Watch next: My NEW favourite budget pencil - BRUTFUNER! - th-cam.com/video/pg7nHYAv7AA/w-d-xo.html And my Holbein alternatives review - Comparing Pastelowe, Marco and other pastel colors against Holbein - th-cam.com/video/B22CIv93sqA/w-d-xo.html
Just a note on the strong smell. When goods are put into a shipping container for import from Asia, some countries (USA for certain and apparently AU as well) required that the container be fumigated at some point in an effort to prevent species that might prove to be invasive from being introduced. It might be a good idea to let new deliveries sit out open on the porch or something to off-gas before working with them indoors. All containers go through this, clothing, electronics. An insect or spider can hitch a ride on anything.
Anytime I have a pencil that breaks I dont keep sharpening. I put the pencil in a heating pad, turn it on high & let it sit in for about 15 or 20 mins. Take the pencil out & let it cool completely & sharpen. The pencil will no longer break!!
Thanks. Good to know. In regards to Marco Raffine here in the States they were definitely sold as oil based and they do behave as such. I am not a coloring book person and needed oil based because they work with watercolor pencils. But as far as I am concerned you cannot beat wax based when it comes to color saturation. Hence, my final layer usually consists of wax based. I do have some PC which are my go to when things didn't quite work out as I wanted them to. Hate to say it, nothing can beat PC for oomph.
Yes if we're talking breakage and we're talking Prisma colors that is definitely an issue however while I'm coloring if I have a point break and sharpen and break again I simply put them in the microwave for about 10 seconds if when buying a whole set you notice the first time you sharpen they all keep breaking I take that whole set put them on parchment paper on a baking sheet put them in the oven at about 120 to 140° for about 5 to 7 minutes seems to do the trick just fine Also I found it huge when and while you're coloring and or moving your pencils do not drop them do not plop them on the table take extra care and precaution and place them down on the table do not drop your pencils down. 😎😷 And as I consider myself new to adult coloring and have self-taught myself how to color within the last 3 years on TH-cam all the info I just gave I found all on TH-cam so anything you want to know about prismas you found the right place just as the right question of it
I agree. I use mostly watercolors now and I love using them, but I *hated* them as a kid because the sets I had barely had any pigments and the paper I used, which was just some basic sketching paper, always got destroyed by the water. And I will never forget those plastic brushes.
So not true. I only had pencil and cheap stuff but love to draw. I draw all the time growing up. Never got mad that my supply suck. I think if they love art they will always love art regardless if they have expensive or cheap supplies. It all about passion.
FINALLY someone who has brought up in a video the issue of Prismacolor pencils constant breaking. I quit buying them because of it and have not had luck with finding another brand till recently. I have started to get very fond of the Black Widow pencils. I just wish they had more colors. So I am so happy to have found this video. Thank you!
If you can afford them get them. Most of the tutorials online use either them or poly chromos. Alternative budget sets are ok but when everything is compared to the "standard" I usually go for the standard to learn and modify from there. 2 yrs ago I bought Prisma and now I have some lower-end and upper-end pencils. I still use Prisma all the time. They are my calibration set; everything else is compared to them. Also, I have done a ton of tutorials with them so I have learned their color line and now when I get a new set I can also figure it's color schemes fast as well because I can say, "this is like "whatever" in Prisma and I can use it for "fill in the blank"
One reason why pencils break is because we are used to turning the pencil in the manual sharpener. I learned from one colored pencil company to turn the manual sharpener and hold the pencil still. As weird as this seemed to me, it really made a difference. They also said to keep the pencils in the tin and not knocking around into each other in a pencil cup, which breaks the core inside the wood.
I agree, i use that small silver single blade sharpener, hold the pencil still and gently turn the sharpener. I agree with you on banging the pencil in a cup. I leave mine in a big flat box, they don't bang around. I really haven't had a lot of breakage, I'm not sure if its how the individual handles the pencil?
I’m so glad that you discovered how the Castle Arts pencils in the case smell. I bought a set for my grandson for Christmas and opened them to check them. That smell, which reminded me of a strong crayon odor, really put me off. In my experience, I’ve never smelled that on any other pencils. I returned them to Amazon and bought my grandson his very own set of Prismacolors. He loves them.
The smell did fade quite quickly after opening. They don’t smell at all anymore. But I would have chosen the Prismacolors over them anyway! I just bought a set of Prismacolor for a family member for Christmas too.
I really dislike the smell too from the one I got. And since I keep them in the original tin case, the smell stays forever... I also think some of the colors don't perform as well as the other in the set, mainly the yellows. They are just not as soft and blendable. I really wished I have brought the Arteza set instead. They run good sales year round and everything else I have bought from them so far exceeds my expectation.
I just watching this video three years later and I actually thought it was a one off thing. Although I am brand new to art and coloring I have watched several videos reviewing colored pencils. I just returned my castle arts set to Amazon because of the smell. I let the pencils air out and it was still strong. I am not sensitive to scents at all, however this stench felt as though it was in the back of my throat. I already ordered the Prismacolor 48 pack. I had a hard time choosing between the prisma, the the small 30 pack of Caran D’ache, or the 36 Faber Castel polychromo’s. I figured the prisma’s would be better for a beginner.
I have some of Faber Castell's student quality merchandise (watercolor pencils and watercolor crayons) and found them to be quite good. I have some Polychromos which I bought way back before they became too expensive for my pocket book.
I have the Goldfaber and they are a very nice set. The only thing I'm not a fan of is that they don't have color names on the the pencils. But they do come with a color card.
An old art teacher of mine once used to make us put a tally on our folder every time we dropped a pencil (we had to use the pencil we dropped to make the tally). And the conclusion was the ppl like myself always dropping crap dealt w a lot more breakage than ppl. Made me hyper aware of how I handle my art supplies now especially my pencils and I rarely deal w breakage. Whether it’s a coincidence or in my head idk. But also my theory is if they break a lot straight out of the case it’s Bc the factory, shipping, manufacturing ppl whoever where tossing em around not realizing they’re shattering the lead inside the casing. 🤷♀️ I have also noticed my pencils that come in cylinders have less breakage, for some reason tin w plastic trays break the most in my experience, again blaming shipping and stores for that.
I don't know why but in the UK it just seems impossible to get prismacolor premiers and all of my online social media colouring groups rave about them. I'm glad that you did this video because I have been struggling with the spectrum noir pencils for a while and wanting a change. I have just purchased some Arteza to see if I get on with them better. You are still the first artist to inspire me to get my colouring pencils out; I am an alcohol markers gal usually!!
I think I got mine from Amazon. I have some Polychromos too and some Spectrum Noir. I like the softness of the SN tbh as I like the creaminess of Prismacolor. I like the Polychromos but prefer a softer pencil.
Thanks for the comparison, it's always good to see how they stand up against each other! I used the standard Faber Castell Watercolour pencils before getting a set of 72 Marco Raffine, which opened a whole new world. I used the Marco Raffine for a long time before I could afford a 36 set of Faber Castell Polychromos (which I loved) then finally could afford a set of 150 Prismas. I still pull the MR's out and am never afraid to let the kids use them. I must admit it did take me a while to get used to how the Prismas work after using the MRs and Polychromos. I use my Prismas most these days just because of the variety of colours (I'm lazy these days when it comes to mixing).
i'm using an eye makeup pencil sharpener, the pencils never break. the seller gave me one as a free gift. makeup pencils are also soft, so it makes sense.
This is what I do with the ones that repeatedly break in sharpeners! It's also how I save lead when I need a sharper point but the pencils isn't really down to a nub worth sharpening.
Thanks Sarah for this review. A few additional thoughts though: 1) Let's keep in mind that this is about matching Prismacolors and their garish colors. Not everybody likes overburnished pictures (I don't) so this is a review on getting very saturated colors, again, not to everybody's taste. 2) I really get the feeling that Castle Arts didn't get a fair trial, probably because these pencils are more suited to drawing and coloring as opposed to "trying to make colored pencils look like paint". I really don't understand what all that commotion about the smell comes from. I have the most sensitive nose ever and I can hardly smell anything, or at least nothing I could find even remotely disturbing. 3) Nothing is said about the kind of paper Sarah has used. See review of Castle Arts pencils in Bruno Art Gallery's channel on proper paper - completely different. 4) Wax build-up IS a huge issue. 5) Arteza Expert pencils are better quality than those showed here. Not that cheap either... 6) What about color ranges? Marco Raffinés are exceptionnally well-designed in this respect, Arteza not so much. even the 120 set is relatively poor in pinks and skin tones, few pastel colors. 7) What about Guang Hui (Brutfuner, Laconile, etc.)?. These will give you huge bang for your bucks. 8) Back to Prismas. They are the easy way out since a 5 year-old can blend them easily but I really wish they hadn't become such a standard. They are OVERPRICED, especially in France, quality has rocketed down and people only want them or similar results. Give me Polychromos any day. These ARE quality pencils. And let's root for quality and variety!
Thanks for the feedback! I considered including more in my review, but with so much time already, I didn’t want to make this video any longer, so I’ll be including some of these details (like color range and how they perform on different types of coloring) for a later video where I’ll be comparing 20+ pencils side by side. 1) In this case, my goal was really aimed at matching the features of Prismacolors... and I agree, not everybody likes them. So in some cases, you may prefer some of these other brands that are less buttery or less vibrant. You can also choose to apply less color, or burnish less. My test just shows the possibility of bold colors for those who are looking for it with the Prismacolors. 2) I’ll give the Castle Art pencils more of a go too. Obviously it’s hard to compare fully in just a few minutes, so I plan to try using them more before my next video. The smell was horrible when I first opened them, but has faded now almost completely (about a week later). 3) Regarding paper, I am a Derwent coloring pencil pad. It’s a thicker stock with tooth, intended for colored pencils.
