Arteza Controversy | Whats Going On With Arteza

[@creativesolutionstoart]

Arteza has always had decent products, nothing to write home about, but I always felt they were very pretentious. They got too big for their britches very fast. This was evident in the way their prices went from affordable to not so affordable. Like they were trying to hurry up and become just like the high-end companies that have worked very hard over a long period of time, To establish themselves. Quite frankly I’m not surprised that their customer service is below par. And I completely 100% agree with you that this is going to come back and bite them.… Unless they redeem themselves somehow. People like that and they respect that. We will see if they Smarten up.

[@crystalfranklin2583]

💯👍agree!

[@susanmacdonald4288]

One company that apparently has excellent customer service is Black Widow. I have all of their sets and have never had reason to have to contact them, but of everyone who I've seen who has, they have nothing but nice things to say about them. One thing that I do like is that they really listen to their customers in regards to colours that they'd like to see the company come out with, or suggestions for the design of the pencils themselves.

[@creativesolutionstoart]

@@susanmacdonald4288 Totally agree! I have contacted black widow with an inquiry about whether or not they would be adding lightfast information or improving the product to be Light fast, and they got right back to me and were very personable.They did say they would be including Lightfast information in the future and that their skin tone sets were considered Light fast. Arteza Could take a lesson from them! :-)

[@maryellenthompson8261]

I’m sad to see what is happening with Arteza. A few years ago, when they were a small company, their customer service was top notch. I do agree that they have gotten too big and quality, whether in customer service or products, has suffered.

[@karenjs1]

I think your dog is voicing how a lot of us feel about this “pencil gate” situation. Thanks for the video.

[@CreativeCreatorCreates]

I won’t lie. Im a kind person, I’ll always give the benefit of the doubt. But if someone is rude to me, get ready for super Saiyan. I work customer service and counsel myself, so I do NOT play with rude. Im glad you put this video up. It helps me make smarter decisions.

[@samryon3615]

I found you the 2nd day of my decision to try 'art'. I have always appreciated your honesty. I did buy the large set of Artezas watercolor pencils..i was not happy, and so i gave them away. Since then i have just stayed away and saved for pencils that i knew would work well for me. The thing is that was 2 yrs ago, now Arteza is actually pricey. I am sorry they treated you like that Harry. You certainly dont deserve it. I appreciate the time, the effort and your honesty.

[@CubNan]

My 1 1/2 old 72 sets dissolves with water. My newer 120 set does not. Not a happy consumer. Thank you for your honesty.

[@whitespace7130]

I didn't like the way they flooded the colouring channels with giant boxes of goods to review and there were glowing reviews everywhere. I didn't buy any myself but if I wanted an honest review I would come to you, You are right to stand by your principals and I'm sorry for the shady way they have dealt with you. In my book a company has to make great products AND have integrity - Arteza have neither!

[@maureennevers9039]

A while back I heard another reviewer say that she was no longer doing Arteza reviews because of an issue with affiliate links and feeling pressured to produce positive reviews in exchange for product. At the time no one else seemed to be saying a bad word about Arteza, but it made me wonder. Now that you describe your experience it does give credibility to hers.

[@aprilbrown8081]

This is why I haven’t bought any Arteza products. They showed up on the scene and all of a sudden every single art KZbinr was getting their stuff for free to review and they were advertising like mad on Facebook and Amazon. They were also putting on products at a mad pace. It felt like every week there was something new being pushed at me. To me these are all signs that all the money is being put into advertising and putting out new products and probably not into quality. I guessed from the beginning that their quality would take a nose dive pretty quickly.

[@gingerblue]

EXACTLY, thank you for this comment!

[@amybaker5241]

My biggest issue is now because they arent being straight forward how are we to know the newer pencils are or arent breaking down, because you cant believe a word they say. I never bought them because it worked me that the 72 set is 28 dollars yet its 80 for the 120 set?!? I'll just save my money and buy my polychromos

[@samryon3615]

That is exactly how i think, saving for 2 months for the polys..i just dont trust Arteza because of the price issue.

[@LeeDee5]

They have a habit of doing deep discounts for their 72 sets but not their 120 sets. The fine liners are in a similar situation as well. I can’t say I understand it but oh well.

[@DD-d6d3]

Completely agree! I've been so disappointed in cheap Arteza products that I now just buy Polychromos with the same money b

[@deedeebattle2522]

For $5 more you can get get 150 count of Prismacolor Premier!😉

[@amybaker5241]

@@deedeebattle2522 exactly, especially since just because they say light fast on the box doesnt mean they are.

[@elisacavaliere1446]

Hi Harry. I've had a 120 set with the owl tin since last summer and they seemed to perform good as for my experience. I never used them close to water medium though. I am not sure whether it is the new set or the old one, but I'm going to test them and see. I heard these rumours just today. Too many videos on youtube already, so I'm glad you have one on your channel, I trust you much. As for what the lady told you about the affiliate links, I feel sorry you had to read this, because you are a honest and careful person and you are putting the most effort in your channel. Your main aim has been to bring people honest and in-depth reviews about art supplies from the very beginning. You have to be proud of that and try not to care about episodes like this one. That is a proof that you are different from paid and influenced people who would sell anything they get paid for. I respect and admire you as a person and as an artist and I am glad to know there are people like you in the art community. How are you and your family btw? I hope you are all okay and take care. Sending cheers and hugs.

[@crystalfranklin2583]

This... ☝️👍

[@rennley_9233]

_"That is a proof that you are different from paid and influenced people who would sell anything they get paid for."_ -- completely agree with you Elisa. you can spot the difference a mile away between someone who's biased and someone like Harry who's never wanted anything from the start other than to be a reliable resource (and succeeded indefinitely!)

[@DD-d6d3]

Based on my experience, I suspect many of the KZbin channels I've seen rave about these pencils were paid. Shame on them. You're a trustworthy guy, Harry.

[@TheArtGearGuide]

the thing is all the products I reviewed for Arteza received what I would consider excellent reviews especially based on the budget category that they fell into. The only thing I can see that I done wrong was ask about the ingredient change and asked about it a few times and I only done that because I wasn't getting an answer one way or the other. That was when they came back and said they weren't happy about the lack of affiliate links. But in hind sight, I still added links to amazon for the products, so did it really matter where people purchased their products from, be it Amazon, ebay or there website, it is still their product being purchased. Thank you D D for your comment and support as always

[@DollarDiva99]

Harry Thank you so much for this Video! You are Amazing! By the way... My heart melted when your Sweet Puppy started Reacting to the Stress he sensed in your voice. Our Pets are AMAZING Companions 😍

[@nickels4682]

This is why we always trust your reviews Harry...Thanks for keeping it real!!

