I will say that here in Japan the full set of the Holbein colored pencils are 24,898 yen which translates to roughly $248.98 USD. I can buy Holbein pencils open stock at my local art store here in Okinawa for 219 yen, or $1.98 USD depending on the day. Yen rate changes daily so that's something to keep in mind.. I honestly don't know why Holbein is so expensive stateside. It doesn't just apply to their pencils, it applies to everything. I can buy 15ml tubes of their watercolor for 547 yen depending on the series which is just under $5 USD whereas American vendors charge upwards of $10/15ml tube... and the soft white Holbein pencil is where it's at. It's so much better than their normal white.
I love the soft white but the pastels and metallics are some of the best in the industry as well. I like the pencils a lot but they are different than anything else and I am not sure comparing is the best test. I think people use what they like.
I ordered the soft white pencil and it’s on its way (I had to pay a lot more than $1.98 to get it). Thanks for sharing the prices there in Japan…very helpful and interesting Information. It’s what I was suspecting. I am envious of your access to art supplies there in Japan.
Thank you for the great comparative tools and all your work. I know I am biased towards pencils that are a blend of oil and wax instead of being dominant in one area, and for that, I enjoy using Holbein better than either Prisma or Poly Chromos. I truly only like using Prisma with Poly Chromos together. I just find it really hard to use Prisma by itself, though I have finally mastered better technic for both Prisma and Poly Chromos so I like them better now than I did when I first started. But my favorite pencils are Luminance, Holbein, and Lightfast (in that order). I was very frustrated with Prisma when I first started for the poor pencil quality, and the waxy mess that can build fast without a light hand so in my search I found Holbein and fell in love with them. Also, when I was younger my art experience started with oil pastels so moving to Holbein was like muscle memory -a very easy transition. Holbein is unique in that they are a blend of oil, wax, AND fat which makes them unique. Many people who have done reviews do not like that fat component but I do because of my oil pastel experience. I layer a lot differently than you do I guess (I crosshatch, and then use ovals on my last few layers rather than color only vertically, and then I use an OMS ). My experience is they layer better than Prisma, but they are very close. Artist Jane Bush reached out to Holbein and got a response in regards to the lightfast issue. You might like to watch her video, she uses Holbein a lot and is very bias towards them but I am ok with people loving their pencils on either side, I am very passionate myself. Holbein is run by chemists so I am fairly satisfied with the response and many Japanese artists use and like Holbein. Also from what I have read these expensive industry lightfast tests are bias themselves. I have heard that even pencils like Poly Chromos that have the tests behind their name are not really performing over time the way the test says they should so not sure if I trust all that testing. I am currently very annoyed that Blick is charging so much for them so until they reduce the price I will only buy them from Amazon Japan. Finally, I will say that pencils are so specialized so I appreciate having so many options to meet my needs. I see them as tools, not good or bad but a tool for what I need.
I don't think that 2012 is out if date if they have not changed their formula. It is terribly expensive for companies to do astm testing and I bet all of the brands tests are old because the results shouldn't change if the formula is the same.
Agreed Lindsey…I wish they would publish a more current version on their website. The only place I can find this chart dependably now is on the Blick website…strange. I don’t understand why it is so hard for some companies to make this information readily available, especially when they pay so much money for the clout of the rating.
@@ColoringBliss maybe the results hurt their sales? Kinda like if you have great grades but dake the SAT and do poorly if the college doesn't require sat why would you send the scores. Sometimesmes have the pigment info and lightfast rating isn't good for the brand. It's good for customers tho!
This is why you are my absolute go to when I have swatching concerns. You are the only artist I know whom constantly swatches on white, tan, and black paper. 👍❤ it is a real game changer when you add that extra touch
I want to throw in a vote for Luminance vs. Derwent Lightfast. It is very rare to see a direct comparison between those two brands because they are both high-end pencils, and VERY few people own both...but they are direct competitors!
I’m not a colorist but a nature journaler who prefers colored pencils over watercolors. I’m learning so much from watching your channel. I appreciate all the work you both put in to produce these top quality videos. Thanks!
I like them both for different reasons. There are some in between colors and favorites both ways and I basically use them over my Polychromos to make my picture creamy then for details like eye lashes I go back to the Polychromos. They all compliment each other just as if one had Prismas and Polychromos.
Thank you for your review and test between the two. I did the test in the Netherlands and than it is a draw. Because for us both pencils are very expensive and the best way to buy them is on line. Sadly I do not like the Prismacolors. They are to soft for me and I think they smear to much. Fantastic colours though. I have not given up on them yet, I will keep trying to colour with them.
I got my 150 Holbein set from Amazon Japan as it seems to be a bit more reasonable....still, they are pretty pricey! Love this video Jennifer and Steve!
Can you do a Prismacolor vs. Brutfuner comparison? I love both of them and would be curious to see how they stack up against eachother. Those Holbein's had me tempted I must say. However, that price point is ridiculous! I can't justify purchasing them, especially after seeing the comparison stats. Great video as always!! ✌🏾🙏🏾❤🙂
That is scary. I wonder how much was really changed. I know that my other pencils blend well but the Holbein felt like an oil slick and wouldn’t blend nicely. It nearly messed up my commission. But for coloring why not? Thank you for your fun swatches!
Back in the day prismacolor used to make a lightfast set. When they discontinued that and then made the 150 set - 12 of the 18 new colors that were added were from the lightfast set :)
Your scientific approach and encyclopedic knowledge make you my go-to site for colored pencil information. You and your partner make learning a pleasant experience. Thank you!
