Wax or Oil Colored Pencils Myth or Fact ?

Рет қаралды 5,130

2 жыл бұрын

Wax or Oil Colored Pencils Myth or Fact ?
In this short video I am talking about whether or not there is such a thing as Wax only colored pencils or oil only colored pencils. Everything I am talking about in this video has been relayed to me by experts in this field which is something I absolutely do not claim to be. I have always sought expert advice when asked questions I do not know the answer to and been very clear that I got my answer from another source. About a year into reviewing colored pencils, one thing that was becoming very clear to me was that I was not delivering accurate information when it came to colored pencils and no matter how many customer service reps of companies I spoke to, the answers changed. One question that I always asked, not matter how obvious it may have seemed at the time, was are the pencils wax or oil based.
This is one of those videos were I would also urge you to check out my written article on this matter which you can find by following the link - bit.ly/35snCcr
I would publish my findings and this would cause debate in the comment section, which I love, but at the same time I noticed that the debates were as a result of me not being able to deliver accurate information.
Because of this I tried to talk with the men and women who actually create the formulas of the colored pencil cores, the Chemists so to speak. Because The Art Gear Guide, or as my channel was called back then "Colored Pencil Reviews" was not well known, it took me about three years before I started being assigned agents from companies to deal with if I needed anything. It was at this point that I was able to ask favours such as talking to the Chemists, this is not something that is ordinarily allowed because these men and women are dealing with top secret ingredients. There is not a cats chance in hell that Faber Castell, Caran d'Ache, Derwent, Lyra, Koh-I-Noor etc would hand over the ingredients found in the cores of their pencils. Some pastel companies have incredibly closely guarded ingredient books to making their pastels.
Needless to say, I eventually got the chance to talk with people in this side of the pencil making process and this is what they told me.
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Пікірлер: 73

@sunnycharacter 2 жыл бұрын

Brilliant explanation Harry. Thank you! A few years ago when I started coloring I never would have known there was a difference sitting there with my lowly Crayola pencils! Lol It’s like, most cakes have flour. But not all flour is wheat based. Some have eggs and sugar, some do not. In the end, they’re all cakes, but not all taste the same and some taste better than others. 😎🍰

@towalmoore 2 жыл бұрын

I'm glad reviewers are starting to address this. I have some pencils I like to use together and get told they won't layer/blend because 1 is wax and 1 is oil. I guess no one told the pencils that because I have no problem blending or layering with them. While the subject was interesting I was thrilled to see the handsome Koda. He is a stunning dog!

@AnxietyArtAdventures 2 жыл бұрын

I am thrilled to have finally been given a concrete answer to this question. I started using colored pencils in 2010, and all the videos I watched (and the ones I created) stated whether the pencils were wax or oil based. Back then, a lot of colorists "preferred" the said oil based pencils, and to be honest, I bought a lot of these pencils based on reviews. Even though I do not use colored pencils much anymore, the only thing that matters is if the pencils work for you or not. I know there are a lot of outside factors involved, such as temperature the pencils are being used in, type of paper being used, the shape of a sharpened tip, and the amount of hand pressure used with a pencil, but honestly, it is individual choice. My go to pencils are always Derwent ProColour or Faber-Castell Polychromos. Some people love them, and others dislike them, but that is the beauty of choosing what works best for each of us. I have followed your channel for about 7 years now, and I thoroughly enjoy your reviews. Thank you for your hard work and dedication to the community. I appreciate you! 💜~Laura

@pattytolliver2651 2 жыл бұрын

I love both of those pencils. I have always been partial to Polychromos but recently have been exposed to the Procolor. Love them both.

@TheArtGearGuide 2 жыл бұрын

Thank you so much for your lovely comment and I think your choice of pencils is excellent they complement each other really well. You are so right about using Colored pencils, there are so many different factors as to how a pencil will perform for artists. FC Polys given to 10 different Colored pencil artists will most likely have at least 5 different outcomes and 10 different opinions of the pencil most of which will be down to all the things you mentioned.

