Prismacolor Premier Colored Pencils | Art Supplies for Drawing, Sketching, Adult Coloring | Soft Core Color Pencils, 150 Pack
70
Adams Parker
Product Images
Product Features
- Soft, thick cores are perfect for shading and shadows
- Lightfast, richly saturated pigments
- Ultra-smooth, even color laydown
- Thick, robust leads resist cracking and chipping making them perfect for adult coloring books
- 150 premium colored pencils
- Assortment may vary
- Soft, thick cores are perfect for shading and shadows
- Lightfast, richly saturated pigments
- Ultra-smooth, even color laydown
- Thick, robust leads resist cracking and chipping making them perfect for adult coloring books
- 150 premium colored pencils
- Assortment may vary
Product Specifications
| Manufacturer | Sanford |
| Brand | Prismacolor |
| Item Weight | 2.94 pounds |
| Product Dimensions | 1.62 x 16.75 x 8.37 inches |
| Item model number | 1800059 |
| Is Discontinued By Manufacturer | No |
| Color | Assorted |
| Closure | Snap |
| Pencil Lead Degree Hardness | Soft |
| Material Type | Wood |
| Number of Items | 1 |
| Size | 150 Count (Pack of 1) |
| Point Type | Fine |
| Ink Color | assorted colors |
| Manufacturer Part Number | 1799879 |
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10 kinds of awesome. I originally purchased the 36 set of Prismacolor Premiere Soft Core colored pencils to test them out and immediately fell in love them. They have great color saturation. They blend effortlessly like butter, even without a blending pencil. They have a gorgeous creamy laydown that smoothly layers to create custom colors. In short, they are miles ahead of hard pencils like Crayolas, if that’s what you’ve been using.After a few years’ time I upgraded to this 150 set and I’m so thrilled! If you’re hesitant to purchase the full set due to the replacement cost, you can purchase individual pencils at Blick if you burn through certain colors more than others, so you don’t have to re-buy the full 150 to replace a handful of pencils. I use these for adult coloring books, everything from NASA’s Earth & Space to the fashion Mode Parisienne (both available on Amazon and Blick, buy them!), and hope to use them for original art as I get back into drawing again.PURPOSE:These are soft lead pencils, which means they’re meant for blending, shading, creating custom colors and covering large areas. I’ve most often seen these compared to Faber-Castell Polychromos (though those have an oil binder and the Premieres have a wax one, and the Premieres are significantly cheaper). The Premiere Soft Cores blend effortlessly even without a blending pencil. However, I have grown to love the way a blending pencil smooths and evens the texture and use one frequently. (I’ve used both the Prismacolor Colorless Blending Pencil and Derwent Blender with these, and I think I prefer the Derwent.)The Premiere Soft Cores are not sketching pencils. For that use you would need a hard lead pencil, like the Prismacolor Verithin colored pencils, Derwent Studio colored pencils or standard drawing pencils. (Note that while we use the term “lead” to refer to pencil cores, pencils no longer contain lead. Colored pencils, like Prismacolors, are typically made of wax and even drawing pencils are made of graphite, not lead.)Tip: If you can’t afford to buy both the Prismacolor Soft Cores and the Verithins, opt for Watercolor pencils instead. Used dry they tend to be pigment dense, are softer and blend better than Verithins, but are harder and hold a point better than Soft Cores — making them a nice middle ground. Prismacolor’s Watercolor pencils come well recommended, though I haven’t used them myself. I have an inexpensive 24-set of General’s Kimberly Watercolor pencils and have been very happy with how they work dry. (Both brands are available on Amazon and Blick.)COLORS:A wonderful range of colors, worth the price of the 150. (Tip: if you shop around on Amazon and Blick you can find the set for $85-$90. I bought a “used” set for $80 that is in every way indistinguishable from a new set.) Here’s the color breakdown:6 cool greens, 5 warm greens, 6 muted cool greens, 6 muted warm greens;4 aquas;8 cool blues, 6 neutral blues, 6 warm blues, 4 muted blues;7 cool purples, 4 warm purples;4 orange-toned peaches, 3 pink-tone peaches;5 cool pinks, 5 warm pinks, 3 muted pinks;6 cool reds, 4 neutral reds, 3 warm reds;8 oranges;6 bright yellows, 6 muted yellows;8 beiges, 7 cool browns, 7 warm browns;6 cool greys, 6 French greys, 6 warm greys;black, white;metallic silver, metallic gold.That may seem like a lot of greys — and it is — but they’re invaluable for creating muted tones of existing colors. The color selection comes ordered in Prismacolor’s mysteriously chosen arrangement, which I