Soft Like Prismacolor (but MUCH cheaper!) Artisto Colored Pencils Review

Today we are taking a look at Artisto colored pencils. They are available on Amazon, be sure to clip the coupon if it is offered: amzn.to/47u9nhQ
These are available in 48 and 72 sets, and come with a swatch card, plastic sheet and tutorial pamphlet. Artisto also sells watercolor pencils and sketchbooks: amzn.to/47SE4NL
Pros:
Nice colors
Price
Very soft lead
Blends well
Can get up to 6 layers
Well packaged
Cons:
Smudges easily
No open stock refills
Tips wear down quickly
Bottom line: If you like Prismacolor and soft pencils you will like there's, save some money and give them a try!
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Music: Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
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[@thefrugalcrafter]

Hey, I just wanted to address the difference in price between Amaon USA and the rest of the world. Artisto only sells in Amazon USA and all of the listing on other websites and non-usa amazon are resellers so that is why the price is so high there. Get the best price shopping Amazon USA amzn.to/3Gpkflr

[@MonikaBehr]

Good to know

[@jennifermaddock4382]

Yes. Over $90 in Canada.

[@flokarp]

Bought them within the first 2 minutes of your review. :) 50% off today, so just $15 for the 72 set. Great deal!

[@thefrugalcrafter]

Nice!!

[@terrilyon6825]

That's fantastic. They look great.

[@Shorty_Keeper]

I just did the same with the 50% off!

[@MPessoa]

I did the same! I cannot wait to receive mine. Thank you, Lindsay, for the wonderful review.

[@gardendreamer9117]

I just did the same. Thanks Lindsay. I was looking to buy some grey colored pencils so this set will sure fit that bill.

[@JynDrawz]

Great review! and Lindsay the answer is ALWAYS YES, of coarse we want to see you making those 2 cute little drawings in real time or speed up! I like seeing the process, it inspires me.

[@thefrugalcrafter]

Will do!

[@melissaaldosari8024]

That purple hard cover sketchbook made me gasp! 😮 I am a sketchbook floozy. Have to keep telling myself, just because it is covered in purple, doesn’t mean i need it. And the paper is thin, so I wouldn’t use it. But, it’s pretty! 💜💜💜

[@mickeybattle13]

I'm the same way! I immediately thought, "I need that sketchbook". 😃

[@thefrugalcrafter]

I wish it had watercolor or mixed media paper in it:)

[@mickeybattle13]

@thefrugalcrafter I agree. The sketchbook itself is so pretty, though. 😍 I think I have the shopping bug again.

[@terrilyon6825]

I felt that way about the turquoise one 😂 I'm a sucker for anything that's teal/turquoise!

[@marytesta3003]

I always feel you aren't biased. It's why I appreciate your reviews. This is a very nice review. Thank you for taking the time to do it.

[@thefrugalcrafter]

I appreciate that!

[@annettefournier9655]

Wow great deal in the US 29 bucks with 50% off coupon! Thanks Lindsay 💜

[@thefrugalcrafter]

Sweet!

[@deepowers3117]

Thank you so much for this review. I wanted to let people know that the sharpened pencils did tend to crumble often on me, and those crumbles smeared badly. People coloring with these pencils might want to keep a fluffy Dollar Store Blush On brush on hand and sweep the crumbs away very gently. A harder brush will smear them. My paper had hardly any tooth though, so maybe that caused the smearing. Anyway, Lindsay, I was trying to decide whether or not to keep these pencils which I had just purchased. My swatches are coming out much lighter than Artisto's. For example: 2nd up from bottom of the second column from the left, #338 Aquamarine, appears on the company's swatch as a mid-dark green. My pencil shows a mid-dark teal and yours a light blue. Pencil #A326 is named Castleton Green, which is already in the set properly numbered as #346 and named correctly. My swatch sheet calls #326 Sky Blue, and the color on the company's swatch was a very dark Blue Green. My pencil and its lead are a light to medium straight Blue like a sky would look. Should I just rename #326 Sky Blue and swatch it where its being called for even though it's a completely different color than the company's swatch sheet shows? My biggest hurdle is that all the grays in the set have been given color names instead of the designation of WG or CG with the usual numbers. I have no idea how to convert these names to the appropriate W & C grays. You know your colors so well after so many years of experience, but "Duh?" is my terrified reaction. It seems as though I am putting a ton of work into trying to keep this set, and I have no idea how it is actually going to swatch out.🥵 I really must get out more. Too much home time is frying my brain.

