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Derwent Lightfast 100 Set v Caran d'Ache Luminance 76 Set

Derwent Lightfast 100 Set v Caran d'Ache Luminance 76 Set

In this article I must let you know right from the get go that this is not really a review or comparison of the pencils performance. I have already completed a comparison review of the Derwent Lightfast and the Care d’Ache Luminance coloured pencils, however, when I completed my comparison it was when Derwent had only released the Lightfast 36 set.

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This article however is more of a comparison relating to the palettes of both sets, now that Derwent have released their full count of Lightfast pencils which is the 100 set, I wanted to compare the palettes of the 100 Lightfast and the 76 Luminance. I have been asked many times before as to which set I think is the best, the Derwent Lightfast or the Caran d’Ache Luminance and I have to say I think it is an almost impossible question to answer.

What I think is the best set may not actually help you as a colored pencil artist if you enjoy a particular genre of colored pencil art. I will however say this, both the Luminance and the Lightfast pencils work beautifully together, there is no issues whatsoever when using both pencils whether it be blending colors or layering etc.

Of course the ideal situation for a colored pencil artist to be in would be to own both sets, this would allow the artist to have a wonderful palette of 176 pigments, all of which can be used in a professional piece for a client or gallery. Every single color in both sets can be used with confidence, measuring your client that the piece you create for them will stand the test of time regarding fading under sun light. This is turn will allow you the artist to price your work accordingly and thus reap back the costs of two such sets of pencils.

Until recently, the Caran d’Ache Luminance were pretty much kind of the hill when it came to colored pencil artists go to pencil. When Derwent released the ProColour only three years ago, they met with a few complaints from professional colored pencil artists and so only a year later Derwent had offered up the Derwent Lightfast. Frustratingly they only released a 36 set and we all had to wait with anticipation for a full year before the 72 set was presented. If that wasn’t bad enough, we were made wait another few months for the full 100 set to go on sale. I am not altogether sure why this was the case, however, Derwent have tried to soften the blow by selling the second 36 colors in a 72 tin allowing those who purchased the first 36 to build their collection without having to buy duplicates. But now that the Lightfast is with us in all its glory, the Caran d’Ache Luminance at last has a worthy adversary.

Derwent Lightfast 100 Colors

I have provided a full color chart of the Derwent Lightfast as well as color swatches with the full set so that you can click on the image and enlarge it, viewing at your leisure. In this particular article you will notice that I have included a lot of images, color charts, swatches and the actual pencils, this is simply to give you the opportunity to explore the palette in the best possible way without you having to actually buy the pencils yourself. I hope to arm you with all the information and visual aids you will need to make your final decision.

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Caran d’Ache Luminance 76 Colors

As with the Derwent Lightfast set above, I have provide for you the full color chart, swatch and images of the pencils to help you see what is available in the set.

Creating Softer Tones With Derwent Lightfast

One of the questions that was put to me by a friend of mine here in the community was the lack of soft pinks for botanical art. After I swatched the Derwent Lightfast 100 set, it was clear to see that there wasn’t a lot of soft pinks in the set, however I was able to demonstrate in the video review how this can be accomplished. I know that the friend who asked me this question originally will fully know and understand the process, but for those who might be new to the world of colored pencils.

In the Derwent Lightfast 100 set, they have some very pale pigments such as the Arctic which is essentially a white pencil with a hint of blue and the Oyster color which is a white pencil with the slightest hint of pink. When colored pencil artists layer colors and then they want to blend those colors together, they will either use Odourless Mineral Spirits, a blender pencil or a white colored pencil. For the result we are looking for with this example, I want to use some pinks and reduce the tone of them, so using a white pencil will achieve this effect for us, however, sometimes the white can be too much. This is were the Oyster pencil comes in, I took a Lightfast Magenta and Lightfast Heather, lay down a few layers of each color and then layered the Oyster on top with a heavy hand to help blend the colors.

In the image below you can see the how the Oyster reduces the tone of the Heather and Magenta and this can be achieved with working and reworking pigments, the white pencil of a lighter shade of pink such as the Oyster, Dusky Pink or Flesh Pink.

The Lightfast That Got Away

I was incredibly fortunate to have been sent the Derwent Lightfast Colored Pencils to test long before they were released to the public, however, now that the full 100 set is out, it turns out that one color in particular never made the cut. In the YouTube video I have made to accompany this article I show the pencil and use it, however, as this was very early on in the Lightfast life cycle, there was no pigment names on the barrel, so I have no idea what the color is called nor do I know why this pigment was dropped and never sold.