[@LeeDee5]

I’ve sent them an email 2 days ago about this issue with the ingredients and so far I’ve gotten no response. In the past I would email for simple questions and responses would come in less than an hour. I’m just a normal folk not a reviewer and now It’s clear to me where they’re headed with this... Thank you for this video, take care.

[@MultiFly5]

Wow! They replied to me right away. Consistency isn't one of their strongpoints......but I am happier with my new set. Will I purchase again? Probably not as I like consistency.

[@milesjustice8638]

Harry, sorry you got such shabby treatment from Arteza. I do have their 120 set of pencils but none of their other products. I will not consider those unless they change to more transparent model. Asking simple questions should not lead to being shut out. It makes one think there is something to hide when a company will not deal open and honestly with their customers. As for your integrity, I have never questioned it. I feel very strongly that I get the unbiased truth from you in your reviews. Thanks for all you do and keep safe!

[@karendodge4865]

Harry once again you are just being you. I appreciate your honesty and integrity. You always stick up for the little guy and for that you are very respected

[@TheArtGearGuide]

I am just always mindful of the fact that I need to make sure I am honest and giving you guys the most detailed information. The thing is, before I started my channel and website, I was in a really terrible place mentally speaking which in turn meant my wife and kids where equally stuck in that terrible place with. Depression is such a selfish thing, it not only destroys the person who develops it but it destroys loved ones around that person. Since I started the channel and all of you have joined, I have loved the art process itself, I get actual cravings to draw or to sit down and start to test and demonstrate a product always looking for new ways to present the information to you guys. But definitely most important to me is the amazing relationships I have developed with you guys, I have made friends I know I will have for life. I know I can turn to any of you for advice about art or stuff in general and Ill get help. I enjoy the fact that the channel is growing a reaching more people because before my disability I was a very outgoing and social person but all that died when I was injured, until now. Of course I don't get out etc but I get the next best thing which is to sit and chat with you guys. So that being said, you guys are my main priority as far as The Art Gear Guide and art is concerned and I know you are all really bright people so I need to ensure I always provide the very best reviews I can. Thank you so much Karen

[@stevemurray6543]

Hang tough. You have dug in before. Your reviews are the best, both in content and presentation. You and your thoughts are valued and your integrity beyond suspect. Stay well, safe and remain positive.

[@meplife7313]

I actually purchased a set of 72 expert after watching your previous review on Arteza and how smooth they were. My set it seems they're more scratchy than smooth. I gather I have the newer version of them that isn't as good. I'm no artist, just started out mid last year doing adult colouring in books. Then I discover it's a huge hobby and big community of people doing it ranging from very artistic to new starters like me. I have to admit I've purchased a few sets of pencils now. I think my favourite is polychromos simply because they don't break on me and are smooth. I have the prismacolors and they keep breaking on me. I've got staedler ergo soft and kaiser pencils. I also got the Derwent Artist ones as well. I think I'm set for a while. The biggest set I got was prismacolours though.

[@thefrugalcrafter]

Crazy huh? I'm not sure if you were talking about me but if you were this is my video comparing the old arteza pencils to the new ones kzbin.info/www/bejne/onaypolrlrxqmck the old ones did react to water but not as much as their watercolor pencils which I really like. Don't worry about mentioning my review, I have never gotten "in trouble" for posting a poor review on artezas products. I have been hearing about a lot of people who have gotten bad watercolor sketchbooks tho, the cloth-covered ones I use all the time. I bet there have been some factory switching to cover supply gaps during the pandemic (hence Arteza offering refunds and not replacements) because sadly I've noticed this from other budget companies as well. Sometimes I'll watch a review for something I have (I too like to wait til I review something before watching others) and it will be so opposite mine, more so than a difference of opinion, a real difference of product and it is always a budget brand or a brand who outsources the product and did not make it in house themselves. I'm not sure who's to blame because I contacted another company where I had a 36 pan and 48 pan set of watercolor and they were entirely different paint and the person I talked two did not know of the paints being any differnt! I really think these companies don't know what they are selling. This last year has been a real eye-opener and I think I need to put a disclaimer on any budget brand review that "this review was accurate at the time of the review but supplies in the future may vary" I'll be jumping on the bandwagon and posting a video in a few days on this topic. I have contacted Arteza and I am hoping to hear back before I do although I doubt my contact had anything to do with sourcing the materials.

[@thefrugalcrafter]

...and PS, no one will fault you for using affiliate links, you are honest and people can make up their ow mind. I reviewed some terrible watercolors, the worst, the only nice thing I could say about them was the tin was cute (they were horrendous) but they came in the cutest white tin and people bought them for the tin LOL! Besides, you might post a bad review so you clearly won't sell that thing but people still appreciate you and may click the link and buy something you do recommend. You can take your wife out to dinner more often to with the earnings:)

[@petalpusher]

@@thefrugalcrafter an hour ago, as you were writing this reply, I was watching your video about that cute white tin. :D

[@thefrugalcrafter]

@@petalpusher I still have trauma over that paint lol!

[@DollarDiva99]

Lindsey I can't wait to see your new video on the matter! I had been referring everyone to your video from a year ago. This is not New info. You brought it up months ago. Thanks for being Awesome 😊

[@LonitaFraser]

After watching both videos I do begin to wonder if they changed the formula specifically to take away the ability of people to use the regular pencils as both soluble and non in order to force them into a situation of having now to buy both sets. Either way, I've taken the couple of products of theirs I had on my shop for it later list because anything they're fobbing off I can get from someone else one way or another.

[@crystalfranklin2583]

Awww, your doggo was crying for you. I hear him often in the background on your videos, but I don't think I've ever seen him. I would love to have a gander at him. He sounds like a big, sweet baby. ❤ I haven't been happy with Arteza for a while.. since they released their larger sets and new formula and really jacked up the price on their "Expert" colored pencils. My thoughts about them might be a little unfair since I don't actually have the newest set, but I've heard too many people whose reviews I trust talk about not only the fact that they react to water but the fact that although they're marketed as lightfast, they are seriously lacking in lightfastness. These people have done lightfast tests and I know of one person who is planning to collaborate with several other people in different parts of the country (U.S.) and do some in-depth lightfast testing in the near future. Like this one reviewer I watch said, "How can they market their pencils as "Expert" when they're not truly lightfast. People who sell their artwork are buying these pencils with the (I believe) false notion that they are truly lightfast. Another thing she said that I totally agree with is that they seem to think they can just slap on an expensive price tag and call them Expert, even if they are lacking the quality one would expect from profesdional/artist-grade pencils. If they were honest and just call them what they are (AND charge what they're actually worth), which is a budget pencil, I would buy them and likely repurchase in the future, as I'm sure many others would also. They're budget quality with expert pricing. They won't be getting another red cent from me unless/until they do away with their deceptive prices and charge a fair and reasonable price for their products. I honestly would not want to be in the dog-eat-dog competitive world of selling art supplies these days. Ever since adult coloring became wildly popular, the number of art material suppliers has virtually exploded. I guess they feel like they have to do whatever they have to just to sell their products, when honestly, if they were only fair, honest and offered a decent product at a decent price, they would have no problem selling their products. Plain and simple.

