Comparing 15+ Colored Pencil Brands! What's best for you?

I want to remind you of the sale on classes I have going in my online school for the month of April. You can take 50% off any class with the coupon code: NOFOOLING now through 4/30/2020. To receive the discount click “add coupon” on the checkout page and paste in the coupon code. Easy Peasy! lindsayweirich.teachable.com/
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More details on my blog: thefrugalcrafter.wordpress.co...
Here are the brands we will look at. *=open stock available
Soft (waxy) pencils:
*Prismacolor Premiere: shrsl.com/292v4
*Prismacolor Art Stix: shrsl.com/292va
*Derwent Color Soft: shrsl.com/292vd
Medium firmness oily feeling lead:
*Faber Castell Polychromos: shrsl.com/292vi
Art-n-Fly www.artnfly.com/collections/p... or Amazon: amzn.to/2KICqpf
Spectrum Noir Colorbend: shrsl.com/294vn
Cezanne: www.jerrysartarama.com/cezann... also on Amazon: amzn.to/3bPL8Ok
Color It: www.colorit.com/collections/p...
*Lyra Polycolor: shrsl.com/29705
Medium-Soft/Dry feeling pencils:
*Derwent Drawing: shrsl.com/296wt
Medium Hard feeling Pencils:
Arteza 120 set: shrsl.com/292uf
or on Amazon: amzn.to/3cWlgR1
Hard Dry Feeling pencils:
Van Gogh: www.royaltalens.com/en/catalo...
*Blick Studio: shrsl.com/292wx
*Soho Urban Artist Colored Pencils: (sets) www.jerrysartarama.com/soho-a... (open stock) www.jerrysartarama.com/soho-p... Also on Amazon in sets: amzn.to/3bLZG1H
*Derwent Studio Colored Pencils shrsl.com/292wz
*Tombow Irojiten Colored Pencils: shrsl.com/292ww
*Koh i noor Progresso Woodless pencils: shrsl.com/292x8
*Prismacolor Verithin: shrsl.com/292xg
Chameleon Pencils: amzn.to/3aN5xT7
Specialty pencils:
*Prismacolor Col-Erase: shrsl.com/292v6
Zebra refillable mechanical pencils: shrsl.com/292xj
I recommend seeking out several opinions before investing in expensive pencils. A couple of colored pencil reviewers I really like are The Art Gear Guide: / @theartgearguide and Coloring Bliss: / @coloringbliss Owings Art also has qite a few colored pencils reviews on his channel: kzbin.info... I respect the views and opinions of these channels and I am sure you will glean some useful info from them.
For colored pencil tutorials, I recommend Lachri Fine Art: / lachri She has mad skillz:)
#thefrugalcrafter #watercolor #art
Want more inspiration? Here are some classes!
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Credits:
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Music: Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
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[@lOwlEyesl]

I am dating myself here but remember back when Prismacolors used to be the end-all be-all of colored pencils? Back in the 80's and 90's my dad taught me how he touched up his wedding and portrait photography with prismas but then they changed. It was then that we found "retouching inks' for photographs.. from there I got into watercolor and wc pencils. Thanks for making/posting this video! Very helpful.

[@sheilasinghal2922]

I saw somewhere (maybe on The Art Gear Guide), that the 1980s and 1990s Berol Prismacolor pencils seem to be more or less the same quality as today's Prismacolor Premiers. I knew there was a reason to hang onto that red school-days box of 60!

[@jalentristen1258]

You all prolly dont care at all but does any of you know of a method to get back into an instagram account..? I was stupid lost my password. I would love any tricks you can give me!

[@vickie6228]

Lots of detail and effort here; thanks! I do like the Prismacolor, as it's what I started out with. For the wax bloom I often see the next day, I just take a soft clean rag (a cut up old sock is great) and I rub it over lightly in a circular motion. Then I spray it with a workable fixative and continue with the project after it dries. Wax bloom is no longer an issue.

[@mkboyd6880]

This is great information. Hope you'll consider offering a workshop using watercolor with colored pencil. Your still life paintings using these two mediums look so realistic. Love them!!

[@YourMajesty143]

36:03 *Spectrum Noir* aren't the only themed-collection builders. *Black Widow* does the same thing across 3 main sets of 24 _(Spider, Cobra, Scorpion),_ their _Skin Tone_ Sets of 24 _(Light, Dark),_ and their _Monarch_ set of 48 -- no repeating colors. *Castle Arts* also has themed sets of 24, but unlike the previous two brands, there is alot of overlap between their pencils. However, the ingenuity of *Castle Art* is that they're specific to various art styles. So if you're more of a Portrait artist, then you'd get their _Portraits_ set. If you're more of a Landscape artist, then you'd get their _Landscape_ set. The same goes for their _Seascapes, Botanical,_ and _Urban_ sets. And if you're inspired by color themes done by historic artists, they even include _Botticelli, Kandinsky, Van Gogh,_ and _Monet_ sets. The beauty of collections like these is that you don't have to break the bank if you're just trying to get a specific range of colors, since buying _Open Stock_ can get very expensive and since buying a set of 120 just to get certain colors can feel a bit superfluous. I also like that if I bought an expensive set of 72 (ex. Faber-Castell, Caran D'ache, Holbein, etc) and I wanted to expand my colors, I can just buy any one of these brands' set of 24 to round out my current collection or fill in any gaps I might have. *Tombow Irojiten* has their _Dictionary_ collection in themes of _Rainforest, Seascape,_ and _Woodlands._ Sadly, they're very pastel in color and lack pigmentation. But the Japanese do prefer muted hues, so maybe that's why. Interestingly enough, *Prismacolors* also offers themed options via their _Portraits, Manga, Botanical Garden, Under the Sea,_ and _Landscape_ sets. But fair warning, there's alot of overlap. They're a great option to get colors from the 150 set, if you already own their smaller sets. Edit: I found out *Prismacolor* also offers 2 more sets than the ones I mentioned, so I added them in. Unfortunately when you edit your comment, you lose the "like" you had gotten from the channel. That's ok, I'd rather have an accurate comment for others to benefit from lol. Thanks anyway, Lindsay!

