colorsoft, and the 132 set of Prismacolors. I have used Prismas all my life (from the 50's) and have always loved them. When I got the Colorsoft (for $49.00 Canadian from Amazon) they have a different feel and the colours react differently with one another.I use "Lost Ocean" so the paper is heavy with a little tooth. The feeling is like satin going onto the paper , and the pigment is so strong that I don't press hard at all. I love them. On the other hand, in a month I have broken 6 leads sharpening them. Hope to get a Kum sharpener soon. Re the Prismas, I know the pencils and what they will do and am learning more from your videos. So far not one pencil has broken while sharpening. I recommend that a person who finds coloring a relaxing and special activity, should buy the best pencil set you can afford, just from the pleasure those pencils will give you. And Peta, try those Colorsoft on smoot pressed watercolour paper and watch them pop.
Wow Thanks Jean I was just about to order the same 72 Derwent set until I read this
Great pencil review. Peta, Santa was very good to me, I got the full set of Luminance pencils and lots of colouring books. Hope Santa was good to you and I look forward to a year of your wonderful videos. Thanks so much for all hard work. :)
Happy to see your back on RUclips - great review as always!
Thanks Peta! I just love your videos - both coloring and product reviews!
So happy so see you back. You were greatly missed. Hope all is well.
Thank you for this review. I have been missing your videos. Can't wait to see the update on your coloring books and some color along. Just love those. I have learned so much from your videos. Love your work!
After your review Peta I just had to have all the Luminance set. Thanks so much as they are just simply divine.💐
I love them... for some reason particularly in Hanna Karlzon's books. It took me a little while to adjust to them after using many Poly's and Derwents but ... those colours... so rich and dense. :)
Those Staedtlers were horrible. I bet you were glad when you were done with those. In this case, I do believe it's the pencil and not the user because I've watched enough of your videos to know that you know what you're doing.
I also agree with you 100% that those Contès are very "sexy-looking" pencils. 😂 I adored that comment!
I pretty much agree with your assessment of all of these pencils and I absolutely love your reviews and the way you present each set of pencils and demonstrate each side-by-side all within the same picture.. I always learn so much, not only about the brands of pencils you're reviewing, but about pencils and coloring in general. You always toss in some little golden nuggets of very useful information and I greatly greatly appreciate it.
Thank you. I am also a Koh i noor fan. I saw my second favorite set in your other video, Marco Raffine
So glad you are back!
Peta...another great demonstration! You manage to explain things so nicely.
I am a proud owner of a full 72 pencil set of Lyra Polycolors.
I can say that all the paler or lighter colors are quite harder and scratchy compared to the darker and most vivid colors.
Especially this pale blue you have tried, and a very pale green have scratchy and smeary leads.
I think that Polychromos have a nice silky feel on paper, a lot more silky than Lyras, and I will replace my lyras with polychromos as long as they wear out.
I have also to try the caran d'ache Pablos, that are said to be oil based and very soft.
Tried Pablos: not so good as expected, almost like Lyra but leads are less soft and are more pricey ( I've tried greens in open stock).
Same price of Polychromos but non so silky feel when coloring.
Will try the new Derwents Procolour
Hi Peta. So happy that you are back, missed your videos. Thank you for doing the comparison, always nice to hear what a professional think of the pencils before I go out to buy the specific pencils.
I like how you designed the test, too, so that the same parts and shading are right next to each other in the diff. brands. TY!! Also, for the Progresso's, just want to point out you didn't blend the gradient using the lighter color a second time, making it more patchy; I was pulling for them bc of the extraordinary value of being all core.
Welcome back Peta!! I have been wondering where you had gotten to! Hugs from one Peta (that's also my name!) to another!! 💜💜
Hi Peta! Thank you! It's fun to be back.
Hi, I have only just recently started watching your channel which I think is so good. You explain things really well and are easy to understand. I have only just this last year started colouring. I am recently retired and widowed and have found that colouring is good for relaxation and mindfulness. Thank you so much. Oh! just one thing I would like to know. I have ordered a pencil case which holds 160 and I was wondering (hope this doesn't sound too stupid!) What do you do with your empty tins?
Hi, Peta, So nice to see your reviews, again. I was really glad to see you review Koh-I-Noor. I've used them for years and love them. And when I don't feel like searching my Prismacolors or Polychromos, I can just pick these up and go straight to my coloring books! And as you said, it's fun sometimes, to see if I can get what I want by blending. There aren't many reviews of those, so I'm glad you posted the review!
