| Prismacolor Colored Pencils rate high on the scale of | | | | quite as much damage. |
| fine art products and come in eight distinct product | | | | If you are looking for a pencil which will preserve its |
| lines, four of which are briefly reviewed here. These | | | | overall tonal and color quality, especially when |
| include Art Stix®, Premier, Lightfast, and | | | | exposed to light, the recommended pencil is the |
| Scholar® pencils. Each product line can be used | | | | Prismacolor Lightfast series. The Lightfast colored |
| exclusive to the other lines, or mixed to create | | | | pencil line was designed to resist fading even when |
| multiple textures and visual effects. For example, | | | | exposed to light for prolonged periods of time. |
| because of its flat and broad surface, Art Stix® | | | | Lightfast complies with ASTM D 6901 for light |
| are terrific for covering large areas. While similar in | | | | fastness - a standard established by ASTM |
| shape to a pastel stick, Art Stix® aremade of the | | | | International, a not-for-profit organization that |
| same quality texture and pigments as Prismacolor | | | | publishes voluntary consensus standards for materials |
| pencil leads. Unlike pastels, Art Stix® can be | | | | and products for quality, including the labeling of |
| sharpened using a razor or knife, and can even be | | | | artists' colored pencils. Prismacolor Lightfast colored |
| shaped into a fine point using fine sandpaper or | | | | pencils are sold in 48 rich colors, and are made of |
| newsprint. | | | | rich, light resistant pigments. They can be purchased |
| The Premier is a line of pencils that comes in 132 | | | | individually or in sets of 12, 24, and 48. |
| different colors, which can be purchased either | | | | In the case of Prismacolor colored pencils or any |
| individually or in a set. Sets come in quantities of 12, | | | | other artist pencils, never use an electric pencil |
| 24, 36, 72, 120, and 132. Premier colored pencils are | | | | sharpener to sharpen your pencils. Electric pencil |
| made of rich, high quality pigment leads, suitable for | | | | sharpeners tend to eat-up pencils, as well as |
| artists from beginners to professionals. The | | | | shake-up the delicate lead inside the wood casing. If |
| Scholar® line is only sold in sets of 12, 24, 36 and | | | | you must use a pencil sharpener, use a sharpener |
| 48 pencils, and is not sold individually. Premier leads | | | | such as the Prismacolor Colored Pencil Sharpener, |
| are thicker and heavier in weight than Scholar® | | | | which is engineered specifically for artist pencils. Most |
| colored pencils, and resist breakage better when | | | | first art students will learn to sharpen their pencils |
| dropped. That is particularly an advantage to most | | | | using a straight edge razor or knife - sort of in the |
| beginning artists, who tend to drop their pencils more | | | | style of wood whittling. For safety as well as quality, |
| often than experienced artists. When a pencil is | | | | always hold the pencil away from the body, pointing |
| dropped onto a hard surface, the lead inside the | | | | the pencil point towards the floor while making light, |
| wood encasing easily shatters into small splints of | | | | gentle, even shaving strokes. Make sure to rotate |
| lead. One drop can sometimes damage an entire | | | | the pencil after each shave in order to achieve an |
| pencil, which when sharpened will crumble. Because | | | | evenly sharpened pencil, and never made deep |
| Scholar® colored pencil leads are thinner, they tend | | | | incisions into the pencil. If you require a precisely |
| to break more easily. However, if you work in an | | | | pointed pencil lead, you can gently sand the exposed |
| area where the flooring is not made of hard | | | | wood and pencil lead with a piece of fine sandpaper |
| concrete, an occasional drop will probably not do | | | | or newsprint. |