Opinions needed: Best artist-quality colored pencils, sketch pencils, etc.

[Sue G in PA]

Okay, my dc are taking art classes w/ our co-op and have to do sketching every day (FUN!). I am so NOT knowledgeable of artist quality pencils (pencils are pencils!). I bought some sketching pencils labeled 2B (the lead softness, right?). Are they okay. I'd like to get more, but I don't know the difference btwn all the different kinds (sketching, graphic, drawing, etc.). My craft store was no help.

Also, looking to get a set of good quality colored pencils. I know Prismacolor...any others? My littles can use Crayola but I'd like some nice ones for me and the older dc. I have some Stampin Up! watercolor pencils I use for projects that are very nice, but I want some REAL artist pencils. Thanks for your opinions!

[elegantlion]

These are the ones that have always been recommended to me.....

http://www.dickblick.com/zz205/06/

I have not used them yet, but have seen many good reviews.

[Laurel-in-CA]

My dd's art class recommends Prismacolor, but we don't like them because the leads break with great frequency and you spend all your time sharpening. We've had good luck with Ticonderoga (the leads are screwed in, and break less), and we won tons of Derwent pencils in an art contest, so she's going with those now and likes them quite well.

[Kareni]

For the colored pencils, I'd recommend Lyra Super Ferby. My teen has had her set for years and loves them. They are great quality but you do pay for it.

Here is one place that sells them.

http://www.treasureboxtoys.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=TBT&Product_Code=MER0061912&Category_Code=AGE1362ahttp://www.treasureboxtoys.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=TBT&Product_Code=MER0061912&Category_Code=AGE1362a

Regards,
Kareni

[Peek a Boo]

a bit of a specific question about art pencils-- my ds has started sketching in a little sketchbook, but doesn't like that the pencil rubs off/smudges on the pages that touch each other. will the pencils recommended prevent that, or is there something else he needs to be doing to prevent drawings from smudging?

[Mama Bear]

something else he needs to be doing to prevent drawings from smudging?

The softness of the pencils is what leads to the smudging. He needs a fixative -- hairspray in a can would do it. Or he could switch to harder pencils, but then the ability to smudge when it's desired goes away.

HTH.

[Beth in Central TX]

I really like my Prismacolor 120-piece set that I got on sale a couple of years ago. I don't have any problem with the lead breaking. I sharpen them with a manual pencil sharpener set aside especially for this set. The color selection is amazing.

[Peek a Boo]

He needs a fixative -- hairspray in a can would do it.

if you spray it w/ hairspray, can you go back and add to it later? then just add a second application of hairspray? Or do you not spray it till it's done?

i might stick w/ a harder pencil set for now --he's not really smudging on purpose yet ;)

[kalanamak]

Mr. Blick hasn't steered me wrong yet, although his name, rather childishly, gives me the giggles.

[Lenora in MD]

I also have found the Prismacolor to break very often. I like the Ticonderoga and also I have some named Staedtler that I got at Michael's that also seem very nice and are my favorite. Here is a link: http://www.dickblick.com/zz220/05/

[nmoira]

My dd's art class recommends Prismacolor, but we don't like them because the leads break with great frequency and you spend all your time sharpening.We had this problem with Prismacolor until we got an electric sharpener.

[StephanieZ]

absolutely divine. They're so soft and blendy. Love love them. You can use the 40-50% off coupon at Michael's to bring the prices down to a reasonable level, otherwise they're about $1/pencil. I buy a 48 or 96 pencil kit every few years to keep us supplied. I SOOO hate any other pencils that we've gotten as gifts or whatever. The colors and textures just have never compared to the prismacolor.

They do wear down; we just use an electric pencil sharpener. I spend 10 min every few months sharpening up the whole box (probably 200 pencils in all stages of use, including the dozens of odd non-prismacolor ones that bug me b/c they never go away b/c everyone prefers the prismacolor!) b/c that's just how I am, but in between times the dc sharpen the ones they want/need and don't seem too troubled by it.

