overall i prefer oil based since i find them better for finer details but i often use both types. yes i find you can mix oil and wax pencils but sometimes depending on the colours they don't blend together well so it's best to experiment on scrap paper first. if it doesn't work well, I found putting them down in a different order has given better results while still getting the colour i want.
1:33 - FYI Wax build-up and Wax bloom are 2 different things. Wax build-up is what develops when the tooth of the paper refuses to take anymore layers, and what you end up with is a smeared & mottled crayon-y residue that just sits on top of the paper. Wax bloom is the white film that develops when the wax oxidizes, it's similar to the way a melted candle begins to thicken as it cools. Usually wax bloom happens in colder climates, and typically it shows up weeks to months after. It can be wiped off with a towel and then sprayed with a fixative so that it doesn't return. But you're not likely to see bloom in high-end wax pencils like Prismacolor. It's more likely to happen with pencils that aren't very pigmented, and have alot of wax filler.
I always combine my prismas/ derwent colorsofts and polychromes. I also use pastels. Also this is such a helpful tutorial for new artists who may not know anything about pencils
I strongly prefer oil based colored pencils because I don't like the dust that wax based pencils leave behind, and wax based pencils are so much more prone to breaking.
@@trudy101 Faber Castell Polychromos are my fave but they are incredibly expensive. Schpirerr Farben sell some much less expensive ones that are good for the price. They're softer than Faber Castell but I still really like mine. Just make sure that they are listed as oil based if you go with the SF because they may sell some that aren't oil based as well.
This is the best description of the difference between the oil pencils and wax pencils. I have watched a lot of you tube videos and you are the only one that has TRULY explained the difference between the oil and waxed based. Make me wonder if the other individuals know the difference. I just sat through hours of video pencil reviews and no one explained it like this. This helps sooo much thank you. I am watching this agin just in case I missed something.
I have to set something right - from caran d'ache themselves: Luminance are mainly oil based. Leads are made of powders, waxes and hydrogenated oil (solid not liquid) and natural organic binder. So you can say they are both oil and wax pencils but those are more oil pencil. You can say almost every pencil has some amount of wax in them, some more, some less... :)
MinouArt thank you for this information 😊👍🏻 I had heard this before but I couldn’t find any specific information on them.. probably should have checked Caran D’ache themselves! Muchly appreciated 😊
I am definitely an OIL pencil girl. I don't enjoy the bloom of wax pencils. Caran D'ache and Polychromos are my go to's. This was a very imformative video. Thanks so much!
A good review of the pros and cons to colored pencils. ;) I prefer oil based because they do better for details, but I like to use some white and grays from Luminance because they add highlights well over the top of my polychromos.
I hated the POlychromes I bought them and quickly returned. I am a Prismacolor Color Pencil fan. LOL I felt the white sucked on the Polychromes, and it wasn't pleasant to color with. I dunno I just prefer the wax based ones. They are creamy and I don't care if I need to sharpen it's not a big deal. I just don't like the oil based so far and found the colors less vibrant than the PRismas.
I love my Prismacolor pencils. They are my favorites. I prefer the wax over the oil pencils although I just wish they weren't so easy to break. You definitely can't have a heavy hand, otherwise should definitely stick to oil-based pencils. Great video!
Derwent Lightfast actually are the most lightfast, every pencil has the highest rating. They are an oil-based pencil :) But I definitely think it's good to own both, they both excell at different applications, and of course different sets can have different colour tones. Their wax-based Drawing pencils are also 100% lightfast but they only come in 24 colours, beautiful earthy tones though :)
Hi Bec, a lot of those pencils are graded at LFII, the second highest grading meaning they will last 50 - 100 years. I’ve got the PDF lightfast chart for them 😊 it says 49 pencils out of 100 are a LFII so I think overall the luminance has more that are graded at LFI. However, that is still amazing and to be honest, I think they are very on par with each other so thank you for mentioning those pencils 😊
@@amywellerart Oh I have no complaints against the Luminance, just that in terms of all highest grade lightfast that the Derwent Lightfast are 100% that way :) I suspect for Derwent that it's more about bragging rights than anything 🤣
I have had my PRismacolor wax based out for years exposed to the light and not one pencil is affected! So I dunno why people say otherwise! Infact I didn't know that you were supposed to keep them in the dark!
I love the effort you put into your videos. Very organized. I'm not even really learning anything I don't already know but just enjoy watching your videos!
FYI, if you scumble with a very sharp point, you often don't "need" a blender with Polychromos colored pencils. But if you want one, the oil-based Lyra Splendor Colorless Blender works great! It also works very well with Prismacolor, too. Just sayin. :-)
Hi Amy, great information presented. I have so many colored pencils and yet I hardly use them. Each time I watch a video on colored pencils I get the urge to start coloring!
