Prismacolor Premier Coloured Pencils review
Article written: February 2016
Thick cores of color last long to bring bold statements to life, while soft leads make them the best tool to blend in or shade away. They’re vivid and intense in one stroke and subtle and soft in the next, making them perfect for any project, big or small. Smooth coverage and a wide array of colors to choose from make it easy to find a soft spot for these premium pencils.
Taken from the Prismacolor website - www.prismacolor.com
Base: Wax based |
Hard or soft lead: Soft |
Lightfast rating: ATSM-6901 |
Costs: RRP £1.60 (ave) |
150 colour Box set
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Colours Available: 150
26 Greens, 23 Blues, 15 pinks, 15 purples, 13 yellows, 8 oranges, 6 reds, 19 greys, 16 browns, 1 black, 1 white, 3 metallics, 1 red/blue, 3 neon (colour counts are estimated due to working from a colour chart, actual colours may vary) Sets Available: Open stock (Individually) In tins of 12, 24, 36, 48, 60, 72, 96, 132 or 150 colours |
HISTORY
Prismacolor first began in 1938 and was known as the 'Eagle Pencil Company' which was then changed to Berol in 1969, the Newell Company merged with Berol in 1995 which made Berol a branch of the Sanford Corporation. Sanford UK is an amalgamation of 6 companies and sold the Karismacolor pencil which was the European version of the Prismacolor pencils, sadly Karisma pencils were discontinued in 2005.
Prismacolor first began in 1938 and was known as the 'Eagle Pencil Company' which was then changed to Berol in 1969, the Newell Company merged with Berol in 1995 which made Berol a branch of the Sanford Corporation. Sanford UK is an amalgamation of 6 companies and sold the Karismacolor pencil which was the European version of the Prismacolor pencils, sadly Karisma pencils were discontinued in 2005.
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ADVANTAGES
* Vibrant and strong colour application * Soft pencils * Great blendibility * Relatively Cheap * Large range of colours * Extensively available in the US at great prices |
DISADVANTAGES
* Many colours have poor lightfast qualities * Many complain of poor quality wood and breakages with complaints ongoing for at least 10 years * High wax bloom * Few UK suppliers for open stock or sets |
Lightfast qualities
Before deciding on a Coloured pencil range knowing that I may end up spending a lot of money on something unsuitable I always run an online search first, especially to find out how lightfast the colours are and was saddened to see how many of the pencils have low lightfast ratings. If you are creating professional pieces of Art especially for paying customers, using colours that have low lightfastness, it means those colours are likely to fade faster than hose with a top rating. You could use the most lightfast ones (I & II), leaving out the lower ones but that then leaves 84 out of 150, so why should you buy a full set? Well, you could create original pieces of art to only create prints from whilst hiding the original away somewhere well protected from sunlight, or maybe protect the finished Artwork by spraying with a Fixative with a UV filter (such as Loxley (UK) or Krylon (USA)) and then get it framed with Tru Vue glass (museum quality) which is expensive as the glass can be extremely costly, however it will help protect from premature fading.
Lightfast and colour charts:
The Lightfast Chart (135 colours only)
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