For me it's the Luminance hands down. I know it's an unpopular opinion but I don't think that much of the Polychromos. I love Faber-Castell, the Albrecht Dürer & their Pitt pastels are fantastic but I'm just not that keen on the polychromos. The only pencil I prefer to my Luminance are my Derwent Lightfast which are my absolute favourite pencils ever. I tend to use the two sets together and they make up the perfect pencil set in my opinion. For fine details I use my Caran D'ache Pablos which I much prefer over the polychromos.
A little extra information, for those who are interested (mostly on Polychromos, as I know the company better): - The company Caran D'Ache is in Switzerland, which explains the expensive price. I think they are the only remaining pencil company (at least for artist grade pencils). - Luminance are not wax based, but wax-oil-mix based. That makes them pretty unique and versatile, combining aspects of wax pencils (fairly opaque, soft, vibrant) and oil pencils (long lasting, barely breaks, rare wax bloom, lighfast) ..... - Polychromos are nearly unbreakable. Not only are they ALWAYS exactly centered (german laser cut technology stuff), but additionally between the mine and the wood there is a very thin layer of glue. Secures the mine and even if it should break, it won't fall out. - The company Faber-Castell is one of the flagships for eco friendly businesses in Germany: All their wood for pencils comes from Brasil, where the company owns a huge chunk of land. There, they grow their trees and plant new ones for each chopped off tree. And the brasilian workers they hire for that have far better working conditions and payment than average in Brasil. And the coating of the pencils was made with an eco friendly, non toxic and safe for water organisms material, the developement of which gained the company several prizes and recognition. - The pigments in the pencils are also non toxic and eco friendly. Despite some of the hues being called 'cobalt' or 'kadmium', they don't have them, but substitute them for safer prigments, either Phtalo for cobalt or mixed pigments for kadmium. - Due to Polychromos being translucent, they are perfect for layering. With that, you can achieve far more hues than the set offers, especially earth tones. Earth tones and muted tones are easily mixed from vibrant colors, doesn't work the other way round. - The Polychromo white is useless for highlights, but it's purpose is for blending anyway (if you don't wanna/can't use those solvents and paint thinners for whatever reason, you can blend with the white pencil). Though it won't have that painted look like with solvent.
Wow finally I found a comparison review that shows the difference on a drawing objective and not just side by side colour difference’s! Thx for that great review :)
Thorough comparison and great vid quality as usual! Haha I thought I was the only one that had the scratchy issue with luminance cassel earth! It’s literally only that one color😂
You can draw portraits in polychromos don’t worry! 😊👍🏻 I’ve seen beautiful portraits drawn with polychromos, they are a little harder lead but you will get great results
I want a set too... Both these sets actually. I am a weird person when it comes to creature comforts, i don't need much at all to be happy, but with the things i am into..... It always has to be top of the line. Same with poker chips, the color vibrancy, feel, sound, stackability... A good artist can draw with a two dollar set and make amazing things, but that same artist can do it with a nice set and make "art"... I want the luminance set as well.
Im gonna buy the small sets. Id really live tge biggest set of caran dache in the special wooden case, but im much more like to get the small set and individuals.
Super review Amy! At the end of the video you talked about your scratchy pencil. Well, in my recently bought set I had 3 ! I've contacted their customer support and I got them replaced but yet one still was scratchy because it was from the same batch my original ones were from (it was mentioned on the shipping form) The reason of the scratchyness is that some wax-particles weren't melted as they should have (that was the explanation of CD themselves) I do love the Luminance but I think it is a shame that such an expensive set can have these serious issues. My 3 were really unusable because of it. So if they are not scratchy they are really good but this issue still feels like a bummer. Didn't have such trouble with my other (and cheaper) brands. 😘
My set arrived today I have found 2 pencils exactly how you said girls, scratching the paper... It's about white and burnt sienna 10% ... I don't know what to do, I'm from Romania, the set I bought it from Bucharest, where's the only one shop CD in my country.. maybe they'll change it?
Because that reason I don't buy a Luminance set and on the box some colors are gritty like the light rosa. I have 4 Luminance pencils and two are very gritty one purple and a light blue. I have ordered them to a shop and I didn't test it there. I had bought it as a replacement for light ultramarine and the purples from the Polychromos, they are gritty too and the light ultramarine is my both sets very hard, gritty and not the best light blue, it's to reddish.
I have both sets and I think that has kept me from using them because I couldn’t decide which set would be better for what. I would start and then end up going back to ink or watercolor. This helped a lot. Ty!
Uh~ I have a Polychromos set too, but not that big set! It is so so beautiful! Also, both pencils look so amazing!~ Just before Inktober I bought the Zest it and I can´t wait to try it!!
I do love to watch your video no drama and no fancy dress like alot off woman's artiste doo in you tube you are best always to the point what I am looking thanks alot more video 🥰😘😘 love yaaaa from London
Wonderful review i admire your shading and blending so much u work out wonderful with the colours the frog looks so real ... i have no ideas regarding the colours thank u for the honesty in comparison 💕
Polychromos white isn't for highlights, but it does work well to get pastel effect. If you use Luminus full blender, I would say I use Polychromos white in similar way.
