Polychromos or Prismacolor coloured pencils?

[9399amanda]

After holding off for a very long time......I am looking to get either 132 Prismacolor or 120 Faber Castell Polychromos pencils. I would love any views on their respective merits - especially from anyone that has used both! Or any good sources on the web......

The cost difference is about $25 so that hasn't made the decision for me! Prismacolor ones less....

Other relevant points may be that I understand that I can use both with Gamsol blending; that I am a SU freak and have found a color comparison chart for the SU colors/Prismacolors but that I already have the Faber Castell watercolor pencils.....

Thanks in advance for any thoughts. Amanda

[ruby869]

I am not sure I can help you with your question but I will try. From an artist point of view, the Polychrome colored pencils are lightfast while the Prismacolor pencils are not. Also, Prismacolor pencils are wax based while Polychrome pencils are oil based. If you like to color by building lots of layer, the Prismacolor pencils may form what is called a wax bloom (a whitish haze) over time. Since the Polychrome colored pencils are not wax based, they may be heavily layered without the bloom problem. However, if you plan to color and dissolve with solvents, either pencil brand is a good choice as long as lightfastness is not a concern.

Smiles,
Stella