The Faber-Castell Polychromos set is 120 artist-grade colored pencils in a metal tin. Polychromos pencils use an oil-based lead rather than the wax-based lead in most student and coloring pencils. The oil base lays down dense color with little wax bloom. It layers and blends over many passes, and it resists smudging and water once on the paper. These are not watercolor pencils and will not dissolve with a wet brush.
The leads are 3.8 mm thick and bonded to the full length of the wood barrel using Faber-Castell's SV process. That bond helps prevent internal breaks when a pencil is dropped and keeps the point intact during sharpening. The pencils hold a sharp point for fine hatching and detail work, and they can also be used on their side for broad coverage. They work alongside graphite, ink, and paint in mixed media pieces.
We stock this set because Polychromos is the standard many working illustrators and colored pencil artists use. The 120 tin is the full range in one purchase, so it is a step up from our starter sets like the KINGART gel sticks for an artist ready to commit. The pencils are made in Germany.
Details
Brand: Faber-Castell
Line: Polychromos
Count: 120 colors
Lead: oil-based, 3.8 mm, SV bonded
Properties: smudge resistant, water resistant, acid-free
