Caution:Artist at Play-Artwork by Shana Rowe Jackson

   If you follow my YouTube channel, you know that in the past year I had the joy of trying the Holbein Artists' Colored Pencils for the first time. Along with the pencils I was also given the Holbein Meltz Colored Pencil Blender (thanks Holbein!)    I usually use Gamsol Odorless Mineral Spirits (OMS) to blend my colored pencils. However, OMS is poisonous, so I was really intrigued to find out that Holbein Meltz is a water-based formula that does not give off any harmful fumes!    While using the Meltz, I also discovered a trick that I could not do previously with OMS! I could make my pencils act like watercolor! That is, I could scrape pigment off my colored pencil onto a different surface, dip a brush into my Meltz, then pick up the pigment and paint it onto my surface! This is something that is not as easy to do with OMS because of the way it stains the paper. Typically speaking, you need a lot of layers of colored pencil down on your paper before blending with OMS because it

Comparing Colored Pencil Lightfast Ratings (4 popular lines)             I am comparing the lightfast ratings of four popular colored pencil lines, and the results are quite surprising!           I will be comparing the lightfast ratings as well as pricing on Faber-Castell Polychromos, Prismacolor Premier, Caran d'Ache Pablos, and Derwent Coloursoft colored pencils. The purpose of this exercise is to compare the general lightfast ratings of the complete lines of four of the most popular brands of colored pencil. I am not including lightfast information on each individual color of these lines. This is merely an overview to gauge what lines are worth investing in and what lines are not.           I am basing my comparison on my own calculations done from information on lightfast ratings from each company (when applicable) combined with lightfast information set out by the Colored Pencil Society of America. If you would like to see the Colored Pencil Society’s co

Please Note: This post is not sponsored by Spectrum Noir in any way. This is just my personal experience with this product.  PROS: Affordable  120 Colors available Easy to blend Pre-sharpened  Little breakage Comfortable to hold Wood casing is lightweight yet durable Color coded ends Each Pencil is labeled with color name (unlike previous lines from this company) CONS:  Very waxy White is not very opaque Colors on color coded end not very accurate Can be difficult to get a fine tip Not available open stock Some colors feel a bit scratchy  Thick leads make it harder to get fine detail GENERAL NOTES: The company says these pencils are lightfast but does not provide specifics on each color. I have not been able to find definitive lightfast ratings for these pencils. These pencils are very transparent which can be a pro or a con depending on favored techniques. Because these are wax based pencils, layers can build up quick which can help make the drawing

 " Nature's Confetti " in Blick Studio Artists' Colored Pencils- "Nature's Confetti" 8"x10" Blick Studio Artist's and Black Derwent Drawing Colored Pencils on Canson Mi Teintes (Pearl) Paper. My own reference photo. © Shana L Rowe Jackson 2016 Before reading- please note that I am in no way sponsored by Blick, nor did they ask me to review their product. This is just my personal experience with these colored pencils. First Impressions: Pencils come in a tin case and are organized by color (They also offer a wooden cased set that costs a bit more.) Pencils have wood casing that are color coated to match lead Come pre-sharpened The butt end of the pencil is open which is great for checking if the lead is centered. Good range of blues, greens, grays and browns (These are the first colors I check for) Wax based 72 count set (largest set they offer at this time) From Blick’s Website- “Blick Artis