HELP a newbie with colored pencils!

[lkjames1]

I would like to purchase colored pencils and am unsure what would be best for easy coloring. I am looking into Derwent- but should I be looking at their watercoloring collection or what? I would be using I would think w/o water.
Any input would be greatly appreciated for this newbie!

[buggainok]

Recently there was a long thread with lots of replies about different brands of colored pencils. The brand most people use seems to be Prismacolor, which are very fine artist quality colored pencils. They are also relatively expensive, but many people swear by them. A set of 72 pencils is $71.28. Here is a link:

Prismacolor Colored Pencil Sets - JerrysArtarama.com

In the same thread about colored pencils, someone recommended this set that you can buy at Walmart - Cra Z Art Colored Pencils. She said she liked them as well, or better than the set of Prismacolor pencils she had. I have a smaller set of Prismas, but thought I would give these inexpensive pencils a try.

Guess what? I think she was right! The unbelievable price is $5.74 for a set of 72 colors. I really cannot tell the difference between these inexpensive pencils and the rather pricey Prismacolors I have.

Walmart.com: Cra-Z-Art Colored Pencils, 72ct: Office

If you are just starting out, you might want to pick up a set and see what you think before you invest in the more expensive pencils.

[lylacfey]

Bugga, I think that was me. ! Thank you! Made my whole night and gave me a huge cheer up.

Color Pencils- I own a lot of brands: Prisma's, Derwents, Lyra's, etc... I do love my Cra-z-Art the best. True that Prisma is the art pencil. If you are going to become a serious pencil colorist this is probably the best set to buy. If you are just starting to learn color pencil techniques buying a big box of Cra-Z-Art at WalMart is a good place to start. Then you can add individual PrismaColor pencils in the mix as your skills improve.

[RosieLP]

Are you saying that the Cra-Z-Art pencils are blendable using OMS like Prisma or Derwents?

[buggainok]

Quote:

Originally Posted by lylacfey

Bugga, I think that was me. ! Thank you! Made my whole night and gave me a huge cheer up.

Color Pencils- I own a lot of brands: Prisma's, Derwents, Lyra's, etc... I do love my Cra-z-Art the best. True that Prisma is the art pencil. If you are going to become a serious pencil colorist this is probably the best set to buy. If you are just starting to learn color pencil techniques buying a big box of Cra-Z-Art at WalMart is a good place to start. Then you can add individual PrismaColor pencils in the mix as your skills improve.

Yes, it was you, DeeAnn. I can't thank you enough for telling me about these great pencils. I ordered 2 sets on Walmart.com for only $5.74 each and picked them up at my local store. I kept a set and gave a set to my dd who homeschools her 6 children, ages 4 to 12! They were so thrilled with them.

All of the kids love to draw and are very artistic. They had a set of the Crayola pencils, but there is no comparison to the Cra -Z-Art pencils. There are quite a few shades of each color, and they color beautifully. Also, they come already sharpened. What a deal! It took me a long time to sharpen my Prismas when I first got them, and I broke quite a few in the process.

When you consider that a comparable set of 72 Prismas costs $72.00, and these are only $5.74 for a set of 72, it's hard to believe they are such nice quality, but they are.

I'm thinking of going into "hoarder" mode and getting another set just to have in reserve, lol. Thanks again for letting us know about them.

And yes, Rosie, they are blendable using OMS or baby oil.

[RosieLP]

Awesome, I'm going to pick up a set! Thanks so much for answering my question, Bugga!

[lkjames1]

Another thank you! I am on my way to Walmart to make the purchase!
Can't wait to start trying them out!

[Ellibelle]

I have prismacolor, derwent coloursoft, and Faber Castell Polychromos pencils.

I don't use my prismacolor pencils anymore, and most of the time now I use my Faber Castell Polychromos because to me the colors are the most blendable and the most vibrant. I have noticed that it also depends what kind of card stock is used with the pencils. I prefer to use Neenah Solar Crest.

ETA: I use baby oil for blending instead of OMS.

[lylacfey]

Bugga, Thank you for the sweet words. Made my whole week. That just makes my day about your grandchildren. I was a homeschool Mommy too.

Rosie- Yes, they are blendable with OMS & baby oil. I usually pencil shade. I do use baby oil and stumps from time to time. My DH oil paints and he just bought some OMS recently that does not trigger my asthma. I have switched to that brand. I think it was WalMart's brand of OMS. Of course this is not professional artist brand OMS but it works great with Cra-Z-Art & Crayola pencils. My DH bought that brand to do some test oil painting.

I do use Crayola's too but I think they are more woody than Cra-Z-Art. I think Cra-Z-Art has more wax in them.

To continue my WalMart shopping excursions, lol. I use Georgia Pacific cardstock 110 (sold in office supply department) for coloring. The Cra-Z-Art pencils work great with other papers too. I own a lot of art paper.

I do not have a WalMart obsession, lol. I literally live down the street from three WalMart's. If that is not a sure sign your in WalMart country I don't know what is.

