Search for the world's best woodless pencils continues with a review of the Cretacolor Monolity Woodless pencils set. Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for Cretacolor Cleos Fine Art Graphite Pencil Set (6 Pencils) at Amazon.com. CRETACOLOR, as the only Austrian manufacturer of arts supplies, is able to work with centuries of experience and tradition and stands for high quality products. The last couple of months I'v been able to try Cretacolor products (they are fairly new in India) and the one thing that excites me the most is that they have sets of products you … And overall, when we are talking about these kinds of prices, it makes it much easier to overlook some of the glaring issues. Reviews; Cretacolor Nero Pencils 3pk. Read honest and unbiased product reviews from our users. They hope that their blending and great price will overshadow some of the inherent issues with their small pencil set. These are budget pencils and you are reminded of that by the packaging of the pencils and pencil case. We did find some minor color gaps, even in the largest sets. Unfortunately, the lack of vivid color sort of offsets this benefit. Cretacolor Samples Review: Oil pencils, water soluble graphite pencils, water soluble oil pastels. Read honest and unbiased product reviews from our users. Let’s review some of the best watercolor pencils together, remember their pros and cons and choose the right set for you. The Cretacolor Artist Studio Colored Pencils are a simple answer to those just starting or that don’t want to spend a lot of money on a starter set. Designed for artists of all skill levels, these artist-quality colored pencils come in a range of 36 highly pigmented colors. They are also water and smudge resistant, making them an excellent companion when working with water based media. For detailed areas, you will want to try to sharpen the point to as fine of a point as possible.  However, this will likely result in the tip easily chipping.  This is simply the price you pay when working with pastel pencils.  Nevertheless, letting off your pushing pressure will make it an easier task. in cardboard box The Nero pencils are available in 5 densities ranging from extra soft to extra hard. Another issue we had was with the brightness of the color. To some, it can be a very overwhelming process trying to choose which product to go with due to the huge number of options and the fact that colored pencil reviews are scattered and never very consistent. Broad and fine strokes can be applied with equal ease. Available in 72 rich colors. They are rated against a scale of five where LF1 and LF2 are the most lightfast. Essentially, the 24-pack set has been removed from this larger artist set and put into its own box. Join our mailing list to receive the latest colored pencil reviews and articles! These aren’t the “all in one” type of pencil tha… Zoom Cretacolor Nero Deep Black Pencils Set - Set of 7 Current price: Excellent for general-purpose sketching and drawing when a dense black line is needed, the Cretacolor Nero Deep Black Pocket Set and pencils produce a shiny black, smudge proof stroke that is water resistant. Cretacolor's . These pencils are available individually as well as in sets of 12, 24 and 36. Finally the birthday week madness is over. These pencils manage to combine the great color production of pastels but in a format that is much easier to control and maintain. As for the pencils themselves, they are also very plain in appearance. If you do decide that pastel pencils are something that you want to add to your collection, then finding these at the lower price points makes them a solid buy.  The combination of performance, ease of use, and longevity are all big positives.  But in terms of strictly performance, there are better pencils out there (that will be at a much higher asking price). We did find some minor color gaps, even in the largest sets.  And being a pastel, there is the inherent messy factor that goes along with it.  These aren’t the “all in one” type of pencil that some people may be looking for.  If you are after a set of pencils that you can use for just about any application, then we recommend sticking with a more traditional set of colored pencils.  But as an added set to build upon your already existing collection, we feel that everybody should ultimately have some pastel pencils. Being a small set, they are severely limited in the available color choices. Using the first Three Pencils and after extensive research for No. However, this set is much cheaper so that likely has to do with it. Pastels can be a little finicky when it comes to lightfastness.  Cretacolor has included a “lightfast” stamp on these products, but we are not exactly sure what that means.  Typically, there will be some sort of lightfast rating associated with individual pencils but we did not see anything like that here.  We can confidently say that the color on these pastels will last long enough for typical works but anything beyond that would require further testing. We also experimented with light applications where we applied little application pressure.  We were able to get subtle color output that stayed consistent.  