Here we come! Notoriously they are the most expensive pencils out there. In my country a 150 prismacolor set costs around 100€, a 120 faber castell set costs 160€ and a 76 luminance set costs 250€, which makes price per single pencil around 3.3€ which is just … surreal. Overall feel

I bet you weren’t expecting this. And I guess many of you will hate me for writing this blog post. But I cannot love caran d’ache luminance as much as I would have liked. And believe me, I tried to like them, I so much wanted to like them. In summary, artists, including myself, hold Caran d'Ache Luminance colored pencils in high regard for their blendability, color range, lightfastness, and build quality. These pencils are a popular choice among professionals and enthusiasts alike, offering versatility and adaptability across various techniques and styles. Overview of All Features of the Caran d'Ache Luminance Feature Derwent Lightfast colored pencils are oil-based pencils with a focus on lightfastness. All colors in the Derwent Lightfast range have a high lightfastness rating, just like Luminance pencils. The Derwent Lightfast pencils have a slightly harder core compared to Luminance, which means they can hold a sharper point for longer, making them better suited for fine details. Today We’re going to be comparing at two wax based colored pencils. Prismacolor Premier and Luminance from Caran d’Ache Several years ago prismacolor changed where and how these were manufactured. Prismacolor has a very brittle lead. That has always been true. The problem however is that they started using poor quality wood for their casings and overall quality control became non existent. The wood casings now are regularly warped and the leads are off centered more often than not, and the wood is prone to splitting when sharpened.So what’s the big deal with these pencils? What I experience with them is that they are luxury pencils. They feel luxurious and they are pure joy to work with. It is just like makeup (you girls know what I am talking about). You don’t necessarily need that super duper expensive mascara to create that badass smoky eye, but you use it because you like the way it feels, you like the luxury of it. Luminance are such well made pencils, you WANT to use them, despite the disadvantages. Whenever I am drawing with them I feel like a kid who discovers drawing for the first time! Final thoughts The color can also be controlled into fine details, making it great for high-resolution areas of your piece as well. One important note that is worth mentioning is that the variety of colors available is a bit polarized, as the Luminance collection focuses on bright colors. Because of that, you might have to look elsewhere if you are after some dull grays or subdued earth tones.

In summary, Caran d'Ache Luminance colored pencils offer an array of features that cater to the needs of professional artists and enthusiasts alike. Their smooth blending, break-resistant cores, vibrant colors, matte finish, excellent lightfastness, and premium build quality make them a top choice for those who value exceptional performance in their art materials. Comparing Caran d'Ache Luminance with Other Colored Pencils When searching for information, first use the global search button. Then use the column searches to refine your search. With hard pencils I can layer as many colors as I want. With other wax based pencils I can layer 4-5 colors before the paper cannot hold any more pigment. With luminance it is the same… if not worse. Possibly because they deliver a good amount of pigment with a single stroke, the paper cannot hold any more after a while. Blending I used Caran d'Ache's Luminance for the first time last summer. I was honestly hoping not to like them because they are very expensive pencils. After one use, I was hooked! There are SO many things that make these pencils worth every penny. The wide range of colors offered by Luminance colored pencils, including natural skin tones, allows artists to create stunning portraits. The soft, creamy cores make it easy to blend and layer colors to achieve lifelike skin textures and subtle shading, resulting in expressive and captivating portraits. Artwork Created with Caran d'Ache Luminance PencilsLuminance pencils are known for their break-resistant cores, which make them an excellent choice for artists who might have a heavy hand or are prone to dropping their pencils. The sturdy barrels protect the cores, ensuring that they remain intact even if the pencil takes a tumble. 3. Vibrant and Opaque Colors

The Luminance colored pencils produce a beautiful matte finish on your artwork. This finish lends a professional and refined look to your drawings, making them stand out. 5. Excellent LightfastnessThe soft, creamy cores of Luminance colored pencils make blending and layering an absolute pleasure. This feature allows you to achieve smooth color transitions, create depth and dimension, and mix colors with ease. Artists who prefer to work with wax-based pencils will appreciate the exceptional blending capabilities of Luminance pencils. 2. Fade-resistant Artwork Many colored pencil artists started out with Prismacolor as I did. If you’ve been using Prismacolor Premier for very long, you know how brittle that lead is. This can make getting a fine point on your pencils for detail work difficult (and frustrating). The lead on the Luminance pencils is stronger. I’ve not once had the lead break or crumble on me, making getting detail work quite easy in comparison to the Prismacolor Premier. I also found that I don’t get the wax bloom with the Luminance like I did with the Prismas. This allowed me to apply more layers with the Luminance than I was able to with the Prismas. That was a huge bonus for me.