I honestly found Arteza to be pretty poor pencils I have tried them when they first came out was very underwhelmed after being told many times that they had really improved I bought another set ( pre Covid ) and found them looking slightly different but still wasn’t impressed considering they were £9.99 more expensive than the first set I can’t speak for other products as I haven’t tried them.
Thanks Lindsay - I've purchased a set of Prismacolor & a set of Derwent which I am using. Being a newbie to this hobby, I was unsure as to what I should be using. Merci bien for your advice. I sure enjoy your instructional videos.
This is why I check your channel for a review when I want to buy art supplies. Your knowledge of both the products and the industry is unmatched. There aren’t a lot of people who have the contacts you do. You’re also unfailingly fair and thorough in your assessment. Thank you for being the moderating voice. I wonder if it’s feasible to have companies include the identity of the manufacturer for each batch of product. That’s probably wishful thinking. Thanks again, Lindsey.
I doubt they would do that because if a product is popular it would be easy for competitors to release the same product and undercut them. It would only harm a company to do that.
@@thefrugalcrafter Some kind of batch number would help the brand find patterns between complaints from customers, at least, without identifying the manufacturing facility to outsiders. But this doesn't seem to be common, even amongst more expensive brands.
THANK YOU! Finally. I can’t tell you how much I appreciate you taking the time to be fair with this. All I have seen is hate so far and it’s so I’ve and refreshing to see you being so honest and understanding and actually explaining what the issue is. I’ve been so confused because I love my Arteza products. It’s great to hear that they have just made a mistake when trying to choose a new emergency supplier. Your honesty and integrity (and your creative genius) are the best! Love your channel! Thank you!
@@thefrugalcrafter Well...some companies do (not necessarily art companies), thinking the more serious fans/collectors won’t notice. Then they have to reverse the lower-quality change. That said, hopefully this one isn’t a case like that.
So much lost in the world and this is just one more. I guess, in my usual Pollyanna mindset, I'll just be grateful that I went nuts for years buying art products and have a very good stash of all the "old" products.
I find what some people probably think to ge a trite saying to be very true, "they just don't make 'em like they used to." That's a downfall in most cases, in my opinion. Why fix it if it ain't broke?
Thank you for a balanced look at this situation. I've only had good products from Arteza and don't really understand all the anti-Arteza sentiment out in RUclipsLand! I agree with your evaluation of the shipping and manufacturing situation caused by the pandemic. Everything should be viewed in context.
@jewel Sauls. While I can understand context about the situation and would people took the main issue with (framed as drama) Was more in regards to Arteza having known about the issue for awhile, not making people aware of the issue and not addressing the issue. And lastly not being able to being able to get a lock on the quality issue so that they can stop it from getting shipped out to people. And rather then sending a replacement they know is ok and not have the issue. They are just refunding the money. Those are the bigger issues that I feel give context to the resone the issue is being talked about.
@@DOCDOCFLAMINGOS Yeaah, I agree with you. I like Lindsey, but I think everyone agreeing doesnt actaully know the true context of whats going on. Arteza put out a shoddy (defective) product -> Customers noticed -> Said Customers put a video out to warn people -> people watched and said their opinions. It was not petty artist cancel culture drama. It was literally customers holding the brand accountable for their product!!
I don’t have money to burn, but I’ve found that I can spend way more on cheap budget brands that don’t satisfy rather than splurging one one artist set if you save up and wait for a good sale. I then might get a student set for a back up or to practice. That seems to work better for me these days. At least for something that is important to me. Something that I’m only going to use occasionally, like the acrylic pens you just reviewed- I’m all for a budget option!
That’s a shame. Good quality, budget friendly art supplies are wonderful to have on the market as a lot of people don’t sell their art. What a great non-judgmental, explanatory video.
The watercolor pencils are still really good. The regular wax pencils are a lot like drawing with a birthday candle with a few of the colors. Basically, you get what you pay for. I don’t color, but I do draw so my preference is for pencils that stay sharper but have a good amount of pigment so I am biased towards pencils like Faber Castell. Arteza pencils are super soft but really waxy. Even the “good” sets are just fine for kids but but not good for people who like to use many layers.
@@nightmarefanatic1819 Exactly. That what I thought. It's been my recent observation. There is an artist lady on you tube who also makes stickers snd print from the artwork. ..all fine in her sketchbook. You font gave to gave that done in lightfast colors. Close the book and it's well protected from fading...need to repgotograph some pictures gor making more prints? Go ahead any time. But once you store it on digital drives it should not be necessary that often.
Thank you for putting this controversy in context. I appreciate your perspective. It helps me be a better consumer and a better artist. I jumped right in with Full sets of Polychromos and Prismacolors and Albert Durer. I am blessed to be able to afford quality products and have full set syndrome ! I appreciate your describing the product and the features of the product knowing that it is truly about what you as an artist like to use.
This is a bit off subject, but I bought the Arteza alcohol markers (120 set) because you said they were good for the price. I love them but was missing some of the lighter colors. Well when the pastels came out I jumped on them immediately. They are just what I was missing and I so love them. I’m just a hobbiest so no claim to fame but I do enjoy creating and have found alcohol markers to be a favorite medium. Thanks, Lindsay, for all your expert and honest evaluations. They are so helpful.
I have noticed that in the last week I'm getting a LOT of suggestions for videos about Arteza pencils and the issues folks are reporting. And, don't worry Lindsay, if you told me something was great and I ran out and bought some and it was trash, I would definitely think...I just don't know how to use this stuff. LOL!!! We know You would never knowingly lead us astray.
Very balanced video as always. You’re one of few people who have honestly paved the way for the democratisation of art as a hobby by always showing a range of prices snd being honest about what to expect, showing hacks and workarounds and DIY methods etc LONG before that became a gimmick and I think you are very fair about manufacturers and you do make good efforts to always explain the how and the why when angry customers who don’t know the whole story can end up coming up with nonsense like “they sent good ones to YTers but actually sell rubbish” [just think how costly it would be to design, R&D, market research etc an amazing line, send it to YTers snd then cancel it after like 100 have been made, maybe destroying 4,900 if a minimum run size...and then do all of the above again to make some crap one for sale - makes no sense!]. One thing I’ve noticed a lot as a kind of social media behavioural quirk that REALLY bothers me is that e.g. let’s say A buys a dud product and writes a blog post about it being bad quality and says they contacted the company and are waiting for their reply. B mint also have had a bad experience and put it on YT, but maybe didn’t tell the company as it’s a $5 product and just binned it instead. Before you know it C, D, E, F and G who’ve never used the product will most videos to say “there is this huge drama about this product right now” and will say things like “I know A has contacted them and they have not responded to them!” [truth: just not responded YET] and before you know it you get it spiralling. In another industry entirely, a small company had website issues 2 wks ago on Friday a product launched. Some ppl got double-charged - not many. The owner on the Monday said they’d had to go through soc media (their own) deleting comments that said ppl had been “charged so many times they could not pay their bills” and of course making it look like it impacted far more ppl than it really did and 100% had actually been refunded in 24h. She even checked and a lot of the names of ppl complaining about being charged twice not only hadn’t ordered it at all, many didn’t have an a/c with them at all and were just stirring. Sadly this is now a “thing” and I feel for small companies. We are in a Pandemic snd on top of that we have UK-EU shipment issues because Brexit finally went truly live last month - EVERYONE knows this but you would not believe the total lack of compassion, the aggression etc towards companies who are struggling. I saw one post from a lady who works in customer service. From home. With her kids around. People have made complaints about her (literally called the company, had her deal with them snd solve their issue THEN call back to complain her kids were loud: grow up!). At the very most say “I’m so sorry, your kids are quite loud which is fine but my hearing is really not good, could you maybe transfer me to someone else?” But no, straight for the spiteful option. Everyone I have to call now I say “are you working from home? If so I don’t mind noise, kids, doorbells etc - you just do what you have to do” and I make sure I thank them. Sadly so much self-entitlement over petty things at present, and it is spilling over into “these cheap pencils I got have ruined my whole life” drama-laden videos when it could be “btw I think Arteza’s suppliers maybe let them down as I had some issues with a dud batch but their customer care team have helped snd here is their number if you have the same issue - I spoke to XXXX person, so maybe ask for them too?” and a bit more positive...
@@thefrugalcrafter Yes I think that is true - but even when it’s a self employed person or a small company, people do it still. Sadly I think the past 4 years have allowed a lot of generally being unpleasant, unkind etc etc to become acceptable/accepted (in many countries!) and some seem to take pride in being cruel. Big difference between a mildly salty review and going out of your way to try snd ruin a company out of spite or just being plain nasty. I think esp. with “Ltd” or “PLC” companies, people think of them as faceless and forget CEOs and designers and paint chemists etc take pride in their work and will be upset by truly nasty comments (rather than legitimate feedback - hey, if you dislike their product snd can articulate why, they often like hearing it as it helps them improve) or the age old “I bought X and it’s terrible snd I will never buy from this company again because Company B makes the best type of X and everyone knows this and all the professionals use them” kinds of comments which are just puerile. We all have favourite companies, and sometimes we can acknowledge that they make great ink but their paint isn’t great, and can have balanced views. Others have more obsessive/fan-type feelings about their pet companies and can’t see reality in all honesty - so that means they dislike everyone else and any chance they get to criticise, they will.
When Prismacolor moved the factory to Mexico there were YTers (one artist in particular) who were really cruel about the quality. There was no accounting for the possibility that there may have be legitimate growing pains, it was a "Prismas are now made in Mexico and they are crap" attitude. I could not afford south of $80.00 for a set of nice colored pencils and almost passed on a $25.00 set of 72 Prismacolors because some YT brat had an audience for their bile and could afford Caran D'ache or Derwent. I ordered the Prismacolor set anyway and they are fine for how I use them.
@@user-mv9tt4st9k There is a highly respected and generally excellent craft YTer who reviews products and says phrases like “and it’s made in America so you know the quality will be excellent”. It’s almost cult-like, blindly equating US-made with quality. It’s always subjective anyway - you can manufacture e.g. a solid dye in China, import it to the USA, dissolve it in a solvent snd soak it into ink pads and so long as X% of the whole is made in the USA and Y% of the assembly, you can call it “US made” still. We actually have the opposite in Europe sometimes - there is a U.K. gin brand that openly negates the law on strength by a loophole. You can only make 37% ABV gin in the U.K. for sale in the U.K. but you can make stronger to sell in airports and on the continent or in Éire, Faroe Isles, Iceland or Greenland (I find it weird when we refer to them as “on the continent” when islands like us!). You CAN however sell a 50% ABV gin if it was made outside of the UK and imported. So, they do their fermentation and distillation and flavouring in London to make a nearly 100% ABV flavoured alcohol concentrate, export it to Iceland, dilute it to 50% ABV with Icelandic springwater (meaning 50% of the whole is made in Iceland) and bottle it and then import it back into the UK to sell legally in supermarkets at 50% ABV - one of only 2-3 spirits you can find at that strength (other than absinthe) legally here. It’s expensive as it’s an import and price includes import duty but they’ve openly done it since they started as a company in 2002! Initially, they even diluted it and bottled it on the ship in port in Iceland (bottles are made in EU I think) so it never even went into Iceland and it was really flagrant but sheer volume now means they have a factory. It’s total abuse of a loophole but same thing happens all over the world and you can’t trust “made in X” alone unless you know the legislation on how much work has to be done to count. Like the famous “handmade” label on food - that only means above a certain percentage is done by hand, and that can include a conveyer belt with people doing something by hand to things as they pass, not quite what the label conjures up! “Assembled in...” has to be used in some situations, to stop companies going too far with stretching the truth. BUT, I’ve seen a LOT of abject racism, xenophobia etc from crafters and artists on YT and IG (to the point where I had to block someone v well respected after they told me Black people were statistically poorer/more likely to die young/be shot by police in USA because of their own failings and that White people inc. White cops standing on their necks were completely innocent. Made me feel sick. Racism and xenophobia are everywhere including in the craft community and there is a lot of small-mindedness from people who have e.g. never been to Mexico, never properly known anyone Mexican who make sweeping judgements about the quality of products based on a very small-minded view. Same with the automatic “made in China is bad quality” nonsense. The truth is that there are excellent and poor manufacturers in every country on Earth. Lower manufacturing costs snd the ability to work at huge scale in China cheapen manufacture and can mean excellent products and lower prices. Sure, sometimes the cost reflects lower quality materials but really not often in my experience. Watercolours from China and the Republic of Korea often get bad reviews from ppl who don’t understand that Eastern watercolour is a bit more like Western gouache and is more viscous and more opaque as it is intended for use on rice paper and doesn’t flow as well. Unless one has been specifically developed for the European markets, it won’t always be what we are used to. I find it interesting (and horrifying) and White Nights, a very good quality and economical Russian brand never gets that kind of “made in X means bad quality” autopilot from the same people who do that over China and Mexico and countries in Africa. There’s one very big difference: majority of people in Russia are White. Horrifying, once you get down to brass tacks, really. Russia produces the same mix of good and bad products as all countries. Would be a really interesting exercise to relabel like Daniel Smith paints as 5 new brands and send them out for review saying they are from Nigeria, China, Mexico, the USA and France and just see what the reviews are like from same ppl sent all 5 “brands” over a month or so. Clear pecking-order exists not just of race but politics too - what we used to call “first world” countries in the Cold War are perceived as producing the best quality (Western Bloc and Japan, Australia, South Africa). “Second world” (communist: China, Laos, Vietnam, North Korea, Cuba) kind of fall next but but ex-second world nations like Russia, Romania, North Macedonia etc still fall below first world in perception. “Third world” (developing countries now - I hate “third world”, it is a horrible, outdated phrase but just useful for mapping attitudes to countries in this way!) comes last - in the Cold War that included most of South and Central America (aside from Suriname and French Guiana), most of Africa, India etc. Neutral nations like Sweden and Finland get perceived as “not quite first world” by many still to this day even though arguably better in many ways - Finland’s healthcare and social care means no homelessness at all and amazing mortality figures. Those old Cold War attitudes still exist particularly in the UK and USA, I have found. People can’t shake off what they got told at school even 50 yrs ago. Shows how deeply ingrained in society that xenophobia and racism actually are, I guess, and even in a “nice” field like arts and crafts, we sadly see much more closed-mindedness than elsewhere. It’s sad really. I feel sorry for people with such backward attitudes as they don’t get to enjoy the world as a whole and will probably never consider travelling to a lot of countries or experiencing their culture!
