There’s lots to check out in this post. Watch the video showing how I coloured a Stamping Bella stamp using Polychromos coloured pencils. Then read my thoughts on Polychromos Pencils vs Prismacolor pencils. You can also grab a colour map showing all the pencil colours used on the image.

Today’s pencil coloured Flowersbehindmybackabella is my #thedailymarker30day colouring for the day! Incredibly I have been keeping up with colouring and filming every day, although admittedly some of the colouring has been very quick and easy in comparison to today’s effort. Click through to my #thedailymarker30day page to see everything in one handy location with all the colour maps and coloured images.

Stamping Bella Flowersbehindmybackabella Coloured with Polychromos Pencils:

To see this stamp coloured with Copic Markers, click HERE. Post also includes videos and a full step by step guide to colouring pleats/folds.

I know that not everyone favours Copic or other alcohol based markers, so I wanted to show the same image coloured with pencils. Here she is.

Stamp: Stamping Bella Flowersbehindmybackabella.

Details & Supplies:

I coloured her using my Faber-Castell Polychromos Pencils* (Jackson’s Art link*) on Strathmore Bristol Board* (Jackson’s Art link*). The Bristol Board is quite nice for colouring with pencils, although I will be trying out some other papers that perhaps have a little more tooth and may allow for more layering.

I did not use any blending solution when colouring, I layered the colour and blended with the pencils only. I tend to like the texture this gives.

As you can see, the approach I took to colouring the image is quite similar to the approach when I coloured with Copic markers. It’s all about light layering and building colour. I map things out so I know where I want to build the deepest shading, and blend out to the lightest areas. With the pencils I start out with the darkest shade and work back to the lightest, then add white or ivory in the highlight areas to help smooth things out and increase the highlights.

Polychromos Pencil Colouring Video:

Here’s a video showing how I coloured the image, which you can watch below or in HD over on YouTube.

Polychromos Pencil Colour Map for Flowersbehindmybackabella:

Faber-Castell Polychromos vs Prismacolor Premier Pencils:

I often see people asking “which pencils are better, Polychromos or Prismacolor?”. My first answer is that they are both good pencils, and if budget is a major concern, opt for whichever you can afford. You can achieve beautiful colouring with both brands.

Prismacolor Premier Soft Core Pencils

When I first starting colouring Stamping Bella images I used Prismacolor pencils. In fact I am still using the same set of pencils nine years later. Of course, the fact that I have mostly been using markers for colouring for around seven of those years has helped increase the lifespan of my pencils dramatically!

While they are nice pencils, with good colour laydown and nice blending, I find using the Prismacolor pencils quite frustrating. My main issue with them is breakage. By this I mean the breakage that occurs of the pencil core, during usage and sharpening. The leads or cores in these pencils are soft and break easily inside the wood casing. From various blog posts and forum comments I have read over the past few years I don’t believe that the quality of the Prismacolor pencils has improved, and in fact many reports suggest that the problems may have increased since I acquired my set of pencils.

Another issue with the Prismacolor Pencils is wax bloom. This occurs when you layer quite heavily, so it probably isn’t a huge concern for many paper-crafting colourists. The wax binder in the pencils rises to the surface and causes a cloudy haze which can obscure detail. There are ways to work around wax bloom, and remove it, which I won’t talk about here.

If you are concerned about lightfastness, it is worth noting that a significant number of the colours in the Prismacolor range have a poor rating.

Price:

US Readers: In the US you can purchase the 150 pc set of Prismacolor Premier pencils * for around $125 on Amazon (the list price is $312).

In the US the pencils can be purchased as open stock (individually) for around $1.19 each from websites like DickBlick.

UK Readers: In the UK the price on Amazon for the 150 pc set of Prismacolor Premier Pencils* is currently around £85 (RRP is £341).

Faber-Castell Polychromos Pencils

I was fortunate enough to receive a full set of Faber-Castell Polychromos pencils as a gift a couple of years ago, and the difference was instantly noticeable. They sharpen beautifully and hold a sharp point very well. This is because the lead or core is bonded to the wood on both sides, along the full length of the pencil (SV bonding). This makes a huge difference when colouring, because I don’t need to waste time simply trying to get a pencil sharpened! Also, I’m not wasting expensive pencils in the sharpening process.

