Hey folks, I just wanted to give you an update! Since filming this video, I have also bought an 18 set of the Caran d' Ache Supracolor watercolor pencils. (I swear, I just cannot stop buying pencils! Haha) So, when I do a water-soluble pencil comparison video, I will also be including the Supracolor!
I love the Museum Aquarelles too. I like the Faber Castell as well and would compare them to the Supracolor in terms of quality. I only have a handful of the Supracolor so far but bought almost the whole set open stock from the SAA UK this week because they were only 1 Pound per pencil. Here in Australia everything is super expensive. I love your piece! It inspires me to get out my pencils again.
@Bonnie10au I'm really excited to try the Supracolor, too! That's a good score! I'm glad you got a good deal! Sorry that things are so pricy where you are! Thank you! I'm glad my work inspires you!
It was fascinating to watch how you built up this piece, practically completing each little section before moving on to an adjacent section. On my monitor, I could see no sketch lines at all, but the drawing was so complex, it's hard to believe you did it all freehand. Could you maybe speak about your process and what advantages you find in doing it that way? Your end result was stunning! But I'd be worried if I completed section by section, they wouldn't all come together at the end in a cohesive way! I'm lucky enough to live in the land of Caran d'Ache, and these pencils have long been on my "when I get good enough to deserve them" list! The pencils are pricey for two key reasons: Swiss labor is extremely expensive, and the Swiss franc is the strongest global currency.
Hi there! Thank you! There is a preliminary sketch, It's just hard to see! I typically sketch things on a separate piece of paper, either by freehand or grid method, just for the basic outline. Then, I transfer my outline onto my good paper by using chalk pastel on the back of my sketch, putting it pastel side down on my surface and tracing over my sketch, which transfers it to the paper below. I choose a color that will blend into the finished artwork. As far as working section by section, I find it much easier to pick out the details that way. It makes a complicated piece feel far less daunting when I tackle it little by little. I start with just a main outline, and many of the smaller details are free handed when I add color. It's almost like putting a puzzle together. I have never had any issues with it all coming together because I am using the same colors and techniques throughout. But everybody has their own way of working that feels comfortable for them! Thank you for watching! 🥰
Yes, please compare Faber Castell Albrecht Durer vs Caran d'ache Aquarelle Museum vs (not as lightfast) Derwent Inktense. Thank you. I appreciate you sharing your professional techniques, observations, and comparisons. God bless you.
Thank you so much! Good news! I have done the comparison video, and it's up on my channel. Here's a link! th-cam.com/video/D9OgPbBSTbY/w-d-xo.html Thanks for watching!
Thanks to you I bought the 72 set of inktense pencils :) Your enthusiasm is so contagious that I have to argue with myself if I need to buy the art supplies you use in your videos but it's so hard 😅
I wish they had more colours in the reds,pinks, purples, and maybe some browns. I know they will be fugitive, but there are some fugitive colours in the full range anyway
I have the set of 76 but they’re the only watercolor pencils I own. I do have the inktense as well but I love these! They’re so easy to blend and layer but definitely need more practice with them. I’m not great with water soluble anything lol. One day I hope you do a maybe a small tutorial with them! Thanks for sharing! I’ll check my violet pencil and see how it’s marked for lightfast. I’ve had these for probably 5 or 6 years I’m thinking. Just checked and my violet is also marked a 3 star just so you know!
Yeah, I love these, I am super excited about them! Yes, please, let me know what rating your Violet pencil has when you get the chance. I'm curious! After I posted this, I was looking into it more and saw some color swatches online. Someone did their own lightfast tests, and the violet faded horribly. So it's interesting, for sure!
The very first question that popped into my mind was "How do these compare with Albrecht Durer?" I'd love a comparison video. Thanks. BTW, I enjoyed watching you "paint" while listening to your commentary.
Yes, please do a comparison video! I know I personally would really appreciate seeing it done on Arches. Thanks for doing this video, it was great. Cheers! 🎨
Yes paper matters so much like when using the faber castel albrecht durer pigment dual brush pen w/c markers, they don’t work well on cotton, they work amazingly well on canson graduate and Grumbacher, heavy sized wood pulp, they work ok on arches, and the gen craft 100% cotton paper(not the best texture, but amazing with w/c brush pens). You just need to keep the papers you buy and may not like with one thing but maybe great with another.
I’m not an artist, I just like to colour in colouring books. I brought a pack of Fabre castell watercolour pencils. I thought I hated them because they never worked out for me…. After watching this video, i’ve realised I was just using them completely wrong… you learn something new everyday.😊
I have the same problem but it's any kind of supply 🥴 these look really cool and your drawing is so pretty! I tried watercolour pencils a while ago but couldn't quite figure them out, maybe I should give them another try
Oh yes, most definitely, same here! My addiction extends way beyond pencils. I work in all different media, so I have a pretty hearty collection of every supply imaginable, lol. But art is my passion, so it's really the only place I splurge. Thank you! Watercolor pencils are a lot of fun once you get the hang of them!
I understand the price. I live in Europe and they are pricey too... but not as much as in Canada or usa. I would love the comparison for all your Aquarell pencils. And yes caran d'ache is my favorite. De water-soluble and the normal pencils. Even the student grades are very good. I started with the student and every time a pencil is gone I replace it with the artist grade... that makes the cost a little lower... Beautiful work... ❤😍
Thank you! That's a great way to approach things when it comes to pricing; upgrading as you go along. Caran d'Ache makes a lot of quality products! I will try to do a comparison video in the next few weeks! Thanks for watching! 😊
Yes, comparison video please!! 😀😀😀 I have to say, in hindsight, I regret my purchase of the Albrecht Duerers (because they performed so miserably in my own lightfast tests), and I would have much rather invested in some of these Museum Aquarelles - I totally believe you when you say they are amazing!! Love your artwork! 😍
Please Rea, don't be upset about your Abrecht Durers! All the legacy companies make it plain that they don't test when they've been activated (the same applies to their watercolour paint) and all those w'c pencils I've tried, including the Museum, have some or a lot of colour fade, the degree depending on the pigment colour - just as you'd see with watercolours. Even ordinary watercolours with high lightfast rating in mass tone lose some colour after wetting - again, the degree of fading depending on the pigment. So please, don't give up on your AD's! Just make sure you have a good pigment lay-down (espcially with light colours) before activating, and remember that you can layer up... The less pigment on the paper, the more likely you'll get fade. My advice, though, is _do NOT_ buy Derwent watercolour pencils! I have several different brands in my range, and these just do not perform well, regardless of the paper used! Hope this helps. 😊 Edited for typing errors.