@@user-mv9tt4st9k yeah, it's like people forgot that prismacolors were always soft and prone to breaking. I did a new vs old prismacolor (1980, 1998, 2017) to see if the quality was any different and the quality was still good. I assume there was a bad batch between my last 2 sets when the company was bought and the fact story was moved but all is well again.
Thanks for doing this. You are so kind to listen to your viewers when you make your videos. I have a lot of confidence when you review things that you are going to tell us what you see as a products positives and it’s limitations.
Thank you for making this video. In these days of “cancel culture” there seems to be a kind of “meanness” or “kill them” approach to negative reviews of things, that is just plain terrible. I love that you stick to facts and performance, without the emotional, judgemental aspects included. With watercolor I went with artist grade while taking a course on Craftsy, and I do think that is the way to go for learning this medium. BUT for painting in journals or coloring books, I love the Jane Davenport and Paul Ruben glitter watercolors, just because I love glitter and pastel color right out of the pan. I think there is a place for all the various levels of quality in all the various media, and the choice should fit what you want to do with it. Trying new media like oil pastels (for an art class), I got a fairly cheap set, because I wasn’t sure I would even like working with those. There is no right or wrong- it’s ART.
I'm so glad you made this video Lindsay. You did a really good job at addressig the current situation and also explaining why their may be such discrepancies in the Arteza products recently. And in other budget brands as well. I've stayed away from Arteza products because lightfastness is important to me, but had they been around when I was younger and still in my budget supply phase i absolutely would have gone for their products, so I think its really important that you addressed this for your viewers.
Thank you for the info. I am getting back into doing artwork, scrapbooking, card making, acrylic painting, etc. For the last couple weeks I have been watching lots of reviews. You are one of my favorites. This video explains why I have seen some big differences in reviews of come products.
I’ll chime in with some of the other commenters who expressed that they appreciate your very level response to this drama. I think some of it has been a bit overkill on other channels. I honestly don’t have an opinion on Arteza because I haven’t tried their products. I had seen some really great reviews and had planned to order but when I went and I saw that their prices were within 10 to 20 Dollars depending on the day of prisma color I haven’t bothered ordering. I think that’s what gets me is that their prices have went up but apparently not the quality.
Thank you for this video. SO, I swear I've noticed a difference in some less expensive paints and even glues (for fluid art). The pigmentation? opaqueness? coverage? saturation? SOMETHING is different with the paint formulas. I thought maybe I was losin' my mind. This actually makes ALOT of sense. Thank you! Love your work and your videos♡
Best video on the subject I've seen. Your ability to see all sides, amount of knowledge, and objective opinions you put into your videos is why you're one of my favorites.
Thank you Lindsay. Really enjoyed this, watched every minute. I collaborate with Arteza and i had started to wonder about things as i had seen a few comments about their quality. I only use their products for crafting, but i love art products with my crafts and have only every had really good experiences with them. Im really pleased you mentioned a few times their customer care, they are so good at that aspect. I purchased as a customer from them and got the wrong item, they were very speedy to rectify and let us keep the wrong product. I really enjoy your professionalism. You are loving and warm, it's not businessy at all when you chat, buy you know your stuff and that's comforting and enjoyable as im always learning something from you. I hope im making sense. I think you're all too right with people loving a good moan. That can be tiring, i appreciate knowing good and bad of things, but dont need the slating of companies that genuinely are working hard to provide the best they can. Ive seen you've joined over on Craft World recently! Im over there as one of the 'experts' as well, though when i see the talent on there i kind of laugh at myself for making it on something that labels me as an 'expert' ha ha. I do have an addiction to crafting though and do my best to teach others what i know and learn. Thanks for being you! Happy crafting!
I have not tried the Arteza products so I cant comment on quality. Price wise though, your comment about paying a few more bucks and getting a much better quality product are so true!
this is so true of many things. Like tools for instance. Power tools for sure. And look at hand-held can openers. The only good one is still the only one made in USA "EZ-DUZ-IT". it's still a good price, but of course it's not $1 at the dollar store.
This video is why I like to check out your reviews. You're always fair and honest. I just recently purchased an Arteza colored pencil set of 72 for coloring only and have been happy with them, but I am a beginner.
I'm so grateful for your openness and honesty and how you share your opinions with the intent of helping all your viewers make the best choice for themselves! You are truly a gem Lindsay! 💜💜💜
You have explained the current situation so well and in a fair, honest way. I've never thought about the reasons for the difference in so many products over the past year, and not just art supplies. It has been confusing to see negative reviews of products that I think are great and your explanation makes total sense. Thank you for another great and insightful video.
I really appreciate your reviews and how fair you are. You know a lot of details about a bunch of different products that people like me don't necessarily know. Thanks for taking time to look out for us little guys/gals.
I appreciate your extensive knowledge of the manufacturing and sourcing of products, as well as your level-headed, analytical approach to art related issues. Thank you for your videos and the time you've put into them. ❤
Really great video. I really love the Arteza products I have gotten so far. I had ordered their watercolor postcards and they didn't show up. I waited about a month, and then contacted them, and they shipped me out another order (they were 2 boxes for whatever, I can't remember the price, but it was a total of 100 cards, 50 per box). The new order showed up in a week, I emailed the woman I dealt with to thank her, and that was that, or so I thought. 3 weeks later, the original order showed up, so I contacted her again (mind you, this was 2 months after my original order) and told her the first order finally showed up, God bless the post office, and told her to please go ahead and charge me again for the 2nd order, that it was more trouble to deal with returning them, and that I would use them up eventually, and the price was worth it. She answered me back, thanked me for being honest, and said they would not charge me, and I should consider it a gift. I am now an Arteza customer for life, due to their fantastic customer service policy. I also got their 120 colored pencils. I am a Prismacolor fan, they are my #1 favorites. The Arteza are nice, but they aren't Prismas. But the price was ready great, and the color range was very different from any of my other MANY sets, so I use them sometimes. I guess I got a good set of them. I got them just before the pandemic hit. Didn't mean to go on and on. The point being, I trust their integrity in dealing with their customers, and that's worth a lot. Again, great video, Lindsay!
There was the same issue with Prisma colors when they moved down to Mexico it was I believe. They we were just awful, but shortly they improved again. people forget how to be gracious when things like this happen.
@thefrugalcrafter: I got a set of 72 Prismacolor pencils for less than $30.00 when the nasty reviews were airing on RUclips a couple years ago. It is relatively cost effective to replace colors and the pencils are wonderful for how I use them.
@@mememex-t1v You may not have seen what happened with Prismacolors back then, but they started making them in Mexico and then people started complaining about broken cores that would just break over and over as they were being sharpened, no matter what sharpener you used. I got some like this myself, but Prismacolor quickly replaced them.
I so appreciate this! A basic reminder of buyer beware is good for the soul... better yet is your voice of reason about what’s going on or what may be going on and your own personal sense that there is nothing nefarious involved. that this is bad stuff going on just because sometimes bad stuff happens and circumstances make things difficult at times. Voices of reason are so needed!
I am not a color pencil artist, or a painter I had hand picked some polychromos pencils to try. I didn't like them. This is MY personal preference. I bought a set of the arteza watercolor pencils a few years ago. I really like them. I don't use them a ton, but I have a great selection of colors when I want them. I gave a friend the faber castell pencils and she USES them! It makes me happy! I have friends who color more stamps than me, but don't spend copious amounts of time doing it. With so many budget brands available, both have SEVERAL sets of colored pencils and watercolor pencils. During these shortages I honestly think it might be a good time to use what you have. If you don't have any, thats a different story. This is probably not a good time to get your second, third or fourth budget set. My next question is NOT snide or sarcastic. If you aren't a professional artist, or someone on RUclips who does reviews, how many large sets of pencils do you need? Am I just missing the boat on this one? I didn't like gelatos. I bought an assortment of them used. I don't like the way they feel in my hand. I don't like the "chapstick tube" for art. I gave mine to a friend. I have lyra watercolor crayons (24 or 36 I'm not sure which). I have reccolections watercolor crayons. I adore the shimmer in those. I have portfolio water soluble oil pastels. 1 have 1 neocolor 2 in red that I LOVE. I some watercolors too. I don't need budget watercolor products. As I use up my lyra and oil pastels, I will look at neocolor 2 as a set or individual. I think that budget brands are AWESOME for crafters like me! I also think that the price is low enough to attract people to buy a bunch. I have had my lyra set for maybe 4 to 6 years. I have browns that have never used. I am seriously thinking of a set of 12 for the neocolor 2s because I don't seem to use the massive amount of colors that my brain says I need. I would love to know if anyone else has this issue. My set of 60 arteza acrylics truly helped teach me what colors I wanted in large tubes. I bought large tubes on a great sale from consumer crafts. Gouache- I bought a VERY cheap set of studio 72 gouache on the same sale. I think I paid around $5 for a set of 12. They are fun on the gel plate and for stenciling. I still have plenty left, so this taught me that I don't need a huge set of gouache. Budget brands are FANTASTIC to check out a medium and see if its for you. I am NOT attacking any product or brand. I am talking about ME.
I just got the Cezzane tin of 72, watercolor pencils. Wow, they are the best I've used. As good or better than Prisma. I got the pack of 24 first & was so impressed got the tin of 72.
This was such an informative video. I loved the comparisons of products and the current history of manufacturing and distribution. This went way beyond a product review. Thanks so much! (I do a lot of art workshops for groups and have always found Arteza products to work well in these situations.)
Great discussion Lindsay. I love to hear your perspective. Prismacolors always my favorite. I did see one of the bad yt reviews. I was surprised this person was upset with the customer service resolution because I thought it was very reasonable. Life is too short to waste time and energy on tiny issues. Enjoyed "Monday chat."
Oooh, I am so glad you released this video. I had not heard a single thing about this issue but now that you've mentioned it, I don't think I'll be buying the set I've been eyeing anymore.
Buy the best you can afford, not the cheapest you can get away with! I saved a long time to get my set of Senellier Oil Pastels and I very happy with what I'm able to do with them, especially when used with Prismacolor Colored Pencils! Absolute Magick!
I also just watched Jennifer's take on this over on the Coloring Pages Bliss channel. She tested 3 sets of Arteza pencils with water, then did the same for some Prismacolors and Polychromos. She found ALL of them ran somewhat. Older sets, newer ones, didn't matter. Turns out to be a common problem for all brands and levels, so all the drama is unwarranted..
I think you misunderstood the issue here. It's not the fact that pencils kind of run a bit when they're wet, it's the fact that there seem to be different pencils being sold under the same name while the quality varies greatly. At least that's what I've taken away from watching a couple of these videos.