Hi Amy, wonderful review. For some reason I seem to collect colored pencils. I very seldom use them, so I'm not sure I keep buying sets of them. The Caran D'ache are probably the only brand I haven't bought a set of yet. Your review makes me want to get a set of them to add to my collection. :)
Hi Amy! Wonderful and thorough comparison and contrast between the Caran d'Ache Luminance and the Faber Castell Polychromos colored pencils. I have a set of the Caran d'Ache Museum Aquarelle watercolor pencils and adore them. I have been considering purchasing some nice colored pencils and hearing your review is super helpful. Hugs to you Amy.
i use koh-i-noor sharpener and all my colored pencils fit, i have both luminance and polychromos so i think its better then derwent;) I ike your video:)
I found out that my local art store has gone online because of quarantine, and they carry the Polychromos pencils - the sets, and open stock. I almost....almost...bought the 120 set, but because I was buying a lot of other stuff as well, I just got the 24 set, which is really quite good. And I figured that I should see how I like using them. But if I do, I am probably going to go for the the 120.
I love your color pencil collection Amy! Lovely product review! I currently own the much cheaper Prismacolor pencils but I know they are sub-par to the ones your reviewing. If I did more color pencil drawings I would definitely invest in these Polychromos. I heard many great things about them. Thank you for sharing Amy! Stay safe my friend! 🎨🙏
Thank you so much Rick 😊👍🏻 I’ve been using my prismas recently and they are really good when I use them with my sharpener and only pick the ones with good lightfast ratings 😊 but you will love the Polychromos pencils! And you don’t just have to buy a set of 120, you can buy smaller sets too. The only thing I would say is be very careful - since covid 19 lots of art stores/online stores have put their prices right up on goods. Some of my art supplies are 3 times the price right now so I would say stick with the prismacolors for the minute and then purchase the polychromos when the prices come down 👍🏻 stay safe too my friend!
I've got the 120 set of Polychromos but I'm really thinking about getting some wax-based pencils. Sometimes it takes a while to cover a large area with the Polychromos because of the oil-based, meaning its a longer process to blend. I've thought about Prismacolours being an option but they've got a lot of low star reviews on the UK amazon site due to the quality and shipment causing pencils to break :/ I
I know what you mean about covering large surface areas. Have you ever used a solvent? That can blend colored pencils out really quickly. I have a set of prismacolors. They are more fragile but I use the derwent superpoint manual sharpener to sharpen them. It puts less pressure on the pencil and sharpens them more easily so they don't break very often on me. The sharpener is about $15 on amazon.
@@AmyLouiseArt Thanks for the reply! I have heard of solvent but unsure where to find it or a specific paper would be needed for it. Also, I've thought about getting that sharpener, found that using a regular one has even made my Polychromos break sometimes and the blade isn't as sharp anymore. Might look into a small set of Prisma colours and a better sharpener :)
@@lxstfixna291 Prismacolor is overrated, imo. Either blend the Polys with solvent (no specific paper needed. Even works on printer paper) or actually look into the Luminance. Doing a watercolour base can also cut down on layering and blending.
No, it was a white luminance pencil and buff titanium. Well spotted 😊 I normally use polychromos pencils with the addition of the white luminance pencil/ buff titanium so it makes sense sometimes to have the pencils together
Really cool review on these two sets of pencils, which are my go-to pencils. Loved the two frogs, they both turned out really well. I agree with all your comments on blending. I actually only use the Caran D'ache white, even if I'm doing a Polychromos drawing because the Polychromos white is, as you said, rather useless. I've got a Derwent China White on my Christmas list, so it will be interesting to see what that is like. I still haven't dabbled with my 'Pencil Blend It' yet as I'm finishing my White Spirits. I agree that the Copper, Silver and Gold in the Polychromos do give off a shine. I haven't tried the Castle Earth in the Luminance yet. I've been lucky in the sense that I have really had a scratchy one yet. Really cool review Amy and very well edited. I hope to catch up on some more of your videos. I've been snowed under lately with commissions, which, as you know, is time-consuming, but nice all the same. Keep up the great work. Big like from me 👍👍👍👍👍
Thank you so much Lee for your kind comments! The Derwent China white pencil sounds really interesting! I’ll have a look into that pencil and give it a try 😁👍🏻
Fantastic and crisp review thanks lot...I have the polychromos and wanted to buy the Caran Dache Luminance but I can't afford them 😭 so I'm buying a limited palette open stock pencils ....any recommended shades for landscape
Thank you Monika 😊 you can buy luminance pencils as individual pencils too, not just as sets. I get my individual pencils from Ken Bromley art supplies as I’ve personally not found anywhere else that sells luminance at a cheaper price. I would recommend buying a selection of pencils and trying to buy primary and secondary colours - that way you can mix them together to make new colours and really stretch your palette. I bought a set of 10 pencils from crayola and I was able to make 100 colours just by mixing them 😊
Wow those are both great quality pencil sets! that black Faber one looks nice! sounds like the result is to buy both sets since they both have good and bad colors :D
I got a brand u should try u should try the caran d'ache pablo colored pencils and also the holbein colored pencils and also the lyra rembrandt polycolor colored pencils
Thank you Vilhelm! It is the light magenta and the manganese violet which are graded at a 1 (fair). Polychromos says those pencils will last 5+ years. Any polychromos pencils rated at a II is very good lightfastness and will last 25+ years, and any polychromos pencils rated at a 3 is excellent lightfastness and will last 100+ years. I hope this helps!
This is one of the most informative and straight forward video that i found. Thank you so much. I have two questions. 1) Can the Luminous and Polychromous work with each other. Can a highlight from Luminous be given on Polychromous work 2) Does these both brands work with Prisma Premier colour pencils seamlessly ? I would really appreciate if these two can be answered. Regards, Nidhi ( artist from India )
They are both good pencil sets. The only real difference is luminance are wax. Wax are softer so better for layering, blending, and drawing cartoons, portraits, etc. Polychromos are oil so they have a harder lead. They are better for fine details, so better for animals or textured drawings 😊👍🏻
@@AmyLouiseArt I know this is 4 months old.. but, polychromos are much better for layering because they're oil based? I don't get why people in general say that polys are hard, as you don't need to press hard to get any colour..
