Pastel Pencil Review & Demo | Carbothello v Faber-Castell v Derwent v Caran d'Ache

A review, demonstration and comparison of Carbothello, Pitt, Derwent and Caran d'Ache pastel pencils.
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#review #pastelpencil #pastel

[@1DaTJo]

AT LAST!!!!! I’ve finally found an art KZbinr who doesn’t waffle on and waste my life, but gets straight to the point! 10/10 from me, and five stars too 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

[@missflooze]

I so agree and also someone I can actually understand (very good diction! Apologies fellow Americans but as an elderly Brit lady I do find a lot of young women (not young men), gabble). I haven't done art for many years and I have learnt so much and caught up with the times! Thank you. I expect I'm guilty of waffling today!!

[@elizabethmunoz6941]

Yesssss

[@jessiekwok1320]

thats what i want to say too, such a good n helpful video!

[@inavonb6120]

I'm a newcomer to pastel pencils, and before I even started stocked up on Carbothello, Faber-Castell, Derwent and Bruynzeel. In order to get a "feel" for the various properties, I've been playing around with all the different makes I purchased. They all have pros and cons; it depends on the technique you apply to make them work properly. Contrary to you, I love working with Derwent. Also don't have any problems sharpening the pencils.

[@mpgnz73]

A little heavy handed on the Derwent and focussed largely on the experience with opening the box and sharpening the pencils. As they say, first impressions count! In the end they were probably the nicest looking from the four - my opinion.

[@vickie6228]

An intelligent, trustworthy review when I needed it. So appreciated, Will! Thanks.

[@titus4166]

Caran d’Ache are by far my favorite products and have no qualms spending the extra dime on them even though I’m poor. They are that great. I’ve not used the pastels, but the colored pencils are flawless and wonderful. Haven’t had a pencil break during sharping like prismacolors do it any other brand. I did recently order the FC Polychromos Colored pencils and excited to try them out. I hear they are pretty great as well.

[@shannonwolff2599]

Heya, another pastel pencil you may want to review are the Koh-I-Noor gioconda pencils. They come in a range of 48 and are a less expensive option but are very good quality. Jason Morgan did a review on them and their soft pastels the toison d'or and was very pleased with both and now recommends them to those wanting to start with pastels on a budget. I have several of the Koh-I-Noor products including their colored pencils and watercolor pencils as well and all have been excellent at a good price point and as mine always ship from Poland, you shouldn't have trouble finding them if you want.

[@beckyquick4025]

Wow! I got the pitt and carbothello for christmas. I haven't used yet, glad I didn't ask for the derwent. I got the pitt after watching artist collin bradley doing pastels, carbothello because of your use and Jason morgan. Thank you for the review and helping me see the differences. Will you review the 36 general pastel pencils or the Koh i noor? would love to see those in action. peace

[@TrueLoveX1027]

Fantastic review of these pastel pencils. Your review changed my mind to purchase the Carbothellos over the FC Pitt Pastels Pencils and I appreciate your review so much. I also soooo appreciate you getting to the point and doing so in a positive way. You also happen to have one of the smoothest and most enjoyable voices I have yet to hear in my 5 plus years of watching tutorials and reviews on KZbin. Thanks so much for your time and for sharing your experience on these pencils. Also, your Jakar electric pencil sharpener just went to the top of my list of next purchases! Blessings! xxx

[@antonius3745]

You forgot the oldest one Conté à paris. They are like Caran D'ache. For details I like the Cretacolor more than Faber-Castell.

[@kerrygibbons7231]

Thanks so much! I have been sitting here debating between the stabilos and the faber-castells for about 30 minutes. Though you gave the faber-castells the lower score, I think I’ll go with them as I generally enjoy the brand’s other products, I prefer a more oily feel with pencils, and their product is apparently manufactured with environmentally conscious practices. Many thanks again.

[@jtpaar1732]

Thanks for the great review! I was considering the Pitt pencils, but now I think I'd like Carbothellos better. Of course any Caran d'Ache pencil would be considered 'cream of the crop', but I can't justify that right now after recently purchasing both Polychromos & Caran d'Ache colored pencils lol

[@UnmaskArt]

That is certainly understandable :)

[@jaxsansanders1194]

You have the BEST review videos out there. I love an honest opinion being voiced! So many review videos are sooo fluffy that I just want to ask how much the endorsement check was! I honestly feel that after watching this video I can make an informed purchase. Thanks for all you do!!! And btw your art is absolutely amazing!!!