[@mjpete27]

Hullo Lindsay, I love watching your videos and seeing you create in “fast mode” or real time is a treat! I believe that you are a scrupulous person and an honest reviewer! I have purchased a few of the art supplies that you have recommended, I am glad that you review a wide range of products and quality of products too! Not everyone is looking for archival quality supplies. I once and ONLY once let my nephews use my FC polychromes I just didn’t have any budget supplies! I never saw a need for them. After replacing dropped pencils and a few ground down with the electric sharpener I decided that I would have some discount art supplies for kids! I have trouble believing that my Gran gave so many of us kids Artist quality watercolor paints! Yet thinking about it a splotch of watercolor paint is one of the cheapest supplies that you can give away! She had a lot of grandkids and she tried to get everyone interested in art! My group was 8 kids from 10 (me) to 13 years old. Only me and Libby took to it and back then if you did not have success right away, you just did not have a talent to nurture. I have since taught many of my nieces and nephews that anyone can learn to draw if they want to be good they simply must practice, some people are going to be better with less practice, this is true with any endeavor! Have you ever seen a kid just excel at sports? Some are just “naturals” their eye hand coordination is better than others in their age group so they are called “gifted”. I do believe that some people are destined for excellence in a field, but they had better show up to practice or they will be left behind. Sweat equity is the best term for excellence that I know. Thank you for sharing another amazing video with us. Boy I do go on, I apologize. Please enjoy the rest of your day!

[@thefrugalcrafter]

That is so true! Take care!

[@rubberartist]

I couldn't help myself again. Got the 72# and those fruity journals. Thanks, Lindsay!

[@thefrugalcrafter]

Enjoy!

[@sueridder4691]

Thanks for the review! I decided to try the 72 set. I’d been eying the prismas on sale but this is a much better way for me to try the softer pencil to see if I like them. Appreciate you!!

[@thefrugalcrafter]

Glad I could help!

[@FannaTurano]

YES YES YES!! Always yes to any query you suggest! I'd LOVE to see you do a small CP study of your birds of late. They're just incredible, especially this tiny bird you did with CP in this video in your Arches book. BEAUTIFUL and soft. Gorgeous. I'd love to see a Bee wc paper size cardinal. Your birds are terrific, Lindsay. Thanks SO much for doing this leg work here. I'm going to pass on all products. Hadn't realized CP was so fugitive. I've done several food ones. Used Luminance & Prisma Color too, along with that massive tin of the affordable German brand--Shirrer Farben, something like that. :) Fanna

[@thefrugalcrafter]

I'll post the bird drawing soon!

[@bethbellthethriftycrafter5233]

I got the 50% off. I have found that I can color with just about anything on fabric now if I use a medium to set it. After trying out about 10 different ones, ( some caused the black pen I used to draw with to bleed) I finally settled on Liqujtex Basics acrylic Matte. Everything held it's color well even after machine wash and dry. Just in case anyone wants to try this technique out. It even sets water colors in cotton muslin.

[@thefrugalcrafter]

Nice!

[@sueallen1945]

Great info!! Thanks for sharing!

[@GinaBadeaux]

thank you ,i love my artisto watercolor journals 3 packs ,i also love artistro watercolors ,i got the pink and purple sets ,cobalt violet became my all time favorite color,have a great week

[@orchdork775]

They actually have 2 watercolor paper pads in a bundle with a 72 pack of the watercolor pencils that are practically the same price as the watercolor pencils on their own. I think it was around $30, so less than the arteza ones and you get watercolor paper. I was considering getting them, but I have some other stuff higher on my list to get first haha.

[@thefrugalcrafter]

Wonderful!

[@susanhammitt7080]

Thanks for this great deal. 50% off coupon. So glad you pointed them out. Have a great day and see you on Saturday if not sooner for the chat!

[@thefrugalcrafter]

You too!!

[@patriciadickerson6628]

Wow, $14.85 with the 50% coupon code! I've spoiled my 7yo granddaughter on "creamy" colored pencils, so hoping these will earn her approval. I accidentally purchased some Polychromos pencils (they were mixed in with the open stock watercolor pencils and I wasn't paying attention). Anyway, that's what she really likes, but maybe these Artisto pencils will be comparable. They're cretainly better for my budget!

[@thefrugalcrafter]

I hope so too!

[@christianem.7792]

Lindsey, would you mind telling us, how these pencils compare to the Arrtx?