@@demi3115 In my opinion I feel that polychromos are better for layering because they don't produce so much of a 'shine' or 'wax bloom' as wax pencils do.. however, as oil based pencils are harder they can feel quite scratchy and I find I have to apply more layers of oil pencils to get the same smooth, creamy, and buttery layering results as wax pencils 😊
@@AmyLouiseArt thanks for answering! I was confused because you earlier said wax ones are being better for blending/layering, but that's an oil thing. I do like that wax pencils work quicker, oil pencils need patience ;)
Faber Castell Polychromos vs Caran D'Ache Luminance vs Lyra Rembrandt Polychromos. Which one would be best for blending and potraits? Which one also lasts longer?
I’ve never tried Lyra Rembrandt polychromos before so can’t comment on them. As for Faber Castell polychromos and Caran D’ache Luminance, both are amazing pencils! I would say the luminance would be a bit better for portraits though as they are softer and easier to blend - polychromos are a harder lead so great for animals (fur details/ textures, etc). Both luminance and polychromos have amazing lightfastness meaning both pencil pigments will last a long time, there are more pencils from Caran d’ache luminance though with the highest lightfast grading, and there are 2 pencils from Faber Castell Polychromos that have a fair rating (colours will last 5+ years) they are the manganese violet and the light magenta - it may be best to switch those two pencils with other pencils with a better lightfast rating if you are thinking of selling drawings to customers 😊 I hope this helps!
@@AmyLouiseArt thank you for replying! Luminance seems to be a better choice for portraits but I'm still quite indecisive because faber Castell polychromos is better for detailing/thin sharp lines (eyebrows, hair) I was thinking of getting both but they're quite pricey. Hope to get either one soon!
Do you think it’s worth buying some “harder” pencils for details, like the polychromos, and softer ones for large areas, like the luminance, and mixing them in the drawings or is it better to look for a brand that you like and buy them all at once? Since i’m a beginner, i don’t want to buy the whole kit at once but at the same time i’m afraid two different brands and compositions won’t mix well
You absolutely can do this ☺️ Polychromos are wonderful pencils for details due to their harder lead and ability to retain a sharp point and create details, whereas luminance pencils are slightly softer so great for those softer textures.
@@AmyLouiseArtthanks for your reply yeah I have but heard they break easy I'm actually in between carane dache and fiber castle but ain't got a clue what to pick
im planning on buying the 60 color set of polychromos. would there be enough colors for skintones on that set? great video by the way! Youve got a new subscriber here.
Hey Kasai, for skintones using polychromos, I would say these ones are really good to have: white, ivory, cream, light flesh, medium flesh, dark flesh, cinnamon, burnt carmine, pompeian red, burnt ochre, burnt siena, caput mortuum, caput mortuum violet, brown ochre, raw umber, bistre, van dyck brown, nougat, and walnut brown. I would also try and get a couple of pinks in there too for blush/ pinky hues in the skin 😊 I'm not saying you would need all of those colours but definitely a good range of flesh tones (pinks, creamy tones, and also some brown tones for darker skin). I hope this helps!
Just bought luminance 1 month and then typhoon came destroyed our home (except kitchen) and my luminance was missing, tried to search all over the place.
I prefer the polychromos.. less waxy blending but I believe it is an advantage as I like slightly painterly effect, not full blending but I may add White Luminance to my tool box.
You really can’t pit these two products against each in terms of “vs”. They have different uses and more often than not, are mixed together. It should say, “why you should use these colored pencils together”. I use both products together in my commissions.
what is it like if you mix both on your project? Can it be effective with wax based and oil based or would you get the pablo's to mix together? One last question.. is it best to stick to one set? All are kind of the same ONE big questions to mix or not to mix! thanks
Yes you can mix both pencil sets together 😊 and it's entirely up to you whether you stick to one set or not. Wax or softer oil pencils are generally better for portraits as they are softer and hard oils are better for animals as you can get better details with them (e.g. for the fur) but that isn't to say you can't use wax/ soft oil for drawing animals and you can't use hard oils for portraits as you can! Just may be a little harder.
Hi, it depends which colours are in the set of 36 pencils. For example, you want to use colours suitable for skintones such as flesh, browns, greys, etc. 😊 Polychromos pencils are also oil based and because of this they have a harder lead than wax pencils. Oil based pencils are best for detailed work such as drawing animals, and wax based pencils are better for softer texture such as portraits. You can still use Polychromos for portraits but it is easier to use wax based pencils.
Hi Amy! I hope you are well. I would like to know if you got to use the Faber Castell Albrecht Durer color pencils and if so, what differences do you find between the dry used Albrecht Durer with the Polychromos? Thank you!
Hi Silvi! I’ve actually never heard of those pencils before so never tried them. They sound really interesting though and I love Faber Castell art supplies so I would say give them a go and see how you find them. Stay safe and well 😊👍🏻
I find Polys a bit smoother and more layerable than Durer, but there isn't a big difference as far as I can tell (though I generally don't use my Durer's dry).
Hi Ruth, I did a recent drawing using crayola pencils. You can still create great drawings but I would recommend using for personal use only and not selling artwork with them because they don’t have great lightfastness 😊
6:13 and 7:38 You should have shown them side by side, for people to see how look comparevely. At 6:13 and 7:38 are also not the best angle you could give us, however, that's the best I could find on this video.
