I love my Arttx pencils. I can't afford to get backups for my more expensive sets, but I can get more arttx when needed. I always put my pencils in a case. But I love the box the arttx came in for a special reason. When I have a bunch of pencils out for a project, I use one of the boxes to put all the pencils I am using in these boxes. I can use them for 2 different projects. This keeps my desk neater. If it is a long project, I don't have to write down the pencils I am using they are right 5here in the arttx until I am done with the project. Just a thought on the benefit of their box
I own these pencils and really like the pencils, they lay down beautiful color. I used them out of the box, I was disappointed in it as it was stupid to try to lift it as the two bottom pieces were difficult to keep together, I threw it out and put them in a case. The price you paid was an overstock special as the normal price is about $42. Still a beautiful coloring pencil.
I have the 126 set and love them. I personally don't have a problem with the writing but I don't wear glasses and I'm in my 30s. I think the older I get it will end up being a problem. I put my pencils in a case like I do all my sets. I kept the box and I use that for the picture I'm working on. They are great for that. Best thing I've found to use.
Great review Jen! I have these and completely agree with all your points. You are spot on about the box, for me personally it’s a beautiful presentation but isn’t practical for me and was really awkward just as you found, I had to transfer all of them to a zip up case I thankfully already had and throw the box away which was I gutted about as it’s so beautiful but it had to be done. Love your videos xx
I have bought several sets on your recommendation as I trust your reviews. I bought Castle and Black Widow coloured pencils . I like the look of these so you may have created another desire 😂 . Big thanks from the UK for all you do.
I have always loved my Prisma ladies! AND Coloring Bliss is where I learned to use them! If Jennifer is giving her OK to these pencils I might just have to try them ! 💜
I bought the same set at the great price and tried them. I agree with your assessment. For me the tiny numbers and letters was a no go. I put them away as a back up when other pencils run out.
I use these pencils when I travel so I don't have to take my expensive professional ones. I love to layer but when I travel I usually don't have time to do that so these work well because they have about max 5 layers to them . They work well with solvent and even alcohol-pay for a mini vodka on a plane-it works. Love them in Rita Berman's books. They are very similar to Holbein, very in between Prisma and Poly Chromos
Thanks for the candid review. Your baby is so cute and artsy! I bought this pencils when they were cheap and have dropped them all over several times. They are not Prismacolor, but useable. I have Artezas in a zippered case in my living room and Brutfuner squares in a case in my craft room. My Prismas are out in short Mason jars on my desk, so that's my use order. Thanks for the reference sites oh, yeah, you and i Love the same metallic pens.
Hi Jennifer. Thank you for this excellent review. I put a pic of these on my Instagram account and asked for people's opinions on them and whether or not I should get them. Was only going to use them in my colouring books. Overall the feedback was positive so I purchased them for £53. I really like them and agree they are inbetween a prisma and poly! I got rid of the box....drove me round the bend......and put them in a slot pencil case. I would also like to see a direct comparison between them and prisma. I agree that the writing is too small but I always go by the colour name....if available....and not the number so it didn't bother me too much. I found the name easier to read. Thank you again for a great video.
I have the 72 set. I use them mostly for highlighting and coloring in my bible. I keep them in a pencil cup on my desk for ease of use. I have colored in coloring books with them and in my opinion, they are good for a first set of colored pencils for a beginning colorist in my opinion.
I brought the 126 set, I put them in a zip up case. And yes I definitely agree that the numbers on the pencils are way to small. Thank you for the link to the colour chart.
Hi, Jennifer! I am fairly new to your channel and to using colored pencils, and really enjoyed this video...and this is not related, but I just wanted to say how much I love your eyeglasses. They are so flattering and elegant. Do you remember where you found the frames?
I got the 72 set then had to get the 126 set. I think they are a great pencil for most colorists. These and the Evazar London's are the ones I most recommend these days. I don't care for the box either. The small print doesn't bother me because I don't pay attention to it. lol Great video!
Thanks for showing the pluses and minuses of these colored pencils. I think comparing them with Prismacolor wouldn’t be as interesting as comparing them with Kalour or another budget brand. Or maybe compare all 3. I was quite disappointed in my Kalour 240 that I bought greatly discounted: there was a strong chemical odor that lasted for months and there are quite a number of mismatches between color label and the actual color (radically). I much prefer my Ooku budget brand colored pencils.
I have a smaller set of these and I like them. I have a small set of polychromos, and a lot of prismacolor. They do seem almost inbetween the two in the way they feel on paper. I like the colors as they tend to be kinda muted in the set I have. I don’t know if I’d buy more of them since ive seen your review of another brands pencils that I think may preform better. The box is pretty and I think originally that’s what drew me to the set but like you said it’s hard to put them back. The set I have has 4 rows of pencils and it’s very hard to put back pencils in the second and third row. If I get out multiple pencils that are near each other it becomes frustrating trying to put them back in. Great review, just found your channel as I’m new to adult coloring. (But I am an artist who uses colored pencils often before I started coloring) can’t wait to learn more from your channel!!
I have the Arrtx watercolor pencils, which come in the same style box except it's blue. I actually like the box. I like that it takes up less space than an open case or tray does as my table space is limited. I also like that the pencils stay in place so they stay organized (I'm like you - I always have to rearrange pencils into rainbow order before I can use them), unlike trays where the pencils can roll out of their slot when other pencils are taken out. Plus, they also stay in place when I accidentally knock the box over, unlike with trays which, if knocked into, the pencils come flying out. The only row that can be difficult for me to remove pencils from is the middle one. I don't have any trouble with the back ones because I can simply spin the box around & the back becomes the front. As far as swatching goes, I always keep a magnifying glass close at hand in order to read the small and/or metallic print. I don't know why most pencil company's insist on printing on the pencil in metallic silver! It's so hard to read!
