Thank you so much for the testing on different paper, including printer paper, to compare how it can dissolve! The paper does make the difference, even with the good quality color pencil!
Aw, thank you for the feedback!! When I'm doing a video review I never know if I've really demonstrated it well enough so to know you found it useful is super helpful 👍🙂
Glad you liked them! They are my favourites by a long way. It's worth seeing if you can buy individual pencils from someone like Jackson's Art, as I think Faber-Castell have a wider range of warm & cool greys. I know what you mean regarding vibrancy though, I think they are much higher chroma colours, and I wouldn't be surprised if perhaps the binder than Derwent use isn't fully clear and effectively lowers the chroma a little.
Hi, I was definitely impressed with them, looking forward to doing some pieces with them, especially the brown colours - I have a wood drawing in mind 🙂 that's good info on the colour vibrancy and why Derwent pencils might seem a bit more muted by comparison 👍🙂 thanks for commenting!
@@gee355Art Nice! Looking forward to whatever subject you decide to render in the those pencils. You always create gorgeous pieces whether a flower, a deer hoofprint [or were those muscle shells ;)], or even a superhero--so I'm not picky about the subject. :)
Hi, the Hot Press and Cold Press were both painted on my fave; St Cuthbert's Mill Bockingford, 300gsm. I'd try the Saunders Waterford too... If I could afford it 😄😄😄 I might try a painting on both, just for more of a comparison! Thanks for watching 👍🙂
Hi, yes, having a bunch of colours is a good thing! But sometimes I find it tough to make a choice if I have too much choice 🤪 if only they made a brand that had all the strengths and none of the weaknesses, that would be cool! Thanks for watching!
Great review, very thorough. I just realized I have this watercolor pencils tucked away in my drawer. I might try them out again. You always make great reviews.
Hi, thank you so much 🙂 I try to approach them as if I'm buying them, like, 'what would I like to know?!' and plan it from there. I try to cover the basics but I'm always happy to take suggestions 👍😄 thanks for watching!
I’m not sure there’s much difference between HP and CP paper but between manufacturers undoubtedly. This set was a treat for me this year and the other top one is Caran dache so might treat myself to one from Jackson’s. Charles Evans has just done a couple of short videos of houses on his channel. I am trying to copy him and it shows I don’t have his confidence or ability but it’s fun trying. Thanks for an excellent analysis.
Hi, i have always found that cold press gave me a lot more time to work the colour, like it sat on the paper a bit before drying. Hot press on the other hand, has frustrated me with classic watercolour paints where I hated using it :D It seems to work well with watercolour pencils though, which is a little weird. Thanks for watching and for commenting 👍😀
@@gee355Art Must have a try to see that. Just used a bockingford a5 fat pad a size I enjoy. I thought I’ll use the back page to see how it behaved. Very annoyed it went well and turned into a nice painting. Wish I’d played on the first page. Thanks for replying.
Just bought 13 of these in open stock. They are great, and have nice transparency. I got one museum caran dache pencil for comparasion, and this pencil is much more opaque. In my begginers oppinion, it seems like it is worth it to invest in both, as they are very different, but great in their own ways, if you like variation. I've heard that you don't need a huge amont of colors, for this materials, so you don't have to spend a lot o money (since this kind of material blend very well, in comparasion to dry pencils)
Hi, I would always say to just get the colours you NEED! Yup, it's nice to have a box full of colours but many of them lay in the tin... unused over time 🥺😆
@@gee355Art yeah, and I can save money for some dry pencils as well. I am thinking of only buying 24 to 48 pencils per brand or kind, as I am prefering to use mixed media. Have a nice day!😃
They are the best I have tried, -and I have tried loads. They got 120 colours to choose from, so open stock or in the larger sets, you will likely not miss much in terms of colour choices, if you are not up for blending. This set looks to me as a great mixing set though. The Caran Dáshe supracolor are similar, but a good deal more expensive. I am not sure what makes the other brands "stickier". It can be because they use coarser pigments or more of the watersoluble wax, or both? Good review. Will we see you use them as well?
