JSparrow
Well-known member
- Messages
- 76
So @laika posed a question about white pencils in the thread "What's Wrong With Colored Pencils". I thought I would carry on that discussion over here.
I didn't find my test swatches for my white pencils, so I quickly dashed one out. And since Laika mentioned using Polychromos (I assume Faber Castell) I chose a Poly for the test color swatches. Helio Turquoise (the picture loses trueness to this beautiful color.)
So this is my in person assessment of the results. I'll address the Faber Castell Polychromos first. However, it is not on the first swatch.
Just as you say you experienced, Laika, my Polychromos white (from a 2019 repeat edition of vintage colors and labeled simply #1) showed very little over the color. I had to bare down and it was impossible to see on the white paper. Of the four pencils I tested, it came in at a poor last.
The other three made good marks over the color swatch and can be seen fairly well on white paper if the light and angle are right.
I rank them as follows:
#1 Derwent Drawing Chinese White 7200 ~ (though not as creamy as the Luminance, it gave the best coverage and the brightest white. However, I don't know how this type of pencil fits into a work of colored pencils or it's archivabilty. Anyone knowing feel free to jump in.
#2 Caran D'Ache Luminance White 001~ The quality is so close to the Derwent that there could even pose a question of any affect my quick layering of the swatch color might have made on the difference. This is actually my number one go to pencil when I need a white but then the Chinese White is a late edition to this party so we shall see.
#3 Caran D'Ache Pablo White 666001~ Pablos are harder than Luminance so need a little more bearing down to draw out the white, but I think it will work well for fine lines. it shows close enough to the top two but not my first recommendation
#4 Faber Castell 2019 Limited Edition Vintage set #1 ~ waste of time to try to get good use out of this. Buy one of the others--they sell individually--and put this one in the kid's pencil box.
It appears I don't own a Prismacolor white. Is it possible all of the themed sets I bought has no white? Yep. I just dug out my boxes (If you're curious ~ Landscape, Botanical Garden, and Under The Sea). None have white.
I tried to adjust the color on my smart phone to get as close a match as possible. The turquoise is off but you can get the idea. Forgive my sloppy handwriting. I wasn't exactly taking my time. And no, the Poly did not turn up as well in real life as it does in the photo.
Bonus, my black test swatches:
I love the Arteza Noir, but when being discriminating, The Prismacolor gives a nice creamy, rich black.
Have fun with this!
I didn't find my test swatches for my white pencils, so I quickly dashed one out. And since Laika mentioned using Polychromos (I assume Faber Castell) I chose a Poly for the test color swatches. Helio Turquoise (the picture loses trueness to this beautiful color.)
So this is my in person assessment of the results. I'll address the Faber Castell Polychromos first. However, it is not on the first swatch.
Just as you say you experienced, Laika, my Polychromos white (from a 2019 repeat edition of vintage colors and labeled simply #1) showed very little over the color. I had to bare down and it was impossible to see on the white paper. Of the four pencils I tested, it came in at a poor last.
The other three made good marks over the color swatch and can be seen fairly well on white paper if the light and angle are right.
I rank them as follows:
#1 Derwent Drawing Chinese White 7200 ~ (though not as creamy as the Luminance, it gave the best coverage and the brightest white. However, I don't know how this type of pencil fits into a work of colored pencils or it's archivabilty. Anyone knowing feel free to jump in.
#2 Caran D'Ache Luminance White 001~ The quality is so close to the Derwent that there could even pose a question of any affect my quick layering of the swatch color might have made on the difference. This is actually my number one go to pencil when I need a white but then the Chinese White is a late edition to this party so we shall see.
#3 Caran D'Ache Pablo White 666001~ Pablos are harder than Luminance so need a little more bearing down to draw out the white, but I think it will work well for fine lines. it shows close enough to the top two but not my first recommendation
#4 Faber Castell 2019 Limited Edition Vintage set #1 ~ waste of time to try to get good use out of this. Buy one of the others--they sell individually--and put this one in the kid's pencil box.
It appears I don't own a Prismacolor white. Is it possible all of the themed sets I bought has no white? Yep. I just dug out my boxes (If you're curious ~ Landscape, Botanical Garden, and Under The Sea). None have white.
I tried to adjust the color on my smart phone to get as close a match as possible. The turquoise is off but you can get the idea. Forgive my sloppy handwriting. I wasn't exactly taking my time. And no, the Poly did not turn up as well in real life as it does in the photo.
Bonus, my black test swatches:
I love the Arteza Noir, but when being discriminating, The Prismacolor gives a nice creamy, rich black.
Have fun with this!
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