The BEST Holbein ALTERNATIVES? Testing PASTEL colored pencils (Pastelowe, Marco, Prismacolor…)

I’m reviewing the Holbein pastel colored pencils against other cheaper pastel colored pencil ranges like Pastelowe and Marco. I’m also comparing them to “normal” sets of colored pencils to see just how unique their range of pastel colors are.

I’m comparing them against the Pastelowe colored pencils from Astra- with an almost identical range of pastel colors at a much cheaper price range.

I’ve also reviewed 2 “budget” sets of pastel pencils from Marco.

And finally, I wanted to see if we could create our own sets of pastel tones in colored pencil sets you might already own – so I’ve created a huge conversion chart to see if Prismacolor, Arteza, Crayola, Black Widow and Brutfuner can match the color range of Holbein – or at least fill some of the gaps so you don’t have to buy the full set if you’re sticking to a budget.

In this video:
00:00 Holbein Colored Pencils
03:42 Pastelowe Colored Pencils
08:32 Marco Colored Pencils
11:33 Creating Your Own Pastel Set
13:02 Further Testing
18:37 Final thoughts

Other useful links:

Other videos you might enjoy:

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#sarahrenaeclark #coloredpencils #adultcoloring

[susanmacdonald]

I'm not willing to pay Holbein prices for something I'm just going to use in a colouring book, so I am perfectly happy with the Pastelowe pencils. And I found a video where they swatched the Holbeins, and numbered mine, and matched the number to the Holbein names.

[mia-mariejuhljrgensen]

As a pastel gal myself, I find this so satisfying and helpful!
Whenever I’m stressed or my anxiety runs over, my boyfriend grabs my pencil container and makes me sort them. Sometimes he’s requesting I do a light to dark sort, rainbow sort and lately he has been requesting pastel rainbow sort 🌈🤩 I don’t know why I tell you this, but it works out for me, if anyone in the comments needed an idea too.
Anyways, I’ve loved your content ever since I found your freebie coloring pages and work/practice sheets for gemstones. Later on I bought the color catalog(s) and I use them for absolutely everything!
I was SO EXCITED when I found out you were doing YouTube 🤩
Keep up the good work down under and stay safe in these uncertain times ❤️

[ArtistJane]

I appreciate the amount of time swatching, editing, and filming you do, Sarah! I’m so happy you shared your opinions about Holbein and referenced my video. Colored pencils are a very personal decision when it comes to what a person loves, but high quality will speak for itself! I loved the charts you made and including several different brands for comparison, and I’m sorry the postman shoved those pencils in your mailbox! I gasped! 🤣

[annvinodjacob]

can we just appreciate how much money she spends to help us

[janicehayashibara]

Mom: Don’t you think you have enough pencil crayon sets.
Me:(ordering three more sets) Nope

[yehezkielnainggolan]

you're criminally underrated. you deserve MORE recognition! love your channel.

[lollilolli]

I am not a professional coloring artist. In my last vacation in Poland I purchased some pencils I forgot at home. So I know the Astra Pencils are ok 😊 I also brought the Pastelowe now and I am impressed. I never had expensive pencils and so I have nothing to compare... but in my opinion the Pastelowe are really good pencils 😍

[lo]

You do an incredible job of reviewing and helping your subscribers in so many ways Sarah Renae so 🙏🥰. FWIW Colour With Claire has a video where she shows the pastel range from Faber Castell so if people have that set you can see easily the pastel tones you already have.
For me I just love my Holbeins. Hope you’re doing okay in our lockdowns in 3 states Sarah Renae and thank goodness for colouring to keep many of us sane in these insane times.😘 Keep going with your great videos👍🌹

[winterrain]

I actually really love to use a cheaper brand of color pencils along with a set of more expensive pencils. For example, using a very light color from a pack of crayola over top of a prismacolor layer, makes for good blending and still adds a tiny bit more color. Also, I notice sometimes that something about shading over top of prisma with another far cheaper pencil can stop it from getting that wax bloom look, and makes it look more matte

[sewwat]

Thank you for your honest reviews/opinions. I've been considering purchasing some of these pastel sets and you helped me realize I may already have what I need in my ever growing collection!

[melr]

I'm currently totally obsessed with pastel pencils. Now, I know the obsession is due to my recent diagnosis of ADHD. But, it hasn't stopped me loving them! It just explains why lol. Would give my back teeth for the Holbeins but simply can't justify the price.

[cherylgeiger]

Dear Sarah,
Thank you, once again, for this great review. I love all of your reviews (in my opinion, among the best on the internet) but I found this one particularly helpful. I own several dozen brands of pencils and this comparison made it easy to see that I have more than enough pastel pencils.

[AuntieEm]

Thanks for this review and comparison of a more affordable pastel alternative. The beautiful color range of the Holbeins were what attracted me to the brand. I bought a few open stock locally to try them out before committing to purchasing a full set and they were just so nice to color and draw with. I have had bilateral carpal tunnel release and get joint pain from all the work I do with my hands. The Holbeins are just the most comfortable for my grip, I don't need to use much pressure to get beautiful color laydown or when blending/burnishing and that is a huge pro for me. I also feel they respond better to Gamsol than Prismas or Polys, but that's just my personal finding. I 100% agree the Holbein's are overpriced at least where I live in the U.S., but I bought my 150 set straight from Japan which cost roughly the same as my 120 set of Polychromos. The U.S. price markup on Holbeins is insane, but they are attainable for much less if one has their heart set on them. Thank you for sharing all your work on YT, it is very appreciated!

[Misscheetah]

I have full sets of polychromos, holbeins, prisma’s, luminance and pastelowe. I love poly and holbeins. The pastelowe is a nice extra. Luminance i find chalky and scratchy and with prisma i find to hard to blend(waxbloom). So i think for everyone just another opinion. I would definitely buy poly and holbeins. The rest not so much. I like the range of lighter colors of holbeins which not seen in other brands. But very pricy indeed. Great video.

[SwedePotato]

Lindsay, the frugal crafter convinced me to make an Aliexpress account for the sole purpose of buying the Brutfuner pastels and I have NEVER once regretted it. I love them and they're irreplaceable in my collection. I may have had some of the shades but not all 50. And looking at the pastel shades inspires me in ways that a few single shades just wouldn't.

[megperry]

I have been looking at the holbeins for the past year, this is a great review. Thank you as always, I am going to look at what I have and put together from my Prisma colors and Lyra a pastel set and then buy a few open stock holbein. I think the biggest thing for me is to put them all together so I can see my pretty pastels as a set.

[didilarson]

Thanks for the information. I love your videos. You turned me on the the Monarch Black Widow set which I hadn't been aware of before. Appreciated.

[dalejrgirl]

Thank you so much for your time and effort. I really appreciate this video and found it extremely helpful. I don't have a big budget, and now I feel like I can put together some pastels to make me happy in my artwork. Thanks again, you are awesome!

[mogothecat]

Hi! I just wanted to drop a big thank you for putting together this awesome video! I've already got the Prismacolor 150-color set, but I've been feeling like it's lacking some pastel tones. So, while I was on the hunt for info on getting a pastel tone colored pencil set, I stumbled upon your video. Your comparison chart totally saved the day—I realized I don't need to splash out on a new set after all, which is a major money-saver. Hoping you'll keep making more of these fantastic videos in the future👍👍👍👍

[Voirreydirector]

Thank you so much for your patience and attention to detail. You clearly put a great deal of time and effort into these comparisons, and I am greatly profiting from your tutelage.