PRISMACOLORPremier Colored Pencils 150 kg, 150 Count (Pack of 1)

I was delighted to finally own a full set of the Premier after testing three singles.It's important to note these are the ones manufactured in Mexico, changing the quality of the pencil and the width of pencil ever so slightly. The originals are nicer however very hard to get hold of as singles and I haven't seen a set at all. Despite these feeling cheaper to their predecessors and in comparison to Faber Castell Polychromos, they are still every inch a wonderful pencil. I use them for art and colouring regularly, getting used to the difference blending with a wax to an oil.These are wax based pencils and allow for amazing blending abilities, laying down colour vividly and well on a range of smooth and toothy paper. Some cheaper wax pencils don't lay down well, these are very creamy and easy to use. If you're not used to wax pencils ... persist, I did and I love them. It always takes some time getting used to a new pencil brand, especially if you aren't a full time artist.Being wax they do wear down faster than my oil pencils, however it is easy to buy single stock online and amazon often do great deals on some of the smaller sets.People often complain about pencil tip breakage - this is something I was deeply concerned about before buying my own. There really is no need from concern - at least from my experience of both my single and these. Find a sharpener that suits you .. I've tested many and my favourite is the TGAAL - using the number 1 setting keeping the tip short and protected but still are a fine point. I've had one breakage so far and this happens to my other pencils too sometimes.The blending ability allows you to make a whole new range of colours from what you already have.The colour choice is one of the largest out there.The skin colours are particularly versatile.The lilacs and pinks have a bit of a better selection than the Polychromos. (I used these for comparison as they are my other top end pencil set, which I also love and use regularly.)The only con to mention is that several of the pencils arrive with hairline cracks down their bodies - I've heard of this from several places and it says the pencil will often break fully at a later date. The good news is I told amazon, the refunded me an amount suitable to cover the cost of me buying the singles elsewhere. I appreciate this was inconvenient and at the time I would have probably given 4 stars. It does reflect on the cheaper build but there is nothing we can do about this, except hope Sanford change their manufacture which is unlikely, or boycott them until they do, lol this is unlikely to make a difference.I got these at a good price when purchasing, it fluctuates so keep an eye on it :).I adore these pencils ... so despite a few cons they still get a 5 from me. I would buy the full set again in the future should I need to.I've added a finished picture of mine to show you what they can do. This piece is from Johanna Basfords Secret Garden.

I was a little concerned having read bad reports of the quality of Prismacolors made in Mexico - however when my set arrived I was a bit more reassured and none of my pencils are suffering from cracked wood. I've bought these as a replacement for my old Karismacolor pencils which are no longer made and having just done myself a swatch chart, I'm happy with the performance and the colours - which really do match the old Karismacolors like for like. Yes, the discontinued Lilac and Lavender colours are missing (due to a pigment problem apparently) replaced with an extra white and a blender pencil (which works nicely). Being super critical - the wood isn't as good quality as my older pencils (Karismacolors were made of lovely wood), but this seems common now in most pencil brands. Some of the printing of colour numbers on the pencil barrels is smudged and a bit hard to read, and yes - you need to sharpen these pencils very carefully to avoid lead breakage as they are super soft. Having said that you really don't need much pressure to lay down plenty of colour, and the pencils blend really well. There is a really good selection of grey tones and flesh tones included which is nice.

Waited and waited for these pencils to be reduced after Christmas so I could afford the large set, checked every 2 days sometimes daily they really do fluctuate! I wanted to make sure I bought from a reputable site as so many rip offs you hear about. My wait was worth it, arrived well packaged and quickly I was so pleased they appears to be no transit damage I haven’t used every pencil yet but so far no breakages.Love the pencils, soft creamy and blend well just as I was hoping I’m no expert but I seem to get a better finish with these pencils and easy to use. Price is good if you can save for the large set just over a pound a pencil which compares well to other well known brands. Highly recommend.

Fabulous pencils… Ummm and arred about spending so much money .. but I love them…