Thank you for the review on the Spectrum Noir pencils. I've got a few and I liked them a lot, I will be picking up the 5 sets, brand new, this Sunday coming, got them 2nd hand (not used), still with the cellophane. I am so happy. 😍
Owen, thank you for this and all your color pencil reviews. I am a paper craftier that has fallen in love with the color pencil. I use prisma pencils and I use gamsel sometimes but I'm learning how to blend by taking my time and layering the colors. I have learned from other card makers that Spectrum product are more vibrant because they are made for card makers and other paper crafters that want a vibrant color. You are the only professional artist that has reviewed them. And although I'm not a professional artist I do appreciate your options and I follow you for just that reason. Again thank you very much.
+Gail “Gaylee” Loyola - Hi Gail- Thank you so much for the comments and for watching. A friend of mine, Lindsay The Frugal Crafter also has a great TH-cam channel and has reviewed these from the crafter perspective. If you haven't had a chance to check out her channel, you should. I'm glad you're here and appreciate that you took the time to watch and comment. Have a great day - Marty
Yes, I do watch Lindsay and she is great and I love her stamping school. I watch you draw and paint so when I saw that you took the time to review a "craft" product I think I have to try it. I did not get the same reaction when I watched Lindsay's review she did several months back.
Thanks for a fantastic review! I've just rediscovered my love of coloring for crafting and am looking to upgrade from my basic cheapy pencil set. You provided lots of great information in your review, I especially liked you swatching each color and showing all of the layering & blending. I've watched a LOT of product reviews and yours is definitely the best I've seen so far. Thank you! :-)
thanks for reviewing spectrum noir, i have these and use them for my coloring books.. i watched all your reviews on different coloring pencils, I'm no artist but i really find your reviews very informative ☺ keep it up 😉
Great review! I have Spectrum Noir's other coloring products but not the pencils. They have come out with a new pencil which I'm ordering now but your review was very informative and helpful. Blessings.....
Really enjoyed this review, coming from an artist's point of view, rather than a crafter's. I mainly do portraits, animals and landscapes, rather than colour in cards, so this was really helpful. I have the amazing F-B Polychromos and some Caran D'Ache Luminance, I don't think anything is EVER going to beat those two for artist quality colour pencils, but I wanted to get some decent pencils to play around with, for when I'm not doing commissions, because, let's face it Polychromos and Luminance DO kind of break the bank..and it IS nice to be able to buy food every once in a while [thus avoiding the starving artist cliché]. Once again, big props for doing this video. Keep it up!
+Anonymous Well, thank you for all of the kind remarks. I also prefer FC Poly's and there probably isn't a better made pencil than the Swiss Caran d'Ache. You're right though, for non-commission work, it's great to use something less expensive. I haven't done the lightfast test with these yet, but I was very surprised by their performance. I just took them out in the field today to sketch and they really did will. I used a Prismacolor alcohol blender marker on them and it seemed to do great. Have an awesome day! And hey, thanks for watching.
That apple reminds me more of a cherry than a apple it looks nice though. I think its the shape and angle of the view you chose maybe throw a leaf on there. Nice review of the product also.
Hey Marty! Great video as usual. From what I could tell as far as their business choices went, I think they were originally geared towards crafters and went with the numbering system like Copic markers since a lot of crafters are used to calling colors by numbers and not their names. This also allows them to use their Copic blending marker on the pencils since it is alcohol blend-able. I'm glad to see that they layer well and don't bloom as I was interested in knowing these characteristics re: these pencils. I'm not a color pencil user but love to have some in my supplies so maybe these will fit the bill!
Hi Panda - Great info on the numbering system. Even so, I wish pencil manufacturers would just make it easy for us by printing the color name on the pencil, marker or paint. :-) These pencils do layer really well and blend nicely. After the video I took them sketching and used a Copic and Prisma blender on them and both worked great. Also, they're affordable. Have a great day and thanks for watching.
great review! I bought all 5 sets when they were on sale for $16 at consumer crafts and I thought they were good. My tin says "wax based" LOL! I found they did not bloom like Prismacolors tend too. They also sell Gamsol under their brand label for blending. I put them all in a coffee can and I leave them on the coffee table for the kids to use in the "grown up coloring books" that are all the rage right now. I still prefer my Prismacolors (with Polychromos and coloursoft a close second) but SNs are not bad at all!
+thefrugalcrafter Lindsay Weirich Hi Lindsay - I watched your review after I did mine and not surprisingly, we were on the same page with these for the most part. For subscribers here is a link to that video (I get Artists who aren't necessarily Crafters, but would benefit greatly from Lindsay's insights): th-cam.com/video/0GZUM8BE_7c/w-d-xo.html
Owings Art yeah i own a lot of prismacolors because back then i thought theyre the best lol now i have a bunch of prismacolors i dont want anymore and have no idea what to with them XD
That apple looked real enough to eat. I watch wayyyy too many hours of demos on the Create & Craft channel. If I remember correctly from when they launched these pencils, they were developed specifically to compliment and layer with the Spectrum Noir pens. Lots of demos were done using the pencils over stamps already coloured with the pens. I think the illustrations on the tin may be so vibrant due to that being the technique used. Sadly, I've not tried either product. Not that I haven't been tempted! The thing I really like is that there are no colour repeats between the tins. I think that's an idea that the artist grade pencil manufacturers could maybe take a leaf from.