I enjoyed watching this again, and I hope that I will be able to get the paperwork I missed seeing when I bought the set. Does their color order fit with the way you and Steve would want them organized? The crumbling that I have had with some other budget sets I tried lately stained the paper very badly, so that makes me a little concerned, because they were impossible to erase. These pencils are going into to a case, because the box, as I said before, is just an accident waiting to happen. I would like to see the Arrtx compared to the Prismas, but am sure the Prismacolors will perform better. I am more interested in seeing if the two brands would play well together and how the Prismacolor Basics compare and/or work with either one of them.
Great video, haven't gotten these yet, the box is really cute, but definitely wouldn't leave pencils in it, I was wondering why some pencils have crumbs and others don't
Thanks for the review. I think I would use the name of the color on the pencil instead of the number since I could read it better. I know that I don't always agree with the company's name, but if I know that my swatch book has it titled that way, it's not a problem for me. On another topic, I've been coloring lately with a set I had forgotten I had (major cleaning, reorganizing, and purging in the craft room), Faber-Castell 48 Goldfaber "Creative Studio Quality". They are doing great! I got them on a big sale with a coupon, so well worth it. Have you ever done a review of them? Thanks again for all of your videos, they keep me inspired and coloring!
Great review Jennifer.. I have these pencils I’m not a fan of the box I put them straight into a case.. I felt the same way as u aww bout the box.. ❤❤❤😊😊😊xxxx
I have these pencils and I love them!! I got the first set and I loved them so much I got the 126 set. They are one of my favorites! Yes I would compare them to prismas! Not all of us can afford to get the more expensive pencils. I have prismas but I wanted to get a cheaper alternative and these are it!!
I have had these in my cart for a few months but just haven't bought them yet. They look really nice maybe i will just wait until they are on sale again since I have so many sets of pencils. I always sharpen my pencils before I color with a new set to get the coating that comes from making the pencils. It seems to really make a difference on 1st impression and getting how the pencil truly work and feel so I have just made it a habit to sharpen all new sets before I swatch them or anything.
I have these pencils. I haven't dove into them yet. But they feel nice and not scratchy. I'm a color pencil junky so I am waiting to fully get into them probably this summer. I like to take time to know my pencils. Right now I am using Castle brand. But I never leave my pencils in the original packaging. It doesn't flow for me. Plus I deal with hand weakness. Trying to get in and out of trays is frustrating. I have a 10 tier drawer box that I sort out colors into. Love it.
I have bought them. I couldn't find much difference from the Castle pencils or the Brutfuner pencils. It's good that they named the pencils similarly to Prisma's. One think is clear, they look more professionally made than Prisma's and their kernel is certainly more centered than Prisma's but then which pencils don't beat Prisma's at that. They even sharpen much easier than Prisma's without any breakages. I bought directly a case to put them in. So the price at the end was higher than both Castle and Brutfuner. Actually double the price of 120 Brutfuner although there is not much difference on how the pencils perform
Hi Jennifer, I received these pencils a few days ago and one of the first things I did was to put the pencils in a case as the box they came in was, in my humble opinion, not very practical and when you go to lift the box the 2 inserts basically fall out so to me the box is a big fail but I give the company credit for trying something different. I agree about the print size on the pencil as you would need a magnifier to read most of the writing on the pencils. I also had 1 pencil with no details on it whatsoever. As for the pencils I really like them and find they blend pretty easily with many good and vibrant colours. Overall I’m happy with my purchase of these pencils less so with the packaging.
I was part of the initial trial before they went live with the 72 set, everything you mentioned Jennifer is what I commented on too. I didn’t like the box. The lettering was difficult to read and the 72 had too many yellow/orange colours. They brought out this larger set to add the colours missing in the 72 set. However saying that I love them, yes they are crumbly but I found them nice to lay on paper, just use a brush and get rid of the crumbs. I also found them like a cross between a poly/prisma very similar to a Holbein. As I didn’t like the box .. face down I was scared the tip would break facing up I get stabbed when picking a pencil, so I decamped them into a pencil case…. Don’t let the bad reviews put anyone off buying them, these are a great pigmented pencil nice size barrel and great value for money. I hope this helps!
Thank you for your review! Love these pencils. I've said that they felt like the love child of Prismas and Polys. :) I also hate the numbers. I used my label maker to put readable numbers on each pencil. The box is cute, except for the creepy looking rabbits. A zipper case is definitely the way to go. If you don't pick up the box just right, pencils hit the floor. Also if I took out several pencils, the remaining ones wouldn't stand up. I tried switching them to point up, but that didn't go well either. LOVE using them, not a fan of the packaging and lettering on the pencils. But still, for the price I don't mind relabeling and buying a nice case. They still come in at a good price even with the added expense.
I was hopeful but ..... I agree about the info printed on the pencils. These companies don't realize the people who do adult coloring.... most of us have older eyes!!! I guess I would write out the info and swatch on a label of some type. So I am sticking with my Prisma Girls!!! 💜
25:02 I really love these pencils .I do agree it's hard to read the color names on the pencils hoping in the future they well change that I bought mine when they first came out and at the lower price I dont know that i would pay the higher price for this set .I do use them out of the box but only because I have not purchased a case yet I think the box is cute but hate it for the pencils hard to get the middle pencils out just does not work well.that is why I would not pay the full price because you will be out the expense of a case to .I do enjoy coloring with these pencils .I have the 72 set I had them first.
I absolutely despise the metallic print on my colored pencils, so I relabel them as I swatch them. I cut some pieces of masking tape and cut them into 1/3rds lengthwise and put the name and/or number of the color on it. Then I wrap it around the very end of my pencils. I attach the two sticky sides together and make sure it’s tightly wrapped around the barrel, then I clip it, leaving just a small tail. These pencils look like they need to have a space in my craft room.
I don't understand why you would want to compare a budget brand like this to a professional open stock product? If you use all of a color, it's not like you can replace it. This is just my opinion, which wasn't asked for.
@ColoringBliss Absolutely, I agree. I'm not an artist, just a lover of doing art. You and Steve are so devoted to your fans, but I also value the extensive amount of time you devote to your detailed and unbiased reviews. Thank you for doing them. With that said, do you recall the huge watercolor pencil comparison you did? That was shocking! And took your word for it!
