A list of coloured pencil brands | Compare and contrast
An article will follow about these pencils
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Arteza coloured pencils
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Arteza markets these pencils as a step up from their basic line, but they remain affordable and widely used by hobbyists and students. However, they lack the premium lightfastness and refinement of top-tier professional brands. We will make an article available regarding these pencils in the coming weeks (March 2025).
Click to read our article
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Caran d'Ache Luminance pencils
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Premium wax-based pencils with exceptional lightfastness (many rated LFI or II under ASTM-D6901) and a creamy texture, considered top-tier for professional artists. After experimenting with several popular brands over the past few years, we have found that Luminance pencils uniquely allow for multiple layers to be applied seamlessly, allowing us to work light over dark without achieving saturation too quickly. Their softness facilitates smooth transitions for tonal backgrounds, making them particularly suitable for creating accurate skin tones in portraits. Additionally, the pencils are firm enough to produce fine lines, which is essential for detailing hair and fur. For professional pet portrait artists, they provide a wide selection of neutral colours, which are ideal for creating realistic portraits. Furthermore, the variety of greens and blues provided, is beneficial for landscape backgrounds. The careful selection of approximately 100 colours seems thoughtfully curated to eliminate unnecessary options, streamlining the creative process.
Click the image to read the Museum Aquarelle pencils article
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Caran d'Ache Museum Aquarelle pencils
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High-end water-soluble pencils with concentrated pigments, designed for professional watercolourists and artists requiring performance. These watercolour pencils are of exceptional quality, which is to be expected from a reputable company like Caran d'Ache, as reflected in their pricing. We will be updating our article soon to provide further insights.
A Chromaflow article will follow
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Derwent Chromaflow pencils
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While versatile and vibrant, Chromaflow is positioned as a mid-tier pencil by Derwent, with a softer core and decent blending but not the highest lightfastness across the range. It's more accessible for hobbyists and intermediate artists. As they are more student-grade quality, it makes their current price per pencil seem rather high. The pencils feature thinner barrels, similar to those of the Lyra and Prismacolor brands, which distinguishes them from most other Derwent offerings. The wood quality appears to be inferior compared to their other ranges, and the application tends to be dry, lacking in strength and vibrancy. While some colours and pigments align with those found in the Derwent Lightfast range, the Chromaflow pencils provide a broader tonal palette, including lighter shades that are absent from the Lightfast range due to the lightfastness limitations of certain pale pigments. Although the Chromaflow pencils can complement the more limited colours in the Lightfast range, it is important to note that some of the colours have lower lightfast ratings.
Click the image above to view the Coloursoft article
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Derwent Coloursoft pencils
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Soft, wax-based pencils with rich pigmentation and good blendibility, popular among professionals despite some colours having lower lightfastness. For ex-Karismacolor users, a much loved brand which were discontinued in 2005, the Derwent's Coloursoft pencils made the ideal replacement based on recommendations highlighting their similarities. Their soft leads facilitate excellent blending, making them particularly effective for base tone applications and achieving smooth transitions. However, a significant concern with this range is the inadequate lightfast ratings for certain colours, particularly the pinks, purples, and blues. Consequently, these can be utilised as undertones to minimise waste when working with more lightfast pencils.
