Two more Colored pencils questions.. Which ones are the very best available?

[C.Ann]

Still working on creating my own quilt designs here - on legal pads.. Right now I'm just using "squiggly" lines to indicate a "patterned" area - and then switching back and forth with #2, # 2 and 2/4, and #3 pencils for the "light, medium, and dark "solid" areas..

I was thinking about ordering some colored pencils online, but would like ones that really, really show the true shades - not like the cheap colored pencils that you can buy just about anywhere.. I would also prefer that they be long, rather than short..

Any ideas or personal experiences with certain brands?

Thanks!

 

[maelstrom]

Prismacolors. You can get them at a craft store like Michael's or AC Moore.

 

[nmmom95]

The art teacher at my sons' school likes Prang.

 

[Imzadi]

Here is a great forum on colored pencils.

http://www.wetcanvas.com/forums/showthread.php?t=267524

http://www.wetcanvas.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=66

You can just surf through various threads for ideas & experiences.

I like Prismacolor, Faber-Castell and Derwent.

 

[Ember]

The best colored pencils, hands down, are by Faber-Castell and are called Polychromos. I have a set of 72 (bought in Europe, I don't think you can get the same set here...) and wish every time I use them that I'd gotten the set of 120. But they're NOT cheap. My set was close to $200, if I remember correctly. I could wax on poetically about these pencils...

If this isn't quite what you're looking for, they're a professional level product, you could try checking at an art store to see what else is available. An oil-based lead will always give you a truer color so look for those. Hope this helps!

 

[C.Ann]

Thanks all! I knew I could get some good suggestions here..

I will check out the ones mentioned to see what online sources have them available..

 

[MinnieMe87]

Prismacolors. You can get them at a craft store like Michael's or AC Moore.

I like Prismacolor, Faber-Castell and Derwent.

Yes to all of these listed! These brands were our most popular sellers with professional artists when I worked for Blick Art Materials. My favorites are Derwent. Prismacolors are a close second.

 

[Ember]

My favorites are Derwent. Prismacolors are a close second.

OP, truthfully, for you'll be doing with them, I would go with one of these two brands, too. The Faber-Castell ones are truly outstanding quality, but for your intended use I don't think you'd notice a real difference that would be enough to justify the cost. It it were me, I would go with Derwent for your needs. Try their Artist or Studio line. Prismacolors comes in a wide range of colors, but they're a student grade quality.

 

[C.Ann]

Thanks again, all!

I've been busy today working up some more designs (sure wish I had brought my graph paper up here) and will check on those pencils later..

I did read that the Prismacolors tend to break easily when sharpening them in an electric pencil sharpener though and I like a very fine point when I'm working..

How do the other brands mentioned hold up?

 

[C.Ann]

Not too long ago I remember seeing a kit of Thomas Kinkcaid (sp?) pencil color-by-number sets.. The sets came with the colored pencils, but I'm pretty sure they weren't the "good quality" ones (based on the price of the kits)..

The scenes were really pretty (and I love to color), but I didn't buy them because I assumed that the pencils that came with the sets wouldn't cover the "ink" lines and numbers..

Will the colored pencils you have suggested here do a good job of covering everything? If so, I might go ahead and get them..

 

[Imzadi]

Not too long ago I remember seeing a kit of Thomas Kinkcaid (sp?) pencil color-by-number sets.. The sets came with the colored pencils, but I'm pretty sure they weren't the "good quality" ones (based on the price of the kits).

The scenes were really pretty (and I love to color), but I didn't buy them because I assumed that the pencils that came with the sets wouldn't cover the "ink" lines and numbers..

Will the colored pencils you have suggested here do a good job of covering everything? If so, I might go ahead and get them..

I just Googled the Thomas Kinkade sets you are talking about an they have a number overlay, which means you set a transparent film on top of the inked drawing, and that has the numbers on it, so the numbers don't show up in the final picture. I think you do see the inked in lines though.