@@MrsBarnabas Aw, thank you Mrs Barnabas, haha 😄🙏 I did take all of that into account in my tests! I tested them both activated and dry, with heavy application (lots of pigment) and thinned down. The fading was exactly the same dry and activated, and many of the 3-star AD colors faded faster than even the 2-star Polychromos! And the fading was very significant, it wasn't just slight shifts of color but real fading. This fading occured in the heavily laid down pigment, and where the lay-down was thinner, it was worse of course. So that was the biggest disappointment for me, that 3 stars in many of the AD colors seem to equate to just 1 star in the Polychromos, and that's just not acceptable. And I LOVE Faber-Castell, probably because of patriotic reasons (I'm German, haha), and I have many of their products - so it kind of hurts to make this discovery. BUT, to end on a positive note: I also have the Albrecht Duerer Magnus pencils and they performed really well in my tests! They seem to have a completely different binder. All of their colors have 3 stars and in this case, these stars keep their promise.😊 So I will be using them in place of the ADs, whenever I need lightfast colors. (Sadly, they stopped making the AD Magnus because apparently they weren't popular enough.)
I am the same way. I have the supracolor II Aquarelle. Recently got a 24 set of Lyra Aquarelle and a couple of them are actually go to blues and greens for sky and sea watercolor painting
Kimcrick has tested them for lightfastness (which always requires so much patience) and has all the results on her website, if you are interested. Thanks for the video. 😊
I would love to see a video about all of the water-soluable pencils in comparison to one another. I have been trying to decide on a brand to purchase a set of (other than my intense that I have).
I've been eyeing these pencils for a few years myself! 😂 I use the Albrecht Dürer quite regularly too, and I've never really had an issue with lifting!🤔I have used them on both CP & HP papers, but I do only use artist grade paper which could possibly contribute to some of the issues.
Yeah, I think the sizing may have gone bad on the paper I originally used them on. I'm going to try them on Arches next and see if that solves the issues I ran into.
I have a set of 12 of these, but have had the 120 set of Supracolor for longer (2nd hand on eBay) 🤫😂 I haven’t so much as swatched the Museum Aquarelle yet. They feel just a bit too high end for the likes of me - a beginner dauber. Your painting positively glows with sunlight hitting the yellow of the daffys before bouncing off and popping the yellow up off the page. Sigh… Absolutely stunning work, and all done without so much as a tentative swatch. 🙌🏻👩🏻🎨🎨🖌️🙌🏻
Thank you so much Anita! After editing this, I actually ran across a set of Supracolor at a gift shop I was visiting, and I ended up buying them. So, when I do my watercolor pencil comparison video, I will show those too so you can get an idea of how they stack up!
I'd say, "Go for it, Anita!" You've got them now, and they're just wasted, sittting on your shelf. They are also rather hard to waste, as they have the same thick cores as Luminance, and you can do a large drawing and not need to sharpen them! 😊
@@CautionArtistatPlay Talk about being lucky! For me this is wonderful news as I have often wondered whether the gap in price between Supracolor and Museum Aquarelle were wholly justified and for what reasons, given they are both actually pretty pricey to purchase. Understanding just what the different properties of each are will be completely fascinating. I shall be hardly likely to required any more than "good" lightfastness as I will never sell art, but some pieces may become gifts - expensively protected behind UV blocking glass naturally. Thanks for taking this "pencil hit" for the team Shana. Perhaps after you complete your mammoth testing video, you ought to see about joining your closest PA (Pencils Anonymous) group? 😁🫣🤷🏼🧑🏼🎨🎨🖌️❤️
👍Great video... I have the full Museum set (love them). I also have the full set of Supracolor as well - plus the set of 30 limited edition Supracolor pencils.
I am glad you brought up the issue with different watercolour paper. I was frustrated with my watercolour pencils leaving lines on the paper. I have discovered rough watercolour paper for watercolour pencils. I swatched all my pencils from Caran d'ache Musuem to Arteza. I used the hardest pressure with 4 layers and there were no lines at all. The paint did not sink into the texture of the paper but stayed on the top. The vibrance was unbelievable even the Derwent watercolour pencils.
I can see a certain young lady going out to Blick and buying the box set of 80 in the wood presentation box😊😊😝 I have a set of 12 FCAD's but I might look into these as well.
That’s another amazing painting!! 🤩 I recently bought a few open stock Museum Aquarell pencils to try out soon (my Violet also has 3 stars printed on…). I would love to see a comparison video and hopefully you’ll get a better impression of the Albrecht Dürer pencils too, which I love! I see more artists using water soluble pencils without activating them with water (or not activating their final layer)- I‘m a bit worried to do that as humidity might affect it. What do you think?
Ooh! Thanks for letting me know that your Violet pencil has the same rating as mine! So weird that the chart has it listed differently. I have also been looking at lightfast tests online that other artists have done, and it looks like the violet faded pretty significantly in some of those tests. So, that's something to be noted, too. I'm excited to see how all the pencils I have stack up against each other. I'm really hoping the Albrecht Durer do better on the Arches Paper than they did the Fluid 100. I had such high hopes for those pencils when I got them. We shall see!