Welcome Peta! I am so happy that you are back!
Love your reviews on color/products! All your videos are very nicely presented and helpful. Thank you!
Thanks :)
So happy you are back! Great video. I have the same 12 pack of Lyra Rembrants as yours and had a giggle when you finally discovered there was no purple or pink. When I started coloring, I just had my Crayolas and didn't start to explore other brands until I watched your first pencil comparison. I now own probably 15 or more types, but I am really in love with the softer pencils, and my Prismacolors are my very favorite. Thanks so much!!!
Informative video review, thanks Peta. I would like to see a comparison of just the top artists brands please????
I missed your videos so much. Glad to see a new upload.
I have several questions, do you keep all of your pencils in a set, or do you pull out ones you like from different sets? It seems there are significant inconsistencies within a brand. What erasers do you like, and I notice you brush away debris with your hand on the video, do you ever use a brush or blow away the bits and pieces? You have become my primary tutor, and I can see a serious improvement in my pages. I've added a date and supplies note on each - at least for now. Whenever I feel stuck, I go back and review and get inspired again. I'm still working on my first books, the paper isn't the best, but I'm nervous about starting in my good books - Johanna Basford and Kerby Rosales.
Hooray, 🎉🎉I am so glad that you are back. You have been missed. Wishing you and your love ones a happy and healthy New Year! Can't wait to see more of your videos. Lol!
Thank you PETA for these wonderful comparisons. I have now got the pencils that I can afford and know from your work, they will be fine for me. Thanks again
Happy new year, Peta!
The Staedtler Ergo Soft pencils are probably a much better experience than the Norris club ones. I've heard nothing but bad things about the Norris Club pencils.
I also have the 24 pack of the woodless Koh-I-Noor pencils. They are so awesome! I've done some awesome work with them and they feel good in my hand which I didn't expect because it was a woodless. They work well with Gamsol and with my Caran d'Ache blender pencil.
You're back! Missed you.
Hi Peta, first of all thank you so much for both your reviews on colored pencils!!! Golden material! Following your example I also took all my sets and colored mandalas too see which is best. It's quite enlightening. From what you already shared, the only ones not covered and in my personal sets are the Koh-i -Noor Polycolor, Bruynzeel Sakura and the Marco Renoir ones. I was quite happy with the results. Maybe if you are thinking to make a part 3 of this series (which would be fantastic!) you could also include them. Thank you so much again for everything!
I love these videos as they let me know about any pencils I don't have so thank you so much Peta. :) I have the Luminance pencils and I adore them. Have you tried the Museum in the range? They are the watercolour version of Luminance and I have to say they are very expensive but have a wonderful colour when added to water and so smooth and soft like the Luminance and Holbeins which I just got.
Thanks so much for once again giving us a great video to help us in our colouring endeavours.
So glad to see you back, Peta. I really missed your videos and I loved watching this review. Of all the brands of colored pencils I use, the Lyra's are the ones that surprised me the most personally. I was really surprised by how much I love them. They blend amazing! I think they blend the most effortlessly all of the pencils I have tried, even the most expensive brands. (I have tried them all, haha) From my experience, they don't take to a lot of layers as well as, say, polychromos do, but the blending is so smooth and effortless. Not crazy about the skinny barrels, but the blending is wonderful.
I'm very fond of my little selection of Lyras. Beautiful, soft colours. But unfortunately the skinny barrels were a bit of a deal breaker. I found them a bit hard on my hands to hold over a long period of time.
I agree the skinny barrels are not good at all. It's the reason I never added to my small set. That and because I find it hard to add a lot of layers with them.
Good to see you! I love your videos. Your first 8 pencil review was fantastic and I'm so glad you did it again. I have a couple or three brands from each video so I really enjoyed this. I do not have the set of caran d'ache but I did buy a couple of the white pencils. They are the best white pencils ever! In my opinion of course. Again so nice to see you! I miss your vids.
Happy new year, Peta! So glad to see you are back.
Just wanted to welcome Peta back.
I love my FC Polychromos but I have to say, the Caran ‘Ache Luminance pencils are absolutely gorgeous pencils in every way. I purchased just one to try out and it was love at first sight! For starters, the outer wood casing is so beautiful and the pencil has a nice diameter. The pencils lay down pigment like none other and they are lightfast. Definitely on my wish list! I also liked the Lyra pencils which I sampled at the same time as the Luminance and felt that they were kind of like a budget Luminance in feel.