Thank you for the fun and interesting vid! I have full sets of Prismas, Polys, Holbein and Tombow Irotijen. Holbein is my fav, Polys next, then Irotijens and least fav Prismas. I find Prismas too messy, smeary, waxy and they leave way more debris than any of the other pencils that I own. I'm constantly having to brush off the paper w/ Prismas but not with Holbeins, so your results are puzzling to me. I am a self-confessed pencil addict and have other brands as well, but IMO Holbeins are heaven to work with and worth the extra bucks.
The Pablos are oil based and even though the Lightfast say oil they really lean wax because I use them everyday. Pablo is a harder lead and better to compare to Polychromos because only these sets could be used on drafting paper. Lightfast doesn’t fit well in that area.
Thanks for this video! In regards to lightfast info, Jane Bush ( Artist Jane Bush) posted a video about 2 weeks ago with a document from holbein explaining their lightfast info and what method they use etc. Just thought Id mention it if anyone is interested as I have seen many people upset about their lightfast or their lack of lightfast info. Anywho, have a great day!
Thanks Danielle. I have since watched Jane’s great video. I wish Holbein had made that document available on their website so I could have found it. I do a ton of research before doing videos like this, but tend to focus my research on the individual company websites or sites like Blick (I generally stay away from RUclips as a credible research tool).
I have both and I prefer the prisma colors. I find that I have to sharpen the Holbein to much. It’s harder to keep a sharp point and they don’t seem to layer like my prismas.
I love your videos, Jennifer and Steve. The picture hanging up behind you, what did you use to make that? I would love to try and recreate it if that is alright with you. I would love to know maybe the technique and medium you used.
Thank you for this very fun and interesting video. I learned a lot today. A white pencil extravaganza comparison video would be very welcome. Yes please.
Hey Jennifer and Steve :) Loved to watch your Prismacolor VS Holbein’s colored pencils !!! Maybe you could try a couple of battles with these brands next : - Faber-Castell Polychromos VS Castle Arts Colored Pencils; - Water Soluble Castle Arts VS Faber-Castell Albrecht Dürer; - Steadtler Ergosoft VS Steadtler Noris Club - Prismacolor Premier VS Prismacolor Scholar; - Derwent Coloursoft VS Derwent Drawing; - Derwent Inktense VS Derwent Lightfast; - Crayola Classic Colored Pencils VS Crayola Twistables Colored Pencils; - Crayola Classic Colored Pencils VS Crayola Signature Colored Pencils; - Crayola Classic Colored Pencils VS Crayola Color Escapes Premium Colored Pencils… A couple of ideas for now hehehe Take care xx Annie 🌻
IKR? I saw $270 dollars for the Holbein set not too long ago from the Amazon Japan site. But then the question to be asked is why does Dick Blick mark it up so much more than what they buy it for from Japan? Hmm.
A Faber-Castell and Caran D'ache Pablos stand off would be a good comparison to do. I love both sets of these pencils and they layer and play well together too.
Regarding the letter “O” and “P” on the Holbein pencils: perhaps “O” = opaque and “P” = pastel? I noticed one of your Holbein sets is a pastel set. Just guessing here.
Yes to this battle!! I just bought the big 72 set of Lyra Rembrandt so my twin girls can use it alongside their prisma Colors for all their school art projects this coming school year. I'm going to break out my own prismas and play with them together as well. (I also recently bought the square brutfeners and the pastelowes) I'm on a pencil kick again!
Also the OP is just to distinguish it from other product codes. I'm not sure exactly what it stands for but their Gouache uses G. I'm assuming the P is for pencil. But yeah its so their colour codes are different per product and not really important for your swatching
There are adults and kids who wet (lick!!) the tips of their pencils prior to writing (!!) which could present be a toxicity problem depending on composition of the cores.
It's true that these Holbien pencils can make you droll. They are gorgeous and the colors and how they perform. Although both Holbien and Luminance are sets I would love to have, and could purchase right now I would not dream of doing it. My husband and I work too hard for that to be a loving thing to do. In the end I most care about how beautiful my pictures look. When I see them come to life on the page it really is such an uplifting experience. I have a lot of pencil sets with complete color ranges for those sets. That is fantastic. Most are budget or midrange. I do have 4 sets that are high end. But my pictures all look as nice no matter which I use. Sometimes I just have to work a bit harder to make that happen.
Oh yes! Head to head comparison are amazing! Could you do Indra Creative Pastel tones vs Marco Square C820? Or the that Holbein Pastel set you have vs the Marco Square C820? 😊 And, is there any other brand (besides Holbein that sells pastel tones colored pencils open stock?)
I’m guessing OP stands for Oily Pencil but I could well be wrong… only a guess. I would like to try them but waaaay too expensive for me. Maybe one day. Until then, nice to see how they handle so thanks for the upload ✨🙏✨
In step 5 where for the layering process, is it possible that the paper absorbs the oil, causing the oil to sink into the paper, and the wax lays upon the paper?...and could it also be the same with the water test in #6...oil and water will not mix, therefore the Holbein repels the water...I know that the wax should do the same thing...just some thoughts my mind is pondering...
Even not all pro artists need to worry about lightfastness. The only people who should worry about that are those who are actually selling their original picture to others, or who want to preserve the pictures for themselves. Anyone who is doing art for reproduction or who just doesn't care as much about that shouldn't worry as much. I know that's kind of obvious, but I think we need to start challenging the whole lightfast = pro thing. It really doesn't. Lots of pros reproduce their work. Anyway, I haven't finished watching the video, but Holbein's are my favorite colored pencil. You can't go wrong with Prismacolors, though. I never had serious breakage issues with them and I've used them a lot.