[@thefrugalcrafter]

Very similar to arrtx honestly. If you already have arrtx I'd skip these unless you want to have more like it. I didn't compare the colors tho so if they are different you will expand your range. The boxes are different so if you are trying to decide between them choose the box you like most.

[@GabrielleCarbonneau]

@23:04 she does.

[@christianem.7792]

@@thefrugalcrafter Thank you Lindsey.

[@Aleb.R]

Hi, do they have a kinda strong smell ?

[@nancyloomis3046]

These would be especially great for someone who wants to dip their toes into nicer but not overly expensive color pencils. So many's fave brand Prismacolor do not come cheaply, so good quality alternatives are the way to go for many! p.s. A couple of months back Amazon had their set of either 20 or 24 Basic color pencils for five dollars each...and they're in a metal tin. 😊So I bought one for myself for just playing around and then two to give as gifts... so it's really great to come across these big bargains!

[@thefrugalcrafter]

Nice, I wondered how those pencils are.

[@ErinEnoArt]

I just recently rewatched to review before ordering, thank you! I just ordered; there was a great deal on Amazon CA I did want to let you know that their watercolour paper is a great cellulose paper. It is now my fave non cotton. You may want to review for your beginner viewers as it’s really cost effective. If you care to check it out, I did a review and demo on my humble little KZbin channel. I had the small sketchbooks and love them and they sent me the larger pads to try. Good vibrancy and very little buckling👍🏻

[@thefrugalcrafter]

Thanks! I have used it and it's not bad!

[@ErinEnoArt]

@@thefrugalcrafter oh, maybe you didn’t think it worthy of a video but I would have loved to see you work on it and get your take on it👍🏻

[@lindakelly7430]

Am in the UK and just out of interest looked them up on Amazon. £90.99! Think I will pass on these, especially since the Derwent Chromoflow 72 set is on offer for just over £50. Great review as always

[@thefrugalcrafter]

Good idea! They only seem to be affordable in USA

[@ZeeCeeCreations]

Well… you know I’m greedy! Would love to see the little art works you did! Thanks Lindsay!

[@thefrugalcrafter]

Coming soon!

[@yelsyels]

Yes to the demos! Thank you ❤❤❤

[@Obsidian_Iris_]

Thank you for the review! I would love to see the drawings you did with these pencils. I wish they had sent you a set of watercolor pencils to review. I have several sets of budget pencil sets I bought before I splurged on the largest Prismacolor set. I need a large set of watercolor pencils more than I need another set of colored pencils.

[@thefrugalcrafter]

The arteza watercolor pencils were very good, and hopefully, they haven't changed.

[@patti3d]

Yes let’s see the the tutorials on the art pieces. ❤

[@thefrugalcrafter]

Coming soon!

[@patti3d]

@@thefrugalcrafter thanks Lindsay!

[@ma1539ry]

I would love to see a tutorial of the oranges

[@thefrugalcrafter]

Maybe I will redo it, I didn't like that paper for colored pencils but it might be fun on something rlse!

[@nalissa77]

I picked up a set when you recommended them earlier during a "Discount Alert Day." They are nice, unfortunately I got 2 of the same colors. I reached out to them and they offered to credit me for one pencil. Not what I was looking for, I was hoping to get the missing one to complete the set, but I guess like you said it was not available as Open Stock so they couldn't. They seem like really nice pencils and now it comes with a 50% discount. So a really good deal. Thanks for the review.

[@thefrugalcrafter]

Thanks! I've had that happen with stuff before, I don't mind a partial credit knowing that if I return something it will probably go to landfill. Missing a color is bummer tho (unless it was one if the peachy colors they have too many of 😆 I'd gladly had a double of something else!)

[@BarbBColorReader]

If you got two CASTLETON GREENS, one is #A326? That is LIGHTER color, Just MISNAMED. IT is really SKY BLUE. so not missing!!!!!

[@nalissa77]

@@BarbBColorReaderNo. I got 2 Morning Fog and no Storm Cloud. My Sky Blue was also mislabeled but that didn’t bother me.

[@BarbBColorReader]

@@nalissa77 I see! (When I bought 180 Cool Bank, I got 2 Ultramarines and was missing DIM Gray.....lol didn't mind that one at all!)

[@MyStarseedColoring]

It always makes me sad how prices soar in Canada. You said these are (after coupons and discounts) $17USD. Went to check and on Amazon Canada they're listed at $91CAD. That's on par with the Prismacolor pricing, so no savings for us T_T. Thanks for the share!

[@thefrugalcrafter]

Buy from the USA site, artisto only sells on the USA site but resellers buy and sell in other countries for much more.

