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So, I have my 40% off coupon for Hobby Lobby and I trek on over there to look at water color pencils. After I picked myself up off the floor because of the prices, I was totally stumped about which ones to get. I hear people rave about Prismacolor pencils, but I have also heard some not so great comments about them (I think mostly because they are so expensive).
The brands they have at our HL are
Prismacolor
Egrosoft
Faber Castell
Staedtler
Kimberly
Sargent Art
Derwent
They are all relatively similar in price with the exception of the Prismacolors which are more expensive. What advice can you give me?
I do already own some really inexpensive ($8 for 24) water color pencils, but they seem almost too hard to color with well. Not hard as in difficult, but not soft enough.
Also, can you blend water color pencils with just a blending stub without any liquid?
Jen....I have the Prisma and Derwent brands. I use both interchangably. I like both and don't have a preference one over the other.
Usually, I color with the pencil first then use a Q-tip damp with water to go over it. I don't want to wash away too much of the color, but that's just my choice.
I have also taken a damp aqua brush (just wet the brush, not filled with water) and brushed over the end of the pencil then colored on my paper.
I've even used a blender pen touching it to the pencil for color then to the paper.
There is are ones by Stampin' Up (both pencils and crayons), but I find them to muted for my taste. I want a more vibrant color.
The KIMBERLY - hands down ! These are sooooooo nice, and soooooooo inexpensive. I bought 24 at my local craft store, but you can get them also at www.dickblick.com I would recommend these to anyone. I also have the expensive Prismas and Derwents. But I still like the Kimbery the best. For the price they are a good investment. And the pencils are I think are even better than the Prismas and Derwents. But they don't have as big a color selection. I think the biggest pack you can get are a pack of 24 (I could be wrong).
__________________ A good dog, a sewing machine, and an old guitar......
Hi Jen....
I think I have an extra set of Prisma 24 count watercolor pencils I can send you if you would like them. I just ordered teh 132 of the Premier ones. Let me know and I would be happy to just send them to you.
blessings...
I use Staedtler Karat WC pencils and like them a lot.
Anyone with Prismacolors...remember that Premier (a wax based pencil) are for blending either with the blending pencil or with OMS. Watercolors are for blending with water. Different uses for different pencils.
I have the stampin up pencils, which work fine for me.
I don't have any experience with any other brands of pencils so I can't really comment on that, but thought I'd share a link to a video ... you might like the techniques she shared in this video (she uses the faber castell pencils, but I've tried all the techniques she did using my stampin' up pencils and loved the results.).
I have both Der Went and the Prismacolor water color pencils.
The biggest Der Went set is 72 ( at least when I bought them)
I recently got the Prismacolor water color pencils and the biggest set is 36.
I like them both but there are differences. One is obviously the number of available colors. Another difference is that I find the Der Went to be a harder
pigment. The Prismacolor water color pencils are softer, creamier and smoother. The Prismacolor ones seem to be a more vibrant color, also.
If you decide to get the Prismacolor water color pencils, make sure that you get the correct ones. For WATERCOLORING, you want the Prismacolor WATER COLOR pencils. Not the box that says PREMIER on it.
Just my opinion
Last edited by kitty14; 04-03-2009 at 01:11 PM..
Reason: added info
I have used three brands of watercolor pencils -- SU, Derwent and Faber-Castell Albrecht Durer and my favorite by far is --
Faber-Castell Albrecht D�rer Watercolor Pencils
Here's a link to the Dick Blick website for them.
You are all so amazing! Thanks for sharing all this information and the links so that I can do more research before I make my decision. Of course, if I want to use that HL coupon, I better decide before tomorrow! Again, thanks! I'm feeling all warm and fuzzy...
I also use Derwent _ watercolor
Prismacolor PREMIER - colored pencils
p.s. I bought some individual Prismacolor colored pencils at a stamping store last summer while traveling ---UGH, they are not the Premier pencils obviously
There is a difference.
~Happy Stamping
SharonK
[ just sharin ']
Quote:
Originally Posted by pricecheck
I have the Derwent watercolor pencils and I LOVE them. I also have the Prismacolor Premier colored pencils. I LOVE them too.
