# Which Color Pencils are the best to use other then Prismas?



## Jorge the Wolfdog (Jun 16, 2010)

I'm planning on doing traditional art commissions and I was wondering which colors pencils other then Prismas are good to use?

~*Jorge the Wolfdog*


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## Stargazer Bleu (Jun 16, 2010)

Im not to great at art.
I have done scetches here and there. 
I used Berol brand.  They cost more than others I seen, but they seem to work really well.

There could be better out there tho.


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## Zydala (Jun 16, 2010)

I use colored pencils A LOT and the three brands I use are prisma, the Blick's brand, and Faber-Castell's Polychromos. Since you're JUST starting out, though, I'd say 'keep cheap', but don't go too cheap, not because you can't do great things with cheap colored pencils (I've seen fantastic pieces with _crayola_!), but because if you're just starting out you'll need something that's expendable while still being pliable. Blick's brand act very similar to Prismas, I find, and blend nicely with them - they're just a bit harder, and a little less waxy, so they're good for details too.

Can I ask why you might not be interested in Prismacolors?


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## RipfangDragon (Jun 16, 2010)

You're gonna laugh at me, but I REALLY like crayola.  They don't necessarily blend as well as prismacolors, but the waxy quality of the pencils allows me to build one on top of the other with a fairly heavy hand.  I used them for the first seven or eight years of my drawing life.  Now I have moved onto copic and prisma markers, as well as traditional media used in my classes and digital media.  However, if you want cheap, decent colored pencils, I recommend testing out crayola.  The worst that can possibly happen is that you don't like them.    They're cheap, so it's not much of a loss.

Good luck!


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## Arshes Nei (Jun 16, 2010)

I just used crayolas way back when. I also would get some that were water soluable for effects. 

These were done with a combination of Prismas, Crayolas, and some no name brand of 99 cent store colored pencils.

http://www.furaffinity.net/view/156189/

http://www.furaffinity.net/view/153560/

http://www.furaffinity.net/view/122812/

http://www.furaffinity.net/view/121821/

http://www.furaffinity.net/view/121972/

For me paper mattered more. I would use smooth paper to get what I needed. I also was more eraser conscious than anything, nice soft erasers would work on various effects. 

This is a small tutorial which is OLD on how I got the kind of control I did http://www.furaffinity.net/view/112090/


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## Jorge the Wolfdog (Jun 16, 2010)

RipfangDragon said:


> You're gonna laugh at me, but I REALLY like crayola.  They don't necessarily blend as well as prismacolors, but the waxy quality of the pencils allows me to build one on top of the other with a fairly heavy hand.  I used them for the first seven or eight years of my drawing life.  Now I have moved onto copic and prisma markers, as well as traditional media used in my classes and digital media.  However, if you want cheap, decent colored pencils, I recommend testing out crayola.  The worst that can possibly happen is that you don't like them.    They're cheap, so it's not much of a loss.
> 
> Good luck!



(^_^) I didn't laugh and I do understand about the Crayola pencils but its just that I've been using them for many years as well and I feel that I should move on to another type of brand.



Zydala said:


> I use colored pencils A LOT and the three brands I use are prisma, the Blick's brand, and Faber-Castell's Polychromos. Since you're JUST starting out, though, I'd say 'keep cheap', but don't go too cheap, not because you can't do great things with cheap colored pencils (I've seen fantastic pieces with _crayola_!), but because if you're just starting out you'll need something that's expendable while still being pliable. Blick's brand act very similar to Prismas, I find, and blend nicely with them - they're just a bit harder, and a little less waxy, so they're good for details too.
> 
> Can I ask why you might not be interested in Prismacolors?



Thanks and the reason why I'm not interested in Prismascolors is that there to expensive to buy right now. (^-^)


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## Zydala (Jun 16, 2010)

Jorge the Wolfdog said:


> Thanks and the reason why I'm not interested in Prismascolors is that there to expensive to buy right now. (^-^)



I see! Well Prismas are probably the least expensive of the more professional brands, but like Arshes and Ripfang said, there's a lot more to it - lots of people can make great stuff with cheap pencils. Blick's are a bit cheaper - 79 cents each or so.

http://www.dickblick.com/products/blick-studio-artists-colored-pencils/ - buy a 24 or 36 pack if you're conscious about $$, blending and layering with multiple colors will get you REALLY far with a set number of colors 

OH and I wanna emphasize what Arshes said - PAPER can be REALLY IMPORTANT  find out which kind you like. Some people like smooth paper, like Arshes, but I find that I can't stand not having texture in my paper because I like to layer a TON sometimes, so I usually go for "Dry Media" or bristol "vellum" paper. Sometimes even watercolor paper! Stonehenge is supposed to be great but it's suuuper pricey comparatively. I'd suggest getting a few sheets of different kinds and seeing what you like best


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## furiana (Jun 16, 2010)

What I would recommend is buying a few Prismacolors at a time.  

Haunt your local art stores and see if any of them have a sale!  When they do, buy a small collection of your most-used colors.  Then slowly add to your collection. You might need to use your Crayolas for pictures with multitudes of colors, but you'll need to do that less and less often.

Failing that: birthday presents.


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## Jorge the Wolfdog (Jun 16, 2010)

Arshes Nei said:


> I just used crayolas way back when. I also would get some that were water soluable for effects.
> 
> These were done with a combination of Prismas, Crayolas, and some no name brand of 99 cent store colored pencils.
> 
> ...



Thanks for the tip on it, I have been planning on combining materials like that but I would always forget about it. The type of paper that I'm planning to get is Strathmore Bristol paper which I heard that is very good for commissions.


