Prismacolor VS Caran D'Ache Luminance Colouring Pencils | which is best?

In this video I test Prismacolor vs Caran D'Ache Luminance colouring pencils to see if there is a clear winner, and to see which ones are worth buying and which ones aren't!
To make this a fair test, I colour matched 20 of the Prismacolor pencils to my 20 set of Caran D'Ache colouring pencils. I was a little frustrated, as one of my Prismacolor pencils was unusable, so I had to sub it out. Other than that, most of the colours matched up pretty well.
I'm drawing a set of eyes for this comparison between the Caran D'Ache and Prismacolor pencils.
Which set do you think will reign supreme?
Caran D'Ache unboxing • UNBOXING Caran D'Ache ...
Prismacolor unboxing • UNBOXING PRISMACOLOR S...
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#carand'ache #artvs #Prismacolor

[@CeruleanCzarina]

Call me crazy, but I still prefer the Prismacolors over the Luminance even with the breakage issues, which I don't have much. Though I appreciate specific unique colors in the line, the Luminance just feel dry while the Prismas are the most creamy pencil available. The only thing that comes close in feel are the Derwent Drawing, which are lovely but have a very limited, muted palette. If lightfastness is a high priority, I would pick the Derwent Lightfast over the Luminance as they too have a more creamy lay dow, which is preferable for me. I want to love the Luminance as much as most, but I just am not fond of them at all. Nevertheless, thank you for the great review and comparison!

[@GemmaMorganArt]

Very fair points!! I have to agree with the dryness of the luminance, after using them recently. I haven't tried any of the Derwent pencils, they're on my list to buy.

[@phillipstroll7385]

Yeah, we all do. But if she says that she won't get free supplies from caran de ache. Everybody that uses colored pencils in real life prefers prismacolor over the rest. Just kidding to each their own. I don't know anyone who doesn't prefer prismacolor. But that's just me. I, like you, have never had them break on me either.

[@ArtBrain]

Me too. The breakage for me is minimal and the pencils are far less dry. And considering the price difference! well.

[@bebopkirby]

All color pencils have different properties, l’ve never had any problems working with any of the different brands l’ve tried. l basically just judge pencils on how hard and soft they are. Everything else just isn’t that important ie. the way they look, being lightfast, even pencils that might break easier. For me Prismacolor pretty much trump Luminance because of affordability and they have a lot more colors. On the other hand Polychromos, because they are harder bring something different to the table, in that you can get a little finer detail with them.

[@gibson2623]

You can´t beat Caran D'ache

[@shirleyf21916]

I actually have the older Prismacolor pencils when they were made by Berol , where the quality and care of the product was great! I feel like now the quality just isn't there anymore. That said, these pencils, because they are so soft shouldn't be sharpened to a point, instead I use the Prismacolor Verithin line for details. Lightfastness is an issue, but my work around is scanning them and make prints. Luminance will have to wait, the price point is just very high.

[@GemmaMorganArt]

I've heard the Berol made Prismacolor pencils were very good quality. I'd love to find an old set to try! Thanks for the tip on sharpening and scanning for prints. Luminance are very expensive, really reserved for selling finished pieces, or work I want on display in my home. I'm a big fan of Polychromos, so use them most of the time.

[@spanishwithisrael]

Thank you for this info Shirley!

[@NNRedemption]

​@@GemmaMorganArtthere was an interesting video from a person about "fakes". The brand behind the old prismacolour have the rights for another brand which are newrly the same like the old and are produced in japan

[@Userusinutube]

Caran d’Ache is actually a really good brand. They have a variety of different types of colored pencils, from more affordable one to the Lumiances. It really worth tryin them out!

[@rolandserafini]

I use Prismacolor, as well as Derwent, Faber castell, and caran d'ache. Prismacolor I normally buy in singles and inspect the pencil to make sure the lead is centered in the wood. And treat them like they are made of glass. If they are dropped once, they're ruined. And as far as burnishing or shading, use gamsol, do light shading, and build colors to avoid a waxy buildup. But that's just my take. Thanks for the vid.