4) this depends on if you are just a hobby colorist, practicing as a beginner, or working on something you really want to showcase. 5) The prices I listed for Arteza ARE the Expert pencil prices, even though I used the Premium pencils for the test. I’d love to try some expert pencils to see the difference, but on Amazon the company said the only difference was the shape. 6) I’ll talk about color ranges in my upcoming video 😊 7) I hadn’t heard of these! Good to know there are some other good quality, affordable options. 8) I agree. This is why this video is aimed at showing that there are alternatives to Prismacolor. But comparing Polychromos is another thing again- wax vs oil pencils is a whole new topic I’ll cover in the future! Thanks for all the feedback
@@SarahRenaeClark Your channel is great. It's the Prismas - and the style they seem to be imposing on everybody - that I'm fed up with ;-). Keep up the good work. :-)
Prismas are unfortunately the Chevy of colored pencils. They used to be a VERY solid brand, basically the American gold standard. Then they moved manufacturing to Mexico, and their quality shot down. They remain popular in North America over Polychromos though, due to the price here. E.g. The 150 set of Prismacolors set me back $140 Cdn with free shipping on Amazon.ca, but the Polychromos would cost about $270 for the 120 set plus $10 shipping. And they are harder to find in general - my local crafts store carries all the Prisma sets up to 72 as well as the themed sets and every pencil open stock; but only has the Goldfaber pencils from Faber-Castell and not the Polychromos at all. I have to order Polys online - I got the 24 set and they are nice, but I can skip on "$280 nice" for now. Meanwhile, I can replace any Prismacolor pencil from my set by walking 10 minutes to the store.
I've been using Crayola and its so frustrating, it feels like I have to go over the same parts 10 times for the color to be opaque enough. Finally switching!! 🥳👍
@@SarahRenaeClark At last finally an artist that mentions Brutfuner! My daughter is 14 and has a definte gift in art. I brought her a Brutfuner set to start off with last year and what attracted me to them was their massive choice of 180 colours and their v cheap price. They are also watercolour pencils, so versitile and I was v pleased with them for the price and quality. After being satisfied that she wants to take her art abilities further and has chosen art for a GCSE subject and already wants to study it for A Level. Then after watching your comparison of the top adult professional coloured sets on the market, last Christmas I brought her Caran D'ache Luminance and Pablo pencils. My daughter saved up £100 towards their price and I paid the rest. Previously we were considering Polychromos and Prismacolor. But thanks to your video, my daughter and I knew she would get far too angry and frustrated with Prismacolor. Again, thank you so much, as Caran D'ache, although so v expensive, we are glad we purchased these as they are such high quality and a pleasure to draw with. Also although v expensive to first buy, replacement pencils are relistically affordable, as you do not need to replace all of them in one go. So again we are so grateful for your professional expertise and advice. Thank you so much.
I have several brands of coloured pencils including Arteza, which I really like. The only downside with these pencils - and most of Arteza's product range - is this: they are available in sets only. Whether it's paints, pens, pencils, etc - you can't buy singles! I think this is really important as I certainly will not be buying a complete new set every time I run out of a certain colour! I did contact Arteza about this and they are hoping to offer this option at some point, but when - I don't know. If this rule applies to any brand or art product, I really feel it should be mentioned in product reviews. Great video with excellent tests. Thank you so much!
That’s a great point! I’m doing a huge review soon with all the different pencil brands and plan to include this, because it’s definitely an important consideration
I have said this often: it is not cost effective to purchase pencils in sets where they are not available open stock. Even for beginners or those financially restricted, it doesn’t pay. Better to buy a few primary colours and blend. Many have found out they end up having half a box of pencils left over,while their most used colours are worn down with no chance of replacement unless buying another box. Adore your uke by the way.
I think it works if you’re happy to mix brands, but otherwise I agree. The cost to replace a whole set for the few popular colors isn’t worthwhile in the long run
For all of my soft core pencils (including colored pencils and even softer graphite pencils) I use an adjustable pencil sharpener that leaves more of the casing on while still getting the lead sharp and makes it look like it did when it came out of the package. Also I was taught in art class to make sure you don't drop them that will cause the lead to crack inside the casing - which is lame but it is what it is.
I did lots of research and got the oil-based Brutfuner 120 ($35) & Deli 120 ($28) as Polychromos dupes. Schpirerr Farben is also great, but I'm waiting for them to go on sale. As for Prismacolor dupes, I bought Colleen 120 ($59). They're as soft as Prisma, but a bit sturdier lead. Black Widows' full sets of 144 pencils end up costing way more than Prismacolor in the long run. Arteza are a good dupe, but still very pricey for their 120 set. For another $10, you could get Prisma 150 for the same price. Castle Art, Creyart, Shuttle Art, Soucolor, Soundance, Cool Bank, etc. all come from the same factories. Crayola 120 is the cheapest out there and is going to be my next set, mainly bc of its color variety & nostalgia. After that, no more. I'm trying not to turn into an addict lol.
The trick with Arteza is to sign up to their mailing list, and wait for one of their regular promotions (e.g. Black Friday, Christmas, Boxing Day, Easter, Halloween...). Combine that with one of their promo codes (e.g. currently, CART15) as well as redeeming any rewards from joining their mailing list and previous purchases, and their prices come down tremendously: my last set of their 120 colouring pencils cost less than £27.
I am glad you demonstrated how different papers affected the colour of the pencil. I have learnt to match the pencil to the paper. I swatch at the back of every paper I use with all my pencils. The paper is the most important supply to achieving good artwork. Try using Crayola pencils on different paper types and you will amazed at how differently they perform.
Teal's actually my favourite color too. I've started swatching the full blue-green range of any art supplies i buy first just because I love looking at the color. Until I found your channel I'd actually never met anyone else whose favourite color was teal so I thought that was kinda cool. Love the video as always!
Thank you Sarah! I went ahead and asked my kids for the Prisma Premier for Mother’s Day, they are adults! And..... I love them! My favorite part is their blending ability for shading! They make me feel like an artist! Thank you for your series.
Its great that Prismacolors are cheap for you, but in the states, their prices are through the roof! Thank you for doing this comparison! Its great to know what product to go to!
As someone who bought a basic Crayola set just to get started and am looking forward to when I get frustrated by seeing what other people are doing that is super hard for me... I appreciate this video so much. Got the Arteza set in my wishlist waiting for that day!
Great comparison test. I do love my Prismas and Arteza and I agree with you, Black Widow would be my next choice. I really like their colors and they do blend well. Being the pencil addict I am, I just purchased Castle Art and are awaiting their arrival. I wanted to try then out and Castle Art had them on sale for 35% off, so I though it would be a good time. However, trusting your reviews, they may be yet another pencil to hand down to my grandkids. Time will tell. Thanks for another great video!
I decided to take a deep dive in to the arteza line not long ago and was incredibly surprised. For the price I feel you get great quality pigment. What they do lack is quality control. But their customer service is great.
As usual I love your site all the love, time and care you put into your videos , thank you so much, you were one of the first sites I found when I started coloring and I always check what you have to say before I purchase anything. Keep up the good work!
I came to the opposite conclusion when I compared the Arteza and Castle Art. The Castle Art doesn't break, doesn't bloom, blends great, and look better to me than the Arteza. But I also like Polychromos and they feel more like the Polychromos while Arteza feels more like Prismacolor. Maybe the smell just threw you when it came to the Castle Art.
I purchased a 36 color set of Prismacolors and new Prismacolor Premier sharpener. Much breakage resulted. Changed brands and breakage stopped but one day iit started to happen again. This time I read up on it and learned something was probably wrong with the new sharpener. I bought a helical electric sharpener and all breakage stopped. Even started to use my Prismacolor set again (what was left of it) with no breakage. Six months later and I still have no breakage. Buy a helical electric sharpener.
I purchased Castle Art because of the case, figured that cases aren’t cheap, pencils are OK but not magic however I had NO smell with mine. I have the Marcos and they are great, the are oil based. I have the polys and the prismas and use the cheaper sometimes as under coating to preserve the expensive ones. I was lucky with my Prismas purchased at Blick’s, no breakage and no sharpening problems and to be truthful I was apprehensive on buying. Blick told me if I had a problem with a pencil to just bring it in and they would replace it, can’t beat that. As my Castle art get used I believe I will replace them with the spider cases, Black Widow....looking forward to seeing you test those. The Marcos will be replaced with the more expensive Marcos. Holbeins are out of my budget.....so playing anyway. Thank you.
I think it’s a clever idea to layer the cheaper pencils under the more expensive ones. And it’s good to know that the cases didn’t smell for everyone else! That’s so weird that it happened for mine. The smell is gone now, thankfully.
Love your channel. What I have found that works really well to increase the vibrancy of the Crayola colored pencils are to dip the tip in Vaseline. Im working on a video now to highlight how well this works.
If you're in the UK, WHSmith's own brand of pencils are really great if you're on a tight budget. They're better than Crayola and other pencils in a similar price range. I paid just over £10 for a set of 48 and I was really surprised by how well they performed. The downside is there's only 48 colours, but they blend very well.
I've just recently learned how to properly use colored pencils for adult coloring! I only have Crayola right now but I'm definitely going to look into getting a set of Arteza Pencils soon!
I like the Arteza pencils, and have used them along with my Prismas and even with Fabers. Unfortunately, some of the really pale colors are just like coloring with a birthday candle - they are just that waxy. One of the best examples of a totally soft, buttery pencil are the Derwent drawing pencils. They are restricted in range and are more expensive, but the white is the absolute best for highlights.