Hi Gee, this was a thorough review. I appreciated your tests on different types of paper. What benefit do you see in using watercolor pencils over tube watercolors? Especially when painting at home?
Hi, that's a good question!! I think it can offer a lot more confidence and security because you can pop them on first and get an idea of the colour and blend BEFORE adding water. If it looks wrong you can erase and try again as it's still at the drawing stage? I guess with classic watercolours you are mixing in a palette, popping the paint on and then adding more or less colour depending on what you're going for, so you're constantly reacting and changing (or at least I am! 🤣) So I guess it's the security of being able to get the colours 'just right' before adding water that is a major attraction of watercolour pencils, imho... 😄👍
I was drooling over these for ages and got the special edition box of 68 in the fancy box for my birthday, oddly they supply a synthetic brush with it which I thought was sneaky, it’s not very good at holding water. They’re lovely pencils, though I also have the Goldfaber Aqua and they’re a good range of colours, but weaker in pigment. I find watercolour pencils tricky to use, maybe I put down too much pigment cos I’m used to weaker ones, also gotta watch how much water there is cos it can end up pushing it all around so it’s patchy. This is a really good thorough review and I was a bit surprised they didn’t lift with the firm red line, but it was purposely firm. These do dissolve fully and if think the Goldfaber are pretty good for that too. Lyra certainly used to do amazing ones too, but I have them from the late 80s and don’t know which range they correspond to currently, they’ve changed the design and colour selection.
Hi, I'm certainly no expert with them but I'm getting a bit more into using them and quality pencils like these make that a lot easier 🙂 I think you're right, the balance can be tricky for the reasons you mention, although I really do like the patchy or uneven quality of classic watercolours too! When I was still teaching we had some Lyra skin tone pencils and they were terrific! That is at least 10 years ago now... 😊😮 Thanks for commenting!
I tried Derwent watercolor pencils first and disliked that greasy texture you've discussed repeatedly. I moved immediately to the Albrecht Dürer line, and was blown away by the difference in performance. Same with Caran D'ache Supracolor II Soft line. I was hoping we'd get to see you work on a piece with these, but this is a first impressions video. I can wait for the next go round.
Hi, I will DEFINITELY be doing a piece with them, maybe something involving wood very soon! I am probably a bit guilty of frequently dissing the greasy texture of the Derwent ones 🤣 I'll try not to mention it again 😄😉 thanks for watching! 👍
I have to admit I don't get the hype. They almost never seem to activate 100% (as you discovered) and more importantly they dont layer well at all in my opinion! I'm looking forward to seeing you use them in a painting, so I can see how you handle their difficult layering qualities. Not bad pencils by any means, just not my absolute favorite.
Hi, that's cool, I guess everyone has a favourite - is there a watercolour pencil that you'd recommend? I will probably try paintings on hot press and cold press, because you're right, they need to be used on an actual painting. The context is that I only have Derwent and some old Caran D'ache Supracolour to compare to and it's fair to say the Albrecht Durer put them both in the shade so far. To be continued... 😉😄
Yeah, just checked, and they have a wide range! www.faber-castell.co.uk/products/AlbrechtD%c3%bcrerwatercolourpencilpalegeraniumlake/117621#color-table I have their warm & cool greys along with earth tones & Payne's grey. I was doing a lot of nature journalling - mainly drawing birds! - and felt they had a great range for that type of subject.
Thank you so much for the testing on different paper, including printer paper, to compare how it can dissolve! The paper does make the difference, even with the good quality color pencil!
Great testing review - very comprehensive! I'm gettin' me some of these!! Thanks so much for sharing.
Hi, thanks for the feedback! If you like watercolour pencils, I don't think you'll be disappointed 👍🙂
Exactly the kind of reviews we need, thank you very much!!!
