CRAYOLA VS PRISMACOLOR - Which Colored Pencil Is Best? 

Tip! If those leads are being all breaky, blast the pencil with are hair dryer for a bit... If you're super brave you can throw them in a low low low oven for a couple minutes too.

You did a really great job with the crayolas! I always feel like I'm fighting them to death trying to get them to leave pigment on the page LOL

Prismacolor pencil leads aren’t actually supposed to break constantly like that, though they are fragile. If your pencils are kinda old or if the box of pencils (or individual pencils) have been dropped, the leads will already be broken inside the wood. I use prismacolors as my primary medium. I try to update my pencils every 2 years or so and keep them in a soft, cushioned case with individual slots for each pencil to keep them protected. It’s a lot of work, but I personally believe that the quality of the pencils makes it worth it 😊

I just thought I'd pipe in as someone who's favorite colored pencils to use are Prismacolors; The soft cores are indeed superior for blending because the colors almost _melt_ together, but if you're prone to being heavy-handed or consistently use as much pressure as possible all the time, they _will_ break, frequently. Lots of people find this bothersome because they're used to pencils like Crayola (or pencils that _wish_ they were as nice as Crayola) where you _have_ to fight with the pencil to get significant color lay-down--They're _used_ to having to apply heavy pressure all the time. And it's not just cheap pencils that are prone to this. I have the Faber Castell Polychromos, and even though they're a high-end brand, they're a harder pencil, so they require more pressure. In the Polychromos' case, this is largely because they're an oil-based pencil (Prismacolors are wax-based) which _normally_ results in a harder pencil, but those pencils can usually build up layers of color for longer than most wax-based varieties. Similarly, with _any_ kind of pencil, you'll get more layers out of them if you don't apply a lot of pressure right away (lots of artists refer to that as "burnishing") because the more pressure you apply, the more you squash the texture of the paper, and in most cases that means the paper can't accept as much color: There's just not as much surface it can grab on to. Some artists prefer a smooth, less-textured surface for pencil work, but most paper you find that labels itself as being _for_ colored pencils will have a notable texture compared to something like marker- or even mixed-media paper largely because of this. Bottomline: Colored Pencils work best when you take a "slow and steady" approach with them and layer them up over time instead of going right for deep saturated color, and this goes doubly for pencils like Prismacolor that are super-soft to avoid constant breakage.

Your horses came out lovely. It is easier on the wrist and picture if you color multiple LIGHT layers of color rather than coloring one HARD layer of burnished color. Yes, prismacolor is known for its breakage, but there are tips to help deal with that problem.

Kasey, you already got a great sharpener for the Prismacolors, remember when you were talking about the t’gaal sharpener in your Japanese sharpeners video, and why some people would prefer different point sizes? 😂 Well, it works like a charm with the Prismacolors, you get really sharp points but not long ones (if that makes sense?), So the lead doesn’t break as often, also, it feels very smooth when you are sharpening them (talking from experience :3) PD: I completely adore your drawing 💖

Oof the Prismacolors breaking so often is definitely a buzzkill. I don’t use colored pencils a lot, but when I do, I typically use them for sketching and layering on top of alcohol markers. For that, I like using Crayola. I just has a nice texture, and it’s easier to gently layer, whereas Prismacolor is much more waxy and thick.

Have you thought of comparing Prismacolor to Polychromos and maybe other brands too? I love your comparison videos they're always so comprehensive and fun to watch too!

6:59 Have you tried using the colorless blender pencil? It helps blend colors, but also burnishes the lead helps fill in the tooth of the paper with out having to press so hard.

tip! if you press hard all the time, you'll take the texture off the paper, and the pencil won't stick, burnish at the end, it's best as a top layer

You're on the *cusp* of calling them "pencil crayons"-Canada might be rubbing off on you, Kasey! 😊

I don't get nearly as much breakage as you did. If you use multiple softer layers before your final burnished layer your pencils might last longer.

The goofy horses came out adorable and the sudden decision to make ghost cats add a special touch.

You literally have become one of my fave artist to watch on RU-vid! I genuinely love what you do. Your drawings always gives me this nostalgia from my childhood. You remind me just to have fun. I’m familiar with both brands very well but it was nice to see you compare & do your thing. I love the colors you used.