[Mamagistra]

We have found that the Prismas we've purchased at craft stores do tend to break more. I don't think they are handled with care. The single pencils bought from Texas Art Supply in Houston and mail-order via Timberdoodle have been more reliable.

FWIW, Prismacolor does carry a line called Scholar that are a bit more durable and practical for very young artists. Some art supply stores have them, but Hobby Lobby and Michaels do not (to my knowledge). The downside is that the largest available set is 48, but that's more than enough color selection for most. :)

[Lorna]

For the colored pencils, I'd recommend Lyra Super Ferby. My teen has had her set for years and loves them. They are great quality but you do pay for it.

Here is one place that sells them.

http://www.treasureboxtoys.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=TBT&Product_Code=MER0061912&Category_Code=AGE1362ahttp://www.treasureboxtoys.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=TBT&Product_Code=MER0061912&Category_Code=AGE1362a

Regards,
Kareni

I would buy these! These are the ones most art galleries give children and they are of such good quality they last and they draw beautifully.
I loved Karissma but they don't seem to be in business any more. We bought a pricey set about five years ago and the children use them down to the stubs. We replace colours individually.
It is well worth splashing out. Cheap pencils are not a saving at all!

[Mrs. Readsalot]

They are all we use

[Julie in GA]

Are these available in larger sets? I only see a 12-color set.

[Julie in GA]

We bought the special sharpener from Timberdoodle ("Color Combi") and it's wonderful. Regular sharpeners make the leads break, but the one designed for colored pencils sharpens beautifully. We love our Prismacolors too!

[Shannon]

Lyra also makes a set of 12 pencils that are skin colored. I saw them at a local toy store before Christmas, but when I went back they were gone. So, I'll probably have to get them online.
Shannon

[angela in ohio]

If you can spend a little more for the woodless drawing pencils (is that the technical name or is it something else?), they are wonderful. My dc all fight over them, and I love using them.

For colored pencils, we like the Derwent sets.

[JumpedIntoTheDeepEndFirst]

Love Prismacolor, we have the large set for at home (geography, history projects, general coloring) and a smaller set for travelling (musuems, nature hikes, long trips, etc.). We use an electric sharpener at home and have a manual for travel. I find they actually wear down due to use not breakage. Remember to get the color name and number written down for replacement purposes before they are sharpened past that point (some of the colors are very close visually).

[Karin]

Prismacolour, hands down. We also have Derwent, but they're not quite as good. Prismacolour, apparently, sets the gold standard, others imitate. But, and this is far more weighty, IMO, of all the ones my girls have tried, Prismacolour works the best. My girls are very art oriented and do a lot of drawing, particularly with coloured pencils. We've also had this recommendation from artists and someone who works in an art specialty shop.

That said, get drawing pencils for drawing. The water colour ones are really best for that purpose. You don't need tons of colours, either, for studying art as they can learn to mix colours to make their own (or so say some of the art instructors we've encountered.) One fun project (well, my girls thought it fun) is to make a colour chart with various combinations of mixing red, yellow, blue and white.

[Karin]

My dd's art class recommends Prismacolor, but we don't like them because the leads break with great frequency and you spend all your time sharpening. We've had good luck with Ticonderoga (the leads are screwed in, and break less), and we won tons of Derwent pencils in an art contest, so she's going with those now and likes them quite well.

Perhaps the Prismacolour ones were dropped. My 12 yo never breaks them anymore, she says, because she doesn't press as hard. She has Derwent, Prismacolour and other types. My 9 yo still breaks pencils, but finds that her Prismacolours break less. My 7 yo isn't much of an expert on this yet as he mostly draws in pencil, lol, then colours in something quick like crayons or markers unless we're doing art class. We also go with where the pencils are made, and so far Prismacolour wins out, but we haven't tried Ticonderoga before.

[Sue G in PA]

I'm probably going to go with Prismacolor ONLY b/c I can get them at Michaels or JoAnn's w/ my 50% off coupon. I just can't plop down $35 + for colored pencils, KWIM? If, one day, I can spend more I might check into those Super Ferby's! They look neat.