I am consistently impressed with the professionalism that you bring to issues like this. You did the same thing when people were up in arms over the cost of smart art box versus what you actually get within the box. Buying budget brands is definitely a mixed bag. I love my Arteza watercolor pencils and their gouache. But I absolutely HATE their tube watercolors. (I tried to do a galaxy painting and I had paint cracking on the paper. The same way cheap watercolor paint cracks in the pan.) I recently bought a 72 set of Deli pencils for $32 that so far I am loving. I also picked up the 174 set of Shuttle Art pencils for $32. I haven’t tested those yet, but I am left wondering if I should have saved the $64 to invest toward the 120 Polychromos set when my budget allows. Thank you for bringing a balanced perspective to the situation.
I purchased Arteza colored pencils last month and I have no issues with them. I was actually surprised at how vibrant they were. Glad I didn’t get the bad batch.
Lindsay, this was a well fleshed out discussion on art supply issues and expectations. Very thorough and compassionate toward the consumer. Kudos to you, and thanks.
Thanks for staying objective about the possible reasons the quality of Arteza products has changed. Great analysis of the art supply market in general. I appreciate your insights.
I would say inconsistency is one of the biggest reasons I have avoided truly budget pencils and went with brand names that I trust. Koh-I-noor is a very established brand but not super popular. I have used their pencils for years and even recently bought some of their soft pastels, always good products always dependable and always a joy to use. Thanks Lindsey for trying to keep everybody up-to-date even though this is an older video at the time of my comment. You still go out of you way to keep your viewers informed and not ripped!
Amazon is notorious for having counterfeit products mixed in with legitimate products. I know Arteza has their own web store, I would wonder what would happen if you ordered those same pencils directly from the supplier? Looking at their website there are a few bad reviews so maybe it is indeed just a bad factory; however, I'm not sure if those buyers bought from amazon and left a review on the company's website.
wow, I never considered that but I was on the arteza website and their 120 set of expert pencils have different numbers than the set I have and like and my set was sent directly from Arteza.
Ordering from Arteza.co.uk usually results in the order being fulfilled by Amazon.co.uk, in my experience. However, a few months ago I ordered the 96 set of brush pens from Arteza. The order was fulfilled by Amazon, but upon checking the pens, I found a large number with split and otherwise flawed brush tips. I got in contact with Arteza CS and they were great: they sent replacements (EDIT: which were in much better condition - only one or two had slightly flawed brush tips) and these were NOT fulfilled by Amazon, but a fulfillment company I hadn't heard of before. Perhaps these were a better batch, or they've been having problems with either Amazon's storage/handling/co-mingled inventory, or a particular batch known to have mostly gone to Amazon? Only Arteza might know! I'm happy that I got good materials when I did, which are fine for my current standards, but this episode has taught me the value of the consistency offered by more established brands, and especially on their professional-grade lines.
You do have to be careful regarding Amazon.. the issue is that they may ship the item but it's given to them by another supplier. Some of these are third party or importers. Some of them are actually fulfilled by the third party and only use Amazon as a storefront. Be sure to investigate where the items are coming from. Try to get items that come from the main company, although that is not always possible. Amazon is just a distributor for most items... they do not investigate or track every single thing they sell.. until and unless a distributor has enough complaints to warrant their removal they simply take the word that it is legitimate product.
That happened to me 3 times when I ordered a set of Lyra watercolor pencils from Amazon Warehouse. They substituted very inferior brands so I had to take the time to return them. Amazon did listen to my complaint the first time and you would think that it not have occurred again. But, no, twice more inferior brand pencils were substituted in the correct metal case. Buyer beware indeed.
@@clikrf8 Amazon Warehouse goods seem to be a mix of items that have been cosmetically damaged (whether in storage, or in transit), and customer returns. Obviously, if a customer has returned an item, they may have substituted a superficially similar product for the one Amazon originally sent to them, as an act of fraud. Based on the number of reports of this that I've seen, I don't think Amazon invest a lot of time, money, talent, or care in checking their returns.
Hi Lindsay! thank you for clarify this dilemma. Not only with the Arteza colored pencils, but with several products, which are from the same manufacturer, and they give it a different name, or the legitimacy of the product...the student grade pencils, that they are too expensive.....it happened to me with the Prismacolor Premier, which I bought in 2021, and I did a test on paper... and I was surprised! It wasn't the same pigment as the same pencils I had bought more than 5 years ago! those pencils that I have are much more pigmented than the new ones. This is a very stressful situation for all of us!... I have never tried the Arteza, I almost bought them, but I was very hesitant, because I did not know exactly if these were Artist grade. So, thanks for this!🥰 💛
At this point in my artistic journey, I just stick with the tried and true pro brands. I've been tempted, but never purchased any Arteza. I don't find myself wanting to experiment as much as I did a few years ago. But it is fun to play around sometimes with some cheaper brands. But we do get what we pay for in the long run. If Arteza wants to be around for the long haul, they will make sure they make things right for their customers. Thanks for keeping us informed, Lindsay!
Great explanation on what is going on in the craft industry. I bought some Arteza products early on and I like their products. I am not a professional but a hobbiest, but still want decent quality. I made the mistake of commenting on a craft site at one time about my dislike for the Ohuhu markers which I bought pre-pandemic. I have a set and don't even touch them. I would let a child play with them instead of my better quality markers. Boy, I got slammed as others said they absolutely loved them. Watching this video gives me another perspective on how I choose my art supplies. Thank you.
Bravo!! You are so right on this matter. I really appreciate that you took the time to put this out there in an informative manner and no pitchforks 😁 loved this!
This all makes sense now, thankyou Lindsay for bringing this to everyone's attention. I think the same thing has happened with the 𝑃𝑎𝑢𝑙 𝑅𝑢𝑏𝑒𝑛𝑠 watercolor sets, well the pan sets anyways from my experience. I'd got the 24 half pan Paul Rubens set, which you (and 𝑚𝑎𝑛𝑦 others) gave a great review for. But at Christmas I received a set of very different quality. The half pans looked like they were dried outside.. The stickers changed, they we're instead glued straight across, leaving patches of glue stuck to all the paints.. the tin was already all scratched + banged up, inside + out.. When I reached out to the seller, they weren't as kind or professional as Artizia sounds to be, they basically argued with me & in a passive aggressive way told me I was wrong. This was on Amazon as well, from a seller called "Marvelifes"... What was really odd though, he offered to send me their 12 set of their metallic watercolors, 𝗯𝘂𝘁 𝗼𝗻𝗹𝘆 𝗶𝗳 I kept my unusable tin of 24 paints..🤔 Which made no sense as then I'd basically be paying $70 (I'm in Canada) for 12 glitter paints that I didn't want. Anyways... sorry I obviously needed to get that out since Amazon deleted my (very respectfully, yet critical) review! Which happens too often, to too many... I appreciate your gentle approach here, you're always both kind 𝑎𝑛𝑑 respectful, while giving us your honest opinions💗
Oh no! I think Lightwish is the only authorized seller of Paul rubens on USA Amazon. Not sure about Canada. That's terrible as those paints are great or used to be.
@@thefrugalcrafter Yeah ours used to be just Lightwish too, but that's changed fairly recently. Actually after I returned the tin set I bought the 24 "Flower" tube set that you reviewed as well ( I purchased it from Lightwish this time) and they're amazing! -TᕼᗩᑎKYOᑌ ps. I appreciate you taking time to comment💗
Excellent video. I was not aware of the controversy but even if i found a problem with a product i would probably assume it was error on my part. I have purchased many arteza product and found them to be great. Their customer service was very helpful when i had a shipping issue. Thanks for all the great info given here. On a plus side...i just got arteza glitter pens..and really love them! Ordered another set as a gift.
Lindsay, this was a "GREAT" and much needed talk about what's happening in the colored pencil community. I was recently looking to purchase some acrylic paints from Arteza but bec of all the negativity I was concerned. I have purchase many products from Arteza and received excellent products, however, I do agree with you. I'm hoping all this will pass. I also agree that one should not give bad review just to jump on the bandwagon, so to speak. Thanks for the talk. I appreciate it.
I have used their tube and pouch acrylics and never had a problem. Nice coverage and good colors. I did some gel printing and furniture painting with them. The paint film seems tough.
I was in the process of ordering Arteza’s 120 colored pencils set but after watching you I think I will wait. I have several Arteza’s products and I’m very satisfied with them but they are not from this year. Thank you for your review. Love your straightforwardness and honesty.
You are so honest and ethical. I only follow your reviews because of you integrity. My husband was listening in to this video, and said your integrity is inspiring. Thank you Lindsay.
I have used many... many Arteza products and for the most part really enjoy them. I tend to use more artist quality products. Ie., I use mostly Daniel Smith watercolors which is probably why I can't stand Arteza watercolor paints in the tubes. However, I use mostly Derwent pencils of all kinds and I really do like Arteza pencils. I have every single pencil that they offer...watercolor (woodless & regular), colored pencil, drawing, etc... they definitely aren't the same as Derwent, but they're still great in my opinion. They're customer service is awesome! I've had some issues with duplicate and broken pencils and within a week I have a new set at my door. I think they're better than a lot of beginner products. I love to compare products myself. I did resist purchasing Arteza products for a while because of the flood of RUclips reviews. It almost made me feel like they were over selling their products for a long time. I also really enjoy their cloth covered journals, but don't like their spiral journals. They do offer a lot of great products. You just have to experiment and communicate with their customer service team. I think that'll make your experience much better!
Good information Lindsay! Makes me grateful to have taken Lachri's consistent advice and not bought into the whole Arteza promotional 'flood' that spread over YT the last couple of years. 'Every' art and craft RUclipsr seemed to be on the bandwagon so it was bound to fall over sooner or later. Have taken a chance though with your recommendations on the Chinese Paul Rubens and the Indian Camlin watercolours you've reviewed recently as an inexpensive way to try out a new 'splashy' technique I've seen but I buy them knowing they are for 'training purposes' only before I commit my usual brand name colours. Great video, thanks for addressing the issue.
Thank you so much for shedding some positive light on this situation. I absolutely love my Arteza pencils, but apparently I must have purchased them before they switched vendors. You are such a light in the RUclips art community and so knowledgeable. I love how you approached this situation in such a positive manner. Arteza has always had wonderful customer service for me as well as a lot of people that have purchased them after seeing all the videos tutorials I have done coloring with them. Thank you again, Lindsay!
I have just received the 120 set of the watercolour pencils and they are great. Vibrant and rich. There are no lines left if you are careful. Much better than the Castle Arts.
Thank you so much for doing this video. I really like how you review products and respect your opinion, especially on things like this. You have an excellent point about why quality may change with budget pencils. It does add another layer of difficulty in reviewing products and it's something I'm going to have to preface reviews in the future for these kinds of products. I tested my 120 set from November 2018 on a livestream last Saturday and they were fine. I'm still personally bothered with Arteza because if it is a product quality control issue, I wish they would be more transparent with us about it. It would help regain some confidence with their products if they were honest about it. And maybe they will be once they figure it out. I've loved all of my arteza products and now I don't feel like I can recommend any of them after seeing this. That loss of trust is bothering me more than anything else I think. But it is a good lesson for realizing some of the downsides to budget products and to be more careful in the future with my purchases and my reviews.
Great video, Lindsay! Thank you for clearing up a few things. I was curious as to what's going on with certain brands. Thank you, I feel better now :). Love the necklace, too.
Thanks Lindsey, I've been watching this controversy snowballing in the last few days. I do own some Arteza products, just not the coloured pencils and I have been quite satisfied with the quality of them. I've never deceived myself into thinking they were professional quality, just good value for money. I have also suspected that as a new company they were trying to flood the market with very competitive pricing which would gradually rise once people got to know them. I do own Derwent Coloursoft pencils, which Lori also slammed because of their instability in water. Personally, I have had no problem with them on that score, unless you use them on a gessoed surface, in which case they seem totally soluble. It really is a case of "buyer beware!" I think for most people, these solubility issues won't arise unless they use water mediums liberally after laying down the pencil. In an ideal world these problems shouldn't occur and in the age of Covid, none of us know for sure what effects the economics of the day will have on our hobby and the quality of our media. All we can do is read the reviews and buy the best quality that our pockets can supply. My opinions are purely those of a hobby/amateur artist.
I like colorsoft too, generally you wouldnt use them with water, same with arteza so ad long as the laydown and color payout was good you should be fine.