This will be helpful in areas of your canvas that you do not want a lot of color but still value consistency in how they strokes stick to the page. Similar to many other watercolor pencils that you have tested, Cretacolor incorporates more water-soluble components to the lead. Compared to other pastel pencils that we have tried, Cretacolors seem to hold up pretty well.  But that isn’t to say that they will be as durable as a traditional wax or oil-based pencil.  You should always take some extra care any time you are handling or using pastel pencils. Their rich pigmentation and high degree of lightfastness guarantee brilliant results. But with so many choices, it can be hard to decide what are the best colored pencils are or where to go for the best colored pencil reviews. Layering is also quite good.  We discovered that you could stack up quite a few layers before things got too out of control.  Wax bloom is not an issue here since these types of pencils don’t utilize a lot (if any) wax.  But keep in mind that the more layers that you apply, the messier things can get due to the nature of pastels. This is in stark difference to the much more attractive (and protective) tin case that the full artist set comes with as well as the Karmina colored pencil set. Designed by Elegant Themes | Powered by WordPress. Its most popular offering that utilizes their budget colored pencils is the 72-pack artist set which consists of a variety of art mediums including watercolors and pastel pencils. Cretacolor's Monolith Woodless Pencil is made with the purest graphite from Austria, formed into a 7 mm solid stick with a protective lacquer coating. Right above this area is a small silver line for an added effect. Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for Cretacolor Monolith Woodless Graphite Pencil 9B at Amazon.com. An oil-based charcoal that produces a shiny black, smudge-proof stroke. Available in six degrees: HB, 2B, 4B, 6B, 8B, 9B. Cretacolor has managed to incorporate a good level of pigment into their pastel pencils.  If you have ever experienced pastels in the past, you likely know that bright color is a common characteristic of them.  This makes them good for areas of your artwork that you want to “pop”.  In particular, these pastels will excel with the darker colors.  You can easily produce deep, intense colors that can draw you in. What are the Best Colored Pencil Holders? Economical to use. The popular Cretacolor Nero lead sticks are now available as oil-based charcoal pencils! BestColoredPencils tests and reviews colored pencils and more to find the best products for you. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. What are the Best Colored Pencil Holders? Cretacolor Pastel Pencils utilize the same pigment as in their Pastel Carre Sticks.  By going with a thinner core and wrapping it in wood, these pastel pencils hope to capture the magic of pastels but in a more usable and versatile form. All in all, we enjoyed trying out Cretacolor Pastel Pencils.  These pencils manage to combine the great color production of pastels but in a format that is much easier to control and maintain.  The color output is great (which is to be expected with pastels).  And the application methods and blending are very robust.Â. This is a review of the Cretacolor twelve colored pencil set made in Austria. These pencils are good for creating a base layer where you aren’t looking for intense color. Save Up to 24% Off List Obtain mess-free, rich oil densities with the Nero pencil! It is oil-based and, therefore, water-resistant. Using them in conjunction with a brighter set is recommended. They are distinguished by their soft, velvet-smooth stroke. Supplied as single colors and in sets. Overall, we found the blending of these pencils to be very good.  They seem to blend well no matter if you are using the tips as a built-in blender or if you go in with an eraser or your finger.  Introducing water to them is also quite rewarding.  The water works well with the pigments and you will find that blending and transferring color to other areas of your paper is quite easy (and fun!). Their colored pencil lineup is quite small, consisting of their budget set called the Artist Studio (which this review is about) and their higher-end Karmina set. Rather, it is a student-oriented line that is trying to go stride to stride with Crayola and Reeves. in cardboard box Buy on Amazon All in all, we enjoyed trying out Cretacolor Pastel Pencils. Being a small set, they are severely limited in the available color choices. fourth and fifth of the list, I have made shortlisted 5 items to feature in my review list. Read honest and unbiased product reviews from our users. We noticed particularly large gaps when it came to oranges and bright greens. These Fine Art Pastel Pencils are perfect for fine detailed work. Read honest and unbiased product reviews from our users. I don't have these yet as they are difficult to get hold of in the UK and are relatively expensive compared to the equivalent US price, so I have gathered up some information kindly provided by other reviewers. Available in five different grades. This results in superior blending and color application when using water. If you want detailed reviews on watercolor pencils, you have come to the right place. Pastel Pencil Review - BEST PENCILS - Caran D'Ache, Derwent, Carbothello, Cretacolor, Faber