[@JennaGetsCreative]

Great information! If I can offer a shopping tip for Canadian artists: Although a lot of the big name American chains often have great deals, if you're making a big enough (physically big enough) purchase for the border people to take notice, you're going to pay duties on your shipment. This has always made me hesitant to buy internaitonally, even if that means I onlyhave 1 or 2 options to buy from, but I've been ordering from the UK in recent years and consistently don't incur duties on those packages. My favourite UK art seller is Jackson's.

[@deborahdavidson6627]

Thank you for that. The brokerage fees can be high coming from U.S. to Canada.

[@shannonwolff2599]

Thanks for the tip, I am also in Canada and have been nailed a couple of times for duty when I wasn't expecting it and it sucks!! I'll try jackson's for sure!!

[@cecilymorris6525]

This was so helpful! The amount of options you went through is crazy awesome and you hit so many comparison points. This was definitely one of my top videos to help me pick some colored pencils - so thank you!

[@Linda-qq5mg]

I absolutely, loved your colored pencil review! I have Prismacolor pencils and enjoy using them. That tiger you drew and colored is so realistic! Wow! Thanks for another really helpful review.

[@LindaSmith-vq1br]

I am going to have to watch this again and again in order to get all of the information. Wow! Great information!

[@c8Lorraine1]

I appreciate the time you spent with the research and preparation prior to filming this video. It was a pleasure listening to this review right through to the end. You’ve spoiled us. It will be hard to watch other KZbin video reviews where they ramble on about their dog or cat, and why they haven’t posted a video in a while ( who cares really ? ) we tune in for the subject matter , not a review of their day to day life. Just my thoughts. Thumbs up if you agree

[@tinybatfists]

I think this is my 3rd time watching this video all the way through. You give such thorough information and such detail on each of the pencil sets and it’s helped me SO MUCH when I’ve been looking into buy another set. Thank you so much 🤗

[@thefrugalcrafter]

Im glad it was helpful!

[@azzuparis]

Hi Lindsay, thank you so much for this great and very useful review! You made me want to give colored pencils a fair try. I personal own the 72 Arteza set, the first series, some Derwent Drawing (love them) and Polichromos. During this lockdown I want to try art supplies I rarely use, like colored pencils, oil pastels, and so forth so I’ll make sure to watch your tutorials. Thanks again for this video and be safe 💕💕💕

[@thefrugalcrafter]

Glad it was helpful!

[@s.e.hebert7307]

Thanks for the tip about storing pencils (or markers or W/E I guess) in toilet paper rolls and a shoebox -- that'll work for me ATM! Looks like Art-N-Fly has been some of your favorites in different media, as you seem to use them as standard to compare others to. Good to see a less expensive brand rise to the top.

[@artsci2716]

Lindsey, you are a great person for sharing your knowledge with us! You are very talented and respected! I got into art not too long ago. I had to retire early because of Covid as I had an earlier lung cancer diagnosis which I am now free of cancer but since I did retire, I got into art and you inspire me! Thank you for your videos and keep teaching for you are great at it!

[@1Letter23Numbers.]

Watching this after the livestream and you're helping make my tasks today more bearable. I'm working and getting some arty education. Thanks for the video!

[@mariakilson5851]

The good thing about Faber Casrell is that their products have the same colors and names in between medias. You can do multimedia with no problem.

[@cosmicwolffe9757]

thank you for taking the time to go through most pencil sets and open stock - so informative and learnt alot brilliant

[@fionavanbuuren3966]

I hope you will do a flip through of the black book when you fill it. The artwork looks amazing.

[@arteriasartsinteriordecor4872]

I have been using Prismacolor for over 45 years, your review was excellent, as always. I also use Mars Stadelar watercolor pencils. Both work well for me. Love those art artsticks as well. Thanks again!

[@AquaLady153]

A lot of people as well as myself noticed the quality drop of Prisma pencils. Have you compared the original never to the newer pencils?

[@mlyon1476]

I appreciate the reviews of all of these pencils! I have Polychromos and Prismacolor (among other random brands) and I love the Prismacolor more. It's like coloring with butter. I'd love a watercolor pencil review like this. I have some cheaper brands and am looking to go for something of higher quality.

[@mjpete27]

I have used the Koh-i-noor watercolor pencils for years. I kinda thought they were the only ones who made them as my local art store did not carry any others! I have since bought the Faber Castle Albrect Durer Watercolor pencils and they are well worth the money! I did do some e-bay stalking and got them for quite a bit less that regular retail! The 120 set for only $121.00! Yep just over a dollar each! Most times they cost over $2.00 open stock!

[@serenity2288]

Koh-i-Noor also has a better option than the woodless - their Polycolor pencils are very, very similar to Polychromos, and much more affordable (at least here in Europe)

[@thefrugalcrafter]

Thanks for the info!

[@rtd1791]

Polycolor are very difficult to find in the US though. The trick to the woodless pencils is really light layers and then use an alcohol blender. Works so much better than a blending pencil or gamsol . Color smooths out to look similar to watercolors.

[@rtd1791]

I went looking last night and found a limited supply of Polycolor pencils on Amazon and plenty at Dickblick. Neither site used to have them a couple years back. Not so anymore. Off Lindsay’s recommendation I watched some Art Gear channel’s reviews last night and I just bought some Polycolor to try.

[@thefrugalcrafter]

@@rtd1791 I saw a 24 color set at a local store and bought them to try:) review to follow:)

[@shannonwolff2599]

I have the koh-i-noor set and I love them. Had them for about 3 years and they are wax based but not as soft as prismas and no breakage issue. They were also a lot less money than other comparable brands. I ordered mine through ebay from a settler in Poloand and I have ordered 3 other kon-i-noor products and was happy with all of them and with the seller who was great.

[@PamelasPassionforPencils]

I am going to have to check out the Art N Fly pencils now. I've not ever heard of those and I thought I heard of all of them! Thank you for the recommendation.

