I've been using Prisma for more than 36 yrs and started with a set of 12 when it was Berol. I've used other but keep coming back to Prisma and that's all I buy. Also you are right using a microwave has worked for me. Thx for this video.
I've used prismacolors since 1985. There are higher end pencils but for sheer fun and ease of use it's hard to beat them. I may get a set of poychromos for some contrast but I love prismas.
Hi Travis - I loved the old Prismacolors and my Dad used them in his practice. Once they were acquired by Newell-Rubbermaid their quality tanked and they haven't been the same since. I keep giving them a try, but always have to go back to my, "old", stock for the best quality. The Polychromo's are much better compared to today's Prismacolors, but the old Prisma's were really great.
Thank you Owing for this review, I picked up the set of 12 Prismacolors and I'm loving them. I really appreciate your tip on using a blade to sharpen them, I find that has helped me out alot. Great video!
Roos Schaapsmeerders Hi There! Thanks for checking out the video. I think you'll be happy with the Premiere pencils by Prismacolor. They're solid. If you get a chance to buy some single pencils, I recommend you try out some Faber-Castell Polychromos and compare the two. Good luck and if you get time drop a note and let me know how you like the Prisma's.
Hi Marty! Funny, after posting my Prismacolor Scholar/Premier comparison today, this video of yours came up in the sidebar. What a treat to see how you approached the subject and to hear your perspective. Really enjoyed this and especially seeing your artwork at the end! Thanks and glad this was available to check out! Cheers! :)
Hey thanks Mark - I'll have to check out your video. Since they were sold to Rubbermaid the quality has tanked, but I keep checking them every few years to see if they've gotten better...sadly, not yet. Marty
There are so many brands for pencils. What would you recommend for a beginner? Especially for anime and manga. Things like that. Also what would recommend for realistic flowers?
Hi Nam - The Faber-Castell Polychromos is a great pencil. It's oil based and really blends well. Some of the best pencil Artists in the world use them. For flowers, I would think about using Spectrum Noir. They have a floral set. You can pick it up here on Amazon: amzn.to/2CHi1zs Here you can get the Faber-Castell's: amzn.to/2Csyh2T Good luck and I hope this helps you.
Owings Art thank u so much I found about this channel today and u have great judgment. Ur the best.i appreciate ur advice.off to check out the rest of ur vids
Please HELP.....I bought the Prismacolor premiere 72 colors from my local art store and they was no sharpen , so when I start to sharpe them , the leads start break ,so 15 pencils from 72 were leads breakables ....I am so frustrating...on a pencil wrote that the made in USA and there is no PREMIERE word on these pencils....
+Yana Sokolov These are not very good pencils Yana and I'm sorry this happened to you. The quality can be poor with these. You can try to return them or email Prismacolor about the issues, they may send you new ones if you can provide them with pictures or evidence of the poor quality. I hope that helps you. - Marty
I had the same issue. Led me to stashing away my prismas away for a year until i discovered a discussion on wetcamvas. they recommended to use makeup eye pencil sharpener. Try clinique brand, that is the one I tried, trust me I Never looked back! They sharpen my pencils perfectly and no more breakages or frustrations!
I'd like to see a complete new review with update, what has changed if you know. Also would love to see some comparison reviews and your personal preferences and why :) thank you
I’ve heard different things about the lead breakage, I’ve heard some people say the mechanical sharpeners are the solution and I’ve heard that the mechanical sharpeners are the problem so what’s going on here?
Very good review! I am finding that the leads do break very easily. I just got my set this afternoon. I thought I'd add these to my collection as I have Inktense pencils only otherwise. So far the lead breakage is really disappointing and I wish I went with a different brand but I'm commited to giving them a try tonight.
Hi Julie - Thanks for the note and for checking out the video. One thing that will help with breakage is to use a good sharpener, preferably a hand sharpener rather than an electric or crank sharpener. Some brands like Prismacolor are made with harder leads and that can mean more breakage in general. I have a video on my channel about sharpeners, I give some tips on sharpening. Thanks again and happy drawing!
Hi Marty, thanks for the review! I have the 72 set and made a color chart and blended them with odorless mineral spirits and it blends beautifully with a paintbrush. I also like that it helps to maintain a tooth to the surface even with several layers (with a coat of odorless mineral spirits between each layer.) I tend to lose the tooth when I use a blending pencil and get a bit of a shine and slight debossing effect. What do you think of blending pencil versus odorless mineral spirits. Btw, after reading your review, thinking about the Faber Castells! Thanks, Paula in Florida
+paulage1art Hi Paula - Great to hear from you and I appreciate the question. I love blending with mineral spirits or Gamsol as long as I have many layers. I also prefer blending oil pencils to wax because the oil pencils just render a better drawing in my experience. You're right about the pencil blender leaving a shine and you need to double check to make sure its a blender and not burnisher, sometimes it's hard to tell the difference. If you do get a chance, spring for the Faber-Castell Polychromo's, they are AWESOME. Have a great weekend. - Marty
+Owings Art Thanks, Marty! Have a set of them in "my cart" on a couple sites for my next "treat to self" when one comes up! Waiting for the next free shipping +/or discount coupon. You, too, have a great weekend!
The colored pencil world is very complicated and you really help with your reviews. Still, I'm torn. I value your opinion, so that's why I'm asking you this. My mom is really into coloring in the adult coloring books and I want to get her nice colored pencils for her hobby. Is it really worth it to get expensive artist quality pencils when blending isn't really something they'll use? I was hoping to get kind of a nice more budget style set. Out of all the cheaper sets like Marco Raffine and other comparable ones (or cheaper if you feel they're better) , which would you recommend?
+Yukimura Music Thank you very much for watching the channel and valuing my opinion enough to ask a great question. I would recommend Dick Blick Artist colored pencils (made by Koh-I-Noor) because they're affordable and really do a nice job. The color and quality is very good for an inexpensive pencil and they work well in Adult Coloring books. Here is a link to them: www.dickblick.com/products/blick-studio-artists-colored-pencil-sets/
+Owings Art Thank you so much for the recommendation. I'm going to order them tomorrow, so they'll be here by Christmas. Keep up the great work. You are truly an amazing artist.
hey Marty- I'm going back in time and watching all your colored pencil reviews. Thanks for all the insight on all these brands. I'm trying to find a good set that works well on dark papers with at least 100 colors. I would buy the Polychromos based on your high recommendation if I knew how opaque they were on dark papers. I mainly work on dark papers so any pencil that's sort of transparent (which I heard oil pencils are) won't work for me, no matter how great the pencil :( I have Coloursoft but would like a larger range of colors. Any recommendations?
Hmmmm....these are great questions Chel. I honestly don't know for sure. I might know someone who does. Are you familiar with Harry (Ivor Harrison)? He has a channel here on TH-cam at th-cam.com/channels/qp5eHE8m8UlviPD20Ra52w.html Please let him know I sent you. Thanks - Marty
Hi , I enjoy watching your videos. I am a card making and papercrafter. I use Copic makers for most of my coloring with stamps but wanted to try color pencils. I have been wanting to purchase a set of coloring pencils that are vibrant, easy to blend and easy to use when coloring stamped images. Some of the blogger I follow also like to use Gamsol for blending. There are so many different company who make color pencils. There are five that seem to be used a lot by card makers. The five companies I was interested in our Prismacolor, Faber-Castell, Caran d'Ache, Derwent, and Spectrum Noir. Do you have any suggestions on a brand you could recommend?
Hi Carmincali - Thank you for checking out the videos and for the great question. You mentioned some great pencil makers in your list. I've used all of them except Spectrum Noir, which I haven't heard of until you just mentioned it. Of the other four types of colored pencil makers my first choice is Caran d'Ache, however they aren't the pencils I use everyday. The reason for that is because even though I consider Caran d'Ache likely the finest colored pencil produced today, they are very expensive. So for every day use I prefer to use Faber-Castell Polychromo's which are excellent, but cost much less - sometimes 50% less than Caran d'Ache. If you are near a store that sells individual pencils (such as Blick or Utrect retail stores) you might want to pick up a few of each and try them out. Hope that helps you and thanks again for leaving a note. Happy drawing!
