My Love/Hate Relationship with Prismacolor Soft Core Colored Pencils
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- Опубликовано: 7 фев 2025
- Prismacolor colored pencils tend to be the focus of a lot of negativity in the colored pencil community for issues with lightfastness, and wax bloom, as well as their tendency to break easily. While these concerns are valid, I still can't seem to let them go! Am I in a codependent relationship with my Prismacolors? Probably. But I don't care! In this video I'll tell you why even with their challenges, Prismas are still my go-to pencil.
Watch to the end to find out what my dream colored pencil is and what it would take for me to actually break up with my Prismacolors!
Prismacolor (amzn.to/2ddK6hs)
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Yes! Prismacolor my fave too and it can be a bit of a dysfunctional relationship sometimes but I love them lol!
Haha, yes! V codependent tbh.
Colleen Colored Pencils seem to be a good dupe since they're super soft & blendable -- yet a harder lead than Prisma, although they're not the easiest to get and they're not open stock just yet. I just purchased Brutfuner 120 oil pencils in the square barrel for $38, but they do have a 180 pencil set and they color like a dream! However, they're more of a dupe for Polychromos, but cheap enough that not being Open Stock is irrelevant. My dream pencil (if I do get into manufacturing) is to build a solid mechanical pencil with the corresponding colors on the outside and sell the colored leads as sets or open stock. I'd also make the barrel thick, and the shape square, hexagonal, or triangle, so that it's easy to hold in arthritic hands & doesn't roll. A refillable medium would save manufacturing costs, be way more environmentally friendly, allow me to create thicker leads, and would allow me to sell them way cheaper -- although the upfront cost for the external pencil casings would be the catch, but unlike COPIC who sells their marker refills at exorbitant prices, I would sell individual replacement leads reasonably. I'm not sure if I'd have to make hard oil leads only, since wax leads are much more vulnerable to ship without a wood casing. I wonder why none of the pencil companies have thought of this, maybe there's some major hindrance I'm not seeing. Anyhow if I had the money to invest in making a pencil brand, I would, but there's alot of competition & I'm not sure if any there are any investors who'd be interested.
Trying to decide between Prismacolor and Luminance (Caran d'Ache) to invest in the full range, and this was helpful. I have always had a small set of Prismacolor, so I'm okay with the learning curve of a new color line. I was down to these two as my top choices. I'm also wondering if using the watercolor line as wet or dry is an option or with solvents would change your choices? I struggle with the was bloom and wonder if my paper choice would improve that situation as well. I consider YOU the expert! and your work is beautiful!
Thanks for this video! I'm a hobby artist and I've always used Prismacolor, and I like them alot even with the minor aggravations.
Hi! I have also used Prismas since I was little. Back then they were made by Eagle, then Berol and then Sanford. I still have an original set made by Berol from high school. I am so glad you are defending them. You're right--so many in the CP community say such bad things about them and it is really annoying! Yes, occasionally they break, but I love them and always will!
Yes!! So glad I'm not alone in my obsession!💗
I like prismacolors. I’ve only ever tried them, Lyra (which I use interchangeably with prismas most of the time) and Arteza. My kids absconded with the arteza pencils so I never really put them to the test. I don’t do full pieces that are primarily colored pencil, my current style tends to be abstracts starting with watercolor, shading with pencils and then finishing with acrylic paint markers. Prismacolors do pretty well on textured watercolor paper, they won’t be totally smooth but I don’t want them to be so it works. I’ve personally found that they behave much better in electric sharpeners than small manual ones.
“Hillegas Coloured Pencils” Has a very good ring to it. You should look into collaborating with a company to create your own.
I would LOVE that!
I did love prismacolor, but my new love that is cheaper then prismacolor, light fast, soft core that is "glued" to the inside of the wood core and also colors like prismacolor is...Cezane color pencils. The only thing they need to do is make open stock color pencils
That's great to know!! Not being available open-stock is kind of a killer for me since I go through so many, but hopefully they'll change that someday and I can try them!
The do have now
Great video! I feel the same way about Prismacolor. Have you tried the Derwent Lightfast line yet? They are just slightly cheaper than Luminance. They have 100 colors, which caused Luminance to compete by increasing their own line to 100 this year. The interesting thing about the Derwent line is that they chose some very pale colors; they somewhat remind me of the discontinued Prismacolor Decos, but slightly lighter. Also, I think they added colors similar (the naming is the same) to their Derwent Drawing line, which is a full set of muted, deep shades. I've only tried the lighter shades so far and I love them. They seem almost comparable to Luminance in blendability. They are a softer pencil, but maybe not quite as soft.