As someone who has been using colored pencils for years now, the Prismacolor pencils breaking so much is really irking me. maybe it's because I have never used Prismacolor before (I live in the Netherlands and where I buy my art supplies they don't even sell Prismacolor), but I do know that they are a higher-end pencil. I have been using Faber-Castell for years myself, and I just assumed that Prismacolor would be in the same range as them. I have never had my pencils break like that, even with the softer pencils like the metallics

If you notice that a lead is broken, go to the microwave and put the pencil to warm half a second. Or put the pencil near something that is warm enough to soften the lead inside. Then, let it cold down. I love your videos. Looking forward to the next one :)

I just love your art style so much, there hasn't been a single video where I didn't like what you created. I look up to you so much when it comes to having your own personal art style and that's something I really want for myself.

Thanks for saying the colors! I am completely colorblind so it is nice that you did this!

I just love your art!! It’s unusual, dynamic and full of life!!

a goofy animated series (like adventure time?) in kasey's style would actually be the best thing

Do Primsacolor vs. Polychromos! I used to use nothing but Prismacolors but now I mainly use Faber-Castell Polychromos with a few Prismas thrown in. Definitely don't gotta worry about leads breaking with Polychromos, which is good since they're expensive.

Less than nine minutes in and you've had five breaks with four different pencils, if I counted correctly. :/ Prismacolor Premiers are notorious for this, which is why I don't own any. When I decided to upgrade my cheap starter set of colored pencils, I got a set of Polycromos. They work very well, and I don't end up shaving dollars into the trash while sharpening and sharpening and sharpening because of lead breakeage.

I have both and love both depending on what look I'm going for.

Tip when you sharpen prismas hold the pencils steady and turn the sharpener or use a good electric sharpener.

With short pencils, I love using a pencil extender to use as much of the pencil as I can! They both look amazing!

Kasey, I love your art and videos so so much; they are such an inspiration and I love your personality! You did a lot of videos about ‘active’ art supplies, but the thing I need you to talk about is paper~!! Have a nice day and keep on creating :D

I’d love to see you do Prodmacolor Vs Polychromos or Caran d’Ashe or Ko-I-Nor etc

Absolutely stunning!!!

I would love this as a print!

she is such an inspiring artist! i want to learn character design now

prisma is a softer lead. like a 2b or something. the Verithin series is closer to the hardness of crayola i think

Outstanding artwork Kasey! I do enjoy your styles! I know that if you ever drop a prismacolor pencil they are NEVER THE SAME! I saw several comments about “fixing” them the oven at 300 degrees is one of the better remedies I have tried. I know Crayola gets a bad rap but they do well for the price! You might try a wax VS wax pencil test or oil VS oil but that’s not this video! Thank you for sharing your wonderful artwork with your viewers. Have a lovely day Kasey, say hey to Dave for us!

I like... Neigh ... I love those creatures you created. Initially I thought the good old "you get what you paid for" but then in the end, hmmm I'm torn which one I like better, though Prisma hands down looks like its easier on your wrist

I was gifted a huge pack or prismacolour pencil crayons and really wanted to see the differences since I’m used to crayol, I’m excited to whip them out now and do some blends

This was super fun to watch

Love the illustration, and love this video. =)

I love the horses and the cats. They all look magical 🤗

Those ghost kitties are adorable! ♥️

I honestly like your art stile without line art better than with it

Damn you matched them pretty freaking well!

Hand and wrist pain are one reason I paint rather than use pencils. We’re meant to draw from the shoulder cos it’s a bigger muscle, but it takes practise especially for details. I love the prisma dark pink to purple blend, and the ghost cats.

That prismacolour set was my first big splurge as an artist and fresh out the box they broke like that. I gave up on them super quick and switched to the Faber-Castell polychromos! It's great that prismas work for so many people, but if I have to go through hoops just so they don't break I'd rather buy a pencil I can rely on x Also, your point on wrist pain is very important; I specialised in colour pencils for years and hurt my wrist numerous times

have you ever tried the kingart mixed media gel sticks? i keep seeing them everywhere and they just look like fancy crayons to me, but i'm not sure if they're more like more firm posca pens. would love to see you put them through their paces!

Colored pencils hurt my wrist so bad. I can't imagine doing a whole piece like this. 😫

Have you tried making art with ink sticks (grinding with water and then similar to watercolor, originated in East Asia as far as I know)? I would love to see you do it!