Neil…you are so right about reproduction work. The expensive Copic markers are not lightfast but used by thousands of professionals for digital and print reproductions. That’s just 1 example
All this time I just assumed the OP stood for Oil Pencil. I enjoyed this review, thanks for all the hard work you do into bringing these videos to us. Always enjoy hearing your thoughts on coloring supplies.
TKY so much my lady fir your review battle! Very instructive and objective one! Congratulation, it was very helpful for buying or not a 50% liquidation sale on Japanese market on line, 22 Décember 2022! 😊
As far as lightfast ratings go, as long as Prismacolor's formula hasn't changed, 2012 is current. And, at least they're honest that many/most of their pencils don't use lightfast pigments. I think I'd give them the nod.
My closest art store in the city finally got the Holbein's in the smaller sets and also sell them individually so I got to try them on different papers (I brought my own chart on my own paper to complete my Luminance individuals LOL). As soon as I picked up the Holbein I could feel the difference... They felt a bit more solid and heavier than other pencils - and when using on my different papers they seemed to give immediate full coverage of pigment. Really loved the sampling I did so I broke down and finally ordered the full set from Japan! Currently waiting on them excitedly here!!! Also waiting for my final Polychromos & Luminance pencils from Cult Pens in the UK as my art store didn't have a few colours I needed to complete my collection. Really can't wait for the next couple weeks and I'll be complete my dream full collection of pencils. 😁 Thanks for this wonderful video.. Always great work you both do.💖
I enjoyed this video. I received 7 Holbein colored pencils in my Paletteful packs subscription box a couple of months ago. I am not sure I like them. I see that I have to sharpen them often.. The colors I got are Rose, yellow, sky blue, cherry blossom, lettuce green cobalt blue, and wisteria. They are a thick pencil. The cost is ridiculous. I have a lot of pencils but most are small sets except I do have gh 150 and 72 set of Prisma's. Of course I purchased the 72 set first, a stupid move on my part. ugh.
I’ve been watching Holbein reviews the last few days. I thought about getting some.. I listened to a colorist who really didn’t like them, then I watched Lachri Fine Arts review. They weren’t her favorite, but she was able to make them work for her, she liked using them for the background. Where the problem came is when she tried to find out how they tested for lightfastness. She began her communications with a representative from Holbein. I would encourage you to watch it. She showed her interactions with him word for word. He was secretive, misleading and dishonest at best. The more she pressed trying to get a straight answer the more idiotic he sounded, saying they’re means for tested is “proprietary”. Then he blew her off completely. So she went to an artist association she belongs to who do their own lightfast testing on all products. What she found there is that many of the pencils that have 3 stars on them are fugitive. Based on the shoddy way they treat artists, who need to know this info because they sell their work, and customers in general I will not be purchasing any of their products at all in the future. The pencils cost almost as much as Luminance. They charge a premium price for a shoddy product and dishonesty on top of it.
Yikes! I’ll go check out her video. Yes, lightfast is extremely important to artist. I remember Lachri saying if she was making art that she would not sell and just make prints of it, she wouldn’t care too much lightfastness. But selling, you gotta use pigments that won’t fade.
You can buy them from Japanese websites, just got my 150 set a few days ago, with shipping it was about €240 (FedEx got then within 10 days), compared to the €400 and so I'd have to pay here in Europe. Worth it 😁
I would love to see prismacolor comparison against Derwent lightfast, and prismacolor against koh i noor woodles pencil (the one behind in the softest pencil competition) 😍
Thank you for doing the comparison video. I did managed to test it out while watching the video and I must say is I really agree that Holbein is a better choice. Although for price value and availability, they have these two brands available in Singapore but in terms of price value, both brands with the largest amount set has similar prices. It's a real game changer especially in my plans for saving up to buy the best color pencils to use for adult coloring. When I first bought the individual colors for prismacolor, I notice that there were cracks appeared on some pencils and I carefully avoid those in contemplation of the comparison testing. After this video, I'm definitely hoping to own the Holbein largest set of colors in around 6 months time.
Weather light-fast and permanence is worth the cost depends on the purpose of what I'm making. For gifts I like the best quality I can get. For taking out of home, I prefere pencils I'm not afraid to loose or damage.
I would like to know about the 'fat' content in Holbein's pencil formula. Does it come from whales? Or other traumatized or endangered animals? This detail makes it or breaks it for me. Cannot enjoy artwork grounded and dependent on torture and cruelty. On the other hand, if the 'fat' and oils come form cashew nuts, seeds, grass-fed organic cow's milk, etc., i would do cartwheels, enjoying making art and thanking Nature and Holbein for their gift and expertise in crafting such beautiful tools to further beauty and creation!
I think personally i would just buy 2 sets of prismacolor and color my heart away and take the savings from not getting the Holbeins and do something else with it.
Melody…yes most colored pencils are a mix of both wax and oil. They all make their own formulas and that’s what is so fun about trying different brands!
Wax based binders do not have oil binders in them. Its an either or situation. An oil used as a binder in art supplies is linseed oil. Poisonous if ingested. Thus, professional artists would poison themselves as they painted their masterpiece.
I'm not sure what this says about me and I really dont care, but once someone says that it's a Japanese-made product, I'm buying it. Especially art related products. I have some holbein pastel colored pencils and I LOVE them. They're different but great and if you're used to using prismas or luminance or polychromos, there is a learning curve. But they're amazing in their own way. If I could afford an entire set I'd buy them in a heartbeat.
I don’t own Polychromos or Holbein but wouldn’t this also be a good comparison? Both are expensive and the same type (oil based). Comparing Prisma with Holbein seems a bit unfair. I have the Prismas and I like them but I tend to prefer softer oil based pencils.