[Karin]

I'm probably going to go with Prismacolor ONLY b/c I can get them at Michaels or JoAnn's w/ my 50% off coupon. I just can't plop down $35 + for colored pencils, KWIM? If, one day, I can spend more I might check into those Super Ferby's! They look neat.

Fair enough! With all these differing opinions, this is a good way as any to try some. btw, Prismacolour/color is made in the USA, if that helps you feel any better along with the money you're saving. Michael's tends to have more made in the USA things than the other stores around here do.

[debbiec]

If you are getting broken leads, the child is probably pressing too hard with the art pencil. You can buy the cheap Rose Art and Crayola colored pencils, because they have a harder (and therefore you can't get the range of lights and darks) lead if you have a child that just presses hard.

Colored pencils should be a softer lead so the color goes down better, to get a darker more solid true color and therefore you have a far greater value range. With harder lead, less expensive pencils, you can olnly get a dark color by pressing down so hard the paper indents where the color is being applied.

If you have young children and want to buy the more expensive art pencils, I would recommend NOT sharpening them to a fine point, but keep them rather on the blunt side until they get accustomed to the fact they need to use less pressure to get the color on. It just takes them getting use to it (I know this from years of children's art classes and having an art degree).

Debbie

[Shannon]

If you have young children and want to buy the more expensive art pencils, I would recommend NOT sharpening them to a fine point, but keep them rather on the blunt side until they get accustomed to the fact they need to use less pressure to get the color on. It just takes them getting use to it (I know this from years of children's art classes and having an art degree).

Debbie

This is a helpful suggestion. Thanks!
Shannon

[freethinkermom]

This one area I know well :)

I use Prismacolors. For a time I was working almost exclusively in colored pencil (I am back to paint on canvas now). I have both the non-soluble wax based and watercolor. They are used for different purposes. Excessive breaking is caused by dropping or stress when sharpening. An electric sharpener will prevent the stress when sharpening.

For graphite pencil(black and white drawing), there are several different good brands. You need to look in an art supply store, not a craft store. Dick Blick and Cheap Joe's are good places to order online. I like Prismacolor Turquoise (the color of the outside of the pencil, not the lead) and Tombow. Same comments about breakage apply, but you can also sharpen with sandpaper or a knife. Get a selection of soft and hard pencils for creating different levels of tone. I would recommend 2B 2H HB H 3B and 6B to start, but the more options the wider the range can be created.

My favorite eraser for either type of pencil is poster tack. It is cheap and works better than regular kneadable erasers.

Quality sketchbooks and paper do make a difference. For finished work I like Stonehenge paper, hard press watercolor (usually Arches) paper, or bristol.

To prevent smearing in a sketchbook stick a sheet of shiny tracing paper or wax paper between the pages. A piece of tracing paper should also be kept beneath the artist's hand while working to prevent smudges.

Both Prismacolor and Krylon make workable fixatives that you spray on to set a layer. They are made so that you can keep adding new layers. I use the Krylon. It is the secret of how many colored pencil artists get so many layers down without the work blooming (getting cloudy). It works great for graphite, charcoal, pastel, colored pencil, really anything dry. I even use it on my canvas to set a sketch before I start painting.

For example:

Graphite portrait of ds6 at age 3 on bristol (http://www.ebsqart.com/OnlineArtGallery.asp?CMD=DOSEARCH&ID=781&FILTER=&AFILTER=&Gallery=&GALLERYTYPE=MEMBER&PAGE=5&ITEM=1&VIEWMODE=G&IID=38383&MID=781&SCMD=ZOOM)

Old fantasy piece done in mostly colored pencil (http://www.epilogue.net/cgi/database/art/view.pl?id=73388)

**None of my work is for sale. I am just sharing links to show the actual mediums in use. Also, I have not posted anything new online in several years. My work now is so much better!**

[Sue G in PA]

I've decided on Prismacolor and the suggestions for drawing pencils is what I needed. Not very knowledgeable about that stuff...I'm a fantasy face-painter, not a "real" artist :) Thanks again for your reply and everyone else for your replies! Great help and suggestions.

