CRAYOLA VS PRISMACOLOR - Which Colored Pencil Is Best?

Two well-known brands... one for kids and one for artists. Does that mean anything?! Let's find out which colored pencil is best!

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SOCIAL & MERCH LINKS:

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MATERIALS USED:

Lenox Cotton Paper
Crayola Colored Pencils
Prismacolor Colored Pencils

[marcusshaner]

Tip! If those leads are being all breaky, blast the pencil with are hair dryer for a bit... If you're super brave you can throw them in a low low low oven for a couple minutes too.

[DoodleDate]

You did a really great job with the crayolas! I always feel like I'm fighting them to death trying to get them to leave pigment on the page LOL

[aspenyost]

Prismacolor pencil leads aren’t actually supposed to break constantly like that, though they are fragile. If your pencils are kinda old or if the box of pencils (or individual pencils) have been dropped, the leads will already be broken inside the wood. I use prismacolors as my primary medium. I try to update my pencils every 2 years or so and keep them in a soft, cushioned case with individual slots for each pencil to keep them protected. It’s a lot of work, but I personally believe that the quality of the pencils makes it worth it 😊

[MysticSparkleWings]

I just thought I'd pipe in as someone who's favorite colored pencils to use are Prismacolors; The soft cores are indeed superior for blending because the colors almost _melt_ together, but if you're prone to being heavy-handed or consistently use as much pressure as possible all the time, they _will_ break, frequently. Lots of people find this bothersome because they're used to pencils like Crayola (or pencils that _wish_ they were as nice as Crayola) where you _have_ to fight with the pencil to get significant color lay-down--They're _used_ to having to apply heavy pressure all the time.

And it's not just cheap pencils that are prone to this. I have the Faber Castell Polychromos, and even though they're a high-end brand, they're a harder pencil, so they require more pressure. In the Polychromos' case, this is largely because they're an oil-based pencil (Prismacolors are wax-based) which _normally_ results in a harder pencil, but those pencils can usually build up layers of color for longer than most wax-based varieties.

Similarly, with _any_ kind of pencil, you'll get more layers out of them if you don't apply a lot of pressure right away (lots of artists refer to that as "burnishing") because the more pressure you apply, the more you squash the texture of the paper, and in most cases that means the paper can't accept as much color: There's just not as much surface it can grab on to. Some artists prefer a smooth, less-textured surface for pencil work, but most paper you find that labels itself as being _for_ colored pencils will have a notable texture compared to something like marker- or even mixed-media paper largely because of this.

Bottomline: Colored Pencils work best when you take a "slow and steady" approach with them and layer them up over time instead of going right for deep saturated color, and this goes doubly for pencils like Prismacolor that are super-soft to avoid constant breakage.

[dianethoroughman]

Your horses came out lovely. It is easier on the wrist and picture if you color multiple LIGHT layers of color rather than coloring one HARD layer of burnished color. Yes, prismacolor is known for its breakage, but there are tips to help deal with that problem.

[Hi.Judeen]

Kasey, you already got a great sharpener for the Prismacolors, remember when you were talking about the t’gaal sharpener in your Japanese sharpeners video, and why some people would prefer different point sizes? 😂

Well, it works like a charm with the Prismacolors, you get really sharp points but not long ones (if that makes sense?), So the lead doesn’t break as often, also, it feels very smooth when you are sharpening them (talking from experience :3)

PD: I completely adore your drawing 💖

[kuhnuckles]

Oof the Prismacolors breaking so often is definitely a buzzkill. I don’t use colored pencils a lot, but when I do, I typically use them for sketching and layering on top of alcohol markers. For that, I like using Crayola. I just has a nice texture, and it’s easier to gently layer, whereas Prismacolor is much more waxy and thick.

[nataliaprokopowicz]

Have you thought of comparing Prismacolor to Polychromos and maybe other brands too? I love your comparison videos they're always so comprehensive and fun to watch too!

[no-mdub]

tip! if you press hard all the time, you'll take the texture off the paper, and the pencil won't stick, burnish at the end, it's best as a top layer

[davef]

6:59 Have you tried using the colorless blender pencil? It helps blend colors, but also burnishes the lead helps fill in the tooth of the paper with out having to press so hard.

[ivacheung]

You're on the *cusp* of calling them "pencil crayons"—Canada might be rubbing off on you, Kasey! 😊

[nacoleacosta]

I don't get nearly as much breakage as you did. If you use multiple softer layers before your final burnished layer your pencils might last longer.

[raquels]

The goofy horses came out adorable and the sudden decision to make ghost cats add a special touch.

[TyTLZacharie]

You literally have become one of my fave artist to watch on YouTube! I genuinely love what you do. Your drawings always gives me this nostalgia from my childhood. You remind me just to have fun. I’m familiar with both brands very well but it was nice to see you compare & do your thing. I love the colors you used.

[Jehzar]

If you notice that a lead is broken, go to the microwave and put the pencil to warm half a second. Or put the pencil near something that is warm enough to soften the lead inside. Then, let it cold down.
I love your videos. Looking forward to the next one :)

[joeblankenship]

Do Primsacolor vs. Polychromos! I used to use nothing but Prismacolors but now I mainly use Faber-Castell Polychromos with a few Prismas thrown in. Definitely don't gotta worry about leads breaking with Polychromos, which is good since they're expensive.

[veeva]

As someone who has been using colored pencils for years now, the Prismacolor pencils breaking so much is really irking me.
maybe it's because I have never used Prismacolor before (I live in the Netherlands and where I buy my art supplies they don't even sell Prismacolor), but I do know that they are a higher-end pencil.
I have been using Faber-Castell for years myself, and I just assumed that Prismacolor would be in the same range as them. I have never had my pencils break like that, even with the softer pencils like the metallics

[fairlycaitlyn]

With short pencils, I love using a pencil extender to use as much of the pencil as I can! They both look amazing!

[LMacCreations]

Thanks for saying the colors! I am completely colorblind so it is nice that you did this!

[fwogboy]

a goofy animated series (like adventure time?) in kasey's style would actually be the best thing