[@MelanCholy2001]

Huh. So Caran d'Ache ...last I'd tried pastel anything, they were the messy sticks and I was like, a young teen. Loved 'em, but ewww! Now I need one white Carbothello for a watercolour. ONE. Now I think I'll look at the set of Caran d'Ache. Doing _all that_ in a pastel that's a pencil? Eh, maybe I'll find a deal. (Sure, in Covid '22 super-inflation no-job-security New World Order.) Like your hair. _Excellent demonstration!_ *SUBBED!*

[@nadjaswift8938]

This was my absolute favorite compare/review video to date...and I watch them frequently! Just perfectly done. It was so helpful as I have just ordered my first set of Panpastels and was trying to decide what companion pastel pencil set I was going to buy. It felt honest, was concise, well explained and covered the most important qualities. As I have not watched your videos before I feel I must now go check them all out! Thanks for this very helpful information-Happy New Year!

[@adonishtar]

You are a very well spoken gentleman. Your voice is also very soothing. I had so much stress before watching your video, but now I can take a baby nap.

[@MariaRevArt]

This was a great review. I have never felt the serious desire to purchase any of the Caran D'Ache products due to the price, but this review has me wishing I could afford this one set. 😂😂 In the meantime, I can trust in my decision to go with the Carb-Othellos.

[@pikachooholiday2444]

Thank you for this review. I own the Carbothello, the Caran D'Arche and the Faber Castell pastel pencil sets. I totally agree with you. Never tried the Derwent but I won't be tempted to buy it now. I also have the full Conte pastel pencil set but stopped using it because I found them too hard for colouring in, only good for fine details or lines. Thank you again...

[@smencosdepasol]

Hi, I just bought the 84 wooden box of carandache, hope they come OK after shipping

[@smencosdepasol]

just $346.36 (Guatemala price)

[@an_abys5ian902]

I'm sorry but, Dude. Your Dreads. They're on point.

[@sandyphillips2467]

Thank you for your time I’m going to have Caran D ‘ Ache for a Christmas present cannot wait Sandy UK

[@gnostie]

I feel so much better now that I've watched this review. Previously I doubted my sanity re Derwent pastel pencils.

[@jessiekwok1320]

finally i have got this real video about comparison, not just only open a new box of pencil and draw a color card! now i definitely know which pastel pencil i should buy. thanks a lot, Unmask Art, your explanation is so clear and valuable.

[@JustMe-uc1lt]

This is so useful. I’ve been equivocating over which pastel pencils to buy. Thanks!

[@damecupcake]

Thank you for a comprehensive review of these pastel pencils. I learned a lot and found your small project done for each brand very helpful.

[@ChapmanGriffith]

Great review and thanks for getting straight to the point.

[@franswey2]

Thank you for sharing. I’m impressed by your review of these pastel pencils. I was disappointed Derwent fell to the bottom. I’ve found the other Derwent products wonderful to use. Thank you, again. You have saved me money not buying the wrong pastel pencils. Happy New Year!🎊🎆 Fran

[@princepeterwolf]

I am SO HAPPY that I came across your channel, your honesty and assertivness is refreshing! I'm also considering buying one of your courses on colored pencils, which one would you recommend me to start with?

[@TobiasBe83]

Now this was one of a helpful video. Thanks for your time to work this out! I was unsure about bying the carbothellos, now I am quite sure that this should be my choice. thanks

[@williampurper]

Excellent comparison, I was in doubt about which brand to buy. Faber Castell seemed quite disappointing in terms of color/saturation.

[@Matagot90]

Thank you for the video. It is very to the point and has helped me make my decision which pencils to buy. Also, you're voice is very soothing.

[@SathishKumar-pw9fu]

I' totally agree with your review but your marks on Derwent is little harsh it should be marked 6 out of 10 despite its sharpening issues

[@hedonisticmind]

I like the final Derwent still life the most. It looks natural and not too shiny/rubbery which is what the second and fourth still life’s look like.

