Based on some research that I've done (and my chemistry background :)), I think the opacity of a coloured pencil doesn't come from oil/wax - I think it comes from how much kaolin clay (or similar) that they include in the formula for the core. Neither oil nor wax would be opaque but kaolin clay would be. Thanks for all you do for the colouring community, Jennifer and Steve! :)
Very Interesting! I always love ur "left brain" thinking. lol Well now i think that your usual left brain is now meshing and mixing with ur right brain now that ur using ur right brain more! I always have loved watching Jennifer and Steve. They were my first channel i watched when finding this community so whenever u speak of them, i cant help but smile for them a bit. Hope all is well!
I'm using these pencils a great deal and combine them with oil pastels. They work well with Gamsol, especially when I use them for backgrounds and detailing my work. I wish Posca provided more colors. Thank you for sharing your structural analysis. I appreciate your support and would award Posca a 7 rating.
Hi Jennifer, I have 3 of your swatching books (colored pencils, watercolor, & marker), and they are great - however, I'd like to make 2 suggestions. 1. number the pages 2. add an index page (or 2 for those who order books with a lot of pages) The 2 previous brands of swatch books I had been using (before switching to yours) both had these, and I found them very useful. Swatch books are supposed to be reference books - meaning they're meant for you to be able to refer back to them over and over. But it's difficult to refer to it if it takes a long time to find what you're looking for. Most of us don't do swatches for videos or doing battles between brands. Having an index and page numbers not only makes it much faster and easier to find the swatches we're looking for, but it also helps to be able to check relatively quickly whether or not I've already swatched a particular set. I have so many coloring sets, it's impossible for me to remember which I've already swatched & which I haven't. I have already hand-numbered the pages to all of your swatch books & made my own indexes, so this improvement would be too late for me, but I'm sure a lot of other colorists will agree and find the addition of page numbers & an index to be really helpful. Great video, btw. I love Posca pencils.
I’ve had them since the beginning and my only complaint is only 36 pencils. After 4 years I thought they’d have added more colours.The band goes around the box when it is shut not open. I love them and thanks for an excellent review.
Steve! Great catch--I love the numbers on the tip because we can't sharpen them away! Also, after awhile our fingers take the name right off. They are on the high side. I'm not thrilled about the small assortment of colours. I suppose being only 36 they are limited.
I haven't watched past the 5 minute point yet, but I am immediately struck by the packaging and I think I love it. I am particularly fond of the smaller trays that won't eat up your work space. The numbers on the end is interesting...kind of like that. However you are just pointing out that the gold tone makes reading it difficult. However, since only going by numeric ID it will be easy enough to use the brilliant Posca black paint pen to put the number on the side of each pencil at the base :) I'll probably cover the painted numbers over with a clear satin-y nail polish to prevent the possibility of rubbing off over time. I'm already convinced that I'm going to get these because I love the compact and practical packaging as well as that terrific group of grays. The other colors seem to be a good range of everything you need for a solid set of pencils. I recently finished filling out the complete sets of Faber Castell Polychromos and Caran D'Ache Luminance pencil sets via Blick's site. But I love the idea of this well balanced smaller set when you aren't doing something smaller in scope
I had trouble reading metallic numbers on my Polys. I used a hack I learned from someone else. Using a white paint pen, apply paint over the pencil number then using a finger or towel lightly rub off excess paint. You should end up with a white pencil number you can read. I'm not sure how it'll work on an end cap but it might be worth a try.
Thanks Jennifer and Steve! Yet again another thorough review of something ive had my eye on. I can always trust ur opinion and videos. Thanks for all ur hard work!
I don’t care about color names or numbers anyway. I don’t make swatch charts either because I check the color before I use a pencil instead of relying on a chart. Very nice pencils!
I've had them since they came out, although I didn't pay full price for them because they are extortionate for only 36 pencils. However, as with anything Posca, you're paying for a quality product and these coloured pencils are no exception. The packaging is excellent and they don't come apart, I do also keep mine in the plastic package for storage though. These are one of the few sets of mine that remain in their original case. I love how easy to layer and blend they are and the colour range is excellent for a limited size set and they match up with the colours in the Posca marker pen line too, which helps for layering on top of a marker base.
As soon as you picked up the first pencil. I saw the word peach on the barrel toward the cap, and you made such a big fuss about no color names. Gotta look before you leap!