@artbybenjamin 2 жыл бұрын

Good video. I've been teaching my art students this for years..... every colored pencil has wax and oil in them. Now the amount of oil and wax may vary and I think that's why some companies call them oil or wax based. Actually, a lot of larger companies avoid this label altogether. The problem is that this term is deeply engraved into the art community and many teachers and artists keep on refering to pencils as either wax or oil. Often out of ignorance. I've come up with alternative names for these in my courses and workshops..... oil dominant colored pencils and wax dominant colored pencils. If there really were wax based and oil based colored pencils, then mixing them in the same drawing would cause huge issues, especially when you start introducing a solvent. You would most likely destroy your drawing. Now we all know that's not the case and while one brand may react better to certain solvent then another brand, they all do react because the all have similar ingredients.

@MayBrox 2 жыл бұрын

I love that you explain how they feel.💜 Because that is what's most important for me to know. I've never gotten why it's so important to know if it's wax or oil. As long as it works the way I want them to. 🙄

@glowycloey 2 жыл бұрын

I appreciate all you do. I paint in watercolor, and often use waxy pencils as a resist. That's really the only reason I care. I can find that out for myself, though. Your reviews are really good, and I depend on about 5 people on KZfaq to steer me in the right direction. This sort of candid talk is really refreshing.

@emilygoodwin5723 2 жыл бұрын

I’m so glad that you made this video, there are some KZfaqrs that do reviews that were calling to have oil/wax pencils classed as a different medium. While I have found that there has been a new learning curve between some brands, seen with cheap vs expensive pencils for my art style core type has never made a difference. Paper quality, pencil quality and the like for sure. I think where some people get hung up is that they want a cheaper pencil to look like some of the legacy brands and that’s just not fair. I’m also a potter and pigment stability and quality is huge.

@ellietodd393 2 жыл бұрын

in my classes I refer more to opaque and translucent pencils, pencils that blend and those that layer and hard and soft points. As you said, some of the harder pencils are quite opaque. Its really about what effect you are trying to obtain. Everyone has their preferences and purposes in using pencils. Me, i love them all. Love this video as always. Best wishes to you and your family-doggies included.

@EdnaCloud 2 жыл бұрын

Excellent informative video, no need to apologise for the dog distraction, enjoyed every moment of your pencil wax/oil description and your dog is gorgeous. I always look forward to your reviews, your time and honesty is greatly appreciated. Thank you

@Elizabeth-xi5jx 2 жыл бұрын

I know it takes a LOT more work, but I definitely love seeing the artwork you create with the materials you review as well :) It makes me feel confident that you have really had some time with them and that your opinion on their feel, layering, etc is reliable. Sometimes when I'm trying a new art supply, I really like the swatch but find it doesn't perform quite how I want , or conversely, that I'm not that excited about the swatch, but then as I play with them further, they become some of my favorites. Thanks so much for your channel- it's really superb.

@lorrykohls 2 жыл бұрын

THANK YOU! Wow, everyone needs to know this information. I appreciate your integrity x 10!

@TheArtGearGuide 2 жыл бұрын

Thank you so much

@miracleartinspirations8919 3 ай бұрын

Thankk you so much Harry, you have answered my written question to you. Your reviews are great and honest🙏❤️

@lisaanneart 2 жыл бұрын

Thank you so much for making this video, the explanation is wonderful. One of the few explanations that is easy to understand, thanks again Harry.

