Phoenixcolor Colored Pencils Review The Most Gorgeous Colored Pencils In The World
Phoenixcolor Colored Pencils Review The Most Gorgeous Colored Pencils In The World.
In this review we are going to take a look at the Phoenixcolor Colored Pencils, in my opinion the most gorgeous colored pencils in the world, or at the very least, the most gorgeous colored pencils that I have had the pleasure to review.
Right of the bat I just want to explain something a bit off topic and only because I have read comments to this effect on other reviews of colored pencils from this area of the world. The Phoenixcolor Colored Pencils are from China, as you see more of the images regarding the pencils, this will become clear. I know that there is a lot of things going on in the world right now politically, regarding China and certain things they are responsible for. When it comes to testing, demonstrating and reviewing art supplies, I am really not concerned about the political standing of the country that the products are from. I have spent most of my adult life serving my country in the British Army and was medically retired due to a serious spinal injury I sustained, I also spent my childhood years growing up in a country at War, with my own Father having two letter bombs sent to our home. I am at a stage of my life were I have seen the very worst humanity has to offer on a scale to last me ten lifetimes and not on the news, all I want to do now is find the best humanity has to offer and I feel I have found that in art.
Phoenixcolor Colored Pencils Characteristics
That being said let’s get right into taking a look at the most gorgeous colored pencils in the world, in my opinion. This section of the review is going to have loads of images and I really want you to see as much of these beautiful colored pencils as I can see with you having to buying the pencils just yet.
The first thing we need to look at is the packaging, for all you colored pencil artists that have been around the medium for quite some time now, I am sure the characteristics of the Phoenixcolor Colored Pencils will be very reminiscent of the Tom Bow Irojiten. Even if you are quite new to the medium, if you scan back in The Art Gear Guide catalogue of reviews you will see my review of the Marco Tribute Master Collection, which again, is very reminiscent of the Phoenixcolor Colored Pencil set that we have on review here.
I will explain more about the sets on offer for the Phoenixcolor Colored Pencils, however for the purpose of this review I am taking a look at the 100 set. The set comprises of five color coded boxes, each box holding 20 colored pencils and all five boxes slot neatly into an outer box, again, very similar to the other sets mentioned above.
The most difficult and frustrating thing about trying to review this set is that all the writing on the packaging is in Chinese, of course this is only to be expected from the set of colored pencils from China, but occasionally in the past, other sets from the region have a little bit of English added, not so on this occasion. A subscriber of the channel very kindly offered to help me translate Chinese writing not that long ago, but me being the “Tick Irishman” I am, I have completely forgotten who offered so unfortunately I am unable to translate the information on the packaging.
Phoenixcolor Colored Pencils Red Set
The first set to look at is the red set, as you can see from the image added, the front cover of the box has this absolutely breathtaking Chinese Phoenix on the front, however, this is not just simply artwork, the image you see is created using layers of intricately cut card, placed together to create this beautiful image. Each individual box has the same styled crafted art on the front.
On the spine of each box there is a color coded reference to help you visually select the box you need should you decide to display the boxes in a bookshelf style format, there is also Chinese writing which I am sure relates to the color of pencils in side, however, I am sure most of you will agree, whether you can understand the language or not, Chinese writing is an art in its own right.
On opening the red box, which is magnetically sealed to help prevent the boxes opening when moving them shelves to your desk, we are presented with 20 of the most beautiful colored pencils I have ever seen in my life. I will showcase the pencils separately. On the inside of the box lid, again there is a lot of Chinese writing which I am sure relates to the contents of the box and describes the colored pencils on the inside.
Phoenixcolor Colored Pencils Blue Set
Each of the five boxes have exactly the same characteristics so for the rest of this section I will show you images of the remaining 5 sets, starting with the blue set. In this section I have also shown the rear of the blue box, which is the same for all the other sets, I am sure you will agree that even the back of the boxes look beautiful.
