Coloured pencil reviews & articles
Click on any of the images below to view the article of interest to you. We add new articles to the website every three months. We also like to keep current articles updated, sometimes changing the format of the page entirely to add more information or make it more aesthetically pleasing, so please do visit often. You can SUBSCRIBE to our quarterly newsletter if you want the latest articles sent straight to your email as soon as they are available. Not all articles below are currently available to view. A few may be in progress right now or we will add them at a later date. We hope you find these articles very informative and should you wish to request a specific article, get in touch via our contact page.
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Pencil ranges
Coloured pencils | A beginners guideWe have recently updated our article and now list the seven most important items you need to get started with this medium. A comprehensive guide includes information on brands, hints and tips, colour charts and help with choosing your first pencil brand.
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Coloured pencils checklistThis checklist which covers an ever-growing range of coloured pencils. This includes base content, lead strength, colour count, stock availability, lightfast ratings, environmental information pros and cons plus a personal review of each range.
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Comparing coloured pencilsHow does one coloured pencil compare with another? In this article we trial each brand allowing you to compare multiple characteristics along side others. We continue to update this list as we trial more brands. with this checklist including availability, lightfast information and thoughts on each range.
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Karismacolor | BerolThe Berol Karisma coloured pencils were sadly discontinued in 2005 but are still loved by many pencil artists. Find out more about these pencils in what could be the most comprehensive article found on the internet.
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Luminance | Caran d'AcheFind out more about the Luminance pencils and why they are one of the best coloured pencil ranges out there.
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Museum Aquarelle | Caran d'AcheHave you ever tried water-soluble pencils? Find out how they can save on the usage of normal pencils, especially for larger drawings. Read our article and view the lightfast colour chart.
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Coloursoft | DerwentWhy are the Derwent Coloursoft pencils so popular amongst pencil artists? Find out more about them and see what they can achieve.
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Drawing | DerwentHave you tried the Drawing pencil range by Derwent yet? Chalky, soft pencils perfect for smooth blending. Rich pigments in 24 earthy tones.
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Inktense | DerwentWondering what the Derwent Inktense pencils are all about? This review offers personal thoughts on these pencils and lightfast information.
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Lightfast | DerwentWhy are the Derwent Coloursoft pencils so popular amongst pencil artists? Find out more about them and see what they can achieve.
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Mettallic | DerwentARTICLE TO FOLLOW
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Procolour | DerwentRead about the Derwent Procolour pencils covering trials on both white & black paper, also includes lightfast information.
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Polycolor | LyraARTICLE TO FOLLOW
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Polychromos | Faber Castell
The Polychromos pencils by Faber-Castell are probably the most loved oil based pencil out there. They have 120 highly lightfast colours and made from high quality materials.
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Premier | PrismacolorWant to know more about these very popular USA made pencils - used and loved by many artists alike and known for their vibrancy & softness.
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Verithin | PrismacolorARTICLE TO FOLLOW
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Van Gogh | Royal TalensEver tried the Van Gogh Coloured pencils? See how these pencils compare to other pencil brands and where you can buy open stock in the UK.
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Colouring pencils | WH Smith brandWant to try coloured pencils without breaking the bank? Nip into your local WH Smith store and pick up a box of 48 brilliant pencils for just £10.99! Find out more about these pencils.
UPDATED SUMMER 2021 |
Papers suitable for coloured pencils
Art Spectrum | ColourfixArt Spectrum® Colourfix™ papers are sheets of acid-free, 300gsm hot pressed watercolour paper with a fine, deep tooth. It is a superb surface for pastels, oils, acrylics, inks, oil pastels, gouache, watercolours and dry media such as charcoal and pencils. Available in 20 lightfast colours.
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Art Spectrum | Colourfix smoothFor fans of the Colourfix paper, did you know that the company also has a smooth version too? Find out more about the Colourfix Smooth, compare between other surfaces and see where you can buy some.
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Canson | Mi-tientes 'Touch'A highly innovative and unique surface - this versatile, finely textured paper is perfect for pastel, charcoal, pencil, & acrylic artists and suitable for both dry and wet media techniques.
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St Cuthbert's Mill | BockingfordLooking for a smooth watercolour paper suited to pencils and paints that is acid free and archival? Bockingford might be the one for you.