Hi! Can't wait to watch this. I've missed your videos very much!
Such a relaxing video. I love listening to you as well.
The caran dache are stunning :) i think these will have tobe my karisma replacements! Thnx peta! Great review
So glad you included the Staedler Noris. I recently tried a set purchased on sale because the box had an endorsement by Johanna Basford for her Lost Ocean book. Frankly, I am appalled that she endorsed these. Your results echo mine, so now I know I wasn't missing something in technique. Not sure what I will do with them, but it won't be for coloring.
Regina Rooks, agree! I found a set of Staedlers on clearance and thought “WOW! I’m so lucky!” But when I got them home? 😕
I also hated them.
She recommends the Staedtler Ergosoft and not the Noris
I really enjoy these round robin color pencil comparisons. When the coloring is complete, you can easily pick out which pencils are better. Koh-I-Noor pencils are oil as are all their pencils. They are made the Czech Republic and are marketed in the USA under Chartpak. I love my set. Wish they had more colors but they mix so well if you use layering method. Thanks again for doing these type of reviews. Happy Coloring!
Julie M kohinoor is also the same as the dick Blick Studio brand in the USA. You get more colors and they are wood cased.
Fantastic. are they woodless?
Julie M no. They are wood cased.
Mini Tanks.
good to see you again. I missed you very much!!!
Greetings from Germany :-)
Thanks, very interesting, I always enjoy your videos. I put koi-i-noor progresso on my wish list.
Welcome back , and thank you for the great review
I've missed your videos. Glad to find this today.
You would find the Staedler Ergosoft a lot better than the Norris. I have 1 orange Norris, sent to me as a freebie. It's dreadful. Can't get any colour off it. The Ergosoft are nicer to use. I have a 12 set and just challenged myself to do a whole colouring with them. And it was OK.
I love my Koh I Noor Polycolour. And Fabre Castel Polys. But am desperate to try the Caran D'ach Luminance and Pablo. Why? I have some pencils I really love! I don't need more. I have a decent set of open stock Coloursoft too. I definitely don't need more pencils. - It's an addiction I think :-) Could be worse I suppose.
I agree with you about the Staedler Norris pencils. When I first started colouring, I used them because they're really cheap here. But now that I've started using other pencils such as the Ergosoft, I can't bring myself to using the Norris pencils cause they just don't do the job. I now take them when I go babysitting so the kids can use my pencils and I don't have to worry about them breaking anything.
Sue Wilkinson the noris can be useful if you want to do a pastel shade coloring. They have their own look. But also not a fan.
Have you tried the 120 square Brutfuner? They are a lovely budget pencil
I've watched this twice so far. Very informative
Have you ever try Prismacolor scholar and studio series? these pencils are also good brand
Not as yet. I haven't ever seen them available in Australia. I do use Prismacolor Col-Erase pencils for sketching (not colouring) and they are great.
+Tracey L prismacolor is actually an American brand, not Canadian. The prismas used to be made in the US too, but a few years ago, the Newell-Rubbermaid company purchased the company, and moved production to Mexico. Since they have been manufactured in Mexico, production standards and quality control have decreased, to the point of being extremely poor. The only difference between the premier and the scholar line is the makeup of the core, with the scholar line being a "harder" core due to an additive. Both lines have the same amount of pigment, which is unusual, as most pencil brands decrease the amount of pigment in their scholar (non artist) line. There are only 60 colors available in the scholar line, as opposed to 150 in the premier line (there have been about 20 colors discontinued in the premier line, but these colors are occasionally brought back as a "limited time"release).
+Peta Hewitt the scholar line is softer than the verithin line, but harder than the premiers. The core is almost the thickness of the premier core. There are only 60 colors available in the scholar line. In my opinion, there is no reason to try the scholar line, unless you want a harder "lead" than the premiers have, if you already have a set of premiers or can afford the premiers. (Prismacolor is, and has always been, an American owned company, though it has been purchased by other companies-recently Berol, then Sanford, and a few years ago Newell Rubbermaid purchased the company from Sanford. Rubbermaid made the decision to move production to Mexico a few years ago, and there has been a marked decrease in manufacturing standards and quality control~most especially in the quality control)
I really like fabber castell i bought in and im so happy whit the pencil wich lerch do you like the most ?