Phoenixcolor Colored Pencils Green Set
Phoenixcolor Colored Pencils Yellow Set
Phoenixcolor Colored Pencils Black Set
If there was anything I had to criticise about the Phoenixcolor Colored Pencils set, it would perhaps be the selection of colors added into this final set, the Black Set. When I first seen the Black set I was expecting five cool and warm greys, a Black and White and they perhaps a few other greys, however, this was not the case.
On opening the set it appeared like they couldn’t find enough greys to fill a 20 set and so added the colors they have. As you can see from the image provided, there are colors that I am sure a lot of you would not have expected to see in a Black set. I will say however that the darker greys that have been included are really nice, which you will see in the swatch, including a gorgeous dark indigo blue.
The core of the Phoenixcolor Colored Pencils is an average 3.6mm core housed within the most stylish 7.8mm barrel. Each barrel is lacquered the color of the core, making selection visually quick and easy, the balance of the pencil is perfect; sometimes for me personally colored pencil barrels feel lightweight and cheap, this is not the case with the Phoenixcolor.
Along each barrel is printed “Phoenixcolor” in what appears a rose gold metallic, which as is the case with so many pencils, metallic print can be difficult to read in certain lighting. On the opposite side of the barrel is some Chinese writing printed, all pencils have the same circle with Chinese print inside which I am assuming translates to “Phoenixcolor”
On the end of each pencil is a beautifully intricate design, no two pencils have the same design, they are all individual and it is these individual design that add to the charm and uniqueness of the entire Phoenixcolor Colored Pencil set.
Phoenixcolor Colored Pencil Performance
the main reason I purchased this set of pencils to review was of course the packaging, now, ordinarily this is not how you should purchase any art supply that you actually want to use and create art with. I wanted to add this gorgeous looking set to growing list of products on review here at The Art Gear Guide, however in this case I struck lucky with regards to the quality.
The main reason you should be looking for when it comes to purchasing art supplies is the quality of the supply and if it will fit in with your style and genre of art, for me it is a little bit different as I am a review channel first and foremost and hopefully it is me making the mistakes or finding the diamond in the rough on your behalf. I really feel that with the Phoenixcolor Colored Pencils I have discovered those diamond in the rough colored pencils.
Phoenixcolor Colored Pencils Swatch Strathmore 300 Series Bristol Velum
I tested the Phoenixcolor Colored Pencils on a few different papers starting with the Strathmore 300 Series Bristol Velum for the swatch. For those of you new to colored pencils and wondering about paper types to use, Bristol Velum is a relatively smooth surfaced paper but it does have just enough tooth on the surface to apply quite a few layers. As you can see from the image, the colors on the swatch are rich and vibrant, working in a gradient style from a light application to a heavy application.
When completing the swatch I laid out the colors in the format of the packaging, their color coded boxes. All in all, I found the range of colors to be well balanced and comprehensive, occasionally in larger sets, certain color families will end up with too many lights or darks, but I think this company have done a good job of keeping the palette balanced.
As I mentioned earlier in the review, the colors selected to be part of the Black Set, I found them to be odd, however, as color in their own right I think the colors are essential and nice. The dark indigo blue for example and the light soft peach.
Phoenixcolor Colored Pencils Botanical Art On Derwent Lightfast Paper
For those of you who know me, you know I love to create botanical art and any time I get the chance to do so, I will jump at the chance. When I opened the green set of Phoenixcolor Colored Pencils I started to immediately think of a botanical piece to draw, but once I swatched the greens I was really impress and spoilt for choice of which direction to follow. Despite my enthusiasm for the green selection, I only used a handful of them in my botanical artwork of this simple bunch of grapes. For this drawing I completed it on Derwent Lightfast Paper, which is fast becoming my favourite paper for just colored pencil work; the texture of the paper allows you to layer for what seems like eternity.