No, actually Holbein performs way more like Prisma than Poly Chromos because Holbein is soft like Prisma. I am not sure where people are getting that they are oil dominant, pencils their Japanese website says they are a "mixture of oil, wax, and fat" (holbein.co.jp/english/0423.html). I have both Poly Chromos and Holbein and they are night and day different.
I agree that a Polychromos and Holbein match up would be interesting. I think any colored pencil match up is fair using this chart but some match ups aren’t worth doing because the outcome would be obvious…like Crazyart against Polychromos…everyone knows who will win that. But 2 different types of pencil, with different experiences when used, from 2 different countries…who will win that battle? Now that is more interesting to me.
For me, because they are so different, it makes the comparison even more interesting. Also, many people have no idea that there is a difference, so the process is helpful both for educational purposes and for fun.
Could the blending issue with the Holbeins be because they are more oil based? I’ve always heard that more waxed based pencils blend while more oil based pencils layer? Curious!
Oh, and they are pricey. That's why I had a friend who travels to Japan (pre-pandemic) twice a year buy mine. He was able to find a 50 pc set for $100. Score!
@@ColoringBliss Well, if we discover that the polychromos are as good as Holbein, I think folks would like to know they don't have to spend those big bucks.
If you've used Holbein pencils and Polychromos then you will know that they're nothing alike. The creamy, opaque color is much more reminiscent of Prismas, so I think Jennifer made the right choice to compare these two.
In Denmark the Caran D’ache Luminance and Prismacolor cost the same. I guess because the Luminance are from Europe and not imported from outside the EU. Maybe that is why the Holbeins are so expensive? That they are imported from Japan?
I have heard that Prismacolor is expensive in your area. That is why I felt it was so important to include those certain lines on the worksheet. It really makes a difference what region you are in.
@@ColoringBliss thank you for replying 🥰 I’d be curious to know how these two pencil sets would do up against each other in your opinion. So far I am enjoying my 24 set of prismas but I hope to get a bigger set of pencil for Christmas so I am trying to do some online “research” first :) Your channel helped me choose the Prismacolor set a few years ago and they are my only colouring pencils.
@@Rebecca640 You are so correct! Then I don’t know why - maybe they have other trade agreements with the EU. All I know is Luminance’s retail price is just about the same in Denmark and Switzerland, while the Prismacolors are 3,2 times more in Denmark than in the USA…
@@brittchristensen5284 swiss has some contract with eu, so they have the same safety standards than the eu has. I think this is the reason. When someone imports goods from usa or japan, they must do safety standart tests on their own. This tests are very expensive so they need to sell the pencils for higher price
![NEW Prismacolor Technique Boxes! [Unboxing & In-Depth Review]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/wz655MnFMY8/mqdefault.jpg)
I absolutely LOVE how your little fur baby has her/his own place on your art desk ❤❤❤❤❤❤❤
Would love to see another Battle of the White Pencils please
I will say that here in Japan the full set of the Holbein colored pencils are 24,898 yen which translates to roughly $248.98 USD. I can buy Holbein pencils open stock at my local art store here in Okinawa for 219 yen, or $1.98 USD depending on the day. Yen rate changes daily so that's something to keep in mind.. I honestly don't know why Holbein is so expensive stateside. It doesn't just apply to their pencils, it applies to everything. I can buy 15ml tubes of their watercolor for 547 yen depending on the series which is just under $5 USD whereas American vendors charge upwards of $10/15ml tube... and the soft white Holbein pencil is where it's at. It's so much better than their normal white.
I love the soft white but the pastels and metallics are some of the best in the industry as well. I like the pencils a lot but they are different than anything else and I am not sure comparing is the best test. I think people use what they like.
I ordered the soft white pencil and it’s on its way (I had to pay a lot more than $1.98 to get it). Thanks for sharing the prices there in Japan…very helpful and interesting Information. It’s what I was suspecting. I am envious of your access to art supplies there in Japan.
Yeah I got them from Amazon JP and it ended up being (pre-shipping) less than $190.
Whenever I buy new supplies my favorite part is swatching! Lol
Oh yes!! Swatching bliss ❤️❤️❤️
I agree with Lark, below. Let’s see Luminance and Lightfast🤩🥳
Ok! I added it to the list
How about The Luminance and Holbeins.
@@lauramcdougal3952luminance better !
The Holbein soft white pencil is better than the Holbein white, it’s more opaque. It is my favorite white pencil.
Agreed! The best white ever!
Ok!! I just added it to my Blick shopping cart
@@ColoringBliss I have the soft Holbein but still prefer the Derwent drawing pencil.
Thank you for the great comparative tools and all your work. I know I am biased towards pencils that are a blend of oil and wax instead of being dominant in one area, and for that, I enjoy using Holbein better than either Prisma or Poly Chromos. I truly only like using Prisma with Poly Chromos together. I just find it really hard to use Prisma by itself, though I have finally mastered better technic for both Prisma and Poly Chromos so I like them better now than I did when I first started. But my favorite pencils are Luminance, Holbein, and Lightfast (in that order). I was very frustrated with Prisma when I first started for the poor pencil quality, and the waxy mess that can build fast without a light hand so in my search I found Holbein and fell in love with them. Also, when I was younger my art experience started with oil pastels so moving to Holbein was like muscle memory -a very easy transition. Holbein is unique in that they are a blend of oil, wax, AND fat which makes them unique. Many people who have done reviews do not like that fat component but I do because of my oil pastel experience. I layer a lot differently than you do I guess (I crosshatch, and then use ovals on my last few layers rather than color only vertically, and then I use an OMS ). My experience is they layer better than Prisma, but they are very close. Artist Jane Bush reached out to Holbein and got a response in regards to the lightfast issue. You might like to watch her video, she uses Holbein a lot and is very bias towards them but I am ok with people loving their pencils on either side, I am very passionate myself. Holbein is run by chemists so I am fairly satisfied with the response and many Japanese artists use and like Holbein. Also from what I have read these expensive industry lightfast tests are bias themselves. I have heard that even pencils like Poly Chromos that have the tests behind their name are not really performing over time the way the test says they should so not sure if I trust all that testing. I am currently very annoyed that Blick is charging so much for them so until they reduce the price I will only buy them from Amazon Japan. Finally, I will say that pencils are so specialized so I appreciate having so many options to meet my needs. I see them as tools, not good or bad but a tool for what I need.
yes, big agree, we need a new WHITE-OFF Challenge, good thinking!