[@MoistMage69]

Sounds like you dog was also upset with Arteza company too. 😂

[@tracyvis2101]

I was thinking about getting their 72 set of colored pencils but after all of this I’m gonna go with the polychromos. Better to go with the old trusted brands than these new fly-by-night companies.

[@ianjackson5834]

not a company I am bothered with........ asked them to send me a sample sheet of there pro watercolour paper but they did not want to send me any so I dont endorse any use of any of there products......... people are constantly ask me about art equipment so thats Arteza's loss...... thanks for the video

[@junbug1029]

Thank you Harry. You are a man who can be trusted. I bought the woodless watercolor pencils from Arteza a couple of years ago and they are fine for coloring books and crafts. After your experience and the experience of the other reviewer I won’t give Arteza any more business. xoxo Joan

[@TheArtGearGuide]

Hi Joan, I know the pencils you mean and I was the same, I actually really enjoyed them. I have seen some suggestions in the comments that perhaps at some point Arteza was bought out, hence the sharp contrast in agents, which is absolutely a possibility that I never considered. I think it is such a shame that Arteza have done this because they were building a really good brand and good reputation and the only reason I spoke out in the first place was because of the other reviews and people asking for my opinion. Thank you so much for your kind comment

[@kellip9586]

Thank you for sharing your thoughts Harry. As always, you succinctly and honestly described your experience. I have the utmost respect for you, and always watch your reviews when thinking of purchasing a new product. The company’s actions towards you, when you asked questions they did not want to answer speaks volumes on their ethics and customer service principles.

[@justjen6054]

Well said and tactful. Thank you! This is why I watch your videos every time I spend more than $10 on a product. It's called integrity.

[@jasonborn2598]

Good comments. Sounds like the company doesn't care about it's base. They will when it hits them in the pocket book. I came from quality control and the fix could have been to imprint the pencils NEW AND IMPROVED or given them a new name along with new packaging. This would have solved the problem quick, before it became a problem.

[@ColorMyWorld]

Much respect to you!

[@deedeebattle2522]

You also, Lori😍😘

[@JMHaleSeattle]

Hello from Seattle, Harry! Thx very much for your candor. I’ve had good service. Arteza, they sent me a replacement (72) set right away when I had some trouble. It’s Arteza’s lost, not behaving well.

[@MentallyQuestionable]

Awwww! The puppers! Lol. Thank you for the info, Harry! We appreciate your honesty, always!

[@sketchshinaver2886]

I was planning on ordering a couple sets of their pencils. Not now... that’s BS treating you that way!

[@peace-n-happiness]

You have won me over. I am your new subscriber.

[@DD-d6d3]

I hope you enjoy the channel. Harry is the best.

[@klb430]

I've seen a few youtubers over zealous for how great arteza is and getting huge boxes of supplies, I could tell right away their reviews couldn't be trusted

[@lauraholleman3560]

I’m new to your channel. Thank you for your honesty. Reviewers with integrity save us customers money. You try out products so we can make informed decisions about whether to spend our own money on them. I don’t care at all if reviewers get free products to review or have affiliate links. It doesn’t take very long to know which reviews are honest and I return to those channels for information on products. Good reviews like yours save me time and money and everyone needs to make a living, including artists and KZbin reviewers. I really appreciate you and a few others for your guidance on products. Thanks for what you do!

[@Flashy.Colors]

Hi Harry, I've never purchased an Arteza product mainly because I think you're absolutely right about the fact they've changed for bad. First when they came out their products were budget friendly / affordable, then suddenly their prices starting to go up so fast to the point many of us can't afford them. So sorry to hear your bad experience working with them, definitely a company that does not want to give clear answers can't be trusted at all and this is something that will damage their image and reputation. Keep up with the outstanding job you do Harry, you're the only reviewer I trust a 100% because I know you're always clear and transparent and never lie to us, if there's something wrong with a product you straight forward say it and that's always greatly appreciated.

[@angelam1560]

i have the first pencils and they are nice when a company starts messing with the formula that is when Im done. They get you with really good pencils and then they start with the crappy ones Ive seen this in other companies too

[@megsgonnamake]

I like the way that you have handles this situation on you channel..You are a pretty stand up guy :) Thanks for your info and thoughts on all this! your pup was like Heeeyyy lolz...LOVE it!!

[@TheArtGearGuide]

Thank you so much Meg for your lovely comment I really appreciate it thank you so much

[@fatmakathiriart1548]

I hope you are feeling better

[@thejourneyofart9934]

The first way I knew arteza art supplies were a thing was through their Instagram page. They previously used to do QnA posts on specific days and would answer questions about their products but recently that hasn't been the case. Also when I asked about the ranges of pencils available under arteza, they were like "we have expert colored pencil range" or some like that and that was literally it. The second time I asked a question on their QnA posts I didn't get any sort of answer. Salute to you for all you've done for us artists. ❤️

[@rennley_9233]

hey Harry - i am SO glad to see you following up on this. i watched your older review of these pencils, and as someone who has been using Polychromos, Holbein, and Caran d'Ache for years, i was super intrigued about your review of the Arteza pencils. i've been looking for a good alternative to Prismacolor, just to have a more wax-heavy pencil in my arsenal. i grabbed a set of Arteza pencils just a few days ago from Amazon (US) and can also confirm that these pencils are dissolving with water. the tin itself is labeled "2020" so, as some others have said, perhaps the newer stock just hasn't been pulled. i'm going to exchange them and perhaps see if i can't get a better set -- i really want to give them a fair shot. thank you for this (and all of your videos!)

[@muskndusk]

It's as though the woman you spoke to didn't like that you weren't under Arteza's thumb/in their pay. She probably thought that if you put up affiliate links, or took payment for reviews, you'd be more likely to be positive about the products, but as you have nothing to lose, you might say anything, and she doesn't like that. I wonder if they've been taken over and are just chasing money and good reviews (by paying for them!) If so, they need to look after their customers too.

