Colored Pencils That Made the Cut

Top tier on desktop: Museum Aquarelle, Prismacolor, Supracolor

Regular readers of this blog are well aware of the massive downsizing I went through for the better part of two years. The biggest category needing culling was art supplies in general and colored pencils in particular. Some materials I gave away could be seen in photos from last winter’s gab & grab. Eventually I showed the bookcases, drawers and cabinets containing some materials that made the cut. I never wrote specifically, though, about which colored pencils I kept.

Whenever I started thinking about a functional way to discuss which sets I kept and why, it started feeling like an onerous task. You know me – if you get me started talking about colored pencils and all the nuanced uses for one type rather than another (and therefore justifying why I need so many), I could go on for weeks! But since I already have reviews of most of these pencils, I decided that simple lists including links to the reviews would be the most concise. If you’d like more detail, please read the reviews. The pencil brands are not ranked within categories (in fact, I diplomatically listed them alphabetically).

Top drawer

The easy part was the long-time favorites (which I’ve labeled as “top tier” and “secondary tier”). The more difficult task was rationalizing (to myself) the many pencils I’ve kept without good reason! I suppose I must resort to revealing irrational whims. So be it. Interestingly, writing this post has helped me determine which will be the next to go.

I should also note that the only vintage pencils I include are ones that I consider “users.” With those exceptions, vintage pencils aren’t nearly as good to use as most contemporaries in my top and secondary tiers. Even among my vintage “collectibles,” I gave away quite a few sets. The ones I kept are for qualities that anyone who collects anything might appreciate: They are fun, beautiful, unique or otherwise “special.”

The way I manage my entire inventory now is the same way I manage my clothes (with a finite number of hangers): A finite space is allocated to each category (“users,” collectibles, vintage), and when each space is full, I am not allowed to bring in anything new unless I get rid of something already there. At the Black Friday gab & grab, I gave away a few sets with that in mind (yes, something new! Stay tuned!)

 Top Tier

These are my tried-and-true favorites that you’d have to pry from my cold, stiff hands. As I reach for them most often, some literally occupy the “top tier” of my drawing table – on the desktop or in the top drawer. Except Polychromos, all are among the softest colored pencils I own.

Caran d’Ache Museum Aquarelle

Caran d’Ache Supracolor Soft

Derwent Drawing

Derwent Inktense

Derwent Lightfast

Faber-Castell Polychromos

Prismacolor (vintage and contemporary)

 

Secondary Tier

I still think of these as favorites, but only for specific purposes. Luminance used to be in the top tier but only recently got pushed down to the secondary tier when I realized I don’t reach for them as often as I do Derwent Lightfast (which I place in the same range of softness).

Caran d’Ache Bicolors (various holiday limited edition sets)

Caran d’Ache Luminance

Eberhard Faber Design Watercolor (vintage)

Faber-Castell Albrecht Dürer

Holbein

Staedtler Karat Aquarell

Uni Pericia/Posca

 

Specialty

I don’t use these often, but I’ve found them to be best for their specific functions, so they were worth keeping.

Derwent Metallic 20^th anniversary set

Eberhard-Faber Design Spectracolor Doublecolor (vintage)

Koh-i-Noor Tri-Tone

 

Limited Editions or Otherwise “Collectible”

These I rarely use, but how can I let go of beautiful sets that are no longer available (or won’t be for long)?

Caran d’Ache limited edition sets (Oliver Jeffers, Cosmic Blue, Keith Haring, Germanier)

Caran d’Ache Museum Aquarelle leads

Palomino California Republic

Palomino California Republic Aquas

 

Irrational but Irresistible

These I rarely use, if ever, and yet I have sentimental or other irrational reasons for keeping them. The most irrational of all is that some come in fabulous packaging!

Blackwing Colors

Marco Tribute Masters Collection

Mitsubishi Uni

Tombow Irojiten

 

Probably Getting the Boot

I couldn’t quite bring myself to boot these yet, but given that I hardly use them (not even enough to review one) and can’t even think of an irrational reason for keeping them, they will probably not make the next cut.