@jicolourist 2 жыл бұрын

Your reviews are appreciated, I like to see your artwork as then a person can see how they can actually work. Well done and greetings from 👋🏻🇨🇦

@scoiataeli 2 жыл бұрын

Awesome! Thank you very much for explaining this myth 😍! I am so happy to get the clarification 🙏 I have been watching your videos for quite some time and it helped me a lot! I have got a set of coloured pencils for myself and a different one for my boyfriend. We are both very happy with them ☺️ thank you ☺️

@katecurrie7499 2 жыл бұрын

What a really informative video Harry, I'll not be as fixated on what the pencil is now. I'm not an artist, but I love using colour pencils in colouring books, and want to colour a page well, after all I'm colouring in beautifully illustrated books by artists so want to compliment their wonderful artwork. I've learned so much from your brilliant videos, especially about what paper to use, and how that's key to how colouring turns out. So helpful, thank you so much 👍

@sunnycharacter 2 жыл бұрын

Awe, beautiful Koda! What a sweet pup. I want to give him a hug. 🤎🤍🖤

@iamjane9628 2 жыл бұрын

Hi Harry, You are the best. I always trust you to deliver accurate information. Thank you!

@thrashhippie 2 жыл бұрын

Thanks Harry, for giving such a detailed review. Koda is fabulous btw 🐶😊

@sometimeswrite239 2 жыл бұрын

Thank you for a super clear explanation. Makes sense!

@nickimontie 2 жыл бұрын

Thank you for this video! I use both and depending on what I'm after, will use the one best suited to give the results I want. It doesn't matter which type, since different wax pencil brands react in different ways, and the same for oils. You just have to become familiar with your pencils and their strengths.

@conniediggs6736 2 жыл бұрын

I do enjoy your objective videos…. They have always been extremely helpful…. Keep doing what you do best, and God Bless…

@shadowguard3578 2 жыл бұрын

This was an interesting video. I’m a hobbyist and I haven’t been part of the coloring community for that long (just over two years), and for me the wax v. oil issue isn’t usable information. It might be a conversation piece but that’s all it is. The soft v. hard core was far more useful to me together with art demonstration(s). I wouldn’t have known about oil or wax pencils if it wasn’t mentioned by KZfaq creators. I’m not pointing the finger at anyone in particularly, but the ‘issue’ isn’t really something that hobbyists need to bother about. Also when I started coloring with coloring pencils I would watch swatching videos, but as I progressed I wanted more than swatches, I also needed art demos. Now I’m enjoying watercolor and I’m far more discerning who I watch. I watch artists who might or might not swatch, but what will hold my interest is the art they create. Thank you for your opinion on this.

@catchia5752 2 жыл бұрын

Harry, thank you so much for your hard work and effort you put in in all the objective reviews and the detailed explanations. I think the most important thing is to get a few pencils of a certain brand + series to test out on our own after reading the reviews that you've done. Your reviews serve as a guide for us to choose the art materials. Ultimately, what suit or doesn't suit us, we have to test out the art material ourselves. It really comes down to the subject, style, usage preference and budget of individual artist. For example, the need of an artist painting a very detailed portrait vs an impressionist style portrait will required different art material, even for an artist who is painting same animal will prefer different art materials because of different painting style. So, whether the colour pencils is wax or oil base do not really matter, as long as it suit us.

@be_a_bright_sparkle3687 2 жыл бұрын

When I used to research coloured pencils before wax vs oil I used to try find out what pencil hardness and darkness they were. A lot of manufacturers used to put things like 4H or 2B so I could relate to that. I don’t think you can find that info now but it made more sense to me…🥰🥰🥰

@nancylemon4120 2 жыл бұрын

Excellent Explanation Harry, Thank You👏👏👏👍👍👍

@tanglingheadphones 2 жыл бұрын

Thanks for clarifying re: wax vs oil. As someone who just wants a few pencils to enhance my paintings, I feel like I'm going into these brands/types blind so this was a big help. Also surprise puppy!

@stevemurray6543 2 жыл бұрын

Bang on One free pint at the pub, you have earned it. Thank you for your work on this. Job done.

@TheArtGearGuide 2 жыл бұрын

I’ll take you up on that one day Steve mate looking forward to it my friend

@brendarocheck3988 2 жыл бұрын

Thank you for this video. Very well said.