I've only owned one set of Prismacolors that have constantly broken and they were the ones I kept in my backpack and took to school (a 48 set I think I got from Walmart). My 150 set (I haven't sharpened all of them, but most of them, I might add) and almost all of my open stock pencils I've never had an issue with breakage. I think it depends on where you get them from, how rough you are with them and what sharpener you use. I use an electric sharpener (mine is X-Acto brand) exclusively for the majority of my colored pencils other than the ones that don't fit like the Luminance pencils and most Derwent pencils (Polychromos pencils do fit just fine though!). I've experienced significantly less breakage in general using the electric sharpener than any handheld ones. Also my pencils I've bought in store or from Amazon or eBay have been more prone to breakage than the ones I've purchased from Blick or other online art retailers because they simply package everything better when they ship it. I worked retail for years and I can assure you that the employees don't care if they drop something, and they're very rough with the pallets. My 150 set I did purchase from Amazon, but it was packaged very well (thank you to whoever the seller was). So, as long as you're buying them from somewhere that will package them well in shipping, use a better sharpener and are gentle with them and don't drop or jostle them around, they're less likely to break. My 48 set that broke all the time was extremely frustrating to use though. I saw someone say they warmed their pencils before sharpening again when they break, and I think that's something I'll have to try on that very broken set lol. I understand why people don't like the breakage, I wish Prismacolor would use a better casing, I know some people would be upset if they raised their prices but I personally would rather pay a little more for a nicer cased pencil that won't break on me than keep things as they are currently. I absolutely love my Prismas though and I'd never trade them, they're just so easy to use, bright, come in gorgeous colors and have a good size range of colors to pick from that I've never felt was lacking in any particular hue unlike some other artist brands. Anyways, I hope that my tips were helpful not to get broken Prismas and help stop them from breaking. They aren't fool proof, obviously, but they do make a difference.
I just got the Arteza and I'm having an easier time than with the Prisma, so not just the 30 seconds. And the Raffine I would use WITH the Prisma- so I'm not surprised the mixing went well. But if you want the Prisma to look barely there but still want color below it I use that mixture.
I use Arteza professional color pencils and I am pleased you agree that they are a good substitute for Prismacolor and I think the difference is the packaging as the others come in a tin and the shape and barrell
Fantastic video! I can't remember if I mentioned it to you already but along with CdA Luminance, imo the Uni Posca are the closest pencil to Prismacolor in terms of how buttery and easily blendable they are. They are certainly expensive though and don't have many colours, which are big downsides. You can get them in singles so it might be worth grabbing a few for your next video just to see how well they compare xx
I love the Posca pencils, they work on so many undergrounds, even on wax pastels. And turn up great on black, be it paper, acrylic or marker. I actually like the small colour range, less stressful to choose colours.
I just purchased my prismacolor premier 150 set, have not had any breakages. Its nice to find a set that, is good quality. Ialso have the castle 72 and 120 set, and blick 72 set very good pencils.
Just starting to work on coloring my drawings and I’m glad I found your video! I’ve never really colored before out of fear of ruining my pieces. I was going to go for prismacolor but after watching I think I’ll go for the Arteza instead! Thank you for the great video and saving me some money
Thank you for this video! I started coloring books with markers but switched to pencils for finer details. I've been looking for a color pencil set that gives the same brightness that markers give. However, I'm such a casual/beginner user that I can't justify buying the professional sets. I've gone through the Crayola, Raffine, castle art, and the Prismacolor brands over the years. The Prismacolor does the best. I have an old set of Prismacolor and have been looking to supplement/replace them but the recent reviews mentioning a reduction in quality from a change in production facilities have scared me to looking for alternatives. Searching online what's out there is overwhelming and this video helped a lot to narrow it down. I'm going to try the Arteza set. Thanks you again!
If you liked Prismacolor in the past, stick with Prismacolor. The bad reviews are somewhat exaggerated. The main “lack of quality” is an increase in breakage, and it’s not as common as some people make it sound.
As soon as I got my prismacolors, I used my heat tool to very gradually heat the pencils in small batches, rolling them as I went, then I let them cool completely. I've never had a problem with breakage. I keep Crayolas to use when I just want to color in a book (I use my prismas for card making and art journaling). I will definitely get arteza as a backup set. Thanks for doing this! *love your tshirt!*
@@caroxgrl16 i used my embossing heat tool. The one I had then only had 1setting, so very hot. I placed 10 at a time on a towel and held the heat tool about a foot above, and just moved it all around for about a couple minutes or so, and rolled the pencils as I went to make sure I heated all of it.. Then, I put them carefully aside, on another towel, to let them cool down while I did the next batch. A hair dryer would work, it just might take a little longer. I read that if the pencils are dropped at any point, they could break inside the casing. This would likely be the reason they break so much when sharpening. Heating them helps melt and reform the pencil inside the casing. That's what I read anyway :) Try a few at a time and use your own judgment with whatever tool you have and good luck!
I just bought some crayola signiture pencils and I was very pleased with them. In my opinion, and granted I'm just a beginner, they blend very well and I enjoy coloring with them.
I love my Polychromos and Prismas (but not as much) but I have to admit I do appreciate a less expensive option. One reason cheap pencils are cheap is lack of color saturation. The pigments are probably the most expensive thing in the pencil (especially the metallics) really cheap pencils have a much higher percentage of wax binder which just leads to wax bloom that much faster. Alwo the wood body of the pencil really needs to be a quality material. My two favorite lower cost pencils are most likely Cretacolor from Austria and Art Grip from Faber Carell. Both are available in regular and water color variety. While do coloring for enjoyment I never work on actual coloring pages. I will either scan the actual page and print on heavier paper. Or I find images on line and work from them. There are tons of actual coloring images on line. But I actually prefer to work from photographs or paintings. I'm not selling my stuff so I'm not worried about copyrights. But I was doing the Fantastic Cities and Structures a couple of years ago and I did by the books. One reason I do hot like to use the actual book pages is if I mess up I can always start over. I also do some work in scale models built with cardstock and chip board (like on the backs of writing pads). Same advantage. As a lot of them are digital I can always start over. As a side note. Probably the first widely available precision mass manufactured item in the world is the humble wooden pencil. People really do not have a concept of just what the level of precision is needed to manufacture pencils. Plus the 'lead' in the common pencil we use today is the result of the first government sponsored materials research project to find a replacement for a naturally occurring material. There is a book called "The Pencil" by Henry Petroski that covers the history of subject.
I started reading your comment and thought it would be cool to chime in about Henry Petroski's "The Pencil", then scrolled down to see that you already recommended the book! Always fun when different interests intersect, in this case engineering and high-end art supplies.
That T-shirt.. SoOo cute lol Thank you for sharing your thought and recommendation ❤️🙏 if there will be less complaining on the case smell and tin noise I'd enjoy it even more.
Great video. It's good to help people see the way different budget pencils compare. The Castle Arts do smell bad, but it soon fades if you leave the case open. For me the Marco Rafine, a very early set, smell much worse and still do a bit. I too like Crayola Signature, but some of them do break easily. Good colours though and blend well.
This was a well done video, thank you! I’ve started doing art again, after a very long time and to my surprise I had no idea that there was 3 types of coloring pencils, not 2. I’m still torn between wax based and oil based, so I am creating some sketches to get a better feel. What I would love to know about coloring pencils in particular is how to start off from a beginners level to a more advanced level. I look forward to watching as many as your videos as possible
I love prismacolor ...especially the colors. I have to confess I use FC polys, CD lum for my commission work. Light fastness matters when you are selling your work. But whenever I can (if doing prints and keeping original artwork) I use Prismacolor. Very interesting...I may try some of the others you test for prints. Thanks!
Your combination is basically the same I use for my work. FC, CD and Prisma are my 3 go-to pencils for most of my art. I’ve got a few other videos comparing those too. I don’t own many Polychromos yet but I’m hoping to get the big set when I reach 100k subscribers!
Thank you! I can finally make a decision! I feel confident in your assessment, along with a couple of others. I wish I could afford Prismacolors even with the breakage even though that's what bothers me the most! LOL I bought an off-brand budget set and they are crumbly and frustrating so I'm going to use them as my backup because of the extra color options it may still offer. Thank you!
I absolutely love my Arteza pencils. I was wondering if you sharpened all the pencils before you used them. I know the black widows worked better after sharpening them. I was also wondering if you could compare the Amazon Basics 72 count. I have heard they are comparable to Prismas as well with just a little less pigment. To fix that red Prisma that keeps breaking try a kum sharpener, that thing has saved quite a few of mine.
I used a few straight from the box but didn’t like the way they were sharpened as much as when I resharpened them myself, so I started doing this for the rest, even though it wasted a bit of extra pencil. It just felt a little nicer!
Thank you so much for this video. Your comparison videos are always very helpful. I'm definitely a little tired of my Crayolas and was hoping to find a better quality pencil for a decent price. I'm going to go with the Arteza 48 set.
I use both Arteza & prisma pencils. I seriously recommend Arteza for me they are the closest to prisma & have some beautiful unique colours I highly recommend them
I really appreciate your videos! After Prismacolor started to manufacture their pens in Mexico, I have noticed more breaking. The lead is often not centered in the casing, as they used to be.
Good job, like the way you laid out your review colouring page. The castle art pencils look exactly like my Color-it set. Same case, same pencil shape and end dipped colours.
I realize your video is three years old, but since I've only just found and watched it, it's new for me 😊. I have Castle Arts colored pencils, and I have a love/hate relationship with them. They break too much for me... when I sharpen them... drives me nuts. I can't stand the wax buildup when I'm trying for a darker pigment neither. I would like to try Prismscolor, as I like how vivid their colors are, but don't like that they break easily... plus the price. I think I'm going to try the Arteza soft core, which I've been looking at for a while now anyway, and your test convinced me even more to try them. I liked the colors and blending ability of the Crayola Signature pencils, but again, the breaking problem. Seriously, colored pencil companies really need to get a handle on the breaking problems. With so many technologies available, there's really no excuse for it. Anyway, thanks for doing this video. It was really helpful! ~Cat
I have most of the pencils here and more. The breaking is caused by the difference in sharpeners. I havent broke one in a long time and they are all good pencils depending on what look you're after as I get bored with the same look over and over. That's why I own so many brands oil and wax and never buy them according to price but what they actually do.
I completely agree, the sharpener is the key! My go to portable sharpener that never fails me is the, M+R brass colored, bullet shaped hand sharpener with the all important, German stainless steel blade. Something about the German blades, they cut through the wood and lead easily. The best one to use at home is the Derwent Superpoint, it is a hand cranked sharpener housed in a metal body. Also a thing little metal KUM brand sharpener, I purchased in a Prismacolor toolkit that included a pencil extender, colorless blender, ebony pencil, gum eraser, along with the nondescript sharpener. This was not the terrible sharpener in the black plastic container, marked Prismacolor. Secondly, I put the Prismas in a hard shell like ”travel” case, which I initially didn't like, but the case has protected my Prismas from any damage. I never changed the case out after my trip as I initially intended. It's been years since I have broken a pencil.