Bruynzeel Design

Caran d’Ache Pablo

Caran d’Ache Prismalo 

Cretacolor Karmina

Derwent Coloursoft

Derwent Procolour

Schpirerr Farben

Irrational but decorative!

Graphite for Gilligan’s Island

 

My picks, from top: Dixon's Typhonite Eldorado, Faber-Castell 9000, Staedtler Mars Lumograph. The other two didn't make the cut.

11/27/24 Faber-Castell 9000 8B

Regular readers of this blog know my preoccupation with thinking about what I’d take to Gilligan’s Island. Don’t laugh – when it comes to art supplies, it’s an important question. Although I typically ponder this issue as it relates to my entire sketch kit, which would always certainly include at least one graphite pencil, it was only recently that I began thinking more specifically about which graphite pencil I would take.

The question came up during Pencilvember while I was using a Faber-Castell “Castell” 9000 pencil for a draped scarf study. For a graphite sketch, I typically use one hard grade to begin, then finish with a softer grade. In the case of a full-on, finished drawing, I might use several grades in between. But I was in a hurry that day with only 20 minutes before I had to leave for an appointment, so I tried an experiment: Instead of my typical method, I used only the F-C 9000 in 8B.

I know 8B sounds way too soft, and I thought it would be challenging to draw the initial blocking and lightest values with a pencil that dark. In fact, it is very strangely both hard and soft. While the end result is not as smooth as it might have been had I started with a harder grade, I was happy with it – both the result and the process. Because the entire 9000 range is so hard (compared to any Japanese range and probably even some European ranges), the 8B was suitably hard while also being dark. Huh – I wouldn’t even mind taking it to Gilligan’s Island.

11/29/24 Dixon Typhonite Eldorado 3B

That’s what got me thinking: what other graphite pencils would be good candidates for the “three-hour tour”? Before I get started, let’s consider the criteria:

Multiples and variations must be minimized. Anticipating a potential rescue, the Skipper tells the castaways that they may bring only the “bare essentials” (a term that makes Mrs. Howell gasp and adolescent 1960s viewers titter). Ginger’s 15 evening gowns would not make the cut, and neither would a full range of graphite pencils.

In addition to being compact, each choice must be versatile. If one colored pencil can take the place of two (oooh, bicolors!), that’s great, but if it’s also a watercolor pencil, all the better. The double-sided Viking Verso would be an ideal graphite choice – if only I liked the scratchy graphite.

Practical matters must also be considered. One could make the argument that a clutch and a box of leads in a variety of grades would certainly be a compact graphite set for the island. But how practical would it be to continually change the lead in a clutch while making a drawing? Not at all. I’d be rescued by the time I finished that sketch.

Finally, a subjective criterion is also important. I must enjoy using the pencil, or being stranded for any length of time would be intolerable.

12/1/24 Staedtler Mars Lumograph 2B

With these criteria in mind, I determined that a pencil for Gilligan’s Island must have graphite hard enough to last far beyond that three-hour tour to minimize sharpening, but it must also be soft enough to build darks efficiently. While the result may not be as smooth as using multiple grades, it must be at least adequate. To test the pencils, I made more draped fabric studies using the Field Notes Streetscapes sketchbook.

My top three candidates are the vintage Dixon’s Typhonite Eldorado 3B, the previously mentioned Faber-Castell 9000 8B, and the Staedtler Mars Lumograph 2B. Each is simultaneously hard and dark, making them versatile, compact pencils. The Lumograph is not as smooth and pleasant to use as the Eldorado or 9000, but it does meet the criteria. The Lumograph and the 9000 have the advantage of being readily available almost anywhere (except the Island, of course) compared to the vintage Eldorado (though it can be found often enough on eBay).

12/2/24 Tombow Mono F: Too hard.

Although I had doubts, I tested a long-time favorite pencil to see how it would fare: A Tombow Mono F. Sometimes I start graphite drawings with this F as my first, hardest grade, then finish with a softer grade or two. Unfortunately, it's not soft enough to finish a sketch, at least with my patience level, because it takes too long to build up the darkest darks. (Who’s got that kind of time when there are coconuts to pick?)