Hi Lindsay, Thank you for keeping us abreast of the market conditions. Many years ago I worked in manufacturing and we used factories in China, Korea, Philippines...and there are a few important other things to be aware of. It doesn’t mean it happens across the board, just be cognizant of. These are not intended to stereotype, they were just experiences we personally encountered. 1. When factories close for Chinese New Year many of the workers go home to their villages. Only about 50% return, so the other 50% are new employees and in training. Product made for the next two months is typically badly flawed, especially electronics toys with lots of pieces or involved products. Add roughly a month on the water shipping here and be wary of products from China March-May. By June they’ve worked out most of the kinks. We used to place purchase orders for 4 months of anticipated sales in December in order to have them ship before the shut down. 2. When you say that company B’s product is essentially identical to company A’s, it likely is. The huge question and issue is whether or not it’s legally licensed or illegally made using company A’s tools, dies, molds, and bill of materials. China and Korea are most notorious for illegal knock-offs as they do not respect intellectual property rights. Only a surprise visit to the factory to do an inspection could possibly uncover such a thing. On rare occasion US Customs identifies such counterfeit products and has no jurisdiction to do anything about it. We learned of a US company distributing product under their name which unbeknown to them was made from our molds, dies... We issued a cease and desist here simultaneously while showing up at the factory and repossessing our investment. Tools and dies cost hundreds of thousands of dollars. If you inquire with the factory they’d just “damage” the tool so a new would have to be made or go out of business on that item. International production has inherent risks and its hard to know who you’re truly doing business with. I appreciate the light you share with everyone!
Thank you for this insight. I will keep this in mind when I order things myself. I wish there were disclosures on amazon to where products are made. Thanks again!
One other wrinkle when Amazon is involved is that you can very easily get knockoff/counterfeit products added into the stash of the regular product, or another seller with knockoffs takes the spot once the original stash has been sold out. Once everything's in Amazon's warehouse, Amazon (or sometime even just their algotherm) is the one in control. This has been a problem that's plagued a lot of other product types as well, not just art supplies, and all the supply chain hiccups have accelerated the problem to an insane level. If you want to be sure you're getting what you're ordering, always go for a proper art store, not Amazon. Art stores tend to be a bit more careful about storage and handling of product as well, which can be a HUGE factor with colored pencils....
@@thefrugalcrafter To my knowledge, it'll go to whatever Amazon's algorithm thinks is a suitable replacement. This is why you can often see comments in the Q&A sections or reviews telling people to make sure they're getting it from the right seller since Amazon will sometimes bundle products that look the same into the same listing, even though the products are by completely different companies. (This happens especially often to anything Amazon considers "generic" and very often private label products can get swept up in that.)
@@thefrugalcrafter read up on Amazon's co-mingled inventory setup (e.g. www.redpoints.com/blog/amazon-commingled-inventory-management/ ). As the only seller of Arteza goods should be Arteza themselves, it shouldn't be a factor in this episode. But there might be cause for concern if buying branded goods that are sold by multiple vendors via Amazon.
I like cutesy novelty stuff so I'm a sucker for hobby craft supplies and stationary, but I buy higher end paints, brushes, and paper. I'd say I have a good stash of higher and midgrade products because the advice I get from professional artists is pay for quality not quantity. If I am playing I'll go for the midgrade cutesy supplies, and if I am practicing to improve my skills I reach for the good stuff. I will wait for sales and buy a few items at a time to build my supplies. Everyone should buy the best quality that is in their budget so that their creative time can be as enjoyable as possible. Thanks to channels like yours we as consumers are able to make informed buying decisions, and thank you for showing products at all price points. You do amazing things with "budget" supplies and I'm sure many of us hope to master that skill 😁 Have a great day, and hope you're staying warm. Our forcast for the next week is in the single digits and below 0. 😱
It is just crazy to see how far the pandemic has reached in affecting our lives. From the worst of it, the health issue, all the way to trade, and production. To see that it has even affected crafting supplies is pretty frightening and eye opening, at how it all trickles down! I really appreciate your reviews! I know how thorough you are in testing items, before you review them, and know what I'm getting if I order that product! It is so appreciated! Thank you Lindsay. This was really interesting and so informative! The best motto I can think of, for this past year, and so far this year is..."What a long, strange trip it's been!" 😖
I loved this overview, and I have purchased many budget pencils over the past 2 years.I love a lot them, and mostly color with them .So it is a hobby for me. I am new to using pencils, so it is an adventure. I painted doing decorative art for years on furniture etc. And find that it was a similar process to finding the best paints, finishing products ,etc as now finding the pencils I love to work with. So I value all your reviews, and Thank you so much for your time and energy you put into your art and channel!!
I'm no expert or even experienced at this but glad came across this informative chat. TYFS! I remain behind Arteza since I have couple of their products and never had issues. But I will also remain more aware on next purchase ! 💖💖💖😲🤓🌹
Thank you SO much for addressing this situation. I've been seeing quite a few Arteza reviews & taking with a grain of salt. I trust you in all things art! I appreciate your candor and honesty - you explain without talking down to us. Thanks and Bless xo
Thank you for explaining this. I know this is an older video, but it is still important to know. Exactly, Sarah Renae Clark's channel is her name. She does give a lot more information on coloured pencils. Her blog on coloured is amazing. She updates it whenever she has more information. However I am not sure if she addresses which batch you get, but definitely not to the extent you do. However her blogs on the best art supplies, including sharpeners, is excellent, updated, and provides a good guide, but should certainly not be taken as perfect.
I had the same issue with the Arteza woodless pencils. At first I thought I had ordered the woodless watercolor pencils but some of them didn't dissolve and then I found by mistake I had ordered the regular colored woodless pencils, but some of them move with water.
I have the 120 count from 2019. They don’t budge. Even if they did, I wouldn’t ask for a refund. It’s just FUN for me!! Thank you for always being the voice of reason. Love your channel!!
Thank you for your perspective; I was not aware of any of the problem w/Arteza. I color nightly in adult coloring books, like J.Basford's books and I love Prismacolor, but I asked for 120 set Arteza for Christmas. I'm very pleased w/them. No, they aren't Prismacolor, but for laying down first layer, they are great. Thanks for your words of wisdom. much appreciated!
I have never used Arteza for anything but saw a lot of their product advertized recently. I am a prismacolor gal, but note that the sets are harder to find lately. I have a hoard, and I guess I will keep it for a little while longer. Thank you for your honesty and the review, this helps me know what to avoid or not waste money one.
This is such a helpful video! I nearly bought both the 72 watercolor pencil set and the regular 72 colored pencil set (my preference kept waffling back and forth and prevented me from ever buying one) from Arteza multiple times over the past year and I feel like I dodged a bullet. I've personally had a good experience with just about all the products I've bought from them, so I have a soft spot for them and am perhaps a little too trusting with them. I'll definitely make sure to do more research the next time one of their products tempts me so I don't end up getting disappointed. Hopefully as the pandemic ends things will go back to how they were :c
I reckon with all of the refunds they have been issuing they are going to choose their suppliers more carefully and have an employee test each batch before they go out the door to be on the safe side. I have a soft spot for them too as the product has always been better than the price you paid, they were good at sourcing materials.
Whaaaa!! Its like we got a surprise Sat Chat on a Tuesday!! Anyway, I really appreciate your opinion and I agree with you everything you said throughout this entire video...Thank you for sharing. Much love♥️
Interesting~ Honestly my couple favorite color pencil brands are budget stuff, as I'm not bothered by lightfastness: On second place I have the Prismacolor junior that we get here in Latin America, a school line that is actually different from Prismacolor scholar over there, well, they are a fabulous pencil to work with for a school line. really nice, vibrant and soft. They are made in asian countries and do change factory/formula sometimes but when they do they also change packaging, if you know that you know what your getting, and quality either stays the same or goes up, so really not much to complain about The my first pick are the super soft/black edition Faber castell, more expensive but are just that bit better, they also don't change formulation, are available in smaller sets that makes up for the lack of openstock and they are made here in Brazil, so there's less transportation (for me, at least •3•) and the factories and pencils themselves have better standards for ecological stuff, which is also why I get a bit nervous with so much cheaper products coming out of china. (I've also tried some higher end pencils, like the polychromos, but I'm really most comfortable with these hehe)
Thank you for that review. I have seen many complaints about different brands within the FB groups. I think your impression on why people using the same product may get different results. Your honesty and fairness in your reviews is the reason why I watch your reviews. Thank you for your time.
My first color pencils were Prismacolor, yes I would get upset over them breaking but they are pencils, and had them for many years. Then I bought Polychomos because of all the RUclipss. I think they're great, but I don't get the same color as with Prismacolor. I don't go for all these new products. I do pay attention to products you review, but then I have been following you for ten years and trust your judgment.
Drama drama I hate drama! I always look for your opinion because I know you’ll be honest and truthful! You have been in the business for so long and you have so much information on products! I appreciate this video and your explanation is perfect! I feel the same as you do I don’t think Arteza is doing this just to take peoples money they just need to find out what is going on and let people know so the rumors don’t keep spreading! I absolutely love their products at least everything I’ve tried so far! And if you get it on sale it’s even better! Thanks Lindsey!
An older video, but it’s full of good advice. Do the research: look at more than one review. Don’t jump to the conclusion there’s evil intent. I’ve seen customer reviews that complain about a feature that was clearly listed or shown in a listing. Don’t give a bad review for something that was smaller than you thought when the size is clearly listed in the product description, for example. Maybe buy a product with fewer pencils. Try them out before buying the whole shebang. I learned some important things here. Thanks for being knowledgeable and reasonable.
Hi Lindsay, every time I want to buy an art supply I check if you already use it and review it. I have bought some of them and have worked just as you said. No worries on that side. Your knowledge of how companies work is what help us to make decisions. Thank you for sharing this knowledge.
I really appreciate your perspective on this. I just saw the influx of negative Arteza pencil videos today, so I'm glad you touched on it since I watch and trust you. I got a set of 72 Arteza pencils in August. They work great for me, but I'm a beginner colorist and I don't use water. I did have an issue with the white pencil breaking every time I sharpened it. I contacted them last week and they've already sent me a 48 set to replace the white pencil since they don't sell individual pencils. I will say I had to contact them via Facebook in order for them to respond. I emailed them and still haven't heard back, but they did get back to me pretty quickly through FB. All I had to do was supply an order number to them and they sent out the pencils. No questions asked. In fact, they sort of eluded to there being a problem with the pencil itself, which I thought was weird because I didn't offer more detail than what I've said here, but now I wonder if they know of some issue pertaining to breakage that they're not telling us about. Thank you for this video.
@@thefrugalcrafter That's really good to know, thank you! I've only used my pencils a few times and the white is more than half way gone already because of the breakage. I wasn't sure I'd like coloring with pencils, so I went with the budget set. Now that I know that I enjoy it, my next pencil purchase will be something a little more expensive...and I will buy some extra white pencils! 🤣
I appreciate this video! I have my eyes on the Arteza colored pencils because I want a bigger selection and practice freely and learn and as I get used to colored pencils I will have a better idea of what colors I'm reaching for the most before I invest in higher quality pencils and for that these little flaws doesn't bother me at all. But I like hearing experienced opinions anyway!
"Drama in the coloured pencil community" 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 you kill me!
I wish I was kidding!
I honestly found Arteza to be pretty poor pencils I have tried them when they first came out was very underwhelmed after being told many times that they had really improved I bought another set ( pre Covid ) and found them looking slightly different but still wasn’t impressed considering they were £9.99 more expensive than the first set I can’t speak for other products as I haven’t tried them.
🤣🤣🤣
"problematic pencils" got me too.
Thanks Lindsay - I've purchased a set of Prismacolor & a set of Derwent which I am using. Being a newbie to this hobby, I was unsure as to what I should be using. Merci bien for your advice. I sure enjoy your instructional videos.
While I'm not a fan of Arteza products, I'm glad to see you took the high road with less drama on this issue.
This is why I check your channel for a review when I want to buy art supplies. Your knowledge of both the products and the industry is unmatched. There aren’t a lot of people who have the contacts you do. You’re also unfailingly fair and thorough in your assessment. Thank you for being the moderating voice. I wonder if it’s feasible to have companies include the identity of the manufacturer for each batch of product. That’s probably wishful thinking. Thanks again, Lindsey.
I doubt they would do that because if a product is popular it would be easy for competitors to release the same product and undercut them. It would only harm a company to do that.
@@thefrugalcrafter Some kind of batch number would help the brand find patterns between complaints from customers, at least, without identifying the manufacturing facility to outsiders. But this doesn't seem to be common, even amongst more expensive brands.
@cowbutt6 they should have a serial number or batch number on them anyway so hopefully they can trace it back.
THANK YOU! Finally. I can’t tell you how much I appreciate you taking the time to be fair with this. All I have seen is hate so far and it’s so I’ve and refreshing to see you being so honest and understanding and actually explaining what the issue is. I’ve been so confused because I love my Arteza products. It’s great to hear that they have just made a mistake when trying to choose a new emergency supplier. Your honesty and integrity (and your creative genius) are the best! Love your channel! Thank you!
