Caran d'AchePablo artists quality colouring pencils tin set of 120 assorted water resistant colours

i thought getting these was all a bit overkill since i have lots of pencils prisma, caran dache lumins polychromos. black widows BUT none of them are as smooth as these, not even close. i was not expecting any wow factor but they are lovely to use & i even like the 3 metallics . i like doing realism but havent got round to that yet but i did a colouring page & they are so nice to use, they feel different & ooze colour & quality. thats all i have to say, still doesnt justify the high price but whats really nice about them as well is that you dont have to dread sharpening because the core doesnt crumble like prisma (though i love prisma) so these are good for detail as well. would make an excellent gift for anyone into art or colouring because these dont get as much clout as all the others when really they ought to because theyre great

Beautiful pencils and quite soft and easy to blend. I used a smooth paper and they blended beautifully. I own various pencil colours (polychromos, prisma and Luminance) and the Pablos are my newest acquisition. I think so far they are my favourite as they are so creamy and a box of 120 with a beautiful colour selection vs the 76 of the luminance. They are quite expensive yes but, after trying them out, i can understand why.

These pencils are excellent, they are now my favourite pencils to use.They layer really well and blend nicely and great colour range. I've had zero pencil lead breakages, unlike another well known brand.They are very expensive but will last a very long time.

There had been a coloured pencil on my wishlist for a while, that I’d seen around but seemed to have been overshadowed in the coloured pencil world by Faber Castell’s Polychromos, and the crème de la crème Caran D’ache Luminance – and that is the latter brand’s Pablo Pencils. I already own both Polychromos and Luminance full sets and there was a huge, curious part of me that was wondering could these fit into my already extensive coloured pencil collection and what would they bring to the drawing table?In short, yes and more.First though, here’s my first impression of the Pablos upon unboxing – and it felt like Christmas morning opening these. The set I’m reviewing is the 120 full set, currently RRPing at an eye watering £309.99. You can often find them cheaper online and certain online stores sell individual pencils and smaller sets.The set comes in a very attractive, shiny (my inner magpie truly bursting out) metal tin. They are also available in the beautiful Caran D’ache wooden storage boxes which are very fancy looking but I found the tin to be incredibly practical due to one particular detail – each layer of pencils (and there are three) have their own metal shelf. This is a game changer for me and I’ll explain why – when I got my first tin of Faber Castell Polychromos, like all coloured pencils, each layer rested on those flimsy plastic moulded cases with an elastic loop on each side to take them out. Being an epileptic octopus in a previous life meant more often than not my pencils would go flying when taking the “shelves” out, and in the end the tin went into the bin and I’ve been storing them in a divided pencil case ever since. The metal shelves in the Pablo tin are one of those small details that really does make such a considerable difference that makes Caran D’ache such an attentive brand.The pencils themselves are hexagonal, not round, which again means no more flying pencils rolling off the table and potentially breaking the leads inside. The leads themselves have a 3.8mm diameter core, which Caran D’ache describes as “dry and powder free”. Unlike their Luminance counterparts, each pencil is varnished and sealed with the corresponding colour. The colour name and lightfast rating (given in stars) is embossed in gold, overall a very classy and somewhat nostalgic appearance.Now onto actually using them.I will admit that whilst I have a full set of Luminance pencils, I rarely use the Luminance because I find them simply too soft for my usual realistic pet portraits and did wonder in the back of my mind, will Pablo actually be suitable for my subjects and needs? Bottom line, yes. The oil-based Pablos are a nice inbetween of the hardness of Polychromos and the soft, waxy Luminance. They layer superbly, despite having a dry core, and are a match made in heaven with Fabriano Artistico Hot Pressed paper and its tooth. They sharpen to a nice sharp point (I’m using a Derwent Super Point Manual sharpener) and keep it for a while, although being used to Polychromos I found I was sharpening a little more frequently than those.The colour selection also opened up new opportunities within my work. Having been used to Polychromos Cold/Warm Grey 1-6, the Pablos had much more unique pigments and I found myself with all new palettes and colour possibilities. There is a wide range of neutral colours, ideal for realism and animals and especially a gorgeous selection of greens. Even the brighter shades, like the pinks and purples, left me feeling incredibly inspired and wanting to step out of my usual style in the future, just to have the opportunity of laying down these buttery shades.The lightfastness is also exceptional, as is the standard with Caran D’ache. The lightfast rating of a pencil is especially important to me as I specialise in commissioned pet portraits and I want my clients to get the absolute most out of their commission and myself not pouring hours of work into such a special piece for it to then age considerably due to UV. If perhaps you’re using coloured pencils for leisure such as adult colouring books then this might not be as big an issue, but Caran D’ache are the big leaders in their lightfast technology and this reflects in their premium price.Now I did have one issue with these pencils that did at times drive me up the wall, and that was pigment fallout. This is perhaps due to the dry nature of their pigment. The first drawing I did with these pencils was a big black French Bulldog puppy so I probably noticed it much more with the darker shades. I also like to do some of my pet portraits on clean white backgrounds so the fact I was getting pigment and smudges and spending more time than I’d like cleaning it up was irksome. But (yay, a but!) the pigment was lifted with a kneadable eraser very well and I do recommend using a sheet of glassine paper to protect your paper whilst drawing so the smudging of pigment with the oils from your skin is kept to a minimum.A pleasant surprise I got whilst using Pablos, was that they are water resistant (I haven’t yet tried this out although I came close when watering one of my plants right next to where I was working…), yet they work great with the pencil blend I use (Zest It pencil blend for anyone wondering!). I use Zest It from time to time in my coloured pencil work as it helps with layering and bringing out the intensity of colour.ResultsI really did enjoy what Pablos had to offer and I’ll definitely be using them alongside my Polychromos. The range of colour and their unique pigment consistency. They are expensive, but as with most Caran d’Ache products, you do get what you pay for and they are a great addition to any professional artists collection.

Excellent product- expensive but worth it.

I finally understand why this deluxe pencil set is so expensive now! The packaging is super safe with outer box full of air cushions and inner box to protect it from scratches. The delivery is reliable and being handled with care. The compartments/ layers inside are plastic plus fine metallic trays. When I’ve tried to paint on paper now, I am very convinced that I have made the right choice to pay much more for this superb pencil set.

These are by far the most superior coloured pencils available, they keep a sharp point but are soft enough to blends beautifully. The pigment is incredibly intense and the finest i have ever used. I've been a coloured Pencil artist for 5 years and these have taken my work to the next level. They are very expensive but i believe worth every single penny and for any CP artist one of the best investments you will ever make.

Really great price. Arrived well packaged and on time. Really lovely set of pencils. Quality Caran D’Ache pencils. Good for detail, they hold a sharp point well, sharpen well with standard sharpener. Blend well. Can use in combination with other pencils. Here’s a flamingo I’m drawing using these pencils and a Luminance white pencil. Great range of shades. I bought the big set as you always regret not doing so later.