My search was by no means exhaustive; I probably have other pencils that would pass the Gilligan test. These were simply the ones that were fresh in my memory from this year’s and last year’s Pencilvember. What are your graphite candidates for Gilligan’s Island?

12/2/24 vintage Eberhard Faber Microtomic 6B: Too soft.

All pencils were freshly sharpened before making the test sketches. This image shows how the points looked after the sketches were finished.

Pencilvember Going Strong

As most German pencils are, this one is a nail!
It's a 3B that feels more like an H!

11/12/23 vintage Staedtler Mars Lumograph 3B

By the third week of a month-long drawing challenge, I’m usually starting to look at the calendar to see how many days are left. But what started out almost as a whim is turning out to be one of my favorite challenge themes: Who knew that sketching an ear a day would be so much fun – and illuminating?

11/13/23 Dixon Ticonderoga No. 2

The pencil that most American kids used in
elementary school (though mine was never
neon pink back then). No nostalgia here...
happy that I have much better options now as
an adult.

It’s the combination of the subject matter (endlessly varied) and the material (also endlessly varied) that is making the challenge so compelling. Although graphite pencils are among my favorite drawing materials, I tend to use them sporadically, not daily, so this month is a fun opportunity to learn, compare and appreciate pencil qualities.

11/14/23 Pentonic

I know nothing about this Pentonic, but it was
very pleasant to use.

In my previous Pencilvember post, I had mentioned the comment from a blog reader who had said ears can be used to identify individuals for genealogical purposes. Shortly after that, when I exclaimed my fascination with the uniqueness of ear shapes, an Instagram follower commented, “That’s why mug shots have a side view; before identifying individuals by their fingerprints, the ear was the identification.” I didn’t know this, but it doesn’t surprise me at all.

11/15/23 Nataraj Trikone Super Black

Another India-made pencil, this one has a triangular barrel
and excellent dark graphite.

11/16/23 Musgrave 600 News

This US-made pencil is extremely dark yet retains a good point. It's apparently a favorite for doing crossword puzzles because the soft, dark graphite works well on newsprint. 

11/17/23 Faber-Castell Pitt Matt 4B

I wish I liked the innovative Matt more
(reviewed on this blog), but I just don't care
for the "stickiness" when applied.

11/18/23 Bic Criterium 4B

At least now I can say I have used a Bic that
wasn't a ballpoint.

11/19/23 Lyra Rembrandt 9B

Another nail-hard German pencil! 

11/20/23 vintage Eberhard Faber Microtomic 6B

Fabulous vintage graphite that is a joy to use.

11/21/23 Royal Sovereign Wolff 4B

Very soft for a 4B, this Royal Sovereign was difficult to
use when I wanted to apply lighter tones. I was tempted to 
switch to something harder for those areas, but my rule for 
this challenge is one pencil per drawing.

11/22/23 Tombow 2558 B

Predictably solid Japanese graphite with a surprising bit
of grit. Also, please note: In case it's confusing without context,
this is a LEFT ear. Must have been a painful incident!

Inheritance

 

An opportunity to honor an artist I didn't know.

A friend gave me a pile of art supplies. They had belonged to a friend of hers who had recently passed away, and she was helping Anne’s husband dispose of her belongings.

The large mix of colored pencils included mostly Eagle and Berol Prismacolors and Cumberland Derwent with a few Eberhard Faber Colorama – all several decades old. Although the brands were not new to me or my collection, one of the Berol imprints was one I hadn’t seen, and I didn’t have many Eagles with the italicized logo. I’m happy to have them.

The inherited pencils include vintage Eagle and Berol Prismacolors, Cumberland Derwents and Eberhard-Faber Coloramas. 

Going through the mix one by one, I thought about Anne (as much as it’s possible to think about someone I didn’t know at all). A ceramic artist, abstract painter and art teacher of young children, Anne had used the pencils well. Based on the colors that were shorter, I surmised that she had favored warmer hues. I hadn’t heard that she made drawings, so maybe the colored pencils were for studies. Or maybe she had let her young students use them (though they were in excellent condition, so I doubt it).