My daughter bought the set and passed them on to me because she didn't like them as well as her Prismas and Black Widows. I tried them and 3 of the first 4 I used had something gritty in the core. Also you can't really safely lift that box as it slides right off the 2 pencil holders. I used them on Amazon paper, and the one without the grit was pretty nice, but I couldn't read the numbers or names very easily, so I passed them along to a friend.
Yeah, I saw that overstock sale and I was annoyed. I bought my set about 3 months before that sale and I knew when I bought them that was going to happen. I remember thinking, watch, they'll go on sale after Christmas. And they did.
I have the Arrtx pencils, they are decent, I moved mine right into a case, as far as the writing on the pencils the older prismas from Sanford are awful gold shiny writing that’s so hard to read, I was looking thru them to order the missing new colors & they are so hard to read, I know the new ones are different, I just hope they don’t break like crazy. Anyway I didn’t think the writing was too bad, that said I only use the names, I pay no attention to numbers unless I have to.
I find using the colour name much easier when swatching and finding my pencils…for all brands because it isn’t just Arrtx with this issue unfortunatley.
I bought the smaller set originally, but later decided to buy the full set-as I found out, all the pencils in the smaller set are included in the full set, so essentially, I ended up with about half the box being duplicates, which was disappointing. Th pencils are color named pretty much to imitate Prismas, and the colors themselves are quite similar. They seem to be of good quality, particularly with the competitive price, but like you, I found the color numbers and names downright impossibly small and difficult to read-I used my phones magnifier app to read the numbers and wrote them on myself in Sharpie pen! 😂 I put them all in a case as I found the box useless and impractical.
Oh wow. Just saw this video and wanted to check the price. I'm in Canada so I knew they wouldn't be what you paid for it.... OMG Amazon is selling it for 123.60 CDN. Doubt VERY much in thinking of purchasing lol.
They are being sold for 70 euro in Germany, so I will definitely skip these. I bought the Derwent Chromaflow 72 for 65 Euro instead (their price fluctuates a lot), and I am overall happy with my purchase. I imagine they are better than Arrtx. At least I can purchase them single (at an obnoxiously high price).
I have the 126 set and do not like the small lettering and numbering on the pencils. I had trouble seeing them for swatching. Some of the pencils felt like Crayola watercolor pencils but the pigments are ok
Thank you for your very informative review. I probably won't purchase these as I love my Prisma's as well as Black Widow's, Caran Dache Lumi's and Pablo's. FC Poly's and Holbien's. Also I agree that keeping the pencils in that box would be a nightmare as the pencils get smaller.
After sharpening the pencils they should be placed point up in the box to protect the points and they'll also be held more securely in the foam. That being said, I personally don't like the fact that the box lid doesn't close securely and I have to be very careful and pick the whole thing up from the bottom when moving it from one place to another. I'm probably going to get a case for mine.
I agree about the lid. I ended up putting tape on mine to secure the top to the bottoms. Also…one of the problems with storing them tip up is that the color name and number is totally inaccessible unless you pull each one out to find the right pencil. The box just needs redesigning or simply replace it with a zipper case.
The box went into the trash immediately! I placed the pencils by color in quart size baggies, then put all those in a gallon size baggie. Didn't want the hassle of putting them in a case, nor the added cost. As for quality, I'll stick with budget friendly Brutfuners for basic coloring.
Arrtx were the first pencils I ever ordered and I love them! Today I have several different brands and I do prefer the Prismacolor Premier, but I only have the 24 count. They are just too pricey for me. I do plan on trying out the Kalour one day.
I have Arttx pencils that I bought several years ago. I don't like them. Some of them have a scratchy area imbedded in the lead that doesn't sharpen out. I also had duplicate pencils and were missing others. I contacted Arttx customer service and they wouldn't let me return them, or get replacements. They "offered" me a credit back to my payment method of $5. So disappointed in the whole experience. Now I have an incomplete set that is only good for the grandkids when they want to color.
I like these pencils. They take a couple more layers to get the color saturation you need. They work well with prismas. I like the intensity of the colors and having some different colors. I don’t like the crumblyness which is mostly in the darker pencils. This is not unusual. The pencil numbers are impossible to read well. I go by the name and my color numbers I put on the pencils. Overall I give them a 👍.
Yes, I am with you on the small font and silver lettering on colored pencils. I don’t get why the manufacturers do this? Of course the dark pencils would require a white lettering and the lighter colors would be best with black letters. But silver……..no, no, no.
Thank you for this review. They seem like nice pencils, but the blending looks bad, like they hardly blended at all with all the harsh lines still visible.
I would rather spend the money on a smaller set of open stock pencils. If you use up your very favorite color while doing a project, you are out of luck. Prismacolor is very reasonable and can run to Michaels or Hobbylobby (probably other similar stores) to grab a color you use up. But this is true with all budget sets in general.
I got the set, and the pencils are ok, but the box is horrible. I bet many people lifted the box by the top case and the bottom with the pencils dropped...I ordered a case for them :)
Hello Jennifer, thanks for your opinion! I've been looking for these pencils for a long time... Please do a colored pencils battle for Arrtx, Prisma and Chromaflow. I'm looking for Prisma substitution, and I recently bought a full set of Chromaflow. And I deeply regret this purchase. Maybe Arrtz can be a better substitution.
There are so many different brands out there. I still haven’t found a pencil as creamy and vibrant as the Prismacolor. Holbein are great but very expensive.