+Nines I haven't tested them yet, but I would recommend the Blick brand colored pencils. They are made in the Czech Republic by Koh-I-Noor and they're really good. - Marty
+Nines I can help :) The difference is the grade. Prismacolor Premier is Artist grade, while the Scholar sets are exactly what the name implies- They are Student grade. The lead is slightly harder and not as ‘creamy’ as the Premiers. As well, I find that the pigment is not as strong or vibrant in the Scholar versions. Prismacolor’s own website remarks that this is “to aid developing artists as they learn the right amount of pressure to apply when working with colored pencils” so you can take that as you wish. If you’re a a student, you’re new to working w/ colored pencils, then I might suggest giving them a go. They are also cheaper than the Premiers. That all said, if it were me, I would just go with the Premiers. Good luck! ^^
I have just ordered a 48 set of these from Ebay. Thank you for the review! Excited to test them. Do you have any suggestions for a brownish scrap-booky paper? As it works well with my Polycolors.
+Candy Wolfie Hi Candy - I use a toned sketchbook from time to time, but it might be different from the brownish scrap-hooky paper, not too sure. I've had some good luck with Faber-Castell Polychromos on toned papers. - Marty
I prefer the Premiere, but it really is an individual preference. I suggest trying them both to see which you like best. Thanks for the question and for dropping by my channel.
I've yet to try anything that layers as good as the Prisma white. However when it comes to the rest of the range, the Derwent Coloursoft is just as good as the Prisma's and the Derwent's don't break! I use a Möbius & Ruppert 'Grenade' & 'Magnesium' sharpeners.
The 'sharpeners' and the 'Polychromos' I bought after seeing your review. However, I've just purchased some Derwent Coloursoft, which I prefer, but I use the Poly's to sharpen the image if needed. Curiosity has got the better of me, and I've just got hold of a 12 set of Prismacolor Premier. So far: Prisma White - good except for the lack of quality. Berol - cheap hard pencil but good Polychromos - good Derwent Coloursoft - favourite soft pencil Staedtler Ergosoft - good but I prefer the Derwents. Caran d'ache - Favourite so far, but they were a Christmas present and I don't know what the modern equivalents are. I've emailed Caran D'ache over 2 months ago, but haven't received a reply. Caran D'ache aside, I feel that my preference is leaning towards the softer and wax based pencils. I need to pencils to blend well and to be solid, with no grain from the paper showing through and for that the softer Derwent's are best. But for layering, the singular white Prisma is far, far ahead of the Poly's white! But then we return to the issue of the Prisma quality, which is dreadful.
Hey 21 - Nice summary. Some of this is obviously down to the artists preference for sure. I agree on the Prisma white, but also on the quality being less than stellar. Whenevr I can afford it I buy Caran d'Dache. I prefer oil pencils to wax for most stuff, but I think it really depends again on the type of work you like to do. Thanks for leaving all the detail. Cheers - Marty
hi! need help here...i want to upgrade from my staedtler and faber-castell student level pencils. i have spent 2 days now researching, reading and watching reviews but i still haven't decided between prismacolor or polychromos :) scared with terrifying comments on prismacolor..or if il get the cheaper derwent colorsoft ones.. huhuhu
+llanoda 1.Only quality wise prismacolor is not up to standards but it's really amazing pencils with supreme color saturation and blendability softness everything also its very cheap better you get 132 it sold @ just $90 for 132 in amazon or get 72 its just on sale at rock bottom price just $48 in amazon.for me i don't have any sharpening problem. 2,Polychromos is indeed a very very high quality pencil ,its oil based but little bit harder than prisma.but its a really fantastic true artist grade pencil with mutiple layers you can apply depends on the paper (bristol) you wont get wax bloom.bit pricey compare to prisma try for open stock in blick before to buy a set. 3.Colour soft is is also very softest among the the three but it's very thick and you feel better while holding color wise it had lot of unique colors .its little dry in application also it;s prone to breakage while sharpening since its so soft.its now selling @ rock bottom price in amazon for 24 set @only $19. I hope your doubt cleared!!!
+llanoda I think Sathish provided a very good and thorough answer to your questions. I would add that among the pencils outlined, I would always choose the Faber-Castell. They cost more, but they are simply better pencils. If you can afford them, buy them. :-)
how about the color that is inside the pencil, i think there is a diference betwen the one that are circle and the ones that look like a pentagon , some onen told me that the ones that look like pentagon are a litle better tht the first ones, what can u say about that ?,
Hi! Do you use a fixative on your Prismacolor or any colored pencil? I made art work for my future grandson coming in January in Prisacolor and not sure about using a fixative on it , so I was wondering what fixative do you use on your art work? i also starting in pastel so I love to know what you would recommend as a fixative.Thank you
Yes, I do. And you can use it safely on your pencil drawings, but follow the instructions on the can carefully and don't over spray your work. I use Krylon. Hope that helps.
I was on Amazon reading reviews and quite a couple of people said the tips broke easily and the pencils would split. Did that ever happen? I'm not sure about getting the pencils after reading those reviews
In the beginning you said that prismacolor is not your first choice of color pencils, what is your first choice? I am looking for some really good pencils and prismacolor is on my list but you probably have more experiences with them so, yeah...
Hi GigglesBoingo - First choice is always Faber-Castell. Prismacolor has different lines of pencils, I use the Premeire line, which is wax based I believe.
Thanks for the video! I am planning of buying watercolor pencils and non-watercolor pencils. Some of the people I know suggested this brand. Does one need the blender pencil for this brand? And did you try the Prismacolor sharpener too? Thank you.
Thanks for replying. Indeed, I think I am more persuaded to buy the Polychromos :) Would the 36 piece box suffice? I also saw the Lyra Rembrandt Aquarell Pencils. After watching your other video, I am also leaning towards buying that instead of the other watercolor pencils around such as the Art Grip ones...
This review is super interesting and it's really helping me choose which brand I want to try next... since now, I always used Stabilo watercolor pencils BUT I'm kinda tired of them and I want to try something different. Apart from quality, I need very vibrant colors... do you have any further advices to help me choose? thank you for your time :3
Hi Eva - Thank you for leaving a comment. I hope the reviews helped you make an informed choice. As for vibrant colors, Faber-Castell are very good, affordable pencils with good pigments for vibrant colors, however if you want the very best pencil manufactured in the world you could try Caran d'Ache which is a Swiss made pencil. They have different brands, but all of them are outstanding and very vibrant. Thanks again Eva - Great work on the body art you do as well. It was very, very cool.
Owings Art thank you very much for the advice :D I will make sure to look at Caran d'Ache first :) and thank you, facepaint is my first call but I recently returned to illustrations :) these are some of my latest works instagram.com/p/mADzd2xMR7/ considering the long hiatus, I'm kinda happy! XD anyway, thanks a lot again and have a great day.
I like sooo much your reviews! Thanks a lot! I have this 72 colors set too. I was wondering if you had done a review about the Prismacolor Scholar 60 colors but did not find it here in your channel. Have you tried them? What do you think about this set? Greetings from Riooooooo
Cris Costa Ahhh muchas gracias Cris. No he hecho una revisión del Prisma Académico de, creo que podría ser lápices de grado de los estudiantes? Ni siquiera he visto venden aquí en los EE.UU., pero puedo estar equivocado. Voy a echar un vistazo para ellos. No consumo Prismacolors mucho más porque se hizo cargo de una compañía llamada Rubbermaid y la calidad se ha convertido en pobres. Saludos desde el norte grande. ;-)
Hi! I read somewhere in the internet that Prismacolor Scholar 60 colors set is used from art´s students on a budget. Since I like my Prismacolor Premier kit I was wondering if they are good of the price they charge. I saw them selling at Amazon site. By the way I love to buy painting materials at Amazon, they offer such a variation on products with good prices. Have a great day and thanks soooooo much for your attention and reply to my question. I hope I can watch all your videos when I have the time. Cheers from Rioooooooo! :)
Oh gosh I'm so confused what color pencils to buy.. since I'm in NY for vacation, I thought I might buy the prismacolors. But your saying that Caran d'ache is better & I'm from Switzerland lol.. I have the Caran d'ache luminance 6901 set of 36. It was so expensive, I could have bought the 130 set of prisma with that money. But its worth the money! I don't have so many color choices, so I think I'm going to buy the 150 set of prisma tomorrow in Blick store :)
fitnessmotivation Thanks for the note and for watching the video. Prismacolor are good pencils, but Caran d'Ache Luminance and Faber-Castell Polychromo's are great pencils in my experience. For the money, Prisma's are a good value and lot's of great artists use them so if you buy them you shouldn't be disapointed and you're in NY so why not enjoy yourself and spend some $. Good luck and happy drawing!
