Thanks for another thoughtful video Harry. Don't let the naysayers get you down, you always do such a professional job of reviewing and comparison. I always look to your reviews for balanced informed views on pencils. This one was no exception.
Cheers mate I really appreciate your support and thank yo so much for stopping by, watching the video and leaving your comment. I love reading through all the comments but I have recently got behind in answering back. I normally do my best to reply but things have just got on top of me. I think from now on I will set a particular day aside for me to read through comments and reply to folk. I never want to be the type of RUclips who ignores the very people that put my channel where it is today. I know the bigger a channel gets the more difficult it is to reply but I will do my very level best to reply even if it takes a wee bit longer than usual.
Good on you Harry! .... and as always, a great and balanced review, but please be careful and don't push too hard if it hurts your back so much - it goes to show the strength of character you have and I think that many can understand how hard it can be, even under normal circumstances and smaller channels, to also keep up with comments ... great to see you again. :)
With the Lightfast Derwent have definitely entered the Olympus of the colored pencils. Quite a huge achievement for them. I hope Derwent haters see this and realize what really Derwent are capable to do. I'm far from being a Derwent fanboy or whatever, I've personally grown up with Faber-Castell, which are another amazing company, but I get really upset when people say Derwent products are total garbage or something like that. And regarding what you have written on your website, I I totally agree with you. People are ALWAYS going to complain about something, and sometimes rightly. But, in my opinion, pencils aren't made for war, they can be also used together, so I think that this obsession to find "The Perfect Pencil" is silly. Great comparison, your work is remarkable, it's really important you pointed out these things.
I am a Derwent fangirl and love everything and all the products I have bought from them and I adore my inktense pencils!! But their metallic pencils are also very wonderful to use as well. But as he said all of the higher end brands like Derwent, Caran D'ache, Faber-Castell are all brilliant pencils and have different pencils for different projects and style and also how one uses them light or heavy handed makes a difference as well. But I do so love my Derwents❤️❤️❤️
I agree there is no perfect pencil. But sometimes people have a perfect pencil for them. Mine is the derwent drawing. I just wish they would make another 12 colors of brighter tones and another 12 of maybe pastels. They'd make a killing and I'd buy every single one of them.
Thank you for your meticulous video. Doing this while in pain and facing hardship is amazing. I'll bet you have a strong faith in God. You are a very generous person and your attitude in life is a blessing to many. Cheers from Minnesota
Cheers Dave mate you are too kind. I actually think mate that I get more from this community than you guys get from me. The help art and in particular art reviews has given me is unbelievable and in particular from a mental health perspective. I was brought up in a Christian household, my grandparents were church going people, as is my ow parents and my Mother and Father in Law. My wife is from a strong Christian background. My wife and I brought all three of our children in a Church of England School system. Whilst I believe in God, I think I had a bit of a falling out with him when I lost my job as a soldier and was disabled from my spinal injury whilst serving. But I often think to myself, things could have been much worse. I was always of the opinion that if I loved and believed in God that I would be looked after so to speak and when I look at myself now years after my injury, I know that he absolutely did look after me cause I am still here with my beautiful wife and three children. However at the time, I lost the only job I ever wanted to do and was probably intelligent enough to do, I lost my ability to look after and provide for my family, which really tore me up. My wife and I still to this day live in a a very small house and it isn't ours, because I can't work, my wife is the only one who works and so we can't afford our own home. All my wife ever wanted was her own home and I could not provide this for her. But as she tells me often, she wanted me to be with her and not dead more than a house. I just wish I had the ability to provide for my family but I can certainly see now that God did look after me on that terrible day and I am thankful. Thank you ss much for your comment and sorry for the long reply.
As of March 2021, I now have all 100 of both the Lightfast and the Luminance pencils. Both sets are worth having. Both sets disappointed me on some aspect of their range of colors, which highlights for me why a colored pencil artist really does need multiple sets. In my opinion, Polychromos is indispensable or its fine crisp lines and ability to be layered indefinitely. Polychromos could be paired with any one of the other artist grade pencils and would give a really balanced combination of colors to work with. I own all three kinds of pencils I mentioned plus the full range of Holbeins, and I believe they are all desirable to use if your budget can support it. But it is possible to create wonderful art from mid-sized sets of just two brand's if you work hard at learning to mix your colors effectively, and that only comes with practice, no matter what. And of course, high quality papers that allow lots of layering is essential.
Thank You. You are the voice many want to hear. I am not so interested in which is better but how they work and I will use any and all together to get what I want. I love the products of both companies and use them interchangeably. You ate a great presenter.
Really enjoyed this Harry! It is nice to watch someone who is genuine honest cares about other pocketbooks and gives opinions about different brands. I like how you say there is no bad pencil- it just depends on what you want to use them for! Keep it up and don't let anybody discourage you! Great channel!
How could I let anyone discourage me with wonderful people like you about Teresa. I know just how fortunate I am to have such a wonderful group of subscribers who I actually call friends thank you so much. I
If someone is determined enough they can find something to suggest that a reviewer has a bias, even when the review is completely balanced. Your reviews are thorough and conclusions based on what you find. Anyone without an axe to grind sees that straight off. Keep up the good work!
Thanks for another brilliant comparison. It's difficult being a reviewer as we are only human not machines you don't have to justify anything. You are one of the fairest, honest and reliable art reviewers on RUclips in my opinion. Your an excellent artist, you've used most the major brands and more and if I need to know something arty from pencils to sharpeners I come here first for an informative video to help me make up my own mind. So far I've bought alot from your videos and I've been so happy with all my products so much that my art has improved because of those choices so thank you.
Thank you so much, you are too kind, I really don’t know what to say. Comments like yours make creating these videos all the more enjoyable. When I was a soldier, the main thing I loved about my job was helping people. If had of left the Army by choice and not with a disability, I would have joined the police or Fire Service. I always wanted to work in an agency combating human trafficking, but I’ll never be able to do something like this. I’ve always loved the feeling of helping others which I know is a bit selfish. So when I realised that something as simple as reviewing art products could help people, albeit in a very small way, I felt I was worthwhile again.
Thanks Harry! I can’t wait to get my hands on the new Derwent Lightfast I’m sure they will compliment my Luminance very nicely. And I want to say how much I respect you for doing all this work knowing how much pain you’re living with daily. My best wishes.
Thank you so very much for you wonderfully kind and supportive words, I don’t really know what to say. Thank you so much for your warm wishes, I think you will love the Lightfast Pencils and you are so right, they absolutely will work beautifully with your Luminance
Thank you so much. I just feel that both these pencils in the hands of professional colored pencil artists will be able to create amazing art that will stand the test of time.
My goodness, I can see why you were in the army. You are so methodical and meticulous. This is the very best comparison of pencils I've seen. The way you have done it is so clear, well planned and precise. Your reviews are always really methodical as well, but this was great. I also love hearing your dog walking about while you do this. Her paws on the floor :-) Personally I am a little bit in love with Luminance. They are ridiculous for me really, considering I'm using them in colouring books. But there is just something about them. The first layer or three and they seem to be reluctant to fill in the white spaces. Then all of a sudden they seem to meld together and a deep, rich and creamy appearance starts to rise up, getting rid of the white specs completely. I've never used any kind of blender on them, just the pencils themselves. I couldn't justify the expense of a set, so I've bought open stock a few at a time. It's taken about 18 months, but I now have the 40 set gathered in! Perhaps a little competition with the new Derwent pencils will mean Luminance come down in price a little. That would make my day.
Here in Brazil , I can buy Derwent colored pencils in several art stores and of course on line. I can easily find the Lightfast, the Procolour, the Drawing and the Coloursoft as open stock. The Polychromos that was the easier to find is now the second one. I can buy two or three Procolours and Polychromos for the price of just one Luminance. And Prismacolor you have to import from USA paying heavy customs taxes.
Thank you Harry, for your fine, thoughtful reviews of art supplies. I too am disabled, and can testify how art can save your life. God bless you and your family.
Your videos are very informative and thorough. Some people have to criticize EVERYTHING. Don't pay any attention to those sad people. Keep up the good work you've been doing :-)
Thank you so much, I honestly don’t mind professional criticism, in fact my knowledge is what it is now because some incredible people have corrected me when I’ve made mistakes and it has been their schooling that has contributed to what I am able to provide now. It’s just the occasional individual, and it is a very rare event when it does happen, but I take huge issue with being called a liar or similar on my channel or site. The only reason it annoys me so much is because I have a huge amount of respect for my subscribers and no matter what happens, when an individuals character is called into question, it is only natural for others to raise an eyebrow or two. The thought of my subscribers thinking I have lied to them or tried to trick or deceive them in any way really upsets me because I owe my subscribers so much, the last thing in the world I would do is any of the fore mentioned to them. Which is why I guess I might over react when this occasionally happens and some calls me a liar etc. I need to take a step back, count to ten and go from there when and if it ever happens again. Thank you so much for everything I really appreciate it
Constructive criticism is one thing and should be welcomed, but calling someone a liar and nitpicking every little thing is another and is just mean-spirited and wrong.
I've bought four of these pencils from the Coloured Pencil Shop, and they are fantastic. Derwent have excelled themselves. I have a very few Luminance pencils (which I also like very much) and these pencils do feel different to them and you can tell that they are oil based. I actually prefer oil based pencils, but am now going to be experimenting in using the Derwent and Luminance together. I think the the colour range you will get with both sets (especially once Derwent add the other colours) will be amazing. The Forest Green which I bought is a fantastic deep green, a colour that I have been looking for a long time. Great video, I'm going to look forward to lots more of these, I love comparison videos and find them very useful thanks so much for this one.
Thank you Harry. That was a really informative comparison. I will get some open stock Derwent Lightfasts. And whatever Derwent does, they shouldn't dare to take the Artist Pencils out.
Great video Harry! 😁 I absolutely agree, why knock one pencil off the list over another??🤔 Having both pencil brands together gives you even more color options.😃 I'm so sorry your pain was increasing while doing the video. I do hope it calms down for you, Take care my friend. 🤗
Valarie Connell /DrawingWithFire It was my fault, I was way too enthusiast when Harry's review about the Derwent Lightfast came out that I said, in a comment under the video that recieved some "likes" : " I believe that Lightfast could make Luminance pencils useless", but this is a stupid statement, I know 😂. But what is true, is that with these Lightfast, Luminance have lost the absolute primate about lightfastness or overall quality. There is another wonderful option on the market, which could be obviously an expansion for a colored pencil artist's arsenal. "Pencil Wars" are useless and silly, after all.
Thanks so much for the excellent work you do! Your videos are informative and interesting. I learn so much from you. I subscribed a while back and I'm glad I did. Keep posting your videos and I'll keep watching. Take care!
Harry thank you for sharing your thoughts on all the different products. I appreciate your efforts to help us make decisions on which products to buy. I am lucky enough to have many sets of pencils including Holbein, Polychromos, Luminance, Prismacolors and many more. I just received and have used the Lightfast for a couple of days. I absolutely love them and I am hoping for more colors soon!
Hi Harry... great review. I personaly love Derwent Lightfast... even over the Luminance. I find that a big amount of my luminance pencils are rather scratchy in thier performanceat times. The Derwent lightfast ones are all smooth in thier laydown. But some of the colours of Luminance are unique... so I use them both. But I do wish Luminance fixses the crachyness in some of thier pencils, esspecially cassel earth!
Thank you for such an indepth review. I have long wondered about these fancier, more expensive pencils and now I know a lot more now. Thanks for your time and effort!😊🌹
That is an awesome collection of pencils you have. Also totally agree with how you use them, each pencil offers a completely different outcome depending on the subject you are drawing. Thank you for sharing and commenting
Hi O was looking for a comparison between Derwent Coloursoft and Procolour, just found ine but it didn't really satisfied me. Can you make the video about these two?
I come to you whenever I’m looking at new pencils for myself. I love your unbiased and very thorough reviews. I really don’t need lightfast pencils, but the lay down of the Derwent keeps calling me. I already have Luminance and was wondering how they compared. Very nice review.
Geez! Now I "need" another set of pencils:-) The Lightfast pencils should be available in the states in September. Exciting! Thank you for the helpful comparison.