I'm stumbled across your video again. In between I had the chance to test different pencils myself and to find my favourites for my hobby.
Turned out I prefer oilbased pencils over waxbased pencils, so I bought LYRA Polycolor because they are not as expensive as Polychromos and thought that might be the ones I like and can afford. I was right! I loooove my Lyra Polycolors so much! Indeed I use a "KUM sattler grip" to thicken the pencil for a more comfortable grip if I colour much.
What I can tell you about the feeling you experienced while coloring and the wax/oil theme is that they are originally described as "Ölkreide = oil pastels / -chalk" (translated literally) and as "Farbstifte" instead of "Buntstifte". Can't really translate this because the English language doesn't differ. It's like "colour-pencils" instead of "coloured pencils".
I have never read this on any other colored pencil. Also in German there is a very big difference between "pastel/chalk" and also between "colour/coloured". But it's not translated like this into the other languages on the packaging.
I think that's one of the secrets these pencils have and why many people are confused about oil vs wax. To be honest, I also don't know but I would say oilbased. Even oilbased coloured pencils usually don't have a blender and Lyra has one. Because the Splender acts much more as a burnisher. Hm....
And I absolutely go with you about the Coloursoft. I have the set of 24 and don't like them for your mentioned reasons.
The reason why I still keep these pencils is the gorgeous coloring on really dark paper or dark acryl surfaces. Only Luminance give me a equivalent result
I am so glad that you are back :) Have you ever tried the Holbein pencils? I would love to see a review from you!
I have tried some at my colouring club where several members have them. I can't afford them right night, they are very pricey. I like them, though. They seem nice and soft and deeply pigmented.
Makes me so happy your back ❤️ Tanya
Hi Tanya. It's good to be uploading again. Hope you enjoyed this one.
Thank you so much for doing this again! I've been agonizing about my next buy - Bruynzeel, Graphitint or the Uni no. 888 ... or just save for a year and go all in for a full set of Holbien just to get my hands on those pastel colors... don't know if I have the discipline to save for it. The Mitsubishi 888 are really new and there's very little reviews out there that are from unbiased sources, but I do know that Uni makes high quality products, especially in their Signo inks, I'd just never thought they'd make an artist grade colored pencil until now.
I was very pleasantly surprised at the performance of the Blackwing Colors 12 set - they are very smooth and the black is BLACK I tell you, a deeper black than the Derwent Drawing Ivory Black, and I could only just barely tell the difference between the Blackwing black and the Luminance Black. Very impressed with this little pack. Densely pigmented, no waxy bullshit like the black Prismacolor. I would like to see someone compare the Blackwing Colors to the Palomino Colors, and then compare the Uni no.888 to the other Uni line of colored pencils.
Oh and also wanted to say that the Tombow Recycled pencils gave me quite a surprise! Just as high quality as the Irojiten but with much softer, wider cores, still wax based but densely pigmented - wax bloom almost nonexistent as compared to Prismacolor. And perfectly centered. Very smooth and appropriately priced Hoping that they will expand their color range one day.
Thanks! it's great to know about other pencils. I've heard good things about those Tombows. Possibly look at them for my next pencil purchase.
Welcome back Peta! Happy New Year!
I love these tests/reviews, thank you. You’ve saved me a lot of disappointment. If you do a 3rd one, I wonder if you could include Mont Marte?
Thank you! I have been waiting since your husband gave you the Caran D'Ache for you to do a review on them. 😊. Have you ever used the Pablo's? I'd be interested to see how you think they compare with the Caran D'Ache, I have read where some people claim they perform the same. Thanks again, I am so happy to see you back!
No, I don't have any Pablo's to try. maybe one day.
Peta, I am just moving into Polychromos and have bought 14 open stock this year to augment my greens and browns. They behave differently than Prismas which I have used all my life, but I find there is more control in the colour laydown. I also have a 72 set of Colorsoft which are not as bright, but require layering.
Jean Thompson I've never tried the prismacolors because they are not really available in Denmark where I live. But I have to agree with you on the Polychromos. I loooove them. I hvert a full set of 120 and I'm really addicted. They are so lovely to work with. I'm happy you have found the wonderful world of them as well.
Thank you for making such awesome comparison videos.
The Luminance 6901 are the set i dream about. My son gets married in April so all money needed for that. When that is done watch out because definitely getting the 76 pack. I have now the white in that brand and I love it more than prisma or polychromas. Great review Peta. Thank you very much.