The T-gaal pencil sharpener is the best one I own. The Kum ones are also pretty good. The T-gaal is great because you can choose the length of your point. I find if you keep the point short the breakage is never an issue. Plus with the more expensive pencil brands this also saves every precious bit of the pencil.
I like my prisma colors, and the black widows,all of them, faber castell polychromos, derwent colorsoft and the watercolor, castle art. I will have to try the newer Crayola. I enjoy most pencils but some are more pleasurable to use than others. I want to try arteza. Black widow darker color sets are better. I love your videos. Thank you so much for sharing ❤️
Prismacolor pencils are hard to get in Holland, but Derwent lightfast is now popular in Holland and available everywhere in a box or per unit. I missed these in your alternatives.
I didn’t include them because they are much more expensive in the USA and this video was aimed at cheaper options- but I do have a set of Derwent Lightfast ready to test out for my next video!
Thank you. I'm very much a beginner in this. A store near me has a Arteza Professional set of 72pk for $32.99. I'm very happy I can get a decent set for under $50.
Not sure if anyone mentioned this, but if you use a grinder pencil sharpener the prisma pencils don't break as much. I'm very picky about my sharpener that I use with them. I never use the bladed sharpener because they tend to break more. I've had mine for years without much breakage when sharpening them.
I have the crayola signature 50 pack and they have not broken on me yet when sharpening. I don't know If I just got a good set or just been lucky. They have been great and I have been loving them almost better than my prisma color scholar set. Just started watching your videos and been loving the knowledge.
Thanks for the heads up on the smell! I’m a hyper-smeller. I’ve thrown out things that smell bad simply because of their smell! Your channel is absolutely the best!
I have a 72 set of Arteza professional, that is, round barrels (don't like and can't use odd shaped pencils -- arthritis in hands. . . ). I agree they are a lot like Prismacolor, but less feeling they are going to break. Hold a decent point. I love the colors and the vibrancy, too. I wish the 72 set had some good light warm neutrals, like ivory, wheat, champagne, buff, sand, you get the idea. Also, there are a few Prismaco!ors I love that Access needs to add: the black grape, black cherry, black raspberry, and ginger root, which is incredibly useful. I heard they were not water fast. I can't see that, don't know what that means. They are soft, waxy and just a bit harder, so you can get a better point for detail. Beautiful colors.
I personally really love my Arteza pencils. They are really good quality, and even over my several years of owning them I still love them. They have blended and layered well on a ton of different paper types over my course of using them. I got a set of their watercolor pencils as well and I was incredibly surprised with the quality. I bought another set for a fellow artist of mine who was frustrated with crayola and wanting to improved. I gave him a set and he was immediately in love.
im definately going to order some arteza now. I have the 150 Prisma Colour set from when I was in school for Interior Design 15 years ago. I am so frustrated using them as half the time I end up with one that is total garbage, broken every half cm so you cant use it at all, and so i dont colour as much as i would like becuase its more frustrating then relaxing. having said that I am not blaming Prisma Colour on the extream breakage, I have moved 8 times since i bought them, they have been knocked about, my kids have dropped them (no they arent allowed to use them but some times ill let them do so when I am colouring with them...) AND they not longer have the individual trays but are just out in about in the tin. I have wanted to get another set of pencils to replenish my colours but wanted to try something different. Thanks for the video!
Some of these are good pencils but I wouldn't call them budget other than the Crayola here in Australia. The Black Widow are good as they are available in the smaller sets. Arteza are as expensive as Prismacolor, Castle Arts are not far behind.
They are not “budget” at a level of Crayola, for sure. But compared to the usual artist-quality brands available here in Australia, they are more affordable. My set of Caran D’Ache (in my last video) were 5x the price of my Prismacolors! And each of these pencils were cheaper than the Prismacolors, even for me to get here in Australia. So while they aren’t the lowest budget, they are low to mid range- my next few videos will compare them against some of the higher level brands too so you can really see how they all compare in price and quality, and I’ll have a thorough comparison on my website. I might even include some Australian pricing and links!
@@SarahRenaeClark Arteza are nearly the same price as Prismas at the moment. You do get 150 not 120 but not significant. I understand you are talking to mainly an American market but it sort of rubs our noses in it lol.
@@ellietodd393 Artezas were actually a few cents more per pencil when I checked about two weeks ago. I commented on their IG asking why their prices have gone up so much. Didn’t get a reply of course🙄 But I was really shocked at their prices.
Really great review. I have Prismacolor Student, Castle Arts and Black Widow Skin along with Blick for greys. Blicks are buttery, others are fairly hard. Would be interested in how these blend with solvents vs burnishing. That would be a great review too.
+Catherine Jabolin I didn’t end up finding any Brutfuner pencils in time, but I’ve heard good things about them! I will be comparing some other oil pencils in 2 weeks
Thank you for this comparison! Very helpful. Myself I use the Polychromos but I will be giving my budding artist son a box of Artiza since they really seem like the next best option. I would love to see a watercolor pencil comparison if possible. Cheers!
Watch next: My NEW favourite budget pencil - BRUTFUNER! - th-cam.com/video/pg7nHYAv7AA/w-d-xo.html
And my Holbein alternatives review - Comparing Pastelowe, Marco and other pastel colors against Holbein - th-cam.com/video/B22CIv93sqA/w-d-xo.html
have you tried the Derwent Procolour Colour Pencils you have the best of both worlds because they are wax and oil based
Just a note on the strong smell. When goods are put into a shipping container for import from Asia, some countries (USA for certain and apparently AU as well) required that the container be fumigated at some point in an effort to prevent species that might prove to be invasive from being introduced. It might be a good idea to let new deliveries sit out open on the porch or something to off-gas before working with them indoors. All containers go through this, clothing, electronics. An insect or spider can hitch a ride on anything.
Mam can u make a video of testing all the best color pencil for drawing
please try brustro they're very affordable so id like to see how they compare in terms of quality
@@singhnandini2009 oooh ok
Anytime I have a pencil that breaks I dont keep sharpening. I put the pencil in a heating pad, turn it on high & let it sit in for about 15 or 20 mins. Take the pencil out & let it cool completely & sharpen. The pencil will no longer break!!
Thanks. Good to know. In regards to Marco Raffine here in the States they were definitely sold as oil based and they do behave as such. I am not a coloring book person and needed oil based because they work with watercolor pencils. But as far as I am concerned you cannot beat wax based when it comes to color saturation. Hence, my final layer usually consists of wax based. I do have some PC which are my go to when things didn't quite work out as I wanted them to. Hate to say it, nothing can beat PC for oomph.
How about microwave,is it the same as ur heating pad ?
Huh...That’s a great tip! Thanks for sharing. I will definitely try this.
Yes if we're talking breakage and we're talking Prisma colors that is definitely an issue however while I'm coloring if I have a point break and sharpen and break again I simply put them in the microwave for about 10 seconds if when buying a whole set you notice the first time you sharpen they all keep breaking I take that whole set put them on parchment paper on a baking sheet put them in the oven at about 120 to 140° for about 5 to 7 minutes seems to do the trick just fine
Also I found it huge when and while you're coloring and or moving your pencils do not drop them do not plop them on the table take extra care and precaution and place them down on the table do not drop your pencils down. 😎😷
And as I consider myself new to adult coloring and have self-taught myself how to color within the last 3 years on TH-cam all the info I just gave I found all on TH-cam so anything you want to know about prismas you found the right place just as the right question of it
Do you meen you put it in a microwave for 20 min, don't they burn!!!????
Giving kids good-quality pencils gives them a good appreciation of art. Otherwise, they get frustrated and discouraged.
I agree. I use mostly watercolors now and I love using them, but I *hated* them as a kid because the sets I had barely had any pigments and the paper I used, which was just some basic sketching paper, always got destroyed by the water. And I will never forget those plastic brushes.
Exactly! My mom gave me the very best pencils when I was 1 (just to doodle) and now I think Im pretty good at drawing
Yes, but sometimes you can’t beat the old pencil and paper 🤗. At least for me anyway, don’t kill me 😭
So not true. I only had pencil and cheap stuff but love to draw. I draw all the time growing up. Never got mad that my supply suck. I think if they love art they will always love art regardless if they have expensive or cheap supplies. It all about passion.
Some can't afford good quality art supplies ! Better have cheap art supplies than no art supplies at all
FINALLY someone who has brought up in a video the issue of Prismacolor pencils constant breaking. I quit buying them because of it and have not had luck with finding another brand till recently. I have started to get very fond of the Black Widow pencils. I just wish they had more colors. So I am so happy to have found this video. Thank you!
Watched a video of someone using a blow dryer to fix that. Haven't tried yet.
@@liveincolor3793 Really? That has to be interesting to try. 🤔 Maybe I might.
Luv black widow as well, but….can we get more colors PLEASE!!
Prismacolor order: arrives
My youtube recomandations:
Awww... but the Prismacolors are awesome. I think you’ll love them
Same here dude! Watching this right after unboxing the prismas 🤦♂️
Omg sameee 😂
Same! WTH!!
If you can afford them get them. Most of the tutorials online use either them or poly chromos. Alternative budget sets are ok but when everything is compared to the "standard" I usually go for the standard to learn and modify from there. 2 yrs ago I bought Prisma and now I have some lower-end and upper-end pencils. I still use Prisma all the time. They are my calibration set; everything else is compared to them. Also, I have done a ton of tutorials with them so I have learned their color line and now when I get a new set I can also figure it's color schemes fast as well because I can say, "this is like "whatever" in Prisma and I can use it for "fill in the blank"
One reason why pencils break is because we are used to turning the pencil in the manual sharpener. I learned from one colored pencil company to turn the manual sharpener and hold the pencil still. As weird as this seemed to me, it really made a difference. They also said to keep the pencils in the tin and not knocking around into each other in a pencil cup, which breaks the core inside the wood.