Hey Romin! I think Crayola pencils are waxed based but the binder to pigment ratio is quite poor so they are quite a low quality, I'm not sure about the Faber Castell classic or the other brands I'm afraid but it should say online if you search it up 🙂💜
I agree that Crayola have more binder than pigment, however I don't agree that they're poor quality. Just like you need to adjust your usage between wax & oil pencils, you need to adjust your application methods between higher-end and lower-end pencils. If you're heavy-handed in pressure, you'll find that Crayola won't lay down as many layers. HOWEVER, with light pressure they can go up to 8 or 10 layers -- always making sure to vary your angle from vertical, horizontal, diagonal, circular, & cross-hatch, which you should be doing anyway for the best coverage, regardless of the brand you use. Keep in mind since Prismacolor leads easily break, you need to apply light pressure. So if you're forced to do that, you might as well save your money and get a cheaper brand. I've found that Crayola's 120 set has the most beautiful vibrant colors not seen in any other pencil brand -- even the high-end ones that offer 200 pencils to 500 pencils (Fellisimo, Mitsubishi Uni, Holbein, etc). The trick to use them is to go from dark to light, rather than light to dark. Another trick is to use a computer desk heat mat or a kitchen warming tray underneath your paper. I personally use a heating blanket or my heated winter gloves. If you don't have any of that, you can pop your pencils into a microwave or heat your paper with a blow dryer. This helps soften the wax so that Crayola (or any other cheap brand) lays down more pigment. If that's too much work for you, there are other good quality cheap brands out there. For Polychromos dupes, I use Schpirerr Farben, Brutfuner, and Deli (Star Joy). For Prismacolor dupes, I use Colleens, Arteza, or Hintung. Black Widow are also nice, but are costly in the long-run. There are fantastic colorists on youtube who teach the best methods to get the most out of cheap pencils. Always remember that it's not the tool that makes the artist, it comes down to skill. Hope this helps you discover the right brand for you!
Great video Amy! I love the polychomos but would often use them in conjunction wth wax pencils, they have a different vibrancy to them, somtimes find hard wax pencils can be better for details, I love the derwent academy grey and whie set for this. I love the look of the pencil blending fluid, you mae me want to get sme to try it out 💗🖐🌞🌻
I have to thank you so much! i’ve been trying to do my research on what color pencils are good to use for coloring. But i got one can you actually blend with wax pencil?
Hi, I’m glad this video helped! 😊💜 you can use wax pencils to blend out other wax pencils 😊 for example, if you were colouring in skintones you can use other wax pencils to blend the complexions out and make the skin smooth looking. I hope this helps!
I have both some cheaper wax pencils which I used before I got Polychromos. If I draw on my toned tan paper I often use the wax ones because they are so soft and super for blending and I use my polychromos often in combination with my markers or watercolor :) Great video as always lovely!
Excellent review. I agree with everything you said. I still have not used the solvent that I purchased some time ago, but you inspired me to get it out and use it, so thanks for the inspiration.
Hi Amy, excellent video explaining the differences between oil and wax based pencils. My wife has been using Prismacolor for some time now, but lately has been disappointed with the build quality. She finds them difficult to sharpen, mainly because in many of the pencils the lead is not centered. She uses the pencils for adult colouring books. I am considering the Posca, Holbein, or Lyra Rembrandt Polycolour. They are all basically oil based, so I'm a little concerned that they would she would find them difficult to use. She does use an eraser, so I'm not sure if that would work with oil based pencils. The Caran D'ache Luminance pencils do look very good, but are very expensive here in Australia. Is there anything you could recommend?
Hello there, I'm very sorry for my late reply I have had some pretty serious health issues. Unfortunately, a few years ago Prismacolor changed their manufacturers and quality control pretty much went out the window. There are quite a few issues with Prismacolor pencils, one of the things being the lead is off centred like you said which means when you try and apply pressure to them they break. The alternative pencils you have suggested are good pencils! Even though oil pencils have a slightly harder lead you can still create a lot of layers, smooth transition of colours, blending, etc, with them. Infact one of my favourite coloured pencil brands are the Faber Castell Polychromos pencils - these are oil based and I can use them for pretty much anything including colouring books. I hope this helps and I'm very sorry for my late reply!
@@amywellerartHi Amy, Thank you for your reply, and am am sorry to hear of your health issues. I hope you are feeling a lot better now. I did quite a lot of research, and have bought my wife a 40 set of Caran D'ache Luminance. They were expensive, but she is very happy with them. She will be purchasing more as individual pencils, but said that she needs to use up some of her Prismacolor pencils first, which will take a while. She has well over 200! I bought her a large set several years ago, and she has purchased many more individually, which is when she encountered the quality problems. I think the first set I bought was before they moved their manufacturing location. Thanks once again for your reply.
I bought a set of Lyra color pencils that I believe are oil based a few years ago. I didn't like them much at all so gave them to my granddaughter. They were recommended to me for drawing but I hated them. I don't care to rub and rub and rub to get a blended color affect. So stiff! No wonder I'm a painter, mostly with watercolor. if I want pencil, I choose Caran D' Ache every time. Except I wont bother with the oil based ones anymore. I do like the Caran D' Ache watercolor pencils.
Please watch the video as it’s not as simple as that - there’s lots of things to consider - wax is better for some things and oil is better for others 👍🏻
Do oil based pencils smear when on paper, such as a color chart that you might be touching and looking at alot ? I am new and only have wax based pencils so far.
They can smudge but Wax pencils smudge a lot more than oils. I would recommend using a fixative spray once you’ve completed your drawings if you are selling them, I.e. for commissions 👍🏻
Great review and insightful. If you layer wax and then oil pencils and use a blending solution like Gamsol, how well does this work ? Also how about using a burnishing clear wax pencil with mixed pencil types ?
HI! I am working on a very detailed art project where I am utilizing a lot of my my Prismacolor Verithin pencils. I am using them where the items are small, and where I also do not want them to blend, as the Verithins don't blend well which is the desired result. The set is only a 36 piece set and I found myself wishing the set has more colors in it. Can you suggest any other pencils that would work the same as verithins, and offer more colors? Again I am looking for a hardcore pencil with vibrant colors for fine details that does not blend.