❤❤❤
They are very nice but you will need to play around with them to get the feel of them first. They work rather differently compared to my other oencils. I particularly love using them in Dagdrommar (HannaKarlzon). the colours are VERY rich and intense but go lightly in lots of layers if you like blending or subtle effects.
Peta Hewitt Thank you.
I started with prismacolor but prefer the polychromas now. I guess being so soft you couls easily waste the pencil being too hard with it.
I found some Blackwood pencils ADEL brand at riot arts and crafts store in Australia and I only got the 12 pack I wish I had got the 24 pack you might want to try them they are a really nice colour lay down and blend good. I am not a great artist but learn lots from people like you 🙂
Thank you for posting! Those Luminance are gorgeous! I got a new colored pencil set for Christmas - 150 set Holbein's, they are pretty good, but expensive like the Luminance, but as you said, you get what you pay for :o)
OMG, the Staedtlers were terrible!! 8-/
I always thought highly of that company..
Thank you for the review. :-)
Nice! Looking forward to the Conte, Mitsubishi and caran dache!!!! Conte to me is a nicer brand for pastel crayons or chalks if I can remember properly...it's not a medium I have explored. Would you consider further down the road doing watercolor pencils? Lastly, I've been using a particular pencil sharpener for about a year now if not longer called the Mitsubishi UNI it's about $20 us on Amazon and is worth every penny in fact I'd pay more for it it's so awesome! Glad to see you back!!! Missed your content and even though I am a patreon I just never remember to visit there lol. Hope you had a lovely Christmas/Holiday and wishing you a brilliant New Year!
Love my Mitsubishi pencils I first bought the 100 Uni and then later got the 888 which surprisingly I found really good
I'm so glad I got the 120 set of Faber Castell polychromos pencils for my birthday in the middle of last month I've only used them a few times but they work very well but are pricey which is why I'm glad I got them as a gift I use Crayola and artist choice pencils as well
This was so much help for me. I want to get a better set of pencils and like the softer kind, but want a good saturated color. I just have to save up for those Caren D'Ache.
They work really well in Hanna Karlzon's books. They have a dry feel to them but are super rich and pigmented. The full set has a lot of diluted neutrals that I have not seen in any other pencil sets.
So happy you are back! :)
I'm a bit of a coloured pencil fanatic. I have a set of Polychromos, Derwent Coloursoft, Derwent Artist, Caran D'Ache Luminance. My favourites are the Polychromos and the Caran D'Ache Luminance which are amazing and worth every penny. Great video and welcome back, Peta
I have to agree, although now my prisma's nolonger break when sharpening them I have developed a soft spot for them too.
I'm very biased because I've used them all my life, but I love how nice the Progressos looked :). I'm German, so they're really cheap here, and they're my go-to pencils for sketching or normal colouring. I would say they're wax-based, if you layer a lot of colours, you will get a slight bloom eventually.
I think one falls most deeply in love with the first (good quality) pencils one uses. I think its because you spend the time to really get to know them and get the best out of them. i find you do your best work with a pencil that you are intimately familiar with. I guess that's me and Polychromos. (Derwents don't count because I never did use them much before.)
I would love a comparison between all your Derwent pencils. I am very interested and can’t decide which one to get 🤔😊
You can never go wrong with Inktense :D
heupsche Not the Watercolor ones. I mean the colored pencils 😉
I actually am curious about that myself. I saw a couple of reviews on Derwent Drawing colored pencils and I was thinking to get a set to try them. From the colored pencil line those were the only ones that got my attention since they seem vibrant and buttery but still good for details. I have the Coloursoft ones and they are not great for my coloring books, but again I am no artist so maybe I don't know how to use them at their full potential. Looking forward to that comparison video! :D
heupsche I’ve got the Derwent Drawing and I really like them. They are very creamy, like the Prismacolors. But they have a very thick core, so I would think about doing details with them. They tend to go blind pretty fast because of their softness. I have a video on my channel about them ( in German). But I love the colors and the pencils itself very much!
Where did you get them Mitsubishi.888 pencils that is one really beautiful set even from the outside 😃
i happened across them at my local independant art store: Cavalier Art Supplies. They have an online store.
This review was awesome thank-you so much. I am sold to the budget pencil Progresso, looks very rich in colour and you said they are soft to use but not too soft. Australia now retailed at 22 dollars for 24 colours. They look better than The Staedtler Ergo soft pencil results too shown on another video. Does anyone got a second opinion I have used neither. At the moment using Milan pack 36 retailed at 15 dollars au . I am looking for better quality but not too expensive.
