Perhaps more with pencils than any other art material is quality important… YES the good ones are more expensive but we are still not talking toooo much money here AND how many boxes of pencils will you get in your life?? One? Two? So, might as well enjoy them!

Definitely the not-good-enough ones (the ones you can’t sharpen properly and/or deliver no colour) do not enter the store! For little hands and big designs we stock the huge Woody from Stabilo, the giant Lyra ones and the Stockmar wax sticks and blocks. For bigger hands but not too deep pockets we stock some most of Derwent‘s range of good pencils of all kinds: Artists, Watercolour, Aquatone and Inktense. For the professionals we carry sets of Conté‘s Carrés crayons and their pastel pencils too, as well as the full range of Faber‘s Polychromos. In the Caran d’Ache range we stock their excellent Pablo and Supracolor (in tins) and what to say of the Luminance range… to die for? the best ever? a dream come true?… and yes we have a few sets of these too!

• Bruynzeel:  We like that Dutch brand of pencils, they are waxy and very smooth. We stock them in graphite (sets and individually), coloured pencils, watercolour and pastel in boxes of 12, 24, 48

• Caran d’Ache:  the Luminance rangeLuminance… when only the best will do! We stock boxes of 20, 40 and 76 pencils and the full range in individual pencils… that’s how much we love them! These are smooth and permanent lead for artists and creative professionals with an unknown elsewhere concentration of pigments (or so I think). Lightfastness is also in compliance with the highest international standard: ASTM D-6901, a rarity in colouring pencils and a must for professionals in our harsh Australian light.

• Conté

1. Carrés crayons are probably most known and sold for life drawing and sketching in the historical sanguine, bistre, whites and blacks. They are however also available in a rich range of colours. They sort of sit between an oil (drier) and a soft pastel (waxier and firmer). Some companies call theirs hard pastels. The square shape offers options pencils do not, as you can use the whole side or just the angles and they can be brought to a point too.
2. Pastel pencils in 48 shades individually and in boxesI like these fat pencils! (apart from the fact you need the Conté sharpener to do a good job…). As all Conté products, they are top quality and highly pigmented. They have a bit of a grit that allows to deposit just the right amount of pastel on your paper while, of course, being much more precise than the sticks.

• Derwent: Artists, Watercolour, Aquatone and Inktense
  
  

1. Artists We stock these classic colour pencils in boxes of 12, 24, 36 and 72. These traditional round barrel pencils have a wide core which is perfect for broad strokes and free drawing. Their slightly waxy texture allow layering and blending.
   
2. Watercolour We stock these classic colour pencils in boxes of 12, 24, 36 and 72 as well as combo boxes in their “Watercolour collection”. These versatile pencils have a water soluble core which allow you to draw/paint with them. They can be used dry, dry on wet or wet on wet. They combine very nicely with the Inktense ones which have the same options but more intense colours.
   
3. Inktense pencils We sell these 99 colours + 1 outliner singly as well as in boxes of 12, 24, 36 and 72
   Turn your pencils into ink in just one wash! Pen and ink offers strong, intense colour combined with a translucent effect. Now you can enjoy these distinctive qualities in an easy to use pencil. Inktense has a highly blendable texture and comes in a range of 71 jewel-like colours, plus a non-soluble outliner which allows you to draw outlines that are permanent, even when water is applied. Apply pure, vibrant dry colour then wash the pigment out completely to leave an ink-like effect. Once dry, the colour is permanent and can be worked over with other media. The possibilities are endless, the results stunning. Inktense pencils can be used on fabric to create interesting silk paintings and unique quilting projects. These pencils can be used with the more subtle watercolour ones to offer a huge variety of effects.

• Faber Castell: Polychromos

It’s taken me long enough to choose which ones I wanted a whole range of I must say! but I’m really happy we now offer Faber Castell’s Polychromos in 120 colours. These artist quality pencils are highly pigmented of course and have a good lightfastness. They have a thick oil-based lead, are water resistant and smudgeproof. They are covered with an eco-friendly water based varnish and did you know Faber Castell plants far more trees than they use for their pencils… nice hey?

• Lyra Color Giants (unlacquered) We sell the whole range (28 colours) by the pencil and in sets.

These could just be the best kids’ pencils in the world! (Of course adults use them too.) They have a rounded hexagonal-shaped wooden barrel that is very pleasant in the hand. Highly pigmented, they have an extra thick lead which gives them incredible intensity. They are also break-resistant, durable and deliver a colour which is both smudge-proof and waterproof.

• Stabilo

 Woody 3 in 1, is a fat short colour pencil, watercolour and wax crayon all in one. It comes in 18 colours, the lead is practically unbreakable (it does have its own sharpener) and it produces marks which have the vibrancy of its pigment load without being waxy-messy (this word is not in the dictionary). It also writes on most surfaces including glass… so certainly perfect for little hands but bigger ones might find them irresistible too!

1. Stockmar‘s wax blocks and crayons are well known to demanding teachers and parents. They are made as artist material with the finest pigments and pure beeswax and even laid on thickly they retain a translucency thanks to the wax. Non toxic and environmentally friendly, their range of 24 colours is based on Goethe’s theory of colour.

Would you like to know more about coloured pencils before you make a decision, please proceed to my blog