find odd and confusing. While making a color swatch chart I found it’s better to re-order the pencils in the arrangement noted above. YMMV. **Note:** the warning on the back of the box ONLY applies to the Metallic Gold pencil because it contains copper (this info comes directly from a Prismacolor customer service rep).PACKAGING:The packaging is beautiful, protective and useful. The box closes with a magnetic flap and flips back to work as an easel, propping up the pencils for easier selection. The trays have finger slots at the top and bottom to make for easier removal. The trays also have individual pencil slots to prevent the pencils from rolling around once you remove one, and the slots are tapered at the sharpened end to allow you to more easily pick up the pencils.CONS:The only downside to the Premiere Soft Cores is in the labeling. The color names are individually labeled in stamped silver ink, which I often find difficult to read. A few of the pencils are marked in stamped black ink and they are much easier to read. I’m hoping that Prismacolor switches to labeling all pencils in black or white inks in the future. Also, the color names are in the middle of the pencil barrel, which means if you store them in a travel case (I do) the names are covered up by the elastic bands. It also means that once you reach the halfway point of use the names are no longer visible. Fortunately, each color has a unique number which is large and stamped at the ends, making it easy to identify the individual pencils if you include the number with the color name when creating color swatch charts (I do).SHARPENING:I’ve had no problems at all sharpening these using a simple Mobius & Ruppert Brass Round Double Hole hand sharpener (available on Amazon and Blick). As with all soft lead pencils, sharpen the Prismacolor Premiere Soft Cores using the large bore (hole) of the sharpener instead of the standard smaller bore. Press the pencil against the blade while turning the sharpener. This creates a short sharp point that doesn’t risk breakage or crumbling. It also doesn’t chew as much wood as using the smaller bore (which makes a longer point), so having to resharpen the short point more often doesn’t burn through the pencil quickly.ADDITIONAL TIPS ON SHARPENING:Here are some other tips I’ve learned…1. Many sources state that when sharpening colored pencils by hand you should hold the sharpener in your dominant hand and turn the sharpener, not the pencil. Turning the pencil instead (as most of us are used to doing) can stress the wood and torque the lead, which leads to breakages.2. A dull blade will start shredding or choking the wood. Try changing blades.3. Wax pencils, like colored pencils, dull sharpener blades more quickly. To combat this, run a simple graphite pencil through the sharpener periodically, like every 6-8 pencils. This cleans the sharpener and maintains the blades. (Tip: use artist pencils, even cheap $1 ones, not No.2 school pencils – they suck for this purpose.)If that doesn’t work for you:I actually do this odd hybrid method of sharpening, where I turn both the sharpener and the pencil simultaneously. (I don’t know why I started doing this; it just happened.) I get nice sharp points with this method:1. Place the sharpener so the blade side is facing the floor or away from you, with your palm facing upward.2. Then rotate the sharpener towards you with one hand while simultaneously turning the pencil away from you with the other, in one smooth movement. It’s kind of similar to the movement you make when wringing out a wash cloth.3. Repeat as needed.*If it feels more natural to turn the sharpener away from you, then switch hands and do the reverse movement. Though it goes against conventional wisdom, I hold the sharpener in my left (non-dominant) hand because I find that turning towards me is a more natural movement. (Again, don’t know why, just do.)SOME TIPS ON PRESERVING THE POINT:Here’s how to sharpen less often, preserving the length of your pencils…1) After sharpening do the smallest areas, corners and edges first, while the tip is still pointed. When the tip begins to blunt move to the larger areas, where a blunted tip is more effective at covering large areas anyway. This prevents you from having to resharpen more often.2) To extend the longevity of the points and the pencils, get an artist’s sanding block. This is essentially a stack of fine sanding paper attached to a plank. A cheap one ($1-$2) will do the job and will last a long time, you don’t need something expensive. When the tip starts to blunt, *gently* slide it along the sanding paper to resharpen or bevel. This re-points the tip without losing any wood. I find this lasts 1-2 rounds between full sharpenings.Hope that helps!