+Senghe Hi there Senghe - I know what you mean about repeat colors, but I think they do that so you and I end up buying a lot more than we need. :-) These pencils surprised me. I was surprised that there was no noticeable blooming even after many, many layers and blending. The colors definitely get deeper and richer with each layer, like in the video. Took them into the field today and did a few drawings and they worked really well.
After your review I actually wish I had invested in these instead of the Prismacolors for my non art coloring. The quality of Prismacolor has gotten so bad and it looks like these perform quite well. I love your review Marty, your honest and I base a lot of my buying decisions on what you think.
+Owings Art I leave a week from today, the 6th and my first appointment is on the 10th. I wanted to leave an extra driving day in case I needed it, I expect it to take two days to get there, so I plan to arrive Sunday, but have Monday in there in case.
Thanks for demonstrating the different techniques you use to test these pencils. Good to know what to look for! Love your printing - has an architect looking style. Would love to learn how to print like that! Where would I look to learn how to adopt that style? I like to use my own writing on things when I can in addition to using stamps and dies - love variety for interest! Paula in Florida
+paulage1art Thank you for the note. I worked as a Draftsman for about 10 years and it stuck. :-) I started by using a lettering template, but just got good at it after a while and eventually just did everything by hand. I'm sure there are some TH-camrs out there who have videos on how to do architectural lettering. Thanks Paula. - Marty
I tried using baby oil for blending and it made my pencil tones a lot darker as well as bled through to the other side. I'm not sure if alcohol reacts the same way though :/
Hi Avril - A lot of what you are trying to do depends on the paper you're using. Use 100% cotton paper if possible and if you can find 140lb, that is cool. Blending videos are all over YT and many of them are helpful. If you haven't done so already, track one down and see how they are using oil or alcohol. Alcohol will behave much differently, but give you a nice blend depending on the colored pencil you're using. Hope this helps! Marty
Hi! I am loving your channel! So many different reviews and they are quick to watch! :D My partner has just bought me some of those adult colouring in books and was looking at getting me some nice pencils to use with them. Was wondering if you could recommend a good set for colouring? We are in Australia and don't have much of a variety to pick from. We have Derwent available here but with so many different types I am not sure what to get. We were looking at either colour soft or inktense. Your help would be muchly appreciated! :D
+Roslyn Barratt Hi Roslyn - Thank you for the very nice message and kind comments. Yes, I think Derwent's coloursoft would suit coloring pretty well. Do you have Faber-Castel available to you there? If so, I would check out the Polychromo's line of colored pencils. They are quite excellent and they're oil based so I would argue they're slightly more versatile. I usually try to produce a review or two a week, so please stay tuned and thank you for watching Roslyn. Have a great day down under!
Hi! I really enjoyed your review. I've been tempted to try these pencils, however, a big drawback is that you cannot purchase single replacement pencils, you have to purchase the entire set and that's not cost effective for me.
+lflines That is the primary drawback with these, you're right. I wish the manufacturer would pay attention to this and make them available individually. It just makes sense. Thanks for watching and have a great day!
+Sarah Pederson Hi Sarah - It apreas so, here is a link to confirm they're wax based, it's in the first paragraph: www.spectrumnoir.com/about-the-spectrum-noir-blendable-pencils-range/
+soha abotaleb Not generally, but it isn't impossible to get it from cheaper, less quality pencils because they mix wax, oil and clays to get the core. - Marty
+Owings Art Thxs also could u do a review on the following products- kUM sharpener, the derwent blender, the castle art 26 piece sketch kit, and the enchanted forest coloring book. If u want to. I don't want u to review something u don't want.
Hi Peti - They are moderately lightfast in my tests. Some colors hold up better than others. In the end, if you keep your work in a sketchbook or in a place without direct sunlight, you won't experience too much degradation. ~Marty
Sure. Blooming occurs when you press too hard or layer the color too much or with cheap pencils. It will show up as a thin white film (discoloration) on top of the color. Here is a good explanation and how to avoid it: www.penciltopics.co.uk/page80.html
how would you compare these to the prismacolor premiers? the prismacolors I bought a lot of them were cracked and the lead was cracked on the inside. I might try to sell them
Thank you for the great review. I hear you talk a lot about oil or wax based pencils in your vids. Can you just briefly explain (or point me to a video where you explain) the difference between working with the different types? I know you're a polychromos guy, which is oil based, is there an advantage to one over the other? Thanks.