This works.. its how I quit breaking mine
I agree, i use that small silver single blade sharpener, hold the pencil still and gently turn the sharpener. I agree with you on banging the pencil in a cup. I leave mine in a big flat box, they don't bang around. I really haven't had a lot of breakage, I'm not sure if its how the individual handles the pencil?
I’m so glad that you discovered how the Castle Arts pencils in the case smell. I bought a set for my grandson for Christmas and opened them to check them. That smell, which reminded me of a strong crayon odor, really put me off. In my experience, I’ve never smelled that on any other pencils. I returned them to Amazon and bought my grandson his very own set of Prismacolors. He loves them.
The smell did fade quite quickly after opening. They don’t smell at all anymore. But I would have chosen the Prismacolors over them anyway! I just bought a set of Prismacolor for a family member for Christmas too.
I really dislike the smell too from the one I got. And since I keep them in the original tin case, the smell stays forever... I also think some of the colors don't perform as well as the other in the set, mainly the yellows. They are just not as soft and blendable. I really wished I have brought the Arteza set instead. They run good sales year round and everything else I have bought from them so far exceeds my expectation.
I just watching this video three years later and I actually thought it was a one off thing. Although I am brand new to art and coloring I have watched several videos reviewing colored pencils. I just returned my castle arts set to Amazon because of the smell. I let the pencils air out and it was still strong. I am not sensitive to scents at all, however this stench felt as though it was in the back of my throat. I already ordered the Prismacolor 48 pack. I had a hard time choosing between the prisma, the the small 30 pack of Caran D’ache, or the 36 Faber Castel polychromo’s. I figured the prisma’s would be better for a beginner.
You need to try Faber Castells Goldfaber or Classic Color. Goldfaber is a step down from Polychromos and are amazing!
I’m trying Goldfaber this week! I’ll be including them in one of my next videos 😊
Oh, have to agree. I have the full set of Goldfabers and I really wish they made more.
I have some of Faber Castell's student quality merchandise (watercolor pencils and watercolor crayons) and found them to be quite good. I have some Polychromos which I bought way back before they became too expensive for my pocket book.
I have the Goldfaber and they are a very nice set. The only thing I'm not a fan of is that they don't have color names on the the pencils. But they do come with a color card.
agree :) I am using the Faber Castell Polychromos 2 Decades
I've been using a fluffy makeup brush to sweep off wax bloom for decades and have never had a problem with them causing streaks.
I use my makeup brushes, too. I even used actual makeup on a few artworks just to see how it would look.
I definitely agree on the Arteza. And for a cheaper alternative to Polychromos, the Lyra Rembrandt Polycolor are a pretty nice oil based pencil.
I’ve got some Lyra Rembrandt ready for my next test!
Lyra's are nice and creamy.
Love Lyra Rembrandt pencils sadly I can’t find them
Which Arteza is better, Premium or Expert?
@@marziakht548 They are both good i believe. It’s just the triangular shape that’s different and I love both pencils.
An old art teacher of mine once used to make us put a tally on our folder every time we dropped a pencil (we had to use the pencil we dropped to make the tally). And the conclusion was the ppl like myself always dropping crap dealt w a lot more breakage than ppl. Made me hyper aware of how I handle my art supplies now especially my pencils and I rarely deal w breakage. Whether it’s a coincidence or in my head idk. But also my theory is if they break a lot straight out of the case it’s Bc the factory, shipping, manufacturing ppl whoever where tossing em around not realizing they’re shattering the lead inside the casing. 🤷♀️ I have also noticed my pencils that come in cylinders have less breakage, for some reason tin w plastic trays break the most in my experience, again blaming shipping and stores for that.
I don't know why but in the UK it just seems impossible to get prismacolor premiers and all of my online social media colouring groups rave about them. I'm glad that you did this video because I have been struggling with the spectrum noir pencils for a while and wanting a change. I have just purchased some Arteza to see if I get on with them better. You are still the first artist to inspire me to get my colouring pencils out; I am an alcohol markers gal usually!!
I think I got mine from Amazon. I have some Polychromos too and some Spectrum Noir. I like the softness of the SN tbh as I like the creaminess of Prismacolor. I like the Polychromos but prefer a softer pencil.
Thanks for the comparison, it's always good to see how they stand up against each other! I used the standard Faber Castell Watercolour pencils before getting a set of 72 Marco Raffine, which opened a whole new world. I used the Marco Raffine for a long time before I could afford a 36 set of Faber Castell Polychromos (which I loved) then finally could afford a set of 150 Prismas. I still pull the MR's out and am never afraid to let the kids use them. I must admit it did take me a while to get used to how the Prismas work after using the MRs and Polychromos. I use my Prismas most these days just because of the variety of colours (I'm lazy these days when it comes to mixing).
I wanted to try Arteza for a long time and this video just.. Ordered me to buy them. Thanks for the review. A new subscriber earned
Try sharpening with an x-acto knife rather than a pencil sharpener to avoid breakage. Also makes the pencils last longer because there is less wasted.
i'm using an eye makeup pencil sharpener, the pencils never break. the seller gave me one as a free gift. makeup pencils are also soft, so it makes sense.
X-acto knife works great. Fine sandcloth to touch up the tip.
I just use 800 grain sand paper to point my pencils. I only use a sharpener when they break.
That's how we were taught to do it in art class to make them last
This is what I do with the ones that repeatedly break in sharpeners! It's also how I save lead when I need a sharper point but the pencils isn't really down to a nub worth sharpening.
Thanks Sarah for this review.
A few additional thoughts though:
1) Let's keep in mind that this is about matching Prismacolors and their garish colors. Not everybody likes overburnished pictures (I don't) so this is a review on getting very saturated colors, again, not to everybody's taste.
2) I really get the feeling that Castle Arts didn't get a fair trial, probably because these pencils are more suited to drawing and coloring as opposed to "trying to make colored pencils look like paint".
I really don't understand what all that commotion about the smell comes from. I have the most sensitive nose ever and I can hardly smell anything, or at least nothing I could find even remotely disturbing.
3) Nothing is said about the kind of paper Sarah has used. See review of Castle Arts pencils in Bruno Art Gallery's channel on proper paper - completely different.
4) Wax build-up IS a huge issue.
5) Arteza Expert pencils are better quality than those showed here. Not that cheap either...
6) What about color ranges? Marco Raffinés are exceptionnally well-designed in this respect, Arteza not so much. even the 120 set is relatively poor in pinks and skin tones, few pastel colors.
7) What about Guang Hui (Brutfuner, Laconile, etc.)?. These will give you huge bang for your bucks.
8) Back to Prismas. They are the easy way out since a 5 year-old can blend them easily but I really wish they hadn't become such a standard. They are OVERPRICED, especially in France, quality has rocketed down and people only want them or similar results. Give me Polychromos any day. These ARE quality pencils. And let's root for quality and variety!
Thanks for the feedback!
I considered including more in my review, but with so much time already, I didn’t want to make this video any longer, so I’ll be including some of these details (like color range and how they perform on different types of coloring) for a later video where I’ll be comparing 20+ pencils side by side.
1) In this case, my goal was really aimed at matching the features of Prismacolors... and I agree, not everybody likes them. So in some cases, you may prefer some of these other brands that are less buttery or less vibrant.
You can also choose to apply less color, or burnish less. My test just shows the possibility of bold colors for those who are looking for it with the Prismacolors.
2) I’ll give the Castle Art pencils more of a go too. Obviously it’s hard to compare fully in just a few minutes, so I plan to try using them more before my next video. The smell was horrible when I first opened them, but has faded now almost completely (about a week later).
3) Regarding paper, I am a Derwent coloring pencil pad. It’s a thicker stock with tooth, intended for colored pencils.
4) this depends on if you are just a hobby colorist, practicing as a beginner, or working on something you really want to showcase.
5) The prices I listed for Arteza ARE the Expert pencil prices, even though I used the Premium pencils for the test. I’d love to try some expert pencils to see the difference, but on Amazon the company said the only difference was the shape.
6) I’ll talk about color ranges in my upcoming video 😊
7) I hadn’t heard of these! Good to know there are some other good quality, affordable options.
8) I agree. This is why this video is aimed at showing that there are alternatives to Prismacolor. But comparing Polychromos is another thing again- wax vs oil pencils is a whole new topic I’ll cover in the future!
Thanks for all the feedback
@@SarahRenaeClark Your channel is great. It's the Prismas - and the style they seem to be imposing on everybody - that I'm fed up with ;-).
Keep up the good work. :-)
Well said. I absolutely loved my polychromos.
Prismas are unfortunately the Chevy of colored pencils. They used to be a VERY solid brand, basically the American gold standard. Then they moved manufacturing to Mexico, and their quality shot down.
They remain popular in North America over Polychromos though, due to the price here. E.g. The 150 set of Prismacolors set me back $140 Cdn with free shipping on Amazon.ca, but the Polychromos would cost about $270 for the 120 set plus $10 shipping.
And they are harder to find in general - my local crafts store carries all the Prisma sets up to 72 as well as the themed sets and every pencil open stock; but only has the Goldfaber pencils from Faber-Castell and not the Polychromos at all. I have to order Polys online - I got the 24 set and they are nice, but I can skip on "$280 nice" for now. Meanwhile, I can replace any Prismacolor pencil from my set by walking 10 minutes to the store.
I use Steadtler and I love that they are soft core. And they seem to blend well. They are also affordable to people on a budget.
Thanks for that I'll look into them
Thank You
THANK YOU SM
I've been using Crayola and its so frustrating, it feels like I have to go over the same parts 10 times for the color to be opaque enough. Finally switching!! 🥳👍
Also check out Brutfuner that I just reviewed in my latest video
@@SarahRenaeClark At last finally an artist that mentions Brutfuner! My daughter is 14 and has a definte gift in art. I brought her a Brutfuner set to start off with last year and what attracted me to them was their massive choice of 180 colours and their v cheap price. They are also watercolour pencils, so versitile and I was v pleased with them for the price and quality. After being satisfied that she wants to take her art abilities further and has chosen art for a GCSE subject and already wants to study it for A Level. Then after watching your comparison of the top adult professional coloured sets on the market, last Christmas I brought her Caran D'ache Luminance and Pablo pencils. My daughter saved up £100 towards their price and I paid the rest. Previously we were considering Polychromos and Prismacolor. But thanks to your video, my daughter and I knew she would get far too angry and frustrated with Prismacolor. Again, thank you so much, as Caran D'ache, although so v expensive, we are glad we purchased these as they are such high quality and a pleasure to draw with. Also although v expensive to first buy, replacement pencils are relistically affordable, as you do not need to replace all of them in one go. So again we are so grateful for your professional expertise and advice. Thank you so much.
