I can't get on with white gel pens either lol. I've tried them all. I've watched a ton of tutorials. I've received advice from other colorists. They just annoy me to no end, clog constantly, and if I can get them to lay down they look rough, clumpy, or patchy no matter what I do with them. I simply stopped using them. I use my Posca 1M. Not the 1MR, it clogs and the 1M is capable of just as fine of a line.
I've never tried to return anything to Castle Arts.. but I can say their products are extremely overpriced. They are just generic Chinese pencils. You can get the same thing from Brutfuner for a fraction of the price, and better quality. The only reason they are still in business is marketing and promotion. Same is true for Black Widow.
Re Harmonious: that’s why they ONLY sell this item from their site, they KNOW people will want refunds. So keeping it in house lets them control returns.
I’m sure you are right because I never heard of a company that won’t return if you are not satisfied. I hope you also didn’t waste your money on these. Thanks for sharing
Re Castle Arts: the issue is not that you were “dissatisfied” with the product. The issue is that the product is completely defective. I saw at least a dozen pencils that didn’t show up at all. That is defective. I would wait a week, then try again.
Thank you! Some people have mentioned that I need to use extremely light pressure or no pressure at all which I will keep trying to do. Good luck with yours 😊
Some of these brands used to be budget brands. Castle Arts is trying to price themselves and package themselves as not a budget brand but not up their pigments. When I saw their set of 48 pastel pencils were 40 bucks, I laughed. The harmonious set just looked like something that a budget brand couldn’t pull off well. Tooli used to be really inexpensive too. Not anymore. I bought myself a Kutsuwa Knock pencil extender and never looked back. I will not buy another brand again. Well worth the price. I hope to get a couple more but even if I only ever have one, the ease of use means it won’t be a problem. Seriously one of my best supply purchases of the year! Also, no rough texture where my fingers rest. No tightening anything. It is seriously the way to go! It fits my prismacolors perfectly. I also have a Blick colorless blender that is slightly thicker than my prismacolors and that fits great in there as well. It really is so fantastic. I wish I had discovered it ages ago.
Thanks for the extender suggestion, I just added a couple to my Amazon order. I've never heard of that one and the reviews are great. Love the push button function. The Derwent hurts my hands and the older slide versions slip terribly with very short pencils. My blender and white basically live in extenders since I go through them so often. Have you tried it with thicker pencils? I'm always looking for something other than the silver Derwent that will fit Intense or Albrecht Durer.
@ I don’t have any thicker pencils, so I can’t say if they would work for those or not. I just have my trusty Prismas and a few others of the same size. The push button design is fantastic! I was so impressed. I don’t understand why there aren’t more like it. I hate those rough grip areas. This one isn’t completely smooth but it is such an improvement.
@@waymire01 I realized last night that I do have some Inktense pencils. They do not fit in these extenders unfortunately. The edge will fit in the little part of the ring that is a bit wider, but it’s not enough to grasp the pencil for use. It is too wiggly.
It's important to note that there are only 2 qualities of paper you can get through Amazon KDP printing, and the hardback RJ books are as good as it gets, sadly. I now purchase all the hardback RJ books and use oil pencils with them, and I am able to enjoy the books much more than I was able to with the softback books. I don't do much with water-based media, though. From what I'm aware of, most people are using alcohol markers just fine with it, though. Have to keep in mind that most of the "coloring books" are not specifically made for wet media, but for colored pencils or markers - those who enjoy wet media better often have to come up with workarounds like coating their pages.