[@aliiljah8224]

I had to laugh when you were loving the sound of the pencils. I love the sound of broken Crayola Crayons in a tin coffee can. When I was little, my mom would put the broken crayons in the tin can and when you are coloring you would dig around for the color you want. The sound just brings back good memories. Thank you. Ps: What is that coloring book you showed with the Lilac at 1:05? I really enjoyed this video.

[@thefrugalcrafter]

The art of nature, it's a gorgeous book!

[@SuePlaysDead]

I really enjoyed this video, thanks for going through your collection giving us some insight into what they're like :3

[@babysaffron8839]

hi....thank you for the very informative video. I have both prisma and derwent and my daughter love them so much. it paved way to her love of doing art. We both have moved on to acrylic paint and water colored pencil. But we started using color pencils.... Thank you so much for the inspiring videos.... btw...i'm from Philippines.....Stay safe.

[@c8Lorraine1]

I like the heads up about Derwent drawing pencils. I prefer earth tones for my wildlife portraits

[@gailrodgers3079]

While watching and listening to this video, I was able to finish swatching out my box of 160 Zenacolor colored pencils. I love all the colors! I also have their set of 24 watercolor pencils but the numbers and colors don't match. I was able a while back to get a Cezanne set of 24 colored pencils as well as watercolor pencils and the numbers matched up in case you want to use both types of pencils in the same picture. I Also was later given a set of 120 Cezanne colored pencils that matched up with ones that I already had. I am not enough of an artist yet to be able to evaluate my colored pencils like you do, but as I watch you and some of the other YT artist's tutorials, I am learning! I do think of everything I have tried, I love watercolor pencils the best as I feel like I have more control. Hoping you have a comparison of watercolor pencils I can find and watch. Thank you for your time doing this.

[@petraklokocnikova7116]

Koh I Noor is czech brand, the woodles colored pencils are meant to be for kids, I've use to have them about 30 years ago, the artist colored pencils from Koh I Noor are the Koh I Noor Polycolor (different from the Lyra Rembrand Polycolor)

[@thefrugalcrafter]

Thanks for the info:)

[@maryellenthompson8261]

I have the full set of the Koh-I Noor poly colors and like them pretty well. I gave a set to my nine-year-old grandson and he loves them.

[@sheilasinghal2922]

I missed the live feed, but what fantastic information! I kept pausing the video to go look up new sets of coloured pencils that I might "need." Unfortunately we can't get some of the sets easily here in Canada (Art-n-Fly and Cezanne in particular), or they're grotesquely expensive by comparison, but maybe when the borders are open again! Thanks very much, and I concur with your shout-out to The Art Gear Guide and Coloring Bliss, which are also great resources. Coloured pencils aren't even my main medium, so I'm pretty sure I'm basically just a junkie for all the pretty colours. (72 colours, ha! I need all 120 or 150. In everything.) 😁🎨

[@joanodean8313]

Thanks for this. I have many of the sets you reviewed. I recently became aware of Black Widow pencils-love their colors.

[@JanetMacCallum]

Black widow is amazing and I love the names for each color

[@Amywazwaz06]

I really love my art-n-fly colored pencil set. They are so smooth and bright.

[@thefrugalcrafter]

I think they are the steal of the bunch!

[@patriciaschoenberg1261]

Your colored pencil drawings are amazing!

[@justacatwhocantype]

Watching this video for the fifth or sixth or tenth time now. I don't know why exactly, but I think this pencil parade is the perfect background noise for when I am working on something. So many lovely pencils!

[@thefrugalcrafter]

Nice!

[@serenity2288]

I caved and ordered a 72 set of Coloursoft (I figured I'd saved enough money by not going out for two months) because I wanted to try softer pencils, and Prismacolor isn't available over here. Thank you for enabling my hoarding ways :D

[@askialuna7717]

The paper in the Venezia sketchbook is the Accademia drawing paper. This is also one of my favourite papers, among other things because I can always buy it on offer and it is one of the cheapest branded drawing papers. For watercolour, the 200g version is also quite suitable. there are 120,160, 200 and 270 in a special block with 75 sheets.

[@thefrugalcrafter]

Good to know:)

[@loiswessel5823]

Really, really great, never had such good information. Thanks. 👍

[@Freedommjw]

I love my Prismas too. I have all kinds of other brands but those are my base pencils. I have had some (little bit) of breakage issues but not enough to stop using them. LOVE Derwent drawing for animals and nature. Saving up for the full set of Derwent Light-fast. 🤞😊

[@thefrugalcrafter]

I want those too! I think I will try a few singles first tho as they are pricey. I'm going to go for Ted's, pink's and purples as those are the most fugitive ones in other brands.

[@Freedommjw]

@@thefrugalcrafter I actually have a 24 set and they are really good! That's why I'm going for the full set.

[@patriciathomas3855]

I have the Blick pencils and the Prismacolor and I love the Blick studio. They are sold open stock and have tons of colors.

[@pattytolliver2651]

I had started open stock with Color Soft pencils. Then I got a 12 set with only one duplicate. I am slowly adding more as I need a specific color. I do this with several sets.

[@shannonwolff2599]

Just an FYI, you may have heard this by now, but the Blick studio pencils are made by Koh-i-noor and are very similar to their polycolor pencils they put out. I really like the polycolor and the Mondeluz watercolor pencils by them are excellent.

[@jendubay3782]

Are they soft?

[@uwphotod4739]

I really enjoyed your style and format in regards to this tutorial. I did notice you did not mention Prismacolor Verithins in your hard pencil discussion or your opening Prismacolor discussion.

[@thefrugalcrafter]

I'm sorry, I meant to and forgot I only have a few that came in a aet and I personally didnt care for them and had breakage issues.

[@georgesgentry5835]

Great comparison Lindsay. Thanks 😊

[@brendacollinsdeeks7268]

Lindsay, Do you recommend storing your pencils in the original tins or standing up in jars or other containers? I find it harder to pick the colours out when they are in the tins than if I can root around seeing the colours all together.

[@lindacastro2688]

Information I wanted! Thanks, Lindsay!

[@c8Lorraine1]

Black widow pencils also come in sets of 24. Open stock on all set individual wax based colours.