[@3698s]

I purchased an Arteza 36 color watercolor pan set and a 72 watercolor pencil set. I have not used them as of yet so I am curious as what others think of them & what experiences they had. I also purchased a set of mechanical pencils and they were nice enough to send a replacement set . Additionally I purchased some black canvas boards since they are acid free. I have their black sketch markers and they are great to work with. I do not know whether I have the old formula or the new regarding my pencils. The one aspect that irks me is how they rate their lightfastness of the pencils which is opposite of everyone else-with Arteza using 4 stars to indicate the least lightfastness and 1 star being the most lightfast.

[@Syrupandwaffles]

I love their everblend markers, they were wonderful. The issue is that when I ran out of color on on e marker, the open stock marker was always out of stock. It has been 3 years and the same color fo markers I need are still out of stock, despite me checking the store constantly. It is a huge bummer as I love the unique colors they have, but I had to switch marker brands that do have available open stock. I use the Blick illustrator markers now, but I do miss the color and vibrancy of my old arteza markers.

[@PamelasPassionforPencils]

I did a video yesterday too, but only after seeing the others that had been posted. I have always loved my Arteza pencils and have done several video tutorials using them. After watching your video, I am really starting to wonder about them as a company. They have always sent out replacements when someone has been unhappy with a product they received. They have been known to send out an entire new set of 120 pencils if someone has had an issue with just one individual pencils in the set. I don't have one of the sets that diluted with water. I do still need to check my kids set though (not that it matters that much other than me being curious). The fact that you are such a wonderful reviewer and they could have benefited from your videos, but you still were treated poorly, speaks volumes about them as a company. Your video was truly eye-opening so thank you for posting it. Anyone can tell by watching just one of your videos that you're a very honest person. I don't understand why the poor treatment if you were doing the review. If someone wanted the pencils after seeing your review, they know exactly how to go to the website or Amazon, do a search and purchase them. Arteza was still making money off of you whether or not you had posted affiliate links and didn't have to give you a percentage. It just makes no sense on their part. Again, thank you for being you. This was one of the most honest videos I have seen and I know this will open a lot of people's eyes about the situation.

[@jeanthompson1135]

Thank you Harry. I hope Arteza is listening to these videos. I value your judgement on art supplies. Thank you for addressing this problem with Arteza.

[@TsukabuNosoratori2]

Welp, that settles any doubts I had about going with the Holbein pencils instead. I treat myself to a new art supplies once mid year, and I was torn between the Arteza and Holbein colored pencils. I'm going for Holbein, since they're finally available here in the US. I have the Arteza gouache and some other things, but if they're going to be changing their products, it's a real shame. I love it. But I'll start looking elsewhere once I run low on colors. I'm going to save up and buy the Holbein Pastel set of 50 for my treat this year and not look back at Arteza. That's such a bummer how they've changed.

[@CourtneyRider]

Oh my goodness Holbein pencils are Holy Grail pencils...I promise you they will be worth every Penny and you will NEVER REGRET buying them! You will feel like a fool for even DREAMING of buying Artezas over Holbeins! 😉🤣 You couldn’t pry mine from my cold, dead hands!! 🤣🖍💜

[@EverythingItShouldBe]

I’ve had amazing experiences with arteza so I was surprised

[@atxroque]

Thanks for the video. Great insight into the company. I purchased then subsequently gifted the pencils as I did not care for them. Now I understand why there were so many positive, but misleading reviews. Thank you for your honesty, as I now watch you and Lindsay as far as reviews are concerned. Look forward to your upcoming video only out of curiosity as I will not purchase any of their pencils. But truly, if they establish a base of customers and subsequently change up formulas they have everything to lose.

[@rickricci7592]

how old is the new pencil chemical change? I got the full set about four months ago.

[@lara-ce2kg]

Your honesty in this video is very respectable and me as a consumer,I do take people's reviews into consideration when making a purchase. And personally I felt your video to be very heartfelt and trustworthy thank you for your honest reviews and opinions

[@margaretbrownhill1193]

Harry I know you I would never doubt you4 integrity, I trust and respect your reviews as also I think do everyone who comes onto your channel . We base our decisions based on what we know are your unbiased opinions. I don’t have much of the arteza products but I do have some but generally speaking I prefer the products of two other companies which I am fortunate enough to be able to afford. If Arteza are behaving like this. They are shooting themselves in the foot because they are a good entry point for people who for various reasons want less expensive products, and your previous reviews have confirmed this for people. We live in a very competitive age and it redounds on all manufacturers to be transparent and cogniscent of the needs of their customers making them trustworthy companies to support regardless of price point

[@rennley_9233]

i agree with this 100%

[@loriann5265]

Harry it is so nice to have found you. I've been an artist about 4 years now but with different media's. For a few months now I've done watercolors and color pencils. Loving it, I think it's my thing 🙂. I absolutely love and appreciate your honesty. Whether or not you use affiliate links I would trust you. So I guess I agree with Lindsay, a.k.a. the frugal crafter who I also follow and trust with her reviews. By the way I have been binge watching your videos. Thank you and your honesty! 👍

[@TheArtGearGuide]

Thank you so much Lori I really appreciate your wonderful comment and it really means a lot to me, thank you so much

[@moneybaggz910]

I love your dog! And I hope he or she got to go outside and chase squirrels or whatever was so exciting outside!!!

[@MandyvanGoeije]

Oh yes, that’s Arteza, all right. They approached me in their first marketing offensive and I refused an affiliation offer from them. They did not appreciate that. Like you I review independently and any company that makes good stuff will not need to bribe reviewers. And I will not be compromised. Unless a viewer wants me to review Arteza watercolor and sends me some, I am not reviewing it. Knowing their tactics, I prefer to spend my money on honest, good art supply manufacturers.

[@MandyvanGoeije]

Also...friends of mine have used Arteza watercolor (I review watercolor, mainly) and their experience clashes with the good reviews I saw here...all affiliate reviewers as far as I could see. In my view, that means that the reviews were corrupted by affiliation. Like you, I donot want that for myself. I review for passion and community. And you’re also right that in the end it doesn’t serve Arteza either. Although by that time, they might be surfing on the next best thing that makes money.

[@pamelamiller9478]

Thank you Harry for your Honesty. I never thought giving an honest review could be so complicated.