That's what I think probably happened because when you have a hot seller you dont risk messing with it.
@@thefrugalcrafter Well...some companies do (not necessarily art companies), thinking the more serious fans/collectors won’t notice. Then they have to reverse the lower-quality change. That said, hopefully this one isn’t a case like that.
So much lost in the world and this is just one more. I guess, in my usual Pollyanna mindset, I'll just be grateful that I went nuts for years buying art products and have a very good stash of all the "old" products.
She did fall out of the window and became paralyzed. But, I still love the glad game.
I'm sprinkling more "drama" in the comment section now 😆
Glad she didn't get stabbed by bad Arteza colored pencils when she fell, something to be glad for...
I find what some people probably think to ge a trite saying to be very true, "they just don't make 'em like they used to." That's a downfall in most cases, in my opinion. Why fix it if it ain't broke?
Thank you for a balanced look at this situation. I've only had good products from Arteza and don't really understand all the anti-Arteza sentiment out in RUclipsLand! I agree with your evaluation of the shipping and manufacturing situation caused by the pandemic. Everything should be viewed in context.
@jewel Sauls. While I can understand context about the situation and would people took the main issue with (framed as drama) Was more in regards to Arteza having known about the issue for awhile, not making people aware of the issue and not addressing the issue. And lastly not being able to being able to get a lock on the quality issue so that they can stop it from getting shipped out to people. And rather then sending a replacement they know is ok and not have the issue. They are just refunding the money. Those are the bigger issues that I feel give context to the resone the issue is being talked about.
@@DOCDOCFLAMINGOS Yeaah, I agree with you. I like Lindsey, but I think everyone agreeing doesnt actaully know the true context of whats going on.
Arteza put out a shoddy (defective) product -> Customers noticed -> Said Customers put a video out to warn people -> people watched and said their opinions.
It was not petty artist cancel culture drama. It was literally customers holding the brand accountable for their product!!
@@jasline5571 Yes. Totally hitting the nail on the head!!
I don’t have money to burn, but I’ve found that I can spend way more on cheap budget brands that don’t satisfy rather than splurging one one artist set if you save up and wait for a good sale. I then might get a student set for a back up or to practice. That seems to work better for me these days. At least for something that is important to me. Something that I’m only going to use occasionally, like the acrylic pens you just reviewed- I’m all for a budget option!
That’s a shame. Good quality, budget friendly art supplies are wonderful to have on the market as a lot of people don’t sell their art. What a great non-judgmental, explanatory video.
They're also good if you only sell prints.
The watercolor pencils are still really good. The regular wax pencils are a lot like drawing with a birthday candle with a few of the colors. Basically, you get what you pay for. I don’t color, but I do draw so my preference is for pencils that stay sharper but have a good amount of pigment so I am biased towards pencils like Faber Castell. Arteza pencils are super soft but really waxy. Even the “good” sets are just fine for kids but but not good for people who like to use many layers.
@@nightmarefanatic1819 Exactly. That what I thought. It's been my recent observation. There is an artist lady on you tube who also makes stickers snd print from the artwork. ..all fine in her sketchbook. You font gave to gave that done in lightfast colors. Close the book and it's well protected from fading...need to repgotograph some pictures gor making more prints? Go ahead any time. But once you store it on digital drives it should not be necessary that often.
Thank you for putting this controversy in context. I appreciate your perspective. It helps me be a better consumer and a better artist. I jumped right in with Full sets of Polychromos and Prismacolors and Albert Durer. I am blessed to be able to afford quality products and have full set syndrome ! I appreciate your describing the product and the features of the product knowing that it is truly about what you as an artist like to use.
This is a bit off subject, but I bought the Arteza alcohol markers (120 set) because you said they were good for the price. I love them but was missing some of the lighter colors. Well when the pastels came out I jumped on them immediately. They are just what I was missing and I so love them. I’m just a hobbiest so no claim to fame but I do enjoy creating and have found alcohol markers to be a favorite medium. Thanks, Lindsay, for all your expert and honest evaluations. They are so helpful.
I have noticed that in the last week I'm getting a LOT of suggestions for videos about Arteza pencils and the issues folks are reporting. And, don't worry Lindsay, if you told me something was great and I ran out and bought some and it was trash, I would definitely think...I just don't know how to use this stuff. LOL!!! We know You would never knowingly lead us astray.
Very balanced video as always. You’re one of few people who have honestly paved the way for the democratisation of art as a hobby by always showing a range of prices snd being honest about what to expect, showing hacks and workarounds and DIY methods etc LONG before that became a gimmick and I think you are very fair about manufacturers and you do make good efforts to always explain the how and the why when angry customers who don’t know the whole story can end up coming up with nonsense like “they sent good ones to YTers but actually sell rubbish” [just think how costly it would be to design, R&D, market research etc an amazing line, send it to YTers snd then cancel it after like 100 have been made, maybe destroying 4,900 if a minimum run size...and then do all of the above again to make some crap one for sale - makes no sense!]. One thing I’ve noticed a lot as a kind of social media behavioural quirk that REALLY bothers me is that e.g. let’s say A buys a dud product and writes a blog post about it being bad quality and says they contacted the company and are waiting for their reply. B mint also have had a bad experience and put it on YT, but maybe didn’t tell the company as it’s a $5 product and just binned it instead. Before you know it C, D, E, F and G who’ve never used the product will most videos to say “there is this huge drama about this product right now” and will say things like “I know A has contacted them and they have not responded to them!” [truth: just not responded YET] and before you know it you get it spiralling. In another industry entirely, a small company had website issues 2 wks ago on Friday a product launched. Some ppl got double-charged - not many. The owner on the Monday said they’d had to go through soc media (their own) deleting comments that said ppl had been “charged so many times they could not pay their bills” and of course making it look like it impacted far more ppl than it really did and 100% had actually been refunded in 24h. She even checked and a lot of the names of ppl complaining about being charged twice not only hadn’t ordered it at all, many didn’t have an a/c with them at all and were just stirring. Sadly this is now a “thing” and I feel for small companies. We are in a Pandemic snd on top of that we have UK-EU shipment issues because Brexit finally went truly live last month - EVERYONE knows this but you would not believe the total lack of compassion, the aggression etc towards companies who are struggling. I saw one post from a lady who works in customer service. From home. With her kids around. People have made complaints about her (literally called the company, had her deal with them snd solve their issue THEN call back to complain her kids were loud: grow up!). At the very most say “I’m so sorry, your kids are quite loud which is fine but my hearing is really not good, could you maybe transfer me to someone else?” But no, straight for the spiteful option. Everyone I have to call now I say “are you working from home? If so I don’t mind noise, kids, doorbells etc - you just do what you have to do” and I make sure I thank them. Sadly so much self-entitlement over petty things at present, and it is spilling over into “these cheap pencils I got have ruined my whole life” drama-laden videos when it could be “btw I think Arteza’s suppliers maybe let them down as I had some issues with a dud batch but their customer care team have helped snd here is their number if you have the same issue - I spoke to XXXX person, so maybe ask for them too?” and a bit more positive...
Thank you, I think people love to stir the pot and they like to go after what they perceive is a goliath.
@@thefrugalcrafter Yes I think that is true - but even when it’s a self employed person or a small company, people do it still. Sadly I think the past 4 years have allowed a lot of generally being unpleasant, unkind etc etc to become acceptable/accepted (in many countries!) and some seem to take pride in being cruel. Big difference between a mildly salty review and going out of your way to try snd ruin a company out of spite or just being plain nasty. I think esp. with “Ltd” or “PLC” companies, people think of them as faceless and forget CEOs and designers and paint chemists etc take pride in their work and will be upset by truly nasty comments (rather than legitimate feedback - hey, if you dislike their product snd can articulate why, they often like hearing it as it helps them improve) or the age old “I bought X and it’s terrible snd I will never buy from this company again because Company B makes the best type of X and everyone knows this and all the professionals use them” kinds of comments which are just puerile. We all have favourite companies, and sometimes we can acknowledge that they make great ink but their paint isn’t great, and can have balanced views. Others have more obsessive/fan-type feelings about their pet companies and can’t see reality in all honesty - so that means they dislike everyone else and any chance they get to criticise, they will.
When Prismacolor moved the factory to Mexico there were YTers (one artist in particular) who were really cruel about the quality. There was no accounting for the possibility that there may have be legitimate growing pains, it was a "Prismas are now made in Mexico and they are crap" attitude. I could not afford south of $80.00 for a set of nice colored pencils and almost passed on a $25.00 set of 72 Prismacolors because some YT brat had an audience for their bile and could afford Caran D'ache or Derwent. I ordered the Prismacolor set anyway and they are fine for how I use them.
@@user-mv9tt4st9k There is a highly respected and generally excellent craft YTer who reviews products and says phrases like “and it’s made in America so you know the quality will be excellent”. It’s almost cult-like, blindly equating US-made with quality. It’s always subjective anyway - you can manufacture e.g. a solid dye in China, import it to the USA, dissolve it in a solvent snd soak it into ink pads and so long as X% of the whole is made in the USA and Y% of the assembly, you can call it “US made” still. We actually have the opposite in Europe sometimes - there is a U.K. gin brand that openly negates the law on strength by a loophole. You can only make 37% ABV gin in the U.K. for sale in the U.K. but you can make stronger to sell in airports and on the continent or in Éire, Faroe Isles, Iceland or Greenland (I find it weird when we refer to them as “on the continent” when islands like us!). You CAN however sell a 50% ABV gin if it was made outside of the UK and imported. So, they do their fermentation and distillation and flavouring in London to make a nearly 100% ABV flavoured alcohol concentrate, export it to Iceland, dilute it to 50% ABV with Icelandic springwater (meaning 50% of the whole is made in Iceland) and bottle it and then import it back into the UK to sell legally in supermarkets at 50% ABV - one of only 2-3 spirits you can find at that strength (other than absinthe) legally here. It’s expensive as it’s an import and price includes import duty but they’ve openly done it since they started as a company in 2002! Initially, they even diluted it and bottled it on the ship in port in Iceland (bottles are made in EU I think) so it never even went into Iceland and it was really flagrant but sheer volume now means they have a factory. It’s total abuse of a loophole but same thing happens all over the world and you can’t trust “made in X” alone unless you know the legislation on how much work has to be done to count. Like the famous “handmade” label on food - that only means above a certain percentage is done by hand, and that can include a conveyer belt with people doing something by hand to things as they pass, not quite what the label conjures up! “Assembled in...” has to be used in some situations, to stop companies going too far with stretching the truth. BUT, I’ve seen a LOT of abject racism, xenophobia etc from crafters and artists on YT and IG (to the point where I had to block someone v well respected after they told me Black people were statistically poorer/more likely to die young/be shot by police in USA because of their own failings and that White people inc. White cops standing on their necks were completely innocent. Made me feel sick. Racism and xenophobia are everywhere including in the craft community and there is a lot of small-mindedness from people who have e.g. never been to Mexico, never properly known anyone Mexican who make sweeping judgements about the quality of products based on a very small-minded view. Same with the automatic “made in China is bad quality” nonsense. The truth is that there are excellent and poor manufacturers in every country on Earth. Lower manufacturing costs snd the ability to work at huge scale in China cheapen manufacture and can mean excellent products and lower prices. Sure, sometimes the cost reflects lower quality materials but really not often in my experience. Watercolours from China and the Republic of Korea often get bad reviews from ppl who don’t understand that Eastern watercolour is a bit more like Western gouache and is more viscous and more opaque as it is intended for use on rice paper and doesn’t flow as well. Unless one has been specifically developed for the European markets, it won’t always be what we are used to. I find it interesting (and horrifying) and White Nights, a very good quality and economical Russian brand never gets that kind of “made in X means bad quality” autopilot from the same people who do that over China and Mexico and countries in Africa. There’s one very big difference: majority of people in Russia are White. Horrifying, once you get down to brass tacks, really. Russia produces the same mix of good and bad products as all countries. Would be a really interesting exercise to relabel like Daniel Smith paints as 5 new brands and send them out for review saying they are from Nigeria, China, Mexico, the USA and France and just see what the reviews are like from same ppl sent all 5 “brands” over a month or so. Clear pecking-order exists not just of race but politics too - what we used to call “first world” countries in the Cold War are perceived as producing the best quality (Western Bloc and Japan, Australia, South Africa). “Second world” (communist: China, Laos, Vietnam, North Korea, Cuba) kind of fall next but but ex-second world nations like Russia, Romania, North Macedonia etc still fall below first world in perception. “Third world” (developing countries now - I hate “third world”, it is a horrible, outdated phrase but just useful for mapping attitudes to countries in this way!) comes last - in the Cold War that included most of South and Central America (aside from Suriname and French Guiana), most of Africa, India etc. Neutral nations like Sweden and Finland get perceived as “not quite first world” by many still to this day even though arguably better in many ways - Finland’s healthcare and social care means no homelessness at all and amazing mortality figures. Those old Cold War attitudes still exist particularly in the UK and USA, I have found. People can’t shake off what they got told at school even 50 yrs ago. Shows how deeply ingrained in society that xenophobia and racism actually are, I guess, and even in a “nice” field like arts and crafts, we sadly see much more closed-mindedness than elsewhere. It’s sad really. I feel sorry for people with such backward attitudes as they don’t get to enjoy the world as a whole and will probably never consider travelling to a lot of countries or experiencing their culture!