I’m a pencil addict. I’m in Australia and we never get to be first for art mediums. If you’re interested Cult Pens UK has Lightfast at 33% off and will post free internationally if you purchase £50. Singles are available at 3 for the price of 2. Also Violet is available for 10p as a tester. I’m a person who always buys full sets but this price was too good to refuse. When the 72 come out I’ll see what’s available pricewise as I always find lower prices. I have Luminance full set and I love them so 🙏Harry. I can’t wait for them to arrive and they’re being sent airmail to boot. I have all Derwent’s ranges.
Thank you for this test. Which brand is covering better, seen on black paper? I bought 2 single pencils of the luminance, a red and a yellow and compared them with my Prismacolor. The Prismacolor Red had much more coverage! I love Prismacolor, because of the good coverage and colour range. And price :-) Only point is the lightfastness, but I am not sure if the Luminance are really better. In a sunlight-test a red hue faded in comparison to cheaper brands. I do not trust this marketing promises any more. I don’t like the Luminance very much, but I am interested in the Derwent Lightfast Set. A little bit disappointing that the colours are similar to each other.
Hi Emily. There are some companies that do their own in house lightfast testing and to be honest I am not 100% sure of the process used for this, I think they try to follow the Blue Wool and ASTM standards. However the links of Faber Castell and their Polychromos, Caran D’Ache and Derwent have their pencils tested by the independent bodies involved with conducting those standards. This is why lightfast pencils that have been independently tested are so expensive because the companies have to pay a lot of money to have the pencils tested and certified as lightfast in either of the two standards. Of course trusting these standards is a totally individual thing, but I think I am right in saying, if a company is selling that a pencil is highly lightfast and you can prove it isn’t what the company is saying it is, you could have grounds to complain.
I'm glad your on the ytube doing the art reviews ...one because I've only been in the art community for two years and I'm learning so much from you from technology and verbiage and others about products and prices and how the items ranges are in a art way...I'm internally grateful as I'm on a really limited budget also I'm also limited in my mobility and it's great to see someone who also has physical limitations work with each product and your take on how you hands feels with said items....thank you again even tho I'm not able to buy many of these items... they do go on my lottery bucket art wish list.lolo. can you tell me difference between light fast and inktense I'm kinda confused about the difference and do you do a review on the derwert inktense..many art blessings to you thru your day✍🎨
Hi Marc my friend and thank you so much for your incredibly kind comment. Okay so you have colored pencils and then watercolor pencils. When you apply Watercolor pencils to the paper, you then apply a little bit of water to the color you have just applied with a brush and the color turns into paint, watercolor paint. With colored pencils like Derwent Lightfast, Prismacolor, Faber Castell Polychromos, when you apply them to paper, if you tried to put water over the color you just applied, generally, in most cases, the water will run right over the top of the color and maybe only smudge it making a mess. The Derwent Inktense is a unique pencil, it acts exactly the same as the watercolor pencils I mentioned, but when the color you have applied to the paper has water added to it, it will turn into paint but it is Ink, so whatever color has water applied to it from the Inktense pencils, it is permanent. With watercolor pencils, once you have added water and the paint has dried, if you need to lift a little bit of paint, say you had gone too dark, you can apply clean water to the area and use paper towels to lift some color. With the Derwent Inktense, you can't do that because you are working essentially with ink inside pencils. The Derwent Inktense are really amazing pencils and I need to do more with them on my videos actually. I hope this answers your question my friend
Yes Harry I'm sorry you have pain. I am disabled and live with chronic acute pain in my whole body and I understand how debilitating it can be. I commend you for carrying on despite it. Your reviews are thorough and concise. Thanks for making them. Be well!
I really hope derwent expand the drawing range to match the lightfast range. Then there will be a soft and hard version for all these colours. That'd be boss.
I really can’t see Prismacolor changing anything about their pencils. They sell really well as they are and if they started upping the Lightfast rating for example across their 150 range, the price for 150 pencils would be astronomical. I don’t think people would be prepared to pay the money and I don’t think all pencils should be highly Lightfast anyway because not all artists need such high quality pencils. A lot of crafters sell their work but not to last for 100 plus years, birthday cards, Christmas cards etc. There is a wide range of art carried out by colored pencil artists island I think we need the selection of choice. But if a pencil such as the Prismacolor can be improved in whatever area that can only be a good thing providing price isn’t increased too much. Thank you so much for you feedback I really appreciate it.
Thanks Harry for you're answer about the oil and waxed based pencils. I commented in the review from Jason Morgan's lightfast pencils about powder blender and waxed based pencils. You made it clear to me that every pencil has wax and oils. I will try the Derwent pencils. I love the procolour more then the polychromos in how soft they work. I did not like the procolour lightfastness. (Love the polychromos to, but the procolour a bit more in it's own way :) maybe if you have the time, could you do a vs video of the procolour and lightfast pencils? Would love to see that. I also wanted to say to you, don't take every negative comments to heart, only if they are constructively. Poeple who comment about pressure and stuff could think for themselves that you're not a machine. If they look at more of you're videos, they could see you test them in making a whole drawing. Witch says more to you about a pencil then a short test. If they not take the time to think for themselves ore watch you're other videos.... let it go... I for one, love you're in depht reviews and you can explain it so clearly and in clear words. Go on and stay yourself like you are now. There will always be negatives. Take you're positive comments as more important then the negatives
I personally really like the ProColour but then again I love the Derwent Artist range and a lot of people hate them cause they are so hard. I think a lot of people were disappointed about the ProColour Lightfast ratings before the fully understood the Blue Wool scale, especially those used to the ASTM D6901 scale. It is such a complicated system to follow and even more so when some pencils have a Lightfast rating between 1 to 3 stars, because the ASTM is 1-5 scale and the Blue Wool is 1-8 eight being the highest Lightfast and 1 being the highest in the ASTM, so three stars dilutes the rating even further unless that company has completed in house Lightfast testing in which case I have no idea of it authenticity. Also thank you for the encouragement, I really have no issue with people making criticisms at me or the art I complete, in fact genuine criticism I will always leave on the channel and never delete. I feel it is unfair of me to keep all the nice comments but delete the negative that is not reality. I do however take huge issue at being called a liar or out right accused of something I haven’t done, especially if it is from an anonymous account. I would have much respect for a person if they emailed me and asked for my phone number to call me a liar to my face. Of course there is a difference between somebody outright calling someone a liar and someone saying, “hay Harry I think you have got that wrong”. I have only got better and more accurate with my reviews because people have highlighted mistakes to me and I have taken noticed, thanked them and made sure the same mistake doesn’t happen again. The reason for this channel and website is to provide the most accurate honest and transparent information on art supplies to help others make better choices and hopefully save people parting with money unnecessarily. Let’s face it, I can’t talk for everyone, but money is so tight for me and my family, because of my disability, that I am constantly worrying. So if I can help others spend their hard earned and much needed money on products they will love as opposed to will not use because the information on them was vague, I will be very happy.
I was brought up as a 'Derwent Gal' by my English mother who migrated here to Aussie land :-) .... So I actually love the Derwent 'Artists' range of pencils (a hand me down from my mother when i was in my teens, oh so long ago when the barrels were the colour of the pencil core (though I would love to try the ProColour too and now the Lightfast ones!!)..... I have some great Derwent products, they have so many unique choices and colours .... and I even have some 'antiquated' 'Layout Pencils', designed for covering large areas (a precious gift from a friend about 30 years ago, and they were old then!) - they are essentially 'Carpenter Pencils', (modern versions, though not termed 'Lay-Out' pencils anymore, are nearly $200 for 10 pencils!!) ... My Derwent "Lay-Out" versions are between 50-100 years old, still almost 'new' (only one pencil slightly used). and still in a gorgeous gold foil and green wrapped box (Case 1812, from ye 'ol' Cumberland Pencil Co Ltd, Keswick), with soft tissue protection and a ribbon hinge to hold the lid open on the box, all still in tact - I love them and don't want to use them, they are so precious to me! I wish I could show you a photo. Derwent told me that they were supposedly based on the 'artists' series formula' too but its hard to know given that times and dates of when certain pencils were released are unclear..... Yes the 'Artists' pencils are harder, but surprisingly softer than I first thought, very sturdy as all Derwent's products are, very smooth and they blend and layer beautifully - the point one can get using the Derwent Superpoint Manual crank shaft sharpener is amazing too! .... people often use 2 (or more) different pencils anyway depending on what their goal is, eg a softer one for blending/shading etc and a harder one for more detailed parts, not to mention expanding with differing colours within different brands. .... and i know its hard to read nasty unwarranted comments (its the nature of social media unfortunately, amidst the many beautiful people 'up here' too! ... and i'm so glad that you can take other comments which may disagree, or point out a possible mistake, and look into it and learn and bring us the best information you can - like you, being on a disability, money is tight, so I value what you do and why, because I worry too and stress isn't great for dealing with pain and health as it is. Your art is beautiful too and I'm hoping I will maintain the strength to improve my art and fight through the pain as you do while I can - Thank you always
I also have a tin of the Artist pencils from the days when the barrels were fully coloured :-). They are pretty pencils. I wish they hadn't stopped doing that. They are hard, but that means they last forever! And they work well on proper paper designed for pencils. I just wish I had a bigger set. I have 36.
Megan McCarthy, I must admit I'm from Holland and here is Derwent a long known brand. But I'm only working with colored pencils for a few months now. And not that long following Harry so my first pencils are the Derwent procolour because I knew the brand from back in school. And the reviews are verry positive except for the lightfastnes. And they are hard but smooth. In that I mean when you blend them with solvent. But I'm a person that wants the good stuff (I think lightfastnes is important), so I have lots of polychromos and some luminance to. And although I like the expensive luminance they are harder to build layers and I only use them at the end sometimes, mainly the lighter colors for details. It is also starting to get addictive to have all the pencils haha. And I don't have lots of money to spend so I buy them open stock every month a few. I love the old things to. It's to bad you can't share a picture on youtube. Maybe it's better said that I love all my pencils in a different way. I also think that if I try the Derwent lightfas, and love them I'll still use my polychromos and luminance
The Art Gear Guide that's indeed what I ment Harry. You can't please everyone and I would get irritated to if someone called me a liar. And because you mention it so honest and indeed take criticism to heart I know and all you're other followers to, you are a verry honest person. If I hear ore see you talking in you're videos I think you're the kind of guy that can talk about everything and take criticism and really listen to it. I also think you're a sensitive person (in a verry good way I mean. I for one love that about people) I'd hate to see someone, you in this case, get hurt by meaningless people who are only behind there social media to give negative reactions and take someone down.. I hope again I've explained myself in a good way. Talking and listening English is easier than writing 😂
Hello Harry! Thank you for another amazing review (actually a comparison)! I had never thought of blending two different types of pencils, so thank you for that. You have ALWAYS (at least as long as I have been viewing) given extensive information about every item you are using for each demonstration. It is ironic that I am currently at the location where I first starting looking for information about different pencil types and encountered your channel. It is a shame that you feel the need to state that you are fearful of people thinking a product you use for demonstration would be presented unfairly. As my 24 year old would say "haters will be haters" and my mother would say "words can never hurt me". Remember many folks are not happy unless someone else is unhappy. I am not expert, still quite a novice, but I remember the kindergarten color wheel, and even at my level of expertise, I have worked with enough colors to know what you are presenting is accurate. On a lighter note, at a few points during this video I wonder if you were ambidexterous! I have no idea whether that is spelled correct but eh... LOL.. I hope you are feeling better soon! Take care!
"Everyone's a critic" therefore no matter what you say or do in your "magic tricks" someone will find an issue. I suggest you just be true to who you are and do your best at sharing what you know and have learned throughout your art journey. People who see the quality and honesty in your tutorials will appreciate them! Thanks for sharing your knowledge and experience. P.S. you probably could've used a magic trick to help you stay within the lines 😂😉( just a little dry humor there).
I really love your videos and you're doing them as neutral as you can be. And I really honoring it! You kinda went a bit journalistic and that's great :)
Hi art gear after 2 years of uploading this video which Derwent pencil you would recommend? Here in Qatar Only Faber Castell, Derwent pencils, lyra & bruynzeel pencils available. I’m into pastel drawing and using Derwent pastel pencil though I’m annoyed how it break easily think It’s still do the job good. And now I want to try colored pencil and I don’t want to spend so much buying polychromos As the amount cost double the price of Derwent pencil here. Which Derwent pencil you’ll recommend that will be good for detailing, blending & layering
they seem equal. It would be interesting to see the same picture colored with both. Can they work together? from the comments below I presume the answer is yes.. due to the fact that both contain oil, even though one is wax based and the other oil based. It's nice to have extra colors.