[@EveOne1960]

I saw them for 102$ on Amazon Canada 🇨🇦

[@lynnstlaurent6789]

They are $39.99 right now but still quite a bit higher.

[@MyStarseedColoring]

@@lynnstlaurent6789 Yeah, not to mention you can get a 180 set of Brutfuners for $35CAD, and that's a set I own and am currently loving, even more so than my Black Widow collection.

[@danielleb.7055]

Thanks for reviewing these and sharing them with us. I definitely would lkke to see the tutorials for the 2 pieces you did. I always enjoy your tutorials and I alwaysearn somwthing. Have a great day!

[@thefrugalcrafter]

Will do!

[@orchdork775]

Was just looking at their watercolor pencils earlier today! They have a bundle of 2 watercolor pads with a set of 72 for under $35 that I was interested in. The pencils are are like $30ish on their own, so the 2 watercolor pads were just a few bucks extra.

[@thefrugalcrafter]

Good deal, let me know how the watercolor pencils and paper are if you buy them. I'm curious!

[@orchdork775]

​​@@thefrugalcrafter I'm gonna hold off for now because I have so much on my list that I want more, but if I ever do get them I'll let you know! My Amazon list for art supplies has like 300 items in it 😂 I need to stop window shopping haha

[@starshinesoldier]

Oh, I’d love to see the cherry and bird demo!

[@thefrugalcrafter]

Will do!

[@VoxUrania]

I can’t find this brand in Canada, but we have an art store brand of the same name in a similar price range. The store is Deserres, so if there are any other Canuck artists around maybe there’s more information available.

[@thefrugalcrafter]

I'm not sure, good luck:)

[@patticake5311]

Thanks for the review. I got the Aristo colored pencils and their watercolor pencils about a year and a half ago. They're both pretty good, and I still sometimes use them. The old boxes were more colorful and appealing to me, but hopefully the pencils are unchanged.

[@melissaaldosari8024]

Great review! Very helpful, thank you!

[@TheTinkerersWife]

Just got the 72 set for $14.84 full 50% off their discounted price.

[@thefrugalcrafter]

Wow! I'm glad I posted the. Ideo on cyber Monday!

[@orchdork775]

Oh wow, that is impressive!! Nice!

[@carltanner9065]

Just checked their price on Amazon in Oz...$94!!! And $78 for the 72 set of watercolors. Lucky they're free shipping!. Part of the reason they're so cheap in the US is the size of the market compared to elsewhere. So, they jack the prices up for everyone else, hoping to make a profit. It's ridiculous. I can get a set of 60 AD's for $188. I'd rather buy them, and in any case I bought myself the 120 set of AD's. Cost me a good penny but I'm more than happy to pay that for quality pencils.

[@thefrugalcrafter]

Resellers are more likely the reason.

[@donnabost4445]

Hi Lindsay i just order the color pencils!! I ordered the Watercolor pencils about 2 weeks ago, if you have not tried them i would like to recommend them highly!! I ordered a 2nd set.....( I am so bad) Thank you for the review i knew what to expect when they arrive!!

[@thefrugalcrafter]

Thanks for sharing!! I agree! I've been using them and finally filmed a review that will be up and a week or two. They are very nice!

[@cheryl6716]

Yes, I would like to see the demos of the 2 small pictures; the Cherry and what looked like a Cedar or Bohemian Waxwing.

[@thefrugalcrafter]

Will do!

[@SMCCRADY2]

As of today, 11/27/23 there is a coupon (for Amazon prime members?) that is 50% off. Pick up a set of the 48 ct. watercolor for my son's girlfriend for Christmas. Thanks for the review.

[@thefrugalcrafter]

Thanks for the info!

[@janawright1715]

Just ordered! Thanks for the review!! ❤

[@thefrugalcrafter]

Have fun!

[@gitogal]

I bought them today so excited 🎉

[@thefrugalcrafter]

Have fun!

[@iiHaveASillySmile]

I actually love those Artisto large sketchbooks with the blue and purple covers! My current sketchbook is the purple one and I throw everything at it (watercolor, gouache, pencils, ink) and it takes it well enough for my purposes. (I'm also strange and don't like to watercolor on watercolor paper, though, so don't take my advice. :P) I thought that two pack was an awesome deal and I'm so pleased with my purchase (or rather, my mom's, as they were a gift. :P). As you said, there's a lid for every pot. :P Also, I bought these pencils based on your recommendation. I haven't gotten to use them yet, but I'm so excited to! I also (accidentally? I still don't know how they ended up in my cart, and no, that's not me being facetious. I genuinely have no idea, lol.) bought the watercolor pencils and am looking forward to using those too! (: I like to use watercolor pencils to sketch before watercolor paintings, so now I have loads to use for that. :P

[@thefrugalcrafter]

I'm glad you like the sketchbook!