10 kinds of awesome. I originally purchased the 36 set of Prismacolor Premiere Soft Core colored pencils to test them out and immediately fell in love them. They have great color saturation. They blend effortlessly like butter, even without a blending pencil. They have a gorgeous creamy laydown that smoothly layers to create custom colors. In short, they are miles ahead of hard pencils like Crayolas, if that’s what you’ve been using.After a few years’ time I upgraded to this 150 set and I’m so thrilled! If you’re hesitant to purchase the full set due to the replacement cost, you can purchase individual pencils at Blick if you burn through certain colors more than others, so you don’t have to re-buy the full 150 to replace a handful of pencils. I use these for adult coloring books, everything from NASA’s Earth & Space to the fashion Mode Parisienne (both available on Amazon and Blick, buy them!), and hope to use them for original art as I get back into drawing again.PURPOSE:These are soft lead pencils, which means they’re meant for blending, shading, creating custom colors and covering large areas. I’ve most often seen these compared to Faber-Castell Polychromos (though those have an oil binder and the Premieres have a wax one, and the Premieres are significantly cheaper). The Premiere Soft Cores blend effortlessly even without a blending pencil. However, I have grown to love the way a blending pencil smooths and evens the texture and use one frequently. (I’ve used both the Prismacolor Colorless Blending Pencil and Derwent Blender with these, and I think I prefer the Derwent.)The Premiere Soft Cores are not sketching pencils. For that use you would need a hard lead pencil, like the Prismacolor Verithin colored pencils, Derwent Studio colored pencils or standard drawing pencils. (Note that while we use the term “lead” to refer to pencil cores, pencils no longer contain lead. Colored pencils, like Prismacolors, are typically made of wax and even drawing pencils are made of graphite, not lead.)Tip: If you can’t afford to buy both the Prismacolor Soft Cores and the Verithins, opt for Watercolor pencils instead. Used dry they tend to be pigment dense, are softer and blend better than Verithins, but are harder and hold a point better than Soft Cores — making them a nice middle ground. Prismacolor’s Watercolor pencils come well recommended, though I haven’t used them myself. I have an inexpensive 24-set of General’s Kimberly Watercolor pencils and have been very happy with how they work dry. (Both brands are available on Amazon and Blick.)COLORS:A wonderful range of colors, worth the price of the 150. (Tip: if you shop around on Amazon and Blick you can find the set for $85-$90. I bought a “used” set for $80 that is in every way indistinguishable from a new set.) Here’s the color breakdown:6 cool greens, 5 warm greens, 6 muted cool greens, 6 muted warm greens;4 aquas;8 cool blues, 6 neutral blues, 6 warm blues, 4 muted blues;7 cool purples, 4 warm purples;4 orange-toned peaches, 3 pink-tone peaches;5 cool pinks, 5 warm pinks, 3 muted pinks;6 cool reds, 4 neutral reds, 3 warm reds;8 oranges;6 bright yellows, 6 muted yellows;8 beiges, 7 cool browns, 7 warm browns;6 cool greys, 6 French greys, 6 warm greys;black, white;metallic silver, metallic gold.That may seem like a lot of greys — and it is — but they’re invaluable for creating muted tones of existing colors. The color selection comes ordered in Prismacolor’s mysteriously chosen arrangement, which I find odd and confusing. While making a color swatch chart I found it’s better to re-order the pencils in the arrangement noted above. YMMV. **Note:** the warning on the back of the box ONLY applies to the Metallic Gold pencil because it contains copper (this info comes directly from a Prismacolor customer service rep).PACKAGING:The packaging is beautiful, protective and useful. The box closes with a magnetic flap and flips back to work as an easel, propping up the pencils for easier selection. The trays have finger slots at the top and bottom to make for easier removal. The trays also have individual pencil slots to prevent the pencils from rolling around once you remove one, and the slots are tapered at the sharpened end to allow you to more easily pick up the pencils.CONS:The only downside to the Premiere Soft Cores is in the labeling. The color names are individually labeled in stamped silver ink, which I often find difficult to read. A few of the pencils are marked in stamped black ink and they are much easier to read. I’m hoping that Prismacolor switches to labeling all pencils in black or white inks in the future. Also, the color names are in the middle of the pencil barrel, which means if you store them in a travel case (I do) the names are covered up by the elastic bands. It also means that once you reach the halfway point of use the names are no longer visible. Fortunately, each color has a unique number which is large and stamped at the ends, making it easy to identify the individual pencils if you include the number with the color name when creating color swatch charts (I do).SHARPENING:I’ve had no problems at all sharpening these using a simple Mobius & Ruppert Brass Round Double Hole hand sharpener (available on Amazon and Blick). As with all soft lead pencils, sharpen the Prismacolor Premiere Soft Cores using the large bore (hole) of the sharpener instead of the standard smaller bore. Press the pencil against the blade while turning the sharpener. This creates a short sharp point that doesn’t risk breakage or crumbling. It also doesn’t chew as much wood as using the smaller bore (which makes a longer point), so having to resharpen the short point more often doesn’t burn through the pencil quickly.ADDITIONAL TIPS ON SHARPENING:Here are some other tips I’ve learned…1. Many sources state that when sharpening colored pencils by hand you should hold the sharpener in your dominant hand and turn the sharpener, not the pencil. Turning the pencil instead (as most of us are used to doing) can stress the wood and torque the lead, which leads to breakages.2. A dull blade will start shredding or choking the wood. Try changing blades.3. Wax pencils, like colored pencils, dull sharpener blades more quickly. To combat this, run a simple graphite pencil through the sharpener periodically, like every 6-8 pencils. This cleans the sharpener and maintains the blades. (Tip: use artist pencils, even cheap $1 ones, not No.2 school pencils – they suck for this purpose.)If that doesn’t work for you:I actually do this odd hybrid method of sharpening, where I turn both the sharpener and the pencil simultaneously. (I don’t know why I started doing this; it just happened.) I get nice sharp points with this method:1. Place the sharpener so the blade side is facing the floor or away from you, with your palm facing upward.2. Then rotate the sharpener towards you with one hand while simultaneously turning the pencil away from you with the other, in one smooth movement. It’s kind of similar to the movement you make when wringing out a wash cloth.3. Repeat as needed.