I don't think that 2012 is out if date if they have not changed their formula. It is terribly expensive for companies to do astm testing and I bet all of the brands tests are old because the results shouldn't change if the formula is the same.
Agreed Lindsey…I wish they would publish a more current version on their website. The only place I can find this chart dependably now is on the Blick website…strange. I don’t understand why it is so hard for some companies to make this information readily available, especially when they pay so much money for the clout of the rating.
@@ColoringBliss maybe the results hurt their sales? Kinda like if you have great grades but dake the SAT and do poorly if the college doesn't require sat why would you send the scores. Sometimesmes have the pigment info and lightfast rating isn't good for the brand. It's good for customers tho!
This is why you are my absolute go to when I have swatching concerns. You are the only artist I know whom constantly swatches on white, tan, and black paper. 👍❤ it is a real game changer when you add that extra touch
I want to throw in a vote for Luminance vs. Derwent Lightfast. It is very rare to see a direct comparison between those two brands because they are both high-end pencils, and VERY few people own both...but they are direct competitors!
I’m not a colorist but a nature journaler who prefers colored pencils over watercolors. I’m learning so much from watching your channel. I appreciate all the work you both put in to produce these top quality videos. Thanks!
So interesting to hear what you do with your art tools! Welcome and I’m so glad to hear that you are finding value here.
I would like to see Lightfast and Luminance.
I like them both for different reasons. There are some in between colors and favorites both ways and I basically use them over my Polychromos to make my picture creamy then for details like eye lashes I go back to the Polychromos. They all compliment each other just as if one had Prismas and Polychromos.
Wouldn’t comparing faber vs holbeins be more accurate, because they are both oil based?
Thank you for your review and test between the two.
I did the test in the Netherlands and than it is a draw. Because for us both pencils are very expensive and the best way to buy them is on line.
Sadly I do not like the Prismacolors. They are to soft for me and I think they smear to much. Fantastic colours though. I have not given up on them yet, I will keep trying to colour with them.
I got my 150 Holbein set from Amazon Japan as it seems to be a bit more reasonable....still, they are pretty pricey! Love this video Jennifer and Steve!
Can you do a Prismacolor vs. Brutfuner comparison?
I love both of them and would be curious to see how they stack up against eachother.
Those Holbein's had me tempted I must say. However, that price point is ridiculous! I can't justify purchasing them, especially after seeing the comparison stats.
Great video as always!!
✌🏾🙏🏾❤🙂
Good battle suggestion. I will make a note of it.
That is scary. I wonder how much was really changed. I know that my other pencils blend well but the Holbein felt like an oil slick and wouldn’t blend nicely. It nearly messed up my commission. But for coloring why not? Thank you for your fun swatches!
Back in the day prismacolor used to make a lightfast set. When they discontinued that and then made the 150 set - 12 of the 18 new colors that were added were from the lightfast set :)
Interesting 👍
Your scientific approach and encyclopedic knowledge make you my go-to site for colored pencil information. You and your partner make learning a pleasant experience. Thank you!
Thank you for the fun and interesting vid! I have full sets of Prismas, Polys, Holbein and Tombow Irotijen. Holbein is my fav, Polys next, then Irotijens and least fav Prismas. I find Prismas too messy, smeary, waxy and they leave way more debris than any of the other pencils that I own. I'm constantly having to brush off the paper w/ Prismas but not with Holbeins, so your results are puzzling to me. I am a self-confessed pencil addict and have other brands as well, but IMO Holbeins are heaven to work with and worth the extra bucks.
Thank you for this information! I was curious about the Holbein but my goodness the price point.
Love the Colored Pencil Battle 🙂
Do the “white battle “ yuss
That’s cool but prisms colors are cheaper than Holbein. That’s prob the most important for me lol two points doesn’t negate this fact for me
Wonderful thorough comparison, thank you. My prismas win again.
Great job and I am glad I have my full set of Prisma pencils. I would love to see a challenge between Derwent Lightfast and CaranDache Pablo pencils
Great idea! I added it to my list
The Pablos are oil based and even though the Lightfast say oil they really lean wax because I use them everyday. Pablo is a harder lead and better to compare to Polychromos because only these sets could be used on drafting paper. Lightfast doesn’t fit well in that area.
@@jenniefrench1338 actually the pablos arent oil, they are wax…caran d’ache told me they make no oil based
pencils…just an FYI…:)
White pencil battle would be awesome to see especially tested on both toned and black papers
Thanks for this video! In regards to lightfast info, Jane Bush ( Artist Jane Bush) posted a video about 2 weeks ago with a document from holbein explaining their lightfast info and what method they use etc. Just thought Id mention it if anyone is interested as I have seen many people upset about their lightfast or their lack of lightfast info. Anywho, have a great day!
Thanks Danielle. I have since watched Jane’s great video. I wish Holbein had made that document available on their website so I could have found it. I do a ton of research before doing videos like this, but tend to focus my research on the individual company websites or sites like Blick (I generally stay away from RUclips as a credible research tool).