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## Jorge the Wolfdog (Jun 16, 2010)

Zydala said:


> I see! Well Prismas are probably the least expensive of the more professional brands, but like Arshes and Ripfang said, there's a lot more to it - lots of people can make great stuff with cheap pencils. Blick's are a bit cheaper - 79 cents each or so.
> 
> http://www.dickblick.com/products/blick-studio-artists-colored-pencils/ - buy a 24 or 36 pack if you're conscious about $$, blending and layering with multiple colors will get you REALLY far with a set number of colors
> 
> OH and I wanna emphasize what Arshes said - PAPER can be REALLY IMPORTANT  find out which kind you like. Some people like smooth paper, like Arshes, but I find that I can't stand not having texture in my paper because I like to layer a TON sometimes, so I usually go for "Dry Media" or bristol "vellum" paper. Sometimes even watercolor paper! Stonehenge is supposed to be great but it's suuuper pricey comparatively. I'd suggest getting a few sheets of different kinds and seeing what you like best



Thanks for the idea on trying out different types of paper. I will proporbly do that once I get enough money saved up. And thanks for the link as well Zydala. :-D


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## Jorge the Wolfdog (Jun 16, 2010)

furiana said:


> What I would recommend is buying a few Prismacolors at a time.
> 
> Haunt your local art stores and see if any of them have a sale!  When they do, buy a small collection of your most-used colors.  Then slowly add to your collection. You might need to use your Crayolas for pictures with multitudes of colors, but you'll need to do that less and less often.
> 
> Failing that: birthday presents.



I don't know why I haven't thought of that in the first place. I just might do that. (=^_^=) Thanks Furiana and oh what do you mean failing birthday presents?


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## Zydala (Jun 16, 2010)

Jorge the Wolfdog said:


> oh what do you mean failing birthday presents?


 Oh they meant if you don't have the option of buying them a few at a time you can always ask for a set for your birthday haha


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## Arshes Nei (Jun 16, 2010)

I also made these series of posts as well:

http://forums.furaffinity.net/showt...torial-Introduction&highlight=Colored+Pencils

http://forums.furaffinity.net/showt...m-and-Pencil-Tricks&highlight=Colored+Pencils

http://forums.furaffinity.net/showt...arning-Large-Images&highlight=Colored+Pencils (note some attachments are dead but I may have them on my old server)

http://forums.furaffinity.net/showt...ng-and-Color-Mixing&highlight=Colored+Pencils


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## Arshes Nei (Jun 16, 2010)

By the way if you are near Jo Anne's you can get some deals that way too on a pack, then go and start hunting for individual ones. You'll see in my set of tutorials on buying why.


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## RipfangDragon (Jun 16, 2010)

Jorge the Wolfdog said:


> (^_^) I didn't laugh and I do understand about the Crayola pencils but its just that I've been using them for many years as well and I feel that I should move on to another type of brand.


I'm glad you understand. ^^ I wish I could give you better colored pencil advice.  Good luck!  I hope everyone else has helped out!


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## furiana (Jun 16, 2010)

Zydala got it.   I received my first set of Prismacolors as a gift!  I still have a few of those original pencils in my bag, I think.

It's definitely good advice to buy a pack on sale if you can.  That way you'll have a nice range of colors, you save money by buying a pack instead of individual colors, _and_ you buy them on sale!  Then add to them or replace them individually, as people have mentioned before.

Speaking of good advice, be sure to check out the links that Arshes_Nei posted.  I can second everything that I've read so far, and add that the masking tape tip in the "Wax Bloom and Pencil Tricks" thread is a lifesaver!


ETA: And you're welcome! Enjoy!


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## Bir (Jun 17, 2010)

To be completely honest with you, if I am not using Prismacolors, I'm using regular super cheap colored pencils. Colored pencil is my favorite medium to draw with, and with cheap ones I can get quality like this:

http://www.furaffinity.net/view/3963269/

I'm also working on two other colored pencil drawings... Not finished, though, so they're not up.


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## Jorge the Wolfdog (Jun 17, 2010)

Zydala said:


> Oh they meant if you don't have the option of buying them a few at a time you can always ask for a set for your birthday haha


 
I might try that. (=^_^=)


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## Jorge the Wolfdog (Jun 17, 2010)

Arshes Nei said:


> I also made these series of posts as well:
> 
> http://forums.furaffinity.net/showt...torial-Introduction&highlight=Colored+Pencils
> 
> ...



These are really helpfull Arshe, thank you so much. :-D


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## Jorge the Wolfdog (Jun 17, 2010)

RipfangDragon said:


> I'm glad you understand. ^^ I wish I could give you better colored pencil advice.  Good luck!  I hope everyone else has helped out!



Thank you for your advice. (=^_^=) 



furiana said:


> Zydala got it.   I received my first set of Prismacolors as a gift!  I still have a few of those original pencils in my bag, I think.
> 
> It's definitely good advice to buy a pack on sale if you can.  That way you'll have a nice range of colors, you save money by buying a pack instead of individual colors, _and_ you buy them on sale!  Then add to them or replace them individually, as people have mentioned before.
> 
> ...



Cool and I have saved the links she posted. I will be practicing them. (^_^)



Bir said:


> To be completely honest with you, if I am not using Prismacolors, I'm using regular super cheap colored pencils. Colored pencil is my favorite medium to draw with, and with cheap ones I can get quality like this:
> 
> http://www.furaffinity.net/view/3963269/
> 
> I'm also working on two other colored pencil drawings... Not finished, though, so they're not up.



That is just awesome, I really need to start practicing again.


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## dienle (Jun 18, 2010)

Haha, I usually use cheap color pencils, and the results are:
http://dienle.deviantart.com/gallery/#/d1qd8nd or http://dienle.deviantart.com/gallery/#/d2dcay2

Usually the result have really rough textures or sometimes they don't 'eat' that well into papers. o:


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