Hi Angelina, I explain all the pro’s and con’s of using wax vs oil pencils so I’d recommend watching the video to decide which ones might be better for you 😊
Hey im a new medical student so im looking for colour pencils that are quite affordable. But i have no idea about all this until i saw this video. Can you suggest what will work best for me? Oil or wax based and cheap ones in market which acts good. This would help really well
Hello there! Thank you for your comment. Wax and oil pencils are both good types of colouring pencils (as long as you choose a reputable brand). They have quite a lot of similarities such as they are both good for layering, blending, burnishing, etc. There are some things that wax are better for and some things that oil are better for - for example, wax are a soft core pencil so if you like drawing portraits or softer complexions wax are better for this. However, oil are better for details. This is because they retain a sharp point and create defined details. So if you were drawing animals these pencils are best for that. However, that's not to say that you can't create soft textures with oil or details with wax pencils - you can, it's just a bit harder. So all in all, you'd be happy with either wax or oil pencils. In terms of brands, I would recommend investing in good quality pencils. There are plenty of good quality pencils out there that are affordable! The best thing to do is buy a smaller set of good quality pencils - you only need a set of 12 pencils to get started because they are more affordable and you can easily mix colours together to create a larger palette. Some brands I recommend are: Wax and oil combination - Caran d'ache luminance Oil - Faber-Castell polychromos & derwent light fast Wax - prismacolor, arteza, derwent colour soft, & Castle arts. I really hope this helps!
Well, I think that most coloured pencils are actually a mix of both 😊 just some are a softer lead and others are a harder lead depending on the comments in them 💕
You can add highlights with oil pencils but I find they are quite translucent whereas the Caran D'ache luminance white pencil (mix of oils & wax) is a lot more opaque and stands out a lot.😀
Hi Hai, I’m really sorry but I’m not sure what you mean. The Polychromos pencils are not metallic pencils so it would probably be best to buy another set of metallic pencils instead - the Faber Castell Classic pencils have a metallic range 😊
I found a pack of 120 oil pencils for €18.98 I think that's an amazing deal, should I get it? I prefer using my colouring pencils with more strength, what do you think
That is an amazing price and it’s really up to you 😊 you could always use the cheaper pencils for practise and the more expensive pencils if you want to create higher quality drawings
I do refer to what they are throughout the video by using annotations on the screen ‘wax’ and ‘oil’, I’m not referring to specific pencil brands in this video because I’m focusing on the pencil binders not specific pencil sets. Hope this helps 👍🏻
From what I've heard, the pencil lead hardness isn't dependent on whether it's more oil-based or wax-based. Also, although I haven't tried lot's of pencils, as far as I could guess, Polychromos are some of the best (if not the best) pencils for layering.
I had oil pencil colors and i drew very bad with it so it made me set a mind set that wax are better i will draw better with them i watched this video and saw she's so good with oil pencil colors then i realised that its not about the material its about the skills then i tried again this time with full efforts and i was shocked. Thank for this video it helped me out
Thank you so much! You can get very good results with any type of pencils you use! Keep practising your skills and you will get better and better results. Also a great tip I have is to make sure you are using the right type of paper for the genre of drawing your are doing… for example, smooth paper for portraits. 😊
Very nice review, Amy. I'm very happy with the Faber Castell Polychromos, but I just bought 6 (at Blick 6+ are at a discounted price of $1 each) of the Faber Castell Goldfaber. The Goldfaber lay down very well, haven't broken on me yet, and mix well with the Polychromos. Goldfaber, being a student-grade colored pencil, are very nice and affordable.
Great Video... just received my Nee Box of 76 Luminance Caran’d’ache Color Pencils about a week ago. Can’t wait to play with them, I have been watching Your Video’s on them.. 👊😎
Hi everyone! 👋 I was hoping someone could help me out. I am a beginner when it comes to drawing and I want to draw birds in my sketchbook amongst other things (more nature type drawings). I am confused as to which type of colored pencils are best for drawing details? I heard that wax colored pencils are best for blending, but then oil colored pencils are better for detailed work. I also wanted to add that I don't plan on selling on my work, but it's more of a hobby. Thank you in advance to anyone that provides advice 😊
Hi there! Thank you so much for your comment. The best type of pencil for drawing animals would be an oil type pencils such as the Faber Castell Polychromos pencils. That's because oil pencils have a slightly harder lead and can retain a sharp point for longer making it easier to create lots of details! You can still blend with these pencils too 🙂 I hope this helps!
@@amywellerart Thank you! You as well. I used to draw when I was much younger (8th grade) and then as I got older, I never drew. Now, as an adult, I wanted to give a try again and see what I can draw
UM well... let me see I've owned the same set of Prismacolor Pencils! And you know what, they actually are just fine in the light! I don't get why anyone thinks otherwise. I believe I have owned them for almost 2 years now! And they are exposed to light all the time! They are out on my desk! They aren't hidden away and not one issue! I agree 100% on the wax based white of the Fabercastell Polychromes! I sent that pencils set back! I hated it! Coloring with it was nothing like Prisma and I felt like the vibrance was not there either! I prefer Prisma. I also use 90% rubbing Alcohol and either a qtip of a paint brush to blend rather than a solvent I can't afford! It works very well! Again as someone whose Prisma's have gone thru at least 2 years of light exposure it's more than fine! Infact I didn't know that it was a 'bad idea' to leave them out!