I have both and I prefer the prisma colors. I find that I have to sharpen the Holbein to much. It’s harder to keep a sharp point and they don’t seem to layer like my prismas.
I love your videos, Jennifer and Steve. The picture hanging up behind you, what did you use to make that? I would love to try and recreate it if that is alright with you. I would love to know maybe the technique and medium you used.
New White and Black battle, please.
Pablo vs. Polychromos would be interesting
Great idea. Adding it to my list.
I agree. I would like to see a comparison of Poluchromos vs Pablos .
Yay white pencil battle!
you can get holbeins now directly from Japan Amazon =) I was able to get the full set of 150? or something for 150$ USD.
i just checked, cost was $214 plus $32 shipping.
Thanks I have both full sets, I love them both, next battle prisma en fc polychromos please
Thank you for this very fun and interesting video. I learned a lot today.
A white pencil extravaganza comparison video would be very welcome. Yes please.
Hey Jennifer and Steve :)
Loved to watch your Prismacolor VS Holbein’s colored pencils !!!
Maybe you could try a couple of battles with these brands next :
- Faber-Castell Polychromos VS Castle Arts Colored Pencils;
- Water Soluble Castle Arts VS Faber-Castell Albrecht Dürer;
- Steadtler Ergosoft VS Steadtler Noris Club
- Prismacolor Premier VS Prismacolor Scholar;
- Derwent Coloursoft VS Derwent Drawing;
- Derwent Inktense VS Derwent Lightfast;
- Crayola Classic Colored Pencils VS Crayola Twistables Colored Pencils;
- Crayola Classic Colored Pencils VS Crayola Signature Colored Pencils;
- Crayola Classic Colored Pencils VS Crayola Color Escapes Premium Colored Pencils…
A couple of ideas for now hehehe
Take care xx
Annie 🌻
Dude you can get them WAAAAAAAY cheaper on Amazon Japan!!
IKR? I saw $270 dollars for the Holbein set not too long ago from the Amazon Japan site. But then the question to be asked is why does Dick Blick mark it up so much more than what they buy it for from Japan? Hmm.
I wonder so many things!!! Is that set you can get on Amazon Japan the same set they sell on Blick? 😐 if so…why the price jump?
@@ColoringBliss it is the same set. I'm not sure why it is cheaper but it was atleast $200 cheaper lol.
This pastel Holbeins look almost like alternative icecreams…… so lick them, i think im in doubt 🤔
A Faber-Castell and Caran D'ache Pablos stand off would be a good comparison to do. I love both sets of these pencils and they layer and play well together too.
Derwent Polycolor also belong in that category, in my opinion. They all react very similarly to solvents so I tend to use them together.
I would find a comparison of Caran D'Ache Pablo and Faber Castell Polychromos pencils, very helpful. Thank you.
Regarding the letter “O” and “P” on the Holbein pencils: perhaps “O” = opaque and “P” = pastel? I noticed one of your Holbein sets is a pastel set. Just guessing here.
Love prismacolor. Battle of the Lyra Rembrandt Polycolor vs Prismacolor...
Oooo Interesting. I added your suggestion to the list. Thanks.
Yes to this battle!! I just bought the big 72 set of Lyra Rembrandt so my twin girls can use it alongside their prisma Colors for all their school art projects this coming school year. I'm going to break out my own prismas and play with them together as well. (I also recently bought the square brutfeners and the pastelowes) I'm on a pencil kick again!
@@stephanie_smith I bought the 36 but now I want the bigger set
Also the OP is just to distinguish it from other product codes. I'm not sure exactly what it stands for but their Gouache uses G. I'm assuming the P is for pencil. But yeah its so their colour codes are different per product and not really important for your swatching
Really like your breakdown.
There are adults and kids who wet (lick!!) the tips of their pencils prior to writing (!!) which could present be a toxicity problem depending on composition of the cores.
Holbein actually has two whites. One is actually more opaque than the other :)
Thanks Laura…I will order the second white so it can participate in the battle
It's true that these Holbien pencils can make you droll. They are gorgeous and the colors and how they perform. Although both Holbien and Luminance are sets I would love to have, and could purchase right now I would not dream of doing it. My husband and I work too hard for that to be a loving thing to do. In the end I most care about how beautiful my pictures look. When I see them come to life on the page it really is such an uplifting experience. I have a lot of pencil sets with complete color ranges for those sets. That is fantastic. Most are budget or midrange. I do have 4 sets that are high end. But my pictures all look as nice no matter which I use. Sometimes I just have to work a bit harder to make that happen.
Oh yes! Head to head comparison are amazing! Could you do Indra Creative Pastel tones vs Marco Square C820? Or the that Holbein Pastel set you have vs the Marco Square C820? 😊
And, is there any other brand (besides Holbein that sells pastel tones colored pencils open stock?)
I’m guessing OP stands for Oily Pencil but I could well be wrong… only a guess. I would like to try them but waaaay too expensive for me. Maybe one day. Until then, nice to see how they handle so thanks for the upload ✨🙏✨
In step 5 where for the layering process, is it possible that the paper absorbs the oil, causing the oil to sink into the paper, and the wax lays upon the paper?...and could it also be the same with the water test in #6...oil and water will not mix, therefore the Holbein repels the water...I know that the wax should do the same thing...just some thoughts my mind is pondering...
Oooo very interesting theory. I would love to be an art chemist…if my brain could do the science 😂
Even not all pro artists need to worry about lightfastness. The only people who should worry about that are those who are actually selling their original picture to others, or who want to preserve the pictures for themselves. Anyone who is doing art for reproduction or who just doesn't care as much about that shouldn't worry as much. I know that's kind of obvious, but I think we need to start challenging the whole lightfast = pro thing. It really doesn't. Lots of pros reproduce their work.