I like Derya Cakirsoy coloring books. It’s sort of a glossy paper. It’s hard to describe. I think Prismacolor pencils are so overrated. I can’t stand them honestly. I’m liking the Staedtler colored pencils. It’s a smaller barrel. I use the side of the pencil more than the tip. A bigger barrel just doesn’t work for me. I cannot shade worth a shyt and I’ve tried for nearly years. 😂 Derya’s books are greyscale and the paper is pretty darn good for pencils imo. I’ve never tried watercolor but I can’t draw so that’s out. I can’t win. 🤣
I don’t think I anyone liked the harmonious set of Castle Arts. I’m sorry for your bad experience. Isn’t product dissatisfaction the main reason someone returns a product?
seriously, right! I couldn’t believe when they said they don’t take returns unless they are unopened, unused and in the original packaging?! I did see quite a few positive reviews as well so I originally thought I was the only one but I’m glad you saw some negatives as well. Thanks for the support 😄
For the Frida book, maybe a layer of satin glazing liquid would 'level out' some of the texture and help? Worth a try for a book that looks that nice! Also, I was appalled by the response of Castle Art! I will never by any of their products knowing they have such a low estimation of their consumers. Lord knows that with the number of pencil brands out there....they should have a higher level of customer service just to compete in the market! Hope you have a blessed New Year and looking forward to all your upcoming videos and coloring adventures! ❤
i have the same problem with white gel pens. I switched to fine tip white acrylic marker to use instead. for longer lines. i still can use the gel pens for the tiny things. I use SFAIH Acrylic markers. came in a set of 8 - 4 medium tip and 4 fine tip. Pretty cheap too, if i remember correctly.
I might try a fine tipped marker. I only have thicker ones so it’s hard to cover the lines. I was told that the problem is my heavy hand and I should lighten my pressure. I will try it and I hope it works
@TheElly76...once the white gel pen dries, you should be able to scrape it off with the tip of a colorless blender pencil or a craft knife...anything pointy really that won't leave a mark. I too thought I had ruined pages with white gel pens until I learned this trick! Hope this helps...happy coloring!😊
I thought there was something wrong with me because I never really hear anyone complain. I was told it might be the pressure I am using so I will try to use almost no pressure when using them. maybe that will work
Frida book: try two things, use a magic eraser and gently rub on the page consistently over whole area, then use an iron and drop cloth ( thin smooth cloth with no textures) and iron the page. Then try it again? Worth a try
About the Tooli-Art markers: these and the great majority of acrylic markers are usually advertised primarily for rock painting (or graffiti!) and for marking on solid surfaces, not for art on paper (although you will see them advertised this way to grab as much market as they can.) Marker art on paper can be done but only if you use a light hand, sturdy paper, and don't layer more than a couple layers. Paper pills even with top quality acrylic markers like Posca or Molotow. A brush nib can help here but the problem really is the inappropriateness of using paper. Try Fredrix MARKER canvas pads (not the regular canvas paper); this stuff is awesome!!! Really stands up to marker abuse (at least in my experience). Good luck!
It's not the first time I'm hearing about Castle Arts being customer-unfriendly. They need to rethink their policy if they want us to keep buying their products. 😡
I never have problems with the gelliroll as well with the white uniball. It is important to not put any pressure on the pen. With pressure the ball in the nip is not able to roll and therefor it will not bring the ink to the paper. I always start the pens with scrabble them on my hand. After using the pen, clean the nip to remove the ink from the nip. Good luck.
I would highly recommend trying out the Xpaofey acrylic markers. They have plastic small nibs that work perfect for coloring over black lines, and can flow enough to fill small areas too if needed. The style of nib and pen is basically the same as many other brands but this brand is incredibly cheap and they have a 120 set that goes on sale often. There's no numbers on the barrels though but in my experience, Tooli-Art may be the *only* brand to include numbers on their markers. Incidentally, for covering lines I much prefer using a slim acrylic white over a gel pen. Gel ink does NOT like waxy surfaces, the wax kinda seals up and clogs the ball that releases the ink, and over time it'll make your pen skip more and more. Acrylic is paint and the pens I use have a plastic nib with essentially just a hole in the shape of an X on the tip, so there's less likelihood it'll clog and if it does it's much easier to clean. (And the Xpaofey box comes with a nag of replacement nibs in case they happen to break or become un-cleanable.)