[RosieLP]

Thanks, DeeAnn!

I've got the OMS and the paper, but only 1 Walmart. LOL

[fishymom]

I had forgotten all about my Cra Z Art pencils until I saw this thread! I had not had them long when I had to pack my stuff away for a while, so I really didn't even remember about them. When I saw this thread, I dug them out and used them and THEN I remember lol! I love these pencils, they blend so well with baby oil and such a nice variety of colors. Mi am even able to lay down a nice smooth coat, even without blending, something I just cannot do with my other pencils. Here is a card I made today using these pencils, Brushstroke_Lilies_FM_by_fishymom by fishymom - Cards and Paper Crafts at Splitcoaststampers.

[RosieLP]

Fishymom, your card is beautiful!

[buggainok]

Fishymom, you did a wonderful job with your coloring. Great card! I've been so busy recommending these Cra Z Art pencils, that I haven't taken time to use them in a while. You've inspired me!

[fishymom]

Thank you, I do love these pencils! And I was a homeschool mom also. That is when I first stared using the Prismacolor Pencils, all those many moons ago, lol!

[lylacfey]

Quote:

Originally Posted by fishymom

Brushstroke_Lilies_FM_by_fishymom by fishymom - Cards and Paper Crafts at Splitcoaststampers.

FishyMom- Beautiful card!

[plumcrazy]

I love your coloring on the card Fishymom! Great job with the pencils!

I plan to run to Walmart today and i'm going to look for these pencils. Can't bet the price at all and the results look wonderful!

[Ladybing]

I was most interested to find this thread as I was wondering the same thing. However what is OMS? Sorry newbie here. I have a blender pen for markers and was wondering how to blend pencil colours

[buggainok]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ladybing

I was most interested to find this thread as I was wondering the same thing. However what is OMS? Sorry newbie here. I have a blender pen for markers and was wondering how to blend pencil colours

Odorless Mineral Spirits - you can find it at Michaels, etc. It does have an odor, though, and some folks prefer to use baby oil for blending instead.

[Bahb]

Quote:

Originally Posted by lylacfey

. True that Prisma is the art pencil. If you are going to become a serious pencil colorist this is probably the best set to buy. If you are just starting to learn color pencil techniques buying a big box of Cra-Z-Art at WalMart is a good place to start. Then you can add individual PrismaColor pencils in the mix as your skills improve.

PrismaColor pencils made in the USA are wonderful. However they stopped making them here and the new sets SAY on the tin "Made in USA" but they are not. I find the new ones impossible to blend so the strokes don't show, whether I use a blending pencil, OMS, baby oil or Goo Gone. Some one will soon arrive on this thread and say differently, so my advice is to buy one Prismacolor pencil and see for yourself, before you invest in a set. One pencil is about $1.45.

Bahb

[RosieLP]

I have a bottle of Gemini Masterpiece Odorless Mineral Spirits that I bought at Hobby Lobby (6 oz. for the full retail price of $5.99) and it has absolutely no odor.

[RosieLP]

Oh, I forgot to add that I picked up a set of these pencils and they are wonderful!!!

[sempermom]

i love my CraZart pencils too!!

[lylacfey]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bahb

PrismaColor pencils made in the USA are wonderful. However they stopped making them here and the new sets SAY on the tin "Made in USA" but they are not. I find the new ones impossible to blend so the strokes don't show, whether I use a blending pencil, OMS, baby oil or Goo Gone. Some one will soon arrive on this thread and say differently, so my advice is to buy one Prismacolor pencil and see for yourself, before you invest in a set. One pencil is about $1.45.

Bahb

Bahb- You won't hear an argument from me. I think the new Prisma Pencils are way too waxy and they do blend terribly. I did read on several forums if you buy the pencils individually the quality is better. My older Prisma's from the 1990's were one of the best set of pencils I ever owned. They were stolen from me. :( My DH bought me a new set of Prisma's a couple of years back. The blending was horrible. The pencils kept breaking. I have a light hand so that was really surprising to see the leads break. I felt so bad my DH bought them for me. Do I still recommend Prisma's? Yes, I do because they are still the top premier pencil for professional pencil colorists. I use them very sparingly. I am looking for a new set of pencils now for my other artwork. I am looking into Faber Castell PolyChromos.

I absolutely adore my Cra-Z-Art pencils. I am really happy to find a pencil that is excellent quality for my card coloring and art journaling.

Funny story I was in WalMart tonight looking at the Crayola & Cra-Z-Art display. I look every week. I can always find something new for my art journaling. Tonight I got some really nice poster paints from Cra-Z-Art for only $2.46. I thought they would make fun art journaling pages.

My DH was looking at the color pencils for something to do. He points to the pencils he said "There is double amount of pencils from Cra-Z-Art than Crayola. Those Cra-Z-Art pencils are cheaper!" I told him that's why I bought them in the first place, lol. My second thing was when I peeked in the box I was oohing over the pretty colors. I am a sucker for pretty colors.

