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I am SO GLAD that I am not the ONLY ONE who has a (ahem) "problem" with pencils!!! I just LOVE colors!!! I am not even a good color-er but when I look at all those beautiful rainbow of colors...something inside me happens...I can't help but smile!!! It is like therapy for me. I feel the same way about all my ribbons which I have hanging on ribbon rings and not on spools hidden.
I currently have my pencils in a pampered chef tool caddy. I have regular prismas/dick blick assorted into colors. (reds and pinks togethers, yellow and oranges together, blues by themselves, greens by themselves, purples by themselves)
On the second tear I have the watercolored pencils prisma and now my inktense mixed together but separated into the same color groups.
In the center middle section I have the brushes and blenders.
This works fine for now (it is VERY full) however as my pencils become shorter they will get lost inside and I know this is going to be a problem. I have one of the 120ct cases but I felt that I would "break" the pencils getting them in and out of the elastics and did not like the end slots close to the zippers. I felt there was too much strain on the pencils...but it might have just been my case.
I do like my prisma color watercolor pencils but I wish they had more than 36 colors and (Is it just me or is anyone else) the prisma watercolor pencils have natural colored wood barrels and I find it VERY difficult to tell what color they are. I wish they had colored barrels or at least colored end caps.
I have most of the Derwent types & one that hasn't been mentioned I don't think, is GraphiTint. They're very subtle watercolors in the bluish, greenish, grey range. I also love the Dick Blick brand pencils. I gave my Prismas (all 120 of them) to my husband. He has a much lighter touch than I do so he's happy with them. I have 47 Inktense & only 19 of the ColorSoft, but I add a few at a time. To me Dick Blick's is like a candy store. I can spend more money in there than anywhere else I think. There's also a Caran D'Ashe (not sure about the spelling) brand that I plan on trying and a few more. Joan B had a thread awhile back where she was thinking of limiting herself to 13 colors. I nearly had heart failure. I LOVE COLOR! All of it!
__________________ Keep what is worth keeping
and with the breath of kindness
blow the rest away.
My husband was a poor art student in college. He learned to make do with limited supplies like the 13 colors mentioned above. He tells me to figure out how to mix and make more colors our of what is on hand. I'm not a poor college kid so I want all my colors ready for me
Ooooooh, yes, the Graphitint colors are deep, dark earth tones - they are gorgeous... and can be used as regular colored pencils but are also water soluble so they are great for shading if you're wanting deeper shadows in your watercolor work.
Ha....I was going to get some new pencils....I have Prismas which I LOVE (got them a long time ago so they are the GOOD ones).....but now I don't know if I want the Inktense (saw these at Michael's, only 12 though) or Colorsoft (also at Michaels, also only 12) or if I should just get the Dick Blick. The only ones they sell singly at Michaels are the Prismas.....I'd really love to try one of each......so now I'm just CONFUSED! Not a fan of using water so maybe the Inktense aren't for me. The Caran D'ache are interesting....where can you buy those?
Just went to the Dick Blick site ---love that he sells them by the pencil but I imagine the shipping is more than I want to pay for just a few pencils.
Go to DickBlick.Com and look at all the colored pencils. Derwent's Colorsoft and really good and their own Dick Blick brand is also good. Cheaper to by individually and I think the quantity is 12 pencils or more, and the price per pencil goes down. The Colorsoft pencils are 99 each and 92 if you buy the required minimum quantity. Dick Blick brand is the cheapest and I have read good things about them on SCS. The Inktense pencils are great and they also sell those individually.
I haven't bought from them for a while. You can even call them and tell them you plan on ordering X amount of pencils, where you live, and ask how much the shipping is. Might be less than you think. I don't recall how much I've paid for shipping from them but I don't like to pay high shipping fees (feel like I'm getting ripped off) so maybe they're reasonable.
No so sure if SU color pencils are artist quality but I tried them last night for the 1st time and it was great! They also work very well w/ the blender pen for water coloring.
I've also heard good things about the Polychromos.
Thanks Lorraine -- I actually had started ordering some Copics from Dick Blick & never finished --lol---so I already have a cart started. Good a time as any to pick up a few "samples"
I don't have any expertise or much experience with many types of pencils, but I really like my Sargent Art colored pencils (the box says they are great for illustrating and special effect blending). They do blend very well, atleast for this beginner.
__________________ The only thing I was trying to portray was serenity... Also joy, spontaneity, enchantment and inspiration... Is that asking too much from a rubber stamp? ~ Betty Lou
a tip for the prisma leads that are breaking - try putting them in the microwave for a few seconds - it can re-melt the wax back together - it is likely they are either the mexico brand (which i believe they stopped using but i could be wrong or they have been dropped). i have been using prisma pencils for nearly 10 years and have never had trouble with them breaking.
i also have derwents but did not like them as much. however i got a few polychromos to test out and i am really liking those. may need more....
i don't use OMS much so i don't know if maybe some work better with OMS and others work better with other techniques....