@@CautionArtistatPlay Looking forward to the comparison video!! After watching your video I ordered the Museum Aquarell Landscape set of 20 on Amazon (it was less than £40!) - I think it will be great for my garden design work. I do think we have the same problem with buying pencils! 😂😅
@brigitteitg I have had my eye on that set, too, though at least a couple of the colors in that set are already in the set I bought! It is so hard to resist, though! I'm glad I'm among my people here! Seems like there are a lot of pencil fiends in this comment section! 🥰
I forgive you! I love buying pencils too. I have the 20 and 12 Museum Aquarelle assorted sets. I’m not that good at using them, however, they are very handy when I want to add pigment to my watercolor paintings and I don’t want to add any more water. A few weeks ago Jackson’s Art interviewed the head of Caran D’Ache. The interview is on their YT channel. I agree with the other person who said the Derwent watercolor pencils are a disappointment: I agree. I don’t have many (thank goodness) because they are so weak. I have the FC Albrect Durer pencils and CD Supracolor and Swisscolor (student range) watercolor soluble pencils. The AD and Swisscolor are very good. I haven’t used the Supracolor so I can’t comment 🫣🤣. Beautiful painting!
Thank you so much! I'm glad I'm not alone when it comes to my pencil buying habits, lol. I just bought some of the Supracolor pencils too, so that will be fun to compare! I will have to go and take a look at that interview! Thanks for mentioning it!
Beautiful! Just about the only product I have any regrets over are the Derwent watercolor pencils. They are just sad next to FC and Cd’A. Even my VERY inexpensive Staedtler water soluble pencils are better. Yes, please film the comparison!
You and I are so much alike with the supply addiction. I think if I suddenly died and people had to go through my studio to deal with my possessions they would be extremely surprised by everything I have 😂 At the same time, they wouldn't appreciate the quality and price of some items to even be that stunned 😛 I would LOVE some Caran d'Ache one day. I'd probably go for Luminance range and I'm sure one day I'll buy a set, when they have either a good prime day or black friday sale. I have the white only at the moment. Your art work is absolutely beautiful. I love watching it come together.
Omgosh, it's so true, though! I'm glad you can relate. 😂 Between the suppliss and all my artwork, if they sold everything, there would be more than enough money to cover my funeral costs and then maybe enough leftover for a new house! Bahahaha, in all seriousness, though, it's really the only place I spend none-bill money. I don't buy a lot of clothes or any of that. My day job pays the bills, and my art money goes to my supply addiction, lol. I love the Luminance. They are beautiful! Caran d'Ache makes fantastic products in general. They are pretty pricy, though, unfortunately. Thank you, I'm glad you enjoyed how it came together! 🥰
You say your funeral and now I'm thinking of a coffin that is made from all those pencils 🤣 I am the same. I pay my bills, I put money on the house and I will spend money on my hobby. I don't see the point of working a full time job, if I can't have a fun reward from it. I do spend a little too much, but it brings me happiness and I am mostly responsible with my money anyway.
@lozantoninocreations haha! You are such a visionary! A pencil coffin sounds perfect! I feel the same way. Life is too short to just work and pay bills. We have to do the things that bring us joy!
Yes, they can be, but if you plan to use them with water, I recommend using them as an under-layer to your colored pencils. Regular colored pencils are wax and oil-based, so they act as a resist and repel water. So you will want to use the colored pencils on top after the watercolor pencil layer is dry. Unless, of course, you decide to only use the watercolor pencils dry.
You're welcome! I haven't used water-soluble pencils on Pastelmat, I have only ever used pastels on it. Have you tried them on Pastelmat? If so, how did it go?
Thank you! I feel they are very similar as far as quality. The Neocolor ll's might be a bit more vibrant just because they have such a high color payout since they lay down so much color at once. That's just the nature of it since the pencils have a fine tip and are harder than the Neocolors in general. And because of that, it's much easier to get fine detail with the pencils. But they are both quality products, and I think they would work well together!
I think the Arches made a huge difference. I purchased Arches in a sale 50% off in a little shop. I felt so darn lucky 😄 Maybe you can give the water brushes by caran d’ache also a go in the comparison video? Believe me, they are soooo worth it 😍
Hello do you prefer these or your inktense ? I watch a french artist on youtube who use watercolour derwent and, he sells his paintings but at the end he protects with LA TOUR FIXATIVE
As of right now, it's pretty neck and neck, honestly! Inktense has always been my favorite, but I really enjoyed these pencils! I will have to use these a bit more to know for sure, though, because I really do love my Inktense. I like to use Krylon UV protective spray for my work. Spray can definitely slow down fading, but it's a good rule of thumb to work with highly lightfast colors from the start when planning on selling the art! Thanks for watching!
Hey there! For this one, because of the amount of detail, I used the grid method. I sketched the preliminary outline onto grid paper, and then I transferred it to my Arches paper after by using chalk pastel on the back of my sketch. Other times, I will free-hand, either in my sketchbook or on a cheaper piece of paper, and then transfer to my more expensive paper afterward. Sometimes, for more simplistic pieces, or when I am doing the whole piece in my sketchbook, I will free hand directly on the paper. It depends on the piece. If it's a piece that I anticipate will require a lot of erasing during the sketch phase, I do it on a separate piece of paper so I don't risk ruining my good paper in the preliminary phases of the drawing. I do share my sketching process from time to time in videos, depending on what kind of video it is. I have a recent studio vlog where I showed my process of free-handing and transferring my sketch: th-cam.com/video/YlyAd03D0PU/w-d-xo.htmlsi=EEIS_TY2GNme_rWX it's a bit a after the 12 minute mark. I also have a video where I talk about the grid method: th-cam.com/video/5s9CPm9gp88/w-d-xo.htmlsi=LcDT48odGWtZp9wF I hope this helps! Thanks for watching!