Ty for sharing. I’ve had bad luck with water based brush tip pens/markers. The overall effect is just like a crayola. 🤣They’re a waste of money imo. I’m tired of alcohol based markers. I just need a while new gig. 😂
The pencils are being worn down by the harsh tooth of the paper. The tooth helps watercolor lay down and dry evenly, but just not great for pencils. It's like coloring on sandpaper.. which can be done, some pencil artists use sanded pastel paper because they can lay down a ton of pigment quickly... but it's 100% going to eat through your pencils. It's like using a screwdriver to pry a nail out of a wall.. you can get it done but it's not ideal. My experience with multimedia paper is that it can do both, but it's not great at either. Strathmore bristol vellum is a lovely paper that can do light mixed media, but it will warp under a lot of water. The closest thing I've found to a true dual purpose paper (for pencil/watercolor.. not markers, they will suck the ink up terribly) is quality 140lb hot press watercolor (IE: Arches, Fabiano), many professional colored pencil artists use it because it's 100% cotton and therefore archival. We simply are not going to find that in a book though, it's too expensive. I have seen some watercolor books in the past on Etsy that use good watercolor paper, and are priced accordingly $$$, but even then most use cold press which has the texture. Otherwise the best we can do is try to work with what we are given, thus the constant struggle of "what works on this paper" in the coloring community. It's really our fault for trying to use every medium under the sun.. pencils, pens, markers, watercolor, acrylic, pastel.. on and on.. that is why all those different types of paper exist, none of them can do it all.
Right. So it’s like but the coloring books and copy the image onto 140lb paper. It does add up but if we want good art and feel good doing it then that’s what it takes unfortunately.
Dirty business practice for Castle Art. Don't sell them elsewhere because you can't return them so on their site it's a no refund sale. I'm tired of these cheap quality products being advertised as if they are a professional art product, far from it. Bought a set of pencils early in my coloring journey, but will never buy any of their products again due to such poor quality. I had a set of Blick pencils and quickly regifted them. Was disappointed in their own products. Tooliart is hurting themselves with their high pricing and I refuse to pay that for some small cheap acrylic paint. I'm considering trying a very fine brush and bottles of cheap acrylic paint from walmart. I've been saying rj hampson should have put the cost in the hard cover into a higher grade of paper. The hard back isn't worth the added cost as the paper upgrade is minimal at best. I don't want to pay for a book only to have to buy a bottle of satin glazing too or have to reprint the pics.
inexpensive set of 72 pencils, Finding The Lost Girl, on Amazon for 12.99 Canadian dollars. I think it’s ten in u.s. Reminds me of prismas. Downfalls, no names on pencils, not as good as prisma ( still decent). The tin is adorable and great quality.
Thank you for saying that. Most don’t seem to have the same problems with these white gel pens. I don’t have any problems with other colors, just the white
Finnaly ii keep trying to tell artist that these pencil were very hard to 😮handle. When I try to use them. My hand hurts and can only use them only use the for a short time
I totally agree. I had someone complain that I went on too long but the frustration of spending money and not being able to use them is so annoying! Thanks for sharing.
I also bought the Frieda book and couldn’t find anything that worked with the paper. It’s so discouraging to end up with products that just aren’t any good.
Thank you for your video.. I’m so wanting to get the new castle arts pencils but the sad thing is not available to be sent to Australia I’m really wanting them.. I keep on messaging customer service I get the same respond.. thank you for sharing ❤❤❤😊😊😊xxxx
Not sure if this helps but I have the extra fine Tooli-art nibs and they work beautifully…I don’t have the medium nibs to compare though! ETA: the Copic blender is more for use with alcohol markers - try the Derwent pencil blender pen - I really like it!
Yes - it’s made to be used with alcohol markers. It’s not made for pencils. I’ve been using straight 99% alcohol in a water brush lately for my watercolor pencils and inktense. For regular pencils I use a solvent like gamsol/ odorless mineral spirits. It’s amazing
Thanks for the recommendation. I might try a smaller nib on the tooli arts because it has so many good reviews, I’m thinking that the large nib is the problem.