*If it feels more natural to turn the sharpener away from you, then switch hands and do the reverse movement. Though it goes against conventional wisdom, I hold the sharpener in my left (non-dominant) hand because I find that turning towards me is a more natural movement. (Again, don’t know why, just do.)SOME TIPS ON PRESERVING THE POINT:Here’s how to sharpen less often, preserving the length of your pencils…1) After sharpening do the smallest areas, corners and edges first, while the tip is still pointed. When the tip begins to blunt move to the larger areas, where a blunted tip is more effective at covering large areas anyway. This prevents you from having to resharpen more often.2) To extend the longevity of the points and the pencils, get an artist’s sanding block. This is essentially a stack of fine sanding paper attached to a plank. A cheap one ($1-$2) will do the job and will last a long time, you don’t need something expensive. When the tip starts to blunt, *gently* slide it along the sanding paper to resharpen or bevel. This re-points the tip without losing any wood. I find this lasts 1-2 rounds between full sharpenings.Hope that helps!
Relieved to Say THESE ARE GREAT. I read the negative reviews about some people getting broken pencils, incomplete sets, no black/white pencils, and possible fakes, and was worried about what I would receive, but I am relieved to say I received what I was supposed to receive.Detail:1) The Prismacolor box: Inside the brown Amazon delivery box was a colorful shrink-wrapped Prismacolor cardboard storage box with the pencils inside on removable plastic trays. The Prismacolor storage box that the pencils come in is much nicer than I expected. It has a magnet closure. It makes this set a VERY presentable gift for an artist. The storage box I received looked new. The storage box is pretty sturdy (but not sturdy enough/secure enough to travel with – I’d recommend a different box for that). One downside is the plastic trays inside the box – they are a bit flimsy, so you have to use two hands and flat surfaces or you could accidentally dump the pencils out of their plastic trays when using.2) The pencils: Mine look new. I didn’t lift/inspect every pencil other than read its name, but I didn’t see any broken points or cracked pencils or used pencils. ( I took the time to read every name & there were no duplicates which some negative reviews mentioned). There was a black pencil and a white pencil (at least one negative review mentioned those being missing). I didn’t see anything visually that would make me think these were fakes. When I bought these on Amazon, the seller was listed as Amazon, so maybe the negative reviews with suspected fakes were from a different seller. All I know is that I’m grateful to not have experienced those problems.3) Quality: Some of the negative reviews said these not as good as the old Prismacolor pencils. I have Prismacolors from waaaay back when it was owned by Berol and from the 90’s when it was Sanford. I’m including a photo of a few of the new ones from this set and a few of the old ones from the 90s (thirty years ago!). The new ones and the old ones all sharpened with a hand crank AFMAT pencil sharpener specifically for color pencils. You can see both old and new got super sharp long points. Nothing broke on the new ones. No Prismacolor pencils, old or new, should be sharpened with a regular pencil sharpener- that thrashes them and you get breaks. That’s because Prismacolor pencils are SOFTER so they blend better. I’ve included a photo of my hand crank AFMAT colored pencil sharpener with this review (I bought that pencil sharpener on Amazon also, works great). When you use Prismacolor you need to use whisper-gentle pencil strokes in many many layers to build up colors or pencil tips can break. Goes with the territory, no big deal, expect it. Save your broken tips for those times you press too hard, there’s uses for them :)4) I did a few quick tests in addition to the sharpening test, and included a photo for that as well. I randomly picked some ‘dull’ colors from the new set, plus Lilac that I had handy from my old Prismacolor set, and created a quick color recipe sheet that I included a photo of with this review. Looking at the sheet you can see these sorts of tests: – how intense the colors are in a few light layers verses many layers, super light pressure verses a little harder pressure; – how the colors work blended in different combinations; – how the colors look blended with the white Prismacolor pencil that came with the set – how the colors look blended with a Prismacolor colorless Blender (purchased separately on Amazon see photo); – how the colors look blended with a COPIC colorless marker Blender (purchased separately on Amazon see photo); – how the colors look blended with off the shelf mineral oil; – how the colors erase with an AFMAT battery operated eraser (purchased separately on Amazon see photo); – how the old lilac Prismacolor pencil blends with the new onesI hope the ‘color recipe’ sheet helps you see that even ‘dull’ colors can be pretty exciting! The recipe sheet was done on cheap standard printer paper, but ideally for these pencils you’d use better paper – I included a photo of the Bristol paper I’ve bought on Amazon.5) Cost Effective: My old Prismacolor sets are up to 120 colors. I was replacing them and supplementing them buying one or two new ones at a time – you pay more per pencil that way. It just made sense to get the 150 pencil set.6) Prismacolor vs Faber Castell Polychromos: I have them both, love them both. You can combine them but technically they have a different ‘base’ and Polychromos lets you know how light-fast their colors are right on each pencil. Price wise it’s hard to beat the 150 Prismacolor set. Either way you can create some awesome art, building up one light layer after another, and don’t be shy about creating your own ‘color recipe’ pages and experimenting how one light layer of one color looks on top of a light layer of another color. Write down the colors you used like I did on the photo – even a muddy color can be useful someday! Enjoy!