[Julie in GA]

Yes - we like our Scholars pencils very much, and they don't break as easily. None of our Prismas break during use -- but they're always rolling off the table and falling on the floor -- this is why they break at our house! (And if sharpened w/ the wrong kind of sharpener.) :)

[Karin]

This one area I know well :)

I An electric sharpener will prevent the stress when sharpening.

Both Prismacolor and Krylon make workable fixatives that you spray on to set a layer. They are made so that you can keep adding new layers. I use the Krylon. It is the secret of how many colored pencil artists get so many layers down without the work blooming (getting cloudy). It works great for graphite, charcoal, pastel, colored pencil, really anything dry. I even use it on my canvas to set a sketch before I start painting.


One general comment and one question for freethinkermom.

1. My dd has a special hand sharpener with 2 sharpeners--one for regular pencils and one for coloured pencils. She'll use only this one now! Also, I asked her why she likes Prismacolor better and she said because of the way she can lay down the colour (plus other things I need to get her to write down.)

2. Freethinkermom--can you tell me more about the fixatives? My dd could use them, but we have a lot of chemical sensitivities. Could we use what you suggested? If not, are there any alternatives? Both my dd's are about to start coloured pencil work to enter a local art show in early April and since it takes them so long to do their best work it's better if they take a few weeks (mostly for my 12 yo who is very particular about her work when she does her best). I never had the patience to pursue drawing the way they do!

[freethinkermom]

One general comment and one question for freethinkermom.

2. Freethinkermom--can you tell me more about the fixatives? My dd could use them, but we have a lot of chemical sensitivities. Could we use what you suggested? If not, are there any alternatives? Both my dd's are about to start coloured pencil work to enter a local art show in early April and since it takes them so long to do their best work it's better if they take a few weeks (mostly for my 12 yo who is very particular about her work when she does her best). I never had the patience to pursue drawing the way they do!

They are an aerosol spray like spray paint. I have only used the Krylon, so I cannot say for the Prismacolor. The Krylon has slightly less smell than a spray paint and it dries and dissipates fairly quickly (few minutes). I spray outside when I can, but like all spray paint it needs to be used above 55 degrees or it could cloud. The smell will remain on the paper for a few hours. Paper I have sprayed at night is usually smell free by morning. They spray does not bother me (many chemicals do), but everyone is different. If I were you I would sneak a squirt in the store to see how you react. It is acrylic based.

Colored pencil should be sealed (workable fixative is enough) when done to prevent blooming. When several layers have been laid down, the wax will eventually come to the surface and look cloudy white. Layering pencil and fixative will prevent it. Using a clear Prismacolor pencil (sold with the open stock cps) to burnish and blend will help too. There is really no substitute for the workable fixatives. You need something fine, hence the spray on, that will not cause any dissolving or smearing, will leave some tooth, and that is acid free. Hair spray is full of acid. Not only will that cause the paper to break down fast, but it can react and change some colors instantly. Good quality paper can go along way to reducing the frequency that a fixative is needed. The Stonehenge I mentioned would be an excellent choice if your local art store carries it. Most stores will cut down a full sheet into any size pieces you wish for free. Stonehenge runs just a couple of dollars a full-sheet, unlike hot press watercolor that can run much higher. DickBlick carries Stonehenge, but they do have minimums for buying paper.

Ann Kullberg's website (http://www.annkullberg.com/) and books are a good resource for cp information including preservation and technique. The cp forums at wetcanvas.com are also very active with artists at all levels helping each other.

[Karin]

They are an aerosol spray like spray paint.Ann Kullberg's website (http://www.annkullberg.com/) and books are a good resource for cp information including preservation and technique. The cp forums at wetcanvas.com are also very active with artists at all levels helping each other.

Thanks for ALL the info you gave. After I jotted down the info, I realized that dh can always spray it for us in the basement if necessary. I'm going to check out that website, too.