Pablo Colored Pencil Set Of 120 Metal Box (666.420)

Caran d’Ache produces an exemplary line of professional artists products that include a variety of color pencils, one of which is their Pablo line. These pencils are lovely & come in sets of 12, 18, 30, 40, 80, & 120 providing a wide array of beautiful colors. Caran d’Ache Pablo pencils are predominantly oil based & sharpen to a fine point that’s effective for fine detail work while also offering a smooth, consistent application. I find these pencils work best on surfaces with a little tooth to enhance their ability for blending & layering resulting in rich color payoff & seamless transitions. Many people seem to ask for comparisons between Pablo pencils & Prismacolor pencils but they are quite different in many regards. The most common questions seem to be weather Caran d’Ache Pablo color pencils are as buttery soft & creamy as Prismacolor Premier & the answer is no. I believe Prismacolor pencil cores are wax based & are indeed very soft resulting in rich color payoff without the need for multiple layers for blending & color saturation. Pablos are oil based & have a harder core more like Polychromes which is an asset for fine detail work. I’ve learned to apply multiple light layers over each other for blending & building color saturation & the result is beautiful & smooth. I think this gives more depth to my work & I like the effects. I don’t mind the time or effort it takes to develop this effect however I’m not sure I’d be inclined to put in the time & effort for coloring or casual works. That being said, these are certainly some of my favorite color pencils, I just wish they were a bit more budget friendly. It’s important to mention that Caran d’Ache Pablo color pencils are a permanent medium which are not conducive to erasing. This does make them highly lightfast, a necessary element to consider when classifying “professional” artists mediums & supplies. The individual lightfast ratings are printed on the pencils in the form of one* to three ***, three being the most lightfast, something you’d want & expect in a commissioned piece. According to Caran d’Ache their one* rating is resistant to fading from 8 to 25 years, & 3*** resistant up to 100 years & this lightfastness is a factor in their pricing. If you are on a budget but want to try these color pencils out, you might spring for a set of 12 or 18 which will actually give you a great selection of colors due to their blending & layering qualities. These pencils are lovely but come at a hefty price so I wouldn’t recommend these for “coloring”, scholastic use, or for children unless you plan on framing & displaying something for many years to come. I save mine for commissioned or sellable work & employ more practical & affordable options for everyday color sketching & layouts. These color pencils are beautiful, perform nicely, & are a joy to work with. I’ve worked with them for many years now & highly recommend Caran d’Ache Pablo color pencils for professional artists & anyone with a little money to burn!

These are by far the best pencils I have ever used. I was reluctant to buy them because they were so pricey, but I'm so glad I finally did purchase them! They blend beautifully and the color is vibrant. I have collected many pencils. To give you an idea about the pencils I have used, I have varying sets of prismacolor, Lyra, polychromos, Blick artist pencils, Derwent Procolour, Derwent coloursoft, and Derwent artists, as well as some cheaper brands for travel, including Marco Renoir (that I wouldn't mind losing). I would say these are softer than polychromos pencils, but they're still a pretty hard pencil, and they're much harder than prismas or coloursoft. If you want a soft pencil, this isn't for you. But the lead is so smooth, they feel like an oil pencil (even though I think they're wax, but I'm not sure since there's so much debate). When I first started doing artwork with colored pencils, I started with using prismacolor. While I liked them, they weren't my favorite. I had never really found that set of pencils that made me say, "wow, these make a difference!" Until now. If you're serious about your colored pencil artwork, I would highly recommend these. If I had to have a complaint, my major one would be the tin they came in. I've never been a huge fan of stacking pencils on top of each other. However it's a sturdy tin that protects the pencils, none of them were damaged while being shipped. I've also noticed that some of the lighter colors tend to leave behind some dust. This isn't that big of a deal for me, and I would still recommend these above all other pencils (based on my personal preference).

I find these the best "compromise" pencil. While still kind of expensive, for this quality, they seem to be a good deal, less expensive than the Luminance or Faber Castell Polychromos. Smooth lay down, without the extreme softness of some others considered "creamy." This makes them much more usable for doing fine details and also means less frequent sharpening. Size is a bit smaller, and hexagonal, something I do not prefer, but if that means lower cost... Shades well, blends well, really no functional issues like some lower priced brands that get gooey, wax bloom, or are hard and grainy to use and do not blend well. Apparently not as light fast as some higher priced pencils, but still fairly well rated, and not likely to be an issue unless you are an artist charging a significant price for your work.

I'm a brand new artist but wanted to make sure I found the best quality pencil. From the pictures I posted, starting with the Eye, CARAND'ACHE. The Viking knots, Faber Castell, and the Pond, Prismacolor. These were test pictures for the quality and vibrancy. The CA pencils are vibrant, creamy, easy to blend, easy to sharpen, do not break easily. They are everything you would need in a professional colored pencil. I have the Derwent, the Castle Arts, the Prismacolor Premier, all the top brands. And they are all wonderful pencils. They all do a great job but could never top the CA pencils. I know they are on the more expensive side, however they are more than worth it. I highly, highly recommend them. I sure wish they had a larger set I could purchase.