Owings Art Hi Owings Art! I just bought it! 150 set prismacolors for 175$ in Blick. Got it for sale! :D can't wait to try it out! Anyway you did a great review! I always check your review first, before I buy something! Have a blessed day!
Flyball112 Thanks for the question Flyball112. My first choice for a great colored pencil is the very excellent Faber-Castell Polychromos. The FC Poly's are oil based and have rich pigments. They elevate the work and are my first choice for an all purpose pencil. If I had endless funds I'd be likely to choose the Caran d'Ache Luminance pencil, which is probably the worlds finest pencil. Hope that helps! Have a fantastic day!
Nice review. Pretty informative and well delivered. Question though: I've heard the company has lowered its standard quality over the years in their prismacolor pencils and I'm wondering if this is true. Some noticed that the ones sold today are a farcry in quality than the earlier releases. Today's brand are so low in quality check and I fear I don't want to end up spending a small fortune on them. Any thoughts on this?
Thank you Jephthah - The company has been owned by Rubbermaid since 1995. Perhaps the qulaity has diminished noticably over the years. This could be because they are owned by a company with lots of interests and products and the focus isn't strictly on the pencil. The thing is, they do cost less then higher quality pencils like Caran d'Ache or Faber-Castell. I actually find the performance of the Prismacolor Premiere pencils very solid, especially for the price. Here's the bottom line, depending on your use: 1. If you want to balance price with quality, then Prismacolor Premiere are a good value. 2. If you want excellent quality and are willing to spend a bit more (about .25 to .50 cents per pencil) purchase Faber-Castell. 3. If you want really exceptional quality, try Caran d'Ache, but be prepared to pay a lot. 4. If you're just drawing for fun or to practice, buy a cheaper pencil like a store brand such as Dick Blick or Soho. Hope that helps. Thanks for the question.
Wow. Thanks for the very informative answer! :D I'm having a hard time since many people say this and that and it confuses me. They say it's preference but I can't afford to buy all of them and test it for myself. I'm not a professional artist but I draw as a hobby. I can draw pretty well and so I look for quality supplies that are good but doesn't cost much. I really appreciate your answer and I'm looking forward in your next activities. :)
Thank you Jephthah. I'm happy I could help. If you use the best you can afford that will be good enough. I've seen many fantastic drawings done with a very inexpensive #2 pencil. Good luck to you.
01 Asztronauta Thanks for the great question. In this case I used a Canson XL sketch book paper, which is great for mixed media as long as it's not too wet. Lately though I've been using some really great sketchbooks called Stillman & Birn (Zeta Series 180lb paper) which is AMAZING. Here is a link www.stillmanandbirn.com I use the ringed books.
Thank you for this great review :) Someone else may have already asked this, but do you mind sharing what kind of paper is it you used here? Is it Stonehenge? I'm getting the full set of Prismas for Christmas, and I'm trying to figure out which paper is the best for heavy layering and realism. Thanks :)
Just saw that you dropped the rating down to 4.5-5 out of 10. Is there a particular problem with these pencils or did you find something you would recommend instead? Thanks.
+5898MJ Sure, and thanks for the question. As I mentioned in the video they were bought out by Newell Rubbermaid back in the mid-1990's and their quality has greatly suffered since that time.
Owings Art As a human, we are bound to appreciate good work!! And that is what I have done!! Let it be any brand of Pencil, if it is Good, it is always GOOD!! Harshad
Hi Marty, I was going to buy some Derwent Coloursoft after reading your reply but, after watching this video and now learning that you and your Father prefer the Prismacolour Premier pencil and have done for years and years. I have done some searching and Amazon have a great deal on the pencils, this video has got me to think again and go for the Best. The only concern about the pencils is that they can be a bit brittle! but that can be found in any pencil if it's abused! They can be bought singular so that problem can be solved. Brilliant video, really enjoying your video's mate. Take care.
+PENFOLD CARPER Hi Penfold - Before you buy Prismacolors you should know that they are NOT what they used to be when my Dad and I used them in the 1970's and 80's. In the mid-nineteen-nineties they were bought by a company called Newell-Rubbermaid, whose chief claim to fame was cheap chinese made high density polyethylene storage containers. They are a conglomerate whose main website homepage doesn't even mention Prismacolor anymore. Since the purchase of the Prismacolor brand, the quality has significantly diminished. They aren't even close to what they used to be. Truth be told, I think they're a mediocre to lousy brand now and I have removed all but the old stock from my own art inventory. Most of their pencils are made in Mexico now, and although I've gotten many good products from Mexico, this isn't one of them. The thing is the company knows the product has poorer quality, but they want to save a few dollars by out-sourcing. I'd stick to Faber-Castell or Caran d'Ache, both companies are absolutely committed to quality. Same with Koh-i-Noor and a few other brands.
+Owings Art I've bought a few Prismacolor Premier open stock and I've found several with off centered leads/non matching wood casings. I 've a barely used box of Prismacolor Scholar made in Mexico and bought in Canada in Feb 2012 with less apparent issues than what can be bought open stock at present for the Premier like.
I’ve used the Prismacolor for well over 23 years. They are my ‘go to’ brand and personally I swear by them and make use of them frequently in my art. The Caran d'Ache is perhaps the only brand I would consider superior, but then it is the ‘Rolls Royce’ of colored pencils market afterall and certainly has the price tag to prove it.
+Megan Lynn Hi Megan - Although the Premiere's are a step above the Scholars, they are among the worst Artist grade pencils on the market in terms of quality, IMO. At the time of this review three year ago, I thought they were pretty decent, but after using almost all the other brands of colored pencils (literally) and learning more about Prismacolor, I'd rate them no higher than a 6 now. Here's the thing, I used Prisma's in the 80's and they were some of the best pencils back then, but then the company was purchased by Newell-Rubbermaid in the 90's. It seems that corresponds with their rapid decline in quality. I find they break easy, chip easy and the quality of the pigments has diminished as measured in lightfastness. I think if you can find old stock, it makes much more sense then buying the new pencils. I agree Caran d'Ache are expensive, but then you get what you pay for in that case. Hope I haven't offended you with my take on Prismacolor's. Have a great week! - Marty
Owings Art Not at all :) But whether or not that means I’ve just been fortunate enough to avoid most the problems I have been hearing about (or I’m just stubborn *lol* ) I can’t say. I have a lot of older stock though and older stock that I regularly purchase, and so that’s probably a no-brainer reason why. They’ve moved their operations to the new ‘China’ in Mexico and I know that certainly hasn’t helped their quality control. I tend to use mine in partnership w/ Caran d'Ache pencils and you are correct, sir. You will get what you pay for ...each and every bang of the buck and more. If there was a grade above ‘Artist’, it would be Caran d'Ache absolutely.
Owings Art, Sir i really pray you reply me soon. I currently want to buy me the best coloured pencil there is. i got shocked after i saw your current rating of Prismacolor premier in your video Please Sir, which brand would you recommend for me?
Hi Edike - I recommend the Faber-Castell Polychromo's colored pencils or the very nice but expensive Caran d'Ache Luminance. Thanks for the question. ~Marty
Thanks for a great review. I appreciate all your reviews and knowledge. Where would I find that sharpener? I've had an issue with sharpening and would like to get a 'good' sharpener. Thanks.
Hi Denise Chapel Thanks for the note and kind comments. Yes for sure, you can get the sharpener at the link below and it's on sale. I use mine all the time and it's really great: www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001DKOQME/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B001DKOQME&linkCode=as2&tag=owiart-20&linkId=THHHXYDCUEXIBRKV
You said you could replace the blade. Where do you get the replacements? Blick has some for the Alvin Brass Bullet sharpener, but I didn't know if those would fit.