[@mele9627]

Great information. STUNNING art work!

[@kathycoleman4648]

With regard to Spectrum Noir coming out with themed sets, Black Widow's whole collection works that way, and if you like dual tipped brush pens, Tombow does that, too. I agree that it would be nice if more art supply companies would do that. It would encourage people to invest into their brands.

[@thefrugalcrafter]

Thanks for the info, I didnt realize that.

[@myyoga8spa]

I really enjoyed your video But I think I have to watch it again to take notes 📝 Very informative I love that And it felt like I’m your friend and your giving me a great advice And for that I’ve 👍🏻🥰 and subscribed looking for more 😘

[@thefrugalcrafter]

Thanks!

[@LeeDee5]

I really dont need any more pencil sets yet here I am! 😆

[@moldypotatochip]

Fun fact, "irojiten" is Japanese for "color dictionary" (iro = color, jiten = dictionary), could be why they put them in little books.

[@thefrugalcrafter]

I didnt know that!

[@DreamQuillRose]

@@thefrugalcrafter Yes, you pronounce them "ee-row jee-ten"

[@serenity2288]

For the coloring book enthusiasts out there, I also highly recommend Derwent Procolour - they're not as soft as the Coloursoft or Prismacolors so they won't smudge/build up/otherwise make a mess in a book, but they're softer and smoother than Derwent Artists or Studio, highly pigmented, and just a joy to work with.

[@thefrugalcrafter]

I had wondered about them. So many pencils, so little time:)

[@serenity2288]

@@thefrugalcrafter They're definitely on the firmer side but I absolutely love their color selection and how vivid they are. They blend much better than the Artists but can also take a few layers Haha, tell me about it! I definitely already own a lifetime supply of pencils, and I still want new ones! If I was a dragon, that would be my hoard...

[@thefrugalcrafter]

@@serenity2288 haha, yup! Thanks for the info!

[@spiritsjoy]

I think the Koh i noor woodless are lightfast, the only ones that arent are the pinks that are 1 star and the purples that is 2 stars. The rest are pretty good. However, i did notice that my older set has the lightfast ratings printed on the pencil, but my newer set doesnt list them.

[@lanaroux3393]

Excellent video, so much great information. Thank you for sharing your knowledge, it is much appreciated !!

[@juliaomcs]

Good information. I also find the metallic gold on Prismacolor difficult to read.

[@michellemakeitup1419]

The stick ones would be perfect for rubbings Lima fashion plates. What would you suggest for drawing and sketching before watercolor?

[@NotAGameAddict]

spectrum noir colorbled do have an open stock, i don't know for uk, but in the netherlands they have open stock

[@thefrugalcrafter]

Good to know! I haven't seen open stock here yet

[@janetsjewellery]

I really enjoyed this review. I had no idea there were so many brands out there and how many I have that I must get using. Koh-i-Nor tri tones pencils. Chameleon colour tones pencils Arteza woodless watercolour pencils Derwent inktense pencils Hunkydory watercolour pencils Adorn-it watercolour pencils. These have art alternatives stamped on the pencils but sold through US company Adorn-it. I bought these as well as the Chameleon and Hunkydory pencils from Create and Craft. All the others came from Amazon. Watched the replay as I am in the UK.

[@thefrugalcrafter]

thanks for watching!

[@janetsjewellery]

@@thefrugalcrafter I forgot about the Spectrum Noir metallic pencils I have. They are really good too.

[@Shelleyweaver84]

I really enjoyed watching this. Thank you very helpful x only thing missing for me is a swatch as I am looking for a pack with a lot of pinks, purples, greens and blues. So hard to see in some of the packs.

[@thefrugalcrafter]

Try the floral set from crafters companion color blend pencils. Black widow may also have a pack like that too.

[@Shelleyweaver84]

@@thefrugalcrafter thank you x

[@Ancienttowers]

Lindsay, or to anyone that might know this for a fact, I have a question and it's based on information inside one of my many - "How To", Color pencil hardback books. The information is very interesting and sounds like a possible solution to the problem of erasing, or picking-up, freshly laid down colored pencil media. Yes, I realize that some of the pencil brands (today) are said to be erasable, yet personally...It's something that I haven't tried or attempted to do. What this book, the author, mentions in their 'supplies needed or optional' section, which I've only heard of this once in my 43 years so far...is the utilization and stocking of, the (typically) blue colored, thickish strips of heavy duty tacky material. The sticky strips (like putty or kneadable erasers for graphite & soft charcoal; I apologize for sounding aloof but the name has vanished into the ether of my old age 😢. I'm sure most folks will know about this super tacky and super strong putty type material...I hope so anyway. But the author states: you can use this putty stuff for erasing or lifting up your freshly laid down color pencil marks and mistakes. So, is this true? Has anyone ever experienced the satisfaction in this promise, or does it simply sound like a pipedream? Any answers or insight would be MOST APPRECIATED. - I will look for the tacky substances name in the meantime and I will edit the post once found. Thanks - James EDIT - I found it on Amazon, (this is one of many brands, but the #1 brand choice on Amazon) - it's called, 'LocTite Mounting Putty'. www.amazon.com/dp/B001F57ZPW/ref=sspa_dk_detail_1?psc=1&pd_rd_i=B001F57ZPW&pd_rd_w=zLCrn&pf_rd_p=887084a2-5c34-4113-a4f8-b7947847c308&pd_rd_wg=mPGQU&pf_rd_r=BRQERFNWBMS67A34QYHZ&pd_rd_r=c2cefa75-b107-48ab-a63d-74ccb3c69a3d&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUExNkVIRkFGVzcxSDlUJmVuY3J5cHRlZElkPUEwNTk0OTE2MkIzWEEyTERUNlpBOSZlbmNyeXB0ZWRBZElkPUEwNTc0NjE2MUo2RFlMOU9XT0VSUyZ3aWRnZXROYW1lPXNwX2RldGFpbCZhY3Rpb249Y2xpY2tSZWRpcmVjdCZkb05vdExvZ0NsaWNrPXRydWU=

[@thefrugalcrafter]

Yes poster putty will work for lifting pencil. You press and lift. It wont take it clean off but it does well.

