Ohuhu Halawa 72 Set of Colored Pencils Review

In this review we take a look at the 72 set of colored pencils from Ohuhu. A few years ago I seen the Ohuhu Colored Pencils on Amazon and given my love for the Ohuhu Alcohol Markers, I thought I would buy a set to review. However, as I mentioned, this was quite a few years ago and the quality wasn’t good.

I was a bit surprised at this, given the quality of Ohuhu’s extensive marker range, but things got in the way and I never actually got round to reviewing them. Before Christmas just past, Christmas 2025, Ohuhu contacted me and asked if I would like to review their colored pencils, to which I agreed, completely forgetting about my brief experience years previously.

After testing and demonstrating the 72 set of Ohuhu Colored Pencils they sent to me, I am now of the opinion that either the set I purchased years previously were fake or Ohuhu have changed the ingredients in the core of their pencils or perhaps sourced their pencils from a different distributor. Either way, the set of Ohuhu Colored Pencils showcased in this review are of a much higher quality and I think you will see in this review, from the demonstrations and artwork that the quality is excellent.

Halawa Ohuhu Colored Pencil Characteristics.

When it comes to all the art supplies I test and review, I always try my best to showcase the product on as many different paper surface types as I can. For this review I completed the layer, blending and odourless mineral spirits test on a sheet of Strathmore 300 Series Bristol Velum paper. I completed the swatch on Strathmore 300 Series Bristol Smooth and for the artwork, I completed that on a sheet of Derwent hot pressed watercolour paper. Finally I have included a few colors on some Black paper from Derwent which helps artists to see the pencils translucency or opaqueness.

The 72 set of Ohuhu Colored Pencils on display for this review arrive in a black tin, with some bright and vibrant artwork on the front, depicting the bright and vibrant nature of the pencil cores. Also on the front of the tin there is information printed regarding the type of pencil inside the tin, information such as; Lightfast and Waterproof, Richly Saturated Pigments, soft and thick lead, Eco friendly natural basswood and easily blending and colouring for artists. On the back of the tin there is a laser printed swatch, just to give the potential buyer a visual idea of the colors present in the set.

On opening the tin you are presented with two layers of colored pencils and as you can see from the images, the top tier starts with the yellows, oranges, reds, purples and into the blues. The bottom layer then merges from the blues, to the aqua blues and greens, the greens, earth tones, greys and finally a couple metallics, finishing off with a black and white. I will showcase the swatching of the colors further into the review.

The actual barrel and feel of the Ohuhu Colored Pencils is quite thick and well weighted, with an absolutely gorgeous core of 3.7mm, housed within a round 7.4mm barrel. All in all, the Ohuhu colored pencils offer a substantial core size, allowing for colored pencil artists and adult colouring book artists to achieve good coverage and layering techniques.

The entire round barrel of the Ohuhu Colored Pencil is colored the same color as the core, making visual core selection quick and easy. Along one side of the barrel in gold leaf print we see the model and company name “Halawa and Ohuhu”. On the opposite side in the same metallic gold print we have “Conforms to ASTM D-4236”, which is closely followed with the pigment name and number in gold metallic print. On the very end of every barrel there is a gold cap which protects the core and in my opinion keeps the pencil looking tidy and professional.

As you can see from the image provided the 72 colors swatched on the Strathmore 300 Series Bristol Smooth paper. You can see that Ohuhu have selected a well balanced palette, not very many of the same or similar colors in the set, Ohuhu have made good use of the 72 count on offer. Each artist has their own color family that interests them and for me it is the greens and greys, in the Halawa Ohuhu set there is a wonderful selection of greens. Also, something very rare in a small 72 count palette is a good selection of greys and as you can see, Ohuhu have pulled this off. From Mongoose all the way to the Black, Ohuhu have created a wonderful selection of greys in such a small count of pencils.

I always like to display a few colors on black paper as this is a good way for artists to see how opaque or translucent the pencils are. It is important to note that this is not a defining feature of the pencil, simply that some artists prefer more opaque pencils whereas others prefer a more translucent core. For this test I have included the Ohuhu White, Lemon Yellow, Geranium Lake, Light Green and Cerulean Blue. However, I also thought as there are two metallic colors in the set, swatching them on black paper as well as white will be beneficial, so I have also included the Silver and Gold.

Halawa Ohuhu Colored Pencil Performance

As I mentioned in the introduction, I had a set of the Ohuhu Colored Pencils quite a few years back and I am now convinced more than ever, that the set I purchased was fake as the quality was terrible, especially compared to the set I am reviewing right now.

I started out on the Strathmore 300 Series Bristol Velum paper with the layering test, this is where I complete six columns with four different colors. Each column I apply an incredibly light layer, holding the pencil toward the end of the barrel and allowing the weight of the pencil to layer. Layer 1 has a single light layer, column 2 has a two light layers all the way up to the fifth column. The final column displays a single heavy application showcasing the pure saturation levels of the pencils.