Relieved to Say THESE ARE GREAT. I read the negative reviews about some people getting broken pencils, incomplete sets, no black/white pencils, and possible fakes, and was worried about what I would receive, but I am relieved to say I received what I was supposed to receive.Detail:1) The Prismacolor box: Inside the brown Amazon delivery box was a colorful shrink-wrapped Prismacolor cardboard storage box with the pencils inside on removable plastic trays. The Prismacolor storage box that the pencils come in is much nicer than I expected. It has a magnet closure. It makes this set a VERY presentable gift for an artist. The storage box I received looked new. The storage box is pretty sturdy (but not sturdy enough/secure enough to travel with – I’d recommend a different box for that). One downside is the plastic trays inside the box – they are a bit flimsy, so you have to use two hands and flat surfaces or you could accidentally dump the pencils out of their plastic trays when using.2) The pencils: Mine look new. I didn’t lift/inspect every pencil other than read its name, but I didn’t see any broken points or cracked pencils or used pencils. ( I took the time to read every name & there were no duplicates which some negative reviews mentioned). There was a black pencil and a white pencil (at least one negative review mentioned those being missing). I didn’t see anything visually that would make me think these were fakes. When I bought these on Amazon, the seller was listed as Amazon, so maybe the negative reviews with suspected fakes were from a different seller. All I know is that I’m grateful to not have experienced those problems.3) Quality: Some of the negative reviews said these not as good as the old Prismacolor pencils. I have Prismacolors from waaaay back when it was owned by Berol and from the 90’s when it was Sanford. I’m including a photo of a few of the new ones from this set and a few of the old ones from the 90s (thirty years ago!). The new ones and the old ones all sharpened with a hand crank AFMAT pencil sharpener specifically for color pencils. You can see both old and new got super sharp long points. Nothing broke on the new ones. No Prismacolor pencils, old or new, should be sharpened with a regular pencil sharpener- that thrashes them and you get breaks. That’s because Prismacolor pencils are SOFTER so they blend better. I’ve included a photo of my hand crank AFMAT colored pencil sharpener with this review (I bought that pencil sharpener on Amazon also, works great). When you use Prismacolor you need to use whisper-gentle pencil strokes in many many layers to build up colors or pencil tips can break. Goes with the territory, no big deal, expect it. Save your broken tips for those times you press too hard, there’s uses for them :)4) I did a few quick tests in addition to the sharpening test, and included a photo for that as well. I randomly picked some ‘dull’ colors from the new set, plus Lilac that I had handy from my old Prismacolor set, and created a quick color recipe sheet that I included a photo of with this review. Looking at the sheet you can see these sorts of tests: – how intense the colors are in a few light layers verses many layers, super light pressure verses a little harder pressure; – how the colors work blended in different combinations; – how the colors look blended with the white Prismacolor pencil that came with the set – how the colors look blended with a Prismacolor colorless Blender (purchased separately on Amazon see photo); – how the colors look blended with a COPIC colorless marker Blender (purchased separately on Amazon see photo); – how the colors look blended with off the shelf mineral oil; – how the colors erase with an AFMAT battery operated eraser (purchased separately on Amazon see photo); – how the old lilac Prismacolor pencil blends with the new onesI hope the ‘color recipe’ sheet helps you see that even ‘dull’ colors can be pretty exciting! The recipe sheet was done on cheap standard printer paper, but ideally for these pencils you’d use better paper – I included a photo of the Bristol paper I’ve bought on Amazon.5) Cost Effective: My old Prismacolor sets are up to 120 colors. I was replacing them and supplementing them buying one or two new ones at a time – you pay more per pencil that way. It just made sense to get the 150 pencil set.6) Prismacolor vs Faber Castell Polychromos: I have them both, love them both. You can combine them but technically they have a different ‘base’ and Polychromos lets you know how light-fast their colors are right on each pencil. Price wise it’s hard to beat the 150 Prismacolor set. Either way you can create some awesome art, building up one light layer after another, and don’t be shy about creating your own ‘color recipe’ pages and experimenting how one light layer of one color looks on top of a light layer of another color. Write down the colors you used like I did on the photo – even a muddy color can be useful someday! Enjoy!