This video wasn't meant to be a direct comparison, I got these pencils, wanted to try them, and show people what I thought of them. I only mentioned my previous review because it was my most recent review, and my regular viewers have been following along on my watercolor pencil journey. I would have used the same paper, but I think the sizing went bad on the Fluid 100 paper that I used for the Albrecht Durer, so I wasn't chancing it again. I have since done a huge comparison video, where I compare a bunch of watercolor pencils, side by side, on the Arches. I also swatch each of them on different kinds of paper because I think it's important to see how they do on different papers. If you want to see how these and the Albrecht Durer compare on the same paper, feel free to watch it here! th-cam.com/video/D9OgPbBSTbY/w-d-xo.htmlsi=xIu0mF2tZs5HKiVH
Hi, Shana! Totally magical!!!! Thank you! Please maybe check out my reply to Queen Rea for most of what i was going to say here? I agree with you re Derwent watercolour pencils! I do still have a few, but only where I can't find / mix a match with AD or Museum. Luckily, those I haven't been able to swap out are some of the better pencils in the range. I'm glad you've picked up some Supracolor. I really like them, though there are a few which really aren't lightfast. However, they are the usual suspects - low rating pigments as with ordinary watercolours. I like the Museums I have, and will probably get more as my Supracolors wear down. I have replaced some (as well as some Derwent, where I could find a match with AD or Museum), but until Museum extend their colour range, phasing out all the Supras isn't an option. Note: The Museum colour names and numbers don't always correlate with the Supracolors, even if they seem to be the same colour! If the colour you're cross checking isn't the same name, but looks the same, go to Jackson's and look at the last two of the catalogue numbers to see if they match. It'll be interesting to see how you feel about the Albrecht Durers in your comparison, but I think that as with comparing their Polychromos with Luminance, their indivduality means that each has their place in our collection. and each has colours the other doesn't. BTW, how do you rate Derwent Lightfast with Luminance / Polychromos (both of these have a place for me, as they complement eash other, but I haven't tried the Derwent - I have enough with what I have but curiosity keeps nagging at me, and I can't get them to try hands-on here in France - I'd have to buy them 'blind' via Jackson's! 😄)?
Hey there! I saw that reply. Thank you for sharing your insight about the Albrecht Durer and lightfastness with us!! Oh, that is good to know about the colors in the different Caran d'Ache lines and how they may or may not relate to one another. Thanks for the heads-up! That's one thing that I love about Faber-Castell! They have matching colors across their lines! I will definitely keep that in mind when I start using my Supracolors and compare them with the Museum Aquarelle! I am curious to see how the Albrecht Durer do in the comparison, too, especially once I use them on the nice Arches paper! As far as they Derwent Lightfast go, they are my favorite of the three pencils you mentioned. Those and the Holbein are my go-to pencils now. With the Luminance just behind. I also still love my Prismacolors. I use the Polychromos a lot too, for detail, but not as much as I once did because as I have gotten older I have been favoring softer pencils more, to save from hand and wrist cramps. But Polys were in my top three for years before I started getting soreness. As always, thanks for watching and sharing your thoughts with us! 😊
Hey folks, I just wanted to give you an update! Since filming this video, I have also bought an 18 set of the Caran d' Ache Supracolor watercolor pencils. (I swear, I just cannot stop buying pencils! Haha) So, when I do a water-soluble pencil comparison video, I will also be including the Supracolor!
Really pleased you're giving Supracolor a chance, Shana!
I thought it would be fun to see how they compare! I have heard pretty good things about them!
Looking forward to see this video❤
I love the Museum Aquarelles too. I like the Faber Castell as well and would compare them to the Supracolor in terms of quality. I only have a handful of the Supracolor so far but bought almost the whole set open stock from the SAA UK this week because they were only 1 Pound per pencil. Here in Australia everything is super expensive.
I love your piece! It inspires me to get out my pencils again.
@Bonnie10au I'm really excited to try the Supracolor, too! That's a good score! I'm glad you got a good deal! Sorry that things are so pricy where you are! Thank you! I'm glad my work inspires you!
Please, yes do the comparison video!
Will do!
It was fascinating to watch how you built up this piece, practically completing each little section before moving on to an adjacent section. On my monitor, I could see no sketch lines at all, but the drawing was so complex, it's hard to believe you did it all freehand. Could you maybe speak about your process and what advantages you find in doing it that way? Your end result was stunning! But I'd be worried if I completed section by section, they wouldn't all come together at the end in a cohesive way!
I'm lucky enough to live in the land of Caran d'Ache, and these pencils have long been on my "when I get good enough to deserve them" list! The pencils are pricey for two key reasons: Swiss labor is extremely expensive, and the Swiss franc is the strongest global currency.
Hi there! Thank you! There is a preliminary sketch, It's just hard to see! I typically sketch things on a separate piece of paper, either by freehand or grid method, just for the basic outline. Then, I transfer my outline onto my good paper by using chalk pastel on the back of my sketch, putting it pastel side down on my surface and tracing over my sketch, which transfers it to the paper below. I choose a color that will blend into the finished artwork.
As far as working section by section, I find it much easier to pick out the details that way. It makes a complicated piece feel far less daunting when I tackle it little by little. I start with just a main outline, and many of the smaller details are free handed when I add color. It's almost like putting a puzzle together. I have never had any issues with it all coming together because I am using the same colors and techniques throughout. But everybody has their own way of working that feels comfortable for them! Thank you for watching! 🥰
Wow! Beautiful work!
Thank you, Lindsay!! 😊
A comparison of the various watercolor pencils would be great!
Sounds good! Thanks!