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St Cuthbert's Mill | Bockingford Tints (NOT)A tinted watercolor paper available in 5 colours, suitable for pastels, pencils and acrylics. Find out more on our blog.
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St Cuthbert's Mill | SomersetLooking for an acid-free & archival tonal paper? This paper is available in three textures and eight colours, including black. Suitable for pastels, pencils, charcoal, pen and ink and animal friendly! Click the image to find out more about this paper.
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Clairfontaine | PastelmatThis paper is held in high esteem, especially among pastel artists. In this article we analyse the performance features in depth and explore its capabilities when used with other mediums like; coloured pencils, watercolours, oil pastels, charcoal, acrylics and mixed media.
UPDATED FEBRUARY 2022 |
Legion | StonehengeAre you a pencil artist and want to know more about the popular Stonehenge paper? Find out more in this article.
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Strathmore Bristol | Plate & VellumFor those artists that like to work on a very smooth paper, the archival Strathmore 500 plate surface may be just what you are looking for. See how it compares with coloured & graphite pencils.
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Various brands | Hot-pressed watercolour papersRead information on different hot pressed watercolour papers before buying. Compare the size, weight and brightness of each and see which are vegan friendly too.
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UArt | Dark sanded paperThis dark sanded paper by UArt is ideal for soft pastels and other mediums such as pencil. In this article we review the paper using coloured pencils. We will extend this article soon.
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Buntpapierfabrik Ludwig Bähr | UrsusAn acid free coloured paper suitable for pencil artists and craft work. This is a low cost, high colour, paper available in 56 tones including high white, suitable for graphite pencil work.
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Tim Fisher | Fisher 400ARTICLE TO FOLLOW
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Moulin du Roy | Watercolour paperARTICLE TO FOLLOW
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Help | Working with tonal papersCan coloured paper help to advance your techniques and improve your art? In this article, we provide lots of examples and offer you plenty of hints and tips to get you started.
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Tips for working with textured paperAre you a coloured pencil user thinking of trying your pencils on an abrasive surface and need some advice on how best to approach it? Here are a few ideas to get you started.
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Starting your own commission businessAre you thinking of stepping out into the commission business and want some pointers and advice as well as tips on how to price your art? This article may help.
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Coloured pencil accessories
Blending with coloured pencilsIn this article we show you how to achieve smooth, mixes of colour when using blenders and solvents. We explore each product, and show you how effective they can be in your own work. We cover pencil blenders, burnishers, blender pens, powder blenders and solvents.UPDATED ARTICLE
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Sharpening pencilsThis article gives lots of information about different types of sharpeners as well as explanations on how they can play a huge part in your art techniques too.
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Pencil storage chestFinding suitable storage for your pencils and pens can be difficult, so when we came across this pencil chest made by 'Creations by Rod', we wrote an article about it. They make 24 unique designs including the pencil chest, which are aimed at the creative market.
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Derwent | Blender pensA personal review on the Derwent blender pen. If you are new to solvents, this may be the ideal product to trial, find out the pro's & con's of this product.
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Ghiant | Transfer sprayThe perfect way to transfer outlines with minimal mess and less wastage than carbon sheets. A popular product amongst artists. Find out how it compares.
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Zest-it | Pencil blendIn this article, we trial Zest-it pencil blend by mixing it with Derwent Lightfast pencils on the Pastelbord surface and the Strathmore bristol plate surface. See how we got on.
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Loxley | Spray fixativeRead our blog for some hints and tips on when to use a fixative, how to apply and why you should never use hairspray as a cheap alternative.
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Jakar | Battery powered eraserNot currently available - article to follow
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Brush & Pencil | colored pencil powder blenderWe will create an individual article about this product but you can find out how this blender works via our BLENDING WITH COLOURED PENCILS article.
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Why not try one of our Coloured Pencil Tutorials
Our tutorials are created with each artist in mind regardless of calibre. We provide easy-to-follow, written explanations alongside images which allow you to easily recreate in your own portrait. We provide a colour chart so you can match your own pencil colours if you do not have the brands we use. We also show you how to build up your layers, how to hold you pencil, when to blend and how to create the finer details in your drawing which will help you achieve the realism in your work. If you are new to coloured pencils, we would recommend you begin with the first tutorial which explains the layering and blending process before working along the others, each a little more challenging than the last.
Enjoy!
Enjoy!