I bought a white gel pen by paper mate at Wal*Mart to write on dark paper this Christmas. It has worked great for me. Still new, but maybe you'd like it.
wow! First time here and the amount of time you are yelling at us about your CA Harmonious pencils is too much for me! I love CA. They need to be layered, not pressed harder. If you want to push the pencil into the paper, get some crayons. Also not every pencil works on every paper. That’s why people buy several sets. I love CA pencils in the Rita Birman books! Also many others, but that combo is one of my favorites. Hope you try them on different paper and layer them instead of pushing and maybe you will find that you like them.
I don’t think you understood my comments. I tried layering, using light pressure etc. Nothing came out onto the paper. there is no pigment in these pencils. Pressing really hard was the only way to get any color on the paper. I’m glad you like them but for me they are absolutely the worst pencils I have ever bought and I cannot support a company that doesn’t accept returns so that it for me.
I'm going to have a little rant! I couldn't agree with you more on most of these...Castle Arts have horrendous customer service and it's all imported cheap from China, but if you have a missing pencil, there's no way they'll open a tin to help. White gel pens are all awful! RJ Hampson books are lovely, but with dreadful paper in both versions, so sad that he doesn't sort a better printer like Hanna Karlzon's for instance. Artxx are way overrated and just keep pumping out more and more stuff that we're daft to keep buying mainly because we're influenced too 🤷 and don't get me started on tooli art! I have 3 different sets, all of them skip or flood or need constant nib cleaning. I think my lesson going into 2025 is 100% to stop buying Chinese crap from companies like these and lightwish, grabie etc that colouring influencers are just taking 'free for review' (they often never use them afterwards on their channels!) and pump out to us and we can't keep up with buying it all anyway, and just stick to what I have already and top up with a little of the good stuff like caran d'ache, derwent, winsor and newton, Holbein, sakura, prismacolor etc that are joyful to use and enhance the hobby. End of the day, it's not a cheap hobby but it is a fantastic one, worth saving to buy a few good things a year. Thank you for a great video 😊
I rehomed all of my "budget" supplies last year. The last to go was my Arteza expert colored pencils (which I did enjoy, beautiful colors and a rare transparent wax base) after they stopped selling open stock. The only "budget" thing I kept is my set of Ohuhu alcohol markers (honolulu B version which is brush and fine tip, the two pastel sets and the mid tone set combined) which I adore and are irreplaceable with that color selection and tip option.. even Copic won't give me the brush/fine tip option. Basically if it's not sold open stock I don't even look at it anymore. If a product won't let me try a few first, and buy a new one when I need it, it's not worth my time and money. Regarding cost, yes it's more to get set up but once you work out the cost of buying a couple of new colors you use constantly vs a entire new set it evens out pretty fast.
Thanks for the rant. I totally enjoyed it because I felt like ranting even more about Castle Arts. I hate to waste money! And I think I am also going to just save up to buy professional grade pencils only because I love my Polychromos and Prismas!
I can't get on with white gel pens either lol. I've tried them all. I've watched a ton of tutorials. I've received advice from other colorists. They just annoy me to no end, clog constantly, and if I can get them to lay down they look rough, clumpy, or patchy no matter what I do with them. I simply stopped using them. I use my Posca 1M. Not the 1MR, it clogs and the 1M is capable of just as fine of a line.
I've never tried to return anything to Castle Arts.. but I can say their products are extremely overpriced. They are just generic Chinese pencils. You can get the same thing from Brutfuner for a fraction of the price, and better quality. The only reason they are still in business is marketing and promotion. Same is true for Black Widow.
I have no problems with the Black Widow colored pencils at all.
Re Harmonious: that’s why they ONLY sell this item from their site, they KNOW people will want refunds. So keeping it in house lets them control returns.
I’m sure you are right because I never heard of a company that won’t return if you are not satisfied. I hope you also didn’t waste your money on these. Thanks for sharing
Re Castle Arts: the issue is not that you were “dissatisfied” with the product. The issue is that the product is completely defective. I saw at least a dozen pencils that didn’t show up at all. That is defective. I would wait a week, then try again.