Yes, please compare Faber Castell Albrecht Durer vs Caran d'ache Aquarelle Museum vs (not as lightfast) Derwent Inktense. Thank you. I appreciate you sharing your professional techniques, observations, and comparisons. God bless you.
Thank you so much! Good news! I have done the comparison video, and it's up on my channel. Here's a link! th-cam.com/video/D9OgPbBSTbY/w-d-xo.html
Thanks for watching!
Thanks to you I bought the 72 set of inktense pencils :)
Your enthusiasm is so contagious that I have to argue with myself if I need to buy the art supplies you use in your videos but it's so hard 😅
Haha! I'm sorry to be such a bad influence! I love that I am able to share my excitement for art supplies with others!
I wish they had more colours in the reds,pinks, purples, and maybe some browns. I know they will be fugitive, but there are some fugitive colours in the full range anyway
Yeah, it would be nice to have more of a variety in those colors.
A comparison would be awesome.
Sounds good! Thanks!
Yes, would love a comparison video.
Awesome! I will see what I can do!
I have the set of 76 but they’re the only watercolor pencils I own. I do have the inktense as well but I love these! They’re so easy to blend and layer but definitely need more practice with them. I’m not great with water soluble anything lol. One day I hope you do a maybe a small tutorial with them! Thanks for sharing! I’ll check my violet pencil and see how it’s marked for lightfast. I’ve had these for probably 5 or 6 years I’m thinking. Just checked and my violet is also marked a 3 star just so you know!
Yeah, I love these, I am super excited about them! Yes, please, let me know what rating your Violet pencil has when you get the chance. I'm curious! After I posted this, I was looking into it more and saw some color swatches online. Someone did their own lightfast tests, and the violet faded horribly. So it's interesting, for sure!
Your enthusiasm is contagious, inspiring!
Thank you so much! That makes me so happy to hear!
The very first question that popped into my mind was "How do these compare with Albrecht Durer?" I'd love a comparison video. Thanks.
BTW, I enjoyed watching you "paint" while listening to your commentary.
Thank you! I will do a comparison video soon!
Yes, please do a comparison video! I know I personally would really appreciate seeing it done on Arches. Thanks for doing this video, it was great. Cheers! 🎨
Thank you for watching! I will do a comparison video soon!
My daughter just bought me these pencils in Switzerland. Thanks for sharing this!
You're very welcome! I hope you enjoy working with them! Thanks for watching!
Gorgeous!!!!!❤❤❤
Thank you, Teresa!! 💖
Yes paper matters so much like when using the faber castel albrecht durer pigment dual brush pen w/c markers, they don’t work well on cotton, they work amazingly well on canson graduate and Grumbacher, heavy sized wood pulp, they work ok on arches, and the gen craft 100% cotton paper(not the best texture, but amazing with w/c brush pens). You just need to keep the papers you buy and may not like with one thing but maybe great with another.
I agree, it's good to have a variety of papers on hand because you never know what will work best with each product!
I’m not an artist, I just like to colour in colouring books. I brought a pack of Fabre castell watercolour pencils. I thought I hated them because they never worked out for me…. After watching this video, i’ve realised I was just using them completely wrong… you learn something new everyday.😊
Watercolor pencils can be a bit tricky at first, but once you find your rhythm with them, they can be a ton of fun to work with! ☺️
I have the same problem but it's any kind of supply 🥴 these look really cool and your drawing is so pretty! I tried watercolour pencils a while ago but couldn't quite figure them out, maybe I should give them another try
Oh yes, most definitely, same here! My addiction extends way beyond pencils. I work in all different media, so I have a pretty hearty collection of every supply imaginable, lol. But art is my passion, so it's really the only place I splurge. Thank you! Watercolor pencils are a lot of fun once you get the hang of them!
Yes please I'd love a water soluble pencils comparison video!
Sounds good!
I understand the price. I live in Europe and they are pricey too... but not as much as in Canada or usa. I would love the comparison for all your Aquarell pencils. And yes caran d'ache is my favorite. De water-soluble and the normal pencils. Even the student grades are very good. I started with the student and every time a pencil is gone I replace it with the artist grade... that makes the cost a little lower...
Beautiful work... ❤😍
Thank you! That's a great way to approach things when it comes to pricing; upgrading as you go along. Caran d'Ache makes a lot of quality products! I will try to do a comparison video in the next few weeks! Thanks for watching! 😊
Yes, comparison video please!! 😀😀😀
I have to say, in hindsight, I regret my purchase of the Albrecht Duerers (because they performed so miserably in my own lightfast tests), and I would have much rather invested in some of these Museum Aquarelles - I totally believe you when you say they are amazing!! Love your artwork! 😍
Thank you so much! I am really excited to see how they all compare once I use them on the same paper! It will be interesting to see for sure!
Please Rea, don't be upset about your Abrecht Durers! All the legacy companies make it plain that they don't test when they've been activated (the same applies to their watercolour paint) and all those w'c pencils I've tried, including the Museum, have some or a lot of colour fade, the degree depending on the pigment colour - just as you'd see with watercolours.
Even ordinary watercolours with high lightfast rating in mass tone lose some colour after wetting - again, the degree of fading depending on the pigment.
So please, don't give up on your AD's! Just make sure you have a good pigment lay-down (espcially with light colours) before activating, and remember that you can layer up... The less pigment on the paper, the more likely you'll get fade.
My advice, though, is _do NOT_ buy Derwent watercolour pencils! I have several different brands in my range, and these just do not perform well, regardless of the paper used!
Hope this helps. 😊
Edited for typing errors.
@@MrsBarnabas Aw, thank you Mrs Barnabas, haha 😄🙏
I did take all of that into account in my tests! I tested them both activated and dry, with heavy application (lots of pigment) and thinned down. The fading was exactly the same dry and activated, and many of the 3-star AD colors faded faster than even the 2-star Polychromos! And the fading was very significant, it wasn't just slight shifts of color but real fading. This fading occured in the heavily laid down pigment, and where the lay-down was thinner, it was worse of course.