@@user-mv9tt4st9k yeah, it's like people forgot that prismacolors were always soft and prone to breaking. I did a new vs old prismacolor (1980, 1998, 2017) to see if the quality was any different and the quality was still good. I assume there was a bad batch between my last 2 sets when the company was bought and the fact story was moved but all is well again.
You are such an impeccable source of information for all of us less-informed amateurs -- thanks as always for sharing your expertise ❤️
Finally !!! A voice of sanity crying out in the wilderness.
Thanks for doing this. You are so kind to listen to your viewers when you make your videos. I have a lot of confidence when you review things that you are going to tell us what you see as a products positives and it’s limitations.
Thank you for making this video. In these days of “cancel culture” there seems to be a kind of “meanness” or “kill them” approach to negative reviews of things, that is just plain terrible. I love that you stick to facts and performance, without the emotional, judgemental aspects included. With watercolor I went with artist grade while taking a course on Craftsy, and I do think that is the way to go for learning this medium. BUT for painting in journals or coloring books, I love the Jane Davenport and Paul Ruben glitter watercolors, just because I love glitter and pastel color right out of the pan. I think there is a place for all the various levels of quality in all the various media, and the choice should fit what you want to do with it. Trying new media like oil pastels (for an art class), I got a fairly cheap set, because I wasn’t sure I would even like working with those. There is no right or wrong- it’s ART.
I'm so glad you made this video Lindsay. You did a really good job at addressig the current situation and also explaining why their may be such discrepancies in the Arteza products recently. And in other budget brands as well. I've stayed away from Arteza products because lightfastness is important to me, but had they been around when I was younger and still in my budget supply phase i absolutely would have gone for their products, so I think its really important that you addressed this for your viewers.
Thank you for the info. I am getting back into doing artwork, scrapbooking, card making, acrylic painting, etc. For the last couple weeks I have been watching lots of reviews. You are one of my favorites. This video explains why I have seen some big differences in reviews of come products.
I’ll chime in with some of the other commenters who expressed that they appreciate your very level response to this drama. I think some of it has been a bit overkill on other channels. I honestly don’t have an opinion on Arteza because I haven’t tried their products. I had seen some really great reviews and had planned to order but when I went and I saw that their prices were within 10 to 20 Dollars depending on the day of prisma color I haven’t bothered ordering. I think that’s what gets me is that their prices have went up but apparently not the quality.
I have noticed in the past six or so months that prices for products from China have ticked up a bit...
@@user-mv9tt4st9k We all need to search new markets.... I'm trying my best not to buy anything made in China!
Thank you for this video. SO, I swear I've noticed a difference in some less expensive paints and even glues (for fluid art). The pigmentation? opaqueness? coverage? saturation? SOMETHING is different with the paint formulas. I thought maybe I was losin' my mind. This actually makes ALOT of sense. Thank you! Love your work and your videos♡
I felt the same way too for a while!
I sure second your emotion Sara.❤️ Thought it was just me!
Best video on the subject I've seen. Your ability to see all sides, amount of knowledge, and objective opinions you put into your videos is why you're one of my favorites.
Wow, thank you!
Thank you Lindsay. Really enjoyed this, watched every minute. I collaborate with Arteza and i had started to wonder about things as i had seen a few comments about their quality. I only use their products for crafting, but i love art products with my crafts and have only every had really good experiences with them. Im really pleased you mentioned a few times their customer care, they are so good at that aspect. I purchased as a customer from them and got the wrong item, they were very speedy to rectify and let us keep the wrong product.
I really enjoy your professionalism. You are loving and warm, it's not businessy at all when you chat, buy you know your stuff and that's comforting and enjoyable as im always learning something from you.
I hope im making sense. I think you're all too right with people loving a good moan. That can be tiring, i appreciate knowing good and bad of things, but dont need the slating of companies that genuinely are working hard to provide the best they can.
Ive seen you've joined over on Craft World recently! Im over there as one of the 'experts' as well, though when i see the talent on there i kind of laugh at myself for making it on something that labels me as an 'expert' ha ha. I do have an addiction to crafting though and do my best to teach others what i know and learn.
Thanks for being you! Happy crafting!
Aww, thank you!
Off topic but your open sketchbook in the background looks so awesome!
Thinking the same😃🤟
She has a video on RUclips of that goldfish drawing using Derwent Lightfast pencils.
I have not tried the Arteza products so I cant comment on quality. Price wise though, your comment about paying a few more bucks and getting a much better quality product are so true!
this is so true of many things. Like tools for instance. Power tools for sure. And look at hand-held can openers. The only good one is still the only one made in USA "EZ-DUZ-IT". it's still a good price, but of course it's not $1 at the dollar store.
Amen 👍
Thanks! I know i can count on you to be objective, honest, thoughtful and kind.
This video is why I like to check out your reviews. You're always fair and honest. I just recently purchased an Arteza colored pencil set of 72 for coloring only and have been happy with them, but I am a beginner.
I'm so grateful for your openness and honesty and how you share your opinions with the intent of helping all your viewers make the best choice for themselves! You are truly a gem Lindsay! 💜💜💜
You have explained the current situation so well and in a fair, honest way. I've never thought about the reasons for the difference in so many products over the past year, and not just art supplies. It has been confusing to see negative reviews of products that I think are great and your explanation makes total sense. Thank you for another great and insightful video.
I love how you're soooo knowledgeable about the business side of it all and can explain it so well. Especially this bit 17:44. You're so smart!
I really appreciate your reviews and how fair you are. You know a lot of details about a bunch of different products that people like me don't necessarily know. Thanks for taking time to look out for us little guys/gals.
I appreciate your extensive knowledge of the manufacturing and sourcing of products, as well as your level-headed, analytical approach to art related issues. Thank you for your videos and the time you've put into them. ❤
I love your honesty. Many things have gone downhill this past year.
Really great video. I really love the Arteza products I have gotten so far. I had ordered their watercolor postcards and they didn't show up. I waited about a month, and then contacted them, and they shipped me out another order (they were 2 boxes for whatever, I can't remember the price, but it was a total of 100 cards, 50 per box). The new order showed up in a week, I emailed the woman I dealt with to thank her, and that was that, or so I thought. 3 weeks later, the original order showed up, so I contacted her again (mind you, this was 2 months after my original order) and told her the first order finally showed up, God bless the post office, and told her to please go ahead and charge me again for the 2nd order, that it was more trouble to deal with returning them, and that I would use them up eventually, and the price was worth it. She answered me back, thanked me for being honest, and said they would not charge me, and I should consider it a gift. I am now an Arteza customer for life, due to their fantastic customer service policy. I also got their 120 colored pencils. I am a Prismacolor fan, they are my #1 favorites. The Arteza are nice, but they aren't Prismas. But the price was ready great, and the color range was very different from any of my other MANY sets, so I use them sometimes. I guess I got a good set of them. I got them just before the pandemic hit. Didn't mean to go on and on. The point being, I trust their integrity in dealing with their customers, and that's worth a lot. Again, great video, Lindsay!
There was the same issue with Prisma colors when they moved down to Mexico it was I believe. They we were just awful, but shortly they improved again. people forget how to be gracious when things like this happen.
I was able to snag a big set cheap when they were on their "redemption tour" lol!
But prismacolor premier are really good , probably the problem is that some people ignors how to use them correctly.
@thefrugalcrafter: I got a set of 72 Prismacolor pencils for less than $30.00 when the nasty reviews were airing on RUclips a couple years ago. It is relatively cost effective to replace colors and the pencils are wonderful for how I use them.
@@mememex-t1v You may not have seen what happened with Prismacolors back then, but they started making them in Mexico and then people started complaining about broken cores that would just break over and over as they were being sharpened, no matter what sharpener you used. I got some like this myself, but Prismacolor quickly replaced them.
I must have gotten a set of the older ones, because mine have broken like crazy.
I greatly appreciate you taking the time to share your knowledge of how products are made, and the current fade in quality for many lines.
I so appreciate this! A basic reminder of buyer beware is good for the soul... better yet is your voice of reason about what’s going on or what may be going on and your own personal sense that there is nothing nefarious involved. that this is bad stuff going on just because sometimes bad stuff happens and circumstances make things difficult at times. Voices of reason are so needed!
I am not a color pencil artist, or a painter
I had hand picked some polychromos pencils to try. I didn't like them. This is MY personal preference. I bought a set of the arteza watercolor pencils a few years ago. I really like them. I don't use them a ton, but I have a great selection of colors when I want them. I gave a friend the faber castell pencils and she USES them! It makes me happy!
I have friends who color more stamps than me, but don't spend copious amounts of time doing it. With so many budget brands available, both have SEVERAL sets of colored pencils and watercolor pencils. During these shortages I honestly think it might be a good time to use what you have. If you don't have any, thats a different story. This is probably not a good time to get your second, third or fourth budget set. My next question is NOT snide or sarcastic. If you aren't a professional artist, or someone on RUclips who does reviews, how many large sets of pencils do you need? Am I just missing the boat on this one?
I didn't like gelatos. I bought an assortment of them used. I don't like the way they feel in my hand. I don't like the "chapstick tube" for art. I gave mine to a friend. I have lyra watercolor crayons (24 or 36 I'm not sure which). I have reccolections watercolor crayons. I adore the shimmer in those. I have portfolio water soluble oil pastels. 1 have 1 neocolor 2 in red that I LOVE. I some watercolors too. I don't need budget watercolor products. As I use up my lyra and oil pastels, I will look at neocolor 2 as a set or individual. I think that budget brands are AWESOME for crafters like me! I also think that the price is low enough to attract people to buy a bunch. I have had my lyra set for maybe 4 to 6 years. I have browns that have never used. I am seriously thinking of a set of 12 for the neocolor 2s because I don't seem to use the massive amount of colors that my brain says I need. I would love to know if anyone else has this issue.
My set of 60 arteza acrylics truly helped teach me what colors I wanted in large tubes. I bought large tubes on a great sale from consumer crafts.
Gouache- I bought a VERY cheap set of studio 72 gouache on the same sale. I think I paid around $5 for a set of 12. They are fun on the gel plate and for stenciling. I still have plenty left, so this taught me that I don't need a huge set of gouache. Budget brands are FANTASTIC to check out a medium and see if its for you.
I am NOT attacking any product or brand. I am talking about ME.
I just got the Cezzane tin of 72, watercolor pencils. Wow, they are the best I've used. As good or better than Prisma. I got the pack of 24 first & was so impressed got the tin of 72.
This was such an informative video. I loved the comparisons of products and the current history of manufacturing and distribution. This went way beyond a product review. Thanks so much! (I do a lot of art workshops for groups and have always found Arteza products to work well in these situations.)
Awesome in-depth information. I love your sense of humor. 😊
Great discussion Lindsay. I love to hear your perspective. Prismacolors always my favorite. I did see one of the bad yt reviews. I was surprised this person was upset with the customer service resolution because I thought it was very reasonable. Life is too short to waste time and energy on tiny issues. Enjoyed "Monday chat."
Oooh, I am so glad you released this video. I had not heard a single thing about this issue but now that you've mentioned it, I don't think I'll be buying the set I've been eyeing anymore.
Buy the best you can afford, not the cheapest you can get away with! I saved a long time to get my set of Senellier Oil Pastels and I very happy with what I'm able to do with them, especially when used with Prismacolor Colored Pencils! Absolute Magick!
I also just watched Jennifer's take on this over on the Coloring Pages Bliss channel. She tested 3 sets of Arteza pencils with water, then did the same for some Prismacolors and Polychromos. She found ALL of them ran somewhat. Older sets, newer ones, didn't matter. Turns out to be a common problem for all brands and levels, so all the drama is unwarranted..
I think you misunderstood the issue here. It's not the fact that pencils kind of run a bit when they're wet, it's the fact that there seem to be different pencils being sold under the same name while the quality varies greatly. At least that's what I've taken away from watching a couple of these videos.
