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Post by wendifful on Dec 3, 2017 3:53:51 GMT
I've watched different videos on Youtube with comparisons but wanted to check with the Peas and see if anyone has personal experience. Do you think the Faber Castell Polychromos colored pencils are better than the Prismacolors? So many artists say they are and many reviews of the Prismacolors complain about the leads being too soft and breaking. There is however a significant price difference! If anyone has any thoughts, please share! Thanks!
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Post by moraie on Dec 3, 2017 7:09:22 GMT
I'll be glad to see if anyone has feedback, too. I've been seeing them pop up in YT videos more and more. I haven't heard anything negative other than the price point. I figured eventually they'd get more common here, and either someone will be uber enthusiastic and convince me to buy them, or about the time they're old news I'll find some amazing reason to need them.
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Post by missymarlin on Dec 3, 2017 11:15:24 GMT
I prefer Prismacolor for my coloring technique of choice which is blending with OMS. However, I do find the Prismacolor pencils frustrating because of the breaking, crumbling and other quality issues (my set of 150 pencils has the color name and number blurred so it is unreadable) ever since they changed their production from the US and will no longer buy them unless they are the old Berol brand or those made before the US plant was closed down. I have to stalk e-bay when I need new pencils.
I had great hopes for the Polychromos, bought a set of 36 and diligently gave them a prolonged trial. I find that for me, they do not blend as smoothly as the Prismacolors. It may have been user error, but my Polychromos projects looked sort of "muddy". I recently gave them to my niece.
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pilcas
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 2,920 
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Post by pilcas on Dec 3, 2017 11:16:26 GMT
I have my eye on them. Not that I have tried them but from the usual you tube videos they do get better reviews. If I ever have one of these months when my credit card balance is not sky high I will give them a shot.
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clio
Full Member
Posts: 116
Dec 3, 2017 13:07:05 GMT
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Post by clio on Dec 3, 2017 13:24:26 GMT
The big difference is that Prismacolors are wax based and Polychromos are oil based so the effect is different. You don't get "bloom" with layering, for example, and the color ranges are somewhat different. Sadly, the current Prismacolor isn't the same as the wonderful old Eagle/Berol. I like them both depending on what I'm doing, but if forced to choose would probably go with the Polychromos.
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Post by Patter on Dec 4, 2017 11:46:13 GMT
I have had both and got rid of my Prismacolor pencils. I LOVE my Polychromos. So smooth and wonderful! I also have some of the Lyra Polycolor pencils. They are just as smooth and wonderful too!
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Post by scrapperal on Dec 4, 2017 17:23:39 GMT
I had no idea that Prismacolor changed manufacturing! I wish I didn't know that because now I want to hoard my old Prismacolor pencils instead of using them.  Sorry, I don't know anything about Polychromos. |
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Post by mygigiscraps on Dec 8, 2017 16:48:36 GMT
I have no plans to try the Polychromos. I'd probably love them and want more of them, and next year is a minimal spending year for me when it comes to craft supplies.
For those having problems with the Prismas breaking, I do remember seeing online somewhere about putting them in the sun for a little bit or wrapping them in a heating pad for a short time. It's supposed to melt the wax inside back together I guess. Mine are old and they are fine.
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Post by streetscrapper on Mar 14, 2018 17:01:03 GMT
wendifful, I'm wondering if you invested in a set of pencils, and if so, what did you choose? I'm asking because although I "thought" I had a set of Prismacolor Pencils, it turns out I only have a few and I'm pretty sure I've only used them once  (like so many other scrappy items I have to have). I have been watching so many videos lately on colouring with pencils and I absolutely adore the look. Yana Smakula (among others) does amazing things with her Faber Castell Polychromos, and I really want to start working with coloured pencils, but I'm having a difficult time justifying the cost so I haven't purchased any. Then today I was watching another video (Stephanie Klauck) colouring with her Prismacolor pencils. Granted the video is a little old but she "loves" her Prismacolor pencils (or at least at that time she did). The full set (150) is a fraction of the cost of a much smaller set of the Polychromos, so once again I went searching for reviews. A lot of people seem to say that it is really a matter of user preference. I recently did a quick test a with couple of colours at Michael's, and my initial thought is that the Prismacolor pencils are more vibrant, and maybe for my skill level, maybe the Prismas are all I really need. But, before I hit the buy button, I thought I'd bump this thread to see again what people think, and what wendifful decided on. I also know that there are breakage issues with the Prismas, but I could buy 3 full sets of them at what one set of the Polychromos cost...
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Post by katlady on Mar 14, 2018 18:04:13 GMT
Polychromos are oil-based, so to get a good blending effect you will need some kind of solvent. You won’t get the same effect just rubbing it like you would with the regular prismacolors.
I refuse to try polychromos because I don’t want to like them. LOL!