Do you think that would work to get my money back? I don’t want another set!
I can barely get my white gel pens to work too.
Thank you! Some people have mentioned that I need to use extremely light pressure or no pressure at all which I will keep trying to do. Good luck with yours 😊
Some of these brands used to be budget brands. Castle Arts is trying to price themselves and package themselves as not a budget brand but not up their pigments. When I saw their set of 48 pastel pencils were 40 bucks, I laughed. The harmonious set just looked like something that a budget brand couldn’t pull off well. Tooli used to be really inexpensive too. Not anymore.
I bought myself a Kutsuwa Knock pencil extender and never looked back. I will not buy another brand again. Well worth the price. I hope to get a couple more but even if I only ever have one, the ease of use means it won’t be a problem. Seriously one of my best supply purchases of the year! Also, no rough texture where my fingers rest. No tightening anything. It is seriously the way to go! It fits my prismacolors perfectly. I also have a Blick colorless blender that is slightly thicker than my prismacolors and that fits great in there as well. It really is so fantastic. I wish I had discovered it ages ago.
Thanks for the extender suggestion, I just added a couple to my Amazon order. I've never heard of that one and the reviews are great. Love the push button function. The Derwent hurts my hands and the older slide versions slip terribly with very short pencils. My blender and white basically live in extenders since I go through them so often. Have you tried it with thicker pencils? I'm always looking for something other than the silver Derwent that will fit Intense or Albrecht Durer.
@ I don’t have any thicker pencils, so I can’t say if they would work for those or not. I just have my trusty Prismas and a few others of the same size. The push button design is fantastic! I was so impressed. I don’t understand why there aren’t more like it. I hate those rough grip areas. This one isn’t completely smooth but it is such an improvement.
@@waymire01 I realized last night that I do have some Inktense pencils. They do not fit in these extenders unfortunately. The edge will fit in the little part of the ring that is a bit wider, but it’s not enough to grasp the pencil for use. It is too wiggly.
Thanks for the recommendation. I found them on Amazon for about $7 per extender. I will try them!
It's important to note that there are only 2 qualities of paper you can get through Amazon KDP printing, and the hardback RJ books are as good as it gets, sadly. I now purchase all the hardback RJ books and use oil pencils with them, and I am able to enjoy the books much more than I was able to with the softback books. I don't do much with water-based media, though. From what I'm aware of, most people are using alcohol markers just fine with it, though. Have to keep in mind that most of the "coloring books" are not specifically made for wet media, but for colored pencils or markers - those who enjoy wet media better often have to come up with workarounds like coating their pages.
I like Derya Cakirsoy coloring books. It’s sort of a glossy paper. It’s hard to describe. I think Prismacolor pencils are so overrated. I can’t stand them honestly. I’m liking the Staedtler colored pencils. It’s a smaller barrel. I use the side of the pencil more than the tip. A bigger barrel just doesn’t work for me. I cannot shade worth a shyt and I’ve tried for nearly years. 😂 Derya’s books are greyscale and the paper is pretty darn good for pencils imo. I’ve never tried watercolor but I can’t draw so that’s out. I can’t win. 🤣
I don’t think I anyone liked the harmonious set of Castle Arts. I’m sorry for your bad experience. Isn’t product dissatisfaction the main reason someone returns a product?
seriously, right! I couldn’t believe when they said they don’t take returns unless they are unopened, unused and in the original packaging?! I did see quite a few positive reviews as well so I originally thought I was the only one but I’m glad you saw some negatives as well. Thanks for the support 😄
For the Frida book, maybe a layer of satin glazing liquid would 'level out' some of the texture and help? Worth a try for a book that looks that nice! Also, I was appalled by the response of Castle Art! I will never by any of their products knowing they have such a low estimation of their consumers. Lord knows that with the number of pencil brands out there....they should have a higher level of customer service just to compete in the market! Hope you have a blessed New Year and looking forward to all your upcoming videos and coloring adventures! ❤
i have the same problem with white gel pens. I switched to fine tip white acrylic marker to use instead. for longer lines. i still can use the gel pens for the tiny things. I use SFAIH Acrylic markers. came in a set of 8 - 4 medium tip and 4 fine tip. Pretty cheap too, if i remember correctly.
