Thought I would share with you my little colored pencil chart I made on Excel. I borrowed the idea, then modified it. What do the rest of you do?

Judyvan

Hey Judy,

I was just wondering, did you create the chart and then color it with the pencils? Or did you create the colors in a different way?

BRB/

Bob, I first went through all my pencils and wrote the names down for each category. Then I typed the names in Excell, highlighting each group in that color. Then I drew in the color next to it. It really was lots of fun and I was amazed how many different pencils I had. They are all Primsa Colors except for those with (FC) which are Faber-Castell.

Judyvan

Judyvan
I did something similar but a little different. I'm thinking for most drawings yours is a better idea. I guess I'm a number freak because I put all the colored pencils in numerical order in Quatro pro, then colored in beside them the right color. It makes it a little harder finding the color if all you know is the color you want, although prismacolor has a sheet with all the colors and numbers on it. It makes it easy to reorder pencils though. I bought prisma colors 120 set long before I heard of this site. For graphite pencils I drilled holes in a 2-1/2 x 2-1/2 x 13 block of wood and labeled the holes so I know which pencil goes where.
Slim

Great idea, Judy--was at the Craft N Stuff shop today and looked at the CPs--would have added to my collection if I had known what to choose that I didn't already have!

I made this thing to put mine in:

[attachmentid=6938]

The fronts are flat-white primed, and I vaguely thought I'd make little color swatches, but so far I haven't got around to it!

Ernerst, I need detailed instructions on your pencil holder. I really like it. I have tried many different things, but none work very well. Right now I have a large shoebox and inside I stapled paper cups together to keep them put, then put in the pencils grouped by colors. The problem is that my little stubby ones get lost in there. I tried toilet paper rolls , but hard to cut in half and not sturdy. I also was given a display case from my local art store, but it was only good for the new, long pencils. Any other ideas out there?

Judyvan



Hey SLIM, could you send a picture of your pencil holder? How many does it hold?

Judyvan

See I guess I am just all unorganized!! I have little tubs or pencils box cases from the stores school supply sections and just keep them all bunched in the bins. When I start a picture that has particular colors I have chosen to use, I take them out and keep them separated from the other pencils by tyind a rubber band around them and put them back in the tub. Mind you all I have well over 400 pencils and am still waiting for new ones. I have heard great things about the Derwent Colorsoft pencils and decided I wanted to try them. I should be getting them in today, after I finish helping my uncle with the sign and get paid for it I will also be buying myself the Lyra Rembrandt Polychromo Colored Pencil set that is Oil based colored pencils and has a larger set than the oil pencils I have now. I enjoy my prisma's but I also like trying new products, so I switch which saves my prisma's as well...LOL. I also have 4 children and have to keep my stuff put away from my little one who is into drawing on herself and my walls for that matter so what I do with my pencils works and maybe one day I will be able to make holders and what not for them and have my own space and room for my art!! Or at least I can dream in the meantime!!

Wow!

Judyvan
I do a little of what Venus said too, but I end up with pencils spread from here to breakfast and I'm always looking for one. Here are the two holders I have. One I just slopped together last Sat at 11PM for a prototype. It was made out of 2 scrap pieces of 2x4x13. The trick is to drill the holes at least through the first one (1 1/2") or the pencils will flop over. As you can see, I also want the little tubes the lead came in right there where I can refill in the mech pencils. So the holes were drilled with a 3/8 drill, 1 1/2 deep. Now that I know this works I will buy this size of balsa wood at the hobby shop and varnish it - you know more professional for us artists. I put about 15 holes per row. It might get crowded with all 3 rows filled

The styrafoam came first and I like it, but it slops particles around and is kind of difficult to write on.

What I really need to do is come up with some kind of angled shelf that holds the plastic trays that the 120 pencils come in. When I do like Venus suggests down below, I get tired of sorting through to find those pencils.

I am the exact same way!!!! I have plenty of neices and nephews who are dying to spill out my pencils or draw on everything with them!!!!

Venus
The day will come sooner than you think that there won't be any of your kids in the house messing with your stuff. Then depending on how close to you they live, it might be very quiet. (I know that sounds hard to believe right now he he) Fortunately for me I do have one set of kids and grandkids that are just 2 hrs away. The others are 2 days away by vehicle. For the close ones, the girl artist of 7, I keep a special container of pencils etc that are just for her. Believe it or not every now and then, I learn something from her. She took a couple of art classes during the summer, and has a real good sense of colors, what goes with what, so I kind of pay attention to her. This could be bad for some guy down the road, because I think we call this "high maintenance"

I got to hand it to you, you manage to get some chat and drawing time in each week. Not always easy to do with 4 kids and a hubby.
Slim

Venus, I can't imagine having 400 pencils, but now I want to order some new ones too. What are some of your other favorites besides Prisma? Where do you order them from? I think you are an amazing woman. How do you even find time to draw. But I agree with SLIM, that the time will come soon enough and they will all be gone. I was a single parent for many years and went to college. Graduated at forty, work in a job I love and now have lots of time and room for art. But I would probably give it all up just to have my three girls back home and small again.

Judyvan

SLIM, thanks for sharing your pencil ideas. Maybe you can invent and patent the ideal pencil holder and we will all order one from you.

Judyvan

Judy, well so far I have just my prisma's and the oil pencils to compare with each other. I did however recieve my order of Derwent Coloursoft Pencils but I have yet to open the box I recieved them in and break them out. So I will let you know on them..LOL. I really like the oil pencils though. I also plan on buying a set of Lyra Poly's that are oil based from wither ebay or Jerry's Artarama online (though never ordered from there before). I have been ordering from DickBlicks.com which is were I got my coloursofts from. They are usually really fast with shipping. But yes, between colored pencils, drawing pencils, watercolor pencils, and pastel pencils I have well over 400. Guess, it is still a good thing I have lil ones home..they get the stubbies!!

Them things is expensive! What about the Krazy Glue trick? I've tried it and it works very well...

LOL Ernest, now if I used the crazy glue and just made a bigger pencil, what kind of parent would I be, being stingy when I try to teach them to share? Seriously though, I really haven't found a particular brand of pencil that I like the best yet, so I am trying different brands until I do and the others are just gathering dust. LOL. Now, they are also put away so that when or if I may get low with any I have backups until I can get the ones I like, or I just switch off so that they all get used at some point. I haven't gotten to the point where I draw, draw everyday, but I do try to do a good quality picture at least once a month.

Now, since I am attending an Art Show tomorrow by local members of the CPSA guild in Northville, Michigan, I may be using them alot more because I have plans on attending their meeting on the 3rd Thursday of this month. It sounds to be a lot of fun and there are tons of different things to learn. I am really excited about it.

Ohhh and there is also the fact that I buy really cheaply to get more for my money, I also look for sales, and I have NEVER spent more than $60 on any of the sets of pencils I have bought, except my 120 set of Prisma's, I paid $66.

That's right, you mentioned that. I bet that will be really great -- tell us all about it afterwards!



That's a great price!