I've just recently started using the Drawing pencils and I love them even more than Luminance.
Ohh, no, I haven't tried those yet. They sound lovely! Still looking for a range closer to Prisma in size, but these sound like a worthwhile experiment at least. Thanks!
I love Derwent Lightfast too! They have become my fave. Used to love Prismas but had bad experiences where pencils would be broken so badly that entire pencils would go through the sharpener until they were unusable. Then I had clients wanting original illustrations so had to make sure to use lightfast media & my go-to Prismacolors weren’t lightfast. Stills searching for the perfect replacement for Tuscan red, though Derwent Lightfast has a shade that comes close!
@@melissabailey2209 I started with the Sanford version and never had a major sharpening issue until they changed factories. After that, I had pencils where wood pieces shattered off. Not counting lightfastness issues, I feel like they've actually improved since then. Tuscan Red is a classic! The closest color match on my swatch sheet is Luminance 599 (Crimson Aubergine), but the value isn't quite as dark.
@@coleburd3870 yeah, I never had problems with breakage when I was a teenager, but as a freelance artist, after the 3rd or 4th pencil I never even got to use because of breakage, I stopped buying them & searched for a more reliable brand. (So I’ve tried out A LOT of brands in the search for the brand to best fit my needs.) And yes, I’ve also tried Luminance’s crimson aubergine but it wasn’t close enough for me. The closest I’ve found to Prisma’s Tuscan red is the Derwent Lightfast merlot - it’s in between Prisma’s Tuscan red and black raspberry. And it’s not fugitive!
Loved this video! Caran d’ache just got 20 new colors added to the luminance collection. It’s called the ‘portret set’. Living in Belgium, getting prismacolor pencils is so hard. Just got a 150 set from Amazon on sale (but haven’t tried them)... thanks for the good information !
Thanks for the suggestion! I need to try them out! :D
@@KendyllHillegas this portret set has a nice ‘medium cadmium yellow’ in it
Here in Belgium you can buy the luminance for around 4$ each. Prismacolor you only can order online and mostly in sets. If you buy the individually they are also around 4$ each, and that’s online shopping outside Belgium.
I like my luminance even just for sketchbook use, as I can buy them just in my local art shop.
I totally agree about all those points, even the specific colors that are missing. I’d also like a blue toned light purple. The ones they have are too pink for me. Question: I’m desperate to find the most cost effective way to burnish, because I don’t super love the grainy textured look. I tried gamsol, following a tutorial, but it sorta just lifted the pigment and moved colors where I didn’t want them and I ended up having to use even more layers than I normally would have. What am I doing wrong and what would you say is the most cost effective way to do it? Thanks!
I'm very happy using Masterpiece odorless mineral spirits by Gemini with a cheap brush made for acrylics.
Try getting an empty refillable Copic marker and filling it with Gamsol or OMS. It's a lot easier to control the OMS in the marker format rather than using a paintbrush and it doesn't move the pigment around as much.
Hey Laura! So, if you're using it right, a container of Gamsol should last YEARS and be very inexpensive. That being said, I do have a few thoughts as to what might be going wrong:
1. Be sure to keep the gamsol in a sealed container, and don't leave the lid sitting off for long, even when you're using it. it evaporates.
2. Use a high-quality, cold-pressed paper, something with a very heavy weight to it. I'd suggest Fabriano Artistico. The issue you're describing above sounds like it has more to do with the paper than the gamsol. If the pigment is lifting, the paper probably isn't absorbent enough, or doesn't have enough of a tooth.
3. Use only a very, very small amount of gamsol. Dip just the edge of your brush (an acrylic brush, not a watercolor one) and then dab the excess on a paper towel. If you get too much gamsol down, it will be tough to control.
I'm guessing your issue is mainly to do with points 2 and 3.
Hope that helps!💗
@@KendyllHillegas
Yep! I was going to say she’s probably using way to much Gamsol. You need very little and decrease the amount on subsequent layers.
Those sound like awesome qualities for a great pencil.. I think you should look into making your own line of pencils
. :) 😀 😃
Thank you for the video
Have you tried the Caran d'Ache Pablo line? They are soft like the Luminescence pencils, but whereas the Luminescence are guaranteed best of the best in lightfastness, the Pablos will have some colors that aren't rated as high (however still as good as any other professional brand). But as you said, lightfastness is not a top priority for you. Also, they come in 120 colors.