Thank you for your feedback. In my newer videos I've really tried to work on getting better angles/ shots as this is something people have commented on before. Thanks for watching!
No it’s okay! I really value feedback from my viewers because it helps me to create better content. My video quality has already improved thanks to viewers like you so thank you for letting me know about the camera angles. I definitely will bare that in mind in the future 😊
QOTD: Do you have a favourite? Or maybe you think another brand is better? Let me know!
What is your fav.
@@dishasethia9808 polychromos 😊
@@AmyLouiseArt thank you
@@AmyLouiseArt sammee cuz they really good for detailed artworks
For me it's the Luminance hands down. I know it's an unpopular opinion but I don't think that much of the Polychromos. I love Faber-Castell, the Albrecht Dürer & their Pitt pastels are fantastic but I'm just not that keen on the polychromos. The only pencil I prefer to my Luminance are my Derwent Lightfast which are my absolute favourite pencils ever. I tend to use the two sets together and they make up the perfect pencil set in my opinion. For fine details I use my Caran D'ache Pablos which I much prefer over the polychromos.
A little extra information, for those who are interested (mostly on Polychromos, as I know the company better):
- The company Caran D'Ache is in Switzerland, which explains the expensive price. I think they are the only remaining pencil company (at least for artist grade pencils).
- Luminance are not wax based, but wax-oil-mix based. That makes them pretty unique and versatile, combining aspects of wax pencils (fairly opaque, soft, vibrant) and oil pencils (long lasting, barely breaks, rare wax bloom, lighfast)
.....
- Polychromos are nearly unbreakable. Not only are they ALWAYS exactly centered (german laser cut technology stuff), but additionally between the mine and the wood there is a very thin layer of glue. Secures the mine and even if it should break, it won't fall out.
- The company Faber-Castell is one of the flagships for eco friendly businesses in Germany: All their wood for pencils comes from Brasil, where the company owns a huge chunk of land. There, they grow their trees and plant new ones for each chopped off tree. And the brasilian workers they hire for that have far better working conditions and payment than average in Brasil. And the coating of the pencils was made with an eco friendly, non toxic and safe for water organisms material, the developement of which gained the company several prizes and recognition.
- The pigments in the pencils are also non toxic and eco friendly. Despite some of the hues being called 'cobalt' or 'kadmium', they don't have them, but substitute them for safer prigments, either Phtalo for cobalt or mixed pigments for kadmium.
- Due to Polychromos being translucent, they are perfect for layering. With that, you can achieve far more hues than the set offers, especially earth tones. Earth tones and muted tones are easily mixed from vibrant colors, doesn't work the other way round.
- The Polychromo white is useless for highlights, but it's purpose is for blending anyway (if you don't wanna/can't use those solvents and paint thinners for whatever reason, you can blend with the white pencil). Though it won't have that painted look like with solvent.
Thank you Olga for adding a lot more information in that I missed out! ❤
Best review of these two pencils I have seen, she doesn't waste time on non-important issues.
Joane Klein thank you so much Joane 😊👍🏻
Indeed!! Even the sharpener was mentioned! Couldn’t wish for better video, so glad I found this channel! ❤️
Wow finally I found a comparison review that shows the difference on a drawing objective and not just side by side colour difference’s!
Thx for that great review :)
Thank you so much for your comment! I really appreciate you taking the time to watch my video ☺
Thorough comparison and great vid quality as usual! Haha I thought I was the only one that had the scratchy issue with luminance cassel earth! It’s literally only that one color😂
Thank you Alexis! I know, I hate that pencil! haha 😊
I sold a portrait drawing and got 200 dollars boutta buy luminance soon once the quarantine is over
Raid_ens insta?
insta?
insta?
insta?
Potato?
(Yes I had to break this pattern)
Me, a potrait artists, who just bought the Polychromos:👁👄👁
You can draw portraits in polychromos don’t worry! 😊👍🏻 I’ve seen beautiful portraits drawn with polychromos, they are a little harder lead but you will get great results
@@AmyLouiseArt love❤ lumnance full blender okeh wow 😁😄😙😊
Do you have insta?
@@parkjimin-standkb-62 Me? I do, my art insta is @jana_sketch
im so jealous with the luminance 😥 I've been saving for years now
John Doe Baylon Art they are very expensive John, I was saving for a long time too! You will get there 😁 thanks for your comment
I want a set too... Both these sets actually. I am a weird person when it comes to creature comforts, i don't need much at all to be happy, but with the things i am into..... It always has to be top of the line. Same with poker chips, the color vibrancy, feel, sound, stackability... A good artist can draw with a two dollar set and make amazing things, but that same artist can do it with a nice set and make "art"... I want the luminance set as well.
you have been saving for years for 150 pounds? What are you doing wrong mate.
Im gonna buy the small sets. Id really live tge biggest set of caran dache in the special wooden case, but im much more like to get the small set and individuals.
Errrhm they're not really expensive.... =/ They're less then probably your too expensive smartphone with expensive subscription xD
Priorities mate!
Super review Amy! At the end of the video you talked about your scratchy pencil. Well, in my recently bought set I had 3 ! I've contacted their customer support and I got them replaced but yet one still was scratchy because it was from the same batch my original ones were from (it was mentioned on the shipping form)
The reason of the scratchyness is that some wax-particles weren't melted as they should have (that was the explanation of CD themselves)
I do love the Luminance but I think it is a shame that such an expensive set can have these serious issues.