[@korrinabastion87]

I started with prismacolor which I loved apart from the breakage. Then I got a small set of caran d ache and loved them, So I got a big set. Then derwent light past and Ink tence small sets. loved them too. So I got the big sets. Now i've just purchased the derwent drawing set of 12 and they are amazing to. Really for me its all about the lightfastness ratings. I sell my work so i cant afford to risk the artwork fading. My only concern with all these pencils is the derwent inktense which are ink in a pencil and not wax or oil. Once they have had water added, I dont know how well they will stack up. not all the colours are light fast either. I steered away from prisma due to not all being lightfast. Your reviews are great and your easy to listen to. Ive only just found you on line so im going to watch more of your reviews to see if you have covered these pencils ive mentioned and if not, I hope the companies send them to you for your tutorials. Great work Lindsay.

[@thefrugalcrafter]

The solution is to look up the pencils lightfast charts and purchase the ones that meet your needs open stock.

[@korrinabastion87]

@@thefrugalcrafter thank you. ill do that.

[@ChrissieNicely]

Koh-I-Noor pencils are made in the Chech Republic. So it's not surprising those pencils seem similar! 😉

[@k-creationskristinhuxford4531]

I’ve been working with Ohuhu brand pencils. Do you have any experience with that brand? And how do they compare in softness or hardness to the pencils you talked about in this video?

[@thefrugalcrafter]

I think they are similar (or the same as just private labeled) as the Marco Raffine which I believe are similar to the Cezanne pencils. I recommend the layering technique with them.

[@MsU2bviewer]

Thank you for a great, thorough review! Do you have experience with clay based color pencils? If so, which brands?

[@thefrugalcrafter]

Clay based? Like a pastel pencil? Not really.

[@naenae5287]

I bought a wooden box set of at least 60 pencils at a thrift store thinking that they were pastel pencils but after looking at them closer at home, some of them say water-soluble, the rest have no names at all on them. There is also what looks like a watercolor pallet extra in the back of the box. Is there any way to tell if these are watercolor pencils, pastel pencils or just colored pencils? I wanted to learn pastel but I am not sure what I have since they are not marked.

[@devonrex4]

Now that you have the Brutfuner oily pencils, how would you say they compare to the Art n Fly in terms of blendability? Maybe another colored pencil review would be an interesting idea since you have gotten quite a few new types of budget and non-budget pencils over the past year?

[@thefrugalcrafter]

Art n Fly are more translucent and they fall inbetween the brutfuner colored barrel rounds and the softer squares.

[@devonrex4]

@@thefrugalcrafter Thank you so much!

[@teresalentlie553]

Lindsay: Do you know if you can purchase Arteza pencils (or their watercolor pencils) individually/open stock....like when you need to replace just one color?

[@thefrugalcrafter]

They dont, I an not sure if they are going to, they have open stock on markers but none of the pencils.

[@wanderingstar5673]

Wasn’t able to participate in live chat , but really enjoyed the video. 👍🏽

[@darksquall]

Last year one of the art boxes I subscribe to sent out a 12pc set of Spectrum Noir colour pencils. The following box, we got a set of three spectrum noir markers on top of the stuff we were expecting in the box because so many of us had issues with them breaking that they wanted to make it up to us. I suspect that they also got more than a few complaints about the quality of the pencils too. A couple of the people that I watched open the boxes were not impressed.

[@PaintinHiding]

Hi Lindsay 😄 thank you sooo much for this video. i've been a big fan of your watercolour content/art for years. i'm only now starting to get into coloured pencils and find myself here! 😅 apart from that, you briefly showed the Fabriano Venezia sketchbook at 9:40 in this video. there doesn't seem to be many proper trustworthy reviews on that product on youtube. would it be possible for you to speak a little about it? whether you recommend it or not and what sort of mediums it's suited for. i value your opinion a lot and i'm sure others do too. thank you so much for taking the time to read this :) i'm off to binge watch your other vids now! 😆

[@thefrugalcrafter]

I love it for watercolor and mixed media. I've even used markers on it. I filled the complete book and it never let me down.

[@PaintinHiding]

@@thefrugalcrafter brilliant! i'm going to have to get one for myself. thank you so much Lindsay~ 🥰

[@Piggyboots2]

I love my Bick pencils. They're my favorite and the prismacolors are my least favorite. I'm guessing I like the harder lead. This was such an informative video.

[@thefrugalcrafter]

Thanks!

[@simonettahelena986]

Hi Lindsay, thank you for doing this, and other, informative videos about art supply comparative qualities. However: I’ve watched this particular video at least twice, but seem to always miss your Lyra Rembrandt assessment?? I did watch Harry’s video on the Lyra pencils, but was also curious about your opinion as well. These days, there are many, many such videos on KZbin, but not everyone making them uses these pencils the way that I would, therefore I find myself tuning into your channel and Harry’s on the subject of colored pencils more and more.You two should form a “point/counterpoint” alliance type videos for all of these brands, where one of you plays good cop to the others bad cop in investigating these supplies! But for now, I’d just be happy to know your opinion on the Lyra Rembrandts?? Needless to say, I’m hunting around for the best set for myself. Thanks, and keep up the good work!

[@thefrugalcrafter]

I think they are fine. I gave them to my sister as she needed an oil based set. I preferred the polychromos so I passed these on. I only used them a couple of times and its been a while. Sorry 8 can't help more.

[@simonettahelena986]

@@thefrugalcrafter Thank you for your response. Your reply was perfect.

[@kimberlywalker1015]

I appreciate all the information...thank you.🙂

[@MsKambul53]

Lindsay, I was wondering if you ever work on a piece with a pallet of colored pencils but you pull various ones from different sets. I know the white Prismacolor pencil is one that more people like, and maybe the Inktense black is one you choose but maybe a yellow from a totally different set?...Thanks for reading.

[@thefrugalcrafter]

I used to back when my stash was smaller and all in one box.