Polychromos pencils are oil based, as opposed to the wax base of the Prismacolors. One advantage of this is that they produce less “crumbs” as you work, which reduces the likelihood that you might smudge colour where it isn’t wanted. Another advantage is that they don’t produce the wax bloom I talked about above, which means you can layer more (the paper you use will also be a huge factor in layering, so bear this in mind).

The Polcyhromos pencils aren’t quite as opaque as the Prismacolor. I like this, as I prefer the effect when layering and blending colours. If you want to create effects that require a more opaque application, you can absolutely mix the wax-based Prismacolors with the Polychromos, or as I prefer to do, use a higher quality wax based pencil – Caran d’Ache Luminance (according to the manufacturer they use a wax which does not bloom). I’d actually recommend that, if using Polychromos pencils you supplement your collection with a few of the Caran d’Ache Luminance range* in White, Titanium Buff and Black to take advantage of the opacity (especially the White).

If lightfastness is of concern to you, you will be pleased to know that the Polychromos pencils have a good lightfastness rating across the range.

Blending:

My personal preference is for blending using the pencils themselves, rather than using a solvent like odourless mineral spirits, Zest-It Pencil Blend or baby oil. That said, you can use all of these with the Polychromos pencils, just as with the Prismacolors.

Price:

US Readers: you can purchase the full 120 pc set of Faber-Castell Polychromos pencils* for around $175 on Amazon (list price is $328).

UK Readers: you can purchase the full 120 pc set of Faber-Castell Polychromos pencils* for around £160 on Amazon (list price is £260).

In the UK you can purchase the pencils either as sets or as open stock (individually) for around £1.42 each from Jackson’s Art*.

My Personal Recommendation

As with most things, any preferences and recommendations are entirely subjective. My experience with a product, whatever it may be, is likely to be different to the next person’s experience. There are so many factors that can affect your perception and experience, including (or even most importantly) your expectations.

While they do have a significantly lower price point than the Polychromos pencils, Prismacolor pencils are not inexpensive. I don’t personally feel that the quality of the product reflects the price tag. People do create beautiful artwork with them, and they are by no means a “bad” option, but based on my user experience and given the choice, I would opt for the Polychromos pencils. I don’t like to feel that I am wasting my supplies, chewing through half of a pencil trying to get a point, and I definitely don’t like to waste my time or break my colouring flow while doing it.

If you are predominantly a paper-crafter, card-maker, or use pencils mostly for colouring books you may not be too concerned by the issue of lightfastness. Breakage and difficulty in maintaining a nice sharp point should be of concern though, since much of the work you do with pencils is likely to involve getting into fine detail areas.

With all that in mind, my recommendation to anyone reading this post would be to pick up a few individual pencils from each of the two brands, or a small set of each (they both have smaller 12, 24, 36 packs available) and test them out for yourself before making the investment in a complete set.

You can also read my thoughts in a Marker Geek Monday post over on the Stamping Bella blog, where I coloured an image with Polychromos pencils and then with Prismacolor pencils and provided full colour info: Marker Geek Monday Polychromos vs Prismacolor Pencils.

2020 UPDATE: In the past couple of years my experience with Prismacolor pencils has improved. I purchased a new set of the pencils later in 2016 and experienced significantly less breakages. I still prefer the quality of the Polychromos pencils, but think this is worth noting. Below you will also find a link to a post on pencil sharpeners, which will prove really helpful.

If you’re looking for great pencils at a lower price point, check out THIS POST for a look at the Arteza coloured pencils.

More Colouring Videos:

You can find a number of videos showing how I colour over on my Marker Geek Youtube Channel. All my Stamping Bella related videos can be found in a Stamping Bella Video Playlist.

Copic Marker Colour Palette / Copic Colour Maps:

If you purchase stamps from Stamping Bella, you will be able to obtain a free Copic Colour Map showing the colours used on the product images seen on the packaging and website. See HERE for details.

Other Posts You May Like

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In my capacity as colourist and design team member for Stamping Bella, I do receive the stamps I use from them. All opinions and creative decisions remain my own, and I only work with companies/use products that I love.