My 3 were really unusable because of it. So if they are not scratchy they are really good but this issue still feels like a bummer. Didn't have such trouble with my other (and cheaper) brands. 😘
Coloring at Vee's thank you so much Vee! I thought it was just me but that makes a lot of sense so thank you for sharing this 😊👍🏻
My set arrived today I have found 2 pencils exactly how you said girls, scratching the paper... It's about white and burnt sienna 10% ... I don't know what to do, I'm from Romania, the set I bought it from Bucharest, where's the only one shop CD in my country.. maybe they'll change it?
Because that reason I don't buy a Luminance set and on the box some colors are gritty like the light rosa. I have 4 Luminance pencils and two are very gritty one purple and a light blue. I have ordered them to a shop and I didn't test it there. I had bought it as a replacement for light ultramarine and the purples from the Polychromos, they are gritty too and the light ultramarine is my both sets very hard, gritty and not the best light blue, it's to reddish.
I definitely want to buy the polychromos set now! I paint animals as well, and flowers, so those vibrant shades are what I need!
Thank you Hannah :) polychromos are brilliant pencils!
I have both sets and I think that has kept me from using them because I couldn’t decide which set would be better for what. I would start and then end up going back to ink or watercolor. This helped a lot. Ty!
Uh~ I have a Polychromos set too, but not that big set! It is so so beautiful! Also, both pencils look so amazing!~ Just before Inktober I bought the Zest it and I can´t wait to try it!!
Gina ́sArtCorner awww polychromos are great for their smaller sets 😊💕💕
I do love to watch your video no drama and no fancy dress like alot off woman's artiste doo in you tube you are best always to the point what I am looking thanks alot more video 🥰😘😘 love yaaaa from London
Thank you so much 😊💕👍🏻
The frog looks more realistic with polychromos. That's the magic of Faber Castell. Although I want luminance😂😂
Thank you 😊 Both pencils are amazing
Great! Just the facts, no filler just what I needed.
Thank you Cheryl! I'm glad you enjoyed the video and thank you for your comment 😊
i would have loved to see how well they worked together (luminance as base and polychromos for details)
I’ll try doing a drawing using both 😊👍🏻
@@AmyLouiseArtI really think I just want an excuse to buy both 😂
Wonderful review i admire your shading and blending so much u work out wonderful with the colours the frog looks so real ... i have no ideas regarding the colours thank u for the honesty in comparison 💕
Aleena Arts thank you so much Aleena 😊👍🏻💕
@@AmyLouiseArt much welcome
Best review ever my new artist friend! A big like from India! Lets get connected 😊
Hi Rashmi 😊 how are you? Thank you for supporting my friend! I’ve supported back #475 😊👍🏻
What's your page !?
Great video well done!
Very lovely video! Turned out quite colorful and brilliant, thank you for sharing ✌🏻☺️
Thank you 😊👍🏻
You’re welcome ✌🏻☺️
Polychromos white isn't for highlights, but it does work well to get pastel effect. If you use Luminus full blender, I would say I use Polychromos white in similar way.
Thank you for your comment 😊
I have both of these pencils. I have the full set of polychromos and I got the 40 pack of luminance just for the luxury.
Best of both Annette 😊👍🏻
@@AmyLouiseArt it sure is
Not to use, but to flex. Ok.
Thank you so much for this clear and clever vidéo, it really helps.
Thank you 😊👍🏻💕
Awesome review!!! Thank you for sharing 😃😃😃
Thank you 😊
The music make it hard to hear what you are saying
Thank you for letting me know! I'm sorry about that, the music is quieter in my newest videos :)
Hi Amy,
wonderful review. For some reason I seem to collect colored pencils. I very seldom use them, so I'm not sure I keep buying sets of them. The Caran D'ache are probably the only brand I haven't bought a set of yet. Your review makes me want to get a set of them to add to my collection. :)
Pyrography Made Easy thank you so much Brenda! 😊👍🏻
Amazing clear and concise review has helped me immensely! Thank you :)
Thank you so much for your comment! I’m really glad you enjoyed this video and found it helpful! 😊
Thank you for another great review Amy! 😊💕
The Art Hive thank you Sarah! 😊👍🏻💕
Excellent video. Thank you
Thank you very much!
Hi Amy! Wonderful and thorough comparison and contrast between the Caran d'Ache Luminance and the Faber Castell Polychromos colored pencils. I have a set of the Caran d'Ache Museum Aquarelle watercolor pencils and adore them. I have been considering purchasing some nice colored pencils and hearing your review is super helpful. Hugs to you Amy.
Dena Tollefson Thank you so much Dena 😊👍🏻
Nice set👍thanks for sharing the information ❤️
Thank you 😊
Those pencils look amazing, great review Amy :) The frog artwork is stunning !
Thank you Davy! 😊👍🏻
Very informative. Thank You.
Thank you 😊👍🏻💕
Fantastic review Amy😁👍
Thank you Jonny 😊👍🏻
i use koh-i-noor sharpener and all my colored pencils fit, i have both luminance and polychromos so i think its better then derwent;) I ike your video:)
I may have a look at that sharpener! Thank you for suggesting it 😊👍🏻
But how about Derwent Lightfast?
Amy Louise, firstly, as you would say, I love saying your name, secondly, I love your voice, and lastly, I love your reviews. What else can I say?
Thank you so much for your kind comment Helen :) That is very nice of you!