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Post by cropelf on Mar 14, 2018 18:06:11 GMT
I guess I'll need to take care of my 20+ year old set of Prisma! Thanks for the heads up.
I was talking to someone at the fine art supply store about colored pencils. (I was picking up a few more colors of Inktense pencils.) The staff at the art store said that the best on the market are the Caran D'Ache colored pencils, watercolor and regular. However, they are very pricey.
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Post by katlady on Mar 14, 2018 18:14:47 GMT
I guess I'll need to take care of my 20+ year old set of Prisma! Thanks for the heads up. I was talking to someone at the fine art supply store about colored pencils. (I was picking up a few more colors of Inktense pencils.) The staff at the art store said that the best on the market are the Caran D'Ache colored pencils, watercolor and regular. However, they are very pricey. I think it is Caran D’Ache that has a set called “Pablo”. Those are very very nice, but very pricey! A set of Pablo would be my dream set! |
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Post by streetscrapper on Mar 14, 2018 18:28:07 GMT
Polychromos are oil-based, so to get a good blending effect you will need some kind of solvent. You won’t get the same effect just rubbing it like you would with the regular prismacolors. I refuse to try polychromos because I don’t want to like them. LOL! Because I have very few Prismacolors, I thought that if I was going to invest in a set, I should get the "best" one... but it really seems to be a matter of personal preference. When I tried to compare them, honestly, I thought the Prismas were more vibrant. I think that for my skill level they might be the best option. |
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Post by wonderwoman on Mar 14, 2018 18:59:43 GMT
I have old Prismacolors.. around 20 years or so.. they are a dream to work with. However I have heard a lot of problems with the new sets.. I think the quality suffered when they moved production out of the USA. I did just buy the Polychromos and they have a nice feel to them, they remind me a lot of the Walnut Hollow oil pencils.
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Post by Patter on Mar 14, 2018 19:16:58 GMT
I have had both and got rid of my Prismacolor pencils. I LOVE my Polychromos. So smooth and wonderful! I also have some of the Lyra Polycolor pencils. They are just as smooth and wonderful too! Still feel the same as when I originally posted this. LOVE them; sold my Prismacolor pencils. Ick! |
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Post by crimsoncat05 on Mar 14, 2018 19:39:08 GMT
I spent the $$ on a set of Polychromos pencils, too. I figured as long as I was spending the $$, I wanted the best ones I could get. I couldn't test them out ahead of time, but I didn't like the waxy feel of the Prismacolors I tried, and I heard a lot of bad things about how much Prismacolors would splinter and break- so in the long run, I figure the Polychromos ones are a better deal, anyway. (less pencil gets thrown away because they're easier to sharpen)
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Post by caspad on Mar 14, 2018 20:06:16 GMT
I've had the same box of Prismacolors since the late 1990s so I'm sticking with them.
I don't color that often so they work just fine for me.
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Post by streetscrapper on Mar 14, 2018 20:13:06 GMT
Well, I ordered the Prismacolor Premier 150 set. I know that a lot of people like the FC Polychromos ones better, but for my skill level and the amount of colouring I plan to to, it was hard to justify the cost.
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Post by artisticscrapper on Mar 14, 2018 23:02:55 GMT
I have a lot of Prismacolor pencils that I bought before the mfg. switch. I’d heard the newer ones aren’t as good so I looked it up. One recommendation is when buying them open stock check that the colored core is in the center. They’re more likely to break if it isn’t. You can eyeball it or try rolling it on a flat surface. If it doesn’t roll well the pen core might be broken. They also recommended the heating to melt it back together.
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Post by gale w on Mar 15, 2018 0:47:00 GMT
I have older prismacolors and older polychromos and I really can’t tell much difference between them.
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Post by woodysbetty on Mar 15, 2018 11:07:49 GMT
Just got a set of polychromos as a gift...can't wait to try them!!