I know what you mean, there is a perfection about Caran d'Ache products that is incredibly difficult to find anywhere else. The Luminance, Museum Aquarelle, Pablo, NeoColour, Supracolor Soft and so much more are all outstanding products. I had a viewer mention that they didn't realise the Pablo were classed as Caran d'Ache's Student grade pencils, and they seemed a bit deflated I think but I explained that student grade for Caran d'Ache is higher than Artist grade for so many other art companies. Thank you so much for stopping by
The Art Gear Guide Hi Harry, I know the Supracolour (ws) are student grade but didn’t know Pablos were as they are usually advertised as artist grade and are not far off the (RRP) price of Luminance. Could you kindly provide a link to that information? Thanks 🙂
Kyomii which information? That the Pablos are Student Grade? I never actually said the Pablos were student grade, I mentioned that I received a comment from a viewer about them being Student Grade and that I felt the person was a bit low thinking that they had only purchased a student grade pencil, which I could be wrong on the feelings, it was just how I picked up the comment. I tried to reassure the individual that if they really are considered Student Grade after the Luminance that they shouldn’t be too concerned as a student grade Caran D’Ache Pencil is better than a lot of artist grade pencils.
I think supracolor soft being said student grade is a harsh statement. Their student grade pencils are Fancolor, Swisscolor and stuff like that. Supracolor and Pablo may not be at the same level of the Luminance or the Museum Aquarelle, but they are made for professionals as well, I think.
The Art Gear Guide Ok Harry, thank you for explaining. I thought you believed they were student grade by telling them that CD student grade is better than artist grade of other companies, rather than telling them they are artist grade. Sorry for any misunderstanding.
Hi Cathy people who have been told the official date are not allowed to disclose until allowed. I am actually talking with some important people from the art supply world and Derwent in May and hopefully after this the date will be announced but whatever it is I can tell it will be soon and they have a set of 48, 72 and 100. So with having a 100 pigments the Lightfast are really going to compete if not supersede the Luminance for some people. But as soon as I am allowed to talk about the release date I absolutely will.
Thank you Harry for updating my question. Like you, I think the Lightfast are amazing and I am looking forward to the release of larger sets. I am having knee replacement in June and they will be my gift to myself. I am looking forward to using them during my rehab therapy. Again, thank you and keep up the good work. 👍🏻👍🏻
Great video. Both pencils are great. I'd be lucky to have either one. Hey, I'm gonna have some of the lightfast thanks to you. I'm so excited to try them when they get here. Thank you so much for doing the giveaway. Now I have a good start to a collection of some really nice pencils. I always enjoy your video's, & learn a lot. TYFS
Thank you so much Kim for your comment, I can’t wait for you to get the pencils, I think you will really enjoy them. All the giveaway parcels have been sent but goodness knows how long they will take to get to everyone. One of the things I really love about doing giveaways is writing out the addresses, I think it is amazing sending gifts to people from all over the world. Plus I get so much satisfaction giving back to as many people as possible for all the wonderful support you guys have shown me. I am truly a very fortunate person. Thank you so much
It is amazing how youtube can bring people together who would have never known about each other. And how it makes some of us who are unable to go places or do things feel like we are a part of a community of friends. Art & the friends I've made on youtube have expanded my life in a way that would have never been possible without it. I thank you for making great content, & being who you are, & doing what you do. I'm sure I will love the pencils. TY Have a great weekend.
Can you review the castle art supplies pencles because they cheap and people seem to love them but I am hesitant to purchase them if they suck also this is a great video
Hi Harry, just now watching this video a year later, Haha. The only minor problem I have is you said the Luminance 76 set is not 76 pigments. That is incorrect, it is 76 pigments, and it does include two of their blenders which are not counted as part of the 76. But you may already know that by now, so feel free to ignore me. Thank you for all of your videos and reviews, I really enjoy them. 😊👍
If you already have polychromos and luminance, could you say which of these pencils are worth buying open stock to complement the other colours? I know Lachri said the nightshade and the purples were something worth getting
That is a really difficult question to answer, only you can decide which colours are worth buying based on the type of art you enjoy. If I didn’t do review videos and had time to just draw, I would probably focus if botanical and fan art, they are the two genres that I really enjoy. So for me the greens and earth tones in the Derwent Lightfast are worth buying and then the bright vivid colors. If you can tell me the type of art that you love to draw I might be able to recommend good open stock colours for you.
@@TheArtGearGuide Thank you so much for your reply. The truth is I'm just beginning in the world of colour pencils and I'm drawing a bit of everything from realism to fantasy. I do love whimsical magical colours though probably why Lachri saying how incredible the purples were made me want to get them. I'll certainly look into the greens as that is another colour, especially the blue-greens which I truly love. Truth is I don't have a full set of any of the pencils but I have quite a lot of polychromos, but I will get there!
Well Harry you've certainly provided yet another fantastic teview and a really great comparison. I think that both are favourably comparable. I also thought that the Derwent did lay down and blended better but as we know wax and oil pencils will do. Nevertheless I still think the luminance are an awesome pencil BUT those Derwent Lightfast are just gorgeous. As a developing artist I'd rather have pencils that are going to give me everything I need and I feel that both of these sets will do just that. I'm totally convinced that Derwent have outdone themselves this time round and I'll be buying the lightfast set to add to my Derwent collection which I have almost every set except their coloursoft and studio which I'm just not interested in. I'm totally convinced I need to buy both the luminance and lightfast they're so complimentary to each other what more could an artist ask for
I think from doing this comparison both pencils are so very close to each other. I have always thought the Luminance Pencil is the finest pencil Caran D’Ache make and I now think that the Lightfast will become Derwent’s jewel in the crown. It just really all depends on the remaining 36 pigments yet to pass the testing. I think we just have to wait and see what Derwent produce because the palette currently is beautiful, but they need a lot more lights, blues, pinks and light greens. I am sure they will have all these colours going through the testing phase though. Thank you so much for stopping by and commenting I really appreciate it.
FYI-I have the full set of Caran d'Ache Luminance and there are 76 individual colors plus the 2 blenders in the box. There are not 2 whites and they don't count the blenders in the 76.
I have lyra rembrandt polycolor, fb polychromos, derwent artist and fb classic colored pencils and prismacolors In my opinion polychromos and lyra are best Fb classic and prismacolors are in second place And derwent is in 3rd place but i really love all of them
All the pencils you have mentioned here, are in my opinion, excellent pencils. I really love them and think with the right paper they perform amazingly
@@TheArtGearGuide thank you for you videos, i can only use Derwent Artist pencils on watercolor papers, and they perform greatly on them but no matter what paper you use them with, you'll get wax built up so quickly and it make it so hard to add more layer to your work
Great comparison! Only one thing... In a review of Pablo colored pencil in the colored pencil magazine you say that the Pablo's are wax based and the Luminance are oil based, why now you say that the Luminance are wax based?
I spoke to Caran D’Ache representative quite a while ago when I was first in contact with Caran D’Ache and have since become good friends with this person. I was talking to them about the importance of wax based pencils and oil based pencils and is it really that important and I asked the same question about the importance of Lightfast also as I was just learning at the time. The individual told me that there is both wax and oils in the Luminance range and for them to be labelled one over the other bothers them and that almost all pencils are not as clear cut as simply wax and oil, there is a range of ingredients in them that make it difficult to determine one way or the other. The reason I started that conversation with the rep and the reason I go directly to the companies for information is because of the Luminance and Pablo review was some of the first reviews I ever done, and when researching them on other reviews I was getting conflicting information some saying they were oil some saying they were wax and at the time I personally couldn’t tell one way or the other, as I was so new, hence the conversation with the rep and the decision to always go directly to the source. When that review went out I got many emails telling me the Pablo pencils were oil and others saying I was right that they were wax, when the fact of the matter is that both ingredients are in the pencil. However, when you ask companies the ingredients and ratios of a pencil they will laugh at you as they are highly secretive. If you listen to a lot of my reviews after that Luminance and Pablo review I actually say that I feel we put too much emphasis on there being 100% wax or oil based pencils as there really is no such thing according to what I have been told by the companies. But that information is always vague as they can’t divulge to someone like me the ingredients. So I still don’t know to this day what the dominant ingredient is in the Luminance I only know that both oil and wax are in the core, I still have the email which is incredibly complicated. I since amended those reviews the Luminance and Pablo but obviously couldn’t really do anything about the magazine issues. I explained in them both about the wax and oil content etc. This is why now that I have a lot more experience and one to one contact with the companies I don’t write anything down that a company won’t or hasn’t told me directly. I don’t guess anything, especially so called wax or oil based pencils. Someone left a comment the other day, I can’t remember what they said word for word but they basically said that because the ProColour works with the Brush and Pencil kit that they must be oil based. I can totally understand why anyone would think that the ProColour are oil because of how hard the core is and even down to the feel and look of, but according to Derwent they are predominately wax, but here’s were the problems lay for consumers and reviewers just guessing the core based on use. There are a range of different waxes that are used for colored pencil cores, bees wax, paraffin wax and a few others, which is why Prismacolor wax is so much softer than say the Derwent Artist range, another predominately wax based pencil according to Derwent but I wouldn’t blame anyone for thinking it was an oil based pencil based on the feel of the core and how it lays down and erases off the paper. All of this is the reason why I try not to get bogged down in the whole wax or oil based debate. In fact in this entire 40 odd minute crazy long video which originally started out as 57 minutes lol, I mention once I think that one is wax and the other is oil, bearing in mind the Lightfast is the first oil based pencil they have made and is quite a big deal for them. Because of the variations in ingredients inside these pencils I try to avoid pin pointing wax and oil to them as best I can. Until the companies release a detailed account of the ingredients, we will never really know the true content of the cores and they are hugely guarded secrets.
I know it was a bit long winded, but it is probably the single most asked question I get with regards to wax and oil based pencils and after talking to so many different companies there really isn’t a black and white answer yet people expect there to be a simple answer me included lol. If it was simple Wax and Oil, it would make it so much easier.
i learn so much from you and your dedication to going beyond guesswork and directly approaching the companies... another important part of the 'puzzle'! .... The issue of oil vs wax pencils is not so 'black and white' ummm! 8-] I didn't know as much about the combo of oils and waxes and other variables which impact on the outcome of the pencil! Soooo many closely guarded secrets - its a bit like the 'KFC' recipe!! lol I think its wonderful actually .... and also because we can rely on you to find out much of this info for us :)
Oh I don’t know about that lol, I never want to be a so called RUclips Star, I just want my videos to help artists save money and try to keep a wee bit of money in their pockets. But thank you so much for your very kind comment and your support, I can’t tell you how much I appreciate it
Derwent are good pencils but they appear to be playing catchup with the leaders. It took more than a century for them to catch up with Faber Castell and Caran d Ache in the lightfast range. They have played it clever by naming the range Lightfast but being such latecomers they are yet to stand the test of time. A question needs to be asked as to why the vast majority of sellers choose not to sell Derwent as open stock. That may well be to do with the price of the open stock and maybe outside of what most can afford. They are again having to play catch up with Faber Castell as they now have a range of matt graphite that go all the way to a 14B. If Derwent were to bring the price down, retailers might be more inclined towards selling them. They are next to impossible to find locally as open stock and that might also be a factor that puts people off. Personally, I feel that the Caran d Ache are better suited to the Faber Castell and that Derwent is a brand I can live withought. I can't justify the price of the open stock, and not being available locally is also an issue.
Here in Brazil , I can buy Derwent colored pencils in several art stores and of course on line. I can easily find the Lightfast, the Procolour, the Drawing and the Coloursoft as open stock. The Polychromos that was the easier to find is now the second one. I can buy two or three Procolours and Polychromos for the price of one Luminance. And Prismacolor you have to import from USA paying heavy customs taxes.