Wow ThAnkyou you for sharing beautiful artwork my friend U really a good artist
Thank you so much 😀
It’s 2am, quarantine, and I just got the polychromos 120 set bc I have no self control
Haha! Well they are great pencils so enjoy! 😀
I found out that my local art store has gone online because of quarantine, and they carry the Polychromos pencils - the sets, and open stock. I almost....almost...bought the 120 set, but because I was buying a lot of other stuff as well, I just got the 24 set, which is really quite good. And I figured that I should see how I like using them. But if I do, I am probably going to go for the the 120.
I love your color pencil collection Amy! Lovely product review! I currently own the much cheaper Prismacolor pencils but I know they are sub-par to the ones your reviewing. If I did more color pencil drawings I would definitely invest in these Polychromos. I heard many great things about them. Thank you for sharing Amy! Stay safe my friend! 🎨🙏
Thank you so much Rick 😊👍🏻 I’ve been using my prismas recently and they are really good when I use them with my sharpener and only pick the ones with good lightfast ratings 😊 but you will love the Polychromos pencils! And you don’t just have to buy a set of 120, you can buy smaller sets too. The only thing I would say is be very careful - since covid 19 lots of art stores/online stores have put their prices right up on goods. Some of my art supplies are 3 times the price right now so I would say stick with the prismacolors for the minute and then purchase the polychromos when the prices come down 👍🏻 stay safe too my friend!
@@AmyLouiseArt oh wow I was unaware of the price gouging of certain art supplies. Thanks for the update Amy! I will definently be cautious of that.
@Phantom1 they're charging 15 bucks for a single caren d'ache pencil
@Phantom1 link some?
A-1 review. It's obvious we need both sets! 'Tis only money...
Thank you Steve! 😊👍
I've got the 120 set of Polychromos but I'm really thinking about getting some wax-based pencils. Sometimes it takes a while to cover a large area with the Polychromos because of the oil-based, meaning its a longer process to blend. I've thought about Prismacolours being an option but they've got a lot of low star reviews on the UK amazon site due to the quality and shipment causing pencils to break :/
I
I know what you mean about covering large surface areas. Have you ever used a solvent? That can blend colored pencils out really quickly. I have a set of prismacolors. They are more fragile but I use the derwent superpoint manual sharpener to sharpen them. It puts less pressure on the pencil and sharpens them more easily so they don't break very often on me. The sharpener is about $15 on amazon.
@@AmyLouiseArt Thanks for the reply! I have heard of solvent but unsure where to find it or a specific paper would be needed for it. Also, I've thought about getting that sharpener, found that using a regular one has even made my Polychromos break sometimes and the blade isn't as sharp anymore. Might look into a small set of Prisma colours and a better sharpener :)
@@lxstfixna291 Prismacolor is overrated, imo. Either blend the Polys with solvent (no specific paper needed. Even works on printer paper) or actually look into the Luminance. Doing a watercolour base can also cut down on layering and blending.
Great review, thank you.
Thank you so much! I'm glad it was helpful 🙂
Obrigado
Luminance full penderitaan / Faber Faber castell / brutfuner / caert liat color chart, / love❤❤
Months later after my first view. I have to say 2 things love your videos and voice. I bought 100 luminance and 70 polychromos (I know Im wack)
Thank you so much! That means so much to me that you enjoy my videos! I’ve got some new videos coming very soon too 😊 I hope you like your pencils!
Thank you so much for the explanation. Very helpful. 😊
Thank you so much! I’m glad this helped! 😊
1:27 Why did she a have a white luminance pencil in her polychromos case???! Or was it a blender??
No, it was a white luminance pencil and buff titanium. Well spotted 😊 I normally use polychromos pencils with the addition of the white luminance pencil/ buff titanium so it makes sense sometimes to have the pencils together
Really cool review on these two sets of pencils, which are my go-to pencils. Loved the two frogs, they both turned out really well. I agree with all your comments on blending. I actually only use the Caran D'ache white, even if I'm doing a Polychromos drawing because the Polychromos white is, as you said, rather useless. I've got a Derwent China White on my Christmas list, so it will be interesting to see what that is like. I still haven't dabbled with my 'Pencil Blend It' yet as I'm finishing my White Spirits. I agree that the Copper, Silver and Gold in the Polychromos do give off a shine. I haven't tried the Castle Earth in the Luminance yet. I've been lucky in the sense that I have really had a scratchy one yet. Really cool review Amy and very well edited. I hope to catch up on some more of your videos. I've been snowed under lately with commissions, which, as you know, is time-consuming, but nice all the same. Keep up the great work. Big like from me 👍👍👍👍👍
Thank you so much Lee for your kind comments! The Derwent China white pencil sounds really interesting! I’ll have a look into that pencil and give it a try 😁👍🏻
great review and useful ,, nice video .. keep sharing dear ^_^
Thank you 😊👍🏻
I got a set of the Polychromos, since there oil base they erase much easier then wax base color pencils.
That's a great point Raymond!
My heart will go on 💕❤️💕❤️💕❤️💕❤️💕❤️💕 Pencil heaven 💗💗💗💗
Artful Dimahh Thank you 😊💕
Fantastic and crisp review thanks lot...I have the polychromos and wanted to buy the Caran Dache Luminance but I can't afford them 😭 so I'm buying a limited palette open stock pencils ....any recommended shades for landscape
Thank you Monika 😊 you can buy luminance pencils as individual pencils too, not just as sets. I get my individual pencils from Ken Bromley art supplies as I’ve personally not found anywhere else that sells luminance at a cheaper price. I would recommend buying a selection of pencils and trying to buy primary and secondary colours - that way you can mix them together to make new colours and really stretch your palette. I bought a set of 10 pencils from crayola and I was able to make 100 colours just by mixing them 😊
Wow those are both great quality pencil sets! that black Faber one looks nice! sounds like the result is to buy both sets since they both have good and bad colors :D
The Painting Stoof thank you so much 😊 I do love both sets!