Another problem solver might be taking a Sharpie paint marker, or going in with India ink over the numbers and then sealing with clear nail polish or clear gesso....something that will seal clearly. As for the limited number of colors...that can be a plus since it encourages using the great blending effects you can get and become less dependent on the fss problem...full set syndrome for those who don't know the acronym of Jennifer's phrase. I used to be a FSS individual, but thanks to Lindsey Weirich aka The Frugal Crafter, I've realized how much more you learn and how creative you become by limiting your palette to 5-6 colors and using blending techniques...you stretch your craft a lot that way and save on your pocket book (says this person who just filled out the polychromos and luminance pencil sets) :) But some art supplies are going to trigger that unfortunately. Thank you SOOOOOOO much, both of you, for all of the effort you put into providing such in-depth studies of the various supplies...and providing the wonderful swatch books and coloring pages that you do. It's a true value to your subscribers.
I'm starting to like posca. Just too expensive. I love that they don't crumble. ...I haven't liked swatches, but I'm starting to see yours blending so nicely. Maybe I'll do a swatch lol
I was just watching & thought I'd look at the set online...I couldn't believe Uni site is selling the 36 set for $35.99 I was shocked but thought I'd let you know in case where you got yours would match the price.
I like these pencils. I find them very creamy, vibrant and, yes, opaque. Wish there were more colors. I've seen people do comparisons with the Holbein pastels and white pencils and they fared very well. I like the packaging. I use them as a travel set. I put the elastic vertically along the top to bottom, rather than like a belt across the middle. I find it's a tighter fit and keeps it together better. I will say, I almost lost the band once because it's easy to sort of forget it if you're out somewhere and coloring. Just remember to put the band back.
Thanks for this great review! Why oh why do color pencil makers persist in that annoying metallic printing on their pencils? Gamsol: When I use a solvent, rarely in color pencils, but I do use it for thinning oils and cleaning a brush between color changes, I use Gamsol too. It is pretty odorless but the fumes are still there. I keep the container of it as far away from me as possible and loosely put the lid back on or cover it with something. I think that helps to keep those nasty fumes away from my nose . 👍
Thank you for doing this. A few years ago, I had bought a VERY beautiful set of oil pencils (called 'Phoenix' I think? All of the writing is in Chinese, so I cant really remember) from China but by the time I received them, I had lost the video that convinced me to get them and have been afraid to try them out ever since because of the oil instead of wax...I didn't want to 'waste' them trying to figuring it all out. So they have been just sitting in their beautiful packaging on my shelf...now I can try them out knowing how to use them...all because you did this video 😀
Great video. I have Posca acryllic paint pens, but I didnt know they make colored pencils, so I'm definitely excited to purchase some. That packaging is unique and looks like a great idea! Even if the elasticity goes out of the band over time, one can easily replace it. I don't like those clear plastic boxes, either, and it appears that it is actually meant to be thrown away in this case.
Your videos are delightful and your pronunciation is very good. I'm brazilian and don't have any trouble in understand you...thank you. I don't have posca pencils yet....perhaps in the future
I ordered the pencils, but Amazon sent the pastels by mistake. They gave me a refund and let me keep them. I like them and find them similar to Neocolor I. I tossed the package and store them in the drawer with my Neos. The strap is strong. I used it to lock my screen door for over a year (exterior doors are very expensive) until I got a new one. I still have my mind set on the pencils as oil pastels are my favorite medium, and I want to use them together. I will store them in the provided case. The color range in both is minimal, but if the two sets were all I had, I think the possibilities would be pretty generous.
The colors seem really nice but they are 70$ in Canada, too expensive, plus a plastic case is a no for me. Maybe if I can find them open stock locally I might buy a few colors. Thanks for the review!
I love my Posca pencils. Super creamy. I just wish they'd release a larger color spectrum. I do not, however, like the packaging. Too easy for the band to slip off, and I've never liked keeping my pencils in a tray while trying to color. I also dislike the lack of color name. I've never cared where the number is on a pencil, but on the end actually works better for where my pencils are kept now (stored upright in pencil cubes my husband 3D printed for me).
These are way too expensive for me. 😔 On your big battle of the inexpensive pencils I bought 2 different sets, StarJoy and Brutfuner. I really like both! Exploring on Amazon the other day I saw Brutfuner had a 72 count set of macaron pastels and I already had a 72 count of metallics in my wishlist, so I bought both. Metallics were $28.99 and Pastels were $27.99, I should have bought one at a time but I didn’t want to wait. They should get here next week as I also don’t have prime but go for free shipping.
I love my posca pencils. The case is great but I've lost the rubber band. The only thing I don't like is that there are only 36 pencils. I was able to buy mine last year when they were on sale for around 30 dollars.
I think having a number on the bottom is an excellent idea as sometimes my pencils so short I can’t read it anymore and as long as you keep the color Bart you will now a color it is .
Just a little tip, put some clear nail polish over the numbers to seal them. In my experience numbers like printed on the top rub off quite easily. (I’m only half way through the video but if I didn’t write this now my old brain would forget). ❤️🇦🇺🫶🏻