@floriflore 2 жыл бұрын

Hello Harry and thank you for your explanations and your investigation with colored pencils chemists. With all those aspects + paper quality + room temperature + medium knowledge, everyone has a different experience with the same product in the end. At least, we know now this wax/oil core thing is pointless 👍. Always a pleasure to watch your videos 🤗!

@cathysparks2797 2 жыл бұрын

Nice video, explained a lot. I think, regardless of the particular pencils, wax/oil,budget/high end, it’s the skill and imagination of the artist that makes the difference.

@Bg-xk1uw 2 жыл бұрын

Thank you! Very informative. I always suspected there was something off about defining a pencil as wax or oil. I've used pencils too many years and couldn't find any difference between wax or oil in how they blend together or when mixed with a solvent. I've taken just enough chemistry in college to be slightly dangerous (and should be kept away from all chemistry labs because of that) to realize that the whole argument just didn't make good sense as you couldn't blend pigment with "just" either wax or oil and come out with a useable product. But a mix of both with other ingredients would sound exactly right.

@harpsicello 2 жыл бұрын

Coda is so beautiful and attending! ❤️ Thank you for sharing with us what the chemists say about wax and oil mix!

@marram471 2 жыл бұрын

I appreciate your unbiest opinions . Also love love you beautiful handsome dog ! Keep on doing this. Marleen from Belgium 🇧🇪

@jpwartist 2 жыл бұрын

I always found pencils that label themselves "oil based" felt harder and were more transparent, and the pencils that label themselves "wax based" felt softer and were more opaque. Who knows though 🤷‍♂️

@filmicplays7219 2 жыл бұрын

Wonderful explanation! Knowing if a pencil is waxed or oil primarily doesn’t help me at all. I prefer knowing is it a softer or harder core. Is it a layering pencil or can I smoosh when I’m impatient.

@grannieannie1371 2 жыл бұрын

This

@SwedePotato314 2 жыл бұрын

Lol thank you! Lets keep it simple. Smoosh or layer? That should be standard by which all colored pencils are labeled and reviewed. To smoosh or not to smoosh

@learnartwithme3766 2 жыл бұрын

I've not been looking into pencils for long and even I know this. I think the best way to do it is to determine soft/hard compared to existing pencils and also whether they are opaque or not, comparing to prisma's and polychromos'. Any chance of you covering the Cretacolor Karmina pencils? They're relatively inexpensive, but no reviews in English. Ta.

@jirikir 2 жыл бұрын

Thank you for this. I couldn't tell any difference so I ignore this thing. Only waxbloom is a point that matters. But I only have this with Prismacolour. Maybe waxbloom depends on climate. Here in the north of Germany it isn't hot very often. Your Husky is very beautiful and majestic looking. Have a nice day.

@DieterPrivate 2 жыл бұрын

I never really cared about the whole wax Vs oil base thing. As a kid, I hated coloured pencils. Now, as an adult colourist, I tried some again because I saw all this amazing art done with them. Still not my favourite, but I don't hate them anymore. As for reviews, I always look for comparisons to other ones I might have, to know what to expect. Last week I was surprised when trying out some open stock Derwent Coloursofts, as there was a discount. I was like, these aren't soft, what is this? And then I realized that what I had in my head about what "soft" means is totally different. I thought soft was like the Posca Pencils or the Neocolor I. In the end, reviews on art supplies can never be "good" for everyone, as we all have different thoughts. That's why reviews like yours are great, as you try to show their characteristics we might be looking for to get a certain result. We also have different tastes, not only in results, but in the process, like how fun is the usage of a material. When I tried several open stock ones, I came to the conclusion I really dislike the Luminance once. The Polychromos are OK. But the Posca Pencils are great. Though the best ones I tried to date are the Stabilo Original. So for others reading this, please don't care about things like oil Vs Wax based, care about the product as a whole, how it works, what results it gets. And above all, enjoy creating art, trying different things together, and you'll be surprised by what you might find out.

