Prismacolor Questions

[Zindy]

I really want to try out Prismacolor although I am quite happy with what I am using now. I've heard so many good things about them.

Have you tried them? Are there some softer than others? I really like working with soft/watercolour pencils in other brands and I want them to be able to blend well together with what I already have.

Do you know these:
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/72-PRISMACOLOR...item20b4a3e720

It's a really good price for so many =)

[TRANSiENT ART]

I'm actually awaiting the 132 pack in the mail right now (YAY! ) Here are some of my pros and cons from using them for the past 8+ years.

Pros:

• They blend very well, especially if you also purchase the colorless blenders (recommended) The white can even be used to blend and tint the colors.
• They color softly, making layering easy.
• Beautiful, brilliant, vibrant colors. The pigment is nice and solid, therefore you don't have to run your pencil down as much (like watercolor pencils) to get your desired hue.
• Easy to use with other mediums for mixed media, can even be used on fabric, wood, etc.
• You can order individual colors that you use a lot.
• They come in tins, this is so nice compared to a chipboard box, which kind of wears over time from use.
  

Cons:

• The wood casing isn't always the best, some people have trouble sharpening their pencils and find that the pigment center can break (most of the time people are sharpening it incorrectly though, twist the sharpener, instead of the pencil, you'll get MUCH better results) Something that one should be patient with.
• Erasing, but then again, not many colored pencils can ever be truly erased *shrugs* unless scratched off with a razor.
• Price (I never buy full price anyways, but they're still pricey!)
• The brand pencil sharpener isn't the greatest, you're better off using one of the nice metal ones (remember to sharpen it with a graphite pencil here and there, graphite is a natural lubricant for metal, and will help keep your sharpeners sharper longer and prevent colored pencils from accidentally clogging up and getting stuck.) Though this con doesn't have to do with the pencils themselves woops.

I hope this list will help you decide whether you want to try out the pencils or not, they truly are nice and fun to work with and my favorite brand, personally. I got my first pack when I was 13 years old and loved using them for my manga and other drawings. I can't wait to get my big pack finally, I've got some art planned out. The Prismacolor Micron pens are great to use as well, super nice, great for ink work and outlining.

I looked at that listing, the person gathered the colored typically found in a 72 pack, so you'll have to get yourself a case for these. Also compare the list of colors the seller is giving to a list of the colors that do actually come in a pack.

Dick Blick Prismacolored Pencils

[Cold Shiva]

Yeah, I've tried them in the store and I can't say it's benefitial against another brand, so I just went for the Caran, 'd Ache Pablo. They are expensive, but they cost less than Faber Castells prism and I can sharp them in my automatic sharpener .