The BEST Colored Pencils in the WORLD?

Are these the BEST COLORED PENCILS in the WORLD?
Today I’m comparing my Prismacolor Premier colored pencils against the Caran d’Ache Luminance colored pencils, because I’ve been told they are the BEST colored pencils you can find.

Both the Prismacolor Premier pencils and Caran d’Ache Luminance pencils are popular wax-based colored pencils, so it will be interesting to see how they compare, and whether the higher price of the Luminance pencils is really worth it, compared to the more affordable Prismacolor pencils!

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[liddlealice]

LONG POST AHEAD

I love drawing very much so I ended up collecting pretty much all the "famous" sets: Caran D'ache Luminance all 100 colors ( 76 set + new 24 colors released last year), Holbein Artists Colored Pencils 150 set ( yes, the japanese full set with those AMAZING pastel shades), Prismacolor 150 set, Faber Castell Polychromos 120 Set + some Derwent Lightfast to test. Here is my short take on those sets.

Each are in a league of their own, but the Luminance is without a doubt above all. There's a reason why they're hailed as the best, from the pencil construction (the wood) to the pigments used, the blending and the color selection - everything is flawless and top notch. They have the best colors for portraits which is why they're used by a lot of artists who do such work. Comparing them to Prismas is almost offensive lol. Prismas do have a large range, but they break so much and wear down SO FAST compared to the other brands mentioned it's insane. The Polychromos, being oil based, hold a sharp point the best and they are excellent for details and on the right paper they blend beautifully . They're great when drawing pets/fur and for those very fine details. The Holbeins were one of my most exciting purchase, for those who don't know the 150 set comes with like 50 pastel shades, which is a very rare color selection for colored pencils and they're very sought after. I find them very different from the other sets, it's hard to put into words, they do blend well and the pastel shades are honestly to die for. I bought them straight for Amazon JP (for 190$), but I see the price can be double or some websites. If you like anime or prefer the pastel aesthetic I'd highly recommend to get just the 50-pastel set.

When I color my drawings I use them together as well, so you could make mix brands color palettes. Don't forget about blender pencils as well!

Do you need all those colors? Most likely not, I'd suggest making a color palette and purchasing individual colors to test the pencils OR getting the starter sets if you feel brave.

I'd like to also emphasize that BETTER PENCILS WILL NOT MAKE YOU A BETTER ARTIST. They do help, but you can't buy skill, so it's best to practice with cheaper pencils first, this is where Prismas come in useful.

If you do end up getting the largest sets, make a drawing/coloring schedule and use them by rotation to make sure you get through every one of them, even the colors you might not like (looking at you olive greens) will end up being used.

[apertureusa]

As an administrator of private school art festivals in Texas, I have seen Prismacolor pencils lose competitions for students as well as win them due to the annoying waxy buildup. I am a huge Caran D'Ache fan. More expensive? Yes. But they can last up to twice as long. Well-built and there's no danger of that dull ugly wax glaze. I consider them a truly professional instrument.

[hiscreedjn]

Just added these to my arsenal. I started out with a smaller set prismacolors and then a small set of Polychromos. Then I bought a large set of Polychromos and a set of 130 some odd Prismas. Somewhere in at this time, I got the biggest set of prismacolor verithins that I could. For the finest of details, I think those are far underrated. I wish they’d make a slightly bigger box of those. Then I caught the big 150 set of premiers on sale for 70$ 😳 so I bought them, lol. Then I bought the Caran D ache black and white and fell in love with them. Had them for probably two years. They are getting smaller. :/ So I just ordered the big set of 100 caran d ache a few days ago. Can’t wait for them to come. 😊 I have been doing commissions here and there for a while and figured they would be to my benefit. I’m hoping to ramp up my drawings. Ive got so many people asking me to do things but I’m SO SLOW. I could really make some money if I was just more efficient.

[mrnexusseven]

As as a professional full-time artist my go-to pencil is a Caran d'Ache pencil. I use Prismalo Aquarelle and Pablo mostly, but have been testing out Luminance by buying a few individual colours and have been very pleased with the results. Ii shall be buying a proper set of them as a result. Amongst my top tips for anyone wanting to draw is always buy the best materials you can afford, or get someone else to buy them because the results will speak for themselves. Also, a good rubber is important as is a pencil sharpener ... some people may think these are not important but they really are. As a professional I make sure i use the best of everything not because I like to brag I have the best, but they really ARE the best and you need to compliment your pencils with top quality accessories. In my opinion, having tried other premium brads, Caran d'Ache are the best. I am still unfamiliar with their Museum range so that's something else I need to try.

