Pamela’s Gallery

After some discussion on wc pencils in one of my groups, I decided to really explore the many varieties of pencils that I have. I keep my pencils in a large box, all of them, just sorta mixed together, and I grab what ever color excites me at the time….so I stayed up much too late, and sorted out ALL of my pencils by brand…I have SIX brands of wc pencils!! How crazy is that?? LOL

After sorting them, I put them to the test:

I stamped the same image on the same piece of wc paper, and then colored them in, using all 6 brands of pencils that I have….one set for each flower…..lol….I tried to keep the colors of each image the same, so I wouldn’t’ be influenced by a color variation….and here are my findings….

Prisma: smooth application, when blended they take on an almost paint consistency, and the colors are very intense. (i kept a scrap paper next to me, to remove some of the color so I could get some lighter areas, the dark colors are so much more intense, it was blocking out my lighter ones..lol) Seem to have a lot of pigment in the pencil. Probably need a bit more practice with these, especially if you are a new wc enthusiast.

Staedtler Karat Aquarell: smooth application (not as smooth as prisma, but definitely second), easy to blend, colors not quiet as intense, but very nice results…easy to see both hi lights and shadows

Derwent: Applies a bit rougher, easy to stack the colors, and easier to blend them wet too….didn’t have to lift off any colors….great choice for a beginner/intermediate watercolorist….but smooth enough for even an accomplished artist.

Schwan Stabilo: VERY smooth to color with, in fact I doubted if they were even wc pencils!! LOL But they did blend, but I don’t think they blend as evenly as the others. My results with these were just ok.

General’s Kimberly: A bit rough to apply, but blend very nicely. The color is less intense, but I have lots of nice variations in the lights and darks. I think this was a student grade pencil, dd got in a watercolor how to book?? (maybe….) For an inexpensive wc, it gives very nice results.

Caran D’Ache Supracolor: Applies about the same as the Kimberly’s. Blend very nicely, has a nice watercolor look to them. I have NO idea where I got these, and only seem to have them in a few colors (greens, and browns..mostly..lol)

-SO in conclusion: For really intense color-use Prisma Watercolor, and practice…lol
-For a really nice color, with out too much struggle go for Derwent, or Staedtler Karat Aquarell.
-If you are on a budget, or just want to play around a bit, give the General’s Kimberly set a whirl…
-Definitely go with the biggest set of colors you can afford. It’s MUCH easier to just pick up an existing color rather to try to blend what you want every time. Especially if you are making the same card, coloring the same images over and over again…..

Here’s a photo of my test images….It’s fairly large so you can see the details, and the colors are just a shade darker than they are irl…. Just click the thumbnail.

After spending some time on line, I found that Dick Blick seems to have the best prices for wc pencils, but if anyone finds them cheaper, PLEASE tell me!! LOL

That’s my take on things…. hope you found it helpful!

compare watercolor pencils, watercolor test,