She admits being heavy handed, I suspect that may be part of the problem. 🤷🏽♀️
I might try a fine tipped marker. I only have thicker ones so it’s hard to cover the lines. I was told that the problem is my heavy hand and I should lighten my pressure. I will try it and I hope it works
I’m glad I’m not the only one with trouble using white pens. I am a bit of a beginner & keep ruining my pages with them 😢
@TheElly76...once the white gel pen dries, you should be able to scrape it off with the tip of a colorless blender pencil or a craft knife...anything pointy really that won't leave a mark. I too thought I had ruined pages with white gel pens until I learned this trick! Hope this helps...happy coloring!😊
@@jaxsansanders1194 Yep.. my prisma blender has saved my pages so many times lol.
I thought there was something wrong with me because I never really hear anyone complain. I was told it might be the pressure I am using so I will try to use almost no pressure when using them. maybe that will work
On that Frida book you may want to try oil or soft pastels. The texture of the paper should not make a difference on using more of those mediums.
I just received oil pastels for Christmas so I will definitely try it. Thanks 🙏
Frida book: try two things, use a magic eraser and gently rub on the page consistently over whole area, then use an iron and drop cloth ( thin smooth cloth with no textures) and iron the page. Then try it again? Worth a try
What a great idea! It can’t hurt. When I try it, I’ll let you know how it goes. Thanks for the suggestion
About the Tooli-Art markers: these and the great majority of acrylic markers are usually advertised primarily for rock painting (or graffiti!) and for marking on solid surfaces, not for art on paper (although you will see them advertised this way to grab as much market as they can.) Marker art on paper can be done but only if you use a light hand, sturdy paper, and don't layer more than a couple layers. Paper pills even with top quality acrylic markers like Posca or Molotow. A brush nib can help here but the problem really is the inappropriateness of using paper. Try Fredrix MARKER canvas pads (not the regular canvas paper); this stuff is awesome!!! Really stands up to marker abuse (at least in my experience). Good luck!
Thanks for the info. I did notice that they have rock painting images in their advertising.
It's not the first time I'm hearing about Castle Arts being customer-unfriendly. They need to rethink their policy if they want us to keep buying their products. 😡
I was so shocked and they have definitely lost a customer so I totally agree with you.
I never have problems with the gelliroll as well with the white uniball. It is important to not put any pressure on the pen. With pressure the ball in the nip is not able to roll and therefor it will not bring the ink to the paper. I always start the pens with scrabble them on my hand. After using the pen, clean the nip to remove the ink from the nip.
Good luck.
Thanks for the recommendation. I will keep trying to lighten my pressure. I didn’t know that it affects the pen so much.
I would highly recommend trying out the Xpaofey acrylic markers. They have plastic small nibs that work perfect for coloring over black lines, and can flow enough to fill small areas too if needed. The style of nib and pen is basically the same as many other brands but this brand is incredibly cheap and they have a 120 set that goes on sale often. There's no numbers on the barrels though but in my experience, Tooli-Art may be the *only* brand to include numbers on their markers.
Incidentally, for covering lines I much prefer using a slim acrylic white over a gel pen. Gel ink does NOT like waxy surfaces, the wax kinda seals up and clogs the ball that releases the ink, and over time it'll make your pen skip more and more. Acrylic is paint and the pens I use have a plastic nib with essentially just a hole in the shape of an X on the tip, so there's less likelihood it'll clog and if it does it's much easier to clean. (And the Xpaofey box comes with a nag of replacement nibs in case they happen to break or become un-cleanable.)
Thanks for the recommendation. I found the 120 set on Amazon for $42 . Is that the sale price or should I watch it for a bit to see if it goes lower?
@@Dianedreamsincolor That's definitely not the sale price, I'd wait and keep an eye on the price! I think I got it when it was $28CAD.