Thank you for this review. I wish that I had seen the reference to getting some literature with the pencils. Because I did not see that, I did not receive a swatch sheet or any information about the pencils at all. I was ill for too long a time to try to swatch the pencils before the time to return them had passed. The crumbling that I saw here really disturbed me, because that can lead to staining of the picture that is very difficult, if not impossible, to erase from the page. I see the double boxing under the single lid as a prelude to disaster. If a person picks up the box by the side, both inner boxes will fall right out of the bottom and hit the floor. Something else that is a problem for me today is that a lot of coloring books are now coming out on very smooth paper, which isn't pulling the color from my pencils. There are a lot of very good tutorials that are worked in the original copies of artists' books that had paper with tooth. Now, these same books are coming out with paper as smooth as glass. I cannot do the layering to add the definition and shadowing to their pages that are being taught in the original books, which is very frustrating. The Prismacolor Premiers have lost a Lavendar and a Lilac, which have been replaced with two other pencils of (similar?) colors, which I do not have. I also saw a set of 26 being sold, and I don't know if they are new colors or duplicates of what is already in the 150 set I bought two years ago. Has Coloring Bliss done an update to the swatch sheets for the 150 set that I bought 2 years ago? I will need to replace them with the new swatch sheets, and that will help me make sure I have the pencils that are in the updated 150 set or let me know to purchase any that I am missing. This was a very helpful video tonight. Thank you so much!
I would love to win, but I don’t know how to sign in. I always give up cause I can’t fine the right Place. Are there any dates. How do I know if I am on the right one. Help, I am 75 and still learning from you. I love it. Thanks for you and husband.
Coincidentally I just had these arrive last night, only had a quick play but agreed the box is awful, it’s not easy to get them in and out the middle row particularly they fall over too easily and it’s not easy to get the lid back on right. The text on the pencils isn’t great but I’ve seen worse, I can’t read it clearly as long as I have it at the right angle. Not too bothered about these things. I refuse to pay for prismacolor when by all accounts quality control is poor and they are really expensive in the UK so I thought these would be good.
I can't afford these big named brands and it would be nice to see these channels realize you need to support us broke subscribers. Without all of us broke subscribers, you would NOT be where you are. You want more subscribers? Help us out with other pencil brands or better yet, instead of just promoting Prisma, give us other options...such as in prismacolor use 43 but if you have one of these brands use this number. Watch your subscribers increase. I am having a rough week and I really am not taking it out on you. So if my post sounds that way, I apologize. It just would be nice to see someone work with us broke people more in this aspect!
I love my Arttx pencils. I can't afford to get backups for my more expensive sets, but I can get more arttx when needed. I always put my pencils in a case. But I love the box the arttx came in for a special reason. When I have a bunch of pencils out for a project, I use one of the boxes to put all the pencils I am using in these boxes. I can use them for 2 different projects. This keeps my desk neater. If it is a long project, I don't have to write down the pencils I am using they are right 5here in the arttx until I am done with the project. Just a thought on the benefit of their box
That’s a great use for the box…thanks for sharing your idea.
I would like to see a battle of the colored pencils again, maybe just Prisma and Arrtx.
I am also considering doing Kalour against the Arrtx…seems a little fairer. We will see.
Would love to see a head to head “color off”. Thanks!! Good info❤
Same here!
Ok! I will see what I can do.
I'd like that too
Love this! These pencils are amazing. Been enjoying them. I love to combine them with Prisma, you get some fun results!
I own these pencils and really like the pencils, they lay down beautiful color. I used them out of the box, I was disappointed in it as it was stupid to try to lift it as the two bottom pieces were difficult to keep together, I threw it out and put them in a case. The price you paid was an overstock special as the normal price is about $42. Still a beautiful coloring pencil.
Yes…I got a very good deal…not sure if I would pay today’s price.
I have the 126 set and love them. I personally don't have a problem with the writing but I don't wear glasses and I'm in my 30s. I think the older I get it will end up being a problem. I put my pencils in a case like I do all my sets. I kept the box and I use that for the picture I'm working on. They are great for that. Best thing I've found to use.
Thanks for sharing! I miss my young and sharp eyesight.
Thank you, Jennifer, for sharing your thoughts on these pencils.
Great review Jen! I have these and completely agree with all your points. You are spot on about the box, for me personally it’s a beautiful presentation but isn’t practical for me and was really awkward just as you found, I had to transfer all of them to a zip up case I thankfully already had and throw the box away which was I gutted about as it’s so beautiful but it had to be done. Love your videos xx
I use a label maker to label the hard to read numbers.
I have bought several sets on your recommendation as I trust your reviews. I bought Castle and Black Widow coloured pencils . I like the look of these so you may have created another desire 😂 . Big thanks from the UK for all you do.
I have always loved my Prisma ladies! AND Coloring Bliss is where I learned to use them! If Jennifer is giving her OK to these pencils I might just have to try them ! 💜
I bought the same set at the great price and tried them. I agree with your assessment. For me the tiny numbers and letters was a no go. I put them away as a back up when other pencils run out.
I use these pencils when I travel so I don't have to take my expensive professional ones. I love to layer but when I travel I usually don't have time to do that so these work well because they have about max 5 layers to them . They work well with solvent and even alcohol-pay for a mini vodka on a plane-it works. Love them in Rita Berman's books. They are very similar to Holbein, very in between Prisma and Poly Chromos
Having a travel set of pencils is so great
Thank you, Jennifer!
Thanks for the candid review. Your baby is so cute and artsy! I bought this pencils when they were cheap and have dropped them all over several times. They are not Prismacolor, but useable. I have Artezas in a zippered case in my living room and Brutfuner squares in a case in my craft room. My Prismas are out in short Mason jars on my desk, so that's my use order. Thanks for the reference sites oh, yeah, you and i Love the same metallic pens.
You are so welcome! Sounds like a good colored pencil collection!
Hi Jennifer. Thank you for this excellent review. I put a pic of these on my Instagram account and asked for people's opinions on them and whether or not I should get them. Was only going to use them in my colouring books. Overall the feedback was positive so I purchased them for £53. I really like them and agree they are inbetween a prisma and poly! I got rid of the box....drove me round the bend......and put them in a slot pencil case. I would also like to see a direct comparison between them and prisma. I agree that the writing is too small but I always go by the colour name....if available....and not the number so it didn't bother me too much. I found the name easier to read. Thank you again for a great video.