[@aliceluz267]

In order for you to have them not breaking, instead of sharpening them with a sharpener, I mean the ones which are breaking all the time, try doing it with a swiss knife or a cutter, you’ll see, they’ll stop breaking over and over

[@karenvc8005]

It's helpful to hear that the breakage issue with Primacolor isn't just me!

[@zinncomicsandart8811]

You can get uv blocking sealer now so lightfastness is not much of an issue . Also if you use a good sharpener breakage isn't either . I once got a particularly " breaky" set of prismas , I figure they were handled roughly in shipping , anyway i warmed them up in the toaster oven for a bit , let them cool and problem was solved . Still like the luminace pencils though .

[@GemmaMorganArt]

That's really useful to know, thanks!

[@shilomclain8773]

My input: If you like drawing charecters, and love to give them really unique color schemes, the set with around 72 might be more worth it. Also, I found it hard to find a good skin color in the smaller sets.

[@owenwu4606]

I mainly use Faber-Castell Polychromos as my main set of pencils and my pack of 76 luminance to accompany the polys.

[@azinsmarandi9448]

actually Ive been using Prismacolors for almost 1 year they have never broke and on my opinion they are he best pencils i have ever use i don't understand why people are hating Prismacolours so much!

[@GemmaMorganArt]

That's awesome, so glad you're enjoying them. I've been enjoying them a little more lately, I just prefer my other pencils over them.

[@mememex-t1v]

I have used them for More than 7 years even in my childhood, AND they never break as much as others just when i drop them AND still being my favorite brand.

[@NNRedemption]

Hating? Bro These pencils are so hyped as much that i call them overrated Overrated like zenacolour or castle arts

[@hannahstokes9050]

When my pencil crayons break, I pop them in the microwave for ten seconds (I know it sounds strange, trust me on this 😂). The lead doesn’t break again after that, unless I drop them of course.

[@GemmaMorganArt]

This is such a good tip!! How long do you put them in for?!

[@jackiemuller813]

Great tip, will have to try this.

[@lashondamiller2982]

Hannah came through to save the day 😭

[@vishneva2000]

Anybody reading this, please be careful with that. Most pencils have metallic foil writing on them and, depending on its ingredients, it could ignite in a microwave and start a fire.

[@GemmaMorganArt]

Which set would you go for?

[@twingytwango6971]

Gemma, wouldn’t the Koh I Noor be a better alternative to Prismacolors? They are also wax pencils with the softness.

[@mememex-t1v]

I have both brands, but Prismacolor are still the Best for me, if you know how to treat them they will last a lot of time, using prisma is for certain people, luminance are good but not as soft as Prismacolor. The secret is using an electrónic sharperner they wont break anymore.

[@AmazingArtisticSpidey]

Ammmaazing Review Gemma! Both colored pencils sounds Ammmaazing to use to me. The first time that I’ve used the Prismacolors was 3 years ago & I Loved them , however I definitely want to try the Caran Dache colored pencils 🖍🌈 ✏️ ✍🏾🤟🏽Thanks for sharing 🤩🤩

[@GemmaMorganArt]

Thank you so much ☺️ I don't think you'll be disappointed with them, if you do try them!

[@AmazingArtisticSpidey]

@@GemmaMorganArt you’re welcome & I believe you 🌈🖍✏️

[@anitaanderson2326]

I completely agree with your review. I dislike my prismacolor pencils because they constantly break. I would never buy Prismacolor pencils again.I have never used the Caran D’Ache but will consider using them in the future. Thank you for your review.

[@GemmaMorganArt]

You're welcome ☺️ I would highly recommend Caran D'Ache, they're a fantastic pencil. I really wanted to love the Prismacolor, but I was left very disappointed.

[@CrispArt]

They probably brake bc your pressing to hard

[@twingytwango6971]

I wish the Japanese would do a 150 Karisma and put Prismacolors out of business. The quality is so much better. It’d be very expensive I’m sure, judging by the price of their 72 but the quality is very good. One quality of the Prismacolors that many don’t have is the gorgeous colours they offer.

