Review: ✏️Trying the Staedtler Mars Lumograph Black Pencils ✏️

[@maryriley6163]

Nice art. You really draw good trees! Thanks for demonstrating these black pencils.

[@CautionArtistatPlay]

Thank you Mary! I love trees, so I guess that spills over into my work! Thanks for watching!

[@ananita6888]

I love these pencils, they are amazing. Your drawing is stunning.

[@CautionArtistatPlay]

Thank you so much!

[@aman4peace]

I just bought some a while back see this and wondered how she drew with them I'm from Maine I live in Quebec I'm a mediate still learning always

[@135talmont]

You are so talented! This makes me want to get back into graphite for awhile. Thank you!

[@CautionArtistatPlay]

Thank you so much Patti! I'm glad I have inspired you!

[@MichaelKlinePhotoVideo]

I was in Michael's yesterday (3 June 2022), and to my amazement, they had a 6 piece set with the HB, 2B, 4B, 6B, 7B and 8B. Before I was buying some of them open stock. These pencils are really cool and I will play with them more and see what I can do with them. Comparing them to Faber-Castell Matte, I think these edge out F-C just a bit. BTW; Your piece is amazing!! Many thanks for your demo :)

[@CautionArtistatPlay]

Thank you! They are a beautiful pencil to work with! It's funny that you mention the FC Matte because I just tried those recently, and I think I like those a bit better, but it's been a while since I have used the Mars Lumograph Black in a full piece. They are both great though!

[@thanhnguyenhouc1106]

Best pencil for winter lanscape drawing.

[@CautionArtistatPlay]

I haven't tried it for winter, but I'm sure it works fabulously! It's a great pencil!

[@spiritsjoy]

I love the 6b and 8b for the lack of graphite shine.....but the lower grades (2b, 4b) feel like they drag instead of glide. I actually bought a box of the 8b, but i prefer regular graphite for the lower grades. Edit. On Amazon, a 12 pack of the 8b is on sale for 14 dollars.

[@CautionArtistatPlay]

Yeah the lower grades didn't impress me as much as the higher grades. What brand graphite do you like to use for the lower grades? Thanks for the heads up on the pack of 8b!

[@jessicalesher7517]

I have a couple of them from some subscription boxes and absolutely love them they’re soooooo dark!!!! Beautiful artwork!!! I have yet to master monochrome anything lol but I love sketching with these!!!

[@CautionArtistatPlay]

They really are super dark! It's awesome!! I'm glad you like my work! Thanks!!!

[@srujan2482]

Hey where can I get the reference picture that you used to sketch

[@CautionArtistatPlay]

Hey there, I actually took the reference photo myself and I don't share my reference photos publicly unless it's one that I take specifically for a step by step tutorial.

[@srujan2482]

@@CautionArtistatPlay okay thanks

[@CautionArtistatPlay]

You're welcome.

[@yoelbeche6213]

What a beautiful drawing!!! 🔥 I use Staedler Mars Lumograph and also Staedler Tradition. I've never used the black pencils from Staedler but from what i've seen in some reviews about them is that you don't get that shininess compared to the Mars Lumograph.

[@CautionArtistatPlay]

Thank you! Correct, the Mars Lumograoh Black are made to be more matte than regular graphite pencils and definitely have less sheen!

[@tabaldak5184]

Another lefty artist from Maine! 👌🏽👍🏽

[@CautionArtistatPlay]

Yes!! Hey there fellow Leftie Maine-iac!

[@SaraMakesArt]

I use a Staedler Mars Lumograph HB pencil for practice sketches and doodles and a 6h in the same line for outlines. I don't know why I've never thought to try more pencils in this range. Also, seeing this drawing you did as given me the need to try my hand at drawing a road scene too. I'll have to find one around my city to take a picture of.

[@CautionArtistatPlay]

I love drawing and painting roads! It's so much fun! I think you would enjoy it!