Castell Pittcheck out my full review - which are best ? The 24 pack (and 12 pack) set size limits how many colors you will have to work with. The largest budget set only comes in at 24 pieces. This will help fill some of these color gaps. The Monolith Graphite woodless pencil is a pure graphite stick protected by a thin lacquer coating. I have been wanting pastel pencils every since trying Priya Sebastian’s Derwent set. Nero produces a shiny black, smudge-proof stroke. Water-resistant pencils, leads, and sticks work in excellent combination with traditional charcoal and all manner of water media when a permanent line is needed. They are: 1. Reviewed in the United States on December 11, 2015. Also, we wish that the pencils would undergo a bit of a “facelift” and get some more attractive packaging. Cretacolor Nero pencils are oil-based charcoal pencils with a wood casing that eliminates the usual mess of charcoal sticks. Size: round barrel, 7 mm lead=pencil, lenght 146 mm Content: 12 pcs. Designed by Elegant Themes | Powered by WordPress. The Graphite set contents are as follows: Monolith Aquarell Graphite 4B Graphite Aquarell HB Graphite Aquarell 4B Graphite Aquarell 8B Water-resistent Nero Pencil Black Pastel Last Updated by Brandon F. on June 22, 2020. When compared to only other pastels on the market, the asking price is much more competitive.  Taking into account the overall performance and durability, these are acceptably priced in our book. The color output is great (which is to be expected with pastels). Their target market with this line is entry-level artists and those on a tight budget. Cretacolor Marino Watercolor Pencils Review, General’s Kimberly Watercolor Pencils Review, Derwent Academy Watercolor Pencils Review, Faber-Castell Classic Colored Pencil Review, Castle Art Supplies Colored Pencils Review, Bruynzeel Design Colour Colored Pencils Review, Lyra Rembrandt Aquarell Artists’ Colored Pencils Review, Lyra Rembrandt Polycolor Colored Pencils Review, Koh-i-noor Progresso Woodless Colored Pencils Review, Stabilo CarbOthello Pastel Pencils Review, Top Quality Art Supplies Colored Pencils Review, Caran d’Ache Fancolor Colored Pencils Review, Caran d’Ache Aquarelle Museum Watercolor Pencils Review, Thornton’s Art Supply Colored Pencils Review, Caran d’Ache Prismalo Aquarelle Watercolor Pencils Review. We feel that these pastel pencils are quite attractive.  The exposed wood finish looks nice in contrast to the colored base.  The stamping used is a bit “childish” for our tastes, however.  Also, noticeably missing is a star system that represents lightfast ratings.  However, in the grand scheme of things, these are not huge issues. If I’m using a water-soluble graphite pencil, I usually want the wash to be as dark as possible. ... 4.0 out of 5 stars CretacoloR Color Pencils. My art materials cup has been filled again in the form of gifts. We will say that if you can find these pastel pencils on the lower end of the price spectrum, they deliver a much better bargain than on the higher end of the spectrum.  At the top of the price range, they are competing with the likes of Faber-Castell, Caran d’Ache, etc.  And it is hard for any brand to compete with those juggernauts.Â, But even on the low end of the price, they still couldn’t be considered bargain pencils.Â. Conversely, it also means that you can enjoy a very nice point that can adequately handle highly-detailed areas (just be sure to be more gentle when pushing down). Cretacolor is the direct manufacturing descendent of the company started by Joseph Hardtmuth in 1790, which produced the first pencil leads by using a mixture of graphite and clay. Despite being a wax-based set, the color application came out almost chalky and somewhat dull. Best Colored Pencils for Artists – Review and Comparison. The case is made of thin cardboard and is about what you expect from other budget lines. Cretacolor Woodless Aquarelle Pencils … For those who strictly want to work on blending techniques, this is a perfect and affordable product for that. Marino watercolor or aquarelle pencils are made in Austria by Cretacolor. The pencils themselves are thicker than your normal colored pencils.  This is attributed to the thicker core that is commonly found in pastel pencils. They live up to their 200 years’ legacy. Cretacolor Pastel Pencils come in a standard cardboard carrying case.  Embedded inside this case is a thin plastic tray with individual grooves for helping to secure the pastels.  We have found that having a good case is particularly important in pastel pencils.  This is because when these pencils bump into each other, they can break off pieces of the core.  This can result in quite a mess! Thankfully, these wax-based pencils have surprisingly good blending considering their price point. Woodless pencils may cost a bit more, but they generally last longer than the typical wood-encased pencils. I liek pastels but I prefer the finer ones to the chunky sticks for details. They work great with watercolour with the downside being you have to sharpen them. It is important to remind you that this set isn’t meant to be competing with the top tier Prismacolors or Faber-Castells. In this review, we will try out Cretacolor Pastel Pencils.  