The image below shows the color swatched on some Hot Press Watercolour paper, however, as I have mentioned to see the actual pencil and it being used follow the link to see the video.

Derwent Lightfast White v Caran d’Ache Luminance White

The Caran d’Ache White pencil has always been considered one of if not thee most opaque white colored pencil about; however, the Derwent Drawing Chinese White colored pencil was considered a very close second. It is fair to say that a lot of colored pencil artists felt the Derwent Drawing white to be the more opaque and the Luminance white to be the close second, which only helps demonstrate that there really is no hard and fast rule in the world of art, it is very much a subjective world.

The Derwent Lightfast White however is a very different white compared to its sister white of the Derwent Drawing. The Derwent Drawing white is a much softer core and so some would agree helps to deliver a more opaque result. Regardless, in this demonstration I have swatched the Derwent Lightfast White and the Caran d’Ache Luminance White side by side so that you can be the judge and see what you feel is the more opaque of the two.

To my eye, the Caran d’Ache Luminance looks the more opaque of the two, but you be the judge and let me know what you think in the comments section below.

Derwent Lightfast and Caran d’Ache Luminance Full Set Conclusion

There is no doubt about it, if you are a professional colored pencil artist, to own both the Derwent Lightfast 100 set and the Caran d’Ache Luminance 76 would be incredibly advantageous to you and the quality of work you provide for potential clients. The reason I say this is because, as I previously mentioned, you would have at your access 176 colors with the correct lightfast value and able to use them all. There are some professional colored pencil sets that when you buy them, perhaps a handful of pencils are below the required lightfast scale and unfortunately you are unable to use them. So this requires the artist to set this pencils to the side and not use them in commissioned pieces. the artist can of course use them for other projects, but just not ones destined for a customer or gallery.

If however, you are just unable to purchase both sets, perhaps you are an amazing colored pencil artist just starting out and you need to see a few wonderful masterpieces before getting both full sets, you can buy open stock pencils and build you collection this way. there are certain genres of art that are just not going to need certain colors, Landscape art will require a select palette, as will wildlife art, botanical art, marine wildlife art etc.

If you are a dedicated botanical artist you are going to know the colors you use most and can’t live without and so with both the Derwent Lightfast and Caran d’Ache Luminance, you can pick and chose the colors that are going to best fit your needs.

With regards to answering the question, “Is on set better than the other?”, I just think that is a question only you can answer, because the correct question is, which set is better for my style of art? and only you know the answer. All I can try to do is provide you with all the information pertaining to both sets and hopefully this will help you best decide your next move.

To see my full review on the Derwent Lightfast pencils follow this link to see my review on the Caran d’Ache Luminance you can follow this link and to see my comparison review of the Luminance and Lightfast pencils you can follow this link. Also to see my YouTube video on comparing both Lightfast and Luminance Palettes follow the link.

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[theartgearguide]

Caran d'Ache Workshop Book

Caran d'Ache Workshop Book

Just over a year ago, perhaps a bit longer, Caran d’Ache published a book, the book is called the “Caran d’Ache Workshop Book”. I was first alerted to it when a good friend of mine, Vinnie Gracanin from Australia who used to be a representative for Caran d’Ache, told me about it.

I took a look at the Caran d’Ache website, trying to find out a few more details; I knew from Vinnie that the book contained a lot of art work from various artists using Caran d’Ache products, but I didn’t know too much more.

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I took a look around YouTube and other art related blogs, just to see if there was other reviews or write ups about the book and I couldn’t find anything at all, other than a video of someone unboxing the book. So I took the plunge and purchased to book for myself and I was so happy that I did. However, I didn’t want people to go through the same issues I experienced before purchasing the book and having to blindly by it, and so completed this review. I know watching or reading reviews of books is not the most exciting thing in the world, especially as actually reviewing books can be very tricky. I can’t show too much of the book, to the extent people know everything there is in the book and don’t need to buy it, but I have to show just enough to help you see what the benefits of the book are.

Caran d’Ache Workshop Book Languages

Before getting into the contents of the book and why I love it so much, it is important to let you know just who can purchase this book. Of course anyone can buy the book, but what I mean is who can purchase it and read it in their own language. Luckily, Caran d’Ache haven’t just published a wonderful book and done so in English, the Caran d’Ache Workshop Book comes in many different languages.