@@RamoArt YEs, that's happening. However a lot of reviewers are freaking out about the pencils running at all.
I am consistently impressed with the professionalism that you bring to issues like this. You did the same thing when people were up in arms over the cost of smart art box versus what you actually get within the box.
Buying budget brands is definitely a mixed bag.
I love my Arteza watercolor pencils and their gouache. But I absolutely HATE their tube watercolors. (I tried to do a galaxy painting and I had paint cracking on the paper. The same way cheap watercolor paint cracks in the pan.)
I recently bought a 72 set of Deli pencils for $32 that so far I am loving. I also picked up the 174 set of Shuttle Art pencils for $32. I haven’t tested those yet, but I am left wondering if I should have saved the $64 to invest toward the 120 Polychromos set when my budget allows.
Thank you for bringing a balanced perspective to the situation.
I purchased Arteza colored pencils last month and I have no issues with them. I was actually surprised at how vibrant they were. Glad I didn’t get the bad batch.
Lindsay, this was a well fleshed out discussion on art supply issues and expectations. Very thorough and compassionate toward the consumer. Kudos to you, and thanks.
Thanks for staying objective about the possible reasons the quality of Arteza products has changed. Great analysis of the art supply market in general. I appreciate your insights.
I would say inconsistency is one of the biggest reasons I have avoided truly budget pencils and went with brand names that I trust. Koh-I-noor is a very established brand but not super popular. I have used their pencils for years and even recently bought some of their soft pastels, always good products always dependable and always a joy to use. Thanks Lindsey for trying to keep everybody up-to-date even though this is an older video at the time of my comment. You still go out of you way to keep your viewers informed and not ripped!
I like their modules watercolor pencils too! I reckon they make blicks house brand colored pencils too.
Amazon is notorious for having counterfeit products mixed in with legitimate products. I know Arteza has their own web store, I would wonder what would happen if you ordered those same pencils directly from the supplier?
Looking at their website there are a few bad reviews so maybe it is indeed just a bad factory; however, I'm not sure if those buyers bought from amazon and left a review on the company's website.
wow, I never considered that but I was on the arteza website and their 120 set of expert pencils have different numbers than the set I have and like and my set was sent directly from Arteza.
Ordering from Arteza.co.uk usually results in the order being fulfilled by Amazon.co.uk, in my experience. However, a few months ago I ordered the 96 set of brush pens from Arteza. The order was fulfilled by Amazon, but upon checking the pens, I found a large number with split and otherwise flawed brush tips. I got in contact with Arteza CS and they were great: they sent replacements (EDIT: which were in much better condition - only one or two had slightly flawed brush tips) and these were NOT fulfilled by Amazon, but a fulfillment company I hadn't heard of before. Perhaps these were a better batch, or they've been having problems with either Amazon's storage/handling/co-mingled inventory, or a particular batch known to have mostly gone to Amazon? Only Arteza might know!
I'm happy that I got good materials when I did, which are fine for my current standards, but this episode has taught me the value of the consistency offered by more established brands, and especially on their professional-grade lines.
You do have to be careful regarding Amazon.. the issue is that they may ship the item but it's given to them by another supplier. Some of these are third party or importers. Some of them are actually fulfilled by the third party and only use Amazon as a storefront. Be sure to investigate where the items are coming from. Try to get items that come from the main company, although that is not always possible. Amazon is just a distributor for most items... they do not investigate or track every single thing they sell.. until and unless a distributor has enough complaints to warrant their removal they simply take the word that it is legitimate product.
That happened to me 3 times when I ordered a set of Lyra watercolor pencils from Amazon Warehouse. They substituted very inferior brands so I had to take the time to return them. Amazon did listen to my complaint the first time and you would think that it not have occurred again. But, no, twice more inferior brand pencils were substituted in the correct metal case. Buyer beware indeed.
@@clikrf8 Amazon Warehouse goods seem to be a mix of items that have been cosmetically damaged (whether in storage, or in transit), and customer returns. Obviously, if a customer has returned an item, they may have substituted a superficially similar product for the one Amazon originally sent to them, as an act of fraud. Based on the number of reports of this that I've seen, I don't think Amazon invest a lot of time, money, talent, or care in checking their returns.
Hi Lindsay! thank you for clarify this dilemma. Not only with the Arteza colored pencils, but with several products, which are from the same manufacturer, and they give it a different name, or the legitimacy of the product...the student grade pencils, that they are too expensive.....it happened to me with the Prismacolor Premier, which I bought in 2021, and I did a test on paper... and I was surprised! It wasn't the same pigment as the same pencils I had bought more than 5 years ago! those pencils that I have are much more pigmented than the new ones. This is a very stressful situation for all of us!... I have never tried the Arteza, I almost bought them, but I was very hesitant, because I did not know exactly if these were Artist grade. So, thanks for this!🥰 💛
At this point in my artistic journey, I just stick with the tried and true pro brands. I've been tempted, but never purchased any Arteza. I don't find myself wanting to experiment as much as I did a few years ago. But it is fun to play around sometimes with some cheaper brands. But we do get what we pay for in the long run. If Arteza wants to be around for the long haul, they will make sure they make things right for their customers. Thanks for keeping us informed, Lindsay!
I appreciate that you are fair and reasonable toward Arteza.
Great explanation on what is going on in the craft industry. I bought some Arteza products early on and I like their products. I am not a professional but a hobbiest, but still want decent quality. I made the mistake of commenting on a craft site at one time about my dislike for the Ohuhu markers which I bought pre-pandemic. I have a set and don't even touch them. I would let a child play with them instead of my better quality markers. Boy, I got slammed as others said they absolutely loved them. Watching this video gives me another perspective on how I choose my art supplies. Thank you.
Ohuhu has had a few changes over the years.
Bravo!! You are so right on this matter. I really appreciate that you took the time to put this out there in an informative manner and no pitchforks 😁 loved this!
This all makes sense now, thankyou Lindsay for bringing this to everyone's attention.
I think the same thing has happened with the 𝑃𝑎𝑢𝑙 𝑅𝑢𝑏𝑒𝑛𝑠 watercolor sets, well the pan sets anyways from my experience.
I'd got the 24 half pan Paul Rubens set, which you (and 𝑚𝑎𝑛𝑦 others) gave a great review for. But at Christmas I received a set of very different quality. The half pans looked like they were dried outside.. The stickers changed, they we're instead glued straight across, leaving patches of glue stuck to all the paints.. the tin was already all scratched + banged up, inside + out.. When I reached out to the seller, they weren't as kind or professional as Artizia sounds to be, they basically argued with me & in a passive aggressive way told me I was wrong. This was on Amazon as well, from a seller called "Marvelifes"... What was really odd though, he offered to send me their 12 set of their metallic watercolors, 𝗯𝘂𝘁 𝗼𝗻𝗹𝘆 𝗶𝗳 I kept my unusable tin of 24 paints..🤔 Which made no sense as then I'd basically be paying $70 (I'm in Canada) for 12 glitter paints that I didn't want. Anyways... sorry I obviously needed to get that out since Amazon deleted my (very respectfully, yet critical) review! Which happens too often, to too many...
I appreciate your gentle approach here, you're always both kind 𝑎𝑛𝑑 respectful, while giving us your honest opinions💗
Oh no! I think Lightwish is the only authorized seller of Paul rubens on USA Amazon. Not sure about Canada. That's terrible as those paints are great or used to be.
@@thefrugalcrafter Yeah ours used to be just Lightwish too, but that's changed fairly recently. Actually after I returned the tin set I bought the 24 "Flower" tube set that you reviewed as well ( I purchased it from Lightwish this time) and they're amazing! -TᕼᗩᑎKYOᑌ
ps. I appreciate you taking time to comment💗
Excellent video. I was not aware of the controversy but even if i found a problem with a product i would probably assume it was error on my part. I have purchased many arteza product and found them to be great. Their customer service was very helpful when i had a shipping issue. Thanks for all the great info given here.
On a plus side...i just got arteza glitter pens..and really love them! Ordered another set as a gift.
Thanks! Love your honesty.
I have arteza brand and I love them,no problems for me.Awesome video Lindsay.⚘⚘⚘
Lindsay, this was a "GREAT" and much needed talk about what's happening in the colored pencil community. I was recently looking to purchase some acrylic paints from Arteza but bec of all the negativity I was concerned. I have purchase many products from Arteza and received excellent products, however, I do agree with you. I'm hoping all this will pass. I also agree that one should not give bad review just to jump on the bandwagon, so to speak. Thanks for the talk. I appreciate it.
I have used their tube and pouch acrylics and never had a problem. Nice coverage and good colors. I did some gel printing and furniture painting with them. The paint film seems tough.
Thanks Lindsay. You are awesome for explaining all this to us. And we can pass it on to others. Many thanks. 😊👍💜
I was in the process of ordering Arteza’s 120 colored pencils set but after watching you I think I will wait. I have several Arteza’s products and I’m very satisfied with them but they are not from this year. Thank you for your review. Love your straightforwardness and honesty.
You are so honest and ethical. I only follow your reviews because of you integrity. My husband was listening in to this video, and said your integrity is inspiring. Thank you Lindsay.
Aww, thanks!
I have used many... many Arteza products and for the most part really enjoy them. I tend to use more artist quality products. Ie., I use mostly Daniel Smith watercolors which is probably why I can't stand Arteza watercolor paints in the tubes. However, I use mostly Derwent pencils of all kinds and I really do like Arteza pencils. I have every single pencil that they offer...watercolor (woodless & regular), colored pencil, drawing, etc... they definitely aren't the same as Derwent, but they're still great in my opinion. They're customer service is awesome! I've had some issues with duplicate and broken pencils and within a week I have a new set at my door. I think they're better than a lot of beginner products. I love to compare products myself. I did resist purchasing Arteza products for a while because of the flood of RUclips reviews. It almost made me feel like they were over selling their products for a long time. I also really enjoy their cloth covered journals, but don't like their spiral journals. They do offer a lot of great products. You just have to experiment and communicate with their customer service team. I think that'll make your experience much better!
Good information Lindsay! Makes me grateful to have taken Lachri's consistent advice and not bought into the whole Arteza promotional 'flood' that spread over YT the last couple of years. 'Every' art and craft RUclipsr seemed to be on the bandwagon so it was bound to fall over sooner or later. Have taken a chance though with your recommendations on the Chinese Paul Rubens and the Indian Camlin watercolours you've reviewed recently as an inexpensive way to try out a new 'splashy' technique I've seen but I buy them knowing they are for 'training purposes' only before I commit my usual brand name colours. Great video, thanks for addressing the issue.
this is the first video ive ever watched of you but WHOA MOMMA THE AMOUNT OF MARKERS YOU HAVE IS AMAZING IN THE BACKGROUND
Thank you so much for shedding some positive light on this situation. I absolutely love my Arteza pencils, but apparently I must have purchased them before they switched vendors. You are such a light in the RUclips art community and so knowledgeable. I love how you approached this situation in such a positive manner. Arteza has always had wonderful customer service for me as well as a lot of people that have purchased them after seeing all the videos tutorials I have done coloring with them. Thank you again, Lindsay!
Thanks Pamela, there are so many factors to this and people love to stir the pot sometimes!
@@thefrugalcrafter I agree!
I have just received the 120 set of the watercolour pencils and they are great. Vibrant and rich. There are no lines left if you are careful. Much better than the Castle Arts.
Thank you so much for doing this video. I really like how you review products and respect your opinion, especially on things like this. You have an excellent point about why quality may change with budget pencils. It does add another layer of difficulty in reviewing products and it's something I'm going to have to preface reviews in the future for these kinds of products. I tested my 120 set from November 2018 on a livestream last Saturday and they were fine. I'm still personally bothered with Arteza because if it is a product quality control issue, I wish they would be more transparent with us about it. It would help regain some confidence with their products if they were honest about it. And maybe they will be once they figure it out. I've loved all of my arteza products and now I don't feel like I can recommend any of them after seeing this. That loss of trust is bothering me more than anything else I think. But it is a good lesson for realizing some of the downsides to budget products and to be more careful in the future with my purchases and my reviews.
Great video, Lindsay! Thank you for clearing up a few things. I was curious as to what's going on with certain brands. Thank you, I feel better now :). Love the necklace, too.
Thanks Lindsey, I've been watching this controversy snowballing in the last few days. I do own some Arteza products, just not the coloured pencils and I have been quite satisfied with the quality of them. I've never deceived myself into thinking they were professional quality, just good value for money. I have also suspected that as a new company they were trying to flood the market with very competitive pricing which would gradually rise once people got to know them.