[@rose-of-theoasis]

I have the Derwent set 😅

[@tarabooartarmy3654]

I have only tried the CarbOthello pencils (I have the wooden box set, but I HATE the case because the foam inside melted and stuck to my pencils in the hot Georgia summer), but I love the pencils! I really want to try some other brands because I feel limited by the colors at times. For example, I don’t feel there are enough pinks in their range, especially my favorite coral/salmon pinks. The Pitt Pastels seem really interesting, especially because I prefer less saturated colors! I almost bought the Caran d’Ache recently and held off.

[@cg8397]

Could you please expand your review with a comparison of Kalour, Conte Paris, Cretacolor and Kohinoor Gioconda pastel pencils? Thanks in advance for your time and help.

[@morimoa12]

Absolutely fantastic comparison, thank you! Where can we get the Jakar pencil sharpener in the US?

[@kathi7956]

I love the Caran d'Ache. It's so upsetting that they are almost impossible to find and cost sooo much

[@kpopsandanimesremix3224]

I prefer carbothello

[@StarsIgnite]

What a lovely calm neutral voice to listen to. Great review too. Thanks😌

[@sherelle1987]

I should have watched this before ordering Derwent pencils 😬😬😬

[@elizabethmunoz6941]

I was so excited to discover a sharpener that sharpened pastels! I wish it wasn’t more expensive than the pencils themselves though. Great, informative, and to the point review. Thanks!

[@jeanmayo4076]

I found your review as I was looking for recommendations for my first pastel pencils. Great video, thank you! As someone else said, love how you cut to the chase!

[@marimaf6561]

I have been thinking about trying out this media, but I coudn't decide witch brand to get a 12 set first. Maybe I will get derwent, as it's a little cheaper where I live and actualy has a decently lightfast variety of colors.

[@michellet204]

Awesome review! I like how you cut right to the pros and cons with no riff raff. I just ordered CarbOthellos and am glad I did! Is it safe to sharpen them with an electric sharpener?

[@UnmaskArt]

That's how I sharpen them.

[@antoniskyriakou327]

I DO NOT KNOW WHICH ARE BETTER, BUT WHAT I KNOW IS THAT YOU ARE A REAL TALENTED ARTIST.

[@photonrayleighm2666]

Super valuable comparison. Thank you!

[@valeroarts5080]

I agree about the Pitt pastels. I only use them as a secondary set as I find the pigments less vibrant than the Carbothello's and Caran D'ache, and even the Koh-i-Noors. My other issue with them is that 8 out of the 10 Greens are NOT light-fast. So I do not even bother to use these in any of my landscape pieces. Interestingly enough, I have had no sharpening issues with the Derwent pastel pencils yet, but I have with the Pitt pastels, and the only sharpener I have found that works with them is the Staedtler 2 hole metal sharpener. They remain my least favorite of the pastel pencils. I actually find the Koh-I-Noor Gioconda's wonderful.

[@extra209]

I have the derwent and I was very confused why it’s so bad and these are my first pastel pencils

[@beckywebster90]

Great review. I just decided to give pastel a try (I'm colored pencil DRIVEN ...lol) so I had purchased SC. I haven't broken them in yet. Glad to know I got a good beginner set. Just joined your Patreon and FB. I'm very excited to be off work so I can really get in to your beginer pastel class.!!

[@Mail2elr]

This is vital information for me! Thank you very much.

[@danielpineda2165]

I have been waiting for this video 👍🏻 Thank you so much hello from Mexico 🇲🇽

[@valeriegehling4358]

Wanting information on pastel pencils this was very helpful! The CaranD’Ache are too thick for an ordinary sharpener? Is this correct? Can they be sharpened with a craft knife? Thanks for your help as I was thinking of buying Derwent you changed my mind! Do Schmincke ( my go to brand ) make this type of pencil ?

[@UnmaskArt]

Yes, they are thicker and often need to be sharpened by hand. However they sharpen well as they are easier to cut through.

[@crystalzak]

thanks, this was very helpful and i agree with your reviews, except i have not yet been able to master the caran d'ache. i'm not sure why, but perhaps their texture is so different than the carbothello, which is my go-to set. i also enjoyed your calm, quiet presentation.