[@Karenfree2202]

Thank you for your help in the allocation of my art budget ! What more can I say. You are such a advocate of what we need to know. I must admit that this is the first you tube I have seen of yours but I will definitely be searching for more of them.

[@lisalucchese4221]

I bought a set recently. They go down horribly and then they begin to separate. White is left in between. It is very strange. I have tried to get contact multiple times but no one returns my emails. Unfortunately I waited on their response and didn't return on time to Amazon. I want them to stand by their product. Obviously something with the formula is not right. I'm beginning to see that they are not a reputable company.

[@TheArtGearGuide]

Hi Lisa, it really is a shame cause when they first started out they were excellent, it’s like the got a foot in the door, changed the staff and brought in the cut throat money makers and unfortunately that might work with some areas of business but not the Art Community. The Art Community won’t be held over a barrel if their products are substandard. With regards to the white you refer to, do you mean there is white showing in between the barrel and core? If this is the case it might be the anti break system that some companies have adopted in order to stop the core shattering when sharpening. I know you have gone over the time to return to Amazon, but it might be worth letting Amazon know you reached out to the company first and it is that reason you missed the return dead line, if you can show them the original email with the date it was sent they might be able to help you out, because you essentially started the return process within the time, just not directly to Amazon.

[@lisalucchese4221]

@@TheArtGearGuide I did contact them on facebook too and finally someone helped me. They are standing behind the product and sending me a new set. Hopefully this set works well. The white is the paper coming through when the laydown starts to separate. It appears waxy. It is like the pigment and binder are separating or their is too much oil. Thank you for your video.

[@davemilligan1171]

I enjoy your channel. Your dog sounds so cute...lol

[@scottys-art]

trying to get the full set of their everblend markers is a pain in a butt, due to having them completely outta stock for ages, it's been a year now. everytime i mentioned to them about their markers, they say that they'll be returning, yet still over a year i'm waiting, and nothing, i even put the email for reminder when it comes back in stock, still nothing.

[@Finn-qg7vv]

One good thing I'm learning, besides not to buy Arteza, is which KZbinrs are being honest with their reviews. Love your videos ✍

[@SeekingtheTruthofGod]

Aww! I love how your dog talks to you. I hope that he or she's doing well.

[@TheArtGearGuide]

Koda is our incredibly vocal and opinionated Siberian Husky. He is incredibly spoilt because everyone in the house just loves him to death but when he is misbehaving and he gets told to stop ripping those papers up, or give me back my slippers, he always always has to have the last word. We had 3 gorgeous huskies before Koda as my wife used to run with them, Maya, Nanook and Yakona, incidentally Yakona is Koda’s great Uncle. But he is my best bud, he sits with me, on the arm of the sofa right beside my desk every day while I draw or do reviews. He can see out the living room window and so when he sees other dogs or people walk past the house, he starts talking again. I’ll have to record him telling us all off and upload it to Instagram or Facebook, he is hilarious.

[@ana7177]

I got my 120 set from Amazon on Oct 2020 and they don't moved/dissolve with water . But I will be hesitant to order another set bc I don't want to deal with the unknown if they will be good or bad .even tho I do like them but i think they are a bit overpriced

[@Judith-H7]

Thank you for your own opinion and not bought opinion. I love watching your videos. Best regards from Germany That's a pity and annoying with artezas reactions. 😔😥

[@bethbristow8722]

Good man for not being bought. Keep up the great videos

[@TheArtGearGuide]

Thank you Beth, I only run The Art Gear Guide in this way because I would be an absolutely terrible businessman and as I mentioned in the video, I started doing all of this to help me deal with PTSD and Depression after serving in the British Army, for me personally, to start half way through running The Art Gear Guide as a business would only have piled on pressure and that would have defeated the reason why I started. But I just want to make it clear for anyone else reading these wonderful comments from you guys. I in no way at all condone anyone who runs their channel as a business, in fact I would advise people starting out to set up as if running a business, providing they weren't doing it for similar reasons. Thank you so much Beth for your comment and support

[@madmadmona]

I appreciate your frankness and integrity. I am very sad to see such a promising company take the strong-arm path. It seems that professionals should know better than to try such tactics. I agree with you; this is a betrayal of all of us who've, so far, favored Arteza. The company is shooting itself in the foot. You can't build a loyal customer base without excellent customer service. They're ruining the good reputation they've built up. Such behavior also calls into question the quality of the new versions of the products they've changed. It makes me think that Arteza's upper management knows these new versions are inferior to what was offered previously. Yep, I'm going to be watching Arteza closely. Good job, my friend. 👍

[@bunnyydoesthings]

I've used a few of their products, ( gouache and sketchbooks ) I have no problem with the gouache, I like it enough, especially since I don't use gouache enough to justify buying better. Now my problem : the watercolor sketchbooks are horrible, I hate how it changes texture every other sheet, and I hate how I can't erase on the smooth side, if i pay 25$ for a two pack of sketchbooks, I expect it to be better then my 4 to 10$ canson xl mixed media or watercolor sketchbook.

[@xAngelsAsylumx]

Got me testing my colored pencils just for the heck of it. The cheap pencils are dissolving practically like a watercolor pencil. My artezas are probably the newer formula as they arent dissolving like the cheap ones. I did have issue with arteza with the colored pencil case when I ordered some time ago. My case arrived with shoddy stitching, I contacted arteza and they sent me a new one, which also had some issues, but I just left it be cause now I got two. Only other product I have is their gouache which I have no issue with.

[@vickiemcintire5255]

I don’t like to hear that they were lik that with you. I won’t be buying arteza products.

[@TheArtGearGuide]

At the time when it happened I did feel like they had just used my platform to get a leg up even though my channel isn't very big considering. But like I said in the video, they really didn't owe me anything and the only thing I owed them was the respect that I always told them I would give should the need arise to highlight a flaw or blemish within a product. Thank you so much for your support Vickie

[@TwistedArtdesigns]

I use high end professional products and I have tried a lot of Arteza products for my art journals. I have liked everythingI have purchased from them. I have not been sent items to review, I have purchased them for myself. Their metallic watercolor paints are gorgeous! Their brush pen set is wonderful! I like their water brushes. And I just got the new fine point acrylic markers and I LOVE THEM! I use posca and molotow and the Arteza are good too! I am not a fan of their acrylic paints in tubes... the colors are too transparent for my taste and not matte enough. But their prices are reasonable and they have great sales 60% off. So if you are art journalling... Arteza is a great place to start building your stash of supplies. If you are a professional artist.... use the high end brands. I have never used their colored pencils because I like high end colored pencils. But their watercolor pencils are nice.