This test gives me a good understanding of the pencils layering ability and with the Ohuhu colored pencils I could have easily continued on with additional layers. There was no tacky residue as layers were applied or no resistance from previous layers, the more added.

Next test is the blending and for this test, I simply mix two colors to get a third color, I always judge this test by how bright, vibrant and clear the third color is. I mixed the blue and yellow which created a gorgeous green using the Ohuhu pencils. Net I used the red and yellow to create an orange and again, this test produced a clear orange. The final test was the red and blue to create a purple, this is normally the most difficult color to create, but with the Ohuhu the results are clear. The blending, as with the layering, was effortless, producing seamless results.

The final test in this particular series is the odourless mineral spirits test, I personally never use OMS to blend my pencils, but it is nevertheless a test I always include as many colored pencil artist do use this method. If you would like to see this test in real time take effect, check out the review over on The Art Gear Guide YouTube Channel. As with the opaque and translucency test, this OMS test does not define the pencil, it merely shows how the core ingredients break down using OMS and in my case I used Zest-It.

Finally I created some artwork on hot pressed watercolour paper from Derwent, the hot pressed surface provides a smooth surface whilst also allowing for tooth for the pencils to layer and blend on. With this piece of artwork I decided to also use some Ohuhu Alcohol Markers as base layers, applying the colored pencils on top, providing detail. Both mediums worked perfectly together and the final art result was much better than I had expected.

I am not huge Anime or Manga fan in the true sense of the word, however I am a huge fan of the artwork. I believe this image I have created to help demonstrate the Ohuhu Colored Pencils is Phoenix Ikki from Saint Seiya. The artwork from the entire series is just amazing and I love how saturated the colors are for each character.

Ohuhu Colored Pencil Lightfast Information

It is important to note, that the information along the barrel of the Ohuhu Colored Pencils, stating, “Conforms to ASTM D-4236” does not actually relate to lightfast information. ASTM D-4236 relates to hazardous materials and is more specific to US law and the standards America place on art supplies. ASTM D-6901 is the regulation pertaining to the lightfast rating and it is understanding how many artists would see ASTM D-4236 and automatically think the pencils are lightfast rated according to the ASTM.

The Ohuhu Colored Pencils will have a small amount of lightfast protection, but nothing like the lightfast ratings provided to artist grade colored pencils such as the Derwent Lightfast Colored Pencils and the Caran d’Ache Luminance Colored Pencils. That being said, lightfastness is not the be all and end all of colored pencils, unless you specifically plan on selling your original artwork, lightfastness is not super important.

Ohuhu Colored Pencils Pricing

As I mentioned, Ohuhu have only released a 72 set of their colored pencils, mainly focusing on their extensive alcohol marker range. Here in the UK, the 72 set of Ohuhu Colored Pencils will cost you approximately £32.00 and given the testing and demonstrating I completed with the pencils, I think the price point is exceptional. For artists in the US, the same set of 72 Ohuhu Colored Pencils will cost you approximately $40.

As with all products I review it is so important to check around for the cheapest available. I always provide Amazon links for products and I go to huge lengths to make sure I find the cheapest links. However that being said, purchasing directly from the companies website or other art supply stores could yield a cheaper set for you.

Ohuhu Colored Pencils Conclusion

There is no beating about the bush, the Ohuhu Colored Pencils are not the colored pencils for you if you either want to sell your original artwork or wish to enter your work to a gallery or competition. However, the quality of the Ohuhu colored pencils are perfect for fan art, adult colouring book art and crafting etc.

The rich vibrant saturation levels of the Ohuhu pencils provide for enjoyable experience, combined with the excellent laying and blending abilities, the 72 set of the Ohuhu Colored pencils are an excellent budget set of colored pencils. As standalone colored pencils or in conjunction with the Ohuhu Alcohol Markers; either on Bristol Velum, Smooth or hot pressed paper, they performed incredibly well in all tests.

If you would like to watch the speed drawing video I have uploaded of the artwork simply click on the link and you will be automatically taken to the video. Alternatively if you would like to check out the YouTube video review of the Ohuhu Colored Pencils and in particular watch the OMS (Odourless Mineral Spirits) test, simply click the link.

If you have any questions please don’t hesitate to ask, also use the comments section to share your own experience of the Ohuhu Colored Pencils or perhaps you have been thinking of purchasing them and I would love to know if this review has swayed you one way or the other. For me personally I view the comments section on The Art Gear Guide website and YouTube channel to be the location where most of the value lays. Swapping information, asking questions about something I may have missed or simply just sharing your own personal experience, they all make for a much more balanced environment.