Crayola break all the time
What's Crayola?!
@@SymNoNc It's a color brand-
I have several brands of coloured pencils including Arteza, which I really like.
The only downside with these pencils - and most of Arteza's product range - is this: they are available in sets only. Whether it's paints, pens, pencils, etc - you can't buy singles!
I think this is really important as I certainly will not be buying a complete new set every time I run out of a certain colour!
I did contact Arteza about this and they are hoping to offer this option at some point, but when - I don't know.
If this rule applies to any brand or art product, I really feel it should be mentioned in product reviews.
Great video with excellent tests. Thank you so much!
That’s a great point! I’m doing a huge review soon with all the different pencil brands and plan to include this, because it’s definitely an important consideration
I have said this often: it is not cost effective to purchase pencils in sets where they are not available open stock. Even for beginners or those financially restricted, it doesn’t pay. Better to buy a few primary colours and blend. Many have found out they end up having half a box of pencils left over,while their most used colours are worn down with no chance of replacement unless buying another box.
Adore your uke by the way.
@@capyboppy I absolutely agree! And... what's a uke? :o
I think it works if you’re happy to mix brands, but otherwise I agree. The cost to replace a whole set for the few popular colors isn’t worthwhile in the long run
Uke = ukulele ... the one on my wall :)
Thank you! I decorated it in an earlier video: th-cam.com/video/NdTCrKXWXt0/w-d-xo.html
For all of my soft core pencils (including colored pencils and even softer graphite pencils) I use an adjustable pencil sharpener that leaves more of the casing on while still getting the lead sharp and makes it look like it did when it came out of the package. Also I was taught in art class to make sure you don't drop them that will cause the lead to crack inside the casing - which is lame but it is what it is.
+JenniashbArt interesting! I’m curious to try some different sharpeners but don’t even know where to start!
What brand is your sharpener? Is it nechanical or electric?
What is the name of your sharpener?
Yes. Try not to drop your pencils onto a hard surface. Like a floor. That includes your harder lead drafting pencils.
I did lots of research and got the oil-based Brutfuner 120 ($35) & Deli 120 ($28) as Polychromos dupes. Schpirerr Farben is also great, but I'm waiting for them to go on sale. As for Prismacolor dupes, I bought Colleen 120 ($59). They're as soft as Prisma, but a bit sturdier lead. Black Widows' full sets of 144 pencils end up costing way more than Prismacolor in the long run. Arteza are a good dupe, but still very pricey for their 120 set. For another $10, you could get Prisma 150 for the same price. Castle Art, Creyart, Shuttle Art, Soucolor, Soundance, Cool Bank, etc. all come from the same factories. Crayola 120 is the cheapest out there and is going to be my next set, mainly bc of its color variety & nostalgia. After that, no more. I'm trying not to turn into an addict lol.
The trick with Arteza is to sign up to their mailing list, and wait for one of their regular promotions (e.g. Black Friday, Christmas, Boxing Day, Easter, Halloween...). Combine that with one of their promo codes (e.g. currently, CART15) as well as redeeming any rewards from joining their mailing list and previous purchases, and their prices come down tremendously: my last set of their 120 colouring pencils cost less than £27.
@@cowbutt6 - First things first, I LOVE your name lol. Second - ooooohhh, wow what great insider tips! Thank you so much for sharing that!!!
@@YourMajesty143 The Castle Arts aren't like Shuttle Arts
Where'd you get those pencils?
I found my Prismacolor 36 box for $9.99 in special. If you are patient you can find a good price
I am glad you demonstrated how different papers affected the colour of the pencil. I have learnt to match the pencil to the paper. I swatch at the back of every paper I use with all my pencils. The paper is the most important supply to achieving good artwork. Try using Crayola pencils on different paper types and you will amazed at how differently they perform.
Teal's actually my favourite color too. I've started swatching the full blue-green range of any art supplies i buy first just because I love looking at the color. Until I found your channel I'd actually never met anyone else whose favourite color was teal so I thought that was kinda cool. Love the video as always!
Thank you Sarah! I went ahead and asked my kids for the Prisma Premier for Mother’s Day, they are adults! And..... I love them! My favorite part is their blending ability for shading! They make me feel like an artist! Thank you for your series.
Its great that Prismacolors are cheap for you, but in the states, their prices are through the roof! Thank you for doing this comparison! Its great to know what product to go to!
They are really expensive in Canada too
As someone who bought a basic Crayola set just to get started and am looking forward to when I get frustrated by seeing what other people are doing that is super hard for me... I appreciate this video so much. Got the Arteza set in my wishlist waiting for that day!
Great comparison test. I do love my Prismas and Arteza and I agree with you, Black Widow would be my next choice. I really like their colors and they do blend well. Being the pencil addict I am, I just purchased Castle Art and are awaiting their arrival. I wanted to try then out and Castle Art had them on sale for 35% off, so I though it would be a good time. However, trusting your reviews, they may be yet another pencil to hand down to my grandkids. Time will tell. Thanks for another great video!
I'm considering buying Arteza would like to know which one's better, Premium or Expert?
I decided to take a deep dive in to the arteza line not long ago and was incredibly surprised. For the price I feel you get great quality pigment. What they do lack is quality control. But their customer service is great.
As usual I love your site all the love, time and care you put into your videos , thank you so much, you were one of the first sites I found when I started coloring and I always check what you have to say before I purchase anything. Keep up the good work!
Thank you!
I came to the opposite conclusion when I compared the Arteza and Castle Art. The Castle Art doesn't break, doesn't bloom, blends great, and look better to me than the Arteza. But I also like Polychromos and they feel more like the Polychromos while Arteza feels more like Prismacolor. Maybe the smell just threw you when it came to the Castle Art.
I purchased a 36 color set of Prismacolors and new Prismacolor Premier sharpener. Much breakage resulted. Changed brands and breakage stopped but one day iit started to happen again. This time I read up on it and learned something was probably wrong with the new sharpener. I bought a helical electric sharpener and all breakage stopped. Even started to use my Prismacolor set again (what was left of it) with no breakage. Six months later and I still have no breakage. Buy a helical electric sharpener.
I’ll check that sharpener out! Thanks for the recommendation!
I appreciate and respect your method of testing. Thank you for all the time you spend on these videos.
I love my Faber castle classic. I think they are a great and affordable pencils. I used them with my polychromos. Thankyou for sharing this
Happy to see this test. I'm new to using colored pencils with my crafts. Good to see the pros and cons of the different varieties.
Nice test, well planned and executed. But as a viewer I think using the same colours for the testing would give a better comparison.
Hi 😊 do u know the kalour pencils? They look good on a picture and their price is reasonable for me in South Africa 🤷🏻♀️
I purchased Castle Art because of the case, figured that cases aren’t cheap, pencils are OK but not magic however I had NO smell with mine. I have the Marcos and they are great, the are oil based. I have the polys and the prismas and use the cheaper sometimes as under coating to preserve the expensive ones. I was lucky with my Prismas purchased at Blick’s, no breakage and no sharpening problems and to be truthful I was apprehensive on buying. Blick told me if I had a problem with a pencil to just bring it in and they would replace it, can’t beat that. As my Castle art get used I believe I will replace them with the spider cases, Black Widow....looking forward to seeing you test those. The Marcos will be replaced with the more expensive Marcos. Holbeins are out of my budget.....so playing anyway. Thank you.
I think it’s a clever idea to layer the cheaper pencils under the more expensive ones.
And it’s good to know that the cases didn’t smell for everyone else! That’s so weird that it happened for mine. The smell is gone now, thankfully.
I have so me Blick pencils. I like them a lot.
Love your channel. What I have found that works really well to increase the vibrancy of the Crayola colored pencils are to dip the tip in Vaseline. Im working on a video now to highlight how well this works.
Now THAT is a Crayola Hack I will definitely be trying this week. I have never heard of it. I have a handful just laying around to experiment on ;-)
If you're in the UK, WHSmith's own brand of pencils are really great if you're on a tight budget. They're better than Crayola and other pencils in a similar price range. I paid just over £10 for a set of 48 and I was really surprised by how well they performed. The downside is there's only 48 colours, but they blend very well.
Keeva, they are great pencils surprisingly, I just bought the whs erasable coloured pencils this week and they are good to
I’ve been told they’re pretty good! I might go to WHSMith and get some one day
I also bought WHSmiths coloured pencils (the spectrum sings) they are really good for a beginner ,not enough colours tho !
Found you through the Jazza collab and just want to say I'm excited to have a new channel to binge. I'm loving your content!
Thank you!
I've just recently learned how to properly use colored pencils for adult coloring! I only have Crayola right now but I'm definitely going to look into getting a set of Arteza Pencils soon!
Ok mom Amen ❣️✌️
@@ralphespinoza8626 huh
CONGRATULATIONS!
You finally reached your 100,000 subscribers! I am so happy that I recently joined your channel…
You produce the most professional videos and I thoroughly enjoy your delivery. You just ooze confidence and you are beautifully spoken.💪👍🫶
I like the Arteza pencils, and have used them along with my Prismas and even with Fabers. Unfortunately, some of the really pale colors are just like coloring with a birthday candle - they are just that waxy. One of the best examples of a totally soft, buttery pencil are the Derwent drawing pencils. They are restricted in range and are more expensive, but the white is the absolute best for highlights.