¡Hola!, ¿Cómo estás?, un saludo desde la ciudad de Barquisimeto, Venezuela. Mira, ¿Tú podrías hacer un video similar a este en donde tú das una explicación de qué es un "Cool Gray", un "Warm Gray" y un "French Gray"?, en los colores Berol Prismacolor en español los grises pardo serían el "Warm Gray" y los grises azulados seria el "Cool Gray".... En español no hay el equivalente para el "French Gray", por eso es que yo te estoy pidiendo que hagas ese video explicando esos colores. ¡Gracias!.
Chane Garcia Gracias por la nota que. Algún día voy a hacer un video que explica los grises, sin embargo es probable que haya una buena información en el Internet ya. Yo sugiero encontrar una rueda de color que acaba explians grises y sus diferencias. Sé que los grises y tonos de gris pueden variar mucho dependiendo del fabricante de lápices. Así que eso significa un Prismacolor gris podría ser diferente de un gris Faber-Castell. Buena suerte y gracias por la gran cuestión.
Hi Audri - I'm little asurprised by that. Even though I prefer Faber-Castell Poly's to the Prismacolor's, I thought the Prisma's would actually come in bit lower on the list, like 4th or 5th. For example I rank colored pencils as follows: Caran d'Ache Luninance, Faber-Castell Polychromos, Derwent Colorsoft, Caran d'Ache Pablo, Cretacolor, Prismacolors Premiere, Lyra, Koh-I-Noor and then the retails store brands such as Blick and Utrecht.
This is an old review and I went to your channel to see if you have an updated review. That is a pretty big jump from 8 to 5! I would say that this video is not good for anyone anymore as there is no reasoning for giving it a 5 rating anywhere in this video.. lol If I have missed your updated review I am sorry and would love a link because I must have missed it going to your channel. Thanks!
Hi Dawn - No they are still rated very, very low. And worse now than even several years ago. The quality is poor, the manufacturing is bad and the marketing is misleading. All reasons for the low ratings.
Right and you rated them and 8.5 out of 10 in this video and just have a pop up of your change in rating.. lol That is my point. In the description you even say "I give these colored pencils and 8 to 8.5 out of 10. Good value, vibrant colors, solid overall performance." With just a little pop up changing the rating but nothing in the video tells you why? lol The reasons you stated in the comment are good reasons but nothing in the video eludes to that but that one pop up that doesn't explain why? Are you planning to do an updated review on the huge change in opinion? I would love to see.
Great suggestion and you're right it deserves some explanation. I will try to do a follow up at some point. I appreciate your interest, very much. ~Marty
Hi Crystaltarot1 - Good to hear it. I've tried a number of sharpeners and they always seem to break pretty frequently for me. The casing also chip a bit easier than some of the other pencils I use, such as Derwent or Faber. I like the Premiere line though and use them often.
Tip: When the lead of the pencil breaks so easily, use sharpeners like Dahle 133. Problem solved, believe me. Because you don't have any wrong pressure on the pencils. Since i used this kind of sharpeners i don't have anymore problems with breaking points on the Prisma's.
+Lymmetje D The Dahle looks like a crank sharpener which is okay with me, but I do NOT like machine sharpeners because they just eat pencils. I may have to give the Dahle a try based on your recommendation. Thank you! - Marty
+Owings Art The caran d'ache sharpener is the best but also very expensive. A big advantage of a crank sharpener is that it rasps the pencil so it is much more economical.
+Owings Art hi !!!!!!!! im a huge fan I saw one video of yours and was so happy because other channels don't explain as well as you do! im only 11 and has not had much experience.......but im asking for those pencils for Christmas! and by the way not a hate comment but you said interwebs and now people say internet and im not being mean but for the future so no one makes fun of you! plz respond have a great day
Thank you so much for the note. Yes, you noticed I said, "interwebs", very good and perceptive. I actually say that word as a little joke, because of course it means the Internet as you pointed out. Well I hope you get your wish for Christmas and get the pencils. You'll have lots of fun using them. Please stop by my channel anytime and thank you for watching!
+Isabella Gutierrez Hi Isabella - Rubbermaid-Newell owns Sanford, so it's a bit hard to follow, but they are a conglomerate aka big company which holds other big companies. www.newellrubbermaid.com/OurBrands/Writing/Pages/Writing.aspx
Thanks, Marty for making this video. I especially like the part where you give tips on how to avoid pencil breakage. I sell Prismacolor Pencils on my website, and I get complaints every now and then about breakage. Here is the page that I posted your video: www.prismacolorpencils.net/2014/03/prismacolor-colored-pencils-tin-of-12/
Hi Brenne - Thanks a ton for checking out the video and for posting it to your page. I checked out your site and it's awesome. I like the Prismacolor Premiere line of pencils, they're great.
If you are thinking about buying Prismacolors be very carefull to check where they are produced. I just got a set of 24 pencils and was very disappointed, they did not blend well no matter what I tryed...I have cheap color pencils that blend better then this. I actually checked the box and the pencils are produced in Mexico....
Can you do a comparison video between an old prismacolor pencil and a new one
I've been using Prisma for more than 36 yrs and started with a set of 12 when it was Berol. I've used other but keep coming back to Prisma and that's all I buy.
Also you are right using a microwave has worked for me.
Thx for this video.
I've used prismacolors since 1985. There are higher end pencils but for sheer fun and ease of use it's hard to beat them. I may get a set of poychromos for some contrast but I love prismas.
Hi Travis - I loved the old Prismacolors and my Dad used them in his practice. Once they were acquired by Newell-Rubbermaid their quality tanked and they haven't been the same since. I keep giving them a try, but always have to go back to my, "old", stock for the best quality. The Polychromo's are much better compared to today's Prismacolors, but the old Prisma's were really great.
Thank you Owing for this review, I picked up the set of 12 Prismacolors and I'm loving them. I really appreciate your tip on using a blade to sharpen them, I find that has helped me out alot. Great video!
Thank you for watching. ~Marty
Really enjoyed the review, not boring and not long. Thank you!
Hi Neko_Sam - Thank you so very much for the note. Very much appreciated.
Thanks to your great review I just bought a set of Prismacolor Premiere 48. Your review really helped! Thanks. :)
Roos Schaapsmeerders Hi There! Thanks for checking out the video. I think you'll be happy with the Premiere pencils by Prismacolor. They're solid. If you get a chance to buy some single pencils, I recommend you try out some Faber-Castell Polychromos and compare the two. Good luck and if you get time drop a note and let me know how you like the Prisma's.
Very informative and helpful. I love the sharpening tips and blender demo. Thank you
The SPEED BAG SENSEI Thank you for the kind comments Sensei. I appreciate you checking out the videos. Have a great day!
Owings Art You are more then welcome. I just picked up my first set of Prismacolors, I love them! Having a blast with them
The SPEED BAG SENSEI Prism's are good, but once you're done with those, try Faber-Castell Polychromos, if you like Prisma's you love the FC Poly's
Hi Marty! Funny, after posting my Prismacolor Scholar/Premier comparison today, this video of yours came up in the sidebar. What a treat to see how you approached the subject and to hear your perspective. Really enjoyed this and especially seeing your artwork at the end! Thanks and glad this was available to check out! Cheers! :)
Hey thanks Mark - I'll have to check out your video. Since they were sold to Rubbermaid the quality has tanked, but I keep checking them every few years to see if they've gotten better...sadly, not yet. Marty
its been very worth to watch..thank u very much for the review of prisma colour pencils..how gently u explained..thanks:)
Thank you!
Your videos are so thorough and helpful, thank you! You deserve a lot more subscribers :-)
Thank you for the kind remark. ~Marty
ive found handsharpening slowly works good
There are so many brands for pencils. What would you recommend for a beginner? Especially for anime and manga. Things like that. Also what would recommend for realistic flowers?
Hi Nam - The Faber-Castell Polychromos is a great pencil. It's oil based and really blends well. Some of the best pencil Artists in the world use them. For flowers, I would think about using Spectrum Noir. They have a floral set. You can pick it up here on Amazon: amzn.to/2CHi1zs
Here you can get the Faber-Castell's: amzn.to/2Csyh2T
Good luck and I hope this helps you.
Owings Art thank u so much I found about this channel today and u have great judgment. Ur the best.i appreciate ur advice.off to check out the rest of ur vids
Please HELP.....I bought the Prismacolor premiere 72 colors from my local art store and they was no sharpen , so when I start to sharpe them , the leads start break ,so 15 pencils from 72 were leads breakables ....I am so frustrating...on a pencil wrote that the made in USA and there is no PREMIERE word on these pencils....