That is an excellent point Melanie and one I missed to mention. I know that reading the print on pencil barrels can at times be difficult and the Luminance I think fall into this category. Thanks so much Melanie
Thank you so much Harry for this comparison, of this two brands. I thought that the Carand'ache Luminance were more expensive, because it's an expensive brand. As for my preference, I think I would invest in the Derwent Lightfast, because they have greater resistance to light, they mix well, they have more core quantity than the Luminance. The Derwent brand is my favorite, I love the products they make, it's not because they are my favorite that I say I prefer Derwent Lightfast, it's because of what I saw in this video. I was thinking about which of the two brands I could invest in, and thanks to this video, I have no doubt which one I will choose. What I would like to try is the white pencil from Luminance. Many thanks Harry, and get well🙏🏼❤
Hun, your on RUclips, you can't do everything right.. I mean that by, no matter what, you always have a group of people that disagree with you. It is what it is. Just keep doing it the fairest way you know how and you'll be fine.. You just can't please everyone. Point blank period
I don't know if you've gotten an excessive amount of complaints or haters but I feel like you don't have to constantly defend yourself. You've brought up several times that "some might say this" or "some might say that"...Do your comparisons and give us your thoughts and opinions. We don't care what the haters say we care about what you say. If you're not being sponsored by a particular company I don't understand why anyone would accuse you of being dishonest in your thoughts or testing practices. With experience and lots of product testing and practice comes knowledge. Share yours and don't apologize for it. ;)
Hi Jamie, thanks for the vote of confidence. To be honest I have not had very many haters at all and if I did I have to say my skin is absolutely thick enough to handle it. The reason I am very cautious about what I say is simply due to the fact I care about those who subscribe and watch my videos and I want to make sure that before they spend their hard earned money on art products, they are doing so based on what I have shown them and not what I think. I know what it is like not having a lot of money and so I fully understand that when that money gets spent it has to be on something worthwhile. If people listened to me they would all be doing fan art with markers and colored pencils. Basically I want to show viewers the products, what they are capable of and what they are not capable of and let people make up their own mind. I guess if people really wanted to know what I use I actually have a page on my site with a list of the products I use when I do my own art.
No the Luminance are a mix of oil and wax according to Caran D’Ache. I made this mistake a long time ago when I first uploaded my Luminance and Pablo reviews which is why I go directly to the companies and ask them what their pencils are made from. Also a lot has to do with how the pencil is baked once all the fillers, pigment, wax and oil mix is applied. This is why if you watch or read my reviews I very rarely get really in depth about whether or not a pencil is wax or oil because of this reason. The only reason I even mentioned in this video is because all of Derwent’s pencils thus far have been predominately wax and this is their first predominately oil based pencil, hence the use of predominately. It is not a black and white subject although I wish it was as it would make it so much easier for reviewers such as myself. When I complete my reviews now I ask all my questions to the companies, even the silly questions that people might feel obvious, but I always get that cast iron clarification from the company and then there is no room for me getting things wrong which I absolutely did in the beginning of my reviews. But that was because I would read product descriptions on Amazon or just test the pencil and go with what I thought. I soon discovered this was not accurate enough nor good enough as a reviewer and so if I don’t get a reply back from a company on a certain product I don’t write or mention it. When I done the Bruynzeel Design review, I was never given the Lightfast details from the company on those, nor is it displayed on their site, at least not at the time I produced the review. They told me that the pencils are Lightfast and that was it, but this was not accurate enough to write or review or go into detail about so I didn’t. In this 40 minute video I mention wax and oil once and didn’t delve deeper, for that very reason. The Luminance pencil according to Caran D’Ache are not a simple wax or oil based pencil. In fact if you watch my reviews I try to stay away from the wax and oil topic as much as I can for this very reason, unless of course a company states that their pencils are 100% wax or 100% oil which so far they haven’t. Their ingredients will always remain secret but there are so many factors involved in what makes a core soft or hard with regards to bees wax or paraffin wax or oils or the way the core is baked etc. So for me personally, it is easier to talk about whether or not a core is hard or soft, scratchy or smooth, pigmented or not etc. I think the most important thing about the pencils is that they are the finest range about and used by so many top CP artists. Now that the Lightfast have come along this only expands the fantastic range that CP artists can use especially when Derwent include more pigments. Hope this has helped.
Fair enough :thumbsup: thank you for explaining. I remember reading somewhere on their site i think it as that they were oil. I just went to their site and can't find it now lol , on their store it doesn't mention if they are wax or oil based.
sniperwipers you could have seen it on their site, don’t go thinking you are mad lol. So many companies shy away from really focusing on the Wax and Oil thing for the reasons I’ve mentioned, technically so many so called “wax” or “oil” based pencils have both ingredients in them and the likes of trading standards etc come down hard on these matters. I personally don’t really think the pencil being oil or wax is too important, depending on what you are doing. I think soft or hard are more important to talk about, there are some “wax based pencils” much harder than oil based pencils, as is the case with the Derwent Artists range and that is primarily down to the mix of ingredient and type of wax they used. When I first started reviewing I focused quite a bit on the pencils being wax or oil, but as I have spoke more with the companies, understand the processes they go through to make the pencils and just understand the medium in general more now, I focus on more important issues such as whether or not the pencils hold a lot of pigment, if they are Lightfast etc. Thanks for the question mate and for your reply, hope you are well hope you are enjoying the channel
The derwent pastel pencils I have have little specs of immensely irritating hard bits, that disrupts the lines when you are trying to achieve realism, incredibly annoying. almost every single colour (one of them).
Oh my God could you be any more vague and indecisive about which one you want I mean basically you said the Derwent sent is not as good as the light facet because it won’t knock it out of its place but why wouldn’t you just simplify that and say the door one cent isn’t as good as the light facet we trust your judgment it’s fine there can be a winner
The comparisons are not about my judgement. I could come on here and just say which pencil is my favourite, but my style of art is fan art, Marker and Colored Pencil combined or botanical art. So all those artists who are portrait artists, landscape etc buy a set of pencils that work for me just because I say they are my favourite and then those people have wasted a lot of money. I provided the comparison tests, surely from that you can see and look at the difference between the two and work out which pencil is best for the art you create. I have almost 14,000 subscribers on my channel and each and everyone of them have their own style of art, preferred paper and a range of other individual requirements for them to produce their art. I am one person, I am not the arbitrator of Colored Pencils, I am not the all knowing Colored Pencil artists. I am just one person providing reviews were I let the product talk for itself. That is also why when I review a product I create that review in 4 different formats. RUclips Video Review with demonstrations, Written review with additional information that can be changed by me as and when needed such as pricing and links, Speed Drawing video were you can see the product create something and invade the video is too fast I also provide HiDef images of the art I create at various stages throughout the drawing process. This allows you the viewer to visit that page, click on any of the images including the final image and enlarge that image so you can basically see every pencil stroke. If you are still unable to decide for yourself which product would work best for you and you would really like me to tell you my favourite, I say at the end of all my videos you can ask a question in the comments section or email me directly and I will discuss and tell you there what my favourite pencil is. But if you purchase a £200 set of pencils based on which pencil works for me and not the 4 reviews I provide, I really don’t want to receive an email telling me that you have wasted a lot of money because you purchase the set of pencils that were my personal favourite. If you would like to know which pencil between the Lightfast and Luminance are my favourite, as I have already mentioned, contact me at theartgearguide@gmail.com
You shouldn’t need to go so in-depth to justify yourself especially when it comes to differences between pencils ffs. People are always going to have favourites and nothing you say or do is going to change that. These videos are great for neutrals but hardcore brand fans will give you shit regardless.
I’ve got no problem taking crap of people at all and it’s not really me justifying myself, I am simply getting in first before some people nit pick and say silly things like I placed more pressure on one pencil over another. And whilst it may seem like just pencils, in the grand scheme of things pencils are not the main topic of global news, but to some people it is incredibly important and helpful to them that these reviews are done as accurate as I can possibly get them because spending large sums of money for a set of pencils is a huge choice for some of us. It is certainly a huge decision for me and so I need to make sure I am making the right move. I served in the British Army in some terrible places during some horrendous times so believe when I say people giving me problems over reviewing pencils is not the most difficult thing I have had to endure
@@TheArtGearGuide I actually agree I have spent a lot of money on pencils, pretty much every pencil on the market I own. I love them all for individual reasons but some people have something they love and can’t see the rest of the world around them. Some of these pencils cost an absolute fortune so yeah I get it I just think sometimes people can be black and white and not see the world of colour between them. As for your service I appreciate that. The military is something I actually joined but shortly after damaged both shoulders one so bad it’s going to need replacement at some point so I really do appreciate and thank you for that and hope art and doing these videos can help ease some of the memories of the past.
The Luminance have some disgusting colors........The Derwents are more "real world" in tone......I'm not enthused about spending $300 for a set of 76 Luminance pencils
I agree with you 100% with regards to the Derwent Lightfast pencils being a much better set for landscape and possibly wildlife but I would have to say that the Luminance are by far the best set for White, Brown and Asian skin tones, I guess it really all depends on what genre of art you are into. But as you rightly highlighted, both the Derwent Lightfast 100 and the 100 Luminance total are very expensive and it’s best to fully know what you are buying before you hand your hard earned money. Thank you for your comment really appreciate it
For you to have all the awesome tools and you do have talent for u not to make art and sell it you have not thought it through your wife probably would say use your tools and make great art and money will help your family if you don't it is sad to me I do art due to major spine Paine so I can relate to your pain too make your tools happy and you will be too 🎨👍🦋
First of all, I’ve not said I wouldn’t sell my art work, I’ve just said that I haven’t sold anything thus far. The only art work I could sell is my botanical art as the vast majority of the art I create is fan art and all subject to copyright laws. As far as my botanical art is concerned, I would have to do a lot more of it before I started selling as I o oh have three pieces worthy of selling, maybe 4. Also, for me personally, my channel is primarily a review channel, the only reason I showcase my art is because a while ago a few people mentioned that they didn’t like reviews were the reviewer only swatched the products and that they wanted to see art done with them as way of demonstration. Thank you so much for your comment and I will definitely seriously consider your points thank you so mucb
Thanks for another thoughtful video Harry. Don't let the naysayers get you down, you always do such a professional job of reviewing and comparison. I always look to your reviews for balanced informed views on pencils. This one was no exception.
Cheers mate I really appreciate your support and thank yo so much for stopping by, watching the video and leaving your comment. I love reading through all the comments but I have recently got behind in answering back. I normally do my best to reply but things have just got on top of me. I think from now on I will set a particular day aside for me to read through comments and reply to folk. I never want to be the type of RUclips who ignores the very people that put my channel where it is today. I know the bigger a channel gets the more difficult it is to reply but I will do my very level best to reply even if it takes a wee bit longer than usual.
Good on you Harry! .... and as always, a great and balanced review, but please be careful and don't push too hard if it hurts your back so much - it goes to show the strength of character you have and I think that many can understand how hard it can be, even under normal circumstances and smaller channels, to also keep up with comments ... great to see you again. :)
Thank you so much Megan
With the Lightfast Derwent have definitely entered the Olympus of the colored pencils. Quite a huge achievement for them. I hope Derwent haters see this and realize what really Derwent are capable to do. I'm far from being a Derwent fanboy or whatever, I've personally grown up with Faber-Castell, which are another amazing company, but I get really upset when people say Derwent products are total garbage or something like that. And regarding what you have written on your website, I I totally agree with you. People are ALWAYS going to complain about something, and sometimes rightly. But, in my opinion, pencils aren't made for war, they can be also used together, so I think that this obsession to find "The Perfect Pencil" is silly. Great comparison, your work is remarkable, it's really important you pointed out these things.
37:00 Derwent is the winner and if any pencil set's white color looks bright on black, it means that brand is the greatest
I agree with everything you said! I will buy Derwent products just like I'd buy Luminance when I have the money. I believe it's good to have both.
I am a Derwent fangirl and love everything and all the products I have bought from them and I adore my inktense pencils!! But their metallic pencils are also very wonderful to use as well. But as he said all of the higher end brands like Derwent, Caran D'ache, Faber-Castell are all brilliant pencils and have different pencils for different projects and style and also how one uses them light or heavy handed makes a difference as well. But I do so love my Derwents❤️❤️❤️
I agree there is no perfect pencil. But sometimes people have a perfect pencil for them. Mine is the derwent drawing. I just wish they would make another 12 colors of brighter tones and another 12 of maybe pastels. They'd make a killing and I'd buy every single one of them.