[@alieshavaccaro4201]

I have two sets of prismacolor pencils that I purchased from a craft store in the states. They are just as expensive there as on Amazon in the UK. I’m concerned your set may be a fake if they are breaking and off center. I know there was a period of time when the quality declined because they couldn’t keep up with demand, but since have fixed the issue. I’d be interested in a closer look at some of the prisms pencils to see if they are authentic. I love your comparison video and really want to try the Caran D’Ache.

[@GemmaMorganArt]

Thanks! The Caran D'Ache are really lovely pencils to use. I'm pretty sure mine are the real Prismacolors, I've had them for quite a while now and think I just purchased them at the wrong time. Mine haven't got the tell tale signs of being fake, such as the strong chemical smell etc.

[@pennypop408]

Love them both.

[@GemmaMorganArt]

🥰

[@SiBaas_Arts]

Oh no,I had watched this before buying the Prismacolors. 🙈 I love the luminance but I am searching an expensive alternative. I hope it will work, but now I am not sure. I didn't know that the lightfastness of the Premiers is so bad.

[@Julie-vy3oz]

I have a half dozen each of the luminance and Derwent Lightfast as well as Polychromos and Prismacolors. My favorite are the Lightfast but I like my Prismacolors fine and haven’t had the breakage. All that said I use them all within mixed media so maybe I don’t put them through the use a pencil artist would.

[@GemmaMorganArt]

I mostly use Polychromos, which I really enjoy. The Derwent Lightfast are on my shopping list, so yet to try those, but I've heard nothing but good reviews.

[@pennypop408]

Not enjoying my lightfast as much as my Prismas and Caren d Ache. When blending lots of layers they start to feel sticky.....Is this just me am I using them wrong. I don't use solvents.....is that the trick?

[@BronzeOrwin]

@@pennypop408 Solvents are a must for nearly any colored pencil usage. I recommend filling a marker, which has a couple sizes of firm nibs, with 91% rubbing alcohol. For me I have a couple copic markers I put different sized, firm nibs into. The markers were colorless, and I forced rubbing alcohol through it a few times, letting it drip into the sink, until I was certain it was almost completely alcohol inside.

[@elisamascia8610]

I've been using Prismacolor for some years now and they've never got broken😅 I really love then. But it is true that they've not sharpened enough when you buy them

[@grahamekellermeier8280]

Use them both prismacolor are a lot softer, Carand'Ache are a little bit harder both brands are good to use.

[@sombatone]

The Prismacolor Premier are way more expansive now I guess in France... It is at 109 euros in amazon for the 48 set

[@GemmaMorganArt]

They are, I've also found that it's getting more and more difficult to find the larger sets here in the UK

[@larryglatt2548]

Is part of the difference between them is that one is waxed base & the other is oil?

[@GemmaMorganArt]

Yes, the Prismacolor are wax and caran d'ache a soft oil core

[@MsArtistwannabe]

I’ve been very lucky with my prisma colored pencils and not experiencing the breaking people are having.

[@phillipstroll7385]

Prisms color wins, beautiful job

[@brianerskine1332]

Same thing happens with that same green and has actually happened twice

[@attiumeyami417]

personally I prefer the prismas over the caran d'ache. prismas allow you more practice and coloring time per buck than the caran d'ache unless ur filthy stinking rich. also its not a false economy prismas may be soft/break easier than most pencils but there are ways around that. as far as sharpening a good German pencil sharpener will sharpen it to the point rather quick. and once u get enough practicing sharpening them u break them less while sharpening. as far as burnishing them it helps not to press down hard and take your time. prismas are the delicate child of the color pencil world. u gotta be gentle with them. if ur not gentle they are not for you. I love the caran d'ache though. however ur country produces the Derwent. imo those are some of the most amazing pencils I've ever tried.

[@KarolinaMiskiewicz]

i had prismacolor break on me once, i think the sharpener used with them is very important, when i just got my set i sharpened one pencil with their own sharpener and it broke right away but when using my dahle sharpener not had a single pencil break ;) saying that i put caran d'ache into my cart few hours ago heh best of both [three?] words if i end up loving them as much as prismas or polys (i do love my polychromos the most) great review though thank you ;)

[@GemmaMorganArt]

Thank you! I'm also a huge fan of polychromos too. I definitely need to invest in a better sharpener!