[@shannonwolff2599]

I found the colore brand are the same pencils as the castle arts colored pencils and were cheaper when I bought them. I had purchased the 72 set of colore and then when my castle arts 120 set came in I found they were exactly the same pencils but the colore' were cheaper. Luckily I was able to just give the colore set to my mother who likes adult coloring books, but there is a lot of private labeling going on so you need to watch out for it. They are pretty good pencils and I am enjoying using them with all my other sets but wish I had known so could have saved the money!!!

[@Msboochie2]

Shannon Wolff Castle art also has some smaller sets for about $15. They have a landscape, urban, and botanical sets. As well as Van Gogh, Botticelli, Monet and Kandinsky inspired colors with guides on recreating their famous works. I thought of those sets when Lindsay was referring to the Spectrum Noir small sets, which I don’t really like. I have been curious about the Castle Art pencils. I may try one of those smaller sets.

[@thefrugalcrafter]

Yes there is!

[@dreamrabbits5072]

Oh great I've been looking for a review on the art n fly from you! I relate so much, my polychromos and pablos are just too precious for practice pieces, so I wanted an oil based budget pencil for just that reason. I have 2 tins of prismacolor 72 sets that I got for $50, the reason is because the first tin came dented and I complained to Amazon and scored a second tin, so I kept one of the tins for practice and playing. Well I found the prismacolors to be way too waxy and smudgy for the type of work I'm doing, it feels like crayon sometimes, I think prismacolors are perfect for portraits but I am not doing that and I don't like how it can't keep a fine point. I am still going to use my free tin of prismacolors though when it's needed, but I was looking for budget oil based pencils so I'll see if the art-n-fly works for me. I wanted the brutfuner oily pencils but I couldn't find them for a good price in Canada. I see most of the budget pencils on amazon are trying to emulate prismacolors so I'm trying to stay away from that. I love my pablos and polychromos so much! They are so precious for sure, and I am doing work to sell in the future so will need those to be unused for that.

[@astrinymris9953]

I'm a little disappointed that you didn't cover Caran d'Ache Pablos colored pencils, but if I'd read the notes first I'd have known, so I have only myself to blame. I was happy that you covered Zebra Zensations, because I love the Zebra Sarasa Pushclip pens. I have a theory about how we judge colored pencils as either "hard" or "soft". If you blend by pressure, you judge a pencil as "soft" if it yields rich color without much pressure. If you prefer to use scumbling with a very sharp point, you judge a pencil as "hard" if it holds a point well enough that you can go longer between sharpenings. I've heard a KZbinr describe Caran d'Ache Pablos as "soft", though the manufacturer says their goal is to have them as hard as a 6B graphite pencil. From her perspective, the dense pigmentation made it easy to get color with light pressure, therefore Pablos are soft pencils. So I guess I'll give my Irojitens another try. :-D

[@thefrugalcrafter]

That might be why. Sadly I dont have any caran d'ache wax or oil pencils. I love their water soluble products tho!

[@dweamy1]

Oh I do like the look of the Derwent drawing pencils.

[@leesanchez8432]

Derwent drawing pencils are lightfast and have a nice thick lead. They are soft and a dream to work. Fast lay down in large areas.

[@carolmikolj5134]

So interested to hear your comments on Derwent Studio-I bought a set and found the same as you. Very dry and scratchy, hard to lay colour down. I have the big set of Prismacolor and they are my go to pencil for artwork but I do use cheaper pencils for quick colouring. I'll be interested to hear your comments on cheaper pencils.

[@thefrugalcrafter]

I did a comparison on cheap school quality pencils a month ago with prismacolor as a control pencil.

[@rainangel159]

I bought the academy color pencil and their watercolor. I feel really disappointed with these. I felt the pencil's are bad and seem like elementary school pencils are better. The watercolors are passable very diluted,but not lightfast. So will use them for closed sketchbooks.😊

[@jacquiebeads9649]

Thank you Lindsay, this was great. I use polychromos and love them. I am just wondering if you have any experience with the Verithin ? I was wondering how they might be for detail work. Cheers 😊

[@thefrugalcrafter]

I have a few and the leads snap terribly for me so im not a fan. I might have for a bad batch but they came with other soft core prismacolors a d they were fine. I think since the leads are so skinny and hard it makes them brittle. The Derwent procolour work better for me for details.

[@waymire01]

Many moons ago I used prisma and verithins exclusively. The verithins are good for detail, especially fine delicate work. Not something you crank down the pressure on. I only had a limited selection of color (24?) because I only ever used them for things like fur, lashes, whiskers, stamens, details in eyes, etc.

[@lainiebennett7746]

@Lindsay, are any of those pencils drop proof? i have problems with some of mine if I've dropped them when I try to sharpen them the top breaks and often uses up a lot of pencil before i can use it before it breaks off.

[@thefrugalcrafter]

😆 that would be a magic pencil for sure! Harder pencils will fare better with drops but it's not good for any of them.

[@MindartDk]

Thanks, for a great and very informative video!

[@TheFabulousIdiot]

Lindsey, I was watching and missed my opportunity to ask you a question since I was 14 minutes behind. I noticed you did not mention Prisma Verithin color pencils. Have you worked with them, if so, how are they with layering since they are a hard pencil? Thanks, Lisa🕊

[@thefrugalcrafter]

Oh darn, I was going to mention them. I have a few but personally dpnt like them. I had breakage issues and they are really hard. That said some people prefer the thin hard lead. The only thing I ever used them for was detail.

[@TheFabulousIdiot]

Okay, thank you Lindsay. It was a great stream, very helpful. Have a wonderful day and a great weekend! Lisa🕊

[@Freedommjw]

They are terrible... don't waste your money. I got them to use for tiny details but they are not well pigmented. I love the regular Prismas but the verythins are awful.

[@TheFabulousIdiot]

I was thinking about using them for mandalas since I already have them. In those tiny areas where a Prismacolor’s tip wouldn’t fit since they’re so soft. Thanks Freedom!