Ha....I was going to get some new pencils....I have Prismas which I LOVE (got them a long time ago so they are the GOOD ones).....but now I don't know if I want the Inktense (saw these at Michael's, only 12 though) or Colorsoft (also at Michaels, also only 12) or if I should just get the Dick Blick. The only ones they sell singly at Michaels are the Prismas.....I'd really love to try one of each......so now I'm just CONFUSED! Not a fan of using water so maybe the Inktense aren't for me. The Caran D'ache are interesting....where can you buy those?
The whole beauty of Inktense is using them with water, otherwise they are pretty dull looking. Water makes them come alive. Attached is a painting I did last week called Polar Reflections with the Inktense. (because my hubby couldn't figure it out, the "things" below the legs are the bear's reflection on the ice - lol). So if water isn't your thing, don't go with Inktense.
Dick Blick and Prisma Premier are the same to me, both work great. Colorsoft is softer, so it is a bit different. I believe Dickblick.com has Caran D'Arche.
I use Dick Blick all the time, they have the best shipping to Alaska so i would think it should be reasonable to where you live.
If money were not an object, I would looooove to have more of the Caran D'Ache Pablo pencils. I've heard good things about the Luminance too, but they are pricey. The Blick line is the best value for your money, though their color range is limited.
Stop showing those Derwent pencils. It's just mean, lol. I had them in my hand a couple of weeks ago at Michael, put them back, changed my mind, next week went to get them and all of the Inktense pencils are gone. Thanks a lot Ozark girls, lol. I keep stalking my favorite aisle hoping they will magically reappear.
I use a variety of color pencils. I have Prisma's, Crayola, Rose Art, Kooh-I-Noor. My favorite are Rose Art. I love Kooh-I-Noor for blending.
oh this thread is SO BAD! i want to try them all too now! here is what i do for trying out new pencils. i did this with the polychromos. i choose a color - for polychromos i chose red. then i get a good variety of shades and colors in that color family so i can really work with them. i am afraid if i get the set of 12 it will be 12 different colors that i can't test out the blending with KWIM? i too have items sitting in my dickblick cart - i have been ordering my art supplies from them for nearly a decade and am always pleased. Ms doesn't have NEARLY the selection of pencils i need and the only art store is too far to - paying shipping costs less!
i am attaching two pieces i did this weekend - Lilly of the Valley stamps
Okay, I'm blind. I don't see an eyepatch. I do love my ColorSoft pencils though.
I don't see an eyepatch either. But if you squint, the nose looks like it could be a patch and the wiskers look like they could be the strings holding the eyepatch onto the head.
I just Love Pencils ! I use all kinds Even my sons and they work just as well without the high cost ! I have looked everywhere for that Gamsol oil but could not find it . I read somewhere on here that you could use Baby Oil so I tried that and it works Fantastic ! but try it on a scrap paper first till you get use to how much to use ,It is Very Little ! I use it with a Qtip and hardly have any oil on it but it blends like a dream !! I am hooked !
OH my word!!! Too funny that we ALL have our Dick Blick carts with all of our wants. I am also waiting to see if my tax refund will allow for splurging.
Valerie
P.S. The stamping Bella web site has a new YouTube video on coloring with prismas and gamsol she really focused on the skin color of her face. It was very informative. I think my problem was using TOO much gamsol. Does anyone have a stump preference? I hear that the was from Twain are better???
I like the ones that say Creative Mark on them... not sure where those are made. I have some older Taiwan ones and the ends are 'frayed' - maybe too soft for me...
Thanks Guy!!! Ya'll (I'm from Texas) are the BEST!!!
I have two kinds...one doesn't say anything only a # for the different sizes and the others say Creative Mark as well. But these don't say were they are from...I think I got these from Gina K Designs when I ordered her paper and Gamsol pump. So far so good!!!
Valerie
Michelle H - LOL forget about a self help support group. We are serious addicts. You cannot believe the stuff I have and yet....I just keep on buying. I DO read the posts on the thread about going cold turkey but that's all I do, read about it.
Michelle.
Did you at least qualify for the 20% off an order over $149? B/c in that case...It qualifies as, "Just good/smart shopping sense!" (wink)
Valerie
Yes, I admit it. I can't wait to feast my eyes on the colors, to smell the smell of the wood and the whatever they are made of...to feel the silkiness of the pencil in my hand or the squareness of the conte stick...to watch blank paper transform into (hopefully) something magical...
excuse me, I'm going to go hug my colored pencils and inktenses right now..
Ok, I'm back
I didn't get the 20% off because I didn't order $149 worth. I was going to but the pastel pencils and conte crayons are already on the lowest discounted prices so no other discounts apply.
But Dickblick still has the best prices out there.
All Right Now!!! You make me want to go and hug MY collection and remind them how much I love them and how much joy they bring me. (Hmmm they are totally house broken, potty trained, they don't talk back, they are not disobedient, they just sit there like PERFECT little COLORFUL ANGELS) Oh yah!!! They need so love right now.
Valerie