[@millancia1005]

I really loved the stabilo ones and the pricing ia the best part! 😍

[@CristinaBeller]

Fantastic review, thank you!

[@OrioleBeagle]

I am not buying anything that I have to sharpen with a knife. I MUST be able to sharpen them with a pencil sharpener.

[@gessikaguerra1351]

What? You don't want to feel like crocodile dundee in your art space?

[@susanmoen3515]

Great video!! How do you feel about the Koh-i-noor pastel pencils? I just got them and I love them, but would love to hear how you feel about them.

[@Miserableplace]

This is great. Could you do the same but with different pastel papers? Would be an awesome comparison. Say Pastelmat vs Sennelier Pastel Carte vs Uart Sanded vs one other sanded brand. Thanks!

[@UnmaskArt]

Pastelmat is the only paper I will ever use, I already tested them.

[@ladeiroses7526]

What an excellent review. I will be taking a class in pastels and I was looking for a decent review of different pastel pencils. This was excellent.

[@YogaCandi]

Wonderful review thank you, and your voice is so soothing! x

[@odettebernardeau939]

I have a set of derwent pastel and its true! Its really hard to sharp them and its also easy to break the tip😔

[@jennw6809]

Super helpful, thank you!

[@seeingart7754]

There are soft and dry pastel pencils.

[@vickimclennan1196]

Thanks for the great honest review

[@archanamhaparle3253]

Atlas I was confused which pastel pencil to buy. But now you solved my problem. I decided to try the carbothellos......Thanks.

[@christyhoehn8244]

Another informative and concise review. Bravo!

[@watercolourartincapetown2919]

The fun colours in the stabilo are the ones that aren’t lightfast

[@elisabethgill1646]

Which one are the fun colours please Watercolour Art in Cape Town

[@PonderConnectVideo]

Excellent review. Thx.

[@TheJubiks]

Great review! Not too long, and you show how each brand of pastel pencil holds up. Thank you!

[@phawndamoore8462]

Fabulous video ~ love your style and professional advice. I've never liked Derwent much either, except for Graphitint.

[@z1522]

Regarding the practical end results: are the softer Caran d'Ache more vulnerable to smearing? How does spray fixative affect the surface, and especially fine details? My charcoal drawings all definitely go fuzzier but can't reasonably leave them bare, either. Help!?

[@lilacfla]

Me as noob : all drawings are so gooddddd

[@joeblankenship377]

I just bought a 24 pack of the Derwent. I'm new to pastel pencils and I've only used them to make a swatch page so far. They seem okay to me. And to me, the color in this video looks just as good as the others. But maybe I'll go with Stabilo if I decide I want a bigger set.

[@jocharest5959]

@Everybody Nobody I use a combo of Derwent (a bit softer, so it's very good to cover larger area) and Faber-Castell in my illustrations and it works great. Maybe the guy got a "bad" batch of pencils....?!?

[@cemadot]

I just love this review

[@rachelleblanc6955]

As a newcomer for pasyel you explained very well what brand i should pick to start my journey on pastel painting.😊

[@jcepri]

This is an awesome review. I can totally think of something worse than Derwent's pastel pencil set and it's their Super Sharp Pencil Sharpener that costs almost $30. I've had not one, not two, but THREE of them break. The 2nd one actually never worked. I returned it for a replacement. The 3rd one sharpened 3 pencils before breaking. They should be charged with a crime for selling such a horrible sharpener. I've since bought an electric sharpener and will never turn back.

[@TheLondonForever00]

The sensible thing to do is buy set of 60, pull out the crappy lightfastness pencilsnand replace them with one from another set. Use pan pastels as your under-painting to use less pencil. Use sandpaper to sharpen one adge and it keep moving to obtain very sharp points. Mix & match your pencils, it saves a lot of hassles and you can do it bit by bit. A 60 set and some extras from other sets (single pencils) to get the palette you need. It works perfectly. Great video buddy, you've a new sub. Thank you for sharing. :)

[@elisabethgill1646]

Hi, From what you are saying, I would give a 10 for Caran D'ane Genviève pencils because bigger is better when it comes to holding pens and pencils when you start to suffer from articulations in your hands, like stiffness. So it demands less efforts to hold it. So thank you very much for your review !