Love my Koh-I-Noor pencils. They tend to wear on my sharpener, and that's the only down side. This has been a 10 year love affair for me
can you do one with the staedtler ergo soft ones?
I don't own a set of those at present. maybe in the future.
Yeah I was asking because Johanna Basford says she uses them but her special edition set of pencils was the noirs club. I really hate the noirs club. They are so hard and hurt the hands when you try and color.
Thanks again for the video.
Boo Songz FWIW I'm not a fan of the ergo soft. The cores are tiny.
Dee Dee I have some and I like the feel of the barrel but I just wanted more opinions. So thank you. I never thought to look at cores
+Boo Songz i actually REALLY LIKE the ergosoft. Yes, the barrel feels awesome! As for the comment about the core being small, they are not. They are about 3 mm, which is a good size, about the size of crayola. I think not every pencil needs to be huge, and they still cover an area quickly. Ergosoft have strongly pigmented leads, good color saturation, and lay down well. The leads are fairly soft, though not as soft as prismacolor, of course. I have not encountered anyone who did not like the ergosoft! We all just wished there were more colors! For the price, which is fairly inexpensive, I think you can't go wrong. They are definitely worth a try! They are the best pencil staedtler makes that are not the very expensive "artist" quality.
Welcome back Peta 😀🖍
The Lyra Polycolor are oil-based pencils and are $78 us dollars. They have a 105 set for $181.00 us.
I'm a new colorist, only starting out since Christmas time when I gave art to all three of my grandchilden - ages 6-10-13. the youngest was coloring in an adult book at Thanksgiving - children's books were "for babies Nana" made me decide she needed supplies of her own. I know my daughter had Prismacolors I bought her when she was in school - very pricey in their day. So I sent a 168 set of the Guang Hui for Valentine's Day for them to share, and hopefully leave their Mom's Prismacolors be, I cringed when I saw one hit the floor at Christmas.
how would you compare the luminance to the polychromos or prismacolors, as far as richness of color and ease of use?
Hey Peta, have you ever tried art subscription boxes? Such as Scrawlrbox for example. I would be interested in hearing your opinions on that kind of product. (And unboxings of them is a lot of fun to watch, lol.)
That would be LOTS of fun but the cost of shipping to Australia means it probably not be worth it to me. Shipping to Australia is very expensive.
Not even Scrawlrbox? I think they ship worldwide for £5 or so (box costs £15 I think, so £20 in total for everything outside UK). Or would you get additional costs to that? I don't really know how your mail system works.
What considerations would be important if you wanted to mix manufacturers? You liked that mitsubishi red, for instance. Could that not become your red or would the different brands not blend properly? I'm not sure if that's what you meant by supplementing purples on the progressos or just meant adding from a larger selection of purples by same manufacturer.
It's all a matter of experimentation. there is absolutely nothing wrong with mixing different pencils that i have ever found. I'll often combine different sets if because of colour preferences (most commonly Polychromos and Derwent Artist pencils.) I do find that Prismacolors are a bit too intense to mix heavily with some of the less dense pencils but it's really a matter of getting to know your pencils and trying different combinations.
Hello Peta.
I have watched this and the other comparison videos three times. I love how you organize them. When you are using each set, there is no doubt how they are performing. Some other comparison's that I've seen, try to skip through that, and you have only their impressions, which are, of course, subjective. Thank you.
I have a "stash" of '"bargain" pencil sets myself:
Prismacolor Premiere 24-piece set
Funlavie 24-piece set
iArtker 36-piece set
Loew-Cornell 36-piece set
Timeless Creations 36-piece set (by CraZart)
Leisure Arts 48-piece set
Staedtler 48-piece set (2100 series?) triangular
Crayola Yellow box 50-piece set
Prang 50-piece set
Lelix 60-piece set
Marco Raffine' 72-piece set
CraZart 72-piece set (& CraZart "Super Bright" 10-piece set)
Crayola Yellow box 100-piece set (all different)
Feela 152-piece set
Some are really VERY nice colored pencils, and a couple are (:-P). (that's a raspberry) In other words, not fun to color with at all. Funny thing, I will most likely color with them every now and again, just to use them. They do have their own individual color shades.
I, by no means, have all the budget brands. Who does or even wants to? (Wait! Is that a loaded question?)