Thanks for such a great comment. I’m glad to hear that you are enjoying them.
Rose’s side pony is so cute!
I have the 72 set. I use them mostly for highlighting and coloring in my bible. I keep them in a pencil cup on my desk for ease of use. I have colored in coloring books with them and in my opinion, they are good for a first set of colored pencils for a beginning colorist in my opinion.
I agree. Thanks for sharing your thoughts.
Hey Jennifer, I have those pencils they are nice, I only use them occasionally. I took them out of the box and into a case enjoyed the video
Good to hear how you use your pencils. Have fun coloring!
I brought the 126 set, I put them in a zip up case. And yes I definitely agree that the numbers on the pencils are way to small. Thank you for the link to the colour chart.
Thanks for sharing!!
Hi, Jennifer! I am fairly new to your channel and to using colored pencils, and really enjoyed this video...and this is not related, but I just wanted to say how much I love your eyeglasses. They are so flattering and elegant. Do you remember where you found the frames?
I really like the colors of the Arrtx, they lean very natural.
I got the 72 set then had to get the 126 set. I think they are a great pencil for most colorists. These and the Evazar London's are the ones I most recommend these days. I don't care for the box either. The small print doesn't bother me because I don't pay attention to it. lol Great video!
Thanks for sharing your feelings on the pencils. I haven’t tried that second brand that you mentioned.
Hi Jennifer! I have these pencils and I love them I love the colors I have the 126 set! I don’t like the boxes so I’m going to get a case! ❤
I’m so glad you like them so much. I definitely agree that you need a case for them.
Thanks for showing the pluses and minuses of these colored pencils. I think comparing them with Prismacolor wouldn’t be as interesting as comparing them with Kalour or another budget brand. Or maybe compare all 3. I was quite disappointed in my Kalour 240 that I bought greatly discounted: there was a strong chemical odor that lasted for months and there are quite a number of mismatches between color label and the actual color (radically). I much prefer my Ooku budget brand colored pencils.
I have a smaller set of these and I like them. I have a small set of polychromos, and a lot of prismacolor. They do seem almost inbetween the two in the way they feel on paper. I like the colors as they tend to be kinda muted in the set I have. I don’t know if I’d buy more of them since ive seen your review of another brands pencils that I think may preform better. The box is pretty and I think originally that’s what drew me to the set but like you said it’s hard to put them back. The set I have has 4 rows of pencils and it’s very hard to put back pencils in the second and third row. If I get out multiple pencils that are near each other it becomes frustrating trying to put them back in. Great review, just found your channel as I’m new to adult coloring. (But I am an artist who uses colored pencils often before I started coloring) can’t wait to learn more from your channel!!
I have the Arrtx watercolor pencils, which come in the same style box except it's blue. I actually like the box. I like that it takes up less space than an open case or tray does as my table space is limited. I also like that the pencils stay in place so they stay organized (I'm like you - I always have to rearrange pencils into rainbow order before I can use them), unlike trays where the pencils can roll out of their slot when other pencils are taken out. Plus, they also stay in place when I accidentally knock the box over, unlike with trays which, if knocked into, the pencils come flying out. The only row that can be difficult for me to remove pencils from is the middle one. I don't have any trouble with the back ones because I can simply spin the box around & the back becomes the front. As far as swatching goes, I always keep a magnifying glass close at hand in order to read the small and/or metallic print. I don't know why most pencil company's insist on printing on the pencil in metallic silver! It's so hard to read!
Thanks for sharing your experiences with these pencils. I’m glad you like the box!
Head to head....🎉🎉🎉
👍👍
I enjoyed watching this again, and I hope that I will be able to get the paperwork I missed seeing when I bought the set. Does their color order fit with the way you and Steve would want them organized? The crumbling that I have had with some other budget sets I tried lately stained the paper very badly, so that makes me a little concerned, because they were impossible to erase. These pencils are going into to a case, because the box, as I said before, is just an accident waiting to happen. I would like to see the Arrtx compared to the Prismas, but am sure the Prismacolors will perform better. I am more interested in seeing if the two brands would play well together and how the Prismacolor Basics compare and/or work with either one of them.
Great video, haven't gotten these yet, the box is really cute, but definitely wouldn't leave pencils in it, I was wondering why some pencils have crumbs and others don't
Thanks for the review. I think I would use the name of the color on the pencil instead of the number since I could read it better. I know that I don't always agree with the company's name, but if I know that my swatch book has it titled that way, it's not a problem for me. On another topic, I've been coloring lately with a set I had forgotten I had (major cleaning, reorganizing, and purging in the craft room), Faber-Castell 48 Goldfaber "Creative Studio Quality". They are doing great! I got them on a big sale with a coupon, so well worth it. Have you ever done a review of them? Thanks again for all of your videos, they keep me inspired and coloring!
Great review Jennifer.. I have these pencils I’m not a fan of the box I put them straight into a case.. I felt the same way as u aww bout the box.. ❤❤❤😊😊😊xxxx
Hopefully they will exchange the box for a case…that would be a great improvement
I have these pencils and I love them!! I got the first set and I loved them so much I got the 126 set. They are one of my favorites! Yes I would compare them to prismas! Not all of us can afford to get the more expensive pencils. I have prismas but I wanted to get a cheaper alternative and these are it!!
I have had these in my cart for a few months but just haven't bought them yet. They look really nice maybe i will just wait until they are on sale again since I have so many sets of pencils. I always sharpen my pencils before I color with a new set to get the coating that comes from making the pencils. It seems to really make a difference on 1st impression and getting how the pencil truly work and feel so I have just made it a habit to sharpen all new sets before I swatch them or anything.
Yes…wait for a sale!
I have these pencils. I haven't dove into them yet. But they feel nice and not scratchy. I'm a color pencil junky so I am waiting to fully get into them probably this summer. I like to take time to know my pencils. Right now I am using Castle brand. But I never leave my pencils in the original packaging. It doesn't flow for me. Plus I deal with hand weakness. Trying to get in and out of trays is frustrating. I have a 10 tier drawer box that I sort out colors into. Love it.