Thank you for your meticulous video. Doing this while in pain and facing hardship is amazing. I'll bet you have a strong faith in God. You are a very generous person and your attitude in life is a blessing to many. Cheers from Minnesota
Cheers Dave mate you are too kind. I actually think mate that I get more from this community than you guys get from me. The help art and in particular art reviews has given me is unbelievable and in particular from a mental health perspective.
I was brought up in a Christian household, my grandparents were church going people, as is my ow parents and my Mother and Father in Law. My wife is from a strong Christian background. My wife and I brought all three of our children in a Church of England School system.
Whilst I believe in God, I think I had a bit of a falling out with him when I lost my job as a soldier and was disabled from my spinal injury whilst serving. But I often think to myself, things could have been much worse. I was always of the opinion that if I loved and believed in God that I would be looked after so to speak and when I look at myself now years after my injury, I know that he absolutely did look after me cause I am still here with my beautiful wife and three children.
However at the time, I lost the only job I ever wanted to do and was probably intelligent enough to do, I lost my ability to look after and provide for my family, which really tore me up. My wife and I still to this day live in a a very small house and it isn't ours, because I can't work, my wife is the only one who works and so we can't afford our own home. All my wife ever wanted was her own home and I could not provide this for her. But as she tells me often, she wanted me to be with her and not dead more than a house.
I just wish I had the ability to provide for my family but I can certainly see now that God did look after me on that terrible day and I am thankful. Thank you ss much for your comment and sorry for the long reply.
As of March 2021, I now have all 100 of both the Lightfast and the Luminance pencils. Both sets are worth having. Both sets disappointed me on some aspect of their range of colors, which highlights for me why a colored pencil artist really does need multiple sets. In my opinion, Polychromos is indispensable or its fine crisp lines and ability to be layered indefinitely. Polychromos could be paired with any one of the other artist grade pencils and would give a really balanced combination of colors to work with. I own all three kinds of pencils I mentioned plus the full range of Holbeins, and I believe they are all desirable to use if your budget can support it. But it is possible to create wonderful art from mid-sized sets of just two brand's if you work hard at learning to mix your colors effectively, and that only comes with practice, no matter what. And of course, high quality papers that allow lots of layering is essential.
Thank You. You are the voice many want to hear. I am not so interested in which is better but how they work and I will use any and all together to get what I want. I love the products of both companies and use them interchangeably. You ate a great presenter.
Your last sentence made me laugh :-). I hope the great presenter didn't mind.
RIP great presenter 🤣
Really enjoyed this Harry! It is nice to watch someone who is genuine honest cares about other pocketbooks and gives opinions about different brands. I like how you say there is no bad pencil- it just depends on what you want to use them for!
Keep it up and don't let anybody discourage you!
Great channel!
How could I let anyone discourage me with wonderful people like you about Teresa. I know just how fortunate I am to have such a wonderful group of subscribers who I actually call friends thank you so much.
I
If someone is determined enough they can find something to suggest that a reviewer has a bias, even when the review is completely balanced. Your reviews are thorough and conclusions based on what you find. Anyone without an axe to grind sees that straight off. Keep up the good work!
Thank you so much mate, I really appreciate it.
Thanks for another brilliant comparison.
It's difficult being a reviewer as we are only human not machines you don't have to justify anything.
You are one of the fairest, honest and reliable art reviewers on RUclips in my opinion. Your an excellent artist, you've used most the major brands and more and if I need to know something arty from pencils to sharpeners I come here first for an informative video to help me make up my own mind. So far I've bought alot from your videos and I've been so happy with all my products so much that my art has improved because of those choices so thank you.
Thank you so much, you are too kind, I really don’t know what to say. Comments like yours make creating these videos all the more enjoyable. When I was a soldier, the main thing I loved about my job was helping people. If had of left the Army by choice and not with a disability, I would have joined the police or Fire Service. I always wanted to work in an agency combating human trafficking, but I’ll never be able to do something like this. I’ve always loved the feeling of helping others which I know is a bit selfish. So when I realised that something as simple as reviewing art products could help people, albeit in a very small way, I felt I was worthwhile again.
Thanks Harry! I can’t wait to get my hands on the new Derwent Lightfast I’m sure they will compliment my Luminance very nicely.
And I want to say how much I respect you for doing all this work knowing how much pain you’re living with daily. My best wishes.
Thank you so very much for you wonderfully kind and supportive words, I don’t really know what to say. Thank you so much for your warm wishes, I think you will love the Lightfast Pencils and you are so right, they absolutely will work beautifully with your Luminance
Great comparison demo. Very careful and transparent. You’re always very fair and just. Thank you as always Harry. Great job!
Great comparison and I agree that it doesn’t have to be either/or. Having a set of both the Lightfast and the Luminance would be perfect.
Thank you so much. I just feel that both these pencils in the hands of professional colored pencil artists will be able to create amazing art that will stand the test of time.
I like them both and will wait for a fuller set of Derwents to be available to go with my Luminance set. I have the inktense as well and love them.
I think that is an excellent idea, I feel a lot of people will wait until Derwent release their full set before purchasing them.
My goodness, I can see why you were in the army. You are so methodical and meticulous. This is the very best comparison of pencils I've seen. The way you have done it is so clear, well planned and precise. Your reviews are always really methodical as well, but this was great. I also love hearing your dog walking about while you do this. Her paws on the floor :-)
Personally I am a little bit in love with Luminance. They are ridiculous for me really, considering I'm using them in colouring books. But there is just something about them. The first layer or three and they seem to be reluctant to fill in the white spaces. Then all of a sudden they seem to meld together and a deep, rich and creamy appearance starts to rise up, getting rid of the white specs completely. I've never used any kind of blender on them, just the pencils themselves. I couldn't justify the expense of a set, so I've bought open stock a few at a time. It's taken about 18 months, but I now have the 40 set gathered in! Perhaps a little competition with the new Derwent pencils will mean Luminance come down in price a little. That would make my day.
Here in Brazil , I can buy Derwent colored pencils in several art stores and of course on line.
I can easily find the Lightfast, the Procolour, the Drawing and the Coloursoft as open stock.
The Polychromos that was the easier to find is now the second one.
I can buy two or three Procolours and Polychromos for the price of just one Luminance.
And Prismacolor you have to import from USA paying heavy customs taxes.
Thank you Harry, for your fine, thoughtful reviews of art supplies. I too am disabled, and can testify how art can save your life. God bless you and your family.
Thank you so much Lee for your incredibly kind words and I am so sorry to hear of your own circumstances
Thank you. I truly enjoyed your explanations. Yesterday, I ordered the 72 set. I hope I'll be happy with them.
Great video! They look quite comparable to me overall. If were a professional artist I would want both sets.
Your videos are very informative and thorough. Some people have to criticize EVERYTHING. Don't pay any attention to those sad people. Keep up the good work you've been doing :-)
Thank you so much, I honestly don’t mind professional criticism, in fact my knowledge is what it is now because some incredible people have corrected me when I’ve made mistakes and it has been their schooling that has contributed to what I am able to provide now. It’s just the occasional individual, and it is a very rare event when it does happen, but I take huge issue with being called a liar or similar on my channel or site. The only reason it annoys me so much is because I have a huge amount of respect for my subscribers and no matter what happens, when an individuals character is called into question, it is only natural for others to raise an eyebrow or two.
The thought of my subscribers thinking I have lied to them or tried to trick or deceive them in any way really upsets me because I owe my subscribers so much, the last thing in the world I would do is any of the fore mentioned to them. Which is why I guess I might over react when this occasionally happens and some calls me a liar etc. I need to take a step back, count to ten and go from there when and if it ever happens again. Thank you so much for everything I really appreciate it
Constructive criticism is one thing and should be welcomed, but calling someone a liar and nitpicking every little thing is another and is just mean-spirited and wrong.
It's OK. You don't have to worry. Your subscribers won't be taken in by random crap comments. We know what we see.
I've bought four of these pencils from the Coloured Pencil Shop, and they are fantastic. Derwent have excelled themselves. I have a very few Luminance pencils (which I also like very much) and these pencils do feel different to them and you can tell that they are oil based. I actually prefer oil based pencils, but am now going to be experimenting in using the Derwent and Luminance together. I think the the colour range you will get with both sets (especially once Derwent add the other colours) will be amazing. The Forest Green which I bought is a fantastic deep green, a colour that I have been looking for a long time. Great video, I'm going to look forward to lots more of these, I love comparison videos and find them very useful thanks so much for this one.
Thank you Harry. That was a really informative comparison. I will get some open stock Derwent Lightfasts. And whatever Derwent does, they shouldn't dare to take the Artist Pencils out.
Great video Harry! 😁 I absolutely agree, why knock one pencil off the list over another??🤔 Having both pencil brands together gives you even more color options.😃 I'm so sorry your pain was increasing while doing the video. I do hope it calms down for you, Take care my friend. 🤗
Valarie Connell /DrawingWithFire It was my fault, I was way too enthusiast when Harry's review about the Derwent Lightfast came out that I said, in a comment under the video that recieved some "likes" : " I believe that Lightfast could make Luminance pencils useless", but this is a stupid statement, I know 😂. But what is true, is that with these Lightfast, Luminance have lost the absolute primate about lightfastness or overall quality. There is another wonderful option on the market, which could be obviously an expansion for a colored pencil artist's arsenal. "Pencil Wars" are useless and silly, after all.
Thanks so much for the excellent work you do! Your videos are informative and interesting. I learn so much from you. I subscribed a while back and I'm glad I did. Keep posting your videos and I'll keep watching. Take care!
Harry thank you for sharing your thoughts on all the different products. I appreciate your efforts to help us make decisions on which products to buy. I am lucky enough to have many sets of pencils including Holbein, Polychromos, Luminance, Prismacolors and many more. I just received and have used the Lightfast for a couple of days. I absolutely love them and I am hoping for more colors soon!
Hope you feel better soon. Thankful you have that family love and utube friends who care and pray for you.
Thank you so very much Teresa thank you
Hi Harry... great review. I personaly love Derwent Lightfast... even over the Luminance. I find that a big amount of my luminance pencils are rather scratchy in thier performanceat times. The Derwent lightfast ones are all smooth in thier laydown. But some of the colours of Luminance are unique... so I use them both. But I do wish Luminance fixses the crachyness in some of thier pencils, esspecially cassel earth!
Thank you for such an indepth review. I have long wondered about these fancier, more expensive pencils and now I know a lot more now. Thanks for your time and effort!😊🌹
I have and love both of them, I use each for different situations. BTW, I have Faber-Castell Polychromos and Caran d'Ache Pablo and love them too.
That is an awesome collection of pencils you have. Also totally agree with how you use them, each pencil offers a completely different outcome depending on the subject you are drawing. Thank you for sharing and commenting
Hi O was looking for a comparison between Derwent Coloursoft and Procolour, just found ine but it didn't really satisfied me. Can you make the video about these two?
I come to you whenever I’m looking at new pencils for myself. I love your unbiased and very thorough reviews. I really don’t need lightfast pencils, but the lay down of the Derwent keeps calling me. I already have Luminance and was wondering how they compared. Very nice review.
Thank you so much Verna you are too kind, thank you so much, I really appreciate your kind comment.
Brilliant comparison of the two I have always found your reviews and comparisons rather informative.
Thank you so much, I know this comparison was really long but I promise future comparisons will not be anywhere near as long.
I always like your reviews and I believe they are fair enough. Thanks for your efforts.
Geez! Now I "need" another set of pencils:-) The Lightfast pencils should be available in the states in September. Exciting! Thank you for the helpful comparison.
I know Debbie, I hear you, lol every time a new set of pencils pop up, my wife dreads it lol.
I’m a pencil addict. I’m in Australia and we never get to be first for art mediums. If you’re interested Cult Pens UK has Lightfast at 33% off and will post free internationally if you purchase £50. Singles are available at 3 for the price of 2. Also Violet is available for 10p as a tester. I’m a person who always buys full sets but this price was too good to refuse.
When the 72 come out I’ll see what’s available pricewise as I always find lower prices. I have Luminance full set and I love them so 🙏Harry. I can’t wait for them to arrive and they’re being sent airmail to boot. I have all Derwent’s ranges.