Anyway, I haven't finished watching the video, but Holbein's are my favorite colored pencil. You can't go wrong with Prismacolors, though. I never had serious breakage issues with them and I've used them a lot.
Neil…you are so right about reproduction work. The expensive Copic markers are not lightfast but used by thousands of professionals for digital and print reproductions. That’s just 1 example
All this time I just assumed the OP stood for Oil Pencil. I enjoyed this review, thanks for all the hard work you do into bringing these videos to us. Always enjoy hearing your thoughts on coloring supplies.
TKY so much my lady fir your review battle! Very instructive and objective one! Congratulation, it was very helpful for buying or not a 50% liquidation sale on Japanese market on line, 22 Décember 2022! 😊
Please a battle between lightfast and caran'dache PABLOS
As far as lightfast ratings go, as long as Prismacolor's formula hasn't changed, 2012 is current. And, at least they're honest that many/most of their pencils don't use lightfast pigments. I think I'd give them the nod.
Agreed
My closest art store in the city finally got the Holbein's in the smaller sets and also sell them individually so I got to try them on different papers (I brought my own chart on my own paper to complete my Luminance individuals LOL). As soon as I picked up the Holbein I could feel the difference... They felt a bit more solid and heavier than other pencils - and when using on my different papers they seemed to give immediate full coverage of pigment. Really loved the sampling I did so I broke down and finally ordered the full set from Japan! Currently waiting on them excitedly here!!! Also waiting for my final Polychromos & Luminance pencils from Cult Pens in the UK as my art store didn't have a few colours I needed to complete my collection. Really can't wait for the next couple weeks and I'll be complete my dream full collection of pencils. 😁
Thanks for this wonderful video.. Always great work you both do.💖
I enjoyed this video. I received 7 Holbein colored pencils in my Paletteful packs subscription box a couple of months ago. I am not sure I like them. I see that I have to sharpen them often.. The colors I got are Rose, yellow, sky blue, cherry blossom, lettuce green cobalt blue, and wisteria. They are a thick pencil. The cost is ridiculous. I have a lot of pencils but most are small sets except I do have gh 150 and 72 set of Prisma's. Of course I purchased the 72 set first, a stupid move on my part. ugh.
I’ve been watching Holbein reviews the last few days. I thought about getting some.. I listened to a colorist who really didn’t like them, then I watched Lachri Fine Arts review. They weren’t her favorite, but she was able to make them work for her, she liked using them for the background. Where the problem came is when she tried to find out how they tested for lightfastness. She began her communications with a representative from Holbein. I would encourage you to watch it. She showed her interactions with him word for word. He was secretive, misleading and dishonest at best. The more she pressed trying to get a straight answer the more idiotic he sounded, saying they’re means for tested is “proprietary”. Then he blew her off completely. So she went to an artist association she belongs to who do their own lightfast testing on all products. What she found there is that many of the pencils that have 3 stars on them are fugitive. Based on the shoddy way they treat artists, who need to know this info because they sell their work, and customers in general I will not be purchasing any of their products at all in the future. The pencils cost almost as much as Luminance. They charge a premium price for a shoddy product and dishonesty on top of it.
Yikes! I’ll go check out her video. Yes, lightfast is extremely important to artist. I remember Lachri saying if she was making art that she would not sell and just make prints of it, she wouldn’t care too much lightfastness. But selling, you gotta use pigments that won’t fade.
You can buy them from Japanese websites, just got my 150 set a few days ago, with shipping it was about €240 (FedEx got then within 10 days), compared to the €400 and so I'd have to pay here in Europe. Worth it 😁
Thank you so much for your comprehensive review.
I would love to see prismacolor comparison against Derwent lightfast, and prismacolor against koh i noor woodles pencil (the one behind in the softest pencil competition) 😍
I love these tests you do. Do you have a video on mitsubishi? Oh and I love your necklace.
Thank you for doing the comparison video. I did managed to test it out while watching the video and I must say is I really agree that Holbein is a better choice. Although for price value and availability, they have these two brands available in Singapore but in terms of price value, both brands with the largest amount set has similar prices. It's a real game changer especially in my plans for saving up to buy the best color pencils to use for adult coloring. When I first bought the individual colors for prismacolor, I notice that there were cracks appeared on some pencils and I carefully avoid those in contemplation of the comparison testing. After this video, I'm definitely hoping to own the Holbein largest set of colors in around 6 months time.
Yes new battle of the white pencils! Black too!!
Weather light-fast and permanence is worth the cost depends on the purpose of what I'm making. For gifts I like the best quality I can get. For taking out of home, I prefere pencils I'm not afraid to loose or damage.
I would like to know about the 'fat' content in Holbein's pencil formula. Does it come from whales? Or other traumatized or endangered animals? This detail makes it or breaks it for me. Cannot enjoy artwork grounded and dependent on torture and cruelty. On the other hand, if the 'fat' and oils come form cashew nuts, seeds, grass-fed organic cow's milk, etc., i would do cartwheels, enjoying making art and thanking Nature and Holbein for their gift and expertise in crafting such beautiful tools to further beauty and creation!
Not Australia Prisma is $ 2.60 a pencil in Sydney nothing in any shop May be only Spotlight which is very rare too . Art shop only.
I think personally i would just buy 2 sets of prismacolor and color my heart away and take the savings from not getting the Holbeins and do something else with it.
Hello. Can someone tell me which brand is better for someone extremely allergic to dust. ? What brand sheds the least? Thank you 🙏🏼
I read somewhere that they use oil in Wax pencils like Prismacolor to bond and keep the wax from drying and cracking and vice versa.