[@petiteflower5259]

This was too great of a deal to pass up for $15 and I'm glad I grabbed them while I could. I find that they still make my finger hurt a bit where I grip the pencil even though I'm not using much pressure, I must just naturally death-grip my writing implements. Either that or the angles on the hex shape just cause pressure. But a cotton ball held in place with medical tape solved the problem!

[@thefrugalcrafter]

They have silicone grips that might be nice too!

[@petiteflower5259]

@@thefrugalcrafter only problem with that is needing to put it on the pencil, I needed something for my finger 😁

[@rebekahmckeithan6132]

Yes please for the bird video! ❤

[@thefrugalcrafter]

Will do!

[@DesireeStamat]

Thanks for comments in regard to Prisma colors and the color variations between the two. I was thinking of beefing up color selections for my Prismas, but I already have a set of 72. Do I need more? LOL.

[@thefrugalcrafter]

Glad it was helpful!

[@thebuzzybeehivestudios]

For light fastness snobs, you can always recommend UV fixatives or UV glass In frames. Expensive lithographs, that can only be purchased from dealers, also fade in UV rays. So, I will never understand why people are all, "it better have light fast media." I'm making mention of this, as an avid art collector. I never heard anyone at the dealer's office carry on about light fastness, than I do from the art community.

[@thefrugalcrafter]

I mention it because I always get asked if a product is lightfast. It saves me making a million replies about it 😆

[@sylviswatercolors]

Dear Lindsay, for some time already I really enjoy your videos / reviews - thank you so much for that! I live in Germany - I have some of the more expensive pencils from Faber Castell, Derwent, Caran D'ache - but "only" around 24-36 for my little art. I was wondering if I could get a budget set of 72 for my very first coloring book. Never had one. Sadly these Artisto are not available for me. On the big "A" for budget price pencils I most often see Castle Art. Can you maybe suggest / recommend a set of 72 from another brand for a coloring book? Thank you so much - and happy holidays for you and your loved ones!

[@susanjerrell9220]

Thanks for the review and yes I'd like to see you do something like the cherry. Anything showing gloss and shine. I'm forever in pursuit of painting or penciling glass or anything shiny. Gems is another one I'd like to master. I do ok is all and that's one time and then 20 lousy ones. Do you think it's all about very very careful planning on gems? Just a thorn in my side!! 😂💕

[@thefrugalcrafter]

Well, taking the time to make a good drawing will save you so much time in corrections later. Sometimes tho, you just need to jump in and experiment.

[@mjpete27]

I have drawn and painted glass and “shiny” objects over the years. I am most successful when I plan out the picture! Knowing that I have everything correct before starting the “coloring” portion of the artwork is a real key to me.

[@deepowers3117]

Thank you so much for this very good review on the pencils, the papers that come with them and a couple of suggestions for a couple of other paper possibilities. I just ordered the pencils using your link, but it looked as though Amazon could choose to apply the 50% coupon to whichever item on my completed order that they wished. Because of this, I had to just order the pencils and leave off any other items I wanted in order to be sure that the pencils were the only thing from which Amazon had to choose for the 50% discount. I didn't see any other coupon for linking to the item by using your link. I hope you got your credit. I would love to see the two offered videos on the cherry and the small bird, what papers you used and any suggestions for a good paper to use when laying a base coat of markers with an overlay of the Artisto or any other pencils.

[@thefrugalcrafter]

Stonehenge is a nice pencil paper

[@orchdork775]

Are you planning on reviewing the new Arrtx acrylic markers? I think they are called the simp tap markers. Then they also released 36 new colors of the white barrel acrylic markers. I have them on my christmas list, so I'm looking forward to trying them out! Oh, and I ended up going for the Paul Rubens 36 set of tube watercolors rather than the pan set, because it seemed like they were a bit higher quality and I can make my own custom palettes with them. I also have the 48 set of kuretake watercolors and the 48 glitter set from artsy on my list (and that brush set from artegria that you reviewed), so I'm gonna have a lot of watercolors to try out! Oh and I almost forgot, I'm also getting those Haiya oil pastels, too, so thanks for giving me the link! I'm really looking forward to trying those.