[@taylorsart9922]

Keep your chin up, you do a fantastic job. I watch your reviews because I know you are telling me the truth and not being paid to say what they want you to say. Its because of you I started my channel (not reviews your too good) but when someone asks me about a product and I haven't used it I always guild them to your channel for reviews. Keep up the great work I always look forward to your next review....(and what to spend my money on). I did wonder way I couldn't get the Arteza expert pencils... now I know why.

[@AlexandraZe]

I've been sent some products by Arteza to test out on my Instagram page, and honestly I've never had any issues with the customer service. The woman I've been talking to was always nice and she always said she would replace anything I found defective or that I didn't really like. They have never paid me to do their reviews, but I was always happy to receive my packages from them because they always came in perfect condition. The only product I didn't really like from them was their graphite set, because the hardness of the pencils was quite weird. The B pencil was softer than the 2B and 3B and the lead kept breaking when sharpening. It was an artist friend of mine who told me about this controversy, and I went to check my old set of coloured pencils in comparison with the new ones, and I found no issue with them. The old ones activate a bit, but the new ones do not. What I believe happened is that they probably screwed up the formula for one of the batches, maybe they forgot to add binders or something, and so they created a defective pencil. Now I can only imagine the backlash they must have been receiving these past few days and I am sure that can be very stressful. I am in no way trying to defend them, but at the end of the day, I think Arteza was never meant to be a company like Faber-Castell or Caran D'Ache, their products were always mostly aimed for students and beginners. I have created some portraits with their pencils and of course they cannot compare to Polychromos which are my favourites, but I think they are good for their money range. I hope they will try to solve this issue soon, I did hear they gave people their money back for their defective pencils, so hopefully things will come out soon and they reevaluate the situation. I'd hate to lose my trust completely in any brand, especially one that I have liked for quite some time now.

[@DD-d6d3]

If they don't want comparisons with Polychromos, they shouldn't call their products "artist quality".

[@TheArtGearGuide]

I completely agree with everything you have just said, my experience with Arteza was absolutely fantastic until I started asking questions, questions on behalf of their customers and still to this day I have no idea why they got so closed about the questions. Lots of companies go through changes and they might lose some people along the way but they will almost certainly gain new people. However, when they refuse to answer such questions, that raises suspicion. All they had to say was, yes we are producing a new ingredient for our Expert range. We are phasing out the old ingredient and all new ingredient pencils will be in the new tins, the ones with the artwork and red trays. But they didn't do that. Or even say to me, yes we are making some changes but we are not ready to announce them yet, once we are we will let you know. also Arteza never had to compete with Faber Castell or Derwent or Caran d'Ache, one of the things I try so hard to do on my channel is review a wide range of pencils from the highest quality to student quality and low end budget quality. I think it is so important for all categories to exist and everyone of them have their place and there is a huge market for each type. Arteza grew at such an incredibly fast pace and they did an amazing job. Their Marketing team in the beginning were the best around, they made such as many people knew about their products via people like me and that is what reviewers are there for. Arteza are a huge company in their own right and to be honest, had the pandemic not hit and interrupted everyones stock levels, Arteza would have continued to grow. Thank you so much for sharing your experience with Arteza because it is important people are given a balanced opinion to an issue no matter what.

[@porcupinepancakeart1765]

Very disheartening to hear. I won't be spending any more money on their products until they deal with this professionally. Sorry you went through this.

[@learnartwithme3766]

I assume the old ones have the black trays and the new ones are red?

[@TheArtGearGuide]

From what I have learned I don't think it is as simple as this because if it was Arteza would have said that when I asked. All they would have had to do was tell reviewers like me that the newer ingredient pencils are in the tins with artwork and red trays, that would have been quite painless and easy to follow but to the best of my knowledge they haven't said anything like that publicly or otherwise. I know I have tried to find out from them and they basically cut off communication which as I said in the video is absolutely their right to so, they didn't owe me anything.

[@learnartwithme3766]

@@TheArtGearGuide I just tried one of mine, water affected it. I have black trays. Bought them in 2019. I also posted the same message on Lindsay's video, she said hers were the black tray ones too.

[@anitaagler9844]

So appreciate your honesty and integrity. Give that puppy a scratch for me.

[@ArtJourneyUK]

I don’t have the Arteza Pencils (although to be honest I would have bought them if they had been in stock in December) but I do have the Arteza Real Brush Pens, to be honest they aren’t great. They barely move with water and so are disappointing to watercolour with.

[@TheArtGearGuide]

I’ve heard a few people say that about the Brush pens, which makes me think that with so many of the products during the pandemic, Arteza have had to use other manufacturers. The reason I say this is because I reviewed their Real Brush Pens when they first came out and I think I done one of my nicest paintings ever with them. bit.ly/2MRtPnR in this speed drawing you can see just how pigmented they are and how well they perform. But listening to people talk about the product who more recently purchased and used them, would seem to be a totally different product. Thank you so much for your comment and sharing your experience of the areal Brush Pens with us. Comments like yours really help us all to build up a picture and patten of what is going on behind the scenes in the companies. Thank you so much

[@bunnyydoesthings]

Oh that makes me so glad I didn't buy them last week, I just bought the Crayola 100 set 😅

[@brucetidwell7715]

Harry, I trust you more than just about anybody on KZbin. You wear your heart on your sleeve and everybody knows exactly where you are at about everything. That is just really tacky and unprofessional that they would treat you like that! You recommended the Arteeza pencils to me personally last year and I love them but I got lucky and got the 72 set, in the tin with a snail on it, that don't dissolve. I use both water color and regular pencils together and they would be useless if they dissolved. I have to say that their customer service was pretty awful. I've certainly had worse but I was *not* impressed. I wasn't getting anywhere until I posted a very negative public comment on their Facebook page but even then they were totally scatter brained. When I finally got my 120 set of water color pencils, the tin was dented and I didn't even try to complain because it just wasn't worth it. This really too bad because they were making some good materials for those of us who can't afford the higher priced alternatives.

[@jeanthompson1135]

my water color pencils would not even lay down pigment. I was told that I had a defective set.

[@brucetidwell7715]

@@jeanthompson1135 Wow! Sorry to hear that. I guess I really did get lucky. I love mine. I don't have any experience with the really expensive brands but I'm happy with what mine do. The big drawback was not having open stock so they can't be replaced but I'm thinking more and more that I don't want to. I'll just buy nicer pencils one at a time as I need them.