I didn’t check the Derwents individually, but all of the Prismacolors are duplicates of colors I have, so my initial intention was to pass these along to someone else. But I found myself sharpening several colors from the heap to use.

Since almost everything in my vintage collection came from eBay sellers who buy at estate sales, it’s likely that most of those art supplies once belonged to now-deceased artists. I have often wondered who those original owners were and what kinds of artists they were. Knowing just a bit about Anne has made me feel a stronger kinship through her pencils. Since she didn’t bequest these pencils to me, I suppose it’s not technically an inheritance, but she can rest knowing that her pencils won’t go to waste. I’ll honor her memory by using these pencils and thanking her for all the art she had made and encouraged in young people.

Below are a couple of sketches I made with Anne’s pencils.

Vintage Eberhard Faber Aquarello Oval Water Color Pencils

Eberhard Faber Aquarello Oval Water Color Pencils

A true gem hopped into my eBay “buy it now” cart recently: a vintage set of Eberhard Faber Aquarello Oval Water Color Pencils. The first time I encountered Aquarellos (doesn’t that sound like something I should have smoked while riding a train back in the ‘60s?), the pencils were of the conventional size and shape (see my post from a few years ago). My latest find has a unique form factor: It’s like a mini-length carpenter’s pencil – and a really beautiful one, at that!

My first Aquarellos have a plainer, conventional form factor.

The hinged cardboard box (above) has a pattern that evokes fabric similar to my other Aquarello box (at right). The pencils promise “A broad band of color in one stroke,” and the core’s shape certainly looks like it could deliver.

The box interior has a different fabric-like pattern that recalls a modern brocade or Japanese silk. The box has dividers to keep the pencils from sliding. What a classy way to present colored pencils!

The pencil barrels are natural, varnished wood and painted end caps. So lovely! From the looks of the points, the original owner used them to the quick, but then didn’t want to bother knife-sharpening more than a couple of them.

Painted end caps

Branding is on the narrow edge of the pencil only.

Dividers keep the pencils neatly in place.

I didn’t buy these to use, but I did make a quick scribble with a few to see the “the broad bands of color.” The dry pigment level isn’t bad for this era (others are certainly much worse), but like their plainer Aquarello sisters, these “water color” pencils activate without much enthusiasm.

I do like the practical shape of these Aquarellos; they remind me of the Rexel Cumberland Derwent Drawing Pencils that came in a similar form factor. It’s too bad that Derwent discontinued that line (though thankfully retained the same cores in the conventional pencil shape of their current line).

I’d love to see a contemporary pencil manufacturer put out a set of watercolor pencils with a similar broad, flat body that would support an extra-wide, soft core. Faber-Castell already offers the Albrecht Dürer Magnus jumbo pencils, so it’s unlikely to take on another thick core (and I wouldn’t want them as hard as Dürer anyway). Caran d’Ache would be ideal, of course – I could see the Swiss company coming out with a fancy (overpriced) box for them, too. Another one to put on my next wish list.

Edited 2/17/23: A member of the pencil community just showed an image from a 1930 catalog showing these pencils! These must be the oldest in my collection! And even more intriguing: Caran d'Ache has always claimed its flagship Prismalo pencil, launched in 1931, as the world's first watercolor pencil. But if the Aquarello appeared in a 1930 catalog...!

Eclectic Top Nine

 

Nine Instagram posts that received the most "likes" in 2022

Despite some ambivalence, I usually jump on the Instagram Top 9 bandwagon each year (what else is social media for but to jump on bandwagons?). In case you’re unfamiliar with it, the Top 9 app generates the nine posts from an Instagram account with the greatest number of “likes” during the year. I’m usually indifferent or only mildly amused by the results. I know that the number of “likes” has more to do with algorithms (which I make no effort to learn about or try to turn to my advantage) that determine who sees my posts and rarely represents anything that is necessarily significant to me.

