The colors that l wouldn’t want to be without! (Part 1 - lights and darks)

Do you have favourite colored pencils? You know those colors that you just use over and over, that get used at some point in nearly every drawing? Or colors that just don’t come in any other brand that you just have to have? I thought l would share some of my favorites with you, really useful colors that if you can buy open stock will enhance any sets of pencils that you already own. When l look at these pencils l can’t say that they are mostly the prettiest colors, but as you see from my photo they are very well used!
​l realized that l would have to write this blog in parts though - there are too many for one blog. So l thought l would begin with the darks and lights.

So beginning with the very lightest, my white selection. I really wouldn’t want to be without any of these, as they are all useful in different ways.
Faber Castell Polychromos White - not very good as a white over other colors, but sharpens to, and holds, an amazing point, so absolutely wonderful for embossing detail such as tiny hairs or whiskers. Other colors used over the top miss the embossed area leaving it white (a bit like doing a bark or coin rubbing when you were a kid).
Caran D’ache Luminance White - excellent when used with heavy pressure at resisting other colors used on top, so l use this where l want to keep an area white or l add a layer with a lighter pressure first where l want a very pale pastel color.
Caran D’ache Pablo’s White - the best white l have found for working over other colors. It doesn’t come out bright white, but will usually show up.
Caran D’ache Luminance Buff Titanium - this is an off white, an amazing color for blonde hair or fur, but l have also found that it often shows better over darker layers than any of the above true whites. This is a great color as it isn’t cream or yellow tinted. I always keep lots of these in my spare stash!
Faber Castell Polychromos Black - always used very sparingly - but always used! This pencil never makes it back to the tin. One of the darkest blacks, but hands down the best because of its ability to hold the sharpest point. For sharpening edges and pulling out tiny lowlights, the best by far.
Faber Castell Polychromos Dark Indigo - as dark as blue gets and used often for shadows when l want to avoid blacks and greys. Much more lively to look at.
Caran D’ache Pablo’s Indigo - l absolutely love this color, more purply than the Polychromos Indigo above, but used in the same way. A color that isn’t in any of the other sets l use.
Faber Castell Polychromos Dark Sepia - the darkest brown l have found and again often gives a nicer result than blacks and greys.
Holbein Raisin - really hard to describe this color but like a rich black cherry, stunning for shadows. Completely unique to this range, l have nothing near it in any of the other brands that l use.
Holbein Grape - a very dark purple, again used for shadows and darker than any of the purples in my other brands.
​So there you have the lights and darks l would hate to be without.
For more about the brands of pencils l use click the link below.

Pencil reviews