@ColorfullyOptimistic 2 жыл бұрын

Very good explanation. As someone that reviews, it is hard because people ask if it’s oil-based or wax-based and you try to explain that all pencils have a combo of both and other ingredients. I always think of the great Caran d’ache Pablo’s debate. LOL. They are a hard pencil, but they are predominantly wax but of course have some “oil” in them. So you have to say it is predominantly this, but still has this and it just gets confusing haha.That vodka scenario is the perfect analogy.

@terilynn1071 2 жыл бұрын

Hi Harry, I am a fond of a more oil base mix of pencil. But I do love the Black Widow's an they are a harder wax base pencil até don't feel like a prisms that has a smoosh Factor. You can layer it up really nicely!! So yeah it's not just an oil base mix I love I appreciate all blends of pencil because I love my smooch of my Prisma Which must have a different combination of fillers too wax too oil ratio.!! But I have Heard about this very topic when I First started coloring back in February of 2020. Thank you for sharing this so others can finally understand this an make more informed choices 🦋🫂🤍

@joycesnodgrass7068 2 жыл бұрын

Thank you for this information! Handsome dog🤩

@janetjackson2157 2 жыл бұрын

Brilliant very informative and interesting xx

@kerrykolors 2 жыл бұрын

Thank you for your explanation. The only reason why I've ever really wanted to know about wax or oil, is the issue trying to avoid wax bloom. I prefer a harder core pencil, does that reduce the chances of wax bloom, or does the hardness of the core matter? Thank you.

@TheTerrylwg 2 жыл бұрын

This is all I know: Oil, even the tiniest bit, would seep into the paper over time; that's just the nature of oil, but it never does. Wax, on the other hand, would not seep into the paper and never does, even after years. From this I can only conclude that it wouldn't ever make sense to make colored pencils oil-based or else it would ruin the art. Therefore, I believe that all colored pencils that don't spread oil outside of the laid-down color must be wax-based. Brilliant subject to take-on! And I wonder if your dog has any idea how gorgeous he is!

@lodewiekscheffer4217 2 жыл бұрын

Finaly someone who explaines it in a way that everyone can understand it, well done Harry.

@brigitteitg 2 жыл бұрын

I was never bothered whether the company said their pencils were oil or wax based, as it really depends on the combination of pencil, paper and my personal art style how successful I can be with them. I do think that a lot of people use this information when deciding on a pencil set, especially for those brands that don’t come open stock so can’t be tried out individually before committing to a large set. This often leads to disappointment, for example when the “oily” pencils don’t compare to Polychromos.

@oliviahancook5195 2 жыл бұрын

All pencils have wax and oil just some have more of one than other. Whether more oil than wax or more wax than oil is how they say oil based or wax.But I agree with you about soft or hard. I know so me complain about the shine. I personally like the shine but I just use my thumb to rub off the or alcohol. Apparently they also fillers pigments.

@lynnblas4754 2 жыл бұрын

Your pup is adorable and beautiful

@hanginoutwithshann329 2 жыл бұрын

Have you reviewed the Amazon Basics Colored Pencils?

@TheArtGearGuide 2 жыл бұрын

Not yet, everytime I try to buy them they are not available on Amazon but hopefully soon

@missdeesaccount 2 жыл бұрын

Hello Sir! Now I understand! And your Siberian Husky is gorgeous! Beautiful. I had 2 years ago, King and Natasha. All they wanted to do was pull me out the door! Thank you for clearing this up. So coloured pencils are a mixture of oil and wax. How interesting. But electric pencil sharpenerers sell their products by saying their product is good only for wax or oil or drawing pencils. I think it's just a money asking glut. Ah well, what can one do. Just make your art and be happy with that. Thanks for the informative video.!

@nancylemon4120 2 жыл бұрын

Hi Koda😍😍😍💗

@DazzlingAction 2 жыл бұрын

I think part of the reason too is some of them are really private label... and they don't want to state what there pencils are.