So that was the biggest disappointment for me, that 3 stars in many of the AD colors seem to equate to just 1 star in the Polychromos, and that's just not acceptable. And I LOVE Faber-Castell, probably because of patriotic reasons (I'm German, haha), and I have many of their products - so it kind of hurts to make this discovery.
BUT, to end on a positive note: I also have the Albrecht Duerer Magnus pencils and they performed really well in my tests! They seem to have a completely different binder. All of their colors have 3 stars and in this case, these stars keep their promise.😊 So I will be using them in place of the ADs, whenever I need lightfast colors. (Sadly, they stopped making the AD Magnus because apparently they weren't popular enough.)
I like using water soluble pencils too. I would love to see a comparison video.
Sounds good! I will see what I can do!
I am the same way. I have the supracolor II Aquarelle. Recently got a 24 set of Lyra Aquarelle and a couple of them are actually go to blues and greens for sky and sea watercolor painting
I don't think I have tried the Lyra Aquarelle, good to know that they have good blues and greens!
Kimcrick has tested them for lightfastness (which always requires so much patience) and has all the results on her website, if you are interested. Thanks for the video. 😊
Good to know! Thanks for the tip! 😊
Thank you for the tip Martina!!
Absolutely beautiful piece!
Thank you! 🥰
I only have the 12 set and the landscape set, but they are some of the best watercolor pencils. Would love to have them all. Someday!
They are beautiful pencils! I already have a bunch of other colors in my cart at Blick!
I would love to see a video about all of the water-soluable pencils in comparison to one another. I have been trying to decide on a brand to purchase a set of (other than my intense that I have).
Okay! I will see what I can do! Thanks!
I've been eyeing these pencils for a few years myself! 😂 I use the Albrecht Dürer quite regularly too, and I've never really had an issue with lifting!🤔I have used them on both CP & HP papers, but I do only use artist grade paper which could possibly contribute to some of the issues.
Yeah, I think the sizing may have gone bad on the paper I originally used them on. I'm going to try them on Arches next and see if that solves the issues I ran into.
Great artwork! I sold my FC Albrecht Dürer and bought a full set of the Museum Aquarell, because I loved my 40 set so much.
Thank you! I'm loving the Museum Aquarelle already! I will be ordering more colors when I have the chance!
Now I want to feed my pencil habit! Lol, thanks!
Sorry, I'm a bad influence! Haha!
I have a set of 12 of these, but have had the 120 set of Supracolor for longer (2nd hand on eBay) 🤫😂 I haven’t so much as swatched the Museum Aquarelle yet. They feel just a bit too high end for the likes of me - a beginner dauber.
Your painting positively glows with sunlight hitting the yellow of the daffys before bouncing off and popping the yellow up off the page. Sigh… Absolutely stunning work, and all done without so much as a tentative swatch. 🙌🏻👩🏻🎨🎨🖌️🙌🏻
Thank you so much Anita! After editing this, I actually ran across a set of Supracolor at a gift shop I was visiting, and I ended up buying them. So, when I do my watercolor pencil comparison video, I will show those too so you can get an idea of how they stack up!
I'd say, "Go for it, Anita!" You've got them now, and they're just wasted, sittting on your shelf. They are also rather hard to waste, as they have the same thick cores as Luminance, and you can do a large drawing and not need to sharpen them! 😊
@@MrsBarnabas Thanks for the valuable information 😁
@@CautionArtistatPlay Talk about being lucky! For me this is wonderful news as I have often wondered whether the gap in price between Supracolor and Museum Aquarelle were wholly justified and for what reasons, given they are both actually pretty pricey to purchase. Understanding just what the different properties of each are will be completely fascinating. I shall be hardly likely to required any more than "good" lightfastness as I will never sell art, but some pieces may become gifts - expensively protected behind UV blocking glass naturally. Thanks for taking this "pencil hit" for the team Shana. Perhaps after you complete your mammoth testing video, you ought to see about joining your closest PA (Pencils Anonymous) group? 😁🫣🤷🏼🧑🏼🎨🎨🖌️❤️
Haha! Yeah, I probably should get some sort of help for this addiction of mine! 😂. I am looking forward to seeing how each line compares!
Comparison: yes, please 😊
Awesome! Glad people are interested!
👍Great video... I have the full Museum set (love them). I also have the full set of Supracolor as well - plus the set of 30 limited edition Supracolor pencils.
Thank you! I recently bought an 18 set of the Supracolors, and I'm excited to try them!
I love my Museum Aquarelle’s! I also have their supracolors and both are great.
I have heard good things about the Supracolor. I just got a set to try the out and compare with the others I have on hand!
I am glad you brought up the issue with different watercolour paper. I was frustrated with my watercolour pencils leaving lines on the paper. I have discovered rough watercolour paper for watercolour pencils. I swatched all my pencils from Caran d'ache Musuem to Arteza. I used the hardest pressure with 4 layers and there were no lines at all. The paint did not sink into the texture of the paper but stayed on the top. The vibrance was unbelievable even the Derwent watercolour pencils.
Good to know! Thanks for the tip! I would have thought it would be harder to get fine details on the rough paper! I will have to try it out!
What you do is swipe then on a wet brush and use like paint. No lines
I can see a certain young lady going out to Blick and buying the box set of 80 in the wood presentation box😊😊😝 I have a set of 12 FCAD's but I might look into these as well.
I already have a bunch of other colors in my cart on Blick! Lol, I'm hooked!
I would love to have your take on the comparison of watercolor pencils.
Thanks! I will put together a video soon!
Would love a comparison video!