+hitgar - You're really asking a great question. Firstly, I think it really just comes down to the Artists preference. I paint in oils so it just sort of made sense to me to try oil pencils. Right or wrong, the very first oil based colored pencil I tried was the FC Polychromo's which was brilliant and so I just stuck got hooked. The major differences (in my experience only) are wax pencils can have a tendency to bloom (the white/gray film that builds up when you apply multiple layers). Oil based pencils tend to have more depth and can be layered very nicely. Wax based pencils tend to blend a bit better, or maybe that's just my experience with FC Poly's. Otherwise, the pencils are really quite interchangeable for the most part. I wouldn't mix different quality pencils though. For instance keep the FC's with the Caran d'Ache and you'll have good luck. There really isn't a distinct advantage from one to the other, however if you try both you'll probably develop your own preference. I Hope this helps you. Oh and here is a link to a great website ALL about colored pencils: www.penciltopics.co.uk
I know I'm throwing a bunch of questions at you but I would appreciate if you could let me know your thoughts on another? I know that some pencils in some sets are not classified as lightfast and only have a 4 or 5 rating on the blue wool scale. Would adding a fixatiff with a uv protection make it lightfast? If so, do you have any experience with this and do you recommend one?
hitgar Hi hitgar - Another great question. Actually it does help to apply a UV fixative to your drawings. The help will slow the fading, but won't stop it. Time and light are your primary enemies when it comes to lightfastness. If you keep your work out of direct sunlight it'll hold up better regardless of lightfastness. If you create a piece you want to save and display, use the best, most lightfast pencils, paints and materials you can afford. Then treat the work with a good fixative that has a high UV rating, frame it with UV (museum grade) glass and keep it out of direct sunlight. If you do these things, you're work should last at least a hundred years. We know this because there have been pencil and watercolor work that has lasted that long and longer if care is taken. Hope that helps.
+RosieJanie Not really. If there are numbers on the pencil, but no color name, you have to then match the numbers somehow to a color name on their website. If the color name is printed directly on the pencil, no matching is necessary and therefore simpler for the end user, in my opinion. - Marty
These pencils are expensive if you want to buy all the five tins in this collection. One tin sell for about $24 to- $ 30 to buy the complete set.i'm glad you did a review on these because I as unaware they were oil bas d.i went and bought all five tins of there's tinsThere is also another new type of pencils on Bllck that will be available some time in a few months. Colored pencils a are my favorite medium in mu mixed minimum art. I also have found the world of adult coloring books.l have a lot of expensive and cheaper as well. Oh you come across the new Spectrum Nori pencils please do a voodoo On my way! them...they are very helpful
Thanks for the review. Would you recommend these to someone who already has Polychromos and Prismacolors, or would these be a lower quality in comparison? I'm only saying that because of the price, but they could be better quality for all I know, lol :)
I have heard a lot of great things about these, I'd actually like to try to get some but my thing is if I get one set I'd have to have all of the colors. :)
Ha ha, I'm out of money at the time so no buying anymore art materials for me right now. I'm going to call the website soon though about that awesome little watercolor set with the handmade paper. That will be my very next purchase. :)
Alcohol should be fine as a blender. I used to use it (refill the prismacolor blender markers) when I started colored pencil art when I was around 12-13 years old. This was also done on cheap printer paper. This was like early 2000's. No staining or discoloring done over time. Baby oil - my fear is staining over time. I've accidentally gotten hand lotion spilled on at least one of my sketchbooks. Even though I cleaned it up well and looked fine, years later there are yellow stains all over half of nearly every page where it was. I'd imagine baby oil to have a similar long term effect.
+BugFolk Thanks for the tips here. I think a lot of people wonder about what to use as a good blender. I think, as you stated above, just going with alcohol is the best bet. The lotions contain other ingredients that don't interact well, either with the paper or the pencil chemicals over time. Happy New Year!!! - Marty
+Owings Art Recently I've been switching over from using rubbing alcohol to denatured alcohol as a blender. It still stinks but not nearly as nauseating as the rubbing alcohol. I found out it is more less the same stuff used in the Copic colorless blenders. I recommend using marker blenders over many of the colored pencil blenders, especially if you're not on your last layer. It does the same thing but without added wax build up and without burnishing the paper.
I used these to play around with on a project, and I absolutely HATED them! I read some reviews of these, so that is why I bought them in the first place. The color was so uneven is was most disappointing. Polys and Prismas are worth the money... I have also read reviews of breakage of the prismas, so I have been fortunate they have not done that for me... I guess its the offset to the fact that I ended up giving the spectrum noirs away . lol Maybe one day the universe will grant me anything Caran D'ache... *smiles* I do really appreciate your reviews, and I find most of them to be spot on, well... except for this one.
Thanks for the great feedback Dorothy. Not everyone agrees on these, and I understand that for sure. I enjoyed them for what I was doing, but not aspects were great as you pointed out. Thanks for watching and sharing your perspective. ~Marty
Using alcohol and baby oil to blend can cause problems. Use mineral spirits or lisa from lachi fine arts uses mona lisa orderless paint thinner to blend.
You don't hear about these I think that Black Widow stole there thunder. What I have heard is not too good. They do sell individual sets which I commend them for but they are more expensive than BW. Both pencils are trying to reach the same market beginner to intermediate. I only know Spectrum Noir through their graphitint pencils. Have seen all sets sold together for a more than reasonable price. Never seen BW do that, although the rumour is they have a surprise for us, a full set perhaps. Still you would think they would have that out for Christmas. There really is no problem about items produced in China anymore. Would you have your electronics if that was the case. At the best coloured pencil site Spectrum Noir got 3 out of 5 while BW got 4 out 5. Still that site can't see selling individual sets as a plus to those who can't buy the whole kit and cabbodle. It is time they woke up and truly updated their reviews which are behind the times..