Hi! I filmed this video quite a long time ago and I was a little harsh on Prismacolor. A lot of the Prismacolor pencils do have a good lightfast rating, but there are unfortunately some that do not, and can fade very quickly under certain conditions, but I should have stated that it is only some of the pencils that are an issue, not all of them. I can understand why you enjoy using Prismacolor pencils, and I’m using mine a lot more now as I sharpen them with a helical sharpener and find this helps prevent breakages. Thanks for your comment 😊
@@amywellerart ty for commenting I was not sure if I was imagining that you were being kind of harsh about the prismacolor. Anyways lol I am glad that I was not reading too much into it. I do that sometimes! I really love the prismacolor on brown toned mixed media. I wish I could share it with you here! I got to draw a lily and it just came out so well I thought I was messing it up. You know how artist can be about every mistake we make and yet no one else sees it!
It's not true all wax based pencils are soft and all oil based pencils are harder, it really depends on the kind of wax and oil used. You have hard wax based pencils and soft oil based ones too.
I must say prismacolors are overrated I bought 150 set of Prisma and 60 set of polychromos in which polychromos worked way way way more better than prismas
I know what you mean. From what I know, prismacolor changed their manufacturers a few years ago and since then the quality of the pencils has gone down. I can only use these pencils with a helical sharpener as in a standard one they keep breaking! I love polychromos too 🙂
Wax or Oil Pencils? Do you have a favourite? 🤔Let me know below!
Amy Louise Art I love Faber castell polychromos
overall i prefer oil based since i find them better for finer details but i often use both types.
yes i find you can mix oil and wax pencils but sometimes depending on the colours they don't blend together well so it's best to experiment on scrap paper first. if it doesn't work well, I found putting them down in a different order has given better results while still getting the colour i want.
Great choice! I think oil just edges it for me but I do love both 😊
Oil paint
@@BrothersOnRoad lol
1:33 - FYI Wax build-up and Wax bloom are 2 different things. Wax build-up is what develops when the tooth of the paper refuses to take anymore layers, and what you end up with is a smeared & mottled crayon-y residue that just sits on top of the paper. Wax bloom is the white film that develops when the wax oxidizes, it's similar to the way a melted candle begins to thicken as it cools. Usually wax bloom happens in colder climates, and typically it shows up weeks to months after. It can be wiped off with a towel and then sprayed with a fixative so that it doesn't return. But you're not likely to see bloom in high-end wax pencils like Prismacolor. It's more likely to happen with pencils that aren't very pigmented, and have alot of wax filler.
Thank you for your comment 😊
I always combine my prismas/ derwent colorsofts and polychromes. I also use pastels. Also this is such a helpful tutorial for new artists who may not know anything about pencils
I love combining pencils too! 😊👍🏻 thanks so much for your comment!
Oil Base =Sharpness but Hard
Wax =Smooth but Blunt Edge.
Thank you for this information 😊
Agreed, but i can't say i don't enjoy the tiny exacto knife work to make a prisma nice & sharp again... ༽つ⊙ᴗ⊙༼つ✎
I strongly prefer oil based colored pencils because I don't like the dust that wax based pencils leave behind, and wax based pencils are so much more prone to breaking.
I prefer oil based pencils too and I use them a lot more 😊 thank you for your comment!
Me to, I'm a Polychromos girl!😂❤
lp
Which ones are your favorite?
@@trudy101 Faber Castell Polychromos are my fave but they are incredibly expensive. Schpirerr Farben sell some much less expensive ones that are good for the price. They're softer than Faber Castell but I still really like mine. Just make sure that they are listed as oil based if you go with the SF because they may sell some that aren't oil based as well.
This is the best description of the difference between the oil pencils and wax pencils. I have watched a lot of you tube videos and you are the only one that has TRULY explained the difference between the oil and waxed based. Make me wonder if the other individuals know the difference. I just sat through hours of video pencil reviews and no one explained it like this. This helps sooo much thank you. I am watching this agin just in case I missed something.
Thank you so much Janet! This means a lot to me!
I have to set something right - from caran d'ache themselves: Luminance are mainly oil based. Leads are made of powders, waxes and hydrogenated oil (solid not liquid) and natural organic binder. So you can say they are both oil and wax pencils but those are more oil pencil. You can say almost every pencil has some amount of wax in them, some more, some less... :)
MinouArt thank you for this information 😊👍🏻 I had heard this before but I couldn’t find any specific information on them.. probably should have checked Caran D’ache themselves! Muchly appreciated 😊
I have heard this too
I am definitely an OIL pencil girl. I don't enjoy the bloom of wax pencils. Caran D'ache and Polychromos are my go to's. This was a very imformative video. Thanks so much!
A good review of the pros and cons to colored pencils. ;) I prefer oil based because they do better for details, but I like to use some white and grays from Luminance because they add highlights well over the top of my polychromos.
Thank you so much Jessica 😊 I completely agree!
I hated the POlychromes I bought them and quickly returned. I am a Prismacolor Color Pencil fan. LOL I felt the white sucked on the Polychromes, and it wasn't pleasant to color with. I dunno I just prefer the wax based ones. They are creamy and I don't care if I need to sharpen it's not a big deal. I just don't like the oil based so far and found the colors less vibrant than the PRismas.
I love my Prismacolor pencils. They are my favorites. I prefer the wax over the oil pencils although I just wish they weren't so easy to break. You definitely can't have a heavy hand, otherwise should definitely stick to oil-based pencils. Great video!