We will go over their performance, pros, cons, and give them a rating.  These pencils come in packs ranging from singles up to a 72 count pack.  The thick core is wrapped in a round wood barrel.  The asking price tends to fall in the lower end of the premium price spectrum. Cretacolor Colored Pencils are offered by a lesser-known brand called Cretacolor. Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for Cretacolor Nero Pencil 3Pk X-Soft Med, Black at Amazon.com. You don’t get the “pop” of color that certain brands have. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. BestColoredPencils tests and reviews colored pencils and more to find the best products for you. As we mentioned above, the blending is pretty good here so this, coupled with the somewhat hard lead, makes these pencils better-suited for gentle color strokes rather than aggressive strokes. Due to the slightly larger core size, these pencils are great for producing large, broad strokes.  This makes them a good choice for areas of your work that you need a lot of color with minimal effort.  And since they do produce good color with minimal effort, they are handy for other types of applications such as hatching, pointillism, and swirls.  We encourage you to test out different approaches to find out what works best for you. Size: Ø 3,8 mm lead, 7.5 mm pencil, 3 pcs. As for application pressure, the core does seem to be slightly above average in hardness which can make it more prone to breaking when sharpened to a fine point. 430 24). The looks of the pencil aren’t a big deal to many people but we do wish that Cretacolor would spend a bit more time on this aspect. The Cretacolor Artist Studio Colored Pencils are a simple answer to those just starting or that don’t want to spend a lot of money on a starter set. Overall Ranking – 3.5/5. "Black Box" Charcoal Drawing Set is an outstanding value, offering 20 different charcoal related drawing materials, all made in Austria: . Top 20 Watercolor Pencils Reviews 2020. Cretacolor Mega Colored Pencils have a 6.4 mm core for making broad strokes. The blending here is pretty good and is more advanced than a majority of the other budget sets on the market. Shown side by side, you can see that the grades vary, but not as much as ordinary graphite pencils in the same grades. Austrian-made Cretacolor water-soluble graphite pencils come in three grades: HB, 4B and 8B. Sharpen with a regular sharpener (we recommend the Monolith Sharpener, item no. Cretacolor woodless pencils are perfect for shading and the graphite in them is water-soluble, allowing you to create soft washes over the page. Densities range from HB to 9B. Read honest and unbiased product reviews from our users. areas of your artwork that you want to “pop”, Cretacolor Marino Watercolor Pencils Review, General’s Kimberly Watercolor Pencils Review, Derwent Academy Watercolor Pencils Review, Faber-Castell Classic Colored Pencil Review, Castle Art Supplies Colored Pencils Review, Bruynzeel Design Colour Colored Pencils Review, Lyra Rembrandt Aquarell Artists’ Colored Pencils Review, Lyra Rembrandt Polycolor Colored Pencils Review, Koh-i-noor Progresso Woodless Colored Pencils Review, Stabilo CarbOthello Pastel Pencils Review, Top Quality Art Supplies Colored Pencils Review, Caran d’Ache Fancolor Colored Pencils Review, Caran d’Ache Aquarelle Museum Watercolor Pencils Review, Thornton’s Art Supply Colored Pencils Review, Caran d’Ache Prismalo Aquarelle Watercolor Pencils Review. The total range of colours is 36 so it's kinda limited compared to other brands. The wax core is about average in size and consistency which means that you shouldn’t have trouble sharpening it. Creatacolor | $22.38. There is a somewhat cheesy font and you don’t see a lot of the stylistic features such as dipped bases, attractive gold leaf imprints, etc. This also applies when sharpening them.  We recommend using a manual hand sharpener that is designed for colored pencils.Â. And being a pastel, there is the inherent messy factor that goes along with it. The colors have a powdery texture and can be blended with one another, smudged or dissolved with water. We were surprised to see just how “over the place” the asking prices for Cretacolor Pastel Pencils were.  In some places, the prices were as much as 40% lower than in other places.  Because of that, it made it a little difficult to initially pin down a rating for the cost metric. If you want an adequate range of color choices, we recommend trying to go with the 72-count pack.  The smaller sizes (12, 24, and 36) simply have too large of color gaps to meets most people’s needs.  The largest size has a nice selection of reds and oranges.  But even in the largest size, we wouldn’t have minded a few additional greens. Review: Cretacolor Pastel Pencils. The round barrel has a semi-burnish color to it.  At the base of the pencil, there is a color-coordinated dip that matches the color of the pencil core.  We found that there were some slight variances in the color at the base and how it matches the color output.  But part of this is due to the varying color depth that you will observe when applying color and varying pressure. These pencils are great overall. Broad and fine strokes can easily be achieved with only one pencil. 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