Ty for sharing. I’ve had bad luck with water based brush tip pens/markers. The overall effect is just like a crayola. 🤣They’re a waste of money imo. I’m tired of alcohol based markers. I just need a while new gig. 😂
Totally agree! Thanks for sharing
The pencils are being worn down by the harsh tooth of the paper. The tooth helps watercolor lay down and dry evenly, but just not great for pencils. It's like coloring on sandpaper.. which can be done, some pencil artists use sanded pastel paper because they can lay down a ton of pigment quickly... but it's 100% going to eat through your pencils. It's like using a screwdriver to pry a nail out of a wall.. you can get it done but it's not ideal. My experience with multimedia paper is that it can do both, but it's not great at either. Strathmore bristol vellum is a lovely paper that can do light mixed media, but it will warp under a lot of water. The closest thing I've found to a true dual purpose paper (for pencil/watercolor.. not markers, they will suck the ink up terribly) is quality 140lb hot press watercolor (IE: Arches, Fabiano), many professional colored pencil artists use it because it's 100% cotton and therefore archival. We simply are not going to find that in a book though, it's too expensive. I have seen some watercolor books in the past on Etsy that use good watercolor paper, and are priced accordingly $$$, but even then most use cold press which has the texture. Otherwise the best we can do is try to work with what we are given, thus the constant struggle of "what works on this paper" in the coloring community. It's really our fault for trying to use every medium under the sun.. pencils, pens, markers, watercolor, acrylic, pastel.. on and on.. that is why all those different types of paper exist, none of them can do it all.
Right. So it’s like but the coloring books and copy the image onto 140lb paper. It does add up but if we want good art and feel good doing it then that’s what it takes unfortunately.
Dirty business practice for Castle Art. Don't sell them elsewhere because you can't return them so on their site it's a no refund sale. I'm tired of these cheap quality products being advertised as if they are a professional art product, far from it. Bought a set of pencils early in my coloring journey, but will never buy any of their products again due to such poor quality. I had a set of Blick pencils and quickly regifted them. Was disappointed in their own products. Tooliart is hurting themselves with their high pricing and I refuse to pay that for some small cheap acrylic paint. I'm considering trying a very fine brush and bottles of cheap acrylic paint from walmart. I've been saying rj hampson should have put the cost in the hard cover into a higher grade of paper. The hard back isn't worth the added cost as the paper upgrade is minimal at best. I don't want to pay for a book only to have to buy a bottle of satin glazing too or have to reprint the pics.
inexpensive set of 72 pencils, Finding The Lost Girl, on Amazon for 12.99 Canadian dollars. I think it’s ten in u.s. Reminds me of prismas. Downfalls, no names on pencils, not as good as prisma ( still decent). The tin is adorable and great quality.
I’ve seen those, but no color names and numbers is a deal breaker for me. The color names are part of the joy for me. 😊
I’ve never heard of them but I saw that someone did a RUclips video on them so I will definitely watch it. Thanks for the recommendation
I don’t have much luck with white gel pens either
Thank you for saying that. Most don’t seem to have the same problems with these white gel pens. I don’t have any problems with other colors, just the white
Finnaly ii keep trying to tell artist that these pencil were very hard to 😮handle. When I try to use them. My hand hurts and can only use them only use the for a short time
I totally agree. I had someone complain that I went on too long but the frustration of spending money and not being able to use them is so annoying! Thanks for sharing.
What about using gouache in the Frida book?
I also bought the Frieda book and couldn’t find anything that worked with the paper. It’s so discouraging to end up with products that just aren’t any good.
I felt really discouraged cause they had so many nice books but the paper is so oddly rough even for watercolor paper.
I fot my pencil extenders from amazon they are the twisty kind they are great
Thank you for your video.. I’m so wanting to get the new castle arts pencils but the sad thing is not available to be sent to Australia I’m really wanting them.. I keep on messaging customer service I get the same respond.. thank you for sharing ❤❤❤😊😊😊xxxx
Sorry to hear that but I’m not sure they are worth it. I don’t know about their other sets but the one I bought was awful…no pigment
Not sure if this helps but I have the extra fine Tooli-art nibs and they work beautifully…I don’t have the medium nibs to compare though! ETA: the Copic blender is more for use with alcohol markers - try the Derwent pencil blender pen - I really like it!
