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OK, there are tons of pencils on the market.
I am sure it has been discussed somewhere before.
SU has the watercolor pencils.
Prismacolor Pencils
Koh-i-noor Pencils (I probably spelled it wrong)...
and who knows what other kind.
I love copics, but I thought I'd have more "control" with pencils...
What can you tell me about the types you've tried and any comparisons you have found on the market?
I am just looking for info before I make a purchase.
So I am on ebay and there are tons of different TYPES of Prismacolor Pencils.
Water Color, Scholar Colors, and Light Fast...
um... got any tips for which set? hahaha I suck I guess... sorry for asking so many questions. I have been going back and forth with pencils for years....
I purchased a small set of Prismacolor Watercolor Pencils at Michael's some time ago; each pencil has a woodgrain outer shell and is marked with a 4-5 digit number, such as WC29##. A few weeks ago someone here said those were not the "right" ones to use. I went back to Michael's and noticed they also carry Prismacolor pencils that have numbers beginning with WC9##. I use whichever one is the right color for plain coloring, but I am not sure which would be the "right" one to use with odorless mineral spirits (Gamsol) or in other techniques.
I am hoping someone will make sense for the rest of us on the different types of colored pencils and their uses.
I use Kooh-i-noor and Crayola pencil crayons with oms. I think I do alright with them. The crayolas aren't as creamy as the kooh-i-noors but if I didn't tell anyone what kind of pencils I used, I don't think anyone could tell the difference between crayolas and prismas.
To Alice in MD: The crayons you bought need water to move the colour and to blend the colours. You would colour in your area - I usually only do around the outside and then with a wet paint brush pull the colour to the centre.
I think whatever you like and can afford will work. My crayola pencil crayons only cost me about $12 (or less - can't really remember) and I got 120 different colours.
So I am on ebay and there are tons of different TYPES of Prismacolor Pencils.
Water Color, Scholar Colors, and Light Fast...
Scholar pencils have less pigment - if you're planning on the Gamsol magic technique you won't get such good results as the colour is less vibrant. Watercolor has the clue in the name ;) If you're buying the Prismacolor brand then what you want are Prismacolor Premier but if you're looking at other brands then "artist grade" pencils is probably the right generic term. You want a wax-based lead, that's what the mineral spirit is breaking down.
I have a mix of Prismacolor, Derwent Coloursoft (they're a UK pencil so they do have the "u" in there) and Lyra Skintone (fabulous for multicultural skin colours and things like tree trunks/bunnies/bears etc). They all work well with OMS.
To make things even more confusing, there are several other brands of excellent quality colored pencils.
I have Faber Castell Polychromos pencils, and Lyra pencils, Prismacolors, Koh-i-noor, and some older pencils that are no longer being made. Here are my thoughts on the different pencils:
Prismacolors--Good color selection, soft, easy to blend, but are hard to sharpen without breaking. I usually use sandpaper to file down to a point. Prices varies widely from store to store, but fairly inexpensive for the most part. Readily available in art/craft supply stores.
Polychromos--Beautiful color selection, smooth easy to blend color, sharpens easily without breakage. More expensive than others, shop around online for best price. Available in most fine art supply stores, or online.
Lyra--Average color selection (only comes in 72 colors), ultra smooth, creamy and easy to blend. Sharpens beautifull without breaking. Middle price range, but I found a great deal on the entire set at ASW. Some art supply stores carry them, but are readily available online.
Koh-i-noor--Poor color selection (they need to add more colors!) but very smooth/soft to color with, easily blends, sharpens well. Inexpensive. Readily available at most art/craft supply stores as well as online.
I was just going to ask this question. Glad I searched first.
I am going to my LSS tomorrow for a couple card making classes, so I will see what pencils I can get from there.
I reach for my Koh-i-noors first. Then my Prismas. I also use Crayola's too because they come in so many colors. But the Koh-i-noors are always my first choice. Plus, they last FOREVER! They aren't encased in wood like the others, so they are pretty much just all pencil. When I want a paler shade, I just color with a lighter hand. But I do agree - as popular as these are, the manufacturer really should come up with a wider color range.
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I've only ever used the Stampin' Up watercolor pencils, and I've been very happy with them. The Koh-i-noors are sounding interesting, though May have to see what all the fuss is about.
The best water color pencils I've found are Loew-Cornell. They have very brilliant colors. You can find them in the artist section at Michaels. With a coupon, they aren't a bad buy at all. I've had mine for years.
You will probably find that you will have a collection of pencils depending on what you want to do. Here is my favorites by technique
Coloring with pencils (wax - no gamsol) - Prismacolors premier - best for blending the colors together. I have found that not all the other wax pencils will blend as well. Prismas cost more and are softer (they break easily but it allows for great blending). Crayolas blend well with prismas but I have a hard time getting the Koh-i-noor to blend with the prismas and crayolas.
Gamsol Magic - all wax pencils work about the same because the Gamsol/oderless mineral spirits (OMS) melts the wax.
Coloring for skin tones and animals - Lyra skin tones (wax) set is a variety of browns/creams that make it easier to match skin tones. Lyras are really soft and blend well with prismas.
Watercolor (not wax) - all the watercolor pencils seem to work the same for how I use them. I create a pallette by coloring the pencil onto a piece of watercolor paper and pick-up the color with a wet brush. I mix and match pencil brands depending on the color.
Question......are all pencils regardless of brand, wax based - unless they state they are watercolor pencils? Just asking so I know if I can use gamsol with all colored pencils, except for WC. Thanks.
I have alot of different brands. I agree. I like the Prismacolors the best too. I have a set of 48 and was thinking of buying some individuals to add to the set. Just have to shop around for the best price on line. Can't get the individuals in the craft stores. Michaels has some but not a large assortment.
Has anyone heard of Spectracolor pencils? I have a set I recently found from when I was in art class in HS so they are like almost 25 years old. They look just like the Prismacolor pencils but dont know if they are the same. They are the wood barrel with the color in the center. I may just have to get some OMS and check it out.
Also, is OMS and Gamsol the same thing, serving the same purpose?
I think Prismacolor are the replacement for Spectracolor - you can find information about color equivalents here (scroll down) and I can't see why they'd provide that info unless they were the same type of pencil.
Gamsol is just a brand of OMS. The other popular one in the US is Mona Lisa brand.
Not all pencils are wax-based. There are oil based pencils, pastel (chalk) pencils, and the watercolor pencils. The amount of wax/pigment varies obviously from brand to brand. I have some comparisons of different brands on my blog:
You all are AWESOME! Joanne...thank you so much for that link! Thats pretty awesome that I had some Spectracolor pencils and kept them all these years. I dusted them off and put them in my holder with my markers and copics. Cool!
Coloring Pencils...