Hi Marty, hope I haven't duplicated a comment here, but I accidentally changed the screen just as I was finishing my comment! At any rate, I have been watching your videos for a while and have now subscribed. Since there seems to be some discussion about blending methods on this particular review, I thought I would share that I read an interesting discussion on wetcanvas from 2009 a while ago. I will share the link here, but if it does not take you directly to the actual discussion, google "does mineral spirits erode paper" and it should come up in the search. www.wetcanvas.com/forums/showthread.php?t=576964 Love the reviews of color pencils! I really like it when you give them a rating as it helps me a lot to know where they stand in comparison to other brands. Would also like to see some more reviews on markers. Thanks again for sharing your knowledge with us and showing us the comparisons!
Hi Janice - great info here and thank you for the sub. Lots of people will benefit from learning about what and what not to use when it comes to blending. The rankings are helping and that's great to hear, I need to put them together sometime soon so it's a one stop shop.
+Owings Art That is a great idea Marty. It would be great to have them all together for quick viewing. Also, putting them all on one list with the ratings and maybe a short list of pros and cons would be of tremendous help for quick reference as well. I would love a list like that.
+Owings Art Marty, you are the absolute best! I love your videos and no one else with your experience reviews all levels of pencils, etc., like you do. You are a wealth of information! I look forward to the list and watching many more of your videos! You will be the only one who has done a list like that and it will help so many of us out here along with your review videos.
Thank you for the review on the Spectrum Noir pencils. I've got a few and I liked them a lot, I will be picking up the 5 sets, brand new, this Sunday coming, got them 2nd hand (not used), still with the cellophane. I am so happy. 😍
Thank you Martie for the explanation. I have the full set of pencils. Hafebt yet used them but now looking forward to using them. Thank you again
Owen, thank you for this and all your color pencil reviews. I am a paper craftier that has fallen in love with the color pencil. I use prisma pencils and I use gamsel sometimes but I'm learning how to blend by taking my time and layering the colors.
I have learned from other card makers that Spectrum product are more vibrant because they are made for card makers and other paper crafters that want a vibrant color. You are the only professional artist that has reviewed them. And although I'm not a professional artist I do appreciate your options and I follow you for just that reason.
Again thank you very much.
+Gail “Gaylee” Loyola - Hi Gail- Thank you so much for the comments and for watching. A friend of mine, Lindsay The Frugal Crafter also has a great TH-cam channel and has reviewed these from the crafter perspective. If you haven't had a chance to check out her channel, you should. I'm glad you're here and appreciate that you took the time to watch and comment. Have a great day - Marty
Yes, I do watch Lindsay and she is great and I love her stamping school. I watch you draw and paint so when I saw that you took the time to review a "craft" product I think I have to try it.
I did not get the same reaction when I watched Lindsay's review she did several months back.
Gail Loyola Thanks Gail. I hope you get some time to create art today! And thank you for watching.
Thanks for a fantastic review! I've just rediscovered my love of coloring for crafting and am looking to upgrade from my basic cheapy pencil set. You provided lots of great information in your review, I especially liked you swatching each color and showing all of the layering & blending. I've watched a LOT of product reviews and yours is definitely the best I've seen so far. Thank you! :-)
Thank you Cyndie. You're very kind to watch my channel, and I really appreciate it. Hope you keep watching. ~Marty
Fantastic demo. Very thorough. Thanks!
+MoxieRedhead Thank you.
thanks for reviewing spectrum noir, i have these and use them for my coloring books.. i watched all your reviews on different coloring pencils, I'm no artist but i really find your reviews very informative ☺ keep it up 😉
+Kate Tirona Hi Kate - Thank you very much for the comments. I love doing the reviews so I'm glad they're helpful to you. Thank you for watching.
thank you so much for this review. Great great review. It helps me greatly. You answered all my questions. Thanks again.
+Tdo Do Thanks for watching. - Marty
Another really good review.
I really like how you review coloured pencils.
+Sue Wilkinson Hi Sue - Thank you! I'm happy they're helpful to you.
Thank you so much for this great review
+acoumeu64 Happy you liked it. Thanks for the comment and for watching.
Thanks for the review Marty.
For sure Kim. Thanks for watching.
Great review! I have Spectrum Noir's other coloring products but not the pencils. They have come out with a new pencil which I'm ordering now but your review was very informative and helpful. Blessings.....
Was the new one the Aqua?
Really enjoyed this review, coming from an artist's point of view, rather than a crafter's. I mainly do portraits, animals and landscapes, rather than colour in cards, so this was really helpful. I have the amazing F-B Polychromos and some Caran D'Ache Luminance, I don't think anything is EVER going to beat those two for artist quality colour pencils, but I wanted to get some decent pencils to play around with, for when I'm not doing commissions, because, let's face it Polychromos and Luminance DO kind of break the bank..and it IS nice to be able to buy food every once in a while [thus avoiding the starving artist cliché]. Once again, big props for doing this video. Keep it up!