I got a brand u should try u should try the caran d'ache pablo colored pencils and also the holbein colored pencils and also the lyra rembrandt polycolor colored pencils
Thank you Daniel for these suggestions 😊 I have already heard of these brands, just haven’t got the money to spend on new supplies yet 👍🏻
This seems really helpful, i just wonder which polychromos is rated fair in lightfastness
Thank you Vilhelm! It is the light magenta and the manganese violet which are graded at a 1 (fair). Polychromos says those pencils will last 5+ years. Any polychromos pencils rated at a II is very good lightfastness and will last 25+ years, and any polychromos pencils rated at a 3 is excellent lightfastness and will last 100+ years. I hope this helps!
This is one of the most informative and straight forward video that i found. Thank you so much. I have two questions. 1) Can the Luminous and Polychromous work with each other. Can a highlight from Luminous be given on Polychromous work 2) Does these both brands work with Prisma Premier colour pencils seamlessly ? I would really appreciate if these two can be answered.
Regards,
Nidhi ( artist from India )
Thank you so much! Yes of course, you can use all the pencils together - I do all the time 😊
Just buy both idk and if you are poor like me try to save up it will take a while but worth it!!
You can buy both, but I'd recommend smaller sets first 😊
I don’t know weather to pick faber Castell or caran dache!!! Someone pls help!!!
They are both good pencil sets. The only real difference is luminance are wax. Wax are softer so better for layering, blending, and drawing cartoons, portraits, etc. Polychromos are oil so they have a harder lead. They are better for fine details, so better for animals or textured drawings 😊👍🏻
Amy Louise Art hi Amy, thx so much for your explanation! I enjoy doing portraits and ended up doing caran dache! Thanks for the help 😊
@@AmyLouiseArt I know this is 4 months old.. but, polychromos are much better for layering because they're oil based? I don't get why people in general say that polys are hard, as you don't need to press hard to get any colour..
@@demi3115 In my opinion I feel that polychromos are better for layering because they don't produce so much of a 'shine' or 'wax bloom' as wax pencils do.. however, as oil based pencils are harder they can feel quite scratchy and I find I have to apply more layers of oil pencils to get the same smooth, creamy, and buttery layering results as wax pencils 😊
@@AmyLouiseArt thanks for answering! I was confused because you earlier said wax ones are being better for blending/layering, but that's an oil thing. I do like that wax pencils work quicker, oil pencils need patience ;)
🖌🎨great info~ 🌴✌🏼 Thanks~
Artsy Fartsy Lovers thank you 💕
Faber Castell Polychromos vs Caran D'Ache Luminance vs Lyra Rembrandt Polychromos. Which one would be best for blending and potraits? Which one also lasts longer?
I’ve never tried Lyra Rembrandt polychromos before so can’t comment on them. As for Faber Castell polychromos and Caran D’ache Luminance, both are amazing pencils! I would say the luminance would be a bit better for portraits though as they are softer and easier to blend - polychromos are a harder lead so great for animals (fur details/ textures, etc). Both luminance and polychromos have amazing lightfastness meaning both pencil pigments will last a long time, there are more pencils from Caran d’ache luminance though with the highest lightfast grading, and there are 2 pencils from Faber Castell Polychromos that have a fair rating (colours will last 5+ years) they are the manganese violet and the light magenta - it may be best to switch those two pencils with other pencils with a better lightfast rating if you are thinking of selling drawings to customers 😊 I hope this helps!
@@AmyLouiseArt thank you for replying! Luminance seems to be a better choice for portraits but I'm still quite indecisive because faber Castell polychromos is better for detailing/thin sharp lines (eyebrows, hair) I was thinking of getting both but they're quite pricey. Hope to get either one soon!
nice review. already to choose. thanks for sharing. let's stay in touch and keep it up.have a great day, God bless:)
Thank you 😊👍🏻
Do you think it’s worth buying some “harder” pencils for details, like the polychromos, and softer ones for large areas, like the luminance, and mixing them in the drawings or is it better to look for a brand that you like and buy them all at once?
Since i’m a beginner, i don’t want to buy the whole kit at once but at the same time i’m afraid two different brands and compositions won’t mix well
You absolutely can do this ☺️ Polychromos are wonderful pencils for details due to their harder lead and ability to retain a sharp point and create details, whereas luminance pencils are slightly softer so great for those softer textures.
Very good my new artist friend🔔💐👍
Thank you! 😊👍🏻 I’ve subscribed back my friend
I am a nothing amateur. I bought a set of 12 FC, and I was suuuper disappointed with the white.
Yes I do have to agree - the white pencil is a problem!
Im not sure what to buy for grayscale and coluring books
Hi Gemma, hmm, I’m not really sure! I’ve heard a lot of people use prismacolor pencils for colouring books. Have you thought of them? 😊
@@AmyLouiseArtthanks for your reply yeah I have but heard they break easy I'm actually in between carane dache and fiber castle but ain't got a clue what to pick
im planning on buying the 60 color set of polychromos. would there be enough colors for skintones on that set? great video by the way! Youve got a new subscriber here.
Hey Kasai, for skintones using polychromos, I would say these ones are really good to have: white, ivory, cream, light flesh, medium flesh, dark flesh, cinnamon, burnt carmine, pompeian red, burnt ochre, burnt siena, caput mortuum, caput mortuum violet, brown ochre, raw umber, bistre, van dyck brown, nougat, and walnut brown. I would also try and get a couple of pinks in there too for blush/ pinky hues in the skin 😊
I'm not saying you would need all of those colours but definitely a good range of flesh tones (pinks, creamy tones, and also some brown tones for darker skin). I hope this helps!