[@nessiemonster0703]

Hi Lindsay, Any idea why some of my Prismacolors have a black bar around the number (the number itself is the color of the pencil barrel) whereas most have a silver? Thanks!

[@thefrugalcrafter]

To make the number easier to read. Its probably on the lighter colors

[@indigodande4345]

prismacolor 150 is on sale if you use chrome + honey attachment. and it came to 84.99

[@maryjordan7649]

Liked this presentation. Names of the color pencil sets were mentioned except for the double color set at the end. I have cheap double set from Amazon that I've used for years but haven't found others. What brand was it?

[@thefrugalcrafter]

Chameleon color tone pencils

[@barbaradasilva6977]

@@thefrugalcrafter I also have the Caran D'Ache bicolor set from Jerry's

[@MercyCuenca]

Hi! I have a few questions, if that's okay. 1) do you have an updated pencil comparison video? 2) what are your favorites for white, by the set & open stock? 3) do you seal your pencil renderings, if so, with what? TY! Mercy🧮

[@thefrugalcrafter]

I don't have an update but I like prismacolor white and I buy a dozen at a time. I don't seal my colored pencil peices usually.

[@MercyCuenca]

@@thefrugalcrafter, tysm! 🧮

[@nessiemonster0703]

I want to get Prismacolors but am concerned about breakage. There are so many bad reviews of electric pencil sharpeners on Amazon. Could you tell me what brand you use?

[@thefrugalcrafter]

I use a foray brand

[@bagobeans]

Maybe that is why Prismacolor has open stock. So you can add or replace colors you need.

[@thefrugalcrafter]

Totally. All the legacy brands have open stock. You pay for the dependability and consistency.

[@janetsjewellery]

QUESTION; Soon I will need to replace the Grapefruit/Lemon peel, Kumquat/Papaya and Ginger/Spice chameleon pencils I have as they are getting too short to use. As I have just bought a white Derwent drawing pencil I was looking at matching colours in this range. They have a Mars Orange and a Yellow Ochre. Do you know if the Yellow Ochre is a bright yellow or more brown and which colour would you recommend for the Spice/Ginger? Thanks, Janet :-)

[@thefrugalcrafter]

All of the Derwent Drawing pencils are muted. Try the colorsoft range or the lightfast if budget allows. You will be able to get a good dupe.

[@janetsjewellery]

@@thefrugalcrafter Not a problem if they are muted :-) I was just looking for something similar. I still have my eye on those Brutfuner square pencils but I thought I would start collecting the Derwent drawing pencils as I start to run of my chameleon pencils.

[@janetsjewellery]

@@thefrugalcrafter Today I placed an order for 6 coloursoft pencils. I printed out the colour chart for them as well as the lightfast and drawing pencils so I could see the colours but in the end I just held them up to the screen and went for similar colours.

[@maryellenthompson8261]

I love my Prismacolors and use them more than all my other sets. However, I’ve been having trouble with broken pencil cores when I purchase them open stock. I thought the problem may have been the pencil sharpener but my older Prismacolor pencils don’t break when I sharpen them. Has there been a slip in quality lately?

[@rainangel159]

Some people say that you can microwave them to get the cores to reunite.😄 but with the current heat you could put them in a cellophane bag and put them to the sun. Just be careful. Mine nearly melted inside the bag😂

[@thefrugalcrafter]

Oh no! it might be stock from a few years ago, they had a bad patch around 2010 but they have gotten better again. Look for centered cored when buying open stock in a store or buy from a trusted online dealer which will likely have fresher stock.

[@rtd1791]

I gave up buying Prismacolor soft cores 2 years ago for the exact reason you mentioned. I tried various tricks to heal the breaks but I just ended up chewing through pencils. Ultimately I decided I wasn’t saving money over more expensive brands if I had to keep buying pencils to finish a project. I’m not a professional artist; I have a mixed media hobby. At first I was having a tough time justifying the cost of the really expensive pencils, but I finally decided that there is something to be said for how a pencil feels in your hand. Coloring does have a significant impact on hands especially when you spend a lifetime doing it. Developing carpal tunnel problems in both hands taught me a lot about how different pencils make my hands feel. Prismacolor used to manufacture their pencils in the states. (Now I think it is both US and Mexico) I think back then the quality control was second to none. My parents used Prismacolors in their work so I still have some pencils that were made in the 70s and 80s. These are usually marked Berol. It was a much better pencil. Not only did they not have the breakage problem, they also had less bloom. I think after Newell Brands ( Dymo, Elmer’s, X-acto, Sharpie, uni-ball, Paper Mate etc as well as Rubbermaid) bought Berol/Sandford in the 1990s they changed the recipe for the core. I believe that change is what made the cores more prone to breakage and much more sensitive to environmental conditions. Some claim that the lamination process of the cedar surround has changed as well which causes splitting and makes the pencils more difficult to sharpen. Newell used to be quite pissy about complaints, but maybe that has changed. I like Lindsay grew up using Prismacolor. I love both the high chroma and that buttery smooth lay down of color. To me the closest match is Caran d’Ache’s Pablo line. They have a very, very similar creamy feel as well as a fast lay down of color. They are also highly lightfast and combine beautifully with the NeoColor crayons both I and IIs. And they are 3 times the price of Prismacolor. Ha! I just went and checked Dickblick’s prices and it’s no longer true. They used to have Prismacolor open stock pencils for around $1 or so but now they are about $2.70 while the Pablos have stayed the same at about $3.10 for the open stock pencils. Good to know. Boy have prices on Prismacolors gone up the past few years. A few years back when I began searching for an alternative to Prismacolors, I started just buying a few pencils at a time. That way I could try different brands without the expense of a set. What I discovered is that I sort of like them all. For mixed media they all have a place. I currently have Prismacolors Soft Cores and Verithins, Caran d’Ache both Luminance and Pablos, Faber-Castell’s Polychromos, Derwent’s Coloursoft, Koh-I-noor’s woodless, and Dickblick’s Studio pencils. Sometimes I want the translucency of the oil based pencils and sometimes I want the opacity of the wax ones. I also find myself needing the sharp lines of the harder pencils on occasion. So I’ve just decided to buy open stock and get whatever colors I’m into at the moment. I’m not going to save any money this way. But I will save lots of frustration not trying to make Prismacolors work.