[@suegalley]

P

[@laney2499]

Thanks for this video informing us all what this company is like. But I question why would any company knowing who you are and your ‘following’ behave in such a way, unless they’ve got something to hide? There is no excuse for such behaviour and like most other comments I will no longer purchase any Arteza products. I’ve closed my account and blocked them everywhere else. Please take care of yourself and continue with what you do giving comprehensive, honest reviews.

[@4.1132]

Not surprised about Arteza. Seemed always like a mid-range brand. About the oil and wax content in a pencil there's a relatively easy way too tell which type of ingredient is dominant. Try using a polar solvent (acetone, ethyl acetate (ingredient in nail polish remover) isopropyl alcohol etc.) on to blend the pencil, most types waxes are very non-polar so it will be hard to dissolve, whereas oil tend to have charged polar groups. Solvents usually can tell you a lot about polarity of the binder and therefore it's chemical makeup. You'd need an actual IR or other spectrometer test to tell the exact makeup but this way let's you gage the mix somewhat. Warning: some pencils like Prismacolors occasionally precipitate and clump when using solvents like isopropyl alcohol.

[@alisamartin1437]

You are honest questions unfortunately they didn't want to give an honest or any answer at all. It really is a bad attitude and poor choice on there part for behaving this way. If this is the line the take when faced with problems , I have no doubt they will sink there own company.

[@tabbylynn4130]

You seem like such a genuine person. Thank you for helping us consumers so much.

[@adelinenicholas922]

I've read reviews where people said the leads were sliding around in the casing. I'll steer clear.

[@createinspain]

I've bought some products from them and done a few reviews but have never had anything to do with the company itself. I have noticed that their prices seem to have jumped a lot..It would be a shame if they go in a downward spiral.

[@TheArtGearGuide]

I agree with you completely in that it would be a shame if the company went into a downward spiral. There is still plenty of time for Arteza to amend the issues they are experiencing and by all accounts it would appear they have already started to make amends with offering certain customers full refunds on certain products, I’m not 100% what the criteria is but it’s a start. With regards to prices, that is happening with so many companies, sets that this time last year cost £25 for 24 pencils are now £50. I’m not sure what the reasons are for this, if it is the pandemic or something else entirely. I am afraid it would be pure speculation on my part if I were to make a guess. Thank you so much for your comment

[@wanderingstar5673]

FYI: I own the original 72 set and the original 120 set...It’s is my understanding that the original pencils were water soluble. When Arteza came out with the 120 set they had made a change in the formula and they were no longer water soluble. These are the ones that are fabulous. Arteza then changed some of the names on the pencils and unbeknownst to everyone also changed the formula again. This is the indicator of which ones you have : pre 120 set they are water soluble. Original 120 set usually in owl tin are not water soluble and are wonderful pencils. The sets that include the newly named pencils in all the various sets have the pigments that break down and glob up if used with mixed media such as watercolor,water color pencils, markers , sprayed with fixative etc. The tin is not an indicator . It’s the 72 set before the 120 set introduction, and all the sets regardless of the size with the new names included in the set. They are a descent student / hobby artist pencil, but they are being marketed towards the professional market.Hope this is clear as mud 🙃. P.S - I watch your reviews due to the honesty and integrity of your evaluations. I also recommend your channel to others for the same reasons. Please don’t pull an “Arteza” and change up on us.

[@catlady256]

I bought Arteza 72 watercolour about a year ago and I liked them so I went and bought 120 expert, I live in Australia and when I had a lot of breakages with the 120, Arteza didn’t want to know, they won’t deal with customers in Australia!! They take our money via Amazon but they won’t deal directly even though they will replace pencils in America and England they won’t do it here! They referred me back to Amazon who did refund my money as they said they bought from an international supplier and so could not send me another set. I do love the pencils but I don’t think a whole lot of the company, they sometimes have specials on their products but again it’s only for USA and UK this is not fair..our money is as good as anyone else’s and we deserve equal service. Ok had my say, your site is one of my favourite and I appreciate all you do and say. Love your dog 😊 he had his say also 😂😂

[@carolberres5528]

There are a couple of companies I don’t buy from anymore after purchasing multiple coloring media’s from. I threw away some sets and passed on others. Most companies I think are reputable and we can rest assured that they stand behind their products.

[@MelanCholy2001]

*Edit:* whoops, thought this was about wc pencils, not regular colored pencils! Sorry Thank you (and Lindsay) for addressing this. I just always did Prismas (I'm used to 'em) and didn't have much interest in wc pencils; these [new-to-me brand] were a gift at Christmas to bounce me into watercolors. I think I just don't like wc pencils, but the Artezas _for me_ had an awful smell. Not a normal 'bad art supply' smell like mold (or turpentine, petrol, whatever), but just an obvious, "puzzling" smell. Maybe it was the coating of the paint on the pencils; Linsday suggested the binders. I'm airing them out and hope to pick a few decent ones and toss the rest, and the tin seems handy enough (the smell isn't in there). I might pick up a few wc Prismas one day just to see if there's something I'm 'missing' with wc pencils, but even videos I've seen generally just aren't the way I work. I'd like to know more now about the parent company of Arteza because I got an "add-on" of 3 spiral bound notebooks, and I just don't get the appeal: uh, it's like fake-rough cellulose (you can "paint" the raised edges OFF 😂 yeah it's just pilling I know ) and I find the backsides of the art paper much better to test and swatch and even mix paints on. Isn't it odd that Arteza has a "more expensive than most" line of cotton wc paper now with some rave reviews. And *maybe it is that good, but I don't care to use product from this sort of company.* Thanks for the heads up about them pushing you for affiliate links; it's none of their business if a reviewer opts to link or not. 👍

[@tialemon26]

Second KZbin artist to give negative review not of product but of company directly,,,no interest in using them.

[@staceyellington4978]

I have been extremely unhappy with the quality of the products I have ordered during the past 6 months. They have changed the formuals on a lot of things that I use regularly. When I have contacted them about problems with products, I was not satisfied with the response that I received. As you said, they were curt. Last week I got an email about the new and improved Everblend markers. I though, "Òooh! Maybe they added brush tips!" I got on the website and looked, the only change I could see that was significant was the price. They used to be affordable. Now, not so much. It makes me sad.

[@cathysparks2797]

I tried it , brushing water over an Arteza swatch and it did bleed somewhat. Don’t know why, but it did.