Relieved to Say THESE ARE GREAT. I read the negative reviews about some people getting broken pencils, incomplete sets, no black/white pencils, and possible fakes, and was worried about what I would receive, but I am relieved to say I received what I was supposed to receive.Detail:1) The Prismacolor box: Inside the brown Amazon delivery box was a colorful shrink-wrapped Prismacolor cardboard storage box with the pencils inside on removable plastic trays. The Prismacolor storage box that the pencils come in is much nicer than I expected. It has a magnet closure. It makes this set a VERY presentable gift for an artist. The storage box I received looked new. The storage box is pretty sturdy (but not sturdy enough/secure enough to travel with – I’d recommend a different box for that). One downside is the plastic trays inside the box – they are a bit flimsy, so you have to use two hands and flat surfaces or you could accidentally dump the pencils out of their plastic trays when using.2) The pencils: Mine look new. I didn’t lift/inspect every pencil other than read its name, but I didn’t see any broken points or cracked pencils or used pencils. ( I took the time to read every name & there were no duplicates which some negative reviews mentioned). There was a black pencil and a white pencil (at least one negative review mentioned those being missing). I didn’t see anything visually that would make me think these were fakes. When I bought these on Amazon, the seller was listed as Amazon, so maybe the negative reviews with suspected fakes were from a different seller. All I know is that I’m grateful to not have experienced those problems.3) Quality: Some of the negative reviews said these not as good as the old Prismacolor pencils. I have Prismacolors from waaaay back when it was owned by Berol and from the 90’s when it was Sanford. I’m including a photo of a few of the new ones from this set and a few of the old ones from the 90s (thirty years ago!). The new ones and the old ones all sharpened with a hand crank AFMAT pencil sharpener specifically for color pencils. You can see both old and new got super sharp long points. Nothing broke on the new ones. No Prismacolor pencils, old or new, should be sharpened with a regular pencil sharpener- that thrashes them and you get breaks. That’s because Prismacolor pencils are SOFTER so they blend better. I’ve included a photo of my hand crank AFMAT colored pencil sharpener with this review (I bought that pencil sharpener on Amazon also, works great). When you use Prismacolor you need to use whisper-gentle pencil strokes in many many layers to build up colors or pencil tips can break. Goes with the territory, no big deal, expect it. Save your broken tips for those times you press too hard, there’s uses for them :)4) I did a few quick tests in addition to the sharpening test, and included a photo for that as well. I randomly picked some ‘dull’ colors from the new set, plus Lilac that I had handy from my old Prismacolor set, and created a quick color recipe sheet that I included a photo of with this review. Looking at the sheet you can see these sorts of tests: – how intense the colors are in a few light layers verses many layers, super light pressure verses a little harder pressure; – how the colors work blended in different combinations; – how the colors look blended with the white Prismacolor pencil that came with the set – how the colors look blended with a Prismacolor colorless Blender (purchased separately on Amazon see photo); – how the colors look blended with a COPIC colorless marker Blender (purchased separately on Amazon see photo); – how the colors look blended with off the shelf mineral oil; – how the colors erase with an AFMAT battery operated eraser (purchased separately on Amazon see photo); – how the old lilac Prismacolor pencil blends with the new onesI hope the ‘color recipe’ sheet helps you see that even ‘dull’ colors can be pretty exciting! The recipe sheet was done on cheap standard printer paper, but ideally for these pencils you’d use better paper – I included a photo of the Bristol paper I’ve bought on Amazon.5) Cost Effective: My old Prismacolor sets are up to 120 colors. I was replacing them and supplementing them buying one or two new ones at a time – you pay more per pencil that way. It just made sense to get the 150 pencil set.6) Prismacolor vs Faber Castell Polychromos: I have them both, love them both. You can combine them but technically they have a different ‘base’ and Polychromos lets you know how light-fast their colors are right on each pencil. Price wise it’s hard to beat the 150 Prismacolor set. Either way you can create some awesome art, building up one light layer after another, and don’t be shy about creating your own ‘color recipe’ pages and experimenting how one light layer of one color looks on top of a light layer of another color. Write down the colors you used like I did on the photo – even a muddy color can be useful someday! Enjoy!