I use Caran D'Ache (which I love). But of the ones you listed in your original post, I've used Derwent and Faber Castell. I definitely preferred the Faber Castell because they were easy to blend and had a very smooth looking finish. Have fun with your new pencils!
I use both Faber Castell and Derwent. In fact, I use all sorts - when I can buy them singly I often buy greens and browns and don't care about the brand at all.
I have the Derwent watercolor pencils and I LOVE them. I also have the Prismacolor Premier colored pencils. I LOVE them too.
Me too. I've only used these brands. I prefer Prismacolor, really but Derwent has lots more colors available.
__________________ By three methods we may learn wisdom: First, by reflection, which is noblest; Second, by imitation, which is easiest; and third by experience, which is the bitterest. Confucius
I have the stampin up pencils, which work fine for me.
I don't have any experience with any other brands of pencils so I can't really comment on that, but thought I'd share a link to a video ... you might like the techniques she shared in this video (she uses the faber castell pencils, but I've tried all the techniques she did using my stampin' up pencils and loved the results.).
Lots of people recommend Dick Blick so now I need to look at those prices and compare them to HL with my 40% off coupon. My hubby thinks I spend way too much time thinking about this stuff!
But, I would probably *love* Faber-Castell, too, if I owned 'em. I was gifted a set of chalk pencils by Faber-Castell--lolly, are they ever *plush*, and it's prolly safe to assume that pretty much any pencils made by Faber-Castell are going to be very high quality.
__________________ Julie Ebersole (JulieHRR once upon a time . . . )julieebersole.com"So shines a good deed in a weary world." -Willy Wonka
Hi There, I have tried various water colour pencils over the years and find that I like the intensity of colour you can get with Faber-Castell Albrecht Durer. Recently I came home from the art shop with some Derwent Inktense Watercolour pencils and these are also fab - really vibrant range of all colours.
I too prefer a paintbrush to the aqua pens, especially for smaller areas. I am not sure if you are meant to, but sometimes I simply put the wet paintbrush onto the end of the lead and use them in the same way I would use a tub of paint.
I am not sure if you are meant to, but sometimes I simply put the wet paintbrush onto the end of the lead and use them in the same way I would use a tub of paint.
I do this too. It is surprising how much color you can get on the paintbrush by just tapping on the lead.
Yes, they did. Did you not get my ever so appreciative PM? I also sent you a note through snail mail. I better go check my PM box but I am sure I sent it. Thanks so much! You're the best!
I'm repeating but I want to make that the OP understands there are a big difference between "watercolor pencils" and the "wax" pencils you use with water. I see a mix of responses but then I didn't go look at all the tutorials.
Prisamcolor Premier is a wax pencil and is the one you hear most people talking about using with OMS/Gamsol. These do not work well (if at all with water)
A lot of the brands have both wax and watercolor pencils. When you buy them make sure you check to see how they are marked so you don't buy the wrong ones.
If you truly plan to watercolor (brush and water) then get the watercolor pencils but if you want to faux watercolor or gamsol magic then you have to use was pencils.
I use Caran D'Ache, Derwent, prismas, and Faber Castell. It just depneds on the color. For true watercolor it doesn't seem to make a difference for me.
So, just so I understand -
with plain water color pencils (which is what I now have, thanks to Amber) I can only use water? Do not or cannot use baby oil? So far, I have been using water and a paint brush or a blender pen and have been loving the results, but have read so much about baby oil and odorless mineral whatever that I thought I might try that, too. If only water works with water color pencils, I will be great with that! Thanks!
I use Derwent INKTENSE pencils. Different from the Derwent Watercolor pencils, the lead in these is softer and I think the colors are actually brighter. I have used them mixed and interchangably with other brands. I also use blender pens with them. Works like a charm and gives me better control than most any paintbrush/watercolor brush, water pen ever would!
Just something to think about, I'm not sure about Hobby Lobby but at Michael's you can buy single prisma color pencils (the ones that are NOT designed for water). I already had a set of actual watercolor pencils which I liked (Derwent) but I wanted to try to go "waterless" with the regular Prisma color pencils. So I used my coupon to buy some OMSpirits and bought 5 loose pencils. That way I could play and see what I liked. Now I have a full set of the Prisma color pencils too. Both type of pencils give very different looks and each has a place in your stamping arsenal.
need help deciding about water color pencils