Just bought luminance 1 month and then typhoon came destroyed our home (except kitchen) and my luminance was missing, tried to search all over the place.
I am so sorry to hear this! I hope that you and your family are okay 💙 Sending you my best wishes and I hope that things will get better for you soon!
Lex
Great 🙏
and the prismacolor?
Hi, this video is specifically for comparing luminance and polychromos. Please check out the other videos on my channel to find Prismacolor reviews
@@AmyLouiseArt thanks
Love this video! Thank you~~❤️
Thank you 😊💕
I prefer the polychromos.. less waxy blending but I believe it is an advantage as I like slightly painterly effect, not full blending but I may add White Luminance to my tool box.
Thank you so much! :)
Yup! That's what I did too! ☺️✏️
Great job
Thank you 🙂
pablo and Holbein plz.
Have you done a review of Derwent inktense pencils?
Hi Claire, I haven't yet but thank you for a great suggestion! 😊
You really can’t pit these two products against each in terms of “vs”. They have different uses and more often than not, are mixed together. It should say, “why you should use these colored pencils together”. I use both products together in my commissions.
Thank you for your comment 😊
Is it possible to mix sets such as using the white Luminance pencil since the Polychromos one isn't great? Or do they not work well together?
Yes you can! 😊👍🏻
what is it like if you mix both on your project? Can it be effective with wax based and oil based or would you get the pablo's to mix together? One last question.. is it best to stick to one set? All are kind of the same ONE big questions to mix or not to mix! thanks
Yes you can mix both pencil sets together 😊 and it's entirely up to you whether you stick to one set or not. Wax or softer oil pencils are generally better for portraits as they are softer and hard oils are better for animals as you can get better details with them (e.g. for the fur) but that isn't to say you can't use wax/ soft oil for drawing animals and you can't use hard oils for portraits as you can! Just may be a little harder.
Can I use only 36 set of polychromos for portraits?
Hi, it depends which colours are in the set of 36 pencils. For example, you want to use colours suitable for skintones such as flesh, browns, greys, etc. 😊 Polychromos pencils are also oil based and because of this they have a harder lead than wax pencils. Oil based pencils are best for detailed work such as drawing animals, and wax based pencils are better for softer texture such as portraits. You can still use Polychromos for portraits but it is easier to use wax based pencils.
Hi Amy!
I hope you are well.
I would like to know if you got to use the Faber Castell Albrecht Durer color pencils and if so, what differences do you find between the dry used Albrecht Durer with the Polychromos?
Thank you!
Hi Silvi! I’ve actually never heard of those pencils before so never tried them. They sound really interesting though and I love Faber Castell art supplies so I would say give them a go and see how you find them. Stay safe and well 😊👍🏻
@@AmyLouiseArt
Thank you very much for taking a moment to respond, Amy.
Love and take good care of yourself!
I find Polys a bit smoother and more layerable than Durer, but there isn't a big difference as far as I can tell (though I generally don't use my Durer's dry).
hobbycraft sell polys for 2 pound
I started out with Croyola. Are they really that bad for colorfastness, blending, etc?
Hi Ruth, I did a recent drawing using crayola pencils. You can still create great drawings but I would recommend using for personal use only and not selling artwork with them because they don’t have great lightfastness 😊
@@AmyLouiseArt Thank you so much.
wow great 👍
Thank you 😊
compare prismacolors and faber castell
There is a video on my channel comparing prismacolor and Faber Castell polychromos 🙂
I love making portraits, but I prefer Polychromos because it is erasable.
That’s really interesting! Polychromos are also my favourite pencils 😊
Nycly done
VVT Creations thank you 😊👍🏻
Nice. good
찌아오디앤 thank you 😊👍🏻
6:13 and 7:38 You should have shown them side by side, for people to see how look comparevely. At 6:13 and 7:38 are also not the best angle you could give us, however, that's the best I could find on this video.
Thank you for your feedback. In my newer videos I've really tried to work on getting better angles/ shots as this is something people have commented on before. Thanks for watching!
@@AmyLouiseArt Please.forgive my imperfection bein a perfectionist. You did a really good job! Thank you for the time and work you put in!
No it’s okay! I really value feedback from my viewers because it helps me to create better content. My video quality has already improved thanks to viewers like you so thank you for letting me know about the camera angles. I definitely will bare that in mind in the future 😊
great
Thank you 😊
Awesome video frnd... 👍
Art guitar Sikho thank you 😊👍🏻
Good review, but please drop the music, it is too annoying !
Thank you for your feedback 😊👍🏻
Luminance just came out with 100 pencil set
I know, thank you 🙂
Polychromos 👍❤😍
The best! 😊
Luminance the best ... in the world.
I can’t argue with that! 😊
@@AmyLouiseArt ;)
11:04 The pencil looks so thick😄😛
They are great pencils 😊
I found the music very distracting. Perhaps don't have it over the video. It's hard to focus on what you're saying.
Thank you for your comment. I am hearing impaired so it's not easy for me to determine how loud the background music is sometimes.
@@AmyLouiseArt No problem. Very useful video, though.
Thank you, but th most part of the video is the unboxing process, not the testing.
Thank you for your comment, I feel I covered everything people need to know about these brands 😊
Great work new friend here 💫❤️💫
382👍🤝👉🔔
Thank you 🙂