+Yana Sokolov These are not very good pencils Yana and I'm sorry this happened to you. The quality can be poor with these. You can try to return them or email Prismacolor about the issues, they may send you new ones if you can provide them with pictures or evidence of the poor quality. I hope that helps you. - Marty
+Yana Sokolov Also did you try a hand sharpener or machine sharpener?
Thank you for answer ....I used hand sharpener....( always use for my Faber Castell and Carandache and Lyra )
Yana Sokolov Always best to use a hand sharpener. :-) Marty
I had the same issue. Led me to stashing away my prismas away for a year until i discovered a discussion on wetcamvas. they recommended to use makeup eye pencil sharpener. Try clinique brand, that is the one I tried, trust me I Never looked back! They sharpen my pencils perfectly and no more breakages or frustrations!
I'd like to see a complete new review with update, what has changed if you know. Also would love to see some comparison reviews and your personal preferences and why :) thank you
I need to do this. Thank you
Thank you. Really appreciated the depth and make up of the information.
+Nonishka X Thank you Nonishka. - Marty
I’ve heard different things about the lead breakage, I’ve heard some people say the mechanical sharpeners are the solution and I’ve heard that the mechanical sharpeners are the problem so what’s going on here?
Yes the machine eat the pencils. I just go slow.
Very good review! I am finding that the leads do break very easily. I just got my set this afternoon. I thought I'd add these to my collection as I have Inktense pencils only otherwise. So far the lead breakage is really disappointing and I wish I went with a different brand but I'm commited to giving them a try tonight.
Hi Julie - Thanks for the note and for checking out the video. One thing that will help with breakage is to use a good sharpener, preferably a hand sharpener rather than an electric or crank sharpener. Some brands like Prismacolor are made with harder leads and that can mean more breakage in general. I have a video on my channel about sharpeners, I give some tips on sharpening. Thanks again and happy drawing!
Your drawings are awesome! Thank you for sharing your review.
mmmbad Hey thanks for the kind remarks. Have a great day!
Hi Marty, thanks for the review! I have the 72 set and made a color chart and blended them with odorless mineral spirits and it blends beautifully with a paintbrush. I also like that it helps to maintain a tooth to the surface even with several layers (with a coat of odorless mineral spirits between each layer.) I tend to lose the tooth when I use a blending pencil and get a bit of a shine and slight debossing effect. What do you think of blending pencil versus odorless mineral spirits. Btw, after reading your review, thinking about the Faber Castells!
Thanks,
Paula in Florida
+paulage1art Hi Paula - Great to hear from you and I appreciate the question. I love blending with mineral spirits or Gamsol as long as I have many layers. I also prefer blending oil pencils to wax because the oil pencils just render a better drawing in my experience. You're right about the pencil blender leaving a shine and you need to double check to make sure its a blender and not burnisher, sometimes it's hard to tell the difference. If you do get a chance, spring for the Faber-Castell Polychromo's, they are AWESOME. Have a great weekend. - Marty
+Owings Art Thanks, Marty! Have a set of them in "my cart" on a couple sites for my next "treat to self" when one comes up! Waiting for the next free shipping +/or discount coupon. You, too, have a great weekend!
paulage1art I love saving up for cool stuff, I hope it's soon for you. :-)
The colored pencil world is very complicated and you really help with your reviews. Still, I'm torn. I value your opinion, so that's why I'm asking you this.
My mom is really into coloring in the adult coloring books and I want to get her nice colored pencils for her hobby.
Is it really worth it to get expensive artist quality pencils when blending isn't really something they'll use? I was hoping to get kind of a nice more budget style set.
Out of all the cheaper sets like Marco Raffine and other comparable ones (or cheaper if you feel they're better) , which would you recommend?
+Yukimura Music Thank you very much for watching the channel and valuing my opinion enough to ask a great question. I would recommend Dick Blick Artist colored pencils (made by Koh-I-Noor) because they're affordable and really do a nice job. The color and quality is very good for an inexpensive pencil and they work well in Adult Coloring books. Here is a link to them: www.dickblick.com/products/blick-studio-artists-colored-pencil-sets/
+Owings Art Thank you so much for the recommendation. I'm going to order them tomorrow, so they'll be here by Christmas. Keep up the great work. You are truly an amazing artist.
+Yukimura Music Thank you very kindly.
hey Marty- I'm going back in time and watching all your colored pencil reviews. Thanks for all the insight on all these brands. I'm trying to find a good set that works well on dark papers with at least 100 colors. I would buy the Polychromos based on your high recommendation if I knew how opaque they were on dark papers. I mainly work on dark papers so any pencil that's sort of transparent (which I heard oil pencils are) won't work for me, no matter how great the pencil :( I have Coloursoft but would like a larger range of colors. Any recommendations?
Hmmmm....these are great questions Chel. I honestly don't know for sure. I might know someone who does. Are you familiar with Harry (Ivor Harrison)? He has a channel here on TH-cam at th-cam.com/channels/qp5eHE8m8UlviPD20Ra52w.html
Please let him know I sent you. Thanks - Marty
thanks, Marty! I very much appreciate the response and the referral :)
Sure thing, anytime. Harry should be able to help you out, he's a great resource.
Hi , I enjoy watching your videos. I am a card making and papercrafter. I use Copic makers for most of my coloring with stamps but wanted to try color pencils. I have been wanting to purchase a set of coloring pencils that are vibrant, easy to blend and easy to use when coloring stamped images. Some of the blogger I follow also like to use Gamsol for blending. There are so many different company who make color pencils. There are five that seem to be used a lot by card makers. The five companies I was interested in our Prismacolor, Faber-Castell, Caran d'Ache, Derwent, and Spectrum Noir. Do you have any suggestions on a brand you could recommend?
Hi Carmincali - Thank you for checking out the videos and for the great question. You mentioned some great pencil makers in your list. I've used all of them except Spectrum Noir, which I haven't heard of until you just mentioned it. Of the other four types of colored pencil makers my first choice is Caran d'Ache, however they aren't the pencils I use everyday. The reason for that is because even though I consider Caran d'Ache likely the finest colored pencil produced today, they are very expensive. So for every day use I prefer to use Faber-Castell Polychromo's which are excellent, but cost much less - sometimes 50% less than Caran d'Ache. If you are near a store that sells individual pencils (such as Blick or Utrect retail stores) you might want to pick up a few of each and try them out. Hope that helps you and thanks again for leaving a note. Happy drawing!
carmincali See response above.
***** Excellent. Please let me know how they work out.
do you prefer faber castell's polychromos pencils (oil base) or prismacolor premier pencils (wax base) for blending and layering?
Xiaojing Chen Thank you for the question. I prefer the Polychromos for sure.
Thank you that's very helpful! I've purchased a set of the faber castell polychromos yesterday! I am excited and can't wait to use them! 😁
Xiaojing Chen
Good luck and let me know what you think.
Hey Owin would you recommend the prismacolor scholar pencils for a high school student as I don't know what to expect?
+Nines I haven't tested them yet, but I would recommend the Blick brand colored pencils. They are made in the Czech Republic by Koh-I-Noor and they're really good. - Marty
Thank you so much Marty, but in the UK we dont have the Blick brand, any other recommendations you could give?
Nines Try Koh-I-Noor polycolors or Derwent Coloursoft. - Marty
thanks
+Nines I can help :) The difference is the grade. Prismacolor Premier is Artist grade, while the Scholar sets are exactly what the name implies- They are Student grade. The lead is slightly harder and not as ‘creamy’ as the Premiers. As well, I find that the pigment is not as strong or vibrant in the Scholar versions. Prismacolor’s own website remarks that this is “to aid developing artists as they learn the right amount of pressure to apply when working with colored pencils” so you can take that as you wish. If you’re a a student, you’re new to working w/ colored pencils, then I might suggest giving them a go. They are also cheaper than the Premiers. That all said, if it were me, I would just go with the Premiers. Good luck! ^^
Does the blender come with it?
is the like means
yes
It doesn't
No, but most stores sell them loose.
have you ever used KOH-I-NOOR colour pencils? if so can you do a review on these thanks
+zionwarrior Yes! I use them all the time and have sone many reviews on them, here's one: th-cam.com/video/3R2GvUEXSyE/w-d-xo.html
I have just ordered a 48 set of these from Ebay. Thank you for the review! Excited to test them. Do you have any suggestions for a brownish scrap-booky paper? As it works well with my Polycolors.