[Kristy Tyra]

I have a whole set of Prismacolor pencils and I love them. To lower the price, I used a Hobby Lobby 40% off coupon when I bought them. I am very interested in checking out the Cra-Z-Art pencils after reading about them here. I'm all for more colors! Darn, I was just at a Wal-Mart last night. I've never tried baby oil for blending. Does is not soak in the cardststock and leave residue? I'll have to try it!

[fishymom]

I use baby oil mostly for blending. I do have OMS that I pull out sometimes, but usually just grab the baby oil. I use it in gel form, just because that is what I had. You do have to be careful not get too much oil on your paper, especially near the edges of your image, but it is no different then any other liquid medium. Here is another image I did the other night with the Cra-Z-Art pencils and baby oil, love theses pencils!

Masked_Pansies_Hello_by_fishymom by fishymom - Cards and Paper Crafts at Splitcoaststampers

[Wanda B]

I am very very new at all this. Can someone please explain blending to me? Thanks in advance!

[Kristy Tyra]

Thank you, Fishymom! I"ll have a go at it this weekend!

[mary gulbranson]

I am also curious about using baby oil for blending. Does it leave an "oily" residue after coloring which could 'smudge'?

[ranalouwho]

I need answers too!! I don't know how to use baby oil or OMS and can you use these on watercolor paper?? Doesn't seem that I can.

[alanasnana]

Subbing!

[idletiger]

subbing to learn about using baby oil :cool:

[jeffnval]

subbing too

[alanasnana]

So I went today on my lunch hour and got the Cra Z Art pencils and I am amazed at all the colors. Can't wait to play!

[scrapalajen]

I've got Prismacolor pencils too and I use baby oil to blend. After so many trials and errors, I know I should not use too much baby oil on my stump because this will make my paper oily:-) I will need to try the Cra-Z crayons now...

Fishymom, what a beautiful card!

[from the heart]

I started out with Prismacolor pencils but really disliked the wax bloom that resulted from them. Did some research and decided on Koh-I-Noor pencils. Cheaper than Prismas and a harder lead. They blend well with very little wax bloom and are wonderful with OMS. They are waxed based. The pencils I really want are Faber Castel Polychromos. They are an entirely different pencil crayon as they are oil based and not wax based. They are pretty expensive but I have tried them and they are amazing.
I work for Walmart in Canada and I don't think we sell Cra-Z pencils so when I go to the states I will be checking out these pencils.
HTH!!

[Linda from Clinton]

Is there a good place to go for instructions on how to use these colored pencils ( Cra-Z-Art). Any inside tips to get me started. And what kind of paper would you recommend. Has anyone ever done anything like pen and ink application only using colored pencils instead of paint with the ink? Oh and how about the kind of sharpener you'd use to sharpen these pencils? I appreciate any help that will be shared.
Linda from Clinton

[buggainok]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Linda from Clinton

Is there a good place to go for instructions on how to use these colored pencils ( Cra-Z-Art). Any inside tips to get me started. And what kind of paper would you recommend. Has anyone ever done anything like pen and ink application only using colored pencils instead of paint with the ink? Oh and how about the kind of sharpener you'd use to sharpen these pencils? I appreciate any help that will be shared.
Linda from Clinton

Linda, here is a pretty good tutorial to get you started coloring with colored pencils. She is using Prismacolor pencils, but the Cra-Z-Art will work the same. It shows some basic techniques for shading and coloring:

Hero Arts Techniques: Technique Essentials #6 Coloring with Pencils

As far as sharpening the pencils, people have different preferences. Some like to use a small hand sharpener, but many folks have good luck with the battery operated sharpeners. The Cra-Z-Art pencils come already sharpened, which is a big plus.

[Linda from Clinton]

Bugga
Thank you for your help and where to go to watch a very helpful video. Great info. I think I'm going to enjoy using colored pencils Thanks
Linda from Clinton

[connie leone]

Well I see a trip to Walmart tomorrow! So glad since it is around the corner from me! Who would of thought that an inexpensive brand would work so well. I have Prisma's that I purchased last year and I thought that they were ok, but disappointed because I expected way better. Could be operator too. Lol!

@ Fishymom ~ You coloring job is absolutely beautiful. Can't get over that was done with Walmart pencils!!

Thanks again to whomever recommenced "Cra Z art" pencils, looking forward to trying them out! Hopefully I wont get called into work so I can go shop & come home & play!!

[buggainok]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Linda from Clinton

Bugga
Thank you for your help and where to go to watch a very helpful video. Great info. I think I'm going to enjoy using colored pencils Thanks
Linda from Clinton

You're so welcome, Linda. Have fun coloring. By the way, I just use the pencils themselves, and don't use OMS or baby oil. I'm happy with the look without it. I sometimes use a "blending pencil" which you can find at Michaels or other hobby stores, and also a white colored pencil, and an eraser for highlights.