Yes, the Copic colorless blender is genius with alcohol markers!
Yes - it’s made to be used with alcohol markers. It’s not made for pencils. I’ve been using straight 99% alcohol in a water brush lately for my watercolor pencils and inktense. For regular pencils I use a solvent like gamsol/ odorless mineral spirits. It’s amazing
Thanks for the recommendation. I might try a smaller nib on the tooli arts because it has so many good reviews, I’m thinking that the large nib is the problem.
I changed brands for white gel pen. Uniball signo is waaay better than jelly roll!
I have the same issue I tend to smudge the ink
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Thanks, I’m glad you enjoyed the video
I bought a white gel pen by paper mate at Wal*Mart to write on dark paper this Christmas.
It has worked great for me. Still new, but maybe you'd like it.
wow! First time here and the amount of time you are yelling at us about your CA Harmonious pencils is too much for me! I love CA. They need to be layered, not pressed harder. If you want to push the pencil into the paper, get some crayons. Also not every pencil works on every paper. That’s why people buy several sets. I love CA pencils in the Rita Birman books! Also many others, but that combo is one of my favorites. Hope you try them on different paper and layer them instead of pushing and maybe you will find that you like them.
I don’t think you understood my comments. I tried layering, using light pressure etc. Nothing came out onto the paper. there is no pigment in these pencils. Pressing really hard was the only way to get any color on the paper. I’m glad you like them but for me they are absolutely the worst pencils I have ever bought and I cannot support a company that doesn’t accept returns so that it for me.
I'm going to have a little rant! I couldn't agree with you more on most of these...Castle Arts have horrendous customer service and it's all imported cheap from China, but if you have a missing pencil, there's no way they'll open a tin to help. White gel pens are all awful! RJ Hampson books are lovely, but with dreadful paper in both versions, so sad that he doesn't sort a better printer like Hanna Karlzon's for instance. Artxx are way overrated and just keep pumping out more and more stuff that we're daft to keep buying mainly because we're influenced too 🤷 and don't get me started on tooli art! I have 3 different sets, all of them skip or flood or need constant nib cleaning. I think my lesson going into 2025 is 100% to stop buying Chinese crap from companies like these and lightwish, grabie etc that colouring influencers are just taking 'free for review' (they often never use them afterwards on their channels!) and pump out to us and we can't keep up with buying it all anyway, and just stick to what I have already and top up with a little of the good stuff like caran d'ache, derwent, winsor and newton, Holbein, sakura, prismacolor etc that are joyful to use and enhance the hobby.
End of the day, it's not a cheap hobby but it is a fantastic one, worth saving to buy a few good things a year. Thank you for a great video 😊
I rehomed all of my "budget" supplies last year. The last to go was my Arteza expert colored pencils (which I did enjoy, beautiful colors and a rare transparent wax base) after they stopped selling open stock. The only "budget" thing I kept is my set of Ohuhu alcohol markers (honolulu B version which is brush and fine tip, the two pastel sets and the mid tone set combined) which I adore and are irreplaceable with that color selection and tip option.. even Copic won't give me the brush/fine tip option. Basically if it's not sold open stock I don't even look at it anymore. If a product won't let me try a few first, and buy a new one when I need it, it's not worth my time and money. Regarding cost, yes it's more to get set up but once you work out the cost of buying a couple of new colors you use constantly vs a entire new set it evens out pretty fast.
@@waymire01yes, that's a great way to buy and exactly what the better companies that I mentioned do. I couldn't agree with you more 👏👏
Thanks for the rant. I totally enjoyed it because I felt like ranting even more about Castle Arts. I hate to waste money! And I think I am also going to just save up to buy professional grade pencils only because I love my Polychromos and Prismas!
I agree I like my Ohuhu markers!