+Candy Wolfie Hi Candy - I use a toned sketchbook from time to time, but it might be different from the brownish scrap-hooky paper, not too sure. I've had some good luck with Faber-Castell Polychromos on toned papers. - Marty
is it soft core which which better soft core or premiere ?
I prefer the Premiere, but it really is an individual preference. I suggest trying them both to see which you like best. Thanks for the question and for dropping by my channel.
I've yet to try anything that layers as good as the Prisma white. However when it comes to the rest of the range, the Derwent Coloursoft is just as good as the Prisma's and the Derwent's don't break! I use a Möbius & Ruppert 'Grenade' & 'Magnesium' sharpeners.
utubecomment21 I use the same sharpener. The prisma white is good. I like to use Faber-Castell Polychromos. I just prefer the oil based pencils.
The 'sharpeners' and the 'Polychromos' I bought after seeing your review. However, I've just purchased some Derwent Coloursoft, which I prefer, but I use the Poly's to sharpen the image if needed.
Curiosity has got the better of me, and I've just got hold of a 12 set of Prismacolor Premier.
So far:
Prisma White - good except for the lack of quality.
Berol - cheap hard pencil but good
Polychromos - good
Derwent Coloursoft - favourite soft pencil
Staedtler Ergosoft - good but I prefer the Derwents.
Caran d'ache - Favourite so far, but they were a Christmas present and I don't know what the modern equivalents are. I've emailed Caran D'ache over 2 months ago, but haven't received a reply.
Caran D'ache aside, I feel that my preference is leaning towards the softer and wax based pencils. I need to pencils to blend well and to be solid, with no grain from the paper showing through and for that the softer Derwent's are best. But for layering, the singular white Prisma is far, far ahead of the Poly's white! But then we return to the issue of the Prisma quality, which is dreadful.
Hey 21 - Nice summary. Some of this is obviously down to the artists preference for sure. I agree on the Prisma white, but also on the quality being less than stellar. Whenevr I can afford it I buy Caran d'Dache. I prefer oil pencils to wax for most stuff, but I think it really depends again on the type of work you like to do. Thanks for leaving all the detail. Cheers - Marty
hi! need help here...i want to upgrade from my staedtler and faber-castell student level pencils. i have spent 2 days now researching, reading and watching reviews but i still haven't decided between prismacolor or polychromos :) scared with terrifying comments on prismacolor..or if il get the cheaper derwent colorsoft ones.. huhuhu
+llanoda
1.Only quality wise prismacolor is not up to standards but it's really amazing pencils with supreme color saturation and blendability softness everything also its very cheap better you get 132 it sold @ just $90 for 132 in amazon or get 72 its just on sale at rock bottom price just $48 in amazon.for me i don't have any sharpening problem.
2,Polychromos is indeed a very very high quality pencil ,its oil based but little bit harder than prisma.but its a really fantastic true artist grade pencil with mutiple layers you can apply depends on the paper (bristol) you wont get wax bloom.bit pricey compare to prisma try for open stock in blick before to buy a set.
3.Colour soft is is also very softest among the the three but it's very thick and you feel better while holding color wise it had lot of unique colors .its little dry in application also it;s prone to breakage while sharpening since its so soft.its now selling @ rock bottom price in amazon for 24 set @only $19.
I hope your doubt cleared!!!
+llanoda I think Sathish provided a very good and thorough answer to your questions. I would add that among the pencils outlined, I would always choose the Faber-Castell. They cost more, but they are simply better pencils. If you can afford them, buy them. :-)
+Sathish Kumar thank you so much! i really appreciate the time and i have decided 😉
+llanoda you are welcome!!!
+Owings Art thanks for helping me make a decision! whoaaa it was hard but im so happy and excited to try my nee polychromos 60 set
how about the color that is inside the pencil, i think there is a diference betwen the one that are circle and the ones that look like a pentagon , some onen told me that the ones that look like pentagon are a litle better tht the first ones, what can u say about that ?,
Hi saul parraga I'm not sure I understand your question? The, "pentagon" type pencils I think are watercolor if I understand your question.
Hi! Do you use a fixative on your Prismacolor or any colored pencil? I made art work for my future grandson coming in January in Prisacolor and not sure about using a fixative on it , so I was wondering what fixative do you use on your art work? i also starting in pastel so I love to know what you would recommend as a fixative.Thank you
Yes, I do. And you can use it safely on your pencil drawings, but follow the instructions on the can carefully and don't over spray your work. I use Krylon. Hope that helps.
I was on Amazon reading reviews and quite a couple of people said the tips broke easily and the pencils would split. Did that ever happen? I'm not sure about getting the pencils after reading those reviews
+Glitterfetti DIY Yes, the quality is not great with these pencils. You should watch my video for a good explanation and recommendation. :-)
In the beginning you said that prismacolor is not your first choice of color pencils, what is your first choice? I am looking for some really good pencils and prismacolor is on my list but you probably have more experiences with them so, yeah...
Thank you for sharing my video.
Hi GigglesBoingo - First choice is always Faber-Castell. Prismacolor has different lines of pencils, I use the Premeire line, which is wax based I believe.
Owings Art Thank you!! Your video was very helpful!
Thanks for the video! I am planning of buying watercolor pencils and non-watercolor pencils. Some of the people I know suggested this brand. Does one need the blender pencil for this brand? And did you try the Prismacolor sharpener too? Thank you.
Thanks for the question. I would not buy Prismacolor's myself. I buy Faber-Castell Polychromo's or Koh-I-Noor or almost any other brand.
Thanks for replying. Indeed, I think I am more persuaded to buy the Polychromos :) Would the 36 piece box suffice? I also saw the Lyra Rembrandt Aquarell Pencils. After watching your other video, I am also leaning towards buying that instead of the other watercolor pencils around such as the Art Grip ones...
Yes, the 36 set is a great set to start with and a good value because of the quality.
thank you!!! :D
Oh! I have a few old Eagle colored pencils!
This review is super interesting and it's really helping me choose which brand I want to try next... since now, I always used Stabilo watercolor pencils BUT I'm kinda tired of them and I want to try something different. Apart from quality, I need very vibrant colors... do you have any further advices to help me choose? thank you for your time :3
Hi Eva - Thank you for leaving a comment. I hope the reviews helped you make an informed choice. As for vibrant colors, Faber-Castell are very good, affordable pencils with good pigments for vibrant colors, however if you want the very best pencil manufactured in the world you could try Caran d'Ache which is a Swiss made pencil. They have different brands, but all of them are outstanding and very vibrant. Thanks again Eva - Great work on the body art you do as well. It was very, very cool.
Owings Art thank you very much for the advice :D I will make sure to look at Caran d'Ache first :) and thank you, facepaint is my first call but I recently returned to illustrations :) these are some of my latest works instagram.com/p/mADzd2xMR7/ considering the long hiatus, I'm kinda happy! XD anyway, thanks a lot again and have a great day.
Eva Di Martino - Very good work. Keep it up. I really liked the vibrancy and bright colors in your faces.
This is very helpful for me! I really want a package of prismacolour coloured pencils!
I like sooo much your reviews! Thanks a lot! I have this 72 colors set too. I was wondering if you had done a review about the Prismacolor Scholar 60 colors but did not find it here in your channel. Have you tried them? What do you think about this set? Greetings from Riooooooo
Cris Costa Ahhh muchas gracias Cris. No he hecho una revisión del Prisma Académico de, creo que podría ser lápices de grado de los estudiantes? Ni siquiera he visto venden aquí en los EE.UU., pero puedo estar equivocado. Voy a echar un vistazo para ellos. No consumo Prismacolors mucho más porque se hizo cargo de una compañía llamada Rubbermaid y la calidad se ha convertido en pobres. Saludos desde el norte grande. ;-)
Hi! I read somewhere in the internet that Prismacolor Scholar 60 colors set is used from art´s students on a budget. Since I like my Prismacolor Premier kit I was wondering if they are good of the price they charge. I saw them selling at Amazon site. By the way I love to buy painting materials at Amazon, they offer such a variation on products with good prices. Have a great day and thanks soooooo much for your attention and reply to my question. I hope I can watch all your videos when I have the time. Cheers from Rioooooooo! :)
Can you please tell me which colour pencil have the best quality because I need to buy some. Thank you.