Thank you 😊👍🏻
Derwent Lightfast actually are the most lightfast, every pencil has the highest rating. They are an oil-based pencil :) But I definitely think it's good to own both, they both excell at different applications, and of course different sets can have different colour tones. Their wax-based Drawing pencils are also 100% lightfast but they only come in 24 colours, beautiful earthy tones though :)
Hi Bec, a lot of those pencils are graded at LFII, the second highest grading meaning they will last 50 - 100 years. I’ve got the PDF lightfast chart for them 😊 it says 49 pencils out of 100 are a LFII so I think overall the luminance has more that are graded at LFI. However, that is still amazing and to be honest, I think they are very on par with each other so thank you for mentioning those pencils 😊
@@amywellerart Oh I have no complaints against the Luminance, just that in terms of all highest grade lightfast that the Derwent Lightfast are 100% that way :) I suspect for Derwent that it's more about bragging rights than anything 🤣
Thank you Bec 😊
I have had my PRismacolor wax based out for years exposed to the light and not one pencil is affected! So I dunno why people say otherwise! Infact I didn't know that you were supposed to keep them in the dark!
I love the effort you put into your videos. Very organized. I'm not even really learning anything I don't already know but just enjoy watching your videos!
Thank you for such a kind comment! That means a lot! ☺️
Thank you for such a kind comment! That means a lot! ☺️
This is an incredibly helpful and informative video! Thank you for taking the time to make the video.
Thank you so much for your comment! 😊
FYI, if you scumble with a very sharp point, you often don't "need" a blender with Polychromos colored pencils. But if you want one, the oil-based Lyra Splendor Colorless Blender works great! It also works very well with Prismacolor, too. Just sayin. :-)
Thank you very much! 😊👍🏻
Thank You Astrin Ymris!👍🏻
Hi Amy,
great information presented. I have so many colored pencils and yet I hardly use them. Each time I watch a video on colored pencils I get the urge to start coloring!
Thank you Brenda! 😊👍🏻
I have a question dear Amy. Are normal colored pencils like Crayola, bic, maped, Faber Castell classic, etc. wax-based or oil-based?
Hey Romin! I think Crayola pencils are waxed based but the binder to pigment ratio is quite poor so they are quite a low quality, I'm not sure about the Faber Castell classic or the other brands I'm afraid but it should say online if you search it up 🙂💜
I agree that Crayola have more binder than pigment, however I don't agree that they're poor quality. Just like you need to adjust your usage between wax & oil pencils, you need to adjust your application methods between higher-end and lower-end pencils. If you're heavy-handed in pressure, you'll find that Crayola won't lay down as many layers. HOWEVER, with light pressure they can go up to 8 or 10 layers -- always making sure to vary your angle from vertical, horizontal, diagonal, circular, & cross-hatch, which you should be doing anyway for the best coverage, regardless of the brand you use.
Keep in mind since Prismacolor leads easily break, you need to apply light pressure. So if you're forced to do that, you might as well save your money and get a cheaper brand. I've found that Crayola's 120 set has the most beautiful vibrant colors not seen in any other pencil brand -- even the high-end ones that offer 200 pencils to 500 pencils (Fellisimo, Mitsubishi Uni, Holbein, etc). The trick to use them is to go from dark to light, rather than light to dark. Another trick is to use a computer desk heat mat or a kitchen warming tray underneath your paper. I personally use a heating blanket or my heated winter gloves.
If you don't have any of that, you can pop your pencils into a microwave or heat your paper with a blow dryer. This helps soften the wax so that Crayola (or any other cheap brand) lays down more pigment. If that's too much work for you, there are other good quality cheap brands out there. For Polychromos dupes, I use Schpirerr Farben, Brutfuner, and Deli (Star Joy). For Prismacolor dupes, I use Colleens, Arteza, or Hintung. Black Widow are also nice, but are costly in the long-run. There are fantastic colorists on youtube who teach the best methods to get the most out of cheap pencils. Always remember that it's not the tool that makes the artist, it comes down to skill. Hope this helps you discover the right brand for you!
That was so informative thank you! God bless 💕💕
Great video Amy! I love the polychomos but would often use them in conjunction wth wax pencils, they have a different vibrancy to them, somtimes find hard wax pencils can be better for details, I love the derwent academy grey and whie set for this. I love the look of the pencil blending fluid, you mae me want to get sme to try it out 💗🖐🌞🌻
Thank you so much 😊💕💜
I have to thank you so much! i’ve been trying to do my research on what color pencils are good to use for coloring. But i got one can you actually blend with wax pencil?
Hi, I’m glad this video helped! 😊💜 you can use wax pencils to blend out other wax pencils 😊 for example, if you were colouring in skintones you can use other wax pencils to blend the complexions out and make the skin smooth looking. I hope this helps!
I have both some cheaper wax pencils which I used before I got Polychromos.
If I draw on my toned tan paper I often use the wax ones because they are so soft and super for blending and I use my polychromos often in combination with my markers or watercolor :)
Great video as always lovely!
I agree Gina! 😊💕 I love both pencils
I love the soft creaminess with wax but the trickiness of sharpening them tends to push me towards other media altogether!
Thank you Kerrie 😊 I agree that wax pencils are harder to sharpen!
Excellent review. I agree with everything you said. I still have not used the solvent that I purchased some time ago, but you inspired me to get it out and use it, so thanks for the inspiration.
Thank you Helen 😊
I think im sold with Oil Based for their durability. I prefer layering rather then blending
Hi Amy, excellent video explaining the differences between oil and wax based pencils. My wife has been using Prismacolor for some time now, but lately has been disappointed with the build quality. She finds them difficult to sharpen, mainly because in many of the pencils the lead is not centered. She uses the pencils for adult colouring books. I am considering the Posca, Holbein, or Lyra Rembrandt Polycolour. They are all basically oil based, so I'm a little concerned that they would she would find them difficult to use. She does use an eraser, so I'm not sure if that would work with oil based pencils. The Caran D'ache Luminance pencils do look very good, but are very expensive here in Australia. Is there anything you could recommend?