Prismacolor pencils are waxed-based. If you find that they are breaking a lot, the core could be broken from being dropped or something. You can reheat them in the oven to rework the binding of them, actually! Without preheating the oven, bake on 250*F for 5 minutes. You can also use sunlight and a hairdryer, but there's less control with that and it can shorten the life of your pencil. Just make sure to let the pencils cool after because those crumbs can stick to the paper and be there forever, messing up any art you make in that spot. I totally loved your horse-donkey creatures! They're so whimsical and fun to look at. Thanks for the video Kasey and keep creating

I’d be careful with the oven 😳 maybe if you have a warming setting? I’ve tried the microwave for 4 to 5 seconds and had success! Also, for the prismacolor pencils.. for some reason they seem to break less when you rotate the pencil sharpener around the pencils, not turn the pencils themselves. I can’t tell you why but it works! 😅

Ive used these pencils for the first time (albeit with a run down set from a highschool art 1 class) just this morning and the one big thing about using them was *apply lightly*. you do need to put in multiple layers but when you're blending you almost need to because you're switching between the colors trying to get the right mix, also did I mention BLENDING. these pencils are amazing at blending. you can over blend stuff and it turns out as one big transition of colors with zero detail, but if you know how to blend to a novice level, they look really cool. also you probably need to put another layer of pen/fine marker for a line art sometimes.

A tip for the “chunky” fade with the prismacolors is to use the white pencil as a sort of colorless blender or using other colors for a gradient. Prismacolors are not very good for blending into the paper, but the colors themselves blend into eachother really well.

I love the end result, so cute! I think the front legs are bending the wrong way though. I mean they aren't normal horses so maybe it doesn't apply to them, but I think the front legs of horses bend the other direction.

They’re so cute!!!

Hey Kasey thank you for your video, here's a tip, use the t'Gaal sharpener I found it cause less breakage.

Omgggg, so I have recently been diagnosed with a very extreme tendinitis. I am more adept with traditional art, and primarily use.... prismacolor coloured pencils and Crayola coloured pencils. 💦 last year, I have started experimenting more with copic markers as a base and using prismacolor on top, and it has helped quite a bit, being an artist who likes a nice blend, but don't want to run out of coloured pencils so quickly pressing down on this. These pieces look great though! (Also, cries in broken prismacolor leads. I combat them by sticking them in the microwave for a few seconds)

Another option is the prismacolor pencils but in their scholar line. They're still on the soft lead side of things but they are meant to be a little bit harder and more resistant to breakage. So if you're really rough on your pencils that might be a really good option. Also, you can get artist quality hard and soft lead pencils. A lot of people starting out don't realize just how much variety they're actually is in art supplies. I said this is somebody who took a lot of art classes in school but still wasn't introduced to artist grade pencils until way into my adult years. I had no idea that colored pencils could be blended so well and get such vibrant colors. I like to keep around a colorless blender or I plan how I'm going to layer multiple pencils when I want a lighter layer or a fade. You can also use some chemicals to break down the binder so you can blend a large area. My other suggestion is to buy some Bristol paper, doesn't matter what variety, doesn't have to be expensive. The coloring experience and what you can do gets way better when you also upgrade your paper even a tiny bit.

the blick artist colored pencils are really good from what ive seen. i wouldn't say they're nearly as vibrant as prismacolor, but theyre easy to blend and i haven't had any problems with the lead falling out yet!

one thing that helps w colored pencil leads is to use a sharpener made specifically for colored pencils instead of the normal graphite pencil sharpeners

You can put the prismacolors in the sun for a few hours, that way the wax gets soft and it fixes the breaks that are inside the wood. Where I live it gets pretty hot during summer (40ºC) so this worked for me but it wouldn't work in colder places. I heard about microwaving them a little but I would be pretty cautious about that and do some research about the times first.

i am in LOVE with these holy catghosts

one of the important parts for color pencils are the sharpener because if you have a bad sharpener it will break the led in the sharpener

On the topic of coloured pencils and wrist pain, I used to use coloured pencils as my number one art supply. I really loved them and got really good with them. Unforfunately though I cant use them anymore cuz my wrist pains got too bad. As fun as they are, they're easily one of the worst supplies on your wrist

So where you get this idea form for the video.???