Awesome! Thank you for letting me know! 🥰
That’s another amazing painting!! 🤩 I recently bought a few open stock Museum Aquarell pencils to try out soon (my Violet also has 3 stars printed on…). I would love to see a comparison video and hopefully you’ll get a better impression of the Albrecht Dürer pencils too, which I love! I see more artists using water soluble pencils without activating them with water (or not activating their final layer)- I‘m a bit worried to do that as humidity might affect it. What do you think?
Ooh! Thanks for letting me know that your Violet pencil has the same rating as mine! So weird that the chart has it listed differently. I have also been looking at lightfast tests online that other artists have done, and it looks like the violet faded pretty significantly in some of those tests. So, that's something to be noted, too. I'm excited to see how all the pencils I have stack up against each other. I'm really hoping the Albrecht Durer do better on the Arches Paper than they did the Fluid 100. I had such high hopes for those pencils when I got them. We shall see!
@@CautionArtistatPlay Looking forward to the comparison video!! After watching your video I ordered the Museum Aquarell Landscape set of 20 on Amazon (it was less than £40!) - I think it will be great for my garden design work. I do think we have the same problem with buying pencils! 😂😅
@brigitteitg I have had my eye on that set, too, though at least a couple of the colors in that set are already in the set I bought! It is so hard to resist, though! I'm glad I'm among my people here! Seems like there are a lot of pencil fiends in this comment section! 🥰
I forgive you! I love buying pencils too. I have the 20 and 12 Museum Aquarelle assorted sets. I’m not that good at using them, however, they are very handy when I want to add pigment to my watercolor paintings and I don’t want to add any more water. A few weeks ago Jackson’s Art interviewed the head of Caran D’Ache. The interview is on their YT channel. I agree with the other person who said the Derwent watercolor pencils are a disappointment: I agree. I don’t have many (thank goodness) because they are so weak. I have the FC Albrect Durer pencils and CD Supracolor and Swisscolor (student range) watercolor soluble pencils. The AD and Swisscolor are very good. I haven’t used the Supracolor so I can’t comment 🫣🤣. Beautiful painting!
Thank you so much! I'm glad I'm not alone when it comes to my pencil buying habits, lol. I just bought some of the Supracolor pencils too, so that will be fun to compare! I will have to go and take a look at that interview! Thanks for mentioning it!
@@CautionArtistatPlay you’re welcome! Looking forward to your comparison video. ☺️
Beautiful! Just about the only product I have any regrets over are the Derwent watercolor pencils. They are just sad next to FC and Cd’A. Even my VERY inexpensive Staedtler water soluble pencils are better. Yes, please film the comparison!
Yeah, I can't believe how weak they are compared to the rest! I will definitely do a comparison video in the next few weeks!
Agreed
You and I are so much alike with the supply addiction.
I think if I suddenly died and people had to go through my studio to deal with my possessions they would be extremely surprised by everything I have 😂 At the same time, they wouldn't appreciate the quality and price of some items to even be that stunned 😛
I would LOVE some Caran d'Ache one day. I'd probably go for Luminance range and I'm sure one day I'll buy a set, when they have either a good prime day or black friday sale. I have the white only at the moment.
Your art work is absolutely beautiful. I love watching it come together.
Omgosh, it's so true, though! I'm glad you can relate. 😂 Between the suppliss and all my artwork, if they sold everything, there would be more than enough money to cover my funeral costs and then maybe enough leftover for a new house! Bahahaha, in all seriousness, though, it's really the only place I spend none-bill money. I don't buy a lot of clothes or any of that. My day job pays the bills, and my art money goes to my supply addiction, lol.
I love the Luminance. They are beautiful! Caran d'Ache makes fantastic products in general. They are pretty pricy, though, unfortunately.
Thank you, I'm glad you enjoyed how it came together! 🥰
You say your funeral and now I'm thinking of a coffin that is made from all those pencils 🤣
I am the same. I pay my bills, I put money on the house and I will spend money on my hobby. I don't see the point of working a full time job, if I can't have a fun reward from it. I do spend a little too much, but it brings me happiness and I am mostly responsible with my money anyway.
@lozantoninocreations haha! You are such a visionary! A pencil coffin sounds perfect! I feel the same way. Life is too short to just work and pay bills. We have to do the things that bring us joy!
Damn you!!!! Now I may have to buy these! 😂
😂 I already have more open stock colors in my Blick cart! It's a real problem! Lol
Totally new to this medium and loved your video and commentary. Very information. One question: can these be combined with color pencils?
Yes, they can be, but if you plan to use them with water, I recommend using them as an under-layer to your colored pencils. Regular colored pencils are wax and oil-based, so they act as a resist and repel water. So you will want to use the colored pencils on top after the watercolor pencil layer is dry. Unless, of course, you decide to only use the watercolor pencils dry.
@@CautionArtistatPlay Thank you so much and have you ever used the water soluble pencils on pastel mat?
You're welcome! I haven't used water-soluble pencils on Pastelmat, I have only ever used pastels on it. Have you tried them on Pastelmat? If so, how did it go?
@@CautionArtistatPlay I have not used the water soluble on Pastel mat but definitely going to do an experiment. Will keep you posted.
Sounds good! 😁
How do these compare with the Neocolor II? Beautiful painting! 🌼
Thank you! I feel they are very similar as far as quality. The Neocolor ll's might be a bit more vibrant just because they have such a high color payout since they lay down so much color at once. That's just the nature of it since the pencils have a fine tip and are harder than the Neocolors in general. And because of that, it's much easier to get fine detail with the pencils. But they are both quality products, and I think they would work well together!
@@CautionArtistatPlay Thank you!! 🤗😍
You're welcome!
@@CautionArtistatPlay 🤗😍
I think the Arches made a huge difference. I purchased Arches in a sale 50% off in a little shop. I felt so darn lucky 😄
Maybe you can give the water brushes by caran d’ache also a go in the comparison video? Believe me, they are soooo worth it 😍
Yes, having the right paper really makes a difference! Oh yes, that's right! I need to remember to use that water brush! Thanks for reminding me!