[@thefrugalcrafter]

I am kinda burnt out on acrylic marker reviews, but I have reviewed several of their acrylic markers, and they have all been fantastic.

[@ChantelleArts]

a fantastic review, i love this type of video ❤❤❤

[@thefrugalcrafter]

I'm so glad!

[@pamelamoniz608]

I bought both the regular and watercolor sets. I discovered I had 2 of one color and missing a color in the watercolor set. Need to check the regular set. Tried to reach Artisto directly. I’ll keep you posted.

[@pamelamoniz608]

Artisto replied and said the missing color was a manufacturing error. They are providing a partial refund. I collect watercolor pencils and am disappointed my set is not complete. However my regular colored pencil set appears to be complete. And they are nice and soft. Better with my arthritis.

[@thefrugalcrafter]

How odd. Is the error on all sets?

[@pamelamoniz608]

@@thefrugalcrafter I’m not sure…all they said was that it was a “manufacturing error” and that they do not sell individual colors. I received $1 refund. As an update , I also swatched my regular colored pencils last night and my sky blue had the right number A326 but was labeled as Castleton Green.

[@kayin5696]

I just bought their watercolor paper pads for practicing. I feel like it was pretty good! I'm no expert though. But good deal 23$ for three paper pads, for sure.

[@thefrugalcrafter]

Thanks for the info!

[@susansacco7583]

Thanks Lindsay 💕

[@thefrugalcrafter]

You are so welcome!

[@sambabird7]

Thanks for the review!

[@thefrugalcrafter]

My pleasure!

[@capbin146]

look good at $21 amazon USA but £57 on amazon UK. Ouch. Great helps to keep the monster at bay. Hope you posted the cherry and bird. Found them

[@deborahjane68]

They are £85.61 here In uk those pencils. X

[@thefrugalcrafter]

Resellers, ugh

[@deborahjane68]

​@@thefrugalcrafterI Can Not Afford Them. Would Have To Wait Untill They Are A Lot Cheaper. Thank You For All Your Video's. Take Care. X

[@BarbBColorReader]

Well, i got them cheap, BUT. for a set of 72, we dont need 10 grays and 2 blacks. We need more grassy/leafy green shades! Not enough greens for a landscape picture!!!! A shame, but they are nice and soft otherwise

[@paulalister80]

Thanks for the look at these pencils. Um I will stick with me a Prisma colour ones still a great look see. Yes please on the bird video, into birds at the moment there was the lovely lady I watched who did rather fabulous things with ink pens and birds I’m addicted to giving this a try,musing water colour inks and dip pen having a blast, birds are big here in NZ most people like them. Great look at these pencils tempted but must be strong.

[@thefrugalcrafter]

😆 it's hard, my want monster completely broke out of its cage today and bought more watercolors. I need an intervention!

[@LaraCroft2169]

I love your haunted house!

[@deanamontgomery7410]

Thank you so much for this video! I keep looking at them online and haven't bought yet because I've been holding out for Arteza to restock their 120 set. Now I'm wondering if this is Arteza re-branding? Or is this a ridiculous conspiracy theory?!

[@thefrugalcrafter]

There are many similarities...

[@WimVeen]

Nice review! I was wondering if you done any reviews about ecoline pencils?

[@thefrugalcrafter]

Never heard of them

[@LuGam-vf1yi]

would love to see the bird demo. thank you

[@thefrugalcrafter]

Will do!

[@jessieg4901]

Lindsay, by any chance have you ever tried the cretacolor megacolor colored pencils? I just ordered them during Black Friday sales because with their big juicy chunkiness they allured me 😂 I was just wondering if you’ve tried them or reviewed them or not?

[@thefrugalcrafter]

I haven't, let me know how they are when you try them!

[@DieterPrivate]

Those are chunky, but such a good pencil! Blend so well together on the paper and are available open stock here in Europe. They are dry and do feel a bit towards soft pastel, which probably is why the blend well

[@jessieg4901]

@@DieterPrivate wow! Now I’m more excited!! 🤣

[@terrilyon6825]

I'd love to see Lindsay review them. I've looked at those a few times

[@angellove2911]

They are great!! Nice and soft, and their metallic are pretty...feels comfy in the hand too, especially for arthritis❤ you do need a large hole sharpener for them though...

[@staceybrister1315]

Lindsay, do you think these pencils would work well over oil pastels? I think I'm going to get my daughter some stuff including Mungyo Gallery oil pastels, that Canson dry media paper, and the little silicone nail tools, and some other stuff. But I could only afford maybe 12 Prismacolor pencils. These are so affordable! Thank You 😊

[@thefrugalcrafter]

If your paper has texture it could ti a point. More for refining edges. I have not tried them over oil pastel myself tho.

