Part 1- Wax-Based Pencils

Components of All Colored Pencils

All colored pencils have a wooden barrel, a pigment that is what gives the color, and a binder that holds the pigment together and serves as a vehicle to put the color on the surface. The difference between wax-based and oil-based pencils is the binder. Wax-based pencils tend to be more common and contain more wax. Oil-based pencils are not as prevalent, use oil as the main binder, and tend to only be produced as a higher-end colored pencil.

The Short Answer to the Question

It depends. That’s awful, isn’t it? Colored pencil artists will swear by their favorite brands and types of pencils, but the bottom line is you will need to experiment to see which is your favorite type of pencil. As you progress in your colored pencil journey, I am betting you will find that there is a time and a place for the different types of pencils. Which type of pencil you use will be dependent upon which technique you want to use, what kind of drawing you are trying to achieve, what paper you are working on, if you are using solvents, and of course your budget. I will outline a few of these considerations for you so that you can make a more educated decision if you are looking to purchase some pencils or wondering which type of pencils to use for a piece. I am only going to go into the wax-based pencils today, so I don’t overwhelm you with a long blog. Next week I’ll dive into oil-based pencils.

Wax-Based Pencils

I started drawing with wax-based pencils back in the 90s. My art teacher had Prismacolor Premier colored pencils, and I loved how they covered the paper with a deep, rich layer when I pressed hard. That said, I didn’t know how to “properly” use them as I do now. I didn’t understand that I could layer with them and do all sorts of other techniques. So I had a hard time creating a work when I couldn’t find the exact color I wanted. My works also lacked transitions because I didn’t know I could shade and create gradual value changes. But don’t fret, you can do all of these things with wax-based pencils, so there is no need to worry about that.

The most common types of wax-based pencils are Prismacolor Premier and Caran D’Ache Luminance. Let’s discuss the good things about wax-based pencils.

Positives of Wax-Based Pencils

1. You Can Use Wax-Based Pencils For Many Techniques

Wax-based pencils will cover the tooth of the paper either by layering, burnishing, using solvents, or a combination of these techniques. For “Ross Castle”, I used layering and burnishing.

Layering

Layering is when the artist lightly adds multiple layers of different colors to achieve a specific hue and add depth to a piece. As the artist adds layers he or she can apply more pressure which would help to cover up the tooth (or white spots) of the paper.

Burnishing

Burnishing is when an artist uses a colored pencil with fairly hard pressure. This can be done as one layer of color, or more likely it can be done on top of layers to help to combine them. A variety of pencils can be used to burnish. There are colorless blenders that Prismacolor and Caran D’Ache produce. These are basically colored pencils without the pigment. These can be used to burnish without adding any pigment. Alternatively, artists will burnish using another color. For example, when I was burnishing the layers of the “Ross Castle” sky, I used Sky blue to mix my colors and get rid of the grainy texture.

Solvents

Another technique that works well with wax-based pencils is using solvents. Solvents, like mineral spirits, can be applied with a paintbrush over layers. This method serves to mix colors and get rid of the grain of the paper as well. Additionally, you can draw over where you use solvents after it dries. It enables you to add more layers. Look at the drawing below to see an example of where I used a solvent to create a black background. Before I used the solvent, I drew light layers of Tuscan Red, Indigo, and Black. Then I painted mineral spirits over the area, let it dry, and repeated the process until I was happy with the result.

2. Wax-Based Pencils Can Be Affordable

I say “can be”, because really I’m referring to the Prismacolor Premier pencils. You can find a range of box sizes that they come in from 12 pencils ($15) to 150 pencils ($150). These prices are approximate and will change over time. Honestly, I find the cheapest prices on Blick Art, but that is just a side note. These are the pencils I started with. I have a soft spot in my heart for Prismas, and I still use them. My only complaint is that they can break easily when you sharpen them. More so than the Caran D’Ache Luminance. I have heard that the Prismacolor quality has gone downhill over the years, but I’d say they are still good starter pencils. If you can spring for the bigger box, then that’s even better. With colored pencils, the more colors you have the better, in my opinion.

The Caran D’Ache Luminance pencils are much more expensive. Luminance come in a range of pencil box sizes from 12 ($45) to 100 ($400). Again, these prices will vary widely. I think that while they are definitely overpriced if you can save up for a box, it’s worth it. If you keep your eye on their price it will go up and down. I was able to get a box of 100 for around $300 at one point. Here’s why they are worth the ridiculous price- Luminance pencils are even more buttery and are better quality than the Prismacolors. Their laydown is amazing. Additionally, I am in love with the colors in the 100 box. They have a range of pencils that are percentages, for example, they have a Raw Umber 10%, Raw Umber 50%, and full-strength Raw Umber. These are fabulous to use when shading or creating values. The 100-box set also includes portrait colors, so it’s full of the colors you can use to render skin. A final bonus of the Luminance is that they don’t break as easily as the Prismas.

3. Wax-based Pencils Work Well With Many Papers

When I started taking colored pencil drawing seriously five years ago, I used Strathmore Colored Pencil Paper, Series 400. This is an affordable paper that has enough tooth in it to hold many layers of colored pencils. Wax-based pencils work very well on this type of paper. Wax-based pencils also work well on Hot-press watercolor papers, which are great if you are going to use solvent because they are thick and can handle the liquid. Drafting film takes these pencils very well. Finally, wax-based pencils work well on Bristol smooth and vellum, depending on your preference. Vellum papers have more tooth in the paper, which is more preferable for adding lots of layers. See below for an example of using wax-based pencils on drafting film. Note how soft the bunny looks.

Negatives of Wax-Based Pencils

1. Wax Bloom

   Wax bloom is what happens after the colored pencil has been applied to a paper and the paper sits for a while. The wax separates and comes to the top of the layers. This is most noticeable in darker colors. I think it is also more noticeable with Prismacolors. However, all you have to do is wipe the bloom off and it is gone. Alternatively, if you use solvents that mix the wax enough you won’t see a bloom. Breakage/Lots of Sharpening

2. Breakage/Dull Points

   As I mentioned before, wax-based pencils are softer and so are more likely to break. Especially the Prismacolors. Also, you will need to sharpen the wax-based pencils more often because they lose their points more quickly.

3. Use On Pastelmat

   I have found that wax-based colored pencils don’t work the best on Clairefontaine Pastelmat, which is one of my favorite papers. I can use them on top of oil-based pencils, but if I use them straight on the pastelmat, they tend to get “gunky”. They don’t move around on the paper very well, and the coverage isn’t great. I have heard some artists say that you can use solvent on pastelmat to eliminate this issue, but I haven’t tried that as of yet.

Conclusion

Wax-based pencils are a great option, especially if you are just getting started with colored pencils. The Prismacolors are more affordable and you can achieve a painterly look using them. You can utilize many colored pencil techniques with wax-based pencils as well.

Do you have a preference for wax or oil-based? Stay tuned for next week’s blog where I’ll dive into oil-based pencils.

Free Resource

If you are using colored pencils and have had trouble finding the right colors to use for orange animals, check out my free resource by clicking on the image below.