Thank you so much 🙂 it's also good to review a product that you end up really liking, too 😄
I’ve been waiting to see someone using these pencils and you show their abilities beautifully ty
Aw, thank you for the feedback!! When I'm doing a video review I never know if I've really demonstrated it well enough so to know you found it useful is super helpful 👍🙂
Glad you liked them! They are my favourites by a long way. It's worth seeing if you can buy individual pencils from someone like Jackson's Art, as I think Faber-Castell have a wider range of warm & cool greys. I know what you mean regarding vibrancy though, I think they are much higher chroma colours, and I wouldn't be surprised if perhaps the binder than Derwent use isn't fully clear and effectively lowers the chroma a little.
Hi, I was definitely impressed with them, looking forward to doing some pieces with them, especially the brown colours - I have a wood drawing in mind 🙂 that's good info on the colour vibrancy and why Derwent pencils might seem a bit more muted by comparison 👍🙂 thanks for commenting!
Can't wait to see one of your wonderful flower (or any subject really) tutorials done with these pencils! :)
Hi, thank you - I'm thinking of maybe something different, a bit woody maybe? And later, a flower painting, for sure 🙂👍
@@gee355Art Nice! Looking forward to whatever subject you decide to render in the those pencils. You always create gorgeous pieces whether a flower, a deer hoofprint [or were those muscle shells ;)], or even a superhero--so I'm not picky about the subject. :)
@@seahorse5689 thank you!! Deer hoofprint 🤣🤣🤣👍
They looked great on the watercolor papers. Which cold press paper did you use? I liked the texture.
Hi, the Hot Press and Cold Press were both painted on my fave; St Cuthbert's Mill Bockingford, 300gsm. I'd try the Saunders Waterford too... If I could afford it 😄😄😄 I might try a painting on both, just for more of a comparison! Thanks for watching 👍🙂
I have a few of these, and both caran d’Ache supracolor and museum aquarelle. They all have their uses, i just need more colors
Hi, yes, having a bunch of colours is a good thing! But sometimes I find it tough to make a choice if I have too much choice 🤪 if only they made a brand that had all the strengths and none of the weaknesses, that would be cool! Thanks for watching!
Great review, very thorough. I just realized I have this watercolor pencils tucked away in my drawer. I might try them out again. You always make great reviews.
Hi, thank you so much 🙂 I try to approach them as if I'm buying them, like, 'what would I like to know?!' and plan it from there. I try to cover the basics but I'm always happy to take suggestions 👍😄 thanks for watching!
I’m not sure there’s much difference between HP and CP paper but between manufacturers undoubtedly. This set was a treat for me this year and the other top one is Caran dache so might treat myself to one from Jackson’s. Charles Evans has just done a couple of short videos of houses on his channel. I am trying to copy him and it shows I don’t have his confidence or ability but it’s fun trying. Thanks for an excellent analysis.
Hi, i have always found that cold press gave me a lot more time to work the colour, like it sat on the paper a bit before drying. Hot press on the other hand, has frustrated me with classic watercolour paints where I hated using it :D It seems to work well with watercolour pencils though, which is a little weird.
Thanks for watching and for commenting 👍😀
@@gee355Art Must have a try to see that. Just used a bockingford a5 fat pad a size I enjoy. I thought I’ll use the back page to see how it behaved. Very annoyed it went well and turned into a nice painting. Wish I’d played on the first page. Thanks for replying.
Just bought 13 of these in open stock. They are great, and have nice transparency. I got one museum caran dache pencil for comparasion, and this pencil is much more opaque. In my begginers oppinion, it seems like it is worth it to invest in both, as they are very different, but great in their own ways, if you like variation. I've heard that you don't need a huge amont of colors, for this materials, so you don't have to spend a lot o money (since this kind of material blend very well, in comparasion to dry pencils)
Hi, I would always say to just get the colours you NEED! Yup, it's nice to have a box full of colours but many of them lay in the tin... unused over time 🥺😆
@@gee355Art yeah, and I can save money for some dry pencils as well. I am thinking of only buying 24 to 48 pencils per brand or kind, as I am prefering to use mixed media. Have a nice day!😃
They are the best I have tried, -and I have tried loads. They got 120 colours to choose from, so open stock or in the larger sets, you will likely not miss much in terms of colour choices, if you are not up for blending. This set looks to me as a great mixing set though.