This review might be long but I think it will inform you about few details related to pencils in general as well as it will do for the Prismacolor Premier.I was so young when I started to color that I cannot tell when was the first time I took a coloring pencil in my hand and I’m close to my seventies today. Now, as far as I remember, the Prismacolor brand have always been my number one favorite of all. And the Premier pencils, well, are a dream. I’ m so happy and confident every time I’m using them. The colors are so rich and the cores are so soft that they blend like no other. But there is also a negative point about that fact. The core is so soft that if you are one who generally put pressure on the pencil to get its darker tone right away, the pencils won’t last. I’m not the kind that will put too much pressure on her pencils, nonetheless, I also often use the second version of them : the Scholars 60 pencils box. And here is what I already said in a review about the Scholars :‘’ I’m a senior lady who love coloring. I have a collection of about 30 books and enjoy a pencil that gives me possibility to create a large variation of tones. So I’m using a lot of pencils and I do have many different sets from many different manufacturers. Although the Premier are the first one on the list of the best pencils of all, these Scholars are the ones that I do prefer because they still blend easily with the 5 different colors that I tried so far, they are for most of them as beautiful than the Premier, they last longer and the pricing is more affordable… ‘’This said, there’s another important plus point to mention about the Prismacolor brand, Premier and Scholars. Decades ago, every crafting and art stores were offering to buy these pencils one pencil at the time and they were offering almost every color. And if you search around you, even today you still can find some of those stores that are still selling them this way. So, you can easily replace one or two or more color pencils without having to buy a new box.Now, let’s talk about sharpeners and soft core pencils. First, I don’t care about sharpeners, I usually buy the cheapest ones on the market. The last one I got is coming from a One dollar Store, I’m using it for years and it still working perfectly with all the pencil brands that I have, including my Raffine to name only this other one. Why ?… Well, the truth is that it doesn’t matter the brand of the soft core pencils you intending to buy or using, if you hit or drop them, the core is broken. And this is mostly the one reason why they seems to break doesn’t matter the sharpener you use. My aunt was a professional painter and she’s the one who educated me about it. I was very young when I learned that fact and it was pissing me off every time I dropped one, so I made it a habit to use a cup or a small pot to place them in while coloring so they don’t roll down the table, on the floor. If you receive a box that contains several pencils with broken cores, there’s a pretty good chance that the box has been severely hit or dropped and if that had happened to me, I would have asked for a box replacement. That simple.It is the reason why I take such a good care of my pencils. I don’t share them either. I always keep extra boxes for the kids, I provide some jars and they are also educated about that fact.Prismacolor Premier are expensive pencils, but coloring with them is always such a marvelous experience. Go for it, you won’t regret your purchase. But they are true soft cores. Keep that in mind.
Exactly as described. Neatly packaged, no broken leads, no missing pens, I even got Lavender and lilac, the colors that’s been discontinued!No complains at all!
In a leauge of their own. Im relatively new to coloring so i dont know everything about it yet. However i have bought several other sets of pencils like castle arts ect, and these blow them away. I got these to go over my alcohol markers and the difference is amazing. The pencils are soft and go down smoothly, they layer fantastically. Ive always wanted a set of these, but theyve always been a bit expensive for me. Now that my coloring has gotten a bit better i figured now was the time to upgrade and im glad i did. Definitely worth the cost. My only real complaint is apparently 2 of the colors have been discontinued and were replaced with a spare white and a colorless blender, however i emailed prismacolor and theyre sending me the newer version replacements for free. Also didnt come with sheets to do swatches with which would have been nice, but you can find one online to print and use. Overall an excellent product with excellent customer service.
Unleash Your Creativity with Prismacolor Premier Colored Pencils. Prismacolor Premier Colored Pencils are an absolute game-changer for anyone who loves to create art. These pencils have completely transformed my coloring and drawing experience. The pigments are incredibly vibrant and blend seamlessly, allowing for a range of shades and effects that add depth and dimension to my work.The soft and creamy texture of these pencils makes coloring a breeze – they glide effortlessly on paper, making it easy to achieve smooth gradients and bold strokes alike. I’m particularly impressed with the durability of the leads – they’re resistant to breaking, which means less frustration and more time spent creating.The color selection in this set is outstanding. It includes a wide variety of hues that cater to every artistic need. Whether you’re a beginner or an experienced artist, Prismacolor Premier Colored Pencils will undoubtedly enhance your creative projects.I appreciate the high-quality construction of these pencils; they feel substantial in the hand and exude a sense of professionalism. While they are a bit on the higher end price-wise, the results they deliver are well worth the investment. If you’re serious about your art, these pencils are a must-have addition to your toolkit. My artistic journey has been elevated to new heights thanks to Prismacolor Premier Colored Pencils – I can’t recommend them enough!