That's some swatching!!!! Xxxx

What I definitely recommend for Prismacolor pencils até helical pencil sharpeners, they keep the lead from breaking and make really sharp points. Manual pencil sharpeners will eventually break the leads because the leads are that creamy and fragile.

Hey Kasey, you have to swatch the faber castell polychromos. can recommend them so much ^-^

Kasey’s “PIECE OF PAPER” has Inspired me to say only that when I get paper

i was so bored ty!!!

@4:24 is my favorite part.

I really enjoyed this video, especially the drawing, LoL 😂😆

How are there comments from 18 hours ago what the hay

If you’re into colored pencils you GOTTA get one of these new fangled automatic pencil sharpeners. They like grab it from you and do it all! And a lot have adjustable tip angle.

I have crayola colored pencils and they are the best colored pencils out out there I'll probably be getting prisma colored pencils in the future for adult coloring.

What is this year,year of the .... 🤔

Hey Kasey, as someone who uses prismacolor color pencils I can definitely say that the lead does break a lot more with heavy hands than light hands (I have light hands) and it does break for me too so try layering light layers to avoid breakage as much as possible.

Prismacolor pencils have a solid wax pencil that you can use for blending and gradients, that’s my favorite part of prismacolor, cause I can do light pencil lines and then use the wax to make a buttery smooth color outta not a lot of effort or pressing, If you don’t own the solid wax one the white pencil also works for blending, both for prismacolor and for crayola

The links in the description don’t work

Those cats are so cute!

Those cats are indeed very adorable!

The hand pain with Prismacolors is such a relatable feeling, I think part of it comes from pushing down too hard but even then its a struggle

Can you compare prismacolor with polychromos? I'm really curious😊

Also make sure you turn the sharpener not the pencil in the sharpener when you sharpen. If you're finding that they are breaking more you can also pop them in the microwave for a few seconds and it helps.

Yes, if you are using coloured pencils like we used to in the kindergarten and press so hard, your wrist will hurt after a while. It works with your style perfectly but it's not the usual way. And also, pressing less hard can prevent some of the lead breaking.

recently I bought the 100 Crayola pencils for $ 17.00 @ Wal-Mart n I only use them for fine detail with the Prismacolor ...works good....

i want to see u drawa capybara, would be so cool

I LOVE the one where the cat is hanging over the horses back~~except...since the horse has such a funny surprised look on his face, I an DIEINNNGGGG for the cat to have lil' claws drawn on, gripping on to the horse!!

I got a couple prismacolors to try them out and I was rather unimpressed with the quality of them. I got a lot of breakages and poor coverage, dustry, and not that smooth to colour with. I like Staedtler Ergosoft, Faber Castell Polychromos, Tombow Irotjen, and Caran D'Ache Museum Aquarelle.

Those kitties are cute

I like your handwriting

I have a suggestion as a person with a chronic wrist injury, you can add foam around the pencil to be able to grip it without much strain, preferrably a type of foam that can be removed easily afterwards since pencils often need sharpening

wait kasey how do you not get wrist pains?!?!

I use exclusively Prismacolor pencils. The blending is much easier than other pencils in my opinion. They work best in layers with my experience. If you start off with a light hand and over lap with the others it will turn out much closer to the color you are looking for. I love them terribly, and I have some that are down to nubs. I saw some folks have said to use a different sharpener. I normally use the Prismacolor sharpener, but I also prefer sharpeners from Germany. Hope to see you do more colored pencils later!

3:17 If you look closely you can see that they used a prismacolor pencil for the purple blending test.

I just drank Raspberry Orange-Cream flavored Unicorn yack and now I can die happy...... yes I kept the bottle

I know this is about colored pencils, but have you seen Centaurworld? Your horse creature reminded me of that, and I think you'd really enjoy the art in it

As I wondered if you’ve ever compared pencils before, here you are giving it to me.

Another benefit of prismacolors is that you can buy each color by itself, just like copic markers. Also, yes the lead snapping is annoying but that’s kinda the price of a softer leaded pencil, they are more likely to break. I love my prismacolors.

I like both prismacolor and crayola colored pencils. I have tons of them.

I don't know what kind of sharpener you're using, but an electric one helps emmensly with the breakage

Tip leave the Crayola pencils in water for 5 minutes and dry then they will be creamier

u used the prismacolor purple pencil on the crayola side @3:17

I love prisma colors