No, I haven't tried those. I thought they were on the harder side? 120 colors is almost as good as Prisma (172)!
@@KendyllHillegas no they are also soft pencils, not hard ones like the polychromos.
Caran d’ache also has the ‘supracolor soft 2’, very soft watercolor pencils which you can also use as normal colored pencils. They feel like butter, also available in sets of 120 pencils, same colors as the Pablo ones
For the lightfastedness problem, would art fixative spray help prevent fading?
I really love Caran D'Ache for their unique colors, like muted, pastel, and "in-between" colors you can't find in other ranges. I would love a pencil brand that covered the color range like Copic does. I also love that I can buy the whole range without worry, but I really look for lightfast pencils for my work. I have taken out all of the 3-5s in Prismacolor, so side-by-side range size by lightfast, Caran D'Ache has a larger range than Prismacolor (CD is up to 100 pencils now!!), and it's sad to see a big pile of colors from Prismacolor I can't use for most work (there are some amazing colors in there). That being said, Prismacolor still has a lovely creaminess for blending that I prefer over Caran D'Ache. Maybe an unpopular opinion: Everything else aside, I think most people who know nothing about pencils will pick up Prismacolor and prefer them for their creaminess over other brands.
Thank you for a great video! I love how clear you are about why they work so well for you!
Have you tried Derwent Drawing pencils? And Derwent Lightfast pencils? And if so, may I ask how you feel they compare to the Prismacolors? 🙂
You didn’t mention them so I’ll suggest Derwent ColorSoft? I’ve not tried them so I can’t recommend.
I have tried them, and they're nice but they felt a bit dry to me somehow?
Where do you reorder your Prismacolor single pencils? I’ve discovered that I have some favorite colors from sets that I can’t find replacements in any single purchases. I’ve tried to order singles and found they are on back order for months and months.
Just Blick! But they are often backordered on certain colors. I tend to buy several at a time when I can!
I love Prismacolor and agree on all points. As a colored pencil artist, (mainly animals, but a little bit of everything), I LOVE Crayola colored pencils! I don't have a single complaint about them: 120 colors, creamy, sharpen to a fine-point, an excellent opaque White, a deep Black.... I do wish they were in open-stock, however. I highly recommend Crayola colored pencils to everyone and don't understand why everyone goes for the more/most expensive brands right-off-the-bat. No one is going to get 100% museum-quality lightfastness with any brand anyway, and if a lead breaks, as they do with ALL brands at some point, just grab some Scotch tape and tape it on.
Woah, I need to learn more about this taping thing! How do you to that so that it still sharpens?
@@KendyllHillegas I'm trying to imagine this too. How does that work?
I think everyone goes staight for expensive, mostly Prismacolor, because you see it so much. You start to think that this is what you need to be able to do art.
@@mchobbit2951 I use prismacolor and faber castell. Crayola is good too, but some don't blend too well.
I have a tried and true method for fixing my Prismacolors that keep breaking. I stick them in the oven.
Wrap the group of broken pencils in a piece of foil and fold closed like a "pocket" and place it on a cookie sheet in a cold oven. Set oven temp to 250 degrees F. for 2.5-7 minutes. Turn off oven and let your pencils cool before sharpening or using. The harder the pencil such as the “Verithin” ones, longer it needs to bake. I have Premier pencils so I turn the oven off at 5 min.
This has helped BIG TIME. I can't say if it does anything negative to the formula in terms of restructuring anything negatively, but it reconstitutes the inner core enough to stop pencil breakage.
Did u try Posca pencils? Limited color range, but I like them. :)
No, I haven't! I think when I looked they weren't available open-stock. Are they blendable?
very soft and blendable but don't layer well...compared to the prismas
What kind of Coloured Pencil community are you part of or am I from a different word because I see almost just praise for Prismacolor? The people that complain about these things still BUY them 90% of the time (and I mean, it's true. Nobody should "make a case" of things like low lightfastness, wax bloom and the breakage issues). There only seem to be a few professionals (and pretty much almost no hobbyists) that stick to other brands. hobbyists
I guess I just see a lot of artists hating on them! On IG mainly.
It’s read as CA-RAN-DASH ✌️✌️✌️😅😅😅
Prismacolor is decent enough for me. Their selling point is their specialized colors. I haven't seen some of these colors anywhere else.