In recent years several of the big colored pencil brands have worked hard to provide us with lightfast and permanent colours, resistant to UV rays, so we can be assured the our work lasts the test of time, provided the artwork is cared for properly.
The Caran D'Ache Luminance range comes in sets of 16, 38 and 72 pencils, all with pure finely ground pigments that makes for very strong intense coverage and excellent mixing and burnishing. The pencils are encased in wonderful California Cedar wood and are slightly 'thicker' than, for instance, Prismacolor or Pablo pencils.
I have a range of these pencils and love their instant coverage, and the ability to layer and mix very easily without having to apply too much pressure. These Caran D'Ache Luminance pencils are fabulous and I would recommend these to every serious colored pencil artist.
The only negative thing to report is the fact that the color of the pencil was only shown on the bottom of the pencil, so it was very hard to see which color you needed next without picking them up. However, Caran D'Ache have now fixed this, and the pencils do now have a band of color around the bottom of the pencil to quickly determine which color you need next, which is absolutely vital for the colored pencil artist.
There is no wax build up, leaving the work with a smooth mat finish. My favorite colors in this range are: Brown Ochre 10% and 50%, Buff Titanium, Burnt Ochre 10% and 50%, Napels Ochre, Olive Brown 10% and 50%, Violet Brown and Violet Grey.
Caran D'Ache Luminance colored pencils can also be purchased open stock, so you can always easily top up your pencil set if you favour and use up certain colors more than others.
