Hello,

I'd like to get some input on your favorite brands of colored pencils and also if you prefer wax based or oil based.

I have a set of Prismacolors (72) but they break ALL the time and especially when sharpened (which wastes half the pencil sometimes). I also have a few derwent studio (which are harder but not as nice to use). I got one poloychromos as I liked the color of it and really seem to like the way that one goes on and it does NOT break so far. So I'm considering to buy a set of oil-based and try them. I know there are several brands of those in addition to to polychromos (pablo, lyra) and would really like input on how you like any of them if you have them, how they compare to the waxy ones, etc.

Thanks very much!

Rainy

I don't have any oil pencils so I can't comment, but... the Prisma breaking issue is solved for virtually everyone by buying a halfway-decent electric sharpener. You simply can't sharpen those in a hand-held manual sharpener -- it just doesn't work, they break constantly. If you get a simple $20 electric sharpener (something like this one) you will find that the problem goes away.

I, myself, just love my Faber-Castell pencils. They are so comfortable to hold, sharpen. I have never had any problems with them. And the colors are bold and beautiful. They blend just perfectly.

http://www.faber-castell.us/ Go to Products, then to Creative Studio and then to Colored Pencils.

I had Derwent's "Artist's" too. But when I got Faber-Castell "Art Grip" I don't use them anymore...

That's all I can say about CP.

I have the Koh-I-Noor Polycolor 36 set and i bought few aquarel (not sure about spelling) pencils and I pretty much like the combination..I like the polycolors more but it`s just a point of view..I use normal sharpener and I usually don`t have trouble with it..But the electric sharpener seems like a good advice for pencil-brakeing problem..

Thanks Ernest. . . I do use a panasonic one and not a manual one now. Works fine for my other pencils. But maybe I will check into the boston one you pointed out.

I have heard of some people (on WetCanvas) who became convinced that their Prismas were mishandled at some point and the pigments are actually broken inside the wood casing. Some of these folks report that a brief stint in the microwave oven melts those cracked leads back together.

I have the same problem with the prismacolor. It's the reason they sit on the shelf. I'll have to try the electric sharpener. I do like Derwent Watercolour ones. Never break in my hand sharpener.

I have used mostly Prismacolor pencils and don't have much bad to say about them. Some do break, but its also a symptom of how the pencils are handled perhaps prior to you buying them. If they are dropped or handled roughly, the centres can break, making it impossible to sharpen them no matter what you use.

I also have a set of Derwent Coloursoft pencils which are lovely. Very creamy and interesting colours in the set. They are a little softer than Prismacolor in my opinion.

I have not used oil pencils so I can't comment on those either.

Thanks all. . . I have not tried the colorsoft ones by Derwent, but have some of the studio and those are quite hard (although they still worked fine and I like some of the browns better than primsa). I have some prisma verithin and those don't break like the others, but they are evern more hard than the derwent and limited on colors.

Well, I have Prisma's, I have Derwent colorsoft, I have FC, and I have Walnut hollow (oil pencils too). I like all but the prisma's but do use some colors occationally. I stopped using them because of lead breakage. But, since I love colored pencils, I will be adding Lyra's and the new Caran D' Arch Luminous pencils to my collection when I save enough for them...

Thanks, Venus. I might try some of those Lyra ones. . . been thinking about it.