+Anonymous Well, thank you for all of the kind remarks. I also prefer FC Poly's and there probably isn't a better made pencil than the Swiss Caran d'Ache. You're right though, for non-commission work, it's great to use something less expensive. I haven't done the lightfast test with these yet, but I was very surprised by their performance. I just took them out in the field today to sketch and they really did will. I used a Prismacolor alcohol blender marker on them and it seemed to do great. Have an awesome day! And hey, thanks for watching.
That apple reminds me more of a cherry than a apple it looks nice though. I think its the shape and angle of the view you chose maybe throw a leaf on there. Nice review of the product also.
+NoblesseObliged I think you're right about that apple, it does look more like a cherry. :-)
You can use Sansador or any OMS to blend, just as with Prisma/FCPolychromos. I agree about baby oil. Thanks for the review Owen.
+Kyomii Brown - Thank you Kyomii. Great tips.
Hey Marty! Great video as usual. From what I could tell as far as their business choices went, I think they were originally geared towards crafters and went with the numbering system like Copic markers since a lot of crafters are used to calling colors by numbers and not their names. This also allows them to use their Copic blending marker on the pencils since it is alcohol blend-able. I'm glad to see that they layer well and don't bloom as I was interested in knowing these characteristics re: these pencils. I'm not a color pencil user but love to have some in my supplies so maybe these will fit the bill!
Hi Panda - Great info on the numbering system. Even so, I wish pencil manufacturers would just make it easy for us by printing the color name on the pencil, marker or paint. :-) These pencils do layer really well and blend nicely. After the video I took them sketching and used a Copic and Prisma blender on them and both worked great. Also, they're affordable. Have a great day and thanks for watching.
great review! I bought all 5 sets when they were on sale for $16 at consumer crafts and I thought they were good. My tin says "wax based" LOL! I found they did not bloom like Prismacolors tend too. They also sell Gamsol under their brand label for blending. I put them all in a coffee can and I leave them on the coffee table for the kids to use in the "grown up coloring books" that are all the rage right now. I still prefer my Prismacolors (with Polychromos and coloursoft a close second) but SNs are not bad at all!
+thefrugalcrafter Lindsay Weirich Hi Lindsay - I watched your review after I did mine and not surprisingly, we were on the same page with these for the most part. For subscribers here is a link to that video (I get Artists who aren't necessarily Crafters, but would benefit greatly from Lindsay's insights): th-cam.com/video/0GZUM8BE_7c/w-d-xo.html
thanks for this review I use polychromos for more important drawings and prismas for sketches but now I'm going to use spectrum noirs for sketches
+Zelba Hi Zelba - They're a good choice. Thanks for watching and for the comment. Have a great day!
Owings Art yeah i own a lot of prismacolors because back then i thought theyre the best lol now i have a bunch of prismacolors i dont want anymore and have no idea what to with them XD
Zelba Maybe they can come in handy for sketching or thumbnail drawings. :-)
+Owings Art
zelba maybe you can donated them
That apple looked real enough to eat. I watch wayyyy too many hours of demos on the Create & Craft channel. If I remember correctly from when they launched these pencils, they were developed specifically to compliment and layer with the Spectrum Noir pens. Lots of demos were done using the pencils over stamps already coloured with the pens. I think the illustrations on the tin may be so vibrant due to that being the technique used. Sadly, I've not tried either product. Not that I haven't been tempted! The thing I really like is that there are no colour repeats between the tins. I think that's an idea that the artist grade pencil manufacturers could maybe take a leaf from.
+Senghe Hi there Senghe - I know what you mean about repeat colors, but I think they do that so you and I end up buying a lot more than we need. :-) These pencils surprised me. I was surprised that there was no noticeable blooming even after many, many layers and blending. The colors definitely get deeper and richer with each layer, like in the video. Took them into the field today and did a few drawings and they worked really well.
After your review I actually wish I had invested in these instead of the Prismacolors for my non art coloring. The quality of Prismacolor has gotten so bad and it looks like these perform quite well. I love your review Marty, your honest and I base a lot of my buying decisions on what you think.
+Maureen Hayes Hi Maureen - Thank you for the kindness. I try to be fair. By the way, when are you taking your trip to Rochester?
+Owings Art I leave a week from today, the 6th and my first appointment is on the 10th. I wanted to leave an extra driving day in case I needed it, I expect it to take two days to get there, so I plan to arrive Sunday, but have Monday in there in case.
Maureen Hayes Hi Maureen - I wish you safe travels and hope you get a chance to make it to Wet Paint while you're nearby. Stay in touch!
Thanks for demonstrating the different techniques you use to test these pencils. Good to know what to look for! Love your printing - has an architect looking style. Would love to learn how to print like that! Where would I look to learn how to adopt that style? I like to use my own writing on things when I can in addition to using stamps and dies - love variety for interest!
Paula in Florida
+paulage1art Thank you for the note. I worked as a Draftsman for about 10 years and it stuck. :-) I started by using a lettering template, but just got good at it after a while and eventually just did everything by hand. I'm sure there are some TH-camrs out there who have videos on how to do architectural lettering. Thanks Paula. - Marty
I use Spectrum Noir pencils with Gamsol. I just received my Spectrum Noir AquaBlends today, so I can't give a proper review on those yet.
thanks Marty,
+Paul Bamber - Hey no problem Paul, happy to do it. Thanks for watching.