[@fangchick93]

I recently found that the Strathmore vision mixed media sketchbook is great for graphite, it says vellum, but it's really smooth

[@CautionArtistatPlay]

Good to know! Thanks for sharing!

[@fangchick93]

@@CautionArtistatPlay anytime

[@kgx9-s8r]

Hello. I have bought the STAEDTLER Mars Lumograph black pencils along with the 24 staedtler tin shaders and Charcoal staedtlers. I noticed you were using two mechanical pencils, can you please tell me what kind they are, as this is a gift for someone who like yourself can sketch well. She probably knows this already but in case she doesn't. Just want to make sure she has a complete set.

[@kgx9-s8r]

You may be thinking I am trying to be clever with asking what kind of mechanical pencil you are using. I know nothing of pencils except for the one's I have purchased. But if you don't wish to tell me that's fine too. Have a good night.

[@CautionArtistatPlay]

Hi there! As far as mechanical pencils go, I just use regular inexpensive Bic mechanical pencils! You may also see me using a Tombow Mono Eraser, which is basically a mechanical eraser, and looks like a mechanical pencil. It's a thin eraser that retracts like a mechanical pencil and is great for erasing fine details! The majority of the materials I am using are listed and linked in the description of the video. Thanks for watching!

[@kgx9-s8r]

@@CautionArtistatPlay Thank you. Glad to know they're cheap.

[@CautionArtistatPlay]

@kgx9-s8r, you're welcome!!

[@Tzuriah]

I love your drawing!! Thanks for that and also the review. I’m hesitant to buy these due to scratchiness. Are they as scratchy as charcoal? I agree with you…..there should have been 2 6b’s & 2 8b’s or maybe an hb and an extra 8. Yeah, I think I’d like that configuration best…. (hb, 2b, 4b, 6b and 2 8b’s) 😉

[@CautionArtistatPlay]

Thank you! As they get higher in the B's they tend to feel more like charcoal, a bit more scratchy than regular graphite but not as bad as charcoal. Another great pencil that I found to be less charcoal like but still dark are the Faber-Castell Matt Graphite pencils. I have a review for those as well if you are interested in seeing the difference!

[@justcrap8747]

Interesting video! Nice drawing

[@dannyburns4392]

You can get up to a 12b in the Mars lumograph. I love the lumograph black. They are great.

[@CautionArtistatPlay]

I need to try the regular Mars Lumograph at some point. That's awesome that they go all the way to a 12b.

[@dannyburns4392]

I have the full set and they hold their own. I have full sets of all Derwent, Faber Castell, Daler Rowney and my absolute favourites Caran d’Ache grafwood but I do highly recommend you get the full tin of 24 lumograph pencils they go from 12b to 10h. Personally I don’t really see the need for 10h but I love all the b pencils they are great.

[@jasonskeite2052]

Excellent review. I was stuck between the the Matt black and this. This looks like the better buy-Matt black at a lower price.

[@CautionArtistatPlay]

I also did a review of the Matt Black after this one, you may want to check that out too! Both are great pencils! kzbin.info/www/bejne/joS1gqitftp9pKc

[@grandmasterkevv]

It’s weird because I just got my pencils and the plastic piece that holds the tin says that it has an 8B,7B,6B,4B,2B and HB. the thing is that on the actual tin it says that it comes with 8B,6B, two 4B, and two 2B. BUT! Inside the tin I actually got what the plastic cover says and not what my tin says lol It’s all screwed up but at least I didn’t get duplicates

[@CautionArtistatPlay]

Oh wow, that is weird! I wonder if they are in the process of switching it over. So strange!

[@ebrillvaldz8120]

This is what confuses me as well. All the reviews I've found in youtube have 2 2Bs in it, while here in my country (Phils.) even the official STAEDTLER STORE online has HB grade on their set. I just wanna be sure if I've ordered the real one as no one has confirmed it yet if there are specific sets to every country it is released.