Phoenixcolor Colored Pencils Layer Test Clairefontaine Paint-On Mixed Media Paper
For this series of tests I used the Clairefontaine Paint-On Mixed Media Paper, this paper has a bit more tooth than say the Bristol Velum and offers an excellent, inexpensive option to a slightly higher grade Bristol Velum paper. The first test that I conduct is the layer test, as you can see from the image, there are six columns, the first five columns represent the number of light layers applied, each application applied is done so by holding the pencil with a light grip and the end of the barrel. The Last column is a single heavy application of the pencil.
The purpose of this test for those of you new to colored pencil medium is as follows. A lot of colored pencil artists use Odourless Mineral Spirits to help them blend the pencil once applied to paper. However, the OMS (Odourless Mineral Spirits) breaks down the layers of pencils into a painterly consistency and helps to fill in the white grains of the paper without the need to damage the tooth by applying pressure from a blender. It is recommended that approximately five layers of pencil should be applied for the OMS to get the best effect. If you follow the link to my YouTube review, you will actually see me conduct this test. Once the OMS has been applied and is dried, it reinvigorates the tooth of the paper and allows the artist to continue adding layers.
Phoenixcolor Colored Pencil Blending Test On Clairefontaine Paint-On Mixed Media Paper
The next test, conducted of the same Paint-On paper, is the blending test, this test simply requires you to create a third color from blending two colors together. If the pigment levels in the pencil are low and the pencil core is mainly filler, this test can be difficult to achieve. As you can see from the image supplied, all three tests performed incredibly well.
You can clearly see that the yellow and red created a clear orange, the blue and yellow has created and gorgeous green and finally, perhaps the most difficult to achieve, the blue and red has created a recognisable purple. I say recognisable due to the fact on a lot of occasions, this blend for so many colored pencil sets just looks like a muddy blue.
Odourless Mineral Spirits Test Of Phoenixcolor Colored Pencils On Clairefontaine Paint-On Mixed Media Paper
The next test can be seen in realtime by following the link to the YouTube review of the Phoenixcolor Colored Pencils. As I explained above, OMS helps to break down the layers of colored pencil on the paper, almost turning the layers into a paint, but it also allows the colored pencil artist to continue applying layers as the OMS helps to rejuvenate the tooth of the paper once applied and allowed to dry. The Images applied here show the sphere before and after the OMS has been applied.
You can see that before the OMS has been applied, the white of the paper can be seen through the blue layers like white flecks. Once the OMS has been applied, this almost liquefies the colored pencil layers, allowing them to soak in through the tooth of the paper, without damaging the tooth as would be the case when applying pressure with a colored pencil blender.
Phoenixcolor Colored Pencils On Black Paper
This final test does not really define how good or bad the quality of a pencil is, it simply displays whether or not the pencils being used on black paper are opaque or translucent. A lot of colored pencil artist that may use Faber Castell Polychromos, may do so because they have a tendency to be a bit translucent, whereas Prismacolor are more opaque. Each colored pencil artist has their own preference.
As with the Odourless Mineral Spirits test, the demonstration carried out on black paper is done in real time on my YouTube video review of the Phoenixcolor Colored Pencil, to watch the test simply follow the links. The black paper that I have used for this test is Winsor and Newton Black Paper, however, any dark paper will do, many paper companies are now supplying excellent quality black papers providing another layer of choice for the colored pencil artist.
As you can clearly see from the images above and of course the YouTube video review that I have completed of the Phoenixcolor Colored Pencils, that the pigment strength and vibrancy of the pencils is incredibly good for colored pencils in this category. I say this category because they are relatively inexpensive colored pencils, certainly for what you get, packaging, beautiful pencils and excellent quality considered.
I would describe the core as a medium to soft core, the lay down on all the papers I used was effortless, I needed very little to no pressure when considering the layer test I conducted by holding the very end of the pencil barrel for each test to give as close to exactly the same results. The core holds a point for a good period of time using a light hand, however, adding a little bit more pressure with reduce the core quite fast and you may experience a little bit of crumbling, nothing drastic, but crumbling non the less.