[@kamalitarajagopalan2671]

I’ve never liked arteza as a brand tbh. I have their real brush pens and barely used them at all and they are already really dry. I had the their expert watercolor pencil line and it was very very bad, the pigment would not dissolve at all. So I’ve given up on that brand haha. Anyways thanks for the review:)

[@onyxwelborne]

I have the real brush pens, too, and I've always thought they were terrible. Some of them were nearly dry even when they were brand new. The quality control was lacking as well, as there was a huge variation in the brush bristle thickness and length on each pen. I didn't learn my lesson that time and also later bought some of their fine liner pens. Once again, there were several of them nearly dry/out of ink. I'm done with Arteza.

[@nadinp5604]

All the time i was hearing about Arteza something was clicking in my head. Just like i seen all this before. And i was kinda right. After watching your video i looked for Arteza and found interesting interview with founders of it. Interview was made this winter and published 4 month ago. My first shock was.... interview made on Russian with no English version (but for me its not a problem, so i watched it). As you can guess founders of Arteza are from post Soviet Union (Ukraine and Litva) currently living in US. They have no art background. They just wanted to do business on Amazon and found out that there was a niche on art supplies of middle price. They re not hiding the fact that all products are from China or Taiwan. But in case of China they decided to call it PRC because its beautiful and sounds like Pershia. They say they tested products (but dont say how). They say they advancing and upgrading them (based on reviews and problems). Exsample was some bad liners that were redone twice. Most of talking was about marketing wich they based around american home estaits and the fact that most of them buy some art things at least for holidays and school. So it is mass market brand where you can buy everything in one place. Middle price chousen for backup in money (marge) for agressive marketing, advertising and sales. Marketing, IT, finance and other team members are based in Belarus. Really. 150 man in Belarus vs 10 in US. Only members of Arteza in US are founders, customer support and copyrighting (because of bad English and difference in mentality). They have call center but i guess it is just outsource (it was never mentioned as art of any team). There was a small talk about customer service (they hire with art background only) and reviewing customer replies (negative or not). In some cases they do refunds, but they say ppl love them. Some raitings included with 90% positive reaction on brand. For the time of interview Arteza get 32 place in rating of Inc 5000 with money exchange rate $100 millions. Founders sold out the company, get a lot of money and moved to coffee business. They call themselfs multi millioners. You can find this interview on Big Money KZbin chanel with tag Arteza 116. So the thing was clicking for me is not only chinese originals for supplies which they tried to cover but also all marketing. So many business around here are based on trying to sell something from China just by repacking it, making cool name and highering the price. And no questions asked about whats inside and quality of it. Thats how business work these days. I hope it will be usefull in trying to understand what Arteza is like. An sorry for typos, I tryed my best.

[@loondabo9207]

This situation is getting out of hand rather quickly. Nice video on a related and probably connected subject. I do love my Arteza pencils, they made me open up my eyes to non European art products that were still affordable to me. It's rough seeing that shining star go supernova. I just saw Mitsubishi discontinued some of their colouring pencils too due to manufacturing pigment shortages....I guess your uni pencils and non smearing Arteza pencils will be worth a fortune soon?

[@birdgirl2623]

I'm behind on my KZbin viewing, but I do subscribe to you and Lindsay because I trust your opinions. Both of you are talented artists who can definitely show off a media's best potential. There are other reviewers I also trust because I know they are being honest in their opinions. Whether a review is negative or positive, if it is an HONEST review, it is easier for me to know if that particular product is right for ME.

[@TheArtGearGuide]

Lindsay is the best she is a huge inspiration to me, I try so hard to run this channel in the same way Lindsay does without actually replicating her work, but her integrity is amazing

[@lizanicole8410]

I was JUST ABOUT TO PURCHASE THEM UNTIL THIS….now I know why every reviewer states they are AMAZING They are getting paid either by free supplies, commissions or straight out getting paid to leave good reviews. The pencils sounded too good to be true! Off to buy one of the big boys now It’s worth the extra money to get a guaranteed top of the line pencil.

[@cbsg5861]

Man, what a terrible experience you've had with the Arteza representatives. Makes me draw away from the company even more.

[@pesto12601]

Funny.. I didn't buy ANY art supplies in 2020... not a single thing.. and you know what - I found I actually USED more of what I already had... stop buying... start using.... save the planet!

[@crystalfranklin2583]

Same!

[@bethmc95]

This is the fourth video that has popped up about the Arteza pencils the last few days. I recently purchased the 72 pencil set. I don't have any problems with them but I'm not a professional artist by any means. I just draw for fun. After all the problems I have seen that other people have had, I don't think I'll be purchasing them again. That's really shady.

[@luciamaclellan]

Just checked Amazon Canada - 120 pencils for $120!! More expensive than prisma premier 150 for $120!!

[@mporangutarian8325]

My one and only Arteza purchase I made was this year. I ordered the 33 pencil set that included 4 charcoal pencils, graphite pencils and 2 woodless sketch pencils. I wanted to try them out to see how good their product was. The charcoal pencils were terrible, I could barely get a line on the paper even with a good bit of pressure used. I thought an email to the company about the charcoal pencils was a good idea, I was wrong. Although the customer service representative was polite I was dismissed very quickly with no offer to replace the charcoal pencils. I asked to have the complaint escalated up to a quality manager and again I was dismissed and the customer service rep was less polite. At that point I said going forward I would not recommend any of their products based on their poor quality and their customer service (or lack thereof). Although I may only affect a small number of artists' opinion if I couple my experience with that of quite a number of other complaints and poor product quality I would hope Arteza might review their customer service and their product quality. I agree with others on here with respect to Black Widow, their customer service and products are much better and I would recommend Black Widow over Arteza pencils every time.

[@pennypop408]

Plenty of other brands I will not be dealing with them. You are not the first one to say this about them I think the person you were talking about ended up cancelling her affiliate links with them. As a fellow art spirit, I Love her channel and enjoy her coloring book reviews.

[@kristina4272]

You are the most ethical person on youtube!!

[@TheArtGearGuide]

Hi Kristina thank you so very much for your incredibly kind and generous comment I really appreciate it. But in fully honesty I haven’t always been this way, as a soldier I was quite selfish in that I was only concerned about me, the people I was supposed to be protecting and my fellow soldiers. I would have done anything to get the job done under those circumstances, but my injury and seeing so much pain and suffering has certainly changed me... perhaps for the better. I definitely wouldn’t say I was the most ethical person on KZbin there are many others just like me, Lindsay the Frugal Crafter is just one example and Marty from Owings art is just the same. If you look on my KZbin page there is a list of recommended KZbinrs who I follow and I follow them because of the people they are. Thank you so much for your very kind comment you have made my day

[@kristina4272]

@@TheArtGearGuide You did your duty as a soldier. You can stand proud with your record of service to your country.