Faber-CastellPolychromos Artists' Color Pencils - Tin of 120 Colors - Premium Quality Artist Pencils

Okay, here begins the fangirling over my took-me-three-years-to-get-them Polychromos coloring pencils. I LOVE THEM!!! I did buy them a special fabric case, since I did not intend to keep them in the tin (which is actually a nice tin, by the way).I love colored pencils, and have a lot of different sets. Cheapies, mid-ranges, and my beloved Polychromos. I do tend to save these pencils for special artwork I plan to display. Color-fastness and all that good stuff.Once you sharpen these, you quickly learn they hold their points for a good bit of time. I use a lightish touch with them, but it goes beyond that I'm not pressing hard; they are made to last, and they do. They blend well, layer well, have rich pigmentation, and have a good-sized lead so they aren't going to get you through one picture and need replacing.The colors are gorgeous, with a full range. They are not super-hard, but you can't call them soft, either. They are what you would expect an oil pencil to be. But these are a high quality oil pencil, so I applaud their functionality as versatile colored pencils. As stated, they are vibrant, layer and blend, and feel really good in the hand. They do cost a bit, and it took awhile for me to fit them into the budget. I'm poor, so some will just order these and not have to do without some other supply they need more.These are worth the price, and a plus is that they are available open stock. I find that very attractive. If you are not sure you will like a harder pencil like a Polychromos, try buying one of the small sets, or a few pencils open stock, and see if you like them. If you do, start saving and looking for sales. You won't regret it. Quality is worth paying for.

I really would recommend these pencils to any artist out there who wants to try new brands, or kinds of pencils. They may be a little on the expensive side for someone just starting out, and it’s great that they have options for set sizes. I started out with the set of 36, and I loved how sturdy they are, they have a lot of colors, and they hold a sharp tip pretty well. I’ve gotten a few other brands, but these are by far my favorites. The colors are vibrant, they are thick and durable, I haven’t had any crumble while sharpening. I also like that the ends are covered, I think that helps with their durability.Since I got the set, these are the only colored pencils that I’ve used. They’re awesome! I have multiple Faber Castell supplies, such as the Pitt Graphite Matte pencils, and they are wonderful as well, they’re the only brand I use for my graphite drawings.

JUST GET THESE! I have many kinds of colored pencils, from budget to higher end, including Prismacolor, and all pencils get the job done, some better or more enjoyably than others. These Polychromos are hands down, without an argument or hesitation, the BEST!!!Yes the price is steeper than many others, but so worth it. They sharpen with just a few twists to a super fine point - without breakage - and are great for fine detail work. You need to use less to get the same effect as other brands, so in the long run they will last longer. Any number of art stores carry open stock of Polychromos so you can get what you need instead of doing without or needing to buy a complete set to replace just a few pencils.The colors are vibrant, saturated, and just plain gorgeous; many of them are unique and unexpected compared to other brands. The laydown is silky smooth and complete. They layer, blend, and burnish with ease so you are in total control of your color. They also erase relatively well (especially the lighter colors). This is an oil-based pencil so the color is strong even among the softer colors, that is, the tooth of the paper is well-covered quickly, even when using a light hand/touch.The only "negative" I have found is minor: the metallic print on the pencil for pencil number, color, and lightfastness is small and a little difficult to read at times and on certain pencils because of the size and reflection. I make color swatches anyway so it is not a problem for me, just wanted to give a heads-up regarding this.There are many pencil brands available, especially from China. Many are quite good and reasonably priced, I even have favorites among them. However, these Polychromos (made in Germany by one of the oldest and continuously family-owned companies) are a definite step above. If you are new to pencil art or coloring, you will fall in love and believe yourself to be a budding artist, if you do occasional coloring or art, you will be spoiled, always reaching for these over other brands. And if you are a serious artist, or trying to be, you will know that you have finally found a color pencil which will do your bidding and inspire you to do great art!