Thank you for this test. Which brand is covering better, seen on black paper? I bought 2 single pencils of the luminance, a red and a yellow and compared them with my Prismacolor. The Prismacolor Red had much more coverage! I love Prismacolor, because of the good coverage and colour range. And price :-) Only point is the lightfastness, but I am not sure if the Luminance are really better. In a sunlight-test a red hue faded in comparison to cheaper brands. I do not trust this marketing promises any more. I don’t like the Luminance very much, but I am interested in the Derwent Lightfast Set. A little bit disappointing that the colours are similar to each other.
Hi Emily. There are some companies that do their own in house lightfast testing and to be honest I am not 100% sure of the process used for this, I think they try to follow the Blue Wool and ASTM standards. However the links of Faber Castell and their Polychromos, Caran D’Ache and Derwent have their pencils tested by the independent bodies involved with conducting those standards.
This is why lightfast pencils that have been independently tested are so expensive because the companies have to pay a lot of money to have the pencils tested and certified as lightfast in either of the two standards.
Of course trusting these standards is a totally individual thing, but I think I am right in saying, if a company is selling that a pencil is highly lightfast and you can prove it isn’t what the company is saying it is, you could have grounds to complain.
What about how the whites react for highlights or blending?
I'm glad your on the ytube doing the art reviews ...one because I've only been in the art community for two years and I'm learning so much from you from technology and verbiage and others about products and prices and how the items ranges are in a art way...I'm internally grateful as I'm on a really limited budget also I'm also limited in my mobility and it's great to see someone who also has physical limitations work with each product and your take on how you hands feels with said items....thank you again even tho I'm not able to buy many of these items... they do go on my lottery bucket art wish list.lolo. can you tell me difference between light fast and inktense I'm kinda confused about the difference and do you do a review on the derwert inktense..many art blessings to you thru your day✍🎨
Hi Marc my friend and thank you so much for your incredibly kind comment.
Okay so you have colored pencils and then watercolor pencils. When you apply Watercolor pencils to the paper, you then apply a little bit of water to the color you have just applied with a brush and the color turns into paint, watercolor paint.
With colored pencils like Derwent Lightfast, Prismacolor, Faber Castell Polychromos, when you apply them to paper, if you tried to put water over the color you just applied, generally, in most cases, the water will run right over the top of the color and maybe only smudge it making a mess.
The Derwent Inktense is a unique pencil, it acts exactly the same as the watercolor pencils I mentioned, but when the color you have applied to the paper has water added to it, it will turn into paint but it is Ink, so whatever color has water applied to it from the Inktense pencils, it is permanent. With watercolor pencils, once you have added water and the paint has dried, if you need to lift a little bit of paint, say you had gone too dark, you can apply clean water to the area and use paper towels to lift some color. With the Derwent Inktense, you can't do that because you are working essentially with ink inside pencils.
The Derwent Inktense are really amazing pencils and I need to do more with them on my videos actually. I hope this answers your question my friend
Yes Harry I'm sorry you have pain. I am disabled and live with chronic acute pain in my whole body and I understand how debilitating it can be. I commend you for carrying on despite it. Your reviews are thorough and concise. Thanks for making them. Be well!
Another great review! I think they are both great and shall work well together!
Cheers Ed thank you so much
Great job! I think the price would be the deciding point for me. They are very well matched.
I really hope derwent expand the drawing range to match the lightfast range. Then there will be a soft and hard version for all these colours. That'd be boss.
Yeah it would be awesome.
For those who wish to know which might be best for them, buy single colors and try them.
I hope that when Derwent comes out with the complete set that the Prismacolor will also take notice and start improving on their pencils as well.
I really can’t see Prismacolor changing anything about their pencils. They sell really well as they are and if they started upping the Lightfast rating for example across their 150 range, the price for 150 pencils would be astronomical. I don’t think people would be prepared to pay the money and I don’t think all pencils should be highly Lightfast anyway because not all artists need such high quality pencils. A lot of crafters sell their work but not to last for 100 plus years, birthday cards, Christmas cards etc. There is a wide range of art carried out by colored pencil artists island I think we need the selection of choice. But if a pencil such as the Prismacolor can be improved in whatever area that can only be a good thing providing price isn’t increased too much. Thank you so much for you feedback I really appreciate it.
i have caran dache luminance and i cant wait to buy derwent lightfast. still jot release in my country
Did the Derwent lightfast replace their signature range? 😀
Thanks Harry for you're answer about the oil and waxed based pencils. I commented in the review from Jason Morgan's lightfast pencils about powder blender and waxed based pencils. You made it clear to me that every pencil has wax and oils. I will try the Derwent pencils. I love the procolour more then the polychromos in how soft they work. I did not like the procolour lightfastness. (Love the polychromos to, but the procolour a bit more in it's own way :) maybe if you have the time, could you do a vs video of the procolour and lightfast pencils? Would love to see that.
I also wanted to say to you, don't take every negative comments to heart, only if they are constructively. Poeple who comment about pressure and stuff could think for themselves that you're not a machine. If they look at more of you're videos, they could see you test them in making a whole drawing. Witch says more to you about a pencil then a short test. If they not take the time to think for themselves ore watch you're other videos.... let it go... I for one, love you're in depht reviews and you can explain it so clearly and in clear words. Go on and stay yourself like you are now. There will always be negatives. Take you're positive comments as more important then the negatives
I personally really like the ProColour but then again I love the Derwent Artist range and a lot of people hate them cause they are so hard. I think a lot of people were disappointed about the ProColour Lightfast ratings before the fully understood the Blue Wool scale, especially those used to the ASTM D6901 scale. It is such a complicated system to follow and even more so when some pencils have a Lightfast rating between 1 to 3 stars, because the ASTM is 1-5 scale and the Blue Wool is 1-8 eight being the highest Lightfast and 1 being the highest in the ASTM, so three stars dilutes the rating even further unless that company has completed in house Lightfast testing in which case I have no idea of it authenticity.
Also thank you for the encouragement, I really have no issue with people making criticisms at me or the art I complete, in fact genuine criticism I will always leave on the channel and never delete. I feel it is unfair of me to keep all the nice comments but delete the negative that is not reality. I do however take huge issue at being called a liar or out right accused of something I haven’t done, especially if it is from an anonymous account. I would have much respect for a person if they emailed me and asked for my phone number to call me a liar to my face. Of course there is a difference between somebody outright calling someone a liar and someone saying, “hay Harry I think you have got that wrong”. I have only got better and more accurate with my reviews because people have highlighted mistakes to me and I have taken noticed, thanked them and made sure the same mistake doesn’t happen again. The reason for this channel and website is to provide the most accurate honest and transparent information on art supplies to help others make better choices and hopefully save people parting with money unnecessarily. Let’s face it, I can’t talk for everyone, but money is so tight for me and my family, because of my disability, that I am constantly worrying. So if I can help others spend their hard earned and much needed money on products they will love as opposed to will not use because the information on them was vague, I will be very happy.
I was brought up as a 'Derwent Gal' by my English mother who migrated here to Aussie land :-) .... So I actually love the Derwent 'Artists' range of pencils (a hand me down from my mother when i was in my teens, oh so long ago when the barrels were the colour of the pencil core (though I would love to try the ProColour too and now the Lightfast ones!!)..... I have some great Derwent products, they have so many unique choices and colours .... and I even have some 'antiquated' 'Layout Pencils', designed for covering large areas (a precious gift from a friend about 30 years ago, and they were old then!) - they are essentially 'Carpenter Pencils', (modern versions, though not termed 'Lay-Out' pencils anymore, are nearly $200 for 10 pencils!!) ...
My Derwent "Lay-Out" versions are between 50-100 years old, still almost 'new' (only one pencil slightly used). and still in a gorgeous gold foil and green wrapped box (Case 1812, from ye 'ol' Cumberland Pencil Co Ltd, Keswick), with soft tissue protection and a ribbon hinge to hold the lid open on the box, all still in tact - I love them and don't want to use them, they are so precious to me! I wish I could show you a photo. Derwent told me that they were supposedly based on the 'artists' series formula' too but its hard to know given that times and dates of when certain pencils were released are unclear.....
Yes the 'Artists' pencils are harder, but surprisingly softer than I first thought, very sturdy as all Derwent's products are, very smooth and they blend and layer beautifully - the point one can get using the Derwent Superpoint Manual crank shaft sharpener is amazing too! .... people often use 2 (or more) different pencils anyway depending on what their goal is, eg a softer one for blending/shading etc and a harder one for more detailed parts, not to mention expanding with differing colours within different brands.
.... and i know its hard to read nasty unwarranted comments (its the nature of social media unfortunately, amidst the many beautiful people 'up here' too! ... and i'm so glad that you can take other comments which may disagree, or point out a possible mistake, and look into it and learn and bring us the best information you can - like you, being on a disability, money is tight, so I value what you do and why, because I worry too and stress isn't great for dealing with pain and health as it is. Your art is beautiful too and I'm hoping I will maintain the strength to improve my art and fight through the pain as you do while I can - Thank you always
I also have a tin of the Artist pencils from the days when the barrels were fully coloured :-). They are pretty pencils. I wish they hadn't stopped doing that. They are hard, but that means they last forever! And they work well on proper paper designed for pencils. I just wish I had a bigger set. I have 36.
Megan McCarthy, I must admit I'm from Holland and here is Derwent a long known brand. But I'm only working with colored pencils for a few months now. And not that long following Harry so my first pencils are the Derwent procolour because I knew the brand from back in school. And the reviews are verry positive except for the lightfastnes. And they are hard but smooth. In that I mean when you blend them with solvent. But I'm a person that wants the good stuff (I think lightfastnes is important), so I have lots of polychromos and some luminance to. And although I like the expensive luminance they are harder to build layers and I only use them at the end sometimes, mainly the lighter colors for details. It is also starting to get addictive to have all the pencils haha. And I don't have lots of money to spend so I buy them open stock every month a few. I love the old things to. It's to bad you can't share a picture on youtube.
Maybe it's better said that I love all my pencils in a different way. I also think that if I try the Derwent lightfas, and love them I'll still use my polychromos and luminance
The Art Gear Guide that's indeed what I ment Harry. You can't please everyone and I would get irritated to if someone called me a liar. And because you mention it so honest and indeed take criticism to heart I know and all you're other followers to, you are a verry honest person. If I hear ore see you talking in you're videos I think you're the kind of guy that can talk about everything and take criticism and really listen to it. I also think you're a sensitive person (in a verry good way I mean. I for one love that about people) I'd hate to see someone, you in this case, get hurt by meaningless people who are only behind there social media to give negative reactions and take someone down..
I hope again I've explained myself in a good way. Talking and listening English is easier than writing 😂
Hello Harry! Thank you for another amazing review (actually a comparison)! I had never thought of blending two different types of pencils, so thank you for that. You have ALWAYS (at least as long as I have been viewing) given extensive information about every item you are using for each demonstration. It is ironic that I am currently at the location where I first starting looking for information about different pencil types and encountered your channel. It is a shame that you feel the need to state that you are fearful of people thinking a product you use for demonstration would be presented unfairly. As my 24 year old would say "haters will be haters" and my mother would say "words can never hurt me". Remember many folks are not happy unless someone else is unhappy. I am not expert, still quite a novice, but I remember the kindergarten color wheel, and even at my level of expertise, I have worked with enough colors to know what you are presenting is accurate. On a lighter note, at a few points during this video I wonder if you were ambidexterous! I have no idea whether that is spelled correct but eh... LOL.. I hope you are feeling better soon! Take care!
Do’nt be afraid for the comment you are ok 👍i like to watch and hear you
"Everyone's a critic" therefore no matter what you say or do in your "magic tricks" someone will find an issue. I suggest you just be true to who you are and do your best at sharing what you know and have learned throughout your art journey. People who see the quality and honesty in your tutorials will appreciate them! Thanks for sharing your knowledge and experience. P.S. you probably could've used a magic trick to help you stay within the lines 😂😉( just a little dry humor there).