Can you review caran d'ache suprasoft and pastelpencils from fabre castell? Thanks
+sofluffyunicorn They are on my list to review. Thank you! - Marty
I tried using baby oil for blending and it made my pencil tones a lot darker as well as bled through to the other side. I'm not sure if alcohol reacts the same way though :/
Hi Avril - A lot of what you are trying to do depends on the paper you're using. Use 100% cotton paper if possible and if you can find 140lb, that is cool. Blending videos are all over YT and many of them are helpful. If you haven't done so already, track one down and see how they are using oil or alcohol. Alcohol will behave much differently, but give you a nice blend depending on the colored pencil you're using. Hope this helps! Marty
Hi! I am loving your channel! So many different reviews and they are quick to watch! :D
My partner has just bought me some of those adult colouring in books and was looking at getting me some nice pencils to use with them. Was wondering if you could recommend a good set for colouring? We are in Australia and don't have much of a variety to pick from. We have Derwent available here but with so many different types I am not sure what to get. We were looking at either colour soft or inktense.
Your help would be muchly appreciated! :D
+Roslyn Barratt Hi Roslyn - Thank you for the very nice message and kind comments. Yes, I think Derwent's coloursoft would suit coloring pretty well. Do you have Faber-Castel available to you there? If so, I would check out the Polychromo's line of colored pencils. They are quite excellent and they're oil based so I would argue they're slightly more versatile.
I usually try to produce a review or two a week, so please stay tuned and thank you for watching Roslyn. Have a great day down under!
Hi! I really enjoyed your review. I've been tempted to try these pencils, however, a big drawback is that you cannot purchase single replacement pencils, you have to purchase the entire set and that's not cost effective for me.
+lflines That is the primary drawback with these, you're right. I wish the manufacturer would pay attention to this and make them available individually. It just makes sense. Thanks for watching and have a great day!
hi, how is it if compare with marco renoir? which one better?
They have now added the color names to the pencils!
Hi Heather - Is that true? Maybe they are listening to us after all. ~Marty
what kind of blender pencil are using. can you provide a link to purchase the blender pencil?
+luv2craftcards This is a Derwent Blender. You can pick it up here at: amzn.to/1n4e0sT
so did they change their pencils, mine say oil based, I have a set of the marine.
+Sarah Pederson Hi Sarah - It apreas so, here is a link to confirm they're wax based, it's in the first paragraph: www.spectrumnoir.com/about-the-spectrum-noir-blendable-pencils-range/
+Owings Art Thanks!
Sarah Pederson Sure Sarah, anytime.
Love your reviews, so helpful! TFS
Thank you Anita.
Does wax bloom happen to a oil pencil?
+soha abotaleb Not generally, but it isn't impossible to get it from cheaper, less quality pencils because they mix wax, oil and clays to get the core. - Marty
+Owings Art how would u compose raffine and noir pencils
soha abotaleb Noir are better than Raffine.
Perhaps I missed it ... but did you have a chance to review these pencils' lightfastness?
My test isn't done yet. It takes about 6 months.
Great revie...I will buy them! Greetings from Germany..by the way, great apple!
Thank you!
where in the US can you buy these?
amzn.to/2lrb0cd
Owings Art thank you sir!
Where'd u buy this
+soha abotaleb I ordered these directly from China. It took about a week to reach me in the US. - Marty
+Owings Art can u put a link
soha abotaleb amzn.to/1ROGRxM
+Owings Art Thxs also could u do a review on the following products- kUM sharpener, the derwent blender, the castle art 26 piece sketch kit, and the enchanted forest coloring book. If u want to. I don't want u to review something u don't want.
What kind of paper are you using
Hi Lynn - This is a Strathmore Colored Pencil sketch pad. :-)
can you try MAPED colour pencils
Hi Elizabeth - Thanks for the suggestion. Yes, they are on my list of future reviews. :-) !Marty
Thanks Marty, I notice a lot of artists using them especially in the johanna basford books...good price but wonder how long the colours will last
Haven't spectrum noir pencils changed their product very recently?
+Georgina Black I haven't heard that, but it could be true. Where'd you hear that from? - Marty
+Owings Art From the crafters companion website. They make them.
Georgina Black Ahhh, okay. Thank you.
+Owings Art All may not be lost, they may just put some or all of them in a different designed tin. I think they have changed the wood they have used.
Georgina Black It will be interesting to see what they eventually do for sure. Thank you for the note Georgina. - Marty
Thanks Marty! Do you happen to know the lightfast levels for this line, or under what ASTM code they are manufactured under?
Not off hand. But the lightfast levels aren't published by the company. I did test them though and they're good. Not perfect, but good.
Hello, Marty, I am interested in knowing about colored pencils lightfastness. Could you tell me about these Spectrum Noir?
Thanks!!
Hi Peti - They are moderately lightfast in my tests. Some colors hold up better than others. In the end, if you keep your work in a sketchbook or in a place without direct sunlight, you won't experience too much degradation. ~Marty
Owings Art Tank you!
Ok I know this isn't a pencil, but please do a review on the prismacolor art stix please!!!!!!!
.....excellent video thank you, answered all my questions :o)
+RosieJanie Thank you for watching RosieJanie.