Great product. Package arrived on time, and the quality of these pencils is surprisingly high. I am happy with what I got. Some comments talk about missing or broken pencils, etc, but it didn’t happen to me. Everything was in perfect shape.
La verdad tenia pendiente porque hay comentarios que dicen que no son originales, pero si lo son.Y los compare con una caja de prisma.color comprada en tienda y son iguales. El grabado plateado y negro no se a que se deba, pero la caja de la tienda también los trae. Super confiable todo.Solo tardaron un poco en llegar pero de ahí todo bien.
They are perfect. I was afraid that with the back to school deal they might be factory secondsMy 48 set a year ago came nice too but had miss aligned printing and slightly wonky cores but this set was perfect. I think the QC is gotten its footing.People have to remember that they provide pencils that really preform I notice people complaining about details that if adjusted would make PC pencils cost maybe double… that capped lacquered perfect every time pencil… it costs money. I’m glad that PC puts their energy into the core and minimizes the cost of other materials!Awesome, as expected beautiful color pencils!
Bought used – beyond happy with these. I’m just getting started using colored pencils and am not an artist at all! I’m just trying coloring as a hobby. I first bought some very inexpensive pencils (Amazon Basics) and thought, hmm. These aren’t bad. But it seemed like it took a lot of effort and my arm got sore, lol. So I did some research and found that Prismacolored Pencils are just raved about, with smooth, creamy colors. I hoped maybe I wouldn’t have to press so hard to get a deeper color. So I looked on Amazon because the big set isn’t availalbe in stores I looked at locally, but didn’t want to spend $160-$175 for a set of 150. So I saw these as a “Used-like new” option for $109. I decided to take the plunge and was nervously awaiting the delivery. They just came and they truly are like new! Two of the pencils have tips that look like they’re chipped – but not broken (See photo). A few of them were arranged out of order. The box is pristine. They came shrink wrapped with a sticker that said “Amazon warehousedeals. Inspected and repackaged.” A few of the pencils have blurry paint where the name/number is on each pencil. I suppose if you paid full price you would want pencils with no flaws. (shrug) None of them are split or cracked as far as I can see right now. I suppose they could have broken leads inside, but I’ll worry about that if I encounter that. Quick scribbling and blending-they feel very soft, creamy, glide over the paper very easily and have nice deep, full color. So I’m super happy with my purchase and can’t wait to use them tonight.EDIT: The lilac and lavender pencils are missing from this set, they included a blender and 2nd white instead. BUT then I realized that Prismacolor has discontinued those colors, so they weren’t really missing. Still no broken or split pencils.
Los colores vinieron completos, solo 2 vinieron un poco astillados pero nada que altere su funcionalidad, fáciles de mezclar, cremosos.La caja vino intacta a pesar de no venir con protección más que el fleje.
Good for Adults – blendable, buildable colors. I will preface this review by saying I am not a professional artist. I use these pencils to color in rubber stamps or stencils when making greeting cards as a hobby, or with adult coloring books to relax. That said, these pencils are very nice quality and a genuine pleasure to use. Definitely a positive example of ‘you get what you pay for,’ these pencils are an indulgence for a hobbyist and a great tool for the more advanced artist.These pencils blend incredibly well, and without any special tools or techniques, making it easy for even beginners to create smooth color transitions for shading or gradients. Because they blend so well, it’s really worth getting the full 150 color set, which provides a great range of colors without duplicates. They are a softer pencil, with tips that round off quickly, but you can still color in tiny areas or create sharp details if you want. I find I rarely need to sharpen the tips, even when working on intricate details. However, because of their softness these pencils are not the best choice for younger children, or anyone with a mobility issue that means they cannot vary the amount of pressure used.As far as longevity, the nice thing about pencils is they never dry up. For the occasional user, these will last a long time. Obviously the more you use them the faster they will be used up, but they do seem to last a good while. Prismacolor also sells pencils individually so if needed you can replace your most used colors.If you’re looking for just one set of tools to use with coloring books, I would get these rather than markers, pens, pastels, etc. – I bought mine in 2016 and still use them! I can throw them in a bag to take along when I travel and not worry about them leaking, melting, or breaking apart, and they are versatile – by blending and layering colors you can achieve many different effects with just one set of tools.