[@lorabelland7507]

Watched your artists pencil video and new to your site. Can you show your budgie birds page that you painted and quickly showed in this video. I am in love with your birds and am anxious to see more of your paintings/ videos. Thanks.

[@thefrugalcrafter]

It's on my youtube channel!

[@JoAnneSmith-di8ok]

Please show me those two videos. Thank you for this review.

[@thefrugalcrafter]

Will do!

[@providencevalleyfarm5270]

Right now for PRIME members, these actually have 50% OFF coupons! PERFECT TIMING! I LOVE your drawings, because I feel like they're attainable for us mere mortals. I didn't have time to search anyone else's videos for a review on these, and yours wasn't up yet. At $12-$15 I went ahead and bought 3 sets for Christmas gifts. I am so glad I DID! They'll be here tomorrow!

[@thefrugalcrafter]

Awesome!

[@melissaaldosari8024]

I got these to give to my Mom, then came across a 120 set of brutfuner squares for a similar price and ordered those instead. I was planning to return the artisto set, since I don’t need anymore colored pencils. Now I’m wondering if I should keep them. Maybe to gift to someone else… 🤔 Except I don’t have anyone else to give them to.

[@rubberartist]

Remember the bigger sharpener with the Brutfuner squares!

[@thefrugalcrafter]

Good call!

[@orchdork775]

Maybe you could donate them to the charity that gives presents to kids whose family's can't afford gifts. Can't remember the name off the top if my head, but I'm sure you know what I'm talking about.

[@melissaaldosari8024]

​@@orchdork775Great idea! There are several here!

[@melissaaldosari8024]

​@@rubberartistOh yes! Thank you! I have to figure out what sharpener works with them. Lindsay?

[@diannedupuis2960]

Awesome video!

[@thefrugalcrafter]

Thanks!

[@lanahughes5254]

I think this is a great deal but I don't use the colored pencils I have enough to warrant another budget set. I would love to see the video on that bird you did with these pencils. Do you think they are better than the Markart premium CPs?

[@thefrugalcrafter]

No, they are a softer pencil tho. It just depends on what you like.

[@sueallen1945]

Thanks for the great review! Do you feel these are similar to the Markart brand?

[@thefrugalcrafter]

No. The markart are firmer, more like holbein. They feel different to me, but I enjoy both. It just depends on if you want a harder or softer pencil.

[@vickyhendricks5357]

How do you get coupons? Is that on Amazon?? I'm sure these are expired, but where do you find coupons? Thank you

[@thefrugalcrafter]

They show up under the product if available. You check the box to apply it.

[@deepowers3117]

I still haven't found a decent, affordable marker set. Both my Sanjoki and Arrtx 66 pastel sets have many wrong colors as pointed out on their own swatch sheets showing the color numbers with the corrected names right underneath. What makes it worse is that I received them at a time that I had a 10-day, full-time commitment that didn't allow me to do anything but put the boxes aside without even checking for damage until it was too late to return them or any other items I received that day. Would contacting the companies themselves, be more effective than trying to get help from Amazon because I am too late for the allowable return dates? Sorry for bothering you with this. Just feeling a little helpless about what to do. Even if I could afford to, I am afraid reordering the sets would just cause me to receive the same wrong color issues all over again.

[@thefrugalcrafter]

If you can find a way yo email them you could. Keep in mind that caps rarely match the ink so you will need to swatch any brand you get.

[@janicehayashibara5271]

Omg I just bought this set and mines came with two Yellow and no Orange 🥺

[@thefrugalcrafter]

Contact the seller and let them know.

[@LaraCroft2169]

Have you tried thier watercolor pencils?

[@thefrugalcrafter]

Yes, review coming soon! I did a new year's eve painting that's on instagram if you want to see. They are good for the price!

[@loveidbareminerals1]

Us Canadians are looking at $87.22 on Amazon Canada for the 72 set. And that's Canadian dollars...yikes The price difference is crazy.

[@thefrugalcrafter]

Oh wow! I wonder if you can shop on the American site?

