Various colored pencils

A comparison of Faber-Castell Polychromos, Caran d'Ache Luminance and Caran d'Ache Pablo’s

Colored pencils are a popular medium for hobbyists and professional artists. Three leading brands in the world of colored pencils are Faber-Castell Polychromos, Caran d'Ache Luminance and Caran d'Ache Pablo's. In this blog we will discuss the features of these three sets.


Faber-Castell Polychromos

Features:

  • Type: Oil base
  • Texture: Hard, yet flexible
  • Color palette: 120 colors
  • Key Features:
    • Excellent lightfastness.
    • Intense pigmentation.
    • Ideal for layering and fine details.

Faber-Castell Polychromos is known for its durability and versatility. The oil-based core ensures that the pencils hardly crumble, even under strong pressure. This makes them perfect for detailed work.

The harder texture allows you to apply multiple layers without the colour becoming grainy. In addition, the 120 colors offer a wide range of shades.

Who is it for? Polychromos pencils are ideal for artists who love precise lines and fine details. They work well on smooth paper and are loved by professionals.


Caran d'Ache Luminance

Features:

  • Type: Wax base
  • Texture: Soft
  • Color palette: 100 colors
  • Key Features:
    • Super lightfastness.
    • Creamy texture for seamless blending.
    • Suitable for intensive coverage.

The Luminance series from Caran d'Ache is known for its lightfastness, which means that your drawings will remain colorfast for a long time. The soft, waxy core glides smoothly over the paper, resulting in deep, rich colors. The Luminance pencils are perfect for creating realistic transitions and shadows, especially on tinted paper.

Who is it for? Luminance pencils are perfect for artists who work with blending techniques and value colorfastness. They are a great choice for both portraits and abstract art.


Caran d'Ache Pablo’s

Features:

  • Type: Wax base
  • Texture: Harder than Luminance, softer than Polychromos
  • Color palette: 120 colors
  • Key Features:
    • Vibrant, versatile colors.
    • Water resistant and ideal for detailed work.

The Caran d'Ache Pablo series combines the precision of a harder pencil with the rich pigmentation of a wax-based pencil. With their fine points, Pablos are perfect for small details and technical drawings. They also work well on a wide variety of papers, including smooth paper and watercolor paper (although they themselves are not water-soluble). Pablos have many shades that are not found in Polychromos and Luminance pencils.

Who is it for? Pablos are for artists who prefer a tighter style and layering, without losing the creaminess of soft pencils. Their versatility makes them ideal for illustrators and mixed-media artists.


Comparison


Conclusion

The choice between these three sets largely depends on your style, technique and preferences.

  • Choose Faber-Castell Polychromos if you love precision and layers, and if you are looking for a reliable and versatile pencil.
  • Choose Caran d'Ache Luminance if you work with blending techniques and want to create lightfast works of art.
  • Choose Caran d'Ache Pablo’s if you want to work in detail and in versatility with a wide color palette.

Or use them, like me, all three mixed together. The pencils complement each other well. Whichever you choose, all three types of colored pencils are of high quality.

Which of these sets do to you choose?

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