Sure Miira - Try the Faber-Castell Polychromo's colored pencils. They are made in Germany and they are very, very excellent. ~Marty
Oh gosh I'm so confused what color pencils to buy.. since I'm in NY for vacation, I thought I might buy the prismacolors. But your saying that Caran d'ache is better & I'm from Switzerland lol.. I have the Caran d'ache luminance 6901 set of 36. It was so expensive, I could have bought the 130 set of prisma with that money. But its worth the money! I don't have so many color choices, so I think I'm going to buy the 150 set of prisma tomorrow in Blick store :)
fitnessmotivation Thanks for the note and for watching the video. Prismacolor are good pencils, but Caran d'Ache Luminance and Faber-Castell Polychromo's are great pencils in my experience. For the money, Prisma's are a good value and lot's of great artists use them so if you buy them you shouldn't be disapointed and you're in NY so why not enjoy yourself and spend some $. Good luck and happy drawing!
Owings Art Hi Owings Art! I just bought it! 150 set prismacolors for 175$ in Blick. Got it for sale! :D can't wait to try it out! Anyway you did a great review! I always check your review first, before I buy something! Have a blessed day!
fitnessmotivation That's really fantastic. Let me know how they work out for you. Thanks again, I really appreciate the feedback.
You mention in the video that Prismacolour is not your first choice for colored pencils. What is your first choice?
Flyball112 Thanks for the question Flyball112. My first choice for a great colored pencil is the very excellent Faber-Castell Polychromos. The FC Poly's are oil based and have rich pigments. They elevate the work and are my first choice for an all purpose pencil. If I had endless funds I'd be likely to choose the Caran d'Ache Luminance pencil, which is probably the worlds finest pencil.
Hope that helps! Have a fantastic day!
Nice review. Pretty informative and well delivered. Question though: I've heard the company has lowered its standard quality over the years in their prismacolor pencils and I'm wondering if this is true. Some noticed that the ones sold today are a farcry in quality than the earlier releases. Today's brand are so low in quality check and I fear I don't want to end up spending a small fortune on them. Any thoughts on this?
Thank you Jephthah - The company has been owned by Rubbermaid since 1995. Perhaps the qulaity has diminished noticably over the years. This could be because they are owned by a company with lots of interests and products and the focus isn't strictly on the pencil. The thing is, they do cost less then higher quality pencils like Caran d'Ache or Faber-Castell. I actually find the performance of the Prismacolor Premiere pencils very solid, especially for the price. Here's the bottom line, depending on your use:
1. If you want to balance price with quality, then Prismacolor Premiere are a good value.
2. If you want excellent quality and are willing to spend a bit more (about .25 to .50 cents per pencil) purchase Faber-Castell.
3. If you want really exceptional quality, try Caran d'Ache, but be prepared to pay a lot.
4. If you're just drawing for fun or to practice, buy a cheaper pencil like a store brand such as Dick Blick or Soho.
Hope that helps. Thanks for the question.
Wow. Thanks for the very informative answer! :D I'm having a hard time since many people say this and that and it confuses me. They say it's preference but I can't afford to buy all of them and test it for myself.
I'm not a professional artist but I draw as a hobby. I can draw pretty well and so I look for quality supplies that are good but doesn't cost much. I really appreciate your answer and I'm looking forward in your next activities. :)
Thank you Jephthah. I'm happy I could help. If you use the best you can afford that will be good enough. I've seen many fantastic drawings done with a very inexpensive #2 pencil. Good luck to you.
01 Asztronauta Thanks for the great question. In this case I used a Canson XL sketch book paper, which is great for mixed media as long as it's not too wet. Lately though I've been using some really great sketchbooks called Stillman & Birn (Zeta Series 180lb paper) which is AMAZING. Here is a link www.stillmanandbirn.com I use the ringed books.
Thank you for the answer, I'll definitely check out both papers. Have a great day!
01 Asztronauta Sure, anytime.
Thank you for this great review :) Someone else may have already asked this, but do you mind sharing what kind of paper is it you used here? Is it Stonehenge? I'm getting the full set of Prismas for Christmas, and I'm trying to figure out which paper is the best for heavy layering and realism. Thanks :)
Just saw that you dropped the rating down to 4.5-5 out of 10. Is there a particular problem with these pencils or did you find something you would recommend instead? Thanks.
+5898MJ Sure, and thanks for the question. As I mentioned in the video they were bought out by Newell Rubbermaid back in the mid-1990's and their quality has greatly suffered since that time.
Truly very good review....
Thank you Harshad. I appreciate you leaving a comment and for watching.
Owings Art
As a human, we are bound to appreciate good work!!
And that is what I have done!!
Let it be any brand of Pencil, if it is Good, it is always GOOD!!
Harshad
Thank you Shivam S.
Thanks for the Review. :) you are very help full
Thank you Nami for the kind comment and thank you for checking out my videos.
Hi Marty, I was going to buy some Derwent Coloursoft after reading your reply but, after watching this video and now learning that you and your Father prefer the Prismacolour Premier pencil and have done for years and years. I have done some searching and Amazon have a great deal on the pencils, this video has got me to think again and go for the Best.
The only concern about the pencils is that they can be a bit brittle! but that can be found in any pencil if it's abused! They can be bought singular so that problem can be solved.
Brilliant video, really enjoying your video's mate.
Take care.
+PENFOLD CARPER Hi Penfold - Before you buy Prismacolors you should know that they are NOT what they used to be when my Dad and I used them in the 1970's and 80's. In the mid-nineteen-nineties they were bought by a company called Newell-Rubbermaid, whose chief claim to fame was cheap chinese made high density polyethylene storage containers. They are a conglomerate whose main website homepage doesn't even mention Prismacolor anymore. Since the purchase of the Prismacolor brand, the quality has significantly diminished.
They aren't even close to what they used to be. Truth be told, I think they're a mediocre to lousy brand now and I have removed all but the old stock from my own art inventory. Most of their pencils are made in Mexico now, and although I've gotten many good products from Mexico, this isn't one of them. The thing is the company knows the product has poorer quality, but they want to save a few dollars by out-sourcing. I'd stick to Faber-Castell or Caran d'Ache, both companies are absolutely committed to quality. Same with Koh-i-Noor and a few other brands.
+Owings Art I've bought a few Prismacolor Premier open stock and I've found several with off centered leads/non matching wood casings. I 've a barely used box of Prismacolor Scholar made in Mexico and bought in Canada in Feb 2012 with less apparent issues than what can be bought open stock at present for the Premier like.
Gigi AR Hi Gigi - Sorry to hear about your experiences with Prismacolor, but not surprised at all unfortunately. - Marty
i actually only find good quality ones around me
I’ve used the Prismacolor for well over 23 years. They are my ‘go to’ brand and personally I swear by them and make use of them frequently in my art. The Caran d'Ache is perhaps the only brand I would consider superior, but then it is the ‘Rolls Royce’ of colored pencils market afterall and certainly has the price tag to prove it.
+Megan Lynn Hi Megan - Although the Premiere's are a step above the Scholars, they are among the worst Artist grade pencils on the market in terms of quality, IMO. At the time of this review three year ago, I thought they were pretty decent, but after using almost all the other brands of colored pencils (literally) and learning more about Prismacolor, I'd rate them no higher than a 6 now. Here's the thing, I used Prisma's in the 80's and they were some of the best pencils back then, but then the company was purchased by Newell-Rubbermaid in the 90's. It seems that corresponds with their rapid decline in quality. I find they break easy, chip easy and the quality of the pigments has diminished as measured in lightfastness. I think if you can find old stock, it makes much more sense then buying the new pencils. I agree Caran d'Ache are expensive, but then you get what you pay for in that case. Hope I haven't offended you with my take on Prismacolor's. Have a great week! - Marty
Owings Art
Not at all :) But whether or not that means I’ve just been fortunate enough to avoid most the problems I have been hearing about (or I’m just stubborn *lol* ) I can’t say. I have a lot of older stock though and older stock that I regularly purchase, and so that’s probably a no-brainer reason why. They’ve moved their operations to the new ‘China’ in Mexico and I know that certainly hasn’t helped their quality control. I tend to use mine in partnership w/ Caran d'Ache pencils and you are correct, sir. You will get what you pay for ...each and every bang of the buck and more. If there was a grade above ‘Artist’, it would be Caran d'Ache absolutely.