[@CautionArtistatPlay]

Yeah, it is quite confusing. I'm not sure if it is different for different countries or what. I believe I got mine from Amazon so there is a chance that mine is not correct. It's probably safer to buy from a reputable art supply store. I honestly am not sure what to think.

[@ebrillvaldz8120]

@@CautionArtistatPlay thanks for the fast reply. I ordered mine online from an official STAEDTLER STORE but I have to be sure coz right here you have to do your own research first or else you'll get a fake ones at the same price from a reputable brand. Thank you and have a good one.

[@CautionArtistatPlay]

If you ordered directly from them, then you should be fine. I agree that we all have to do our own research. When I ordered I checked the ratings and reviews on them and didn't see any reason to believe they were not legit. They have over 1000 ratings with 4.7 stars out of 5, and I had heard good things about them so was eager to try them. I just looked back on the listing that I bought it from and it advertises the set as having an HB pencil instead of 2 2B pencils. So, I honestly have no idea what happened and why my set was not as advertized, or why some sets are different. They were only $11 though and I'm not as picky about graphite as I am other mediums so I didn't investigate it too much after the fact. I was happy with the pencils I received so didn't push it too much. That being said, I don't order off Amazon as much as I used to because things like this happen, so now I mainly order from reputable distributors of art supplies. If and when I reorder these pencils I will likely buy them from Blick instead.

[@farukhhasan11]

Can you please film slow paced version of this video? I want to learn how you are sketching such details. Thanks.

[@CautionArtistatPlay]

I won't be able to do a slow version of this exact piece, but I will try to a similar piece in the future as a tutorial. Thank you for watching and for the feedback!

[@farukhhasan11]

@@CautionArtistatPlay Looking forward to it. Thanks.

[@CautionArtistatPlay]

😁

[@farukhhasan11]

❤

[@predragdjokic3761]

One question does carbon blend well with graphite compared to charcoal.Can you apply carbon on top of the graphite in the darkest areas??Does this pencils have graphite combined with carbon in them or is it 100% carbon.Is it possible to do a fine lines for eyelashes and hair with this pencils and how break resistent are they?? Thank you so much for the video.

[@CautionArtistatPlay]

Hi there, sorry about the delayed response. Yes, these blend together more easily than just using regular charcoal and graphite pencils together. They are a mix, the softer pencils seem to have higher carbon content then the harder ones. You can definitely get fine lines with them, and as far as breakage goes, they don't seem to break any worse than any other pencils I have used, however it really depends on how soft of a pencil you are using. You can layer the softer pencils on top of the harder pencils that have more graphite content, but I find it easier to go the other way around. However, for the darkest areas I didn't find it too necessary to layer that way, because the soft pencils were dark enough on their own. Thank you for watching!

[@eltonoliveira4541]

Perfect Review!.. thanks🙏

[@CautionArtistatPlay]

You're welcome! Thanks for watching!! 😊

[@eltonoliveira4541]

@@CautionArtistatPlay 😁👍

[@ds_78]

Did you find them a little gritty or maybe grainy? I found they left clumps that needed to be blended out. Thanks.

[@CautionArtistatPlay]

I don't remember having many difficulties with them like that, but they are quite charcoal like, so I could see how that could happen. What kind of paper are you using? Sometimes that also makes a difference.

[@ds_78]

@@CautionArtistatPlay Thanks for the reply, I am using strathmore bristol smooth paper.

[@CautionArtistatPlay]

That could be part of the issue, bristol tends to be really smooth, and pencils with a high amount of carbon tend to work better with a paper that has more tooth. I would try swatching them on different types of paper and see if any of the papers work better for you. I used the Strathmore 400 series mixed media paper, which is pretty smooth, but had just enough tooth for me to do what I needed. I wouldn't dare to go any smoother than that though.