Super curious on this one
I really love your videos and you're doing them as neutral as you can be. And I really honoring it! You kinda went a bit journalistic and that's great :)
Hi art gear after 2 years of uploading this video which Derwent pencil you would recommend? Here in Qatar Only Faber Castell, Derwent pencils, lyra & bruynzeel pencils available. I’m into pastel drawing and using Derwent pastel pencil though I’m annoyed how it break easily think It’s still do the job good. And now I want to try colored pencil and I don’t want to spend so much buying polychromos As the amount cost double the price of Derwent pencil here. Which Derwent pencil you’ll recommend that will be good for detailing, blending & layering
they seem equal. It would be interesting to see the same picture colored with both. Can they work together? from the comments below I presume the answer is yes.. due to the fact that both contain oil, even though one is wax based and the other oil based. It's nice to have extra colors.
Thank you, Harry. I love Caran D'ache.
I know what you mean, there is a perfection about Caran d'Ache products that is incredibly difficult to find anywhere else. The Luminance, Museum Aquarelle, Pablo, NeoColour, Supracolor Soft and so much more are all outstanding products. I had a viewer mention that they didn't realise the Pablo were classed as Caran d'Ache's Student grade pencils, and they seemed a bit deflated I think but I explained that student grade for Caran d'Ache is higher than Artist grade for so many other art companies. Thank you so much for stopping by
The Art Gear Guide Hi Harry, I know the Supracolour (ws) are student grade but didn’t know Pablos were as they are usually advertised as artist grade and are not far off the (RRP) price of Luminance. Could you kindly provide a link to that information? Thanks 🙂
Kyomii which information? That the Pablos are Student Grade? I never actually said the Pablos were student grade, I mentioned that I received a comment from a viewer about them being Student Grade and that I felt the person was a bit low thinking that they had only purchased a student grade pencil, which I could be wrong on the feelings, it was just how I picked up the comment. I tried to reassure the individual that if they really are considered Student Grade after the Luminance that they shouldn’t be too concerned as a student grade Caran D’Ache Pencil is better than a lot of artist grade pencils.
I think supracolor soft being said student grade is a harsh statement. Their student grade pencils are Fancolor, Swisscolor and stuff like that. Supracolor and Pablo may not be at the same level of the Luminance or the Museum Aquarelle, but they are made for professionals as well, I think.
The Art Gear Guide Ok Harry, thank you for explaining. I thought you believed they were student grade by telling them that CD student grade is better than artist grade of other companies, rather than telling them they are artist grade. Sorry for any misunderstanding.
I have had the Derwent Lightfast since seeing your video about them, and Iove them. Any idea when or where the rest will be released?
There Facebook says July -48, 72, and 100 set.
lasarith2 Thanks for the information!
Hi Cathy people who have been told the official date are not allowed to disclose until allowed. I am actually talking with some important people from the art supply world and Derwent in May and hopefully after this the date will be announced but whatever it is I can tell it will be soon and they have a set of 48, 72 and 100. So with having a 100 pigments the Lightfast are really going to compete if not supersede the Luminance for some people. But as soon as I am allowed to talk about the release date I absolutely will.
Thank you Harry for updating my question. Like you, I think the Lightfast are amazing and I am looking forward to the release of larger sets. I am having knee replacement in June and they will be my gift to myself. I am looking forward to using them during my rehab therapy. Again, thank you and keep up the good work. 👍🏻👍🏻
Cathy O welcome 🙂
Great video. Both pencils are great. I'd be lucky to have either one. Hey, I'm gonna have some of the lightfast thanks to you. I'm so excited to try them when they get here. Thank you so much for doing the giveaway. Now I have a good start to a collection of some really nice pencils. I always enjoy your video's, & learn a lot. TYFS
Thank you so much Kim for your comment, I can’t wait for you to get the pencils, I think you will really enjoy them. All the giveaway parcels have been sent but goodness knows how long they will take to get to everyone. One of the things I really love about doing giveaways is writing out the addresses, I think it is amazing sending gifts to people from all over the world. Plus I get so much satisfaction giving back to as many people as possible for all the wonderful support you guys have shown me. I am truly a very fortunate person. Thank you so much
It is amazing how youtube can bring people together who would have never known about each other. And how it makes some of us who are unable to go places or do things feel like we are a part of a community of friends. Art & the friends I've made on youtube have expanded my life in a way that would have never been possible without it. I thank you for making great content, & being who you are, & doing what you do. I'm sure I will love the pencils. TY Have a great weekend.
Of the two pencil sets, which would you buy Harry? And thank you for doing these reviews under strenuous back pain! It does not go unnoticed... :-)
Can you review the castle art supplies pencles because they cheap and people seem to love them but I am hesitant to purchase them if they suck also this is a great video
Try this:
“I do not work for, nor am I in any way compensated by, or receive gifts from, any of the manufacturers whose products I review.”
Hi Harry, just now watching this video a year later, Haha. The only minor problem I have is you said the Luminance 76 set is not 76 pigments. That is incorrect, it is 76 pigments, and it does include two of their blenders which are not counted as part of the 76. But you may already know that by now, so feel free to ignore me. Thank you for all of your videos and reviews, I really enjoy them. 😊👍
There is a white, and buff in the luminance set.
If you already have polychromos and luminance, could you say which of these pencils are worth buying open stock to complement the other colours? I know Lachri said the nightshade and the purples were something worth getting
That is a really difficult question to answer, only you can decide which colours are worth buying based on the type of art you enjoy.
If I didn’t do review videos and had time to just draw, I would probably focus if botanical and fan art, they are the two genres that I really enjoy. So for me the greens and earth tones in the Derwent Lightfast are worth buying and then the bright vivid colors.
If you can tell me the type of art that you love to draw I might be able to recommend good open stock colours for you.
@@TheArtGearGuide Thank you so much for your reply. The truth is I'm just beginning in the world of colour pencils and I'm drawing a bit of everything from realism to fantasy. I do love whimsical magical colours though probably why Lachri saying how incredible the purples were made me want to get them. I'll certainly look into the greens as that is another colour, especially the blue-greens which I truly love. Truth is I don't have a full set of any of the pencils but I have quite a lot of polychromos, but I will get there!
Well Harry you've certainly provided yet another fantastic teview and a really great comparison. I think that both are favourably comparable. I also thought that the Derwent did lay down and blended better but as we know wax and oil pencils will do. Nevertheless I still think the luminance are an awesome pencil BUT those Derwent Lightfast are just gorgeous. As a developing artist I'd rather have pencils that are going to give me everything I need and I feel that both of these sets will do just that. I'm totally convinced that Derwent have outdone themselves this time round and I'll be buying the lightfast set to add to my Derwent collection which I have almost every set except their coloursoft and studio which I'm just not interested in. I'm totally convinced I need to buy both the luminance and lightfast they're so complimentary to each other what more could an artist ask for
I think from doing this comparison both pencils are so very close to each other. I have always thought the Luminance Pencil is the finest pencil Caran D’Ache make and I now think that the Lightfast will become Derwent’s jewel in the crown. It just really all depends on the remaining 36 pigments yet to pass the testing. I think we just have to wait and see what Derwent produce because the palette currently is beautiful, but they need a lot more lights, blues, pinks and light greens. I am sure they will have all these colours going through the testing phase though. Thank you so much for stopping by and commenting I really appreciate it.
Another great video Harry, thank you :)
Thank you so much Mark mate
FYI-I have the full set of Caran d'Ache Luminance and there are 76 individual colors plus the 2 blenders in the box. There are not 2 whites and they don't count the blenders in the 76.
PS. I love your reviews and hope your pain diminishes soon. I too suffer from chronic pain so I understand.
Very interesting comparison
I have lyra rembrandt polycolor, fb polychromos, derwent artist and fb classic colored pencils and prismacolors
In my opinion polychromos and lyra are best
Fb classic and prismacolors are in second place
And derwent is in 3rd place but i really love all of them
All the pencils you have mentioned here, are in my opinion, excellent pencils. I really love them and think with the right paper they perform amazingly
@@TheArtGearGuide thank you for you videos, i can only use Derwent Artist pencils on watercolor papers, and they perform greatly on them but no matter what paper you use them with, you'll get wax built up so quickly and it make it so hard to add more layer to your work
I want both
I hear you they are both wonderful pencils
excellent... thank you so much for sharing...
Great comparison! Only one thing... In a review of Pablo colored pencil in the colored pencil magazine you say that the Pablo's are wax based and the Luminance are oil based, why now you say that the Luminance are wax based?
I spoke to Caran D’Ache representative quite a while ago when I was first in contact with Caran D’Ache and have since become good friends with this person. I was talking to them about the importance of wax based pencils and oil based pencils and is it really that important and I asked the same question about the importance of Lightfast also as I was just learning at the time.
The individual told me that there is both wax and oils in the Luminance range and for them to be labelled one over the other bothers them and that almost all pencils are not as clear cut as simply wax and oil, there is a range of ingredients in them that make it difficult to determine one way or the other. The reason I started that conversation with the rep and the reason I go directly to the companies for information is because of the Luminance and Pablo review was some of the first reviews I ever done, and when researching them on other reviews I was getting conflicting information some saying they were oil some saying they were wax and at the time I personally couldn’t tell one way or the other, as I was so new, hence the conversation with the rep and the decision to always go directly to the source.
When that review went out I got many emails telling me the Pablo pencils were oil and others saying I was right that they were wax, when the fact of the matter is that both ingredients are in the pencil. However, when you ask companies the ingredients and ratios of a pencil they will laugh at you as they are highly secretive. If you listen to a lot of my reviews after that Luminance and Pablo review I actually say that I feel we put too much emphasis on there being 100% wax or oil based pencils as there really is no such thing according to what I have been told by the companies. But that information is always vague as they can’t divulge to someone like me the ingredients. So I still don’t know to this day what the dominant ingredient is in the Luminance I only know that both oil and wax are in the core, I still have the email which is incredibly complicated.
I since amended those reviews the Luminance and Pablo but obviously couldn’t really do anything about the magazine issues. I explained in them both about the wax and oil content etc.
This is why now that I have a lot more experience and one to one contact with the companies I don’t write anything down that a company won’t or hasn’t told me directly. I don’t guess anything, especially so called wax or oil based pencils. Someone left a comment the other day, I can’t remember what they said word for word but they basically said that because the ProColour works with the Brush and Pencil kit that they must be oil based. I can totally understand why anyone would think that the ProColour are oil because of how hard the core is and even down to the feel and look of, but according to Derwent they are predominately wax, but here’s were the problems lay for consumers and reviewers just guessing the core based on use. There are a range of different waxes that are used for colored pencil cores, bees wax, paraffin wax and a few others, which is why Prismacolor wax is so much softer than say the Derwent Artist range, another predominately wax based pencil according to Derwent but I wouldn’t blame anyone for thinking it was an oil based pencil based on the feel of the core and how it lays down and erases off the paper.
All of this is the reason why I try not to get bogged down in the whole wax or oil based debate. In fact in this entire 40 odd minute crazy long video which originally started out as 57 minutes lol, I mention once I think that one is wax and the other is oil, bearing in mind the Lightfast is the first oil based pencil they have made and is quite a big deal for them. Because of the variations in ingredients inside these pencils I try to avoid pin pointing wax and oil to them as best I can. Until the companies release a detailed account of the ingredients, we will never really know the true content of the cores and they are hugely guarded secrets.
The Art Gear Guide Thanks for the complete and detailed answer.
I know it was a bit long winded, but it is probably the single most asked question I get with regards to wax and oil based pencils and after talking to so many different companies there really isn’t a black and white answer yet people expect there to be a simple answer me included lol. If it was simple Wax and Oil, it would make it so much easier.
i learn so much from you and your dedication to going beyond guesswork and directly approaching the companies... another important part of the 'puzzle'! .... The issue of oil vs wax pencils is not so 'black and white' ummm! 8-]
I didn't know as much about the combo of oils and waxes and other variables which impact on the outcome of the pencil! Soooo many closely guarded secrets - its a bit like the 'KFC' recipe!! lol I think its wonderful actually .... and also because we can rely on you to find out much of this info for us :)
I am looking forward to being able to purchase these new pencils. Thank you so much. Stay well, be positive and keep doing good work.
Good comparison 👍
I wouldn't pay attention to the people giving you a hard time. I personally appreciate comparison videos.
Love your videos
Great video Harry, ty xo
Thank you so very much
Controversy on your channel just means you are an official social media star! Lol!