[@loveidbareminerals1]

@@thefrugalcrafter I definitely can if I want to add on additional shipping or import fees. Which would almost knock out the 50% coupon...lol It would be about $35 Canadian which is still a helluva lot better than the $85. Do I need another set of pencils..... Hmmmmmm

[@rickymiller1489]

I have found these pencils to be very waxy very little pigment in them and they have an oily smell if you’re an amateur or a little kid I suppose these would be OK but I don’t recommend these for any service work maybe practice they are not even close to Prisma color

[@thefrugalcrafter]

That was not my experience at all. Are you sure they are Artisto? If so when did you buy them? Just curios if the product changed.

[@oliverl1817]

@@thefrugalcrafter I just purchased one set and there is a strong smell, too.

[@angellove2911]

Do you have any reviews of Kalour pencils at all? I keep watching them but I'm skiddish...I like the idea of a 520 set, but if they suck, I'll be upset and stuck with 520 crappy pencils to add to my pile😂

[@thefrugalcrafter]

I only have the macaroni set and they are identical to the brutfuner macaroni. Those are very soft and nice. I saw the 72 set is $12 is on sale at Amazon now amzn.to/3R7Eclt if you wasn't to try a small set before investing in the big one

[@angellove2911]

@@thefrugalcrafter now I'm eyeballing the H & B case set..they look like they're from the same manufacturer

[@louetteduvall4118]

Thank you for this good find. What is the name of the STONEHENGE PAPER please.

[@thefrugalcrafter]

It's stonehenge fine art paper, I linked to a pad of it On amazon but you can get large sheets at blick: shrsl.com/4bpkm

[@starr-starr]

Yes, please upload the cherry and the waxwing!

[@DGiarrusso]

I thought the watercolor pencils had good color payout and were fun to color with.

[@thefrugalcrafter]

Thanks for the info!

[@deepowers3117]

Any comments on the Soucolor 180 set of budget pencils would be very much appreciated. They say they have a 4 mm core, and are soft wax pencils.

[@thefrugalcrafter]

I think they are the same pencil as magic fly and castle art. Those are soft and lovely too and I bet soucolor are as well but I have not used them. You can find yourube reviews and also check the most recent reviews on Amazon

[@CuriosityRocks]

I’m a bit suspicious about them using digital (possibly AI art) on traditional art supplies

[@thefrugalcrafter]

What do you mean? The art on the tin?

[@cindybohl9593]

What is your favorite paper and sketchbook to use colored pencils on? The jar link electric sharpener was is on sale for $14.99. The pencils have a 50% off coupon. I think those are cyber Monday deals.😀

[@thefrugalcrafter]

Nice! I like many different papers. Stonehenge is a good all around paper.

[@terrilyon6825]

£90 on Amazon UK 😳

[@thefrugalcrafter]

I wouldn't pay that much, you can get prismacolor for that price or most derwent products.

[@crikeyscreates]

I know. It's so frustrating isn't it 😢

[@terrilyon6825]

Yeah that thought did occur to me re the Derwent or prismacolor pencils. Great review though and good to see something cheaper to rival the prismacolors is out there. I guess the import taxes are only to be expected, thanks for sharing with us.

[@joelapascoe16]

$88 at Amazon Canada

[@thefrugalcrafter]

Yikes!

[@angellove2911]

I so love you and all your videos, but I hate seeing these, cuz I have to buy more supplies....😂😂😂😂😂 My name could never include the word frugal, though I always look for the deal🙃🙏

[@thefrugalcrafter]

I'm debating if mine should 😆

[@angellove2911]

@@thefrugalcrafter 🤣🤣🤣

[@judygrandstrand9784]

50% off! Woohoo!

[@thefrugalcrafter]

Nice!

[@gingergreen4647]

What is the best dupe of prismas?

[@thefrugalcrafter]

These, arrtx or derwent chromaflw. Arrtx matches most of the names too if that's important.

[@hookedonstamping]

$87 Canadian 😢

[@thefrugalcrafter]

Yikes! I guess these are expensive outside of the USA, I wouldn't pay that much for these.

[@thebuzzybeehivestudios]

Seriously!? Why do you still have to ask? Post them videos asap! Lol! You could color a moldy piece of bread... Post it!!!😁

[@MonikaBehr]

LOL. Canadian Amazon pricing...$86. 😂

[@thefrugalcrafter]

It's a reseller, not sold by Atristo who only sells on amazon USA

[@queennuts717]

Thank you.

[@EveOne1960]

They are on the Amazon Canada site, but $15!?!? No, not for your neighbours to the north. This set is 102$ here!...for that price I'm sticking to my Polychromos and Luminance. Loved your review though!

[@thefrugalcrafter]

Resellers buy them in America and jack up the price elsewhere.