Why do Prismacolors break so easily?

Wax-based colored pencils like Prismacolors are quite soft, which means they can break quite easily. Colored pencil artists love getting their colored pencils to a nice, sharp point (like in the picture above left). But without the protective wood encasing the lead, it becomes extremely vulnerable.

How long does a Prismacolor pencil last?

Buying high quality colored pencils will give you the best chance of preserving your pencils for as long as possible. What is this? In general, colored pencils can last anywhere from 2 to 5 years. When kept in a cool, dark place and stored correctly, colored pencils can last even longer (10 years or more).

Do Prismacolor pencils dry out?

2. Can colored pencils dry out? Yes, your colored pencils can definitely dry out. If you leave them exposed to sunlight or if they are stored in heat, you may find the tip of the pencil is dried out.

What is the difference between Prismacolor pencils and regular colored pencils?

The higher pigment content in professional quality colored pencils (such as Prismacolor), combined with a core made of wax, clay and other ingredients, makes Prismacolor Colored Pencils softer than normal colored pencils. Prismacolors are available in 132 colors, which is ideal for creating fine art drawings.

Are Prismacolor colored pencils good?

Unfortunately, artist grade colored pencils can be cost prohibitive. That is less true for Prismacolor Premier Soft Core pencils. Prismacolors are a little cheaper than some of the other artist grade brands. Prismas come in several sized sets that are all a well-balanced selection of colors.

What’s wrong with Prismacolor?

Prismacolor has a very brittle lead. That has always been true. The problem however is that they started using poor quality wood for their casings and overall quality control became non existent. The wood casings now are regularly warped and the leads are off centered more often than not, and the wood is prone to splitting when sharpened.

Why do my Prismacolor pencils have splinters?

Splinters and shards are from a defect in the wood used to make the casing. Small chunks of wood can splinter off when sharpening the pencil with a harsh or dull electric rotary blade. Yes, Prismacolor is using a noticeably lower grade cedar than they used to.

Are there any pencils that I don’t like in Polychromos?

The only pencils I really didn’t like in the polychromos were the white and cream colors which are too translucent for my taste. To avoid having to continue using the whites in the prismacolor I ordered a couple of luminance pencils by Caran d’ache.