Phoenixcolor Colored Pencils Sets Available and Prices
The Phoenixcolor Colored Pencils only come in two set sizes, a 50 set and 100 set, I purchased the full 100 set for this review so as to show you the entire range. Obviously with the 50 set, they would absolutely be more like the TomBow Irojiten sets with regards to the sizes of the individual color coded boxes as they would hold 10 pencils each.
As the the Phoenixcolor Colored Pencils are Chinese, the best place to purchase them on is AliExpress, this is where I purchased my set from and many other pencils that I have reviewed. I can hand on heart fully recommend AliExpress as a service, I once was very dubious as I was used to eBay and Amazon, however the service I have received from AliExpress thus far has been first class.
I have submitted the prices and links for colored pencil artists and enthusiasts in the UK, US, EU, Canada and Australia, following the relevant links will take you to the same supplier that I purchased my set from.
For colored pencil artists in the UK, the 50 set of Phoenixcolor Colored Pencils will cost approximately £32.59 and the 100 set of Phoenixcolor Colored Pencils it will cost £55.49.
For colored pencil artists and enthusiasts in the USA, the 50 set of Phoenixcolor Colored Pencils will cost you $42.93 and for the 100 set of Phoenixcolor Colored Pencils it will cost $73.09
For all colored pencil artists and lovers in Europe, the 50 set of Phoenixcolor Colored Pencils will cost approximately €45.68 and for the largest 100 set of Phoenixcolor Colored Pencils it will cost approximately €77.77
For all colored pencils artist and enthusiasts in Canada, the 50 set of Phoenixcolor Colored Pencils will cost $55.52 and for the gorgeous 100 set of Phoenixcolor Colored Pencils it will cost you $94.51.
Finally for all colored pencil artists and enthusiasts in Australia, the 50 set of Phoenixcolor Colored Pencils will cost you $59.23 and for the largest 100 set of Phoenixcolor Colored Pencils you will have to pay $100.84
Unfortunately, as is always the case when finding prices and links, all you wonderful artists in Australia and Canada, you guys seem to always have the higher prices. I would also like to point out that with AliExpress, the more the product sells, sometimes the sellers put the price of the product up. When I add links, I only add links of the suppliers I have purchased from and before adding the links, I always monitor the prices over a three to four week period. The seller that I have added has reduce the price slightly but never increased. This is the same for when I added the Marco Tribute Master Collection links, the links I supplied reduce the cost slightly. I am only letting you know this incase you are thinking about getting a set, it is just something I feel I am obligated to let you know
Phoenixcolor Colored Pencil Conclusions
If you watch the YouTube review of the Phoenixcolor Colored Pencils you will hear me say this as well, I purchased this set purely on aesthetics, how pretty the packaging looked and this is not the preferred way to purchase anything never mind art supplies.
Nevertheless, once I got the set, opened them and marvelled at the individual beauty of the pencils and the packaging, the more I looked at the set and never wanted to use them. I have to admit, had I not purchased them to review, I really don’t thing I would have done much more than swatched them. The reason is because each pencil is a work or art and obviously, with use will come sharpening and with sharpening will come the demise of each and every pencil used.
I know some people may be mad at the thought of keeping such a set of pencils for purely decoration or collection reason, I fully understand those who get annoyed with reviewers wasting art supplies etc, but I can’t help how I feel. I genuinely think that the Phoenixcolor Colored Pencils are the most beautiful pencils in the world, or at least that I have reviewed.
After talking to so many of you for the past five years or there about, I feel I know a lot of you well enough to say that if you purchased this set, you would feel the say way I did, swatch them, admire the colors and put them away, to be admired occasionally, for occasions when feeling low and in need of a colored pencil metaphorical hug.
To find out even more about the Phoenixcolor Colored Pencils, you can check out my YouTube review as well as my sped drawing video demonstrating the colored pencils with the artwork created. I have also added a page here on The Art Gear Guide with still images of the artwork so that you can inspect the artwork in closer detail by enlarging the image.