[@ds_78]

@@CautionArtistatPlay Great thanks, I use Strathmore Vellum too for colour pencil work...but found I preferred the way the graphites blend on the smooth. I suppose the darker Staedtler blacks have similar characteristics to a colour pencil. Thanks for taking the time to reply, and I'd like to say your work is stunning and inspiring :)

[@CautionArtistatPlay]

You're welcome, anytime! And thank you, I'm glad you like my work! 😊

[@Artist-Vivechan-Paul]

When i sharp with normal sharpener, the lead is breaking easily 😢

[@CautionArtistatPlay]

Hmm..I wonder if your set got jostled around before you got it, and the leads are broken inside the barrel?

[@Uoze]

Huh that's strange, I got a HB instead of an extra 2B hmm. Really nice picture and review, Ive just got these pencils and I wasn't feeling too confident about using them like my other pencils. Thanks^.^

[@CautionArtistatPlay]

Oh, that is weird! I wonder if they changed the set? I'm sure you will love them, they are a lot of fun!

[@kenneth1767]

My set has 8B 7B 6B 4B 2B HB. Great pencils.

[@CautionArtistatPlay]

Yeah, I have heard that from others as well! Sounds like a good set to have!!

[@swapnildubey4118]

I am so confused which one to go with... Staedtler black or conte e paris? :/

[@CautionArtistatPlay]

I haven't personally tried the Conte Paris graphite pencils, I have only played around a bit with their pastel pencils, so I really have no advice for you other than to say that I do really like the Staedtler Black.

[@HollywoodColt]

You ever use the jumbo ones?

[@CautionArtistatPlay]

I have not used the jumbo ones, sounds interesting though!

[@HollywoodColt]

@@CautionArtistatPlay I'm going to try them out! I'll give ya a 👍 or 👎

[@CautionArtistatPlay]

Yeah, definitely let me know if you like them or not. I'm always interested in trying new supplies!

[@HollywoodColt]

@@CautionArtistatPlay I ordered the jumbo set. They are pretty much just like the regular lumograph just on a bigger scale. I prefer a thicker pencil so I am really enjoying them. Check em out

[@sabineleppanenart3014]

Wow, that is a beautiful drawing! I bought a box of 12 of the 8B on eBay as I didn’t think I would need the other grades. Now I need to actually draw something with them😁. I’m on the hunt for a good deal on “Stabilo All” black pencils. Have you tried those? They are supposed to be the blackest black, and excellent to use with coloured pencils. (My current favourite is Pablo Ivory Black.)

[@CautionArtistatPlay]

Thank you! No, I have not tried the Stabilo ones, this is the first I am hearing of them! I will have to look into that!!

[@louiseweir9761]

that was beautiful !!!

[@CautionArtistatPlay]

Thank you so much Louise! By the way, Louise is my middle name!! :)

[@stefanj.593]

Do they work on graphite?

[@CautionArtistatPlay]

Yes they do, because they are mainly graphite with some carbon mixed in. Unlike regular charcoal pencils that are mostly carbon.

[@cutwir3317]

Waterproof?

[@CautionArtistatPlay]

They are not advertised as water-soluble, but I haven't tried them with water so I'm not sure if water would dilute the more carbon based pencils or not. I know charcoal in general is water-soluble and some of the pencils, especially in the high B range start to feel a bit more like charcoal.

[@UserUser-jk5rg]

Its a photocopy paper?

[@CautionArtistatPlay]

I'm sorry I'm not understanding what you're asking?

[@minefromblackmonday]

@@CautionArtistatPlay i think he meant that this paper is book paper

[@CautionArtistatPlay]

The paper that I am using is the Strathmore 400 series mixed media paper, it is quite smooth but still accepts a lot of layers.

[@duedecimal6622]

21:00 lol

[@CautionArtistatPlay]

😂😹

[@snowf6307]

left handed smudge club : )

[@CautionArtistatPlay]

😂