Thanks for sharing!!
I got rid of the box immediately. One of the boxes fell out and I had pencils everywhere. I like them. Still like my Holbein best.
Oh yes…Holbein are sooo amazing!
I have bought them. I couldn't find much difference from the Castle pencils or the Brutfuner pencils. It's good that they named the pencils similarly to Prisma's. One think is clear, they look more professionally made than Prisma's and their kernel is certainly more centered than Prisma's but then which pencils don't beat Prisma's at that. They even sharpen much easier than Prisma's without any breakages. I bought directly a case to put them in. So the price at the end was higher than both Castle and Brutfuner. Actually double the price of 120 Brutfuner although there is not much difference on how the pencils perform
Thanks for sharing how these pencils fit into your coloring stash. Very helpful
Hi Jennifer, I received these pencils a few days ago and one of the first things I did was to put the pencils in a case as the box they came in was, in my humble opinion, not very practical and when you go to lift the box the 2 inserts basically fall out so to me the box is a big fail but I give the company credit for trying something different. I agree about the print size on the pencil as you would need a magnifier to read most of the writing on the pencils. I also had 1 pencil with no details on it whatsoever. As for the pencils I really like them and find they blend pretty easily with many good and vibrant colours. Overall I’m happy with my purchase of these pencils less so with the packaging.
Good to hear your thoughts. Thanks for sharing.
I was part of the initial trial before they went live with the 72 set, everything you mentioned Jennifer is what I commented on too. I didn’t like the box. The lettering was difficult to read and the 72 had too many yellow/orange colours. They brought out this larger set to add the colours missing in the 72 set. However saying that I love them, yes they are crumbly but I found them nice to lay on paper, just use a brush and get rid of the crumbs. I also found them like a cross between a poly/prisma very similar to a Holbein. As I didn’t like the box .. face down I was scared the tip would break facing up I get stabbed when picking a pencil, so I decamped them into a pencil case…. Don’t let the bad reviews put anyone off buying them, these are a great pigmented pencil nice size barrel and great value for money.
I hope this helps!
Thank you so much for sharing your experience with the brand. It is helpful 😊👍
Thank you for your review! Love these pencils. I've said that they felt like the love child of Prismas and Polys. :) I also hate the numbers. I used my label maker to put readable numbers on each pencil. The box is cute, except for the creepy looking rabbits. A zipper case is definitely the way to go. If you don't pick up the box just right, pencils hit the floor. Also if I took out several pencils, the remaining ones wouldn't stand up. I tried switching them to point up, but that didn't go well either. LOVE using them, not a fan of the packaging and lettering on the pencils. But still, for the price I don't mind relabeling and buying a nice case. They still come in at a good price even with the added expense.
Sounds like we agree! Thanks for the comment.
I was hopeful but ..... I agree about the info printed on the pencils. These companies don't realize the people who do adult coloring.... most of us have older eyes!!! I guess I would write out the info and swatch on a label of some type. So I am sticking with my Prisma Girls!!! 💜
I would like to see a head-to-head. Go for it, Jennifer! 🥰🥰🤗
25:02 I really love these pencils .I do agree it's hard to read the color names on the pencils hoping in the future they well change that I bought mine when they first came out and at the lower price I dont know that i would pay the higher price for this set .I do use them out of the box but only because I have not purchased a case yet I think the box is cute but hate it for the pencils hard to get the middle pencils out just does not work well.that is why I would not pay the full price because you will be out the expense of a case to .I do enjoy coloring with these pencils .I have the 72 set I had them first.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts on the pencils. I agree…hopefully they will fix the lettering issue in the future.
I absolutely despise the metallic print on my colored pencils, so I relabel them as I swatch them. I cut some pieces of masking tape and cut them into 1/3rds lengthwise and put the name and/or number of the color on it. Then I wrap it around the very end of my pencils. I attach the two sticky sides together and make sure it’s tightly wrapped around the barrel, then I clip it, leaving just a small tail.
These pencils look like they need to have a space in my craft room.
I’d love to see a direct comparison with Prismas, please!
Colour with Claire did this with the 72 set.
@@tabbylynn4130 neat! I’d still really like to hear Jennifer’s comparison. :)
I don't understand why you would want to compare a budget brand like this to a professional open stock product? If you use all of a color, it's not like you can replace it. This is just my opinion, which wasn't asked for.
Thanks for your feedback. I am also wondering about doing a battle between Kalour and Arrtx…it seems a little fairer. What do you think?
@ColoringBliss Absolutely, I agree.
I'm not an artist, just a lover of doing art. You and Steve are so devoted to your fans, but I also value the extensive amount of time you devote to your detailed and unbiased reviews. Thank you for doing them.
With that said, do you recall the huge watercolor pencil comparison you did? That was shocking! And took your word for it!
Hey I am just thinking to begin color pencil art. Which one would you suggest?
You need a nice desktop magnifier you can just hold the pencil under to help with the legibility.
I may need that someday. Thanks for the suggestion
My daughter bought the set and passed them on to me because she didn't like them as well as her Prismas and Black Widows. I tried them and 3 of the first 4 I used had something gritty in the core. Also you can't really safely lift that box as it slides right off the 2 pencil holders. I used them on Amazon paper, and the one without the grit was pretty nice, but I couldn't read the numbers or names very easily, so I passed them along to a friend.
I’m glad to hear they are being passed on to other colorists. Someone will love them.
Wich do you recommend me? Artxx or arteza? ☺️
I Jennifer. I hope you'll get to answer my questions. Do they really feel like the Prismacolor Premier? Thank you.
Yeah, I saw that overstock sale and I was annoyed. I bought my set about 3 months before that sale and I knew when I bought them that was going to happen. I remember thinking, watch, they'll go on sale after Christmas. And they did.
Yes. Head to head.
Okay!
How ironic, I ordered these and they came today. I haven’t had a chance to try them out yet .