Hello Marty, do you have any informations about the lightfastness of these pencils? thx for the nice review.
My tests are not finished yet. They seem to be moderately lightfast for most colors.
Could you explain what blooming means when your referring to your art supplies?
Sure. Blooming occurs when you press too hard or layer the color too much or with cheap pencils. It will show up as a thin white film (discoloration) on top of the color. Here is a good explanation and how to avoid it: www.penciltopics.co.uk/page80.html
You responded quickly, thank you so much. Have a good evening/morning/afternoon.
Keep An Open Mind Of course and thank you for the question. ;-)
One more thing. Do you use oil pastels? I would like to see some reviews on oil pastels. I bought a set, but I am very disappointed with the quality.
Keep An Open Mind I'm sorry I don't use them at all.
Have you tried the uk product zest it as a blending medium.
+sockwidowmaker I have not. Can you add a link here and share your experiences. - Marty
how would you compare these to the prismacolor premiers? the prismacolors I bought a lot of them were cracked and the lead was cracked on the inside. I might try to sell them
Hi Ringo - I like these little betting than the Prisma Premiers because the quality seems to be better. :-) ~Marty
Thank you for the great review. I hear you talk a lot about oil or wax based pencils in your vids. Can you just briefly explain (or point me to a video where you explain) the difference between working with the different types? I know you're a polychromos guy, which is oil based, is there an advantage to one over the other? Thanks.
+hitgar - You're really asking a great question. Firstly, I think it really just comes down to the Artists preference. I paint in oils so it just sort of made sense to me to try oil pencils. Right or wrong, the very first oil based colored pencil I tried was the FC Polychromo's which was brilliant and so I just stuck got hooked.
The major differences (in my experience only) are wax pencils can have a tendency to bloom (the white/gray film that builds up when you apply multiple layers). Oil based pencils tend to have more depth and can be layered very nicely. Wax based pencils tend to blend a bit better, or maybe that's just my experience with FC Poly's. Otherwise, the pencils are really quite interchangeable for the most part.
I wouldn't mix different quality pencils though. For instance keep the FC's with the Caran d'Ache and you'll have good luck.
There really isn't a distinct advantage from one to the other, however if you try both you'll probably develop your own preference.
I Hope this helps you.
Oh and here is a link to a great website ALL about colored pencils: www.penciltopics.co.uk
Great! Thank you for your time.
I know I'm throwing a bunch of questions at you but I would appreciate if you could let me know your thoughts on another? I know that some pencils in some sets are not classified as lightfast and only have a 4 or 5 rating on the blue wool scale. Would adding a fixatiff with a uv protection make it lightfast? If so, do you have any experience with this and do you recommend one?
hitgar Hi hitgar - Another great question. Actually it does help to apply a UV fixative to your drawings. The help will slow the fading, but won't stop it. Time and light are your primary enemies when it comes to lightfastness. If you keep your work out of direct sunlight it'll hold up better regardless of lightfastness. If you create a piece you want to save and display, use the best, most lightfast pencils, paints and materials you can afford. Then treat the work with a good fixative that has a high UV rating, frame it with UV (museum grade) glass and keep it out of direct sunlight. If you do these things, you're work should last at least a hundred years. We know this because there have been pencil and watercolor work that has lasted that long and longer if care is taken. Hope that helps.
Thanks for your time!
isn't the colour number more useful than the colour name?
+RosieJanie Not really. If there are numbers on the pencil, but no color name, you have to then match the numbers somehow to a color name on their website. If the color name is printed directly on the pencil, no matching is necessary and therefore simpler for the end user, in my opinion. - Marty
In the product description the Spectrum Noir is oil based.
There's lot's of confusion on this topic.
These pencils are expensive if you want to buy all the five tins in this collection. One tin sell for about $24 to- $ 30 to buy the complete set.i'm glad you did a review on these because I as unaware they were oil bas d.i went and bought all five tins of there's tinsThere is also another new type of pencils on Bllck that will be available some time in a few months. Colored pencils a are my favorite medium in mu mixed minimum art. I also have found the world of adult coloring books.l have a lot of expensive and cheaper as well. Oh you come across the new Spectrum Nori pencils please do a voodoo On my way! them...they are very helpful
+Judy Dempsey Thanks for the comments. Sleep well. - Marty
Thanks for the review. Would you recommend these to someone who already has Polychromos and Prismacolors, or would these be a lower quality in comparison? I'm only saying that because of the price, but they could be better quality for all I know, lol :)
Hi Avril - These are slightly lower quality than the Polychromo's but much, much better quality than the Prismacolors.
Oh, wow. That's very surprising! It goes to show that price isn't necessarily indicative of quality. Thanks, I'll check them out :3
A little linseed oil will blend them nicely.
paint thinner works the best for blending wax pencils with my experience.
+Rebecca Nelson Very good. Thank you Rebecca. - Marty
I have heard a lot of great things about these, I'd actually like to try to get some but my thing is if I get one set I'd have to have all of the colors. :)
+Susie Lalonde Hi Susie - I used to have that problem until I ran out of money. :-)
Ha ha, I'm out of money at the time so no buying anymore art materials for me right now. I'm going to call the website soon though about that awesome little watercolor set with the handmade paper. That will be my very next purchase. :)
Susie LaLonde :-) I think they are about $14 through Wet Paint or about $25 plus lots of shipping from France. :-)
Well that's a great price from wet paint. I noticed on the website from france they don't even offer shipping to the U.S. either.
