Polychromos 2.5"x3.5" D'Anjou Pear and Tomato

Color pencil is usually my medium of choice. They are very versatile – you can use them very light or layer them for depth of color, or color very dark. They can be blended with colorless blenders (it’s like a clear pencil) or blended with oil, alcohol or thinner. 

Remember the color pencils you had in your school supplies? – not those. 

For many years I have used Prismacolor brand pencils – they are one of the leaders in fine art pencils. They have brilliant permanent pigments, they are lightfast and they are soft. But because they are soft, they break easily. When you spend up to $1.60 a pencil it’s frustrating to sharpen them only to have the lead fall out in your hand because it was cracked inside. Then you sharpen more and more and before you know it, your pencil is half the size. 

Another leader in fine art pencils are the Faber-Castell Polychromos. I’ve often heard of them but never investigated because I was such a fan of Prismacolor. On my ATC forums I have read more and more about them so I decided to give them a try. The great thing about fine art pencils is that you can purchase the multitude of colors individually. Buying them in a set you’ll get a cheaper per-pencil price. Polychromos cost up to $2.50 for individual pencils – but I’ve read they won’t break like the Prismacolors. Many people use both brands together. And I’ve also seen many use Copic Markers with them as well – but fine art markers is another story. 

Faber-Castell Polychromos

I bought a set of 12 to try out. I drew a pear and a tomato. Polychromos are not as soft as Prismacolors and that took some getting used to. But I like how they erase easier and pigment can lift off more readily with a kneaded eraser.  I really liked how many layers I could put on to get a depth of color without a waxy build up. Inking on top was easier because of that as well. I can do a lot with only 12 colors, but that isn’t stopping me from putting more colors on my Amazon wish list! 

I can see how it will never be one or the other brand. They both have different qualities. But for now, I feel like I have a new toy.

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