Let us know how you like them. Have fun coloring.
I only have the 72 set, have put them in a zipped case. Did not like the box at all.
I have the Arrtx pencils, they are decent, I moved mine right into a case, as far as the writing on the pencils the older prismas from Sanford are awful gold shiny writing that’s so hard to read, I was looking thru them to order the missing new colors & they are so hard to read, I know the new ones are different, I just hope they don’t break like crazy. Anyway I didn’t think the writing was too bad, that said I only use the names, I pay no attention to numbers unless I have to.
Thanks for sharing how you use your pencils. It is helpful.
I find using the colour name much easier when swatching and finding my pencils…for all brands because it isn’t just Arrtx with this issue unfortunatley.
Maybe someday these companies will listen to us and fix the lettering on their pencils.
Jennifer, could you rub some white gesso or acrylic into the number on pencils to make it easier to read?
?
I would worry that would rub the silver print right off…someone commented that some of their pencils are losing the lettering with use.
@@ColoringBliss So the leters are not impressed ito the wood, Just printed on top?
I bought the smaller set originally, but later decided to buy the full set-as I found out, all the pencils in the smaller set are included in the full set, so essentially, I ended up with about half the box being duplicates, which was disappointing. Th pencils are color named pretty much to imitate Prismas, and the colors themselves are quite similar. They seem to be of good quality, particularly with the competitive price, but like you, I found the color numbers and names downright impossibly small and difficult to read-I used my phones magnifier app to read the numbers and wrote them on myself in Sharpie pen! 😂 I put them all in a case as I found the box useless and impractical.
Oh wow. Just saw this video and wanted to check the price. I'm in Canada so I knew they wouldn't be what you paid for it.... OMG Amazon is selling it for 123.60 CDN. Doubt VERY much in thinking of purchasing lol.
I like my 126 arrtx set vs my Kalour. Placed them on a zip up case because their packaging is horrendous😅
Sounds like everyone who is using this brand agrees that the box is a fail. Thanks for sharing.
They are being sold for 70 euro in Germany, so I will definitely skip these. I bought the Derwent Chromaflow 72 for 65 Euro instead (their price fluctuates a lot), and I am overall happy with my purchase. I imagine they are better than Arrtx. At least I can purchase them single (at an obnoxiously high price).
😯 wow that’s very expensive for a hobby level pencil set!!
Hi Jennifer, I did not like the box, I took them out and put them in a case. I agree they are a decent set but I like my Prismacolors best.
Me too…I’m still a Prismacolor girl!
£52 currently in the UK! I may as well buy Prismas.
Prismas are £195 for 150, so..hmm almost 4x the price.
I love these pencils! Mine are in a case cause the box tortured me!😂❤
I have the 126 set and do not like the small lettering and numbering on the pencils. I had trouble seeing them for swatching. Some of the pencils felt like Crayola watercolor pencils but the pigments are ok
Thanks for sharing your thoughts 👍👍
Love them use them a lot but put them in a case straight away
Thank you for your very informative review. I probably won't purchase these as I love my Prisma's as well as Black Widow's, Caran Dache Lumi's and Pablo's. FC Poly's and Holbien's. Also I agree that keeping the pencils in that box would be a nightmare as the pencils get smaller.
You have a beautiful collection! These pencils would only pale in comparison.
After sharpening the pencils they should be placed point up in the box to protect the points and they'll also be held more securely in the foam. That being said, I personally don't like the fact that the box lid doesn't close securely and I have to be very careful and pick the whole thing up from the bottom when moving it from one place to another. I'm probably going to get a case for mine.
I agree about the lid. I ended up putting tape on mine to secure the top to the bottoms. Also…one of the problems with storing them tip up is that the color name and number is totally inaccessible unless you pull each one out to find the right pencil. The box just needs redesigning or simply replace it with a zipper case.
@@ColoringBlissGood point. It would have been nice to find a handy zippered case inside that cute box!
Like I said, I haven't gotten these yet , although they seem nice, not really sure that I would purchase them
So, these are which arrtz premium or just regular ones?
Can you please tell me more - how are the nyoni same as deli? I really like my deli and was thinking to get arrtx or nyoni next.
I’m sorry, I haven’t tried the nyoni brand. Hopefully this video will help you as you decide on the Arrtx brand.
Personally I really love the box, but I did take them out and put them in a zipper case because that's how I carry them around.
I’m glad you found a way to use them that works well for you.
❤❤❤
I have them. Took them out of the box. They're ok. I don't know how much I'll use them.
Yes…I’m afraid mine won’t get much use.
The box went into the trash immediately! I placed the pencils by color in quart size baggies, then put all those in a gallon size baggie. Didn't want the hassle of putting them in a case, nor the added cost. As for quality, I'll stick with budget friendly Brutfuners for basic coloring.
Thanks for sharing how you stored and organized your pencils.
Arrtx were the first pencils I ever ordered and I love them! Today I have several different brands and I do prefer the Prismacolor Premier, but I only have the 24 count. They are just too pricey for me. I do plan on trying out the Kalour one day.
I have Kalour colored Pencils 240 I really like them 😊
Yes…I was wondering if a Kalour vs Arrtx would be more helpful
@@ColoringBliss Kalour vs arrtx yes I like see a video of two colors pencils brand 😄😁
Hi, I put my pencils in a zippered case immediately - if you hold the box without carefully holding both bases, the pencils might slip and fall 😬
Yes! I had to tape the box cover onto the box bases before I put them on my shelf so I wouldn’t accidentally lift them incorrectly.
I have Arttx pencils that I bought several years ago. I don't like them. Some of them have a scratchy area imbedded in the lead that doesn't sharpen out. I also had duplicate pencils and were missing others. I contacted Arttx customer service and they wouldn't let me return them, or get replacements. They "offered" me a credit back to my payment method of $5. So disappointed in the whole experience. Now I have an incomplete set that is only good for the grandkids when they want to color.
That is very disappointing. Thanks for sharing your experience with us.