Megan Lynn Thanks for the reply Megan and I'm glad I didn't offend you with my opinion on Prisma's.
Owings Art, Sir i really pray you reply me soon. I currently want to buy me the best coloured pencil there is. i got shocked after i saw your current rating of Prismacolor premier in your video Please Sir, which brand would you recommend for me?
Hi Edike - I recommend the Faber-Castell Polychromo's colored pencils or the very nice but expensive Caran d'Ache Luminance. Thanks for the question. ~Marty
Owings Art thank you Sir
edike great Sure, anytime.
Thanks for a great review. I appreciate all your reviews and knowledge. Where would I find that sharpener? I've had an issue with sharpening and would like to get a 'good' sharpener.
Thanks.
Hi Denise Chapel Thanks for the note and kind comments. Yes for sure, you can get the sharpener at the link below and it's on sale. I use mine all the time and it's really great: www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001DKOQME/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B001DKOQME&linkCode=as2&tag=owiart-20&linkId=THHHXYDCUEXIBRKV
Thanks Marty! I will check this out! Keep enlightening us with your art and knowledge! Have a great day.
Denise Chapel For sure, thank you!
You said you could replace the blade. Where do you get the replacements? Blick has some for the Alvin Brass Bullet sharpener, but I didn't know if those would fit.
¡Hola!, ¿Cómo estás?, un saludo desde la ciudad de Barquisimeto, Venezuela. Mira, ¿Tú podrías hacer un video similar a este en donde tú das una explicación de qué es un "Cool Gray", un "Warm Gray" y un "French Gray"?, en los colores Berol Prismacolor en español los grises pardo serían el "Warm Gray" y los grises azulados seria el "Cool Gray".... En español no hay el equivalente para el "French Gray", por eso es que yo te estoy pidiendo que hagas ese video explicando esos colores. ¡Gracias!.
Chane Garcia Gracias por la nota que. Algún día voy a hacer un video que explica los grises, sin embargo es probable que haya una buena información en el Internet ya. Yo sugiero encontrar una rueda de color que acaba explians grises y sus diferencias. Sé que los grises y tonos de gris pueden variar mucho dependiendo del fabricante de lápices. Así que eso significa un Prismacolor gris podría ser diferente de un gris Faber-Castell. Buena suerte y gracias por la gran cuestión.
Owings Art¡Gracias por responder! :-)
Chane Garcia Sure. Have a great day!
Lol, I looked at some polls and it's Fabre Castell Polychromos as the most popular brand. Prismacolor came in 2nd.
Hi Audri - I'm little asurprised by that. Even though I prefer Faber-Castell Poly's to the Prismacolor's, I thought the Prisma's would actually come in bit lower on the list, like 4th or 5th. For example I rank colored pencils as follows: Caran d'Ache Luninance, Faber-Castell Polychromos, Derwent Colorsoft, Caran d'Ache Pablo, Cretacolor, Prismacolors Premiere, Lyra, Koh-I-Noor and then the retails store brands such as Blick and Utrecht.
I LOVE ALL UR VIDS SUUUU MUCH
Thank you very much. I appreciate the kindness.
Where colors pencils are made in? Mexico..?
Lenis C I believe some are made in Mexico and USA, but mostly in Asia now I think.
Thanks.
Lenis Revit Architecture I also use Revit. :-)
This is an old review and I went to your channel to see if you have an updated review. That is a pretty big jump from 8 to 5! I would say that this video is not good for anyone anymore as there is no reasoning for giving it a 5 rating anywhere in this video.. lol If I have missed your updated review I am sorry and would love a link because I must have missed it going to your channel. Thanks!
Hi Dawn - No they are still rated very, very low. And worse now than even several years ago. The quality is poor, the manufacturing is bad and the marketing is misleading. All reasons for the low ratings.
Right and you rated them and 8.5 out of 10 in this video and just have a pop up of your change in rating.. lol That is my point. In the description you even say "I give these colored pencils and 8 to 8.5 out of 10. Good value, vibrant colors, solid overall performance." With just a little pop up changing the rating but nothing in the video tells you why? lol The reasons you stated in the comment are good reasons but nothing in the video eludes to that but that one pop up that doesn't explain why? Are you planning to do an updated review on the huge change in opinion? I would love to see.
Great suggestion and you're right it deserves some explanation. I will try to do a follow up at some point. I appreciate your interest, very much. ~Marty
I have not had any problems with the Prismcolor pencils breaking And I use an electric pencil sharpener.
Hi Crystaltarot1 - Good to hear it. I've tried a number of sharpeners and they always seem to break pretty frequently for me. The casing also chip a bit easier than some of the other pencils I use, such as Derwent or Faber. I like the Premiere line though and use them often.
good video
Tip: When the lead of the pencil breaks so easily, use sharpeners like Dahle 133. Problem solved, believe me. Because you don't have any wrong pressure on the pencils. Since i used this kind of sharpeners i don't have anymore problems with breaking points on the Prisma's.
+Lymmetje D The Dahle looks like a crank sharpener which is okay with me, but I do NOT like machine sharpeners because they just eat pencils. I may have to give the Dahle a try based on your recommendation. Thank you! - Marty
+Owings Art The caran d'ache sharpener is the best but also very expensive. A big advantage of a crank sharpener is that it rasps the pencil so it is much more economical.
Lymmetje D I just ordered one. :-)
+Owings Art oh great. I really hope you tell me how you think about it. Oh and i love your reviews by the way
Lymmetje D :-)
+Owings Art hi !!!!!!!! im a huge fan I saw one video of yours and was so happy because other channels don't explain as well as you do! im only 11 and has not had much experience.......but im asking for those pencils for Christmas! and by the way not a hate comment but you said interwebs and now people say internet and im not being mean but for the future so no one makes fun of you! plz respond have a great day
Thank you so much for the note. Yes, you noticed I said, "interwebs", very good and perceptive. I actually say that word as a little joke, because of course it means the Internet as you pointed out. Well I hope you get your wish for Christmas and get the pencils. You'll have lots of fun using them. Please stop by my channel anytime and thank you for watching!
Thanks
Sanford owns sharpie and prismacolor
+Isabella Gutierrez Hi Isabella - Rubbermaid-Newell owns Sanford, so it's a bit hard to follow, but they are a conglomerate aka big company which holds other big companies. www.newellrubbermaid.com/OurBrands/Writing/Pages/Writing.aspx
I have the set of 48 and I'm nine years old.
+aishas channel Do you like them Aishas?
BAM!! ^^
Thanks Heidi. That's my bit.
Non-sequitur--but I like your voice :)
Thank you Rori, I think. :-)
Congrtuleis
Thanks, Marty for making this video. I especially like the part where you give tips on how to avoid pencil breakage. I sell Prismacolor Pencils on my website, and I get complaints every now and then about breakage. Here is the page that I posted your video:
www.prismacolorpencils.net/2014/03/prismacolor-colored-pencils-tin-of-12/
Hi Brenne - Thanks a ton for checking out the video and for posting it to your page. I checked out your site and it's awesome. I like the Prismacolor Premiere line of pencils, they're great.
Owings Art Thanks, Marty, for the compliment! :) I am going to check out your page as well.
Hi Brenne - A teacher of mine attended Pratt. Her name is Amy Sands.
LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOLLLLLLLLLLLL
Thanks for sharing Sky Watcher!
M😀
If you are thinking about buying Prismacolors be very carefull to check where they are produced. I just got a set of 24 pencils and was very disappointed, they did not blend well no matter what I tryed...I have cheap color pencils that blend better then this. I actually checked the box and the pencils are produced in Mexico....
I think they are all produced in Mexico.
+MissNausicaa87 Some are also produced in China now.
Poo
+Azad Dilek You don't like these?
+Owings Art Sorry, this was my cousin, These pencils are awesome got the 150 pack shipping in 4 Days UK.
Do you prefer these?
Azad Dilek No. The quality is poorer than expected for the price. I don't use them very much. - Marty
What pencils would 10/10?