@snuuby5468 Жыл бұрын

On this topic, if a pencil is wax-based or oil-based there is a question about the transparency of different pencils. Why are Polychromos pencils completely transparent vs Prismacolor Premier completely opaque. I have struggled with the issue of oil or wax only with these two brands of pencils. When you use Polychromos you can layer and layer and never get the opacity of a Prismacolor pencil. The technique to use a Polychromos pencil is totally different from a Prismacolor. Is the difference in opacity the ratio of oil to wax in those two different pencils?

@demi3115 2 жыл бұрын

Also hard and soft pencils doesn't make any sense when talking about artist quality pencils. For example, Polychromos are NOT hard pencils, because you don't need to put any pressure on the pencil to get colour out. Only kids pencils can be considered hard, because they barely have pigment and thus you need a LOT of pressure to get colour on the paper. Pet peeve of mine, hahah :')

@TheArtGearGuide 2 жыл бұрын

Your right to a certain extent Caroline or your opinion makes perfect sense to a certain point. Artist quality pencils can have hard cores, the Polychromos core would be considered medium hardness. If you take a scale with Prismacolor at one end for the softest core on the market and then the Derwent Artist on the other end for the hardest core, Prisma at 0 and Artist at 10 I’d put Polychromos at 6 or 7 hardness. But as you say, you can hold a Polychromos pencils at the very end of the barrel and use the pencils own weight to apply Color, but this is due to the amount of pigment in the core not how hard or soft the core is. I agree that categorising pencils as hard or soft wouldn’t be any better than oil or wax from a technical standpoint, but being very clear in the point that people can categorise their pencils any way they see fit. I have developed a method of placing pencils in certain brackets none of which has anything or very little to do with the type of core, but I will be making a video on that very soon.

@cherryj 2 жыл бұрын

I’m pretty new to coloured pencils but don’t like using solvent. I have a few polychromos and love the fact that they blend with a blending stump instead. I just wonder if there are other cheaper brands that behave like polychromos without their huge price tag.

@marvelenia6702 2 жыл бұрын

Hello from Germany, I have Nyoni pencils which seems to be the same as the Deli brand and they are very similar, they glide a little more than the polychromos but they come very very close.

@jpwartist 2 жыл бұрын

Polychromos are pretty unique. However the Koh I Noor polycolor are a decent cheap alternative.

@unboundbytiffany Жыл бұрын

I'm just curious if that's why its considered "_-based"? Specifically, wax or oil 'based'. Like an ingredient list in any food on the nutrition label, how it's in order of percentage within the item. If it's majority wax or oil, then maybe that's why it's considered that material 'based' instead of just calling it a 'wax pencil' or oil etc. Because I mean there are other binders and 'ingredients' besides the pigment and wax and/or oil in any given pencil right? But they don't call it pigment, oil, wax and "insert whatever else" pencil. I just think people take the wax and oil thing to literally. I was always told in most cases there's oil and wax in every pencil. It's just labeled "based" off what is more prominent and therefor giving it the properties associated with that particular 'type' of medium. But I'm gonna have to rewatch this because I probably missed some stuff and I find this super fascinating. Especially when you start to think about how their made vs. Pastels (pencils, soft sticks, pan) and even crayons etc. Hmmm. Love the science videos. Now just gotta find my own chemist. Or someone who works for one of these major pencil brands and can tell me whats in the pencils exactly. That would be fabulous haaha

@AlexYorim 2 жыл бұрын

So instead of calling them wax-based or oil based, it should be softcore or hardcore colored pencils.

@SadiyahM 2 жыл бұрын

@budakart 8 ай бұрын

Come to Islam n success

@mohammednadeemanwar2213 Жыл бұрын

I paint with oil (michael harding brand, Jacksons [London] and W&N). Still use Winsor and newton watercolours as well as Caran dache Pablo, supracolour and Faber-Castell Polychromos. Never look down on others. There's brilliant colour pencil artists like Jesselaneart. graphite monochromatic pencil artist jonodry.

@nancylemon4120 2 жыл бұрын

Excellent Explanation Harry, Thank You! 👏👏👏👍👍