Colored pencils are often thought of as a kiddie item; something that you buy when it shows up on the 'back to school' list and then they never get used. Prismacolor perfected the colored pencil with their Verithin line; a wide array of colors, long lasting point and the ability to blend them so you can create amazing pieces of artwork. If you are looking for general coloring pencils for kids, these aren't something that you should buy. Why? They are expensive [but worth it] and chances are some of them will end up getting lost. If you are looking for colored pencils for kids, stick with Crayola. Now, if you are looking for some of the smoothes writing colored pencils that will last three to four times longer than other brands then the Prismacolor Verithin are well worth checking out. The nice thing about these is that they come in a several size assortments so if you want to try them out you don't have to buy a thousand of them, the smallest set is the 12 count. On a side note, most of the colors are also sold individually but this isn't the most cost effective way to go.

Prismacolor Verithin 36 Count Colored Pencils

Until a few years ago, if someone would have asked me what my favorite colored pencil was, I would have said the Spectracolor [Design, not Venus] but for what ever reason, they became almost impossible to find in any store or online. When I was able to find them at auction sites like eBay, they were always the wrong product. They would ship out Prismacolor ones and when you would complain they would say, "The are the same thing with a different name". Umm, no, they're not. When someone heard me complaining about this at a comic book shop in San Diego they recommended the Verithin by Sanford. Now this is where things get complicated; Prismacolor, Prismacolor Verithin and Prismacolor [a generic knock off made by some no-name company] are three different beasts. If you are looking for the best, then you want the Prismacolor Verithin. There are a lot of people making colored pencils that look like them or have similar sounding names but none of them come close to being a Verithin.

The name Verithin does throw people off; that doesn’t mean that they are thin pencils but rather the lead is a tad bit thinner than regular colored pencils. Why? So you can have more control over where the color ends up. The blending power of these is incredible; you can create a plethora of shades from just a few colored pencils and if you are smart you'll get the 36 count pack from the start so you can have the most color to choose from. These are a lot less expensive than the Prismacolor Double Ended Markers so buying the biggest set they have to offer doesn't require you to sell off internal organs to afford them. On the same token, if you are unsure about them, you can get a smaller pack to try them out because trust me, you can never have too many of them around the house. One thing I really love about these is that they are quiet when you are writing with them, none of that 'squeaking' that you get from other brands. There is almost no flaking or splintering of lead even when you are pressing super hard.

The 36 Pack Color Assortment

Warm Grey, Canary Yellow, Lemon Yellow, Orange, Aquamarine, White, Grass Green, Goldenrod, Apple Green, Peacock Green, Peacock Blue, Indigo Blue, Cerulean Blue, Gold, Blue True, Violet, Parma Violet, Deco Pink, Olive Green, Poppy Red, Crimson Red, Terra Cotta, Dark Brown, Spanish Orange, Tuscan Red, Ultramarine Blue, Black, Process Red, Cool Grey, Pale Vermillion, True Green, Dahlia Purple, Silver, Pumpkin Orange, Dark Umber, Light Peach.

By far the most incredible colors are the Dahlia Purple, Spanish Orange and Process Red but the Deco Pink and Grass Green are also impressive. No matter what you are using these for, you get better coverage with these regardless of how sharp you have the tip and colors can easily be blended. If you want to really increase the level of depth you can combine these with other Prismacolor products. Of course you have to make sure that you are using the right kind of paper; you wouldn't want to use these with the watercolor pencils on something thin like vellum. This is a really nice set for those who are taking art classes or teens who have outgrown the Crayola assortment. There are over forty colors in the series; the ones that aren't included in this set are the varieties of grays but you do get Warm Gray, Cool Gray and Silver in this set.

Price

When it comes to buying the Verithin there is only one place that I will buy them; discountart.com. They have the Absolute lowest prices on the individual as well as packaged colored pencils. The 36 count set usually sells for about eighteen to twenty dollars at art stores but discountart.com has them for $14.00 and if you are looking for the smaller 'starter' set of 12 you can get those for under five dollars. Need a few replacements; they have them for .44 cents each. Yes, you read that right. The only time I purchased these at an art store was when I was taking a class and needed a set that day; the ones that I had at home had seen a lot of use and I didn't want to show up with shoddy pencils my first day. Are they worth it? To me they most definitely are. You get incredible coverage, almost no splintering or flakes and it holds a tip point for longer than other 'cheaper' colored pencils.

The Bottom Line

While they are expensive, they are worth it if you want something that is going to retain it's color, blend easily and give you the ability to create incredible things. You can use them on any type of paper as well as fabric, poster board, newsprint and even cardboard. The fact that you can use these with other Prismacolor products only increases its value as an art tool. If you are looking for a gift for an artist, I highly recommend the Verithin line from Sanford. AS with almost all Sanford products, these come with a guarantee that you will be satisfied with them or they will replace your purchase price or offer you an exchange. I doubt you will ever need to take them up on that offer though as these are some of the nicest colored pencils on the market.


As always, thanks for the visit…

~^V^~ Freak ~^V^~

© 2006 Freak369


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Sanford Prismacolor 12 Count Double Ended Marker Set
Sanford Prismacolor 48 Count Double Ended Marker Set
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Recommended: Yes