[theagespot]

For comparison if someone wants to purchase some excellent Caran D'Ache pencils but the cost of the Luminance sets are too high, consider the Pablo pencils by the same brand. They are also high quality, though less amazing than their big brothers. They cost less than Luminance, but by quality are still far better than Prismacolor in my opinion.

[bluesonicstreak]

It's worth mentioning that although the Luminance have a more limited color range than some brands, they are very nicely curated colors. Very natural - you shouldn't find their range lacking unless you are drawing subjects with quite unusual colors. Also, they just came out with more colors, so their full range is now 100, but the newer pencils are hard to get a hold of in some places because people rushed to get them and all 100 are not yet available to purchase as a complete set. (I'm sure they will be eventually, but those beautiful wooden boxes the "old" full set can come in, not to mention the "regular" box, is only designed for 76, so it will probably take a while before they can change all their packaging.)

[alkasaket]

5:45
"Look at them wrong, they break"
LOL 😆

[pamedwards]

I have found an Art store in Tucson, Arizona that sells quite a few brands loose. But I live in Texas right now🙁. So I have been able to buy some of the Luminance colors individually, which I’m sure is more expensive in the long run but I like them. As for the Prismacolors I have the same complaint that you mentioned, breakage, but I have two tricks that do help a bit, 1 only works when you buy them individually look at the core of each pencil and try to find them with the lead as close to the center as possible, you wouldn’t think it matters but some are really very crooked. The centered ones do hold up a little better when sharpened. 2 it seems a little “ nit picky” but don’t let your cashier drop them on the counter, they have to lay them down very carefully. I literally cringe if they drop them, and who would even think that little drop could make any difference but it does. I’ve had several that break every 1/4 of an inch. I couldn’t use them at all. Ouch on you budget. I do love buying individually because I seem to use more of certain colors then others. Individually prismacolors are sold at both Hobby Lobby or Michael’s, if you have a serious art supply store like I found in Tucson it’s great, sometimes a little more expensive but they usually offer a discount to students and this store says anyone who uses a lot of pencils is studying, so they give me the discount. I liked you video very informative.

[trayvixk]

My local art store sells Luminance individually and boy was it a life changing experience when I first tested out. I love wax based pencils and this was the best I've used.

[ME-ukcf]

"Look at them wrong they break"
- Sarah

[ad]

Thank you for this useful and interesting video!

One thing I've found that really supports my love of Prismacolor Premiere colored pencils is the line of Prismacolor Verithins. They are color matched with the Premieres even though there are far fewer colors to chose from. I use the Verithins for details etc in conjunction with the Premieres and find that this makes me love the Prismacolor Premieres even more.

That said, I am thinking of getting 5 or 6 Luminance just to try them out for myself.

thanks again.

[ChelleBeeby]

💜💜💜tfs💜💜💜 I'll just sit over here hugging my crayola 100 pack

[angelharrell]

The Japanese brand Holbein pencils are MY ABSOLUTE favorite of all my 1000+ pencils. They can't compare to the Prismacolor's or even the Irotjen pencils (#2 favorite) both are expensive but worth the price, completely! That would be great to see 👀 ✏🖍📚

[AnimalArtbyTerraCotta]

Yes, the Primacolors are easily accesssible and beautiful, but right, those Luminances (and I've been able to afford a few samples) are dreamy materials! But some sets are better for layering and others for providing the base ... so am on a journey to find those answers. Thank you for your professional opinion!

[JosephArt]

As an artist, I’ve only been using markers because I’ve done most of my drawing BLACK and WHITE, I’m starting to use colored pencils and the Caran d’ache luminous has no competition

[SoulAlchemyIndigoJaguar]

Derwent Lightfast are a strong contender to the Luminescence. Every single color is lightfast and I love the color Nightshade. I’m currently awaiting for my Holbein pencils to come in. I own the pastel set and now that they’re available in the US, I can add additional colors.

[karendirmish]

I have loved my Prisms Colored pencils, and now I won’t to try the Luminance pencils next! Coloring and Painting lightens my wallet, and I’m happy to support Art and Artists! Thanks for you and teaching me! Karen Dirmish, elder student from Elmhurst IlLINOIS!

[Zylophila]

I ordered the Caran D'Ache pencils today! I'm glad I watched this as I'm not worried that I purchased the wrong pencils. These sound like the pencils I need! Like a lot of people, I'll have to wait for them to arrive, but that's no problem as I have 3 knitting projects I need to complete before I focus on coloring. Thanks again for your wonderful video! Time to watch more!!!

[lryan]

I totally agree, luminance are my favourite pencils

[febed]

The price depends where you live. Here in Paris if you buy in a physical store (if you can find one) Prismacolors are more expensive than Luminance (3.60€ each pen for a Prisma, 3.14€ for a Luminance), so here Prismas are Amazon-only ;)