I've only owned one set of Prismacolors that have constantly broken and they were the ones I kept in my backpack and took to school (a 48 set I think I got from Walmart). My 150 set (I haven't sharpened all of them, but most of them, I might add) and almost all of my open stock pencils I've never had an issue with breakage. I think it depends on where you get them from, how rough you are with them and what sharpener you use. I use an electric sharpener (mine is X-Acto brand) exclusively for the majority of my colored pencils other than the ones that don't fit like the Luminance pencils and most Derwent pencils (Polychromos pencils do fit just fine though!). I've experienced significantly less breakage in general using the electric sharpener than any handheld ones. Also my pencils I've bought in store or from Amazon or eBay have been more prone to breakage than the ones I've purchased from Blick or other online art retailers because they simply package everything better when they ship it. I worked retail for years and I can assure you that the employees don't care if they drop something, and they're very rough with the pallets. My 150 set I did purchase from Amazon, but it was packaged very well (thank you to whoever the seller was). So, as long as you're buying them from somewhere that will package them well in shipping, use a better sharpener and are gentle with them and don't drop or jostle them around, they're less likely to break. My 48 set that broke all the time was extremely frustrating to use though. I saw someone say they warmed their pencils before sharpening again when they break, and I think that's something I'll have to try on that very broken set lol. I understand why people don't like the breakage, I wish Prismacolor would use a better casing, I know some people would be upset if they raised their prices but I personally would rather pay a little more for a nicer cased pencil that won't break on me than keep things as they are currently. I absolutely love my Prismas though and I'd never trade them, they're just so easy to use, bright, come in gorgeous colors and have a good size range of colors to pick from that I've never felt was lacking in any particular hue unlike some other artist brands. Anyways, I hope that my tips were helpful not to get broken Prismas and help stop them from breaking. They aren't fool proof, obviously, but they do make a difference.
I just got the Arteza and I'm having an easier time than with the Prisma, so not just the 30 seconds. And the Raffine I would use WITH the Prisma- so I'm not surprised the mixing went well. But if you want the Prisma to look barely there but still want color below it I use that mixture.
I use Arteza professional color pencils and I am pleased you agree that they are a good substitute for Prismacolor and I think the difference is the packaging as the others come in a tin and the shape and barrell
Fantastic video! I can't remember if I mentioned it to you already but along with CdA Luminance, imo the Uni Posca are the closest pencil to Prismacolor in terms of how buttery and easily blendable they are. They are certainly expensive though and don't have many colours, which are big downsides. You can get them in singles so it might be worth grabbing a few for your next video just to see how well they compare xx
Yes, I’ve got a few Uni Posca ready to try! Thanks for all the recommendations!
I love the Posca pencils, they work on so many undergrounds, even on wax pastels. And turn up great on black, be it paper, acrylic or marker. I actually like the small colour range, less stressful to choose colours.
A couple more brands to check out are Star-Joy Gold edition, and Kalour. I like them better than my Prismas!
I just purchased my prismacolor premier 150 set, have not had any breakages. Its nice to find a set that, is good quality. Ialso have the castle 72 and 120 set, and blick 72 set very good pencils.
I’m so glad I watched this! I love my Prismacolors, but I thought I was doing something wrong because some broke every time I sharpened them!
Someone mentioned that they heat up their pencils and let them cool, and it stops the lead from breaking (since it melts the broken pieces together)
Prisma's do tend to break. Particularly in cold weather.
Just starting to work on coloring my drawings and I’m glad I found your video! I’ve never really colored before out of fear of ruining my pieces. I was going to go for prismacolor but after watching I think I’ll go for the Arteza instead! Thank you for the great video and saving me some money
Thank you for this video! I started coloring books with markers but switched to pencils for finer details. I've been looking for a color pencil set that gives the same brightness that markers give. However, I'm such a casual/beginner user that I can't justify buying the professional sets. I've gone through the Crayola, Raffine, castle art, and the Prismacolor brands over the years. The Prismacolor does the best. I have an old set of Prismacolor and have been looking to supplement/replace them but the recent reviews mentioning a reduction in quality from a change in production facilities have scared me to looking for alternatives. Searching online what's out there is overwhelming and this video helped a lot to narrow it down. I'm going to try the Arteza set. Thanks you again!
If you liked Prismacolor in the past, stick with Prismacolor. The bad reviews are somewhat exaggerated. The main “lack of quality” is an increase in breakage, and it’s not as common as some people make it sound.
@@SarahRenaeClark Oooh that's good to know. Thank you!
My OCD appreciates your OCD in immediately sorting out the colors by rainbow!
As soon as I got my prismacolors, I used my heat tool to very gradually heat the pencils in small batches, rolling them as I went, then I let them cool completely. I've never had a problem with breakage. I keep Crayolas to use when I just want to color in a book (I use my prismas for card making and art journaling). I will definitely get arteza as a backup set. Thanks for doing this! *love your tshirt!*
I think heating the Prismacolors is a great idea. That would definitely reduce a lot of their breakage!
Hi, could you tell me if by heating tool you mean hair tool??? If so, how low of setting and did you place anything like a wax paper?
@@caroxgrl16 i used my embossing heat tool. The one I had then only had 1setting, so very hot. I placed 10 at a time on a towel and held the heat tool about a foot above, and just moved it all around for about a couple minutes or so, and rolled the pencils as I went to make sure I heated all of it.. Then, I put them carefully aside, on another towel, to let them cool down while I did the next batch. A hair dryer would work, it just might take a little longer. I read that if the pencils are dropped at any point, they could break inside the casing. This would likely be the reason they break so much when sharpening. Heating them helps melt and reform the pencil inside the casing. That's what I read anyway :) Try a few at a time and use your own judgment with whatever tool you have and good luck!
Thank you for the reply and tips!
@@caroxgrl16 you're welcome
I just bought some crayola signiture pencils and I was very pleased with them. In my opinion, and granted I'm just a beginner, they blend very well and I enjoy coloring with them.
They are definitely a nice pencil. Just not as nice as some of the other brands available at the similar price (in my opinion!)
@@SarahRenaeClark what pencils do u recommend for beginner teenager artists
Thanx. I am ordering Brutfuner colors do u have any advice? Prismacolors are not very affordable
I love my Polychromos and Prismas (but not as much) but I have to admit I do appreciate a less expensive option. One reason cheap pencils are cheap is lack of color saturation. The pigments are probably the most expensive thing in the pencil (especially the metallics) really cheap pencils have a much higher percentage of wax binder which just leads to wax bloom that much faster. Alwo the wood body of the pencil really needs to be a quality material. My two favorite lower cost pencils are most likely Cretacolor from Austria and Art Grip from Faber Carell. Both are available in regular and water color variety.
While do coloring for enjoyment I never work on actual coloring pages. I will either scan the actual page and print on heavier paper. Or I find images on line and work from them. There are tons of actual coloring images on line. But I actually prefer to work from photographs or paintings. I'm not selling my stuff so I'm not worried about copyrights. But I was doing the Fantastic Cities and Structures a couple of years ago and I did by the books. One reason I do hot like to use the actual book pages is if I mess up I can always start over. I also do some work in scale models built with cardstock and chip board (like on the backs of writing pads). Same advantage. As a lot of them are digital I can always start over.
As a side note. Probably the first widely available precision mass manufactured item in the world is the humble wooden pencil. People really do not have a concept of just what the level of precision is needed to manufacture pencils. Plus the 'lead' in the common pencil we use today is the result of the first government sponsored materials research project to find a replacement for a naturally occurring material. There is a book called "The Pencil" by Henry Petroski that covers the history of subject.
I started reading your comment and thought it would be cool to chime in about Henry Petroski's "The Pencil", then scrolled down to see that you already recommended the book! Always fun when different interests intersect, in this case engineering and high-end art supplies.
@@JovanDacic
The most ironic thing in the whole book is the part about Thoreau and his family's income being dependent on pencil manufacturing.
That T-shirt.. SoOo cute lol
Thank you for sharing your thought and recommendation ❤️🙏 if there will be less complaining on the case smell and tin noise I'd enjoy it even more.
Great video. It's good to help people see the way different budget pencils compare.
The Castle Arts do smell bad, but it soon fades if you leave the case open. For me the Marco Rafine, a very early set, smell much worse and still do a bit. I too like Crayola Signature, but some of them do break easily. Good colours though and blend well.
Thank you so much I have bought the Arteza 72 set this video helped so much
I relate to the rainbow sorting issue so much...
This was a well done video, thank you!
I’ve started doing art again, after a very long time and to my surprise I had no idea that there was 3 types of coloring pencils, not 2. I’m still torn between wax based and oil based, so I am creating some sketches to get a better feel.
What I would love to know about coloring pencils in particular is how to start off from a beginners level to a more advanced level. I look forward to watching as many as your videos as possible
I love prismacolor ...especially the colors. I have to confess I use FC polys, CD lum for my commission work. Light fastness matters when you are selling your work. But whenever I can (if doing prints and keeping original artwork) I use Prismacolor. Very interesting...I may try some of the others you test for prints. Thanks!
Your combination is basically the same I use for my work. FC, CD and Prisma are my 3 go-to pencils for most of my art. I’ve got a few other videos comparing those too. I don’t own many Polychromos yet but I’m hoping to get the big set when I reach 100k subscribers!
Fantastic review, just looking for a good set of pencils to go with my oil pastel work, so will definitely be getting one of your recommended sets.
i work with the arteza for year now and im soooooooooooooooooooo in love with them!!!
How expensive is it?
@@karodoff i payd about 30€ almost 1,5 year ago
Thank you! I can finally make a decision! I feel confident in your assessment, along with a couple of others. I wish I could afford Prismacolors even with the breakage even though that's what bothers me the most! LOL I bought an off-brand budget set and they are crumbly and frustrating so I'm going to use them as my backup because of the extra color options it may still offer. Thank you!
I absolutely love my Arteza pencils. I was wondering if you sharpened all the pencils before you used them. I know the black widows worked better after sharpening them. I was also wondering if you could compare the Amazon Basics 72 count. I have heard they are comparable to Prismas as well with just a little less pigment. To fix that red Prisma that keeps breaking try a kum sharpener, that thing has saved quite a few of mine.
I used a few straight from the box but didn’t like the way they were sharpened as much as when I resharpened them myself, so I started doing this for the rest, even though it wasted a bit of extra pencil. It just felt a little nicer!