Hello there, I'm very sorry for my late reply I have had some pretty serious health issues. Unfortunately, a few years ago Prismacolor changed their manufacturers and quality control pretty much went out the window. There are quite a few issues with Prismacolor pencils, one of the things being the lead is off centred like you said which means when you try and apply pressure to them they break. The alternative pencils you have suggested are good pencils! Even though oil pencils have a slightly harder lead you can still create a lot of layers, smooth transition of colours, blending, etc, with them. Infact one of my favourite coloured pencil brands are the Faber Castell Polychromos pencils - these are oil based and I can use them for pretty much anything including colouring books. I hope this helps and I'm very sorry for my late reply!
@@amywellerartHi Amy, Thank you for your reply, and am am sorry to hear of your health issues. I hope you are feeling a lot better now. I did quite a lot of research, and have bought my wife a 40 set of Caran D'ache Luminance. They were expensive, but she is very happy with them. She will be purchasing more as individual pencils, but said that she needs to use up some of her Prismacolor pencils first, which will take a while. She has well over 200! I bought her a large set several years ago, and she has purchased many more individually, which is when she encountered the quality problems. I think the first set I bought was before they moved their manufacturing location. Thanks once again for your reply.
Great review!
I'm partial to oil myself :D
Thank you very much 😊
I bought a set of Lyra color pencils that I believe are oil based a few years ago. I didn't like them much at all so gave them to my granddaughter. They were recommended to me for drawing but I hated them. I don't care to rub and rub and rub to get a blended color affect. So stiff! No wonder I'm a painter, mostly with watercolor. if I want pencil, I choose Caran D' Ache every time. Except I wont bother with the oil based ones anymore. I do like the Caran D' Ache watercolor pencils.
Caran D'ache luminance are wonderful pencils and one of my favourites ☺️
Why choose just buy both 😎😎
Also depends on the medium (paper vs canvas) and how hard the user is used to pressing down.
I know, I’m just giving examples
Which is best
Please watch the video as it’s not as simple as that - there’s lots of things to consider - wax is better for some things and oil is better for others 👍🏻
@@amywellerart i think oil is for professional
And wax for beginners .
Another fantastic and informative art pencil review, great video Amy, i enjoyed watching : )
Thank you Davy 😊👍🏻
Do oil based pencils smear when on paper, such as a color chart that you might be touching and looking at alot ?
I am new and only have wax based pencils so far.
They can smudge but Wax pencils smudge a lot more than oils. I would recommend using a fixative spray once you’ve completed your drawings if you are selling them, I.e. for commissions 👍🏻
Thanks Amy for giving us tips. I loved this tutorial Amy.😊😊👍
Jet's Fine Art Channel thank you Jet 😊👍🏻
I think prismas is goog for blending & mixing . Or soft
Yes! Prismas are great for blending and mixing! Thanks for your comment 😊
Great review and insightful. If you layer wax and then oil pencils and use a blending solution like Gamsol, how well does this work ? Also how about using a burnishing clear wax pencil with mixed pencil types ?
Hi, both wax and oil will blend well with a gamsol ☺️
And I use a colorless blender pencil which works well at blending all pencil types
HI! I am working on a very detailed art project where I am utilizing a lot of my my Prismacolor Verithin pencils. I am using them where the items are small, and where I also do not want them to blend, as the Verithins don't blend well which is the desired result. The set is only a 36 piece set and I found myself wishing the set has more colors in it. Can you suggest any other pencils that would work the same as verithins, and offer more colors? Again I am looking for a hardcore pencil with vibrant colors for fine details that does not blend.
If you are looking for pencils with a harder core lead and nice colour range I would definitely recommend the Faber Castell Polychromos pencils ☺️
Hi thinking of getting oil pencils are they better?
Hi Angelina, I explain all the pro’s and con’s of using wax vs oil pencils so I’d recommend watching the video to decide which ones might be better for you 😊
Hey im a new medical student so im looking for colour pencils that are quite affordable. But i have no idea about all this until i saw this video. Can you suggest what will work best for me? Oil or wax based and cheap ones in market which acts good. This would help really well
Hello there! Thank you for your comment. Wax and oil pencils are both good types of colouring pencils (as long as you choose a reputable brand). They have quite a lot of similarities such as they are both good for layering, blending, burnishing, etc.
There are some things that wax are better for and some things that oil are better for - for example, wax are a soft core pencil so if you like drawing portraits or softer complexions wax are better for this. However, oil are better for details. This is because they retain a sharp point and create defined details. So if you were drawing animals these pencils are best for that. However, that's not to say that you can't create soft textures with oil or details with wax pencils - you can, it's just a bit harder. So all in all, you'd be happy with either wax or oil pencils.
In terms of brands, I would recommend investing in good quality pencils. There are plenty of good quality pencils out there that are affordable! The best thing to do is buy a smaller set of good quality pencils - you only need a set of 12 pencils to get started because they are more affordable and you can easily mix colours together to create a larger palette. Some brands I recommend are:
Wax and oil combination - Caran d'ache luminance
Oil - Faber-Castell polychromos & derwent light fast
Wax - prismacolor, arteza, derwent colour soft, & Castle arts.
I really hope this helps!