[@sabinasarts]

Not the first time I see a reference to a Dahle sharpener. Do you have a link to the model you're talking about? I'm intriqued 😁

[@KarolinaMiskiewicz]

@@sabinasarts It's Dahle133, don't want to post links as YT tends to remove my comments when i do, but yeah 133 is the model ;)

[@sabinasarts]

@@KarolinaMiskiewicz that works just fine too. Thanks ☺️

[@twingytwango6971]

I’m on the European continent and the Prismacolors are so expensive here. I think I’ll buy Caran d Ache too. If I buy Prismacolors it will be used off eBay.

[@sprungjitsu8465]

I wonder if someone compared prismacolors to wax crayons.

[@winterrain1947]

I wish you could have compared the Berol prismacolors to the Luminance. The company was sold, the factory moved out to another country some years ago and the quality of prismacolor pencils went down into the toilet. Whoever makes them now just doesn't care about turning such a prestigious company into a profit generating junk machine. Before, when they were made in the USA they were amazing, and I think they were on par with luminance and polychromos. Still, they are decent pencils. I put them above most brands, but they are no longer on par with Polychromos or Luminance.

[@GemmaMorganArt]

I would have loved to compare them, I've heard such good things about them. I'll have to look on eBay to see if I can find any of the originals!

[@millemajja2]

The crazy thing in Sweden is that Prismacolors are way more expensive than Luminence! I gave myself a Christmas gift of a full set of 76 + all the new colors for about 260US$. Open stock refill for Luminence is $3.30 but Prismacolors are about $4 per pen. A full set of Prismas vary from $300 to $450 depending where you buy. Also for comparison the Polychromos are now in feb-23 about $200 for a full set while i bought mine in 2019 and it was then about $150. Guess it's a EU thing that has made the Luminence the "budget"-version here..🤷‍♀️(and the darn inflation☹️)

[@GemmaMorganArt]

The price of Prismacolor is out of hand in Europe, considering Luminance are a much better pencils and are cheaper!

[@attiumeyami417]

wow. im a big fan of prismas but 450 is way out of hand. I guess u just gotta content yourself with driving a Ferrari instead of an Aston Martin. poor you.

[@janecheshire5504]

Both work well with each other but the prisma are definitely false economy, Caran hands down wins!

[@GemmaMorganArt]

100% agree!

[@zgeancarlo2490]

Aún no se mucho Inglés :v

[@elizabethmiller4520]

I cant find a good affordable sharpener for the Caran D'Ache Luminance pencils. Theyre over-sized pencils and dont sharoen well. I refuse to buy an expensive CD pencil sharpener. If Im paying that much for the pencils the ser shod come with a sharpener. I simlly won't buy anymore.

[@lynnmazon1654]

I just bought the caran and I’m having trouble sharpening them. I think these pencils are oil based. Help!

[@GemmaMorganArt]

Yes, they are oil based pencils. What issues are you having when sharpening?

[@jasonpos1537]

The Prismacolor pencils are junk as the wood is terrible and they break so often. Found a Caran D'Ache 6901 pencil in my order for Global pencil cases and tried it - it was amazing. I gave away my 150 Prismacolor set and moved to Caran D'Ache and now have most of their pencil and pastel products. An awesome product.

[@GemmaMorganArt]

I agree with you on the Prismacolor pencils! Caran D'Ache are such good pencils

[@caramel7149]

the winner is *drum roll* chicken dinner!

[@GemmaMorganArt]

🤣

[@robertbroadbent3038]

Nothing more annoying than pencils breaking - Caran D’Ache wins hands down

[@luisillocs1]

Prisma colors are better

[@GemmaMorganArt]

Not so sure on that one!

[@mdawson5581]

Microwave them🤙

[@GemmaMorganArt]

Good tip

[@kevinbrown-ge6sz]

I've watched a few pencil comparison videos and Prismacolor always gets raked over the coals when the reviewer has a European accent.

[@beatamacko-domrzalska530]

Rysunek na bardzo słabym poziomie wykonany niechlujnie