I was told you should always sharpen the pencils before use because in production they put a protective coating on them 😉
I found you from Jazza's video and have been hooked onto your channel! Thanks so much for this amazing video! This was *SO* helpful!
Thank you so much for this video. Your comparison videos are always very helpful. I'm definitely a little tired of my Crayolas and was hoping to find a better quality pencil for a decent price. I'm going to go with the Arteza 48 set.
Best comparison I have seen on youtube. Thx for posting this.
I use both Arteza & prisma pencils. I seriously recommend Arteza for me they are the closest to prisma & have some beautiful unique colours I highly recommend them
I really appreciate your videos!
After Prismacolor started to manufacture their pens in Mexico, I have noticed more breaking.
The lead is often not centered in the casing, as they used to be.
Good job, like the way you laid out your review colouring page. The castle art pencils look exactly like my Color-it set. Same case, same pencil shape and end dipped colours.
Interesting! I wonder if they are the same manufacturer or just a coincidence?
I realize your video is three years old, but since I've only just found and watched it, it's new for me 😊. I have Castle Arts colored pencils, and I have a love/hate relationship with them. They break too much for me... when I sharpen them... drives me nuts. I can't stand the wax buildup when I'm trying for a darker pigment neither. I would like to try Prismscolor, as I like how vivid their colors are, but don't like that they break easily... plus the price. I think I'm going to try the Arteza soft core, which I've been looking at for a while now anyway, and your test convinced me even more to try them. I liked the colors and blending ability of the Crayola Signature pencils, but again, the breaking problem. Seriously, colored pencil companies really need to get a handle on the breaking problems. With so many technologies available, there's really no excuse for it. Anyway, thanks for doing this video. It was really helpful! ~Cat
I have most of the pencils here and more. The breaking is caused by the difference in sharpeners. I havent broke one in a long time and they are all good pencils depending on what look you're after as I get bored with the same look over and over. That's why I own so many brands oil and wax and never buy them according to price but what they actually do.
I’ve just bought a few new sharpeners in case my sharpener was the culprit 😉
I completely agree, the sharpener is the key! My go to portable sharpener that never fails me is the, M+R brass colored, bullet shaped hand sharpener with the all important, German stainless steel blade. Something about the German blades, they cut through the wood and lead easily. The best one to use at home is the Derwent Superpoint, it is a hand cranked sharpener housed in a metal body. Also a thing little metal KUM brand sharpener, I purchased in a Prismacolor toolkit that included a pencil extender, colorless blender, ebony pencil, gum eraser, along with the nondescript sharpener. This was not the terrible sharpener in the black plastic container, marked Prismacolor. Secondly, I put the Prismas in a hard shell like ”travel” case, which I initially didn't like, but the case has protected my Prismas from any damage. I never changed the case out after my trip as I initially intended. It's been years since I have broken a pencil.
@@Msboochie2 That's ironic because I have or have had the tools you've mentioned but I do have my go to that I keep out and ready.
The T-gaal pencil sharpener is the best one I own. The Kum ones are also pretty good. The T-gaal is great because you can choose the length of your point. I find if you keep the point short the breakage is never an issue. Plus with the more expensive pencil brands this also saves every precious bit of the pencil.
I like my prisma colors, and the black widows,all of them, faber castell polychromos, derwent colorsoft and the watercolor, castle art. I will have to try the newer Crayola. I enjoy most pencils but some are more pleasurable to use than others. I want to try arteza. Black widow darker color sets are better. I love your videos. Thank you so much for sharing ❤️
Prismacolor pencils are hard to get in Holland, but Derwent lightfast is now popular in Holland and
available everywhere in a box or per unit. I missed these in your alternatives.
I didn’t include them because they are much more expensive in the USA and this video was aimed at cheaper options- but I do have a set of Derwent Lightfast ready to test out for my next video!
Thank you. I'm very much a beginner in this. A store near me has a Arteza Professional set of 72pk for $32.99. I'm very happy I can get a decent set for under $50.
Thank you so much for such an in depth review. I have prismacolor scholar pencils and so far love them.
Yuck i cant stand the scholars if you end up getting any of the brands she mentioned and reviewed you will be in a whole another world....
I'll give Arteza a try... thanks for this review and all the time and work you put into making this video!
Not sure if anyone mentioned this, but if you use a grinder pencil sharpener the prisma pencils don't break as much. I'm very picky about my sharpener that I use with them. I never use the bladed sharpener because they tend to break more. I've had mine for years without much breakage when sharpening them.
I’m on the lookout for the best sharpener so I’ll keep this in mind! Thank you!
800 Grain Sandpaper or better--Works like a charm. Got that hack from drafting school ages ago. My Prisma's like it ;-)
As a kid and a beginner to the art world I really love your video ☺️😆🤩
I have the crayola signature 50 pack and they have not broken on me yet when sharpening. I don't know If I just got a good set or just been lucky. They have been great and I have been loving them almost better than my prisma color scholar set. Just started watching your videos and been loving the knowledge.
Thanks for the heads up on the smell! I’m a hyper-smeller. I’ve thrown out things that smell bad simply because of their smell! Your channel is absolutely the best!
The smell does fade over time. They don’t smell anymore. And I think the smell was just the packaging.
I've got the Crayola Signature pencils and haven't had problems with breakage. Maybe your set had a rough ride getting to you
It’s possible! I’ve heard a lot of similar reviews, but I’m sure it’s like anything, where some batches are just better than others!
How have you found them otherwise? Have you been enjoying them?
So far so good they are one of my favorites (unfortunately I don't have any higher end pencils to compare.)
Seeing as how the tin was a bit out of whack, they've probably been dropped at some point.
@Shalom Akinkunmi is your tin a hinged lid or does it completely come off?
I have a 72 set of Arteza professional, that is, round barrels (don't like and can't use odd shaped pencils -- arthritis in hands. . . ). I agree they are a lot like Prismacolor, but less feeling they are going to break. Hold a decent point. I love the colors and the vibrancy, too. I wish the 72 set had some good light warm neutrals, like ivory, wheat, champagne, buff, sand, you get the idea. Also, there are a few Prismaco!ors I love that Access needs to add: the black grape, black cherry, black raspberry, and ginger root, which is incredibly useful.
I heard they were not water fast. I can't see that, don't know what that means. They are soft, waxy and just a bit harder, so you can get a better point for detail. Beautiful colors.
I meant Arteza not Access! Damn spell corrector!
I personally really love my Arteza pencils. They are really good quality, and even over my several years of owning them I still love them. They have blended and layered well on a ton of different paper types over my course of using them. I got a set of their watercolor pencils as well and I was incredibly surprised with the quality. I bought another set for a fellow artist of mine who was frustrated with crayola and wanting to improved. I gave him a set and he was immediately in love.
Do arteza Do pencils have good quality as Prisma color pencils? Like are they pale?
Thanks for putting this together. I was about to gift myself the castle arts, now I’ll have to rethink it.
Prismacolor has wonderful customer service! One of my green pencils broke and I emailed the company about it. They shipped a new one to me for free!
im definately going to order some arteza now. I have the 150 Prisma Colour set from when I was in school for Interior Design 15 years ago. I am so frustrated using them as half the time I end up with one that is total garbage, broken every half cm so you cant use it at all, and so i dont colour as much as i would like becuase its more frustrating then relaxing. having said that I am not blaming Prisma Colour on the extream breakage, I have moved 8 times since i bought them, they have been knocked about, my kids have dropped them (no they arent allowed to use them but some times ill let them do so when I am colouring with them...) AND they not longer have the individual trays but are just out in about in the tin. I have wanted to get another set of pencils to replenish my colours but wanted to try something different. Thanks for the video!
Some of these are good pencils but I wouldn't call them budget other than the Crayola here in Australia. The Black Widow are good as they are available in the smaller sets. Arteza are as expensive as Prismacolor, Castle Arts are not far behind.
They are not “budget” at a level of Crayola, for sure. But compared to the usual artist-quality brands available here in Australia, they are more affordable. My set of Caran D’Ache (in my last video) were 5x the price of my Prismacolors! And each of these pencils were cheaper than the Prismacolors, even for me to get here in Australia.
So while they aren’t the lowest budget, they are low to mid range- my next few videos will compare them against some of the higher level brands too so you can really see how they all compare in price and quality, and I’ll have a thorough comparison on my website. I might even include some Australian pricing and links!
Ellie Todd I live in Perth Australia I use Faber castle classic 60 set.
@@SarahRenaeClark Arteza are nearly the same price as Prismas at the moment. You do get 150 not 120 but not significant. I understand you are talking to mainly an American market but it sort of rubs our noses in it lol.
@@ellietodd393 Artezas were actually a few cents more per pencil when I checked about two weeks ago. I commented on their IG asking why their prices have gone up so much. Didn’t get a reply of course🙄
But I was really shocked at their prices.
@@SarahRenaeClark and
Really great review. I have Prismacolor Student, Castle Arts and Black Widow Skin along with Blick for greys. Blicks are buttery, others are fairly hard. Would be interested in how these blend with solvents vs burnishing. That would be a great review too.
The arteza colors are fabulous . Maybe they're gonna be my next choice if i wanna buy wax color pencils 🎶
THANK YOU!
Very happy with this. Just about to go back to school so I needed some pencil crayons.
Cheers
You might try brutfuner and other oil color pencils. They're cheap but the quality are the best!!
Totally agree with you because I do all of my artwork (portrait) using brutfunner 160 set and im super impressed with it.
+Catherine Jabolin I didn’t end up finding any Brutfuner pencils in time, but I’ve heard good things about them! I will be comparing some other oil pencils in 2 weeks
Really enjoy your shows. I am a pencil collector and love anything pencils so yep love your show.
Thank you for this comparison! Very helpful. Myself I use the Polychromos but I will be giving my budding artist son a box of Artiza since they really seem like the next best option.
I would love to see a watercolor pencil comparison if possible. Cheers!
Ur work is beyond imagination....so hard, subscribed just for ur passion and hardwork❤, any reviews about steadler pencils??
Ahh I’ve needed this! Thank you!