Obviously English, which serves a good portion of the speaking world, Swiss, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Dutch and Austrian. On the Caran d’Ache website they also have an option for Belgium, however the main language spoke in Belgium, or one of the languages spoke there is Dutch, there is also French speaking and Brabantian. So as you can see, the book is available to most of the speaking world.

Caran d’Ache Workshop Book Status

The format of the Caran d’Ache Workshop Book is what I would call a “Coffee Table Book”, the type of book that you would have out on display in your living room our lounge for anyone, artist or not, to pick up and browse through. For those of you who may not be old enough to remember, before the internet and Google, if you wanted to learn something new or research a topic, you had to pick up a book with pages, not an e-book, and read it. No question a much more laborious task than that of the methods we use today, non the less, this book is not only full of incredibly interesting information, this is also an visually stunning, page turning master piece in its own right.

There are 192 pages, protected in a sturdy hard backed binder, the spine of the book is a little different to other books you may have read, I am not quite sure how to explain it to you, other than show you some images of it. With the binding of the pages in such a format, it allows you to open the book out with worry of splitting or cracking the other spine.

Caran d’Ache Workshop Book Contents

When you first open the book, the inside of the hardback cover have the image of a swatch on them, which I thought was quite funny given that when us colored pencil artist buy a new set of colored pencils the first thing we all do is create a swatch.

The book is split into manageable and easy to follow sections and within each section are sub sections, I wouldn’t really call them chapters, but I guess if you would prefer to call them chapters, that would be fine.

The first section in the book is called “Background”, and I personally think this is such an interesting section that it grips you and pulls you into the book and company right from the beginning. Here they discuss the materials Caran d’Ache use and their commitment to the environment. For a lot of artists, this is such an important subject and one I am happy to report, many art supply companies are really taking seriously.

The next section is called “Practice”, this section talks about possible tips and techniques for using Caran d’Ache products such as Graphite, Gouache, Watercolor, Coloured Pencils, Fibre Pens, Pastels, Acrylic and Modelling Clay.

The next section is called “Know-How” and this is quite a comprehensive section with lots of topics covered. Topics such as the Colour Wheel according to Wilhelm Ostwald, Paper, Colour Theory, Techniques, which has so many subsections in itself.

The next section is called “In The Caran d’Ache Workshop” which I am sure you can guess what is covered here? Subjects such as mixing techniques, tonal drawing techniques, modelling clay techniques and so much more.

The next section is called “Passe-partout” which is a French phrase and according to the Collins English dictionary means

“A mounting for a picture in which strips of strong gummed paper are used to bind together the glass, picture and backing”

This section discuss framing, the different types of framing processes and frame types that can be used, storing your finished work and presenting it. This information is of course incredibly useful to artists wishing to sell their work and present it in the best possible way.

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The final two sections are pretty self explanatory, “The Gallery” and “Caran d’Ache History. I know from previous reviews I have completed that a lot of people are not interested in the history of a company, however, I personally find to understand a companies current situation and future aspirations, it is important to understand the history.

the Gallery is full of wonderful images from artists all over the world using various products from Caran d’Ache, no matter what your favourite Caran d’Ache product is, be it the Museum Aquarelle, the pigment bursting Neocolour II, the Royalty quality Luminance, the precision of the Pablo or the enormous color selection of the Supracolor Soft, there is an art piece to represent your favourite product.

However, you don’t just have to flick to the back of the book to see images of artwork, the entirety of the book is littered with beautiful and detailed images of Caran d’Ache products. For those of you who follow The Art Gear Guide reviews and like the style that I have tried to incorporate into the reviews with extreme, Hi-Def, close ups images of the products and enjoy this format, then you will love the Caran d’Ache Workshop Book.

The images throughout the book are amazing and so incredibly inspirational. We all find inspiration in different things and ways. For me, there are a few YouTubers who I watch all the time, re-watching videos they have created over and over again and I find inspiration in this. Caran d’Ache actually have a YouTube Channel were they show case and demonstrate their products, watching these videos help ignite inspiration and now the Caran d’Ache Workshop Book helps stimulate my inspiration,

Caran d’Ache Workshop Book Price

the price for the Caran d’Ache Workshop Book is very much a universal price just with the different exchanges at play. Buying the actual book is difficult to get hold of via the likes of Amazon or Ebay regardless of the country. I looked on these platforms for months and just couldn’t find one. So the best place to go is directly to the companies website. From here you will have no problems whatsoever getting hold of a copy and you can select which language you want the book in.