Is it possible to make colored pencils that are like half oil hafl wax? Does it exist? Thx Amy
Well, I think that most coloured pencils are actually a mix of both 😊 just some are a softer lead and others are a harder lead depending on the comments in them 💕
THANK YOU !!! I LEARNED A LOT !
Thank you so much! I’m glad you enjoyed 😊💜
Hhhmm may i know what type of sharpener you use? I find that my sharpener creates a much shorter shape effect
Hi it’s the Derwent superpoint manual sharpener 😊
@@amywellerart Thank you so much
If you do highlights over what you have already coloured with a color can you add and see white highlights with the oil pencils?
You can add highlights with oil pencils but I find they are quite translucent whereas the Caran D'ache luminance white pencil (mix of oils & wax) is a lot more opaque and stands out a lot.😀
@@amywellerart Thanks so much
i think wax pencils are mostly popular in US while oil ones are more popular in EU
How do you alter the wax in the colored pencil while it’s still in the pencil? So that it is a different color (eg. pink to metallic pink)?
Hi Hai, I’m really sorry but I’m not sure what you mean. The Polychromos pencils are not metallic pencils so it would probably be best to buy another set of metallic pencils instead - the Faber Castell Classic pencils have a metallic range 😊
When purchasing how do you know if oil or wax?
It should tell you when you research the pencils or check the description 😊
I found a pack of 120 oil pencils for €18.98 I think that's an amazing deal, should I get it? I prefer using my colouring pencils with more strength, what do you think
That is an amazing price and it’s really up to you 😊 you could always use the cheaper pencils for practise and the more expensive pencils if you want to create higher quality drawings
@@amywellerart Okay, Thanks a bunch but it'll still be hard to choose between wax and oil XD (I found a pack of 36 wax for €10.38 I think)
Hi I just wanna ask if oil pencils can be blend in watercolor pencil?
Hi, I’m not sure what you mean? I blend my oil pencils with a solvent, thinner, or pencil blender 😊
Which are which! You don’t say?
I do refer to what they are throughout the video by using annotations on the screen ‘wax’ and ‘oil’, I’m not referring to specific pencil brands in this video because I’m focusing on the pencil binders not specific pencil sets. Hope this helps 👍🏻
Great information. Thanks for taking time to make the video.
Thank you so much! I’m glad you enjoyed this video! 😊
Which one is better wax or oil
I explain all pro’s and con’s in the video 😊
This is very informative! I have a few oil pencils but i haven't had much time to try them out. this is inspiring! 🤗🤗 Love your channel!
Thank you so much Tiffany! 😊💕
From what I've heard, the pencil lead hardness isn't dependent on whether it's more oil-based or wax-based. Also, although I haven't tried lot's of pencils, as far as I could guess, Polychromos are some of the best (if not the best) pencils for layering.
Thank you for your comment 😊
This video is useful to me as a beginner. I love your videos - from India 🇮🇳 ❤
Thank you so much! 😁
Thank you!, I think I like oil based
Thank you 😊
Sis I have domx colour pencil its white colour is opaque
Thank you for letting me know! Funny enough, I've got a video soon comparing different white pencils so may add this one to the mix! 😊
Faber castell normal is oil or wax
How to make colour pencil bright with faber castell
I had oil pencil colors and i drew very bad with it so it made me set a mind set that wax are better i will draw better with them i watched this video and saw she's so good with oil pencil colors then i realised that its not about the material its about the skills then i tried again this time with full efforts and i was shocked. Thank for this video it helped me out
Thank you so much! You can get very good results with any type of pencils you use! Keep practising your skills and you will get better and better results. Also a great tip I have is to make sure you are using the right type of paper for the genre of drawing your are doing… for example, smooth paper for portraits. 😊
I didn't know. Thank you so much for educating me. This is a very informative video.😀😀😀
Thank you 😊
I love colored pencils. I don't know why but I get such pleasure from looking at all the wonderful colors
Same here! I love coloured pencils too 😊
Thank you my friend, through this work of art that you created me, it has inspired me and I can learn a lot about a variety of works of art.
Andy Space Art Painting thank you so much 😊👍🏻
Thank you for your review.
Hi Angie! Thank you for your comment, I really hope you found the review helpful! 🙂
Very nice review, Amy. I'm very happy with the Faber Castell Polychromos, but I just bought 6 (at Blick 6+ are at a discounted price of $1 each) of the Faber Castell Goldfaber. The Goldfaber lay down very well, haven't broken on me yet, and mix well with the Polychromos. Goldfaber, being a student-grade colored pencil, are very nice and affordable.
They sound like great pencils 😊👍🏻
Great Video... just received my Nee Box of 76 Luminance Caran’d’ache Color Pencils about a week ago. Can’t wait to play with them, I have been watching Your Video’s on them.. 👊😎
Thank you Bruce! They are wonderful pencils and I’m sure you will enjoy them 😊👍🏻
Amazing ....Thank you for sharing this valuable information.
Thank you so much 😁
Hi everyone! 👋 I was hoping someone could help me out. I am a beginner when it comes to drawing and I want to draw birds in my sketchbook amongst other things (more nature type drawings). I am confused as to which type of colored pencils are best for drawing details? I heard that wax colored pencils are best for blending, but then oil colored pencils are better for detailed work.
I also wanted to add that I don't plan on selling on my work, but it's more of a hobby. Thank you in advance to anyone that provides advice 😊
Hi there! Thank you so much for your comment. The best type of pencil for drawing animals would be an oil type pencils such as the Faber Castell Polychromos pencils. That's because oil pencils have a slightly harder lead and can retain a sharp point for longer making it easier to create lots of details! You can still blend with these pencils too 🙂 I hope this helps!