Hello do you prefer these or your inktense ? I watch a french artist on youtube who use watercolour derwent and, he sells his paintings but at the end he protects with LA TOUR FIXATIVE
As of right now, it's pretty neck and neck, honestly! Inktense has always been my favorite, but I really enjoyed these pencils! I will have to use these a bit more to know for sure, though, because I really do love my Inktense.
I like to use Krylon UV protective spray for my work. Spray can definitely slow down fading, but it's a good rule of thumb to work with highly lightfast colors from the start when planning on selling the art! Thanks for watching!
If bring anymore pencils in my house i will be sleeping out on the porch😂
Haha! I'm not far from that. Thankfully, I have a designated art space, but before then, it was getting pretty crowded in my living space! Lol
I wish I could see your under sketch process.
Hey there! For this one, because of the amount of detail, I used the grid method. I sketched the preliminary outline onto grid paper, and then I transferred it to my Arches paper after by using chalk pastel on the back of my sketch. Other times, I will free-hand, either in my sketchbook or on a cheaper piece of paper, and then transfer to my more expensive paper afterward. Sometimes, for more simplistic pieces, or when I am doing the whole piece in my sketchbook, I will free hand directly on the paper. It depends on the piece. If it's a piece that I anticipate will require a lot of erasing during the sketch phase, I do it on a separate piece of paper so I don't risk ruining my good paper in the preliminary phases of the drawing. I do share my sketching process from time to time in videos, depending on what kind of video it is. I have a recent studio vlog where I showed my process of free-handing and transferring my sketch: th-cam.com/video/YlyAd03D0PU/w-d-xo.htmlsi=EEIS_TY2GNme_rWX it's a bit a after the 12 minute mark. I also have a video where I talk about the grid method: th-cam.com/video/5s9CPm9gp88/w-d-xo.htmlsi=LcDT48odGWtZp9wF I hope this helps! Thanks for watching!
@@CautionArtistatPlay thanks so much for your detailed reply. I will definitely check out those other videos!
You are very welcome! Thank you for your interest in my process!
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Compare please!!
Will do! Thanks!
You should always use the same brand paper when doing any kind of comparison or reaction test videos.
This video wasn't meant to be a direct comparison, I got these pencils, wanted to try them, and show people what I thought of them. I only mentioned my previous review because it was my most recent review, and my regular viewers have been following along on my watercolor pencil journey. I would have used the same paper, but I think the sizing went bad on the Fluid 100 paper that I used for the Albrecht Durer, so I wasn't chancing it again. I have since done a huge comparison video, where I compare a bunch of watercolor pencils, side by side, on the Arches. I also swatch each of them on different kinds of paper because I think it's important to see how they do on different papers. If you want to see how these and the Albrecht Durer compare on the same paper, feel free to watch it here! th-cam.com/video/D9OgPbBSTbY/w-d-xo.htmlsi=xIu0mF2tZs5HKiVH
Hi, Shana! Totally magical!!!! Thank you!
Please maybe check out my reply to Queen Rea for most of what i was going to say here?
I agree with you re Derwent watercolour pencils! I do still have a few, but only where I can't find / mix a match with AD or Museum. Luckily, those I haven't been able to swap out are some of the better pencils in the range.
I'm glad you've picked up some Supracolor. I really like them, though there are a few which really aren't lightfast. However, they are the usual suspects - low rating pigments as with ordinary watercolours. I like the Museums I have, and will probably get more as my Supracolors wear down. I have replaced some (as well as some Derwent, where I could find a match with AD or Museum), but until Museum extend their colour range, phasing out all the Supras isn't an option.
Note: The Museum colour names and numbers don't always correlate with the Supracolors, even if they seem to be the same colour! If the colour you're cross checking isn't the same name, but looks the same, go to Jackson's and look at the last two of the catalogue numbers to see if they match.
It'll be interesting to see how you feel about the Albrecht Durers in your comparison, but I think that as with comparing their Polychromos with Luminance, their indivduality means that each has their place in our collection. and each has colours the other doesn't.
BTW, how do you rate Derwent Lightfast with Luminance / Polychromos (both of these have a place for me, as they complement eash other, but I haven't tried the Derwent - I have enough with what I have but curiosity keeps nagging at me, and I can't get them to try hands-on here in France - I'd have to buy them 'blind' via Jackson's! 😄)?
Hey there! I saw that reply. Thank you for sharing your insight about the Albrecht Durer and lightfastness with us!!
Oh, that is good to know about the colors in the different Caran d'Ache lines and how they may or may not relate to one another. Thanks for the heads-up! That's one thing that I love about Faber-Castell! They have matching colors across their lines! I will definitely keep that in mind when I start using my Supracolors and compare them with the Museum Aquarelle! I am curious to see how the Albrecht Durer do in the comparison, too, especially once I use them on the nice Arches paper!
As far as they Derwent Lightfast go, they are my favorite of the three pencils you mentioned. Those and the Holbein are my go-to pencils now. With the Luminance just behind. I also still love my Prismacolors. I use the Polychromos a lot too, for detail, but not as much as I once did because as I have gotten older I have been favoring softer pencils more, to save from hand and wrist cramps. But Polys were in my top three for years before I started getting soreness. As always, thanks for watching and sharing your thoughts with us! 😊
It’s not a problem, it’s just a thing….
Haha! Thanks for trying to make me feel better, Rob.
@@CautionArtistatPlay I just added them to my blick cart
My cart at Blick is so full right now! Haha
I mean If my content revolved around that kind of stuff, i wouldn't be able to stop buying stuff either
Well, I was addicted to art supplies long before I was on TH-cam, lol. But you are right. People do like watching review videos.