The price of the book is £41 and as I mentioned, because the only place selling the book is the Caran d’Ache website, it is the same price regardless of the country you reside in. I personally think for a book of this type, a wealth of important information, a gallery of beautiful art work created by amazing artists from all over the world and a detailed catalog of the companies most desired and favoured products.

Caran d’Ache Workshop Book Conclusion

I am sure most of you who know me, know just how much I love the Caran d’Ache products I have used and reviewed thus far, so when I learnt of a book published that detailed the products, demonstrated techniques about the products and spoke of the company’s history among many other things, I really had to get a copy. Before getting the book, as it was an online purchase, as opposed to walking into a book store and flicking through it, I would have liked to know a bit more information on the book, in the form of a review, prior to buying it.

So I hope for anyone who is interested in the Caran d’Ache Workshop Book or, perhaps a bit like myself, has been interested and just wanted to know a bit more about the book before buying it, I hope this review will be of some help to you. I know some people may think that £41 is a bit too much for a book, however if you take a look around Amazon and other book stores, books in this particular genre and size, mostly cost in and around this price point.

For any colored pencil enthusiast, be that watercolor pencils, pastel pencils, colored pencils, graphite pencils or even supplies such as modelling clay, acrylic paint and felt tip pens, I really think this book will be a source of knowledge, inspiration and visual stimulation. I have also completed a youtube video showcasing the book as much as I can without damaging sales for the company, follow the link to watch if you are interested.

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[theartgearguide]

A few update photos of Koda for you all, these have been taken over the past couple of weeks I think so I’ve just grabbed a few. #siberianhusky #siberianhuskies #snowdog #snowdogs #Husky #Huskies https://www.instagram.com/theartgearguide/p/BwMj8J_gA9r/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=1sip5ie8fjxo1

[theartgearguide]

I had to draw something with my @copic_official I hadn’t used them in ages and just needed to draw something bright and cheerful. Things have been a bit tough lately and I just needed an injection of colour. I completed this drawing of @disney the #Aristocats with my #copicmarkers @prismacolor pencils on my favourite @strathmoreart 500 Series Bristol Plate. Hope you like it guys and I will be uploading the speed drawing tomorrow on my YouTube channel. #copic #strathmorepapers #copicmarker #DisneyAristocats #DisneyArt #DisneyCharacters https://www.instagram.com/theartgearguide/p/BwLOiObAGpR/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=hhae6ky07kec

[theartgearguide]

I completed this simple drawing of Lady and the Tramp with the @spectrumnoir #TriBlend markers I recently reviewed. I will be uploading the speed drawing soon so keep and eye out for that. To see the review, copy and paste the links. Written review http://bit.ly/2CwOiH6 and Video review http://bit.ly/2HN9lZw. https://www.instagram.com/theartgearguide/p/Bv2AYh9AwtH/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=13lgcxhzvab38

[theartgearguide]

http://bit.ly/2OzWIT8 completed a speed drawing of this @starwars #TuskenRaider using @carandache #Luminance on @strathmoreart 500 Series Bristol Plate as well as using some @spectrumnoir Illustrator and @stylefile_marker markers to fill in the background. I will be doing another Star Wars image for a collab with another youtuber later but I just wanted to do this for myself. https://www.instagram.com/theartgearguide/p/BvrHwYlgIN5/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=jb0ii0jvs9k2

[theartgearguide]

New collection of @copic_official total of 155 #copics and growing. Ordered them from the awesome @cultpens store here in the U.K. if you are looking for any marker type or pen look no further than #cultpens the best prices and super fast delivery. I’ve been using Cultpens since I discovered their awesome store a year and a half ago, and love them. https://www.instagram.com/theartgearguide/p/Bvla5LzgYEW/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=q2six7h6qgaq

[theartgearguide]

http://bit.ly/2CwOiH6 copy and paste the link to see my written review of these outstanding markers from @spectrumnoir @crafterscompuk or to watch the YouTube video review copy and paste the following link http://bit.ly/2HN9lZw. I haven’t completed the art work yet as I really wanted to get the review out as soon as possible because I enjoyed the markers so much. As soon as I have the art work and speed drawing completed I will upload it. #spectrumNoir do it again, another excellent product to join their extensive range. #crafterscompanion #SpectrumNoirTriBlendMarkers https://www.instagram.com/theartgearguide/p/BvbpaUUg3zP/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=1sintucnjhb9p