If you own lots of other colouring pencils, are these still worth getting? I have Prisma's, Carin D'ache, Chromaflows, Black Widow, Polychromos.
I would skip the Arrtx unless you are a collector. It sounds like you already own some beautiful sets.
Thank you!@@ColoringBliss
My Kalour 50 set color name and number are written in metallic silver. Is it just the font size or font type that is hard to read for the Arrtx?
The font seems same, but the size is way too small and the metallic shine makes it impossible to read at certain angles.
Oh ok. Thank you for responding back, Jennifer and/or Steve.
I like these pencils. They take a couple more layers to get the color saturation you need. They work well with prismas. I like the intensity of the colors and having some different colors. I don’t like the crumblyness which is mostly in the darker pencils. This is not unusual. The pencil numbers are impossible to read well. I go by the name and my color numbers I put on the pencils. Overall I give them a 👍.
I agree with you on the box. It just isn’t functional. I put mine in a case.
Thanks for sharing your experience with these pencils. 👍👍
I find criticism of crumbs interting prismacolor have heaps of crumbs too.
Yes…crumbs are important to note in any brand if you are worried about cross contamination.
I'm guessing there's no lightfastness information. Am I right?
None…which I appreciate that they didn’t just come up with some random (potentially untrue) rating.
@@ColoringBliss Thank you for answering my question and for posting your videos. They're very informative 👍
Amazon doesn't have that good price anymore - just 3 days later.
The box seems like a good idea but could have been improved, like three sections 2 rows each
Yeah I agree
Yes, I am with you on the small font and silver lettering on colored pencils. I don’t get why the manufacturers do this? Of course the dark pencils would require a white lettering and the lighter colors would be best with black letters. But silver……..no, no, no.
Agreed!
Thank you for this review. They seem like nice pencils, but the blending looks bad, like they hardly blended at all with all the harsh lines still visible.
I would rather spend the money on a smaller set of open stock pencils. If you use up your very favorite color while doing a project, you are out of luck. Prismacolor is very reasonable and can run to Michaels or Hobbylobby (probably other similar stores) to grab a color you use up.
But this is true with all budget sets in general.
Yes…I agree that open stock is a huge benefit when it is available. I love my Prismacolors too!
Love the pencils, hate the box. I put them in a zipper case
50.00 on Amazon right now.
Too expensive in my opinion.
I got the set, and the pencils are ok, but the box is horrible. I bet many people lifted the box by the top case and the bottom with the pencils dropped...I ordered a case for them :)
Hello Jennifer, thanks for your opinion! I've been looking for these pencils for a long time... Please do a colored pencils battle for Arrtx, Prisma and Chromaflow. I'm looking for Prisma substitution, and I recently bought a full set of Chromaflow. And I deeply regret this purchase. Maybe Arrtz can be a better substitution.
There are so many different brands out there. I still haven’t found a pencil as creamy and vibrant as the Prismacolor. Holbein are great but very expensive.
Thank you for this review. I wish that I had seen the reference to getting some literature with the pencils. Because I did not see that, I did not receive a swatch sheet or any information about the pencils at all. I was ill for too long a time to try to swatch the pencils before the time to return them had passed. The crumbling that I saw here really disturbed me, because that can lead to staining of the picture that is very difficult, if not impossible, to erase from the page. I see the double boxing under the single lid as a prelude to disaster. If a person picks up the box by the side, both inner boxes will fall right out of the bottom and hit the floor. Something else that is a problem for me today is that a lot of coloring books are now coming out on very smooth paper, which isn't pulling the color from my pencils. There are a lot of very good tutorials that are worked in the original copies of artists' books that had paper with tooth. Now, these same books are coming out with paper as smooth as glass. I cannot do the layering to add the definition and shadowing to their pages that are being taught in the original books, which is very frustrating. The Prismacolor Premiers have lost a Lavendar and a Lilac, which have been replaced with two other pencils of (similar?) colors, which I do not have. I also saw a set of 26 being sold, and I don't know if they are new colors or duplicates of what is already in the 150 set I bought two years ago. Has Coloring Bliss done an update to the swatch sheets for the 150 set that I bought 2 years ago? I will need to replace them with the new swatch sheets, and that will help me make sure I have the pencils that are in the updated 150 set or let me know to purchase any that I am missing. This was a very helpful video tonight. Thank you so much!
Yes…we updated our Prismacolor swatch charts and books when the 2 new colors were released.
@@ColoringBliss Thank you. I will order them soon.
For the mistake, you could have cut a piece of paper, glued it on top of the mistaken one, and then swatched with the correct number.
Yes! That would have worked great. Thanks for the idea.
I would love to win, but I don’t know how to sign in. I always give up cause I can’t fine the right
Place. Are there any dates. How do I know if I am on the right one. Help, I am 75 and still learning from you. I love it. Thanks for you and husband.
Love the pencils but the box is a disaster. Except for the cute bunnies on the outside!
I agree! The art on the front is adorable
Coincidentally I just had these arrive last night, only had a quick play but agreed the box is awful, it’s not easy to get them in and out the middle row particularly they fall over too easily and it’s not easy to get the lid back on right. The text on the pencils isn’t great but I’ve seen worse, I can’t read it clearly as long as I have it at the right angle. Not too bothered about these things. I refuse to pay for prismacolor when by all accounts quality control is poor and they are really expensive in the UK so I thought these would be good.
Thanks for sharing your first impressions. Have fun coloring with them. 👍
I can't afford these big named brands and it would be nice to see these channels realize you need to support us broke subscribers. Without all of us broke subscribers, you would NOT be where you are. You want more subscribers? Help us out with other pencil brands or better yet, instead of just promoting Prisma, give us other options...such as in prismacolor use 43 but if you have one of these brands use this number. Watch your subscribers increase.
I am having a rough week and I really am not taking it out on you. So if my post sounds that way, I apologize. It just would be nice to see someone work with us broke people more in this aspect!
Subscribe to her, you are awesome!
Where did you get them so cheap?
On Amazon in January