@@amywellerart Good morning, Amy! I hope you're doing well. 😊 Thank you so much for your answer. I appreciate your time
@@unishkakaimrajh7874 Hi Unishka, you are very welcome and I hope this helps 😊 have a lovely weekend
@@amywellerart Thank you! You as well. I used to draw when I was much younger (8th grade) and then as I got older, I never drew. Now, as an adult, I wanted to give a try again and see what I can draw
I prefer Wax but i love few things about oil.
Great video, thank you!
Thank you so much! I’m glad you enjoyed this video 😊
Yes most informative.
Glad it was helpful! Thank you 😊
Outstanding video. Thank you for sharing this valuable information.
Thank you 😊👍🏻
Thank you soooo much. It was soo useful ❤️
Thank you so much for your comment 😊
Your sharpener is no joke! 😮
It's a great sharpener!
Thank you so much for sharing!
Thank you for your comment! 😊
Very helpful video!
Thank you 🙂
@@amywellerart you're welcome! I just got my first set of Prisma color pencils so this is very helpful. I haven't looked into wax yet.
Interesting fax and great review Amy!
Thank you Rick 😊👍🏻
Wow awesome very nice😃👍❤️❤️
Thank you 😊💕
Good lesson!!
Thank you 😊
Great ....
Thank you 😊
UM well... let me see I've owned the same set of Prismacolor Pencils! And you know what, they actually are just fine in the light! I don't get why anyone thinks otherwise. I believe I have owned them for almost 2 years now! And they are exposed to light all the time! They are out on my desk! They aren't hidden away and not one issue! I agree 100% on the wax based white of the Fabercastell Polychromes! I sent that pencils set back! I hated it!
Coloring with it was nothing like Prisma and I felt like the vibrance was not there either! I prefer Prisma. I also use 90% rubbing Alcohol and either a qtip of a paint brush to blend rather than a solvent I can't afford! It works very well! Again as someone whose Prisma's have gone thru at least 2 years of light exposure it's more than fine! Infact I didn't know that it was a 'bad idea' to leave them out!
Hi! I filmed this video quite a long time ago and I was a little harsh on Prismacolor. A lot of the Prismacolor pencils do have a good lightfast rating, but there are unfortunately some that do not, and can fade very quickly under certain conditions, but I should have stated that it is only some of the pencils that are an issue, not all of them. I can understand why you enjoy using Prismacolor pencils, and I’m using mine a lot more now as I sharpen them with a helical sharpener and find this helps prevent breakages. Thanks for your comment 😊
@@amywellerart ty for commenting I was not sure if I was imagining that you were being kind of harsh about the prismacolor. Anyways lol I am glad that I was not reading too much into it. I do that sometimes!
I really love the prismacolor on brown toned mixed media. I wish I could share it with you here! I got to draw a lily and it just came out so well I thought I was messing it up. You know how artist can be about every mistake we make and yet no one else sees it!
Awesome...great video👍👍👍❤️❤️....
Thank you 🤗
oil pencils are better with oil pastels and soft pastels with soft coloured pencils
👍
I got my oily color pencils for $5 but they were $19 and they 72 color pencils
That's an amazing price! 😊
Is the brand brutfuner? Just askin
so good as always stunning awesome
Thank you so much 😀
I have the polychromos and i will soon buy derwent drawing :)
Ooh! Sounds good! I hope you enjoy using them! 😍
Iam new to your channel....and Thank you,.... this was Very helpful ..for me.
Thank you 😊👍🏻
Beautiful
Thank you 🙂
Hey amy, please make a review on Derwent coloured pencils..😄😄Stay safe
I’m still new so I’m not familiar with the difference yet.
Thank you for your comment 😊
Nice 👍
Thank you 😊👍🏻
Very Nice 😁👍
Na Ponta Do Lápis thank you 😊💕
thank you for sharing this review of wax vs oil colored pencil. new friend Ms. Amy
Thank you 😊
Nice video ❤️👍amazing❤️❤️🤟🤟.
Thank you so much 😁
Sawaddikha Nanno na kha
Very nyc
Thank you 🙂
Wonderful sharing 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
Stay connected my friend 😊
Thank you 😊👍🏻
❇️😇😇🙂🙂❇️🎊🙂 waiting
Thank you 😊👍🏻
Awesome content liked keep up the good work and stay connected and more importantly stay safe 🙏🏻
Thank you 😊👍🏻 and you
I just don’t understand the hype around prismacolor pencils.
It’s sad because they used to be really good pencils until they changed the manufacturing process. Thank you for your comment 😊
Like99
like u♥️👍
Thank you 🤗
Amy Louise Art Thank you so much. keep in touch my friend 😉
It's not true all wax based pencils are soft and all oil based pencils are harder, it really depends on the kind of wax and oil used. You have hard wax based pencils and soft oil based ones too.
Hello, I have explained in more recent videos that I am aware of this now, thank you.
I must say prismacolors are overrated I bought 150 set of Prisma and 60 set of polychromos in which polychromos worked way way way more better than prismas
I know what you mean. From what I know, prismacolor changed their manufacturers a few years ago and since then the quality of the pencils has gone down. I can only use these pencils with a helical sharpener as in a standard one they keep breaking! I love polychromos too 🙂
This video is useful to me as a beginner. I love your videos - from India 🇮🇳 ❤
Thank you! 😁