Review : Faber Castell Polychromos

If you have been following me on Instagram then you’re maybe already familiar with my thoughts on these colored pencils. I've been using them for a while now and thought it would be nice to share a little more about them.

I have the set of 24 colors. I felt it was a good deal with the variety of colors because they are a little pricey… I paid about 35€ on Amazon, then later bought a few more individual pencils at an art supplies store, Géant des Beaux Arts, to add to my collection.

The Packaging

It’s great that Faber Castell offers them in individual units because sometimes you just want that particular color, you know? Each colored pencil has its unique name and number so you know exactly which one you are getting and don’t make a mistake guessing at the color you want. I also really like their gold lettering it just adds a nice touch.

For the packaging they come in a metallic box for the sets which is good to protect them, and inside there's a little information booklet. It shows a few techniques on how to use them and gives a list of all the other colors they offer.

How do they feel?

This may seem like an odd question but they are light to hold in the hand, smooth, and cylinder shaped, so be sure that they don’t roll off your desk, you don’t want the lead inside to break! The pigment is incredible... It may sound like an exaggeration but I find they are really good for coloring and have a rich color, good coverage, and not scratchy like other pencils.

The colors are really vibrant, and the lead isn’t too soft or hard. In the past I've used some Prismacolors (this was years ago) and I didn’t really like how they colored. I felt they were a little too waxy and created this waxy sheen effect I didn’t like on my drawings. As for coloring techniques I haven’t tried a lot but I just experiment and see what works for me.

How I use them.

I often use different mediums along with the Polychromos when I color such as brush pens or watercolor. So I may start with a basic base layer of watercolor, or brush pen, then color with the pencils to add more detail or shade. It’s maybe just how I sometimes choose to color, I don’t know if many others do the same or if they just use one medium to color an entire drawing. I think we just have to practice and find what works for each of us.

I consider myself still a little new to coloring because I didn’t use colors before in my art, (except when I was younger and had my coloring books), so I still have difficulty choosing my color schemes. Sometimes I don’t like the end result of some drawings but with practice and patience, progress is possible! Right?

Would I recommend these colored pencils?

I think you can understand that I definitely would. It isn’t necessary though to go and buy a large expensive set, a small one would be just fine or even buying them as individuals would be great especially if you already know which colors you want. If you’d like to take a look at the same set that I have it’s available here on Amazon*.

Thank you for reading! I hope it was helpful. Do you already have a set of Polychromos or is there another brand that you prefer? :)

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* Disclosure: Keep in mind that some of the links in this post are affiliate links and if you go through them to make a purchase we will earn a small commission. However, this doesn't impact our reviews and comparisons :)