Just wanted to see if, in the time since this video, you had collected any new "bargain" or otherwise colored pencils that you might like to compare for us. I really do enjoy your videos.
Thank you.
Mindy
INow... that is a lot of pencils. I haven't heard of most of those, we don't have them in Australia. On the other hand we have brands that seem unique to Australia: Mont Marte and Micador are two that come to mind.
Have u tried the Sudee Stiles? I'm looking for a mid grade pencil set to use in my travel set.
Hi Yvette.
I have not tried them yet, but I did get the "FEELA" 152-piece set. I LOVE THEM! They are oil-based, and soft enough, but not too soft. The color range is fabulous. If you had asked, I would have said, "Try this brand first." They are under $30 USD, and can be found on Amazon easily.
Just thought you might like to know about this set. I have personally used them, so I'm not just suggesting something I read about.
Thanx,
Mindy
Hi Peta, well come back! I have a question for you. I want to try the color pencils Koh-I-Noor Progresso but I don't know how to sharpen them. Have you some advice for me? Other side Down Under Sonia :-) (from Italy!).
Sonia F. They fit in a normal sharpener.
You just sharpen them like you would a normal pencil. They fit in normal sized sharpeners and it just looks slightly odd while sharpening.
Thanks for your answers Dee Dee and Obitobiramadarape (wow).
others have beaten me to it (Thanks guys. :) )but yes... they do sharpen with a normal sharpener. But here's a pro tip... get hold of some little tiny containers and save the sharpener shavings... great for rubbing into paper for a soft pastel effect. Plus such a pity to waste all that core.
Great Peta! Thanks.
I've really enjoyed these comparisons, PETA. One of my chief irritations with many brands is whether they can take the pencil sharpener well and if they hold their point. If you're of a mind to do it, I'd love a comparison of that issue. 😍 Thanks again.
Hi Pat.
Peta has done a video on a particular pencil sharpener that uses called, "Dahle". I works very differently from standard sharpeners. I got so curious about it, that I purchased the "Dahle 133". I am in heaven. Even the Prismacolor pencils sharpened to a beautiful point. I'm NEVER going back. (:-D)
Thanx,
Mindy
Mindy Lafler Hi Mindy,
Do you know if that sharpener will work on Faber Castell polys? I’m looking into investing in some (tin of 36), but I’m most frightened about the sharpening process!! Thanks so much,
Laura
Laura Williams
Hi Laura.
I have to be honest with you. I don't have any of the Polychromos, as yet. I have Prismacolors & and a dozen other budget brands. More honesty here, I have not had a single pencil lead core break since I got the sharpener. I have other sharpeners, but it didn't matter what brand I had. They would break at least half the time. Right now, I'm enjoying the budget brand "Feela". 152 oil-based pencils. Much easier to use than Prisma's. All I seem to do is smear them. Not bad, mind you, but irritating to have to erase so much. I believe that the Feela brand are a harder core, like the Polychromos.
The only pencils I had a little problem with were a couple that are quite old. Venus Unique is one, but it sharpened beautifully. It's at least 40 years old. One pencil that is quite short didn't do as well, either. That is the only problem I think this sharpener has, but I'm going to figure that one out. Perhaps, if I use a pencil extender of sorts? We shall see. With that short pencil, I used my cheap .50 cent basic sharpener, and just went slow. Too precious a color to lose any of the core. It's a Roseart pencil. (I have a lot of pencils that my children left when they moved out. That was one of them.)
I'll have to show you the page that I'm coloring using these old pencils, once I finish it. Feel free to look me up on Facebook.
Thanx,
Mindy
Very happy to see you again.
Oh man! I have the Staedtler, I also thought that being german they would be good quality, they are very hard and not pigmented 🙁
Hi Peta thanks a lot for this informative video! Do the Derwent Colorsoft pencils come in the same lovely natural colours as the Artists? I love their soft hues but they are too hard for my liking, so I'm thinking of the Colorsofts as an alternative.
Hmmm... I'll have to get back to you on that. I have a feeling the range isn't quite as big though. And I agree... I love the colour range of the Artist pencils. probably my favourite range out of any pencil brand ever.
I know they come in 72 colours and those are named differently than the Artists. And on photos they look much brighter. But photos are deceptive...