I LOVE Caran d'ache Pablo color pencils!! I received these as a birthday gift and are wonderful. Very saturated, hold a tip for long time, and work really well with my other brand pencils. They take a little bit of a learning curve but once you get it super easy! Haven't had any break and I've had them for 2 years now! I use them daily. Yes, they're expensive but so worth it. Highly recommend!!

If you've followed me, you know I have reviewed quite a few colored pencil sets, in all price ranges. For this review, I will compare the Caran d'Ache Pablo (oil-based) to other oil-based pencils I own. These include Marco-Raffine, Koh-i-Noor Polycolor, Lyra Remberant and Faber-Castell Polychromos. Before I laid out the big bucks, I purchased a few Pablo pencils open-stock, to see if I liked them. Yes! So I waited until my birthday (and all those Amazon gift cards I request, LOL) and then splurged. I am very glad that I did purchase this set of 40. Consistency When Coloring: I'd call these on the hard side of medium. They are oil-based, which means that they are harder than wax-based pencils, but these aren't as hard as the Polychomos. Still, they hold a very sharp point well, while being a touch creamier. Color Saturation: Very nice, these have plenty of color saturation which is important to me. Yet, since these are oil-based, they have a certain amount of translucence that makes color shading/blending a joy. Miscellaneous: These aren't round, but rather have angled sides -- which means they don't tend to roll all over the place. They are comfortable to hold, and can use a standard colored pencil sharpener. The only down side is the price. Of all the oil-based colored pencils I own, the only brand that is of the same quality is the Faber-Castell Polychromos. I'd call these neck-and-neck, with the Pablo winning by a nose. However, if I factor in cost per pencil, Polychromos wins (less expensive). Do you need these if you already own Polychomos and are happy with them? Probably not. But I have to say that I like both brands, and I will use them interchangeably. But even if you like your Polychromos, if you'd like to try the Caran d'Ache brand, these are a great choice.

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What you need to know: I LOVE the way these pencils perform. They layer and blend absolutely beautifully. They sharpen smoothly, hold a point well and are a joy to use. No bloom, and you can keep layering far past the point where the paper's tooth is filled. (Note that while I do enjoy colorizing other artist's work as a hobby, I am writing this review from the point of view of a professional artist.) Keep this in mind: These are NOT soft pencils. They are made for layering, so if you are looking for pencils you can bully, these are not what you are looking for. They require some FINESSE to get the most out of them. If you try to force them to follow the same techniques that you use with soft pencils, you will be frustrated and your hand will get tired. Make continuous light layers instead. That being said - they are definitely worth adjusting your technique. If you aren't sure whether these pencils are for you, I suggest purchasing some open stock or a smaller set first. The one problem I have with these is this: I keep reaching for colors that don't exist, like pastels or more natural tones. These are almost all exclusively fully saturated traditional pigment colors. Want a grey-green? TOO BAD! A pale green that isn't almost fluorescent? FORGET IT! And that is one reason I returned them. I got so frustrated with the color selection I decided they weren't worth having - AT THIS TIME. The one absolutely essential color is this set is 371 Bluish Pale, which is the one tinted white, and comes in incredible handy for all sorts of blending and highlights. The main reason I returned them, however, is because almost a full third of my set had undissolved pigment in the cores, therefor: scratchy, streaky bits. I have spoke to several other artists and they assure me that this is NOT THE NORM. (Caran d'Ache has extremely high quality standards.) If you buy these pencils and they have scratchy bits in the cores, RETURN THEM for a replacement, because THIS IS NOT WHAT YOU PAID FOR. I still intend to repurchase these pencils at a later date. Since I have returned them I have actually MISSED them and find myself wishing I had them back. I have all of the best artist-grade pencils on the market - Polychromos, Holbeins, Derwent, Prismacolor, Spectrum Noir, Irojiten - and many student-grade brands as well, and I still want these because they aren't like ANY of the others. If they had some more muted colors, they would definitely rate FIVE STARS, which is a rating I don't give lightly. A product has to perform above and beyond expectations to get a perfect rating from me. My example image for this review is from Serené, by Nicholas F. Chandrawienata, and I used a Caran d'Ache Full Bright blender and hints of white acrylic paint for accents. UPDATE: It's July now and I missed these pencils so much I had to reorder them and they are SPECTACULAR. No scratchy bits in the cores. Silky smooth and highly pigmented and just DREAMY! I still think they need an expanded color range (fingers crossed for a 30 count special anniversary edition set like the one Caran d'Ache released this year for their Supracolor pencil line! Pastels, please!) but I have had an epiphany and also bought the Luminance, which I hope will net me some more colors, since they are advertised as working well with Pablos. And my wallet hurts now. If my debit card doesn't burst into flame, it will be a miracle. The only set that I prefer to these is the Holbein Artist 150. The Pablos do not schmear like Polychromos do and the colors are more original. Definitely worth the money.