This year’s Top 9 was a rare exception: The grid includes an eclectic mix of my favorite things of the year or things that were otherwise special. I, too, give them a “like”! (You think maybe I like color? And that my followers do, too?) From top, left to right:

• Video of a raccoon scratching himself in our backyard. I knew this one was an easy Top 9! I think it has received more “likes” (243) than any other Instagram post I’ve made, certainly more than any sketch!
• My antique Eberhard Faber pencil stand.
• My sketch that was published in a Seattle Times article.
• A sketch of a foggy day through my studio window.
• The color wheel key fob that I turned into a pendant.
• A sketch I made from a family photo that was taken at Minidoka Relocation Center.
• My pink springtime bag.
• Caran d’Ache Colour Treasure bicolor pencils.
• A sketch of my Peg & Awl mini Sendak pencil roll.

My New, Very Old Eberhard Faber Pencil Stand

 

Nearly a century old and now on my desk. When I purchased it, the Eberhard Faber pencil stand came with several vintage and affectionately hacked pencils from the seller.

Despite my obvious love for vintage colored pencils, I’m not a collector or hunter of antique furnishings or other objects. In general, I stay out of antique shops to avoid temptation (though occasionally I can’t resist). Apparently I always have one eye open, though, for special items that are exactly right.

One day in the Erasable Podcast Community Facebook group, a member posted photos of a vintage Eberhard Faber pencil display stand that he was selling. A 1923 Eberhard Faber catalog shows the pencil stand, which means the model is nearly a hundred years old. As soon as I saw it, visions of pencils danced through my head: It’s the perfect display for some of my favorite vintage pencils! In fact, it’s exactly what I’d been looking for, although I didn’t know it until I saw it.

Image from Pen Collectors of America

The advertisement for the Eberhard Faber Diamond Star “No. 29 Mahogany Stand With Assortment of High-Grade Items” indicates that it was a retail display. (What?? Consumers didn’t display pencils in their homes this way??!) Here’s what it says about the stand, which came with pencils:

The mahogany stand is an extremely useful advertising display piece, as well as a handy “silent salesman.” It is a high-class stand, with high-grade articles, and the finest stationery stores of the country will be proud to display it.

Imagine walking into a stationery store (sadly, such stores are becoming increasingly rare) and seeing “high-grade articles” displayed this way! Indeed, that “silent salesman” wouldn’t have to work very hard on me.

With some signs of age and wear, the pencil stand has many stories to tell. I could clean and polish it if I wanted to, but I think I’ll hear those stories better if I leave it as is.

Of course, I had initially intended to fill it with vintage colored pencils; in fact, I have several Eberhard Faber sets I considered. But the rack had probably been sitting in a dark storage unit for years, despondently without purpose. It deserved to be put to daily use as well as admiration.

With 72 holes, it was almost perfect for my favorite Caran d’Ache Museum Aquarelle pencils. After weeding out duplicates and some stubs too short to fit in the stand, my Museum Aquarelles fit beautifully – with a couple of holes to spare. The Eberhard Faber Diamond Star retail display is once again both high class and functional.

Still functional and beautiful after all these years.

Two empty holes after filling with my Museum Aquarelles.

Nicks and wear have a hundred years of stories to tell.

Museum Aquarelle stubs and duplicates

Incidentally, the seller was Ali Serra, owner of the Etsy shop Ernest Theodore, where I have made fun and inspiring purchases the past few years. He’s local, and we had met last year at an in-person pencil meetup (yes, there is such a thing). Shortly after I had made the purchase, a few Erasable members got together for another meetup. With my pencil peeps admiring my new acquisition, it was an appropriate handoff for the old Diamond Star.

A parking lot transaction. 

Although we would have preferred to chat about pencils over a table of food or beverages, we settled for a tailgate meetup at a Tesla charging station (where one member had to make a quick stop while breezing through Seattle). With me are Ali, Julia, John and adorable Ernest Theodore, the namesake of Ali’s shop.

A new home for the No. 29 Diamond Star display