+Heike Martin the color soft pencils do not have exactly the same colors as the artists. This is due to the makeup of the materials they use to make the cores. In my opinion, the majority of the Coloursoft are similar to the artist line, with softer hues, but there are some that are more brightly colored. Hope that helps!
+Heike Martin oh, I forgot to mention: if you can, get an open stock Coloursoft or two to try if you haven't tried them previously. It's hard to describe the performance, but many colors create a lot of dust, especially on paper that isn't totally smooth. They also have a bit of a "tacky" feel to them, almost like a wet, sticky feel. This tacky feeling is at its worst when layering, especially. A lot of friends really enjoy the Coloursoft, they aren't my favorites, though I love the other derwent lines. I always suggest trying a few pencils from open stock if you can, from any brand. But I strongly recommend that especially with the Coloursoft ones.
tammynwes, thanks! Your answer is very helpful and I think, I will do exactly that.
The disappointment with the Luminance is the lack of pinks, not a really great choice for books such as World of Flowers, I use them together with either Prismacolor or Black Widows they are a lovely soft pencil and I got the extra set they released also the open stock extras I think that made about 100 pencils plus the open stock ones I had bought earlier so I have a few spares.
The only good pinks in luminance is purplish red and Quinacridone purple (its a purplish pink colour)
Anthraquinoid pink, hibiscus pink, violet pink are definitely more skin tone type pinks because they are muted.
Pinks are not very lightfast so that could be a reason why they are so little.
pinks are easily mixed, so you don't need them. Professional artists know how to mix and so clean pigments are more important, and also give a larger colour range.
Can you please do the same thing like this video but with different markers like sharpies and alternatives to Copic markers. X
Derwent is coming out with a new pencil - Procolour - which is between colorsoft and studio. Sounds as if they will work like polychromos
I had Staedtler pencils at first and it was so frustrating to use them. I had to press so hard to get some pigment out. I didn't enjoy using them at all. Then I have bought set of 24 mondeluz aquarelle coloured pencils from Koh-I-Noor and I love them. These are so buttery, soft and really pigmented. At the shop I had chance to try koh-i-noor (the ones i own now) and Derwent (same as in video) and I prefered koh-i-noor, and they were even cheaper than Derwent.
I'm not saying I'd buy them but the effect of the Staedtler Noris Club reminds me of an old t-shirt that has seen better days but you cant get rid of it....
Almost looks like a pastel set compared to the others.
The Mitsubishi are not colourfast. Important if you want to keep or sell your work. How colourfast are the other sets
Nobody knows for sure that Mitsubishi isn't lightfast. Just bc they haven't been tested for lightfastness, it doesn't mean that they're not. If somebody wishes to test them, they only need to have 3 acid-free swatch sheets of all the colors. One that is hidden in a safe away from light, the second in a hot desert sun (Caran D'ache does their tests in Arizona), and the 3rd swatch sheet under a UV light indoors. After 3 months, each swatch sheet should be compared for any oxidation or fading. A 4th swatch sheet with a brand new lay-down of color can be used as a *control* to determine how well the colors held up in each scenario. In case you were wondering, the swatch sheet hidden in the safe is meant to test for other types of oxidation, either from the air or the paper.
The Noris Club Pencils didn't surprise me, they're one of the cheapest ones I know, about 3€ here in germany and are made for very young preschool kids and the only prioritys are: do not break and don't color on furniture! .
Ther're meant for kids that haven't yet a good coordination, and still hold pencils with the whole hand or the fist, and burnish right away, with all strength they have over the paper in long strokes or cruelty angles. So they are intentionally so hard and low colored.
Staedler has some pencils with higher quality, these are named "Ergosoft" and are kind of student grade and the ones you would buy for a coloringbook.
Here in germany it's mostly known as a company for bureau and school supplies but not for art. You can but these brand without buying crap but you won't get high quality in the art section. They have some good erasers and rulers :D
I think Koh-I-Noor is a quite good effordable brand with very good quality for the price. Never heard anything negative about any coloured pencils from them. The Polycolors are often referred to as a very good alternative to the expensive and high grade brands and even the watercolor pencils get very good reviews too.
I have a lot of different sets but I really enjoy my Lyra's and my Prismas over all, even over my Polychromos. I agree that Lyra's are thin barreled but they have pretty colors and go on paper so nicely. Not as pricey as some of he other artist grade pencils. The Luminance pencils are nice but still not my favs. I find that only certain colors have that really nice texture. I some Pablo's too, don't like them at all. Super thick and waxy to me me.