Colored pencils are not opaque. They are translucent, so you do see through them. Perhaps you are really interested in pastel crayons as they would provide a much thicker coverage and are opaque. (I don't work with pastels, so I don't know anything about them.) Oils, acrylics and pastels are opaque.

But, since you want to be using the pencils to create your own quilt designs, why wouidn't you just draw in the lines with the same color color pencil?

Here is a link for how to use colored pencils:
http://books.google.com/books?id=bYO_v1KVNM4C&pg=PA12&lpg

On the left side, at the top, under the word Required, is a button with a + sign, in which you can enlarge the print size quite a bit, so you can read it better.

The Prismacolors do break easily as I recall. I haven't used colored pencils in years. But the different brands have different hardness & softnesses to their colored pencils and they produce different results. If you are making squiggly lines, you might want a nice, hard, sharp line. The creamy pencils would be great for the background colors or to fill in without a lot of lines showing.

If you can, it might be better to get an assortment of different brands, until you find the one(s) that you prefer. In the better art supply stores, (not craft stores like Michael's,) they actually put out little pads of paper so artists can try out the different pencils, ink pens, markers, etc., before buying. One of the perks of a real art supply store.


ETA: Here's a page on using oil pastels. It even talks about using a Q-Tip and vegetable oil to softly blend colors together. You can use a white over a darker color, etc.
http://books.google.com/books?id=z5kcr4xhV70C&pg=PA46&dq=No+Experience+Required!

This page talks about how oil pastels are much safer than the dusty, chalk pastels as they are dust-free. This book has a foreward written by the grandson of the famous oil painting company: Sennelier, so he would know what he's talking about if he's endoesing this author. He says using oil pastels are akin to drawing with lipstick!
http://books.google.com/books?id=nFUAv8XehKcC&pg=PA8&dq=oil+pastels

 

[C.Ann]

I just Googled the Thomas Kinkade sets you are talking about an they have a number overlay, which means you set a transparent film on top of the inked drawing, and that has the numbers on it, so the numbers don't show up in the final picture. I think you do see the inked in lines though.

Colored pencils are not opaque. They are translucent, so you do see through them. Perhaps you are really interested in pastel crayons as they would provide a much thicker coverage and are opaque. (I don't work with pastels, so I don't know anything about them.) Oils, acrylics and pastels are opaque.

But, since you want to be using the pencils to create your own quilt designs, why wouidn't you just draw in the lines with the same color color pencil?

Here is a link for how to use colored pencils:
http://books.google.com/books?id=bYO_v1KVNM4C&pg=PA12&lpg

On the left side, at the top, under the word Required, is a button with a + sign, in which you can enlarge the print size quite a bit, so you can read it better.

The Prismacolors do break easily as I recall. I haven't used colored pencils in years. But the different brands have different hardness & softnesses to their colored pencils and they produce different results. If you are making squiggly lines, you might want a nice, hard, sharp line. The creamy pencils would be great for the background colors or to fill in without a lot of lines showing.

If you can, it might be better to get an assortment of different brands, until you find the one(s) that you prefer. In the better art supply stores, (not craft stores like Michael's,) they actually put out little pads of paper so artists can try out the different pencils, ink pens, markers, etc., before buying. One of the perks of a real art supply store.


ETA: Here's a page on using oil pastels. It even talks about using a Q-Tip and vegetable oil to softly blend colors together. You can use a white over a darker color, etc.
http://books.google.com/books?id=z5kcr4xhV70C&pg=PA46&dq=No+Experience+Required!

This page talks about how oil pastels are much safer than the dusty, chalk pastels as they are dust-free. This book is written by the grandson of the famous oil painting company: Sennelier,so he would know what he's talking about. He says using oil pastels are akin to drawing with lipstick!
http://books.google.com/books?id=nFUAv8XehKcC&pg=PA8&dq=oil+pastels

Thanks - you've been a big help.. You're correct that the "lines" don't matter when creating the quilt designs - but for some reason those TK kits popped into my head while I was thinking about the pencils, so that's why I asked how well they cover..