The Caran Dáshe supracolor are similar, but a good deal more expensive. I am not sure what makes the other brands "stickier". It can be because they use coarser pigments or more of the watersoluble wax, or both? Good review. Will we see you use them as well?
Hi, this one is just a bit of a FIrst Go review but I DEFINITELY want to have a go with them on something soon! :D
I love these!
Hi Gee, this was a thorough review. I appreciated your tests on different types of paper. What benefit do you see in using watercolor pencils over tube watercolors? Especially when painting at home?
Hi, that's a good question!! I think it can offer a lot more confidence and security because you can pop them on first and get an idea of the colour and blend BEFORE adding water. If it looks wrong you can erase and try again as it's still at the drawing stage? I guess with classic watercolours you are mixing in a palette, popping the paint on and then adding more or less colour depending on what you're going for, so you're constantly reacting and changing (or at least I am! 🤣) So I guess it's the security of being able to get the colours 'just right' before adding water that is a major attraction of watercolour pencils, imho... 😄👍
Fantastic Review Gee 🙌🏻🙌🏻🙌🏻🙌🏻 I used Albrecth Durer Pencils since 2007 ❤️❤️❤️Absolutly amazing pencils
Hi, I can finally see what all the fuss is about - they are quality!!! 😄👍👍👍
I was drooling over these for ages and got the special edition box of 68 in the fancy box for my birthday, oddly they supply a synthetic brush with it which I thought was sneaky, it’s not very good at holding water. They’re lovely pencils, though I also have the Goldfaber Aqua and they’re a good range of colours, but weaker in pigment. I find watercolour pencils tricky to use, maybe I put down too much pigment cos I’m used to weaker ones, also gotta watch how much water there is cos it can end up pushing it all around so it’s patchy. This is a really good thorough review and I was a bit surprised they didn’t lift with the firm red line, but it was purposely firm. These do dissolve fully and if think the Goldfaber are pretty good for that too. Lyra certainly used to do amazing ones too, but I have them from the late 80s and don’t know which range they correspond to currently, they’ve changed the design and colour selection.
Hi, I'm certainly no expert with them but I'm getting a bit more into using them and quality pencils like these make that a lot easier 🙂 I think you're right, the balance can be tricky for the reasons you mention, although I really do like the patchy or uneven quality of classic watercolours too! When I was still teaching we had some Lyra skin tone pencils and they were terrific! That is at least 10 years ago now... 😊😮 Thanks for commenting!
I tried Derwent watercolor pencils first and disliked that greasy texture you've discussed repeatedly. I moved immediately to the Albrecht Dürer line, and was blown away by the difference in performance. Same with Caran D'ache Supracolor II Soft line. I was hoping we'd get to see you work on a piece with these, but this is a first impressions video. I can wait for the next go round.
Hi, I will DEFINITELY be doing a piece with them, maybe something involving wood very soon! I am probably a bit guilty of frequently dissing the greasy texture of the Derwent ones 🤣 I'll try not to mention it again 😄😉 thanks for watching! 👍
I have to admit I don't get the hype. They almost never seem to activate 100% (as you discovered) and more importantly they dont layer well at all in my opinion! I'm looking forward to seeing you use them in a painting, so I can see how you handle their difficult layering qualities.
Not bad pencils by any means, just not my absolute favorite.
Hi, that's cool, I guess everyone has a favourite - is there a watercolour pencil that you'd recommend? I will probably try paintings on hot press and cold press, because you're right, they need to be used on an actual painting. The context is that I only have Derwent and some old Caran D'ache Supracolour to compare to and it's fair to say the Albrecht Durer put them both in the shade so far. To be continued... 😉😄
Yeah, just checked, and they have a wide range!
www.faber-castell.co.uk/products/AlbrechtD%c3%bcrerwatercolourpencilpalegeraniumlake/117621#color-table
I have their warm & cool greys along with earth tones & Payne's grey. I was doing a lot of nature journalling - mainly drawing birds! - and felt they had a great range for that type of subject.
I am quite excited by the idea of warm and cool greys in pencils, its something i've only ever come across in markers before :) thanks for the link!!