Oh I don’t know about that lol, I never want to be a so called RUclips Star, I just want my videos to help artists save money and try to keep a wee bit of money in their pockets. But thank you so much for your very kind comment and your support, I can’t tell you how much I appreciate it
Derwent are good pencils but they appear to be playing catchup with the leaders. It took more than a century for them to catch up with Faber Castell and Caran d Ache in the lightfast range. They have played it clever by naming the range Lightfast but being such latecomers they are yet to stand the test of time. A question needs to be asked as to why the vast majority of sellers choose not to sell Derwent as open stock. That may well be to do with the price of the open stock and maybe outside of what most can afford. They are again having to play catch up with Faber Castell as they now have a range of matt graphite that go all the way to a 14B. If Derwent were to bring the price down, retailers might be more inclined towards selling them. They are next to impossible to find locally as open stock and that might also be a factor that puts people off. Personally, I feel that the Caran d Ache are better suited to the Faber Castell and that Derwent is a brand I can live withought. I can't justify the price of the open stock, and not being available locally is also an issue.
Here in Brazil , I can buy Derwent colored pencils in several art stores and of course on line.
I can easily find the Lightfast, the Procolour, the Drawing and the Coloursoft as open stock.
The Polychromos that was the easier to find is now the second one.
I can buy two or three Procolours and Polychromos for the price of one Luminance.
And Prismacolor you have to import from USA paying heavy customs taxes.
I find the luminance hard to read. The lightfast is so much easier to read.
That is an excellent point Melanie and one I missed to mention. I know that reading the print on pencil barrels can at times be difficult and the Luminance I think fall into this category. Thanks so much Melanie
Looking forward to more comparison videos. Thanks for your good work!
I need to earn a money to buy this,I want to try it😊👌
Great video, i am in Germany, surching middle price and god one pencil..thanks a lot..
Thank you so much Harry for this comparison, of this two brands. I thought that the Carand'ache Luminance were more expensive, because it's an expensive brand. As for my preference, I think I would invest in the Derwent Lightfast, because they have greater resistance to light, they mix well, they have more core quantity than the Luminance. The Derwent brand is my favorite, I love the products they make, it's not because they are my favorite that I say I prefer Derwent Lightfast, it's because of what I saw in this video. I was thinking about which of the two brands I could invest in, and thanks to this video, I have no doubt which one I will choose. What I would like to try is the white pencil from Luminance. Many thanks Harry, and get well🙏🏼❤
Hun, your on RUclips, you can't do everything right.. I mean that by, no matter what, you always have a group of people that disagree with you. It is what it is. Just keep doing it the fairest way you know how and you'll be fine.. You just can't please everyone. Point blank period
So sad you have make such a disclaimer. But thanks for your opinion on these, for myself, they are helpful
So stranger. Looking at the swatches I was thinking that the richest one of all 6 of them was the luminance blue...
Derwent never give up
I don't know if you've gotten an excessive amount of complaints or haters but I feel like you don't have to constantly defend yourself. You've brought up several times that "some might say this" or "some might say that"...Do your comparisons and give us your thoughts and opinions. We don't care what the haters say we care about what you say. If you're not being sponsored by a particular company I don't understand why anyone would accuse you of being dishonest in your thoughts or testing practices. With experience and lots of product testing and practice comes knowledge. Share yours and don't apologize for it. ;)
Hi Jamie, thanks for the vote of confidence. To be honest I have not had very many haters at all and if I did I have to say my skin is absolutely thick enough to handle it.
The reason I am very cautious about what I say is simply due to the fact I care about those who subscribe and watch my videos and I want to make sure that before they spend their hard earned money on art products, they are doing so based on what I have shown them and not what I think.
I know what it is like not having a lot of money and so I fully understand that when that money gets spent it has to be on something worthwhile. If people listened to me they would all be doing fan art with markers and colored pencils. Basically I want to show viewers the products, what they are capable of and what they are not capable of and let people make up their own mind. I guess if people really wanted to know what I use I actually have a page on my site with a list of the products I use when I do my own art.
Both pencils are oil based. You say one is wax and one is oil.
No the Luminance are a mix of oil and wax according to Caran D’Ache. I made this mistake a long time ago when I first uploaded my Luminance and Pablo reviews which is why I go directly to the companies and ask them what their pencils are made from. Also a lot has to do with how the pencil is baked once all the fillers, pigment, wax and oil mix is applied. This is why if you watch or read my reviews I very rarely get really in depth about whether or not a pencil is wax or oil because of this reason. The only reason I even mentioned in this video is because all of Derwent’s pencils thus far have been predominately wax and this is their first predominately oil based pencil, hence the use of predominately. It is not a black and white subject although I wish it was as it would make it so much easier for reviewers such as myself.
When I complete my reviews now I ask all my questions to the companies, even the silly questions that people might feel obvious, but I always get that cast iron clarification from the company and then there is no room for me getting things wrong which I absolutely did in the beginning of my reviews. But that was because I would read product descriptions on Amazon or just test the pencil and go with what I thought. I soon discovered this was not accurate enough nor good enough as a reviewer and so if I don’t get a reply back from a company on a certain product I don’t write or mention it.
When I done the Bruynzeel Design review, I was never given the Lightfast details from the company on those, nor is it displayed on their site, at least not at the time I produced the review. They told me that the pencils are Lightfast and that was it, but this was not accurate enough to write or review or go into detail about so I didn’t.
In this 40 minute video I mention wax and oil once and didn’t delve deeper, for that very reason. The Luminance pencil according to Caran D’Ache are not a simple wax or oil based pencil. In fact if you watch my reviews I try to stay away from the wax and oil topic as much as I can for this very reason, unless of course a company states that their pencils are 100% wax or 100% oil which so far they haven’t. Their ingredients will always remain secret but there are so many factors involved in what makes a core soft or hard with regards to bees wax or paraffin wax or oils or the way the core is baked etc. So for me personally, it is easier to talk about whether or not a core is hard or soft, scratchy or smooth, pigmented or not etc.
I think the most important thing about the pencils is that they are the finest range about and used by so many top CP artists. Now that the Lightfast have come along this only expands the fantastic range that CP artists can use especially when Derwent include more pigments. Hope this has helped.
Fair enough :thumbsup: thank you for explaining.
I remember reading somewhere on their site i think it as that they were oil.
I just went to their site and can't find it now lol , on their store it doesn't mention if they are wax or oil based.
sniperwipers you could have seen it on their site, don’t go thinking you are mad lol. So many companies shy away from really focusing on the Wax and Oil thing for the reasons I’ve mentioned, technically so many so called “wax” or “oil” based pencils have both ingredients in them and the likes of trading standards etc come down hard on these matters.
I personally don’t really think the pencil being oil or wax is too important, depending on what you are doing. I think soft or hard are more important to talk about, there are some “wax based pencils” much harder than oil based pencils, as is the case with the Derwent Artists range and that is primarily down to the mix of ingredient and type of wax they used.
When I first started reviewing I focused quite a bit on the pencils being wax or oil, but as I have spoke more with the companies, understand the processes they go through to make the pencils and just understand the medium in general more now, I focus on more important issues such as whether or not the pencils hold a lot of pigment, if they are Lightfast etc. Thanks for the question mate and for your reply, hope you are well hope you are enjoying the channel
The derwent pastel pencils I have have little specs of immensely irritating hard bits, that disrupts the lines when you are trying to achieve realism, incredibly annoying. almost every single colour (one of them).
Lol so nobody can think you're putting dynamite in there! People eh?
Oh my God could you be any more vague and indecisive about which one you want I mean basically you said the Derwent sent is not as good as the light facet because it won’t knock it out of its place but why wouldn’t you just simplify that and say the door one cent isn’t as good as the light facet we trust your judgment it’s fine there can be a winner
The comparisons are not about my judgement. I could come on here and just say which pencil is my favourite, but my style of art is fan art, Marker and Colored Pencil combined or botanical art. So all those artists who are portrait artists, landscape etc buy a set of pencils that work for me just because I say they are my favourite and then those people have wasted a lot of money.
I provided the comparison tests, surely from that you can see and look at the difference between the two and work out which pencil is best for the art you create. I have almost 14,000 subscribers on my channel and each and everyone of them have their own style of art, preferred paper and a range of other individual requirements for them to produce their art. I am one person, I am not the arbitrator of Colored Pencils, I am not the all knowing Colored Pencil artists. I am just one person providing reviews were I let the product talk for itself.
That is also why when I review a product I create that review in 4 different formats. RUclips Video Review with demonstrations, Written review with additional information that can be changed by me as and when needed such as pricing and links, Speed Drawing video were you can see the product create something and invade the video is too fast I also provide HiDef images of the art I create at various stages throughout the drawing process. This allows you the viewer to visit that page, click on any of the images including the final image and enlarge that image so you can basically see every pencil stroke. If you are still unable to decide for yourself which product would work best for you and you would really like me to tell you my favourite, I say at the end of all my videos you can ask a question in the comments section or email me directly and I will discuss and tell you there what my favourite pencil is. But if you purchase a £200 set of pencils based on which pencil works for me and not the 4 reviews I provide, I really don’t want to receive an email telling me that you have wasted a lot of money because you purchase the set of pencils that were my personal favourite.
If you would like to know which pencil between the Lightfast and Luminance are my favourite, as I have already mentioned, contact me at theartgearguide@gmail.com
You shouldn’t need to go so in-depth to justify yourself especially when it comes to differences between pencils ffs. People are always going to have favourites and nothing you say or do is going to change that. These videos are great for neutrals but hardcore brand fans will give you shit regardless.
I’ve got no problem taking crap of people at all and it’s not really me justifying myself, I am simply getting in first before some people nit pick and say silly things like I placed more pressure on one pencil over another. And whilst it may seem like just pencils, in the grand scheme of things pencils are not the main topic of global news, but to some people it is incredibly important and helpful to them that these reviews are done as accurate as I can possibly get them because spending large sums of money for a set of pencils is a huge choice for some of us. It is certainly a huge decision for me and so I need to make sure I am making the right move.
I served in the British Army in some terrible places during some horrendous times so believe when I say people giving me problems over reviewing pencils is not the most difficult thing I have had to endure
@@TheArtGearGuide I actually agree I have spent a lot of money on pencils, pretty much every pencil on the market I own. I love them all for individual reasons but some people have something they love and can’t see the rest of the world around them. Some of these pencils cost an absolute fortune so yeah I get it I just think sometimes people can be black and white and not see the world of colour between them.
As for your service I appreciate that. The military is something I actually joined but shortly after damaged both shoulders one so bad it’s going to need replacement at some point so I really do appreciate and thank you for that and hope art and doing these videos can help ease some of the memories of the past.
The Luminance have some disgusting colors........The Derwents are more "real world" in tone......I'm not enthused about spending $300 for a set of 76 Luminance pencils
I agree with you 100% with regards to the Derwent Lightfast pencils being a much better set for landscape and possibly wildlife but I would have to say that the Luminance are by far the best set for White, Brown and Asian skin tones, I guess it really all depends on what genre of art you are into.
But as you rightly highlighted, both the Derwent Lightfast 100 and the 100 Luminance total are very expensive and it’s best to fully know what you are buying before you hand your hard earned money. Thank you for your comment really appreciate it
Great review
Shame about the accent
You are aware that this is not a dating site, if you are looking for sexy accents, there are loads of sites to cater for that type of thing 😂😂
For you to have all the awesome tools and you do have talent for u not to make art and sell it you have not thought it through your wife probably would say use your tools and make great art and money will help your family if you don't it is sad to me I do art due to major spine Paine so I can relate to your pain too make your tools happy and you will be too 🎨👍🦋
First of all, I’ve not said I wouldn’t sell my art work, I’ve just said that I haven’t sold anything thus far. The only art work I could sell is my botanical art as the vast majority of the art I create is fan art and all subject to copyright laws. As far as my botanical art is concerned, I would have to do a lot more of it before I started selling as I o oh have three pieces worthy of selling, maybe 4.
Also, for me personally, my channel is primarily a review channel, the only reason I showcase my art is because a while ago a few people mentioned that they didn’t like reviews were the reviewer only swatched the products and that they wanted to see art done with them as way of demonstration.
Thank you so much for your comment and I will definitely seriously consider your points thank you so mucb
@@TheArtGearGuide I saw some of your art and it is beautifull🎨👍