[@louiseberube1733]

I looked up the sharpener on Amazon and the price is $226!! Does this sound right? Yikes!

[@tativega3934]

I felt your dislike for the Derwents on a spiritual level 😂😂🤣😭. You remained calm, but you could just tell you were so annoyed, and got more annoyed as it went on. I'm so sorry for laughing at you. You are just adorable.

[@gihanzohdy3284]

About Caran d'Ache pastels these are a league on tbeir own and an artist's dream. I would give them a 10+. The barrel needs to be thick as the content is thick and luscious. Otherwise a high end product would appear cheap.

[@blschafer4310]

Are these Jakar pencil sharpeners only available in the UK?

[@UnmaskArt]

I think so, yes. But I've had several people tell me they found other good electric sharpeners that work well. I recommend shopping around for something in your area.

[@aqeelmaqsudi9645]

Do you guys recommend me to get the Faber Castell Pitt pastel pencils 60? Just letting you know that I have the pack of 60 polychromos

[@blackimp4987]

mmm I don't argue on everything you complained about with Derwent but looking at the result it's not bad at all, certainly sufficient with better tones than Faber Castell - thay are both brand I like thou Derwent can be disappointing if it's not clear the kind of product they are selling you. Very interesting good comparison anyway. I think I'll have a look at all your videos

[@cottiechauncey]

Interesting. Because I stopped using my Derwent pencils for the same reason. They also dragged too much across the paper, not a smooth experience. I have ordered Caran d'Ache pencils before seeing this video - Phew! Lucky guess to go ahead with them after seeing they came out top in this review! Thanks!

[@anniedarkhorse6791]

Just the info I needed.

[@mjpete27]

Super review! If you got the money for the Caren d'Ache, I have the Carbothello and still satisfied with that choice! I am still trying to decide on a pastel brand, I will look for one from you but no success so far, any plans in that area? Thanks!

[@elisabethgill1646]

Can anybody tell me what they think of the Bruynzeel Design pastel colors?

[@Artvideos2024]

👍

[@rachelchristensen9326]

Different pencils - but when I spent a fortune buying the full set of favour Castel polychrome’s- I made the mistake of buying them in the gorgeous wooden box... Let me just say that the wooden box somewhere at my parents house - my pencils however are in a place that I bought on well eBay - that holds each individual pencil, nicely.. I’ve never again spent a fortune on a wooden box... Thanks for your great review.. This is the first amount of decent information I’ve been able to find about pastel pencils. Considering the price for good quality ones isn’t that dear, I might just try them. The good news is considering the price point I can buy what appears to be the best and a 60 set... thank you for your help it’s greatly appreciated - good work. Although it might be a teacher you are not just teaching the students in your class but educating anybody who wants to learn about the topic, greatly appreciated for those of us that aren’t up to an art class for one reason or another (in my case it’s due to be critically ill). 🍎

[@valeriestephen9617]

I thought the Carbathello had more vibrancy which is what I’m looking for. Did you find this? Caran dache are really expensive for me. I already use FC Pitts. Great review thanks!

[@maliniudhayakumar]

Can someone please help with this question - Pastel pencils are made up of soft pastels or oil pastels ? I'm looking for oil pastels pencil to buy. But I'm not sure if pastel pencils comes with oil type.

[@UnmaskArt]

Never heard of oil pastel pencils. Soft pastel is better by far imo.

[@maliniudhayakumar]

@@UnmaskArt Thank you very much for clarifying.

[@After40Art]

Great comparison. I have the 72 set of the Derwent. These were actually the cheapest option where I am. Loving using them but might have to try to save up for the others lol

[@catheyboocat-design7175]

Thank you for sharing ‼️

[@pawstalk]

Excellent. Thank you. Just what I needed. :)

[@ushaanand4940]

Happy New Year !

[@alejandrocantu4652]

Hi I've used Dewent drawing, watercolor and pastel pencils over the years and never had a problem with them maybe because I always hand sharpen with manual hand sharpener, and not a hand crank or electric sharpener.

[@evamve]

thanks for that great review and for saving me from buying the Derwent set. after watching your review I'll either go for the stabilo or even the Caran d'Ache!

[@msbuttercup2073]

Thank you for the review. I'm new to pastel pencils. ❤

[@cinnie2543]

Great review!