[@Starlytte]

The prices of items coming out of China have almost doubled now. Case in point - Colored Gel Pens. 95% of gel pens are manufactured in one district of China. Pen sets that were $16.00 in January are now $28.00. Once the virus is under control, prices should stabilize again :)

[@lechat8533]

@Starlytte I doubt that the prizes will be like before in the US. The US and China are in a state of Cold War now because of the conflict about HUAWEI, surveillance, 5G, and COVID 19. There are lots of things going on politically on many levels, in the open, in the background, and in the Deep States.

[@cazkiwinz4300]

Yeah... 2+ years later.... and prices are still high 😔

[@marilynbelmont7889]

Lindsay I tried to order the Turner set you put together, but it was out of stock. Jerry s said that would notify me when they came in but either I missed it or they forgot 😔 . Anyway I ordered a Turner set , comes with arches block, 4 brushes not squirrel in a carry case 18 tubes of Turner but has a lot of myan colors . I am not disappointed in the paints because I have another set of 18 tubes in original colors, but I don't think I have the set you built do I? So sorry for bothering you with this but it's bothering me .love all your videos stay safe

[@thefrugalcrafter]

Hi there, no that's not they set I curated. Did you order the one I curated and got this instead? I gave Jerry's permission to substitute the fabriano block for arches but told them I wanted to wait for the 24 colors to come back in from turner. Please let me know if you ordered my set or a different turner bundle. Thanks! Probably mist of the colors in that set are in my set but you will be missing a few.

[@hanginoutwithshann329]

Was wondering about Amazon basics. I recently bought their drawing pencils kit and was surprised by how good they were. Have you tried those out ?.

[@thefrugalcrafter]

I haven't

[@rynjeff1073]

I have some very old Derwent artist pencils. Is colorsoft the same thing?

[@thefrugalcrafter]

The derwent artist have a harder lead.

[@Jennifer-wr9si]

Can you use india ink or micron pens over these wax/oil pencils? Or will it not adhere?

[@thefrugalcrafter]

No, it will bead up and not dry

[@starshinesoldier]

Question, have you (or anyone here) used the Jane Davenport colored pencils? How are they compared to prisma, colorsoft or the art’n’fly?

[@thefrugalcrafter]

I used a friends a while back and I'd say they seemed most similar to blick studio.

[@starshinesoldier]

@@thefrugalcrafter thank you! :)

[@heatherleisure9217]

Irojiten are one of my favorites and they work with Polychromos and Luminance really well. They're not really for everyone (and they are not for every paper) though since you really need to have a certain style and patience to layer and layer and layer. You can get ridiculous dimension layering different colors over each other. They're not half as fast as a soft pencil, if someone uses them like a Primacolor soft core, and the only thing they are used to is a soft pencil, they're not going to like the results. I cringe when I see a video of someone using dull Irojitens and burnishing with only 2 or 3 layers like they would with a soft core or even Polychromos. It looks terrible every time unless you're using a solvent right away. Very rich and much better than Verithin, so for people using Verithins for high detail work, Irojiten can do the same except better because Irojiten are extremely well made, they don't break or crumble except the big chalky neons which I have no use for anyway. The ivory black is more like a Cold Grey V, use a black from a different set. I almost didn't buy all the sets at first because when they first came out, they weren't available in open stock, but I loved the first pack so much I had to get them all. So glad they are open stock now. I don't keep them in their boxes though, that's just annoying

[@thefrugalcrafter]

I'll have to take another look at them

[@grannysharp772]

I have the full set of ColourSoft pencils but I wish I’d never bought them. I find them chalky. If you can give me any tips on these it would be most welcomed. Between the ColourSoft and Blick Studio pencils they mostly are good for collecting dust in my bookcase. Love Polychromos but found they don’t play well with Holbein Artist’s colored pencils. They blend splotchy together. Caran d’Ache Luminance is my absolute favorite. I found for singles purchasing them from Jackson’s Art Supply in the UK is most affordable. Thanks to you I just bought the Art-N-Fly. 🥰

[@thefrugalcrafter]

I recommend giving the color soft another try. Is it possible you have derwent artist and not coloursoft? They look similar but the derwent artist has the same dry hard lead as derwent studio, only thicker. Try using the hard, dry pencils as bottom layers if a painting and layer up the softer on top. You will get a beautiful rich luster and put those pencils to good use!

[@maryellenthompson8261]

I have the 72 set of Color Soft pencils and like them pretty well. My problem is that 72 just aren’t enough colors. I’m going to have to get them out again. I keep forgetting them. I had the Caran d’Ache Luminence pencils and didn’t like them at all. I found that the colors leaned more toward earth tones. I ruined some pictures because of them. I ended up giving them to my daughter in law who loves them.

[@grannysharp772]

thefrugalcrafter Lindsay Weirich No they truly ARE ColourSoft. I’ll try that though. I haven’t yet. Thanks!

[@lunakat5763]

@@maryellenthompson8261 I don't like the Luminence pencils either they are not very soft like people say and they are a bit scratchy. The colors are too earthy and muted at least that is my experience with them.

[@maryellenthompson8261]

thefrugalcrafter Lindsay Weirich Are the same as the Derwent Pro Color? They were impossible to deal with.

[@cassandrabriggs9133]

Did I miss you talking about the Col-Erase?

[@isaraalibaksh3260]

Hi, Can you please help me? I'd like to know if there is a coloured pencil with the name 'PIONEER' written on the barrel? DO you know if it is a brand ? also there is another coloured pencil with the name 'ADL 7300' written on the barrel.. Please, can you help me

[@thefrugalcrafter]

I am not familiar with that brand. It might be a private label. I'd google it and see what you can find out.

[@isaraalibaksh3260]

@@thefrugalcrafter Hi, Thank you ! I did Google it, searching high and low but I cannot find mention or even an image of it anywhere...

[@teresamorgan4529]

Have you ever used Staedtler pencils?