I do own Derwent Coloursoft pencils, which Lori also slammed because of their instability in water. Personally, I have had no problem with them on that score, unless you use them on a gessoed surface, in which case they seem totally soluble.
It really is a case of "buyer beware!" I think for most people, these solubility issues won't arise unless they use water mediums liberally after laying down the pencil. In an ideal world these problems shouldn't occur and in the age of Covid, none of us know for sure what effects the economics of the day will have on our hobby and the quality of our media. All we can do is read the reviews and buy the best quality that our pockets can supply. My opinions are purely those of a hobby/amateur artist.
I like colorsoft too, generally you wouldnt use them with water, same with arteza so ad long as the laydown and color payout was good you should be fine.
Hi Lindsay,
Thank you for keeping us abreast of the market conditions. Many years ago I worked in manufacturing and we used factories in China, Korea, Philippines...and there are a few important other things to be aware of. It doesn’t mean it happens across the board, just be cognizant of. These are not intended to stereotype, they were just experiences we personally encountered.
1. When factories close for Chinese New Year many of the workers go home to their villages. Only about 50% return, so the other 50% are new employees and in training. Product made for the next two months is typically badly flawed, especially electronics toys with lots of pieces or involved products. Add roughly a month on the water shipping here and be wary of products from China March-May. By June they’ve worked out most of the kinks. We used to place purchase orders for 4 months of anticipated sales in December in order to have them ship before the shut down.
2. When you say that company B’s product is essentially identical to company A’s, it likely is. The huge question and issue is whether or not it’s legally licensed or illegally made using company A’s tools, dies, molds, and bill of materials.
China and Korea are most notorious for illegal knock-offs as they do not respect intellectual property rights. Only a surprise visit to the factory to do an inspection could possibly uncover such a thing. On rare occasion US Customs identifies such counterfeit products and has no jurisdiction to do anything about it.
We learned of a US company distributing product under their name which unbeknown to them was made from our molds, dies... We issued a cease and desist here simultaneously while showing up at the factory and repossessing our investment.
Tools and dies cost hundreds of thousands of dollars. If you inquire with the factory they’d just “damage” the tool so a new would have to be made or go out of business on that item.
International production has inherent risks and its hard to know who you’re truly doing business with.
I appreciate the light you share with everyone!
Thank you for this insight. I will keep this in mind when I order things myself. I wish there were disclosures on amazon to where products are made. Thanks again!
Thank you for the length of explanation. You are the bomb and so nice. I will take nice over mean any day.
One other wrinkle when Amazon is involved is that you can very easily get knockoff/counterfeit products added into the stash of the regular product, or another seller with knockoffs takes the spot once the original stash has been sold out. Once everything's in Amazon's warehouse, Amazon (or sometime even just their algotherm) is the one in control. This has been a problem that's plagued a lot of other product types as well, not just art supplies, and all the supply chain hiccups have accelerated the problem to an insane level.
If you want to be sure you're getting what you're ordering, always go for a proper art store, not Amazon. Art stores tend to be a bit more careful about storage and handling of product as well, which can be a HUGE factor with colored pencils....
Do you mean if I link to a product and it sells out it can go to a knockoff? It won't go to another product from the company I linked to?
@@thefrugalcrafter To my knowledge, it'll go to whatever Amazon's algorithm thinks is a suitable replacement. This is why you can often see comments in the Q&A sections or reviews telling people to make sure they're getting it from the right seller since Amazon will sometimes bundle products that look the same into the same listing, even though the products are by completely different companies. (This happens especially often to anything Amazon considers "generic" and very often private label products can get swept up in that.)
@@thefrugalcrafter read up on Amazon's co-mingled inventory setup (e.g. www.redpoints.com/blog/amazon-commingled-inventory-management/ ). As the only seller of Arteza goods should be Arteza themselves, it shouldn't be a factor in this episode. But there might be cause for concern if buying branded goods that are sold by multiple vendors via Amazon.
With time, for me, "expensive pencils" cost me less $$$ compare to "budget pencils".
I like cutesy novelty stuff so I'm a sucker for hobby craft supplies and stationary, but I buy higher end paints, brushes, and paper. I'd say I have a good stash of higher and midgrade products because the advice I get from professional artists is pay for quality not quantity.
If I am playing I'll go for the midgrade cutesy supplies, and if I am practicing to improve my skills I reach for the good stuff. I will wait for sales and buy a few items at a time to build my supplies. Everyone should buy the best quality that is in their budget so that their creative time can be as enjoyable as possible. Thanks to channels like yours we as consumers are able to make informed buying decisions, and thank you for showing products at all price points. You do amazing things with "budget" supplies and I'm sure many of us hope to master that skill 😁
Have a great day, and hope you're staying warm. Our forcast for the next week is in the single digits and below 0. 😱
It is just crazy to see how far the pandemic has reached in affecting our lives. From the worst of it, the health issue, all the way to trade, and production. To see that it has even affected crafting supplies is pretty frightening and eye opening, at how it all trickles down!
I really appreciate your reviews! I know how thorough you are in testing items, before you review them, and know what I'm getting if I order that product! It is so appreciated!
Thank you Lindsay. This was really interesting and so informative!
The best motto I can think of, for this past year, and so far this year is..."What a long, strange trip it's been!" 😖
I loved this overview, and I have purchased many budget pencils over the past 2 years.I love a lot them, and mostly color with them .So it is a hobby for me. I am new to using pencils, so it is an adventure. I painted doing decorative art for years on furniture etc. And find that it was a similar process to finding the best paints, finishing products ,etc as now finding the pencils I love to work with. So I value all your reviews, and Thank you so much for your time and energy you put into your art and channel!!
I'm no expert or even experienced at this but glad came across this informative chat. TYFS! I remain behind Arteza since I have couple of their products and never had issues. But I will also remain more aware on next purchase ! 💖💖💖😲🤓🌹
Thank you SO much for addressing this situation. I've been seeing quite a few Arteza reviews & taking with a grain of salt. I trust you in all things art! I appreciate your candor and honesty - you explain without talking down to us. Thanks and Bless xo
Thank you for explaining this. I know this is an older video, but it is still important to know. Exactly, Sarah Renae Clark's channel is her name. She does give a lot more information on coloured pencils. Her blog on coloured is amazing. She updates it whenever she has more information. However I am not sure if she addresses which batch you get, but definitely not to the extent you do. However her blogs on the best art supplies, including sharpeners, is excellent, updated, and provides a good guide, but should certainly not be taken as perfect.
I had the same issue with the Arteza woodless pencils. At first I thought I had ordered the woodless watercolor pencils but some of them didn't dissolve and then I found by mistake I had ordered the regular colored woodless pencils, but some of them move with water.
Thank you for the follow up.
I have the 120 count from 2019. They don’t budge. Even if they did, I wouldn’t ask for a refund. It’s just FUN for me!!
Thank you for always being the voice of reason. Love your channel!!
Thank you for your perspective; I was not aware of any of the problem w/Arteza. I color nightly in adult coloring books, like J.Basford's books and I love Prismacolor, but I asked for 120 set Arteza for Christmas. I'm very pleased w/them. No, they aren't Prismacolor, but for laying down first layer, they are great. Thanks for your words of wisdom. much appreciated!
Your craft room is amazing!!!!!
I have never used Arteza for anything but saw a lot of their product advertized recently. I am a prismacolor gal, but note that the sets are harder to find lately. I have a hoard, and I guess I will keep it for a little while longer. Thank you for your honesty and the review, this helps me know what to avoid or not waste money one.
Thanks for sharing!!
This is such a helpful video! I nearly bought both the 72 watercolor pencil set and the regular 72 colored pencil set (my preference kept waffling back and forth and prevented me from ever buying one) from Arteza multiple times over the past year and I feel like I dodged a bullet. I've personally had a good experience with just about all the products I've bought from them, so I have a soft spot for them and am perhaps a little too trusting with them. I'll definitely make sure to do more research the next time one of their products tempts me so I don't end up getting disappointed. Hopefully as the pandemic ends things will go back to how they were :c
I reckon with all of the refunds they have been issuing they are going to choose their suppliers more carefully and have an employee test each batch before they go out the door to be on the safe side. I have a soft spot for them too as the product has always been better than the price you paid, they were good at sourcing materials.
Honest and informative like always. Thank you for the video, Lindsay!
Whaaaa!! Its like we got a surprise Sat Chat on a Tuesday!! Anyway, I really appreciate your opinion and I agree with you everything you said throughout this entire video...Thank you for sharing. Much love♥️
Interesting~
Honestly my couple favorite color pencil brands are budget stuff, as I'm not bothered by lightfastness:
On second place I have the Prismacolor junior that we get here in Latin America, a school line that is actually different from Prismacolor scholar over there, well, they are a fabulous pencil to work with for a school line. really nice, vibrant and soft. They are made in asian countries and do change factory/formula sometimes but when they do they also change packaging, if you know that you know what your getting, and quality either stays the same or goes up, so really not much to complain about
The my first pick are the super soft/black edition Faber castell, more expensive but are just that bit better, they also don't change formulation, are available in smaller sets that makes up for the lack of openstock and they are made here in Brazil, so there's less transportation (for me, at least •3•) and the factories and pencils themselves have better standards for ecological stuff, which is also why I get a bit nervous with so much cheaper products coming out of china.
(I've also tried some higher end pencils, like the polychromos, but I'm really most comfortable with these hehe)
Thank you thank you thank you thank you !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Excellent video what a BLESSING YOU ARE IN MY LIFE !!!!!!
Excellent information for the artist trying to choose the right product. Thank you. 🇨🇦
Thank you for that review. I have seen many complaints about different brands within the FB groups. I think your impression on why people using the same product may get different results. Your honesty and fairness in your reviews is the reason why I watch your reviews. Thank you for your time.
My first color pencils were Prismacolor, yes I would get upset over them breaking but they are pencils, and had them for many years. Then I bought Polychomos because of all the RUclipss. I think they're great, but I don't get the same color as with Prismacolor. I don't go for all these new products. I do pay attention to products you review, but then I have been following you for ten years and trust your judgment.
Drama drama I hate drama!
I always look for your opinion because I know you’ll be honest and truthful!
You have been in the business for so long and you have so much information on products!
I appreciate this video and your explanation is perfect! I feel the same as you do I don’t think Arteza is doing this just to take peoples money they just need to find out what is going on and let people know so the rumors don’t keep spreading!
I absolutely love their products at least everything I’ve tried so far! And if you get it on sale it’s even better!
Thanks Lindsey!
An older video, but it’s full of good advice. Do the research: look at more than one review. Don’t jump to the conclusion there’s evil intent. I’ve seen customer reviews that complain about a feature that was clearly listed or shown in a listing. Don’t give a bad review for something that was smaller than you thought when the size is clearly listed in the product description, for example. Maybe buy a product with fewer pencils. Try them out before buying the whole shebang. I learned some important things here. Thanks for being knowledgeable and reasonable.
Hi Lindsay, every time I want to buy an art supply I check if you already use it and review it. I have bought some of them and have worked just as you said. No worries on that side. Your knowledge of how companies work is what help us to make decisions. Thank you for sharing this knowledge.
I really appreciate your perspective on this. I just saw the influx of negative Arteza pencil videos today, so I'm glad you touched on it since I watch and trust you. I got a set of 72 Arteza pencils in August. They work great for me, but I'm a beginner colorist and I don't use water. I did have an issue with the white pencil breaking every time I sharpened it. I contacted them last week and they've already sent me a 48 set to replace the white pencil since they don't sell individual pencils. I will say I had to contact them via Facebook in order for them to respond. I emailed them and still haven't heard back, but they did get back to me pretty quickly through FB. All I had to do was supply an order number to them and they sent out the pencils. No questions asked. In fact, they sort of eluded to there being a problem with the pencil itself, which I thought was weird because I didn't offer more detail than what I've said here, but now I wonder if they know of some issue pertaining to breakage that they're not telling us about. Thank you for this video.
I think white pencils in general tend to break more
@@thefrugalcrafter That's really good to know, thank you! I've only used my pencils a few times and the white is more than half way gone already because of the breakage. I wasn't sure I'd like coloring with pencils, so I went with the budget set. Now that I know that I enjoy it, my next pencil purchase will be something a little more expensive...and I will buy some extra white pencils! 🤣
I appreciate this video! I have my eyes on the Arteza colored pencils because I want a bigger selection and practice freely and learn and as I get used to colored pencils I will have a better idea of what colors I'm reaching for the most before I invest in higher quality pencils and for that these little flaws doesn't bother me at all. But I like hearing experienced opinions anyway!
Thank you for explaining this process so clearly.