Melody…yes most colored pencils are a mix of both wax and oil. They all make their own formulas and that’s what is so fun about trying different brands!
Wax based binders do not have oil binders in them. Its an either or situation. An oil used as a binder in art supplies is linseed oil. Poisonous if ingested. Thus, professional artists would poison themselves as they painted their masterpiece.
Tombow dual brush vs Posca
Hmm... we don't know what happened to those who licked Prismacolor and Polychromos...
Staedtler lumocolor permanent white is even better ;-)
Oooo good suggestion. I will see if I can order one.
Ive herd its their in house light fast testing!!!
The Spelling on the tins is in fact correct, except for the missing s on pencils. It should be plural.
Hi I love all your videos can you do watercolor art ideas and techniques ❤️
Jennfier stay can you do prisma color vs Aquablend by spectrum noir please
Thanks !!! Is it possible to compare cretacolor mega and luminance caran d ache ?
Loved the battle!!! Would like to see Windsor and Newton vs Prismacolor battle
great information, glancing to your right every 15 seconds is distracting
Have you done Polychromos vs. Prismacolor? I would really like to see it.
Yes, several years ago I did that head to head battle. I wonder if I would feel the same way now that I have more years of experience.
You should go to Amazon and look at the Mitsubishi Uni colored pencils!! They are from Japan
but do they have open stock?
💜💜💜tfs💜💜💜
Love the purple hair!!!
I'm not sure what this says about me and I really dont care, but once someone says that it's a Japanese-made product, I'm buying it. Especially art related products. I have some holbein pastel colored pencils and I LOVE them. They're different but great and if you're used to using prismas or luminance or polychromos, there is a learning curve. But they're amazing in their own way. If I could afford an entire set I'd buy them in a heartbeat.
I'd like to see a headtohead between Prismacolor and Caran d"Ache
I paid 300 for my 150 set of holbeins. So $2 each.
I don’t own Polychromos or Holbein but wouldn’t this also be a good comparison? Both are expensive and the same type (oil based). Comparing Prisma with Holbein seems a bit unfair. I have the Prismas and I like them but I tend to prefer softer oil based pencils.
No, actually Holbein performs way more like Prisma than Poly Chromos because Holbein is soft like Prisma. I am not sure where people are getting that they are oil dominant, pencils their Japanese website says they are a "mixture of oil, wax, and fat" (holbein.co.jp/english/0423.html). I have both Poly Chromos and Holbein and they are night and day different.
I agree that a Polychromos and Holbein match up would be interesting.
I think any colored pencil match up is fair using this chart but some match ups aren’t worth doing because the outcome would be obvious…like Crazyart against Polychromos…everyone knows who will win that. But 2 different types of pencil, with different experiences when used, from 2 different countries…who will win that battle? Now that is more interesting to me.
Which white was the Holbein!?! The soft white is the really soft one!
I’m using Derwent Coloursoft and Procolour
I think you should do a quality control element as well tbh
Does colored glitter pencils exist for the color enthusiast
To me these pencils are not comparable as they are so different from each other.
For me, because they are so different, it makes the comparison even more interesting. Also, many people have no idea that there is a difference, so the process is helpful both for educational purposes and for fun.
@@ColoringBliss Makes sense. That’s why you are the teacher and I’m am not. 💖
Could the blending issue with the Holbeins be because they are more oil based? I’ve always heard that more waxed based pencils blend while more oil based pencils layer? Curious!
It’s definitely a formula issue…I wish I could be an art supply chemist…that would be fascinating
@@ColoringBliss I agree! It would be so interesting to see how it all works.
Given that Holbein's are oil based, a comparison with Polychromos seems more appropriate.
Oh, and they are pricey. That's why I had a friend who travels to Japan (pre-pandemic) twice a year buy mine. He was able to find a 50 pc set for $100. Score!
That’s an awesome deal!! Yes…I’d love to do a comparison against Polychromos…but would it be boring because they are more similar 😂?
@@ColoringBliss Well, if we discover that the polychromos are as good as Holbein, I think folks would like to know they don't have to spend those big bucks.
If you've used Holbein pencils and Polychromos then you will know that they're nothing alike. The creamy, opaque color is much more reminiscent of Prismas, so I think Jennifer made the right choice to compare these two.
@@RamoArt I don't have Polys and it makes sense that pencils with the same base (oil vs wax) would be a logical comparison.
In Denmark the Caran D’ache Luminance and Prismacolor cost the same. I guess because the Luminance are from Europe and not imported from outside the EU. Maybe that is why the Holbeins are so expensive? That they are imported from Japan?
I have heard that Prismacolor is expensive in your area. That is why I felt it was so important to include those certain lines on the worksheet. It really makes a difference what region you are in.
@@ColoringBliss thank you for replying 🥰 I’d be curious to know how these two pencil sets would do up against each other in your opinion. So far I am enjoying my 24 set of prismas but I hope to get a bigger set of pencil for Christmas so I am trying to do some online “research” first :) Your channel helped me choose the Prismacolor set a few years ago and they are my only colouring pencils.
Swiss is outside of eu aswell, there is import-taxes too. Same as japan
@@Rebecca640 You are so correct! Then I don’t know why - maybe they have other trade agreements with the EU. All I know is Luminance’s retail price is just about the same in Denmark and Switzerland, while the Prismacolors are 3,2 times more in Denmark than in the USA…
@@brittchristensen5284 swiss has some contract with eu, so they have the same safety standards than the eu has. I think this is the reason. When someone imports goods from usa or japan, they must do safety standart tests on their own. This tests are very expensive so they need to sell the pencils for higher price
I think Goya went deaf from the lead whitepaint