150 color paper box-set Holbein colored pencil (japan import)

Product Information

The names make sense, something that can’t be said about all colored pencils. They use paint names when appropriate but also name colors after food, flowers, or recognizable objects. I’ve not noticed any weirdly wrong names. The colors are also very vibrant and no matter what color we used from the set, it looked attractive and gave results that are very close to something we’d expect from a professional-grade pencil. In general, pencils with a higher oil to wax ratio are hard pencils. Pencils with more wax tend to be softer pencils. Wax, oil, hard, soft— it’s all about what you like. There are no villains here. Also, as mentioned above, they don’t do a very good job of blending, and more than a couple of layers on top of each other result in a bit of a mess. While this is an obvious tradeoff that you have to have when it comes to softer leads, there are better options out there for those who enjoy blending. For casual beginners, the Prismacolor Colored Pencils and Sets are an ideal option. With a high pigment count, soft colors, and excellent blending capabilities, casual artists could fall in love with these pencils.

Next, there are oil-based pencils that have some wax in them. These have a different consistency, and they do not cause a wax bloom. They are firmer than wax pencils but will provide a smooth finish. Also, the lead does not break easily, and the pencils last longer. Not a hard, crumbly, brittle pencil, but something oil based and stiffer. The firmer the pencil, the more control you’ll get from it. As for lightfastness and permanence, it seems to be excellent in that regard. But the sources we’ve used are not very reliable.A common request that we receive is for lightfast information for the many different colored pencils that we have reviewed. While many pencil manufacturers provide this information, accessing it can be quite difficult. Today, there are woodless colored pencils that can last for 100 years. But, please remember that the colors are susceptible to breaking or chipping in the long run. This is especially true for thin wooden pencils. So, make sure that you keep them properly and do not drop them off often. Because so many Holbeins are opaque, you do need to worry about creating accidental clouding or masking while layering over existing layers of color. Right off the bat, the performance matches and even rivals some of the professional-grade pencils that are way more expensive than these ones.

Another type to mention is chalk-pastel pencils, which are perfect for blending. These have a chalky texture, and you can use your fingers or cotton to blend them together. Experience Level with Colored Pencil Art Holbein come pre-sharpened… kinda. They’re sharpened to a shallow point but not enough to actually put a real point on the end— the tippy-tip is quite flat which makes the sharpening is completely useless. Be prepared to spend time sharpening the entire set before coloring.Holbein pigment tends to sit high on the surface of the paper and it doesn’t seem to settle and sink into the tooth the way Prismacolor, Lightfast, and Luminance do. Because of this, it’s essential that you seal your Holbein work with good quality fixative when you’re finished. Holbein tend to shed core debris as you use them. Use glassine paper below your hand and dust the paper frequently to keep the margins clean. Some of us were worried that the soft core of the pencils would break often and would chip while sharpening but, fortunately enough, the lead is extremely resistant to breaking, and there was no case where it broke off unexpectedly when we put pressure. Holbein makes 6 warm and 6 cool grays. All are helpfully marked as Gray 1-6 with 1 being the lightest and 6 the darkest. It’s wonderfully logical.

The Holbein Artist Colored pencils are a very interesting colored pencil set in that they combine multiple ingredients including wax, fats, and oils to their pigments for their cores. The result is a unique experience that has to be tried to be appreciated. With normal use, colored pencils can easily last for two to five years at a stretch. But, if you keep them in a cool dark place in appropriate boxes, then they can easily last for a longer time. Artists who use colors regularly have even used color pencils after 25 years of storing them.

Holbein Origins

A fair competition to Faber-Castell Polychromos colored pencils set is LYRA Rembrandt Polycolor Art Pencils. These are also oil-based colored pencils but these offer a different set of pros & cons compared to the aforementioned brand. On the other hand, for advanced painters, there are more delicate and fragile pencils. These have better blending capacity and a soft lead. Also, if you are using watercolor pencils, then the colors could react with the slightest amount of water and help you blend well across surfaces. The durability of the lead is also better than wax-based pencils because oil is a stronger binder. There will be no chipping or breaking after sharpening. Every country has different safety standards. Art supplies often get caught in the crossfire because beautiful colors are made from heavy metals, toxic chemicals, and other hazardous ingredients.

Koh-I-Noor Progresso Woodless Colored Pencils redefine the fundamentals of a pencil at an extremely inexpensive price point. And yes, you hea r d that right! These pencils are indeed made without wood. These are just leads that are wrapped in lacquer. The result of which is positively interesting. As for the performance of these pencils specifically, the colors are well-saturated and behave consistently. And the lightfastness is absolutely amazing! Hence, we deem it fit for professional use.

Holbein Artist Colored Pencils Review

The lightfastness and the permanence of the colors are also quite satisfactory. Although , we don’t recommend this to professional artists who need it to be pitch-perfect. Other than that, this set of colored pencils behave s pretty much similar to any other oil-based colored pencil. Its feeling is silky , and the blends are more realistic than the ones created with waxed-based colors. IMPORTANT: If you’re someone who can’t stand to sharpen pencils because you hate wasting pencil lead— DO NOT BUY HOLBEIN PENCILS! I have never blown through this much pencil length with any other brand. These pencils disappear fast!