[theartgearguide]

Out little Koda is growing up and getting so big. This little man has brought so much joy back to our family after losing our gorgeous Nanook, Maya and Yakona to old age. https://www.instagram.com/theartgearguide/p/BvZjyvLAB37/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=626rsg3hngrc

[theartgearguide]

The Art Gear Guide YouTube channel has just hit 10K subscribers. I can’t thank you all enough for your amazing support, wonderful feedback, help, advice, the list is endless as to the amount of things you guys have contributed to the channel which has made it grow so fast. Thank you to each and everyone of you. I said a while back if the channel ever hit 10k I would do a really awesome giveaway or as I prefer to call them a giveback to you for the support and help. After the current giveback running on the channel which ends March 31st I will announce my 10K Giveback. Thank you a million times guys. I know 10k is a drop in the ocean compared to some channels but to me it is the world. The fact that many of you take time from your busy lives to watch The Art Gear Guide is just overwhelming to me. https://www.instagram.com/theartgearguide/p/BvY4bZuAQuA/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=bondcu0hhclz

[theartgearguide]

My wife just took a lovely photo of our son Jude and our #SiberianHusky puppy Koda on the garden swing chair #Husky #Huskies https://www.instagram.com/theartgearguide/p/BvRytdrgznl/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=zoiddp9m4hb3

[theartgearguide]

Love it when the new @kenbromleyart Art Supplies magazine hits the hall floor, I could really have the kids on bread and water for a few weeks by splurging on an online #KenBromley shopping spree. https://www.instagram.com/theartgearguide/p/Bu6GiKYAEhK/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=xclcrn885k1r

[theartgearguide]

(http://bit.ly/2EZ517D Written Review)just completed my review of the @carandache #Technalo Water Soluble Graphite three of the pencils are subtly pigmented and the other three are graded B, 3B and 6B http://bit.ly/2EY0zWJ YouTube Review copy and paste the links to see reviews. #carandache #carandachewatersolublegraphite #grafwood #technalo #grafcube https://www.instagram.com/theartgearguide/p/BuyobEOgpt6/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=p8k7tqwcgb7r

[theartgearguide]

http://bit.ly/2NHWKrt copy and paste the link to watch my speed drawing of this rose using the @derwentartofficial #Artists Coloured Pencils. I wanted to redo this review only adding information regarding different papers I use with the @derwentmuseum Artists as well as other tips and advice. This art was completed on @clairefontaine_officiel #Pastelmat. I reviewed the #derwentartists back when I first started #theartgearguide but with time has come experience and knowledge from so many wonderful people I’ve met and I wanted to make sure I was reinvigorating early reviews for you guys. http://bit.ly/2IOvBEw copy and paste this link for the written review or this link http://bit.ly/2NHWKrt for the YouTube video review. Hope you enjoy and get some benefit from the review. https://www.instagram.com/theartgearguide/p/Bul_fukgfch/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=1ar0hi4475vfo

[theartgearguide]

Just received this beautiful set of @unisoncolour #pastels the Landscape 36 set. I think this set is best suited to my art ability with landscapes and botanical, plus I also have another set #Unisoncolor set to me for review a while back. http://bit.ly/2jgdoBO copy and paste the link to see that review. I can’t wait to try and paint something beautiful with them. I think since is discovered Pastelmat my pastel passion has grown and my ability has improved also. For me personally, there really is nothing like these gorgeous hand made @unisoncolour #unisonpastels. https://www.instagram.com/p/Budm3mvgumj/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=35kfybszoica

[theartgearguide]

Another review for you guys, I have had good experience with @bruynzeel_holland so high hopes for this set of pencils. Another 52 products and counting to review. #Bruynzeel #rijksmuseum https://www.instagram.com/p/BuTJ_0AA4QZ/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=140atv7ogtohd

[theartgearguide]

http://bit.ly/2GFM5Nh Copy and Paste the link to see my new review of the Black Widow Skin Colored Pencils also get details from the review on a fantastic Giveaway of the Skin Tone Pencils for two lucky winners. This is my YouTube video review of the pencils as well. http://bit.ly/2VflA4t https://www.instagram.com/p/BuRe1sIAeaF/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=1lcqzz7o3c80h