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Post by Patter on Mar 15, 2018 12:31:37 GMT
Just got a set of polychromos as a gift...can't wait to try them!! Can’t wait to hear what you think! They sharpen beautifully! They don’t crumble and break. They are in an essence AWESOME.  |
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Post by woodysbetty on Mar 15, 2018 12:50:24 GMT
Hopefully later today Patter I am off to teach yoga to my church group... |
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Post by wendifful on Mar 15, 2018 21:45:17 GMT
wendifful , I'm wondering if you invested in a set of pencils, and if so, what did you choose? I'm asking because although I "thought" I had a set of Prismacolor Pencils, it turns out I only have a few and I'm pretty sure I've only used them once (like so many other scrappy items I have to have). I have been watching so many videos lately on colouring with pencils and I absolutely adore the look. Yana Smakula (among others) does amazing things with her Faber Castell Polychromos, and I really want to start working with coloured pencils, but I'm having a difficult time justifying the cost so I haven't purchased any. Then today I was watching another video (Stephanie Klauck) colouring with her Prismacolor pencils. Granted the video is a little old but she "loves" her Prismacolor pencils (or at least at that time she did). The full set (150) is a fraction of the cost of a much smaller set of the Polychromos, so once again I went searching for reviews. A lot of people seem to say that it is really a matter of user preference. I recently did a quick test a with couple of colours at Michael's, and my initial thought is that the Prismacolor pencils are more vibrant, and maybe for my skill level, maybe the Prismas are all I really need. But, before I hit the buy button, I thought I'd bump this thread to see again what people think, and what wendifful decided on. I also know that there are breakage issues with the Prismas, but I could buy 3 full sets of them at what one set of the Polychromos cost... I ended up getting the Polychromos but haven't used them much so I haven't really formed an opinion yet. Sorry! |
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Post by garagesaler on Mar 18, 2018 9:24:15 GMT
My daughter and I both have sets of Prismacolor pencils. They always broke, no matter what sharpener we used. We put them away a year or more ago because we were so frustrated with them. I recently read about a different kind of pencil sharpener that people were saying worked with Prismacolor Premier pencils. It is called T’Gall pencil sharpeners and they are really inexpensive, less than $5.00 on Amazon for some colors. www.amazon.com/Kutsuwa-Adjustable-Pencil-Sharpener-RS017LB/dp/B006CQW2LQ/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1521364561&sr=8-2&keywords=t%27gaal+pencil+sharpener I thought it sounded too good to be true, but had nothing to lose. They work great. You can turn the knob to adjust the settings of the sharpener. I think I set mine on 2, so it does not have as much lead exposed that might break, like the Prismacolor sharpener did. I could not believe it made a difference but it did. My daughter tried all of her Prismacolor pencils with this sharpener too. We were shocked to actually be able to color with these pencils for the first time. Before, the lead would constantly break. Now, they don’t and we can actually use them! I did read on some of the Amazon reviews that the sharpeners don’t stay that sharp that long. I just bought a few so I would be ready if one dulls. So happy to have found these. Hope it helps someone else who may have been frustrated with the Prismacolor Premier pencil points always breaking. |
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Post by crazy4scraps on Mar 18, 2018 22:48:14 GMT
My vote would be for the Lyra pencils Patter mentioned. Of all the brands I used in art school, they are my favorite.
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Post by catseatcheese on Mar 19, 2018 20:49:04 GMT
I have a set of Prismacolor (not 150...a smaller set) and a set of the Lyra. I agree that the Lyra are nice as well. They seem to need sharpening less often.
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Post by streetscrapper on Mar 20, 2018 11:52:17 GMT
garagesaler I bought that sharpener a while ago on the recommendation of Debby Hughes (Lime Doodle Design) but the results I get aren’t anything at all like I expected. Even when I try to sharpen a plain old pencil ✏️ the lead breaks. Reviews on Amazon are hit and miss. Maybe I just got a dud.
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Post by Patter on Mar 20, 2018 13:30:03 GMT
garagesaler I bought that sharpener a while ago on the recommendation of Debby Hughes (Lime Doodle Design) but the results I get aren’t anything at all like I expected. Even when I try to sharpen a plain old pencil ✏️ the lead breaks. Reviews on Amazon are hit and miss. Maybe I just got a dud. Here is the sharpener I have had since 2013, and it's the best one I have ever owned. I thought I lost it the other day and was so upset because nothing compares. Thankfully I found it in my bag! So, this is the one I use: www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00D6I3AWS/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1 |
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Post by streetscrapper on Mar 20, 2018 21:55:13 GMT
Interesting Patter. I have that sharpener too and use it all the time without any problems at all. I bought the other one thinking it was THE sharpener I had to have, mostly because of the different settings, but I’m not a fan. I have a prisma sharpener on my Amazon wish list but the reviews for it are hit and miss too. Looks like I’ll just stick with the one I’ve got! Why fix something that isn’t broken!
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(like so many other scrappy items I have to have). I have been watching so many videos lately on colouring with pencils and I absolutely adore the look. Yana Smakula (among others) does amazing things with her Faber Castell Polychromos, and I really want to start working with coloured pencils, but I'm having a difficult time justifying the cost so I haven't purchased any. Then today I was watching another video (Stephanie Klauck) colouring with her Prismacolor pencils. Granted the video is a little old but she "loves" her Prismacolor pencils (or at least at that time she did). The full set (150) is a fraction of the cost of a much smaller set of the Polychromos, so once again I went searching for reviews. A lot of people seem to say that it is really a matter of user preference. I recently did a quick test a with couple of colours at Michael's, and my initial thought is that the Prismacolor pencils are more vibrant, and maybe for my skill level, maybe the Prismas are all I really need. But, before I hit the buy button, I thought I'd bump this thread to see again what people think, and what 