Susie LaLonde Sure, but if you contacted them, you'd probably find they'd ship to you. They're a pretty great company.
Alcohol should be fine as a blender. I used to use it (refill the prismacolor blender markers) when I started colored pencil art when I was around 12-13 years old. This was also done on cheap printer paper. This was like early 2000's. No staining or discoloring done over time. Baby oil - my fear is staining over time. I've accidentally gotten hand lotion spilled on at least one of my sketchbooks. Even though I cleaned it up well and looked fine, years later there are yellow stains all over half of nearly every page where it was. I'd imagine baby oil to have a similar long term effect.
+BugFolk Thanks for the tips here. I think a lot of people wonder about what to use as a good blender. I think, as you stated above, just going with alcohol is the best bet. The lotions contain other ingredients that don't interact well, either with the paper or the pencil chemicals over time. Happy New Year!!! - Marty
+Owings Art Recently I've been switching over from using rubbing alcohol to denatured alcohol as a blender. It still stinks but not nearly as nauseating as the rubbing alcohol. I found out it is more less the same stuff used in the Copic colorless blenders. I recommend using marker blenders over many of the colored pencil blenders, especially if you're not on your last layer. It does the same thing but without added wax build up and without burnishing the paper.
Bug Folk I've also used odorless mineral spirits, which work well, but without the oder. :-)
Wait, are these Student grade or Artist grade Marty?
+SuperFlawless9 Artist grade. And they're nice man.
+Owings Art Better than my artist grade Dick Blick pencils?
SuperFlawless9 I'd say yes! These blend and layer better, plus the colors are a bit more vibrant. :-)
Alright, that's something to take note of.
SuperFlawless9 They're pretty good Patrick.
I used these to play around with on a project, and I absolutely HATED them! I read some reviews of these, so that is why I bought them in the first place. The color was so uneven is was most disappointing. Polys and Prismas are worth the money... I have also read reviews of breakage of the prismas, so I have been fortunate they have not done that for me... I guess its the offset to the fact that I ended up giving the spectrum noirs away . lol Maybe one day the universe will grant me anything Caran D'ache... *smiles* I do really appreciate your reviews, and I find most of them to be spot on, well... except for this one.
Thanks for the great feedback Dorothy. Not everyone agrees on these, and I understand that for sure. I enjoyed them for what I was doing, but not aspects were great as you pointed out. Thanks for watching and sharing your perspective. ~Marty
Using alcohol and baby oil to blend can cause problems. Use mineral spirits or lisa from lachi fine arts uses mona lisa orderless paint thinner to blend.
+NoblesseObliged - I use the mona lisa in my oil painting and it does work nicely. Not sure how it does on paper though?
Lindsay says they based pençils
Oil based
You don't hear about these I think that Black Widow stole there thunder. What I have heard is not too good. They do sell individual sets which I commend them for but they are more expensive than BW. Both pencils are trying to reach the same market beginner to intermediate. I only know Spectrum Noir through their graphitint pencils. Have seen all sets sold together for a more than reasonable price. Never seen BW do that, although the rumour is they have a surprise for us, a full set perhaps. Still you would think they would have that out for Christmas. There really is no problem about items produced in China anymore. Would you have your electronics if that was the case. At the best coloured pencil site Spectrum Noir got 3 out of 5 while BW got 4 out 5. Still that site can't see selling individual sets as a plus to those who can't buy the whole kit and cabbodle. It is time they woke up and truly updated their reviews which are behind the times..
Hi Marty, hope I haven't duplicated a comment here, but I accidentally changed the screen just as I was finishing my comment! At any rate, I have been watching your videos for a while and have now subscribed. Since there seems to be some discussion about blending methods on this particular review, I thought I would share that I read an interesting discussion on wetcanvas from 2009 a while ago. I will share the link here, but if it does not take you directly to the actual discussion, google "does mineral spirits erode paper" and it should come up in the search.
www.wetcanvas.com/forums/showthread.php?t=576964
Love the reviews of color pencils! I really like it when you give them a rating as it helps me a lot to know where they stand in comparison to other brands. Would also like to see some more reviews on markers. Thanks again for sharing your knowledge with us and showing us the comparisons!
Hi Janice - great info here and thank you for the sub. Lots of people will benefit from learning about what and what not to use when it comes to blending. The rankings are helping and that's great to hear, I need to put them together sometime soon so it's a one stop shop.
+Owings Art That is a great idea Marty. It would be great to have them all together for quick viewing. Also, putting them all on one list with the ratings and maybe a short list of pros and cons would be of tremendous help for quick reference as well. I would love a list like that.
+Janice Stump Okay I'm on it.
+Owings Art Marty, you are the absolute best! I love your videos and no one else with your experience reviews all levels of pencils, etc., like you do. You are a wealth of information! I look forward to the list and watching many more of your videos! You will be the only one who has done a list like that and it will help so many of us out here along with your review videos.
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