Detailed Caran D’Ache Luminance Colored Pencils Review and related article resources.
Adult coloring is among the most satisfying pastimes I have ever experienced. All it takes is your favorite coloring pencils, coloring book, comfortable chair, or favorite place for the day. Coloring happens at home when traveling, at the park, or in your neighborhood coffee shop. Whether you are just beginning or becoming an experienced colorist, there is nothing more satisfying than seeing and experiencing the joy of coloring.
This article is about my personal experience with Caran D’Ache Luminance Colored Pencils, and I have written the article from a colorist’s perspective on adult coloring. The review is subjective, based on my experience, research, and the performance of colored pencils in activities like coloring books, pages, and sheets. My review seeks to provide as much information as possible to ask the right questions, evaluate the information, and make better decisions about the colored pencils you choose and use. I will update this article as new information becomes available.
Caran D’Ache Luminance Colored Pencils
Table of Contents
Additional Resources. The following are additional resources you can find on ColoringButterfly.com to assist you in learning more about colored pencils.
- Buying A Coloring Book: Everything You Need to Know (Guide)
- Buying Colored Pencils? Everything You Need Know (Guide)
- How to Find Colored Pencil Reviews (50+ ColoringButterfly.com)
- Guide to Amazon Colored Pencil Reviews (Fake vs. Trustworthy)
- Guide to Using Colored Pencil Set Reviews (Step-by-Step)
Caran D’Ache Luminance Pencils Descriptions and First Impressions
This section provides the facts, descriptions, and my first impressions of colored pencils. I am going to provide my subjective/personal review based on my experience, research, and the performance of colored pencils in activities like coloring books, pages, and sheets and answer the question; I am focused on answering the questions for the colored pencils, “What are the basic facts for Caran D’Ache Luminance Colored Pencils?”; “What did you experience during the first inspection of Caran D’Ache Luminance Colored Pencils?.” Let’s get started.
Go to ColoringButterfly.com YouTube Channel for more videos about coloring pencils, coloring books, and more. [Return to TOC]
Colored Pencil Facts
The following are some basic facts about the Caran D’Ache Luminance Colored Pencils.
- Best for: Hobbyist, Artist
- Size of sets: 12, 20, 40, 76, 80, 100
- Available in open stock: Yes, you can purchase replacement pencils.
- Lightfastness rating: Yes, the pencils do have a lightfast rating.
- Cost range: High-end/expensive and premium ($1.00-$2.00)
- Barrel size: 8 mm
- Core size: 3.8 mm
- Type of pencil core: Wax-based
- Barrel type: Round
- Wood: Premium FSC certified cedar wood
- Where to buy online: Amazon, DickBlick, JacksonsArt, Jerrysartarama, Aliexpress
- Made by: Caran d’Ache
- Where manufactured: Switzerland
- Company URL: https://www.carandache.com/us/en/
- Google search term: caran d’ache luminance OR coloured pencil review [Return to TOC]
Open Stock
Yes, you can purchase replacements for individual pencils, and this is especially important for pencils in the price range of Caran D’Ache Luminance. If one or more pencils need to be replaced, you don’t have to purchase another set as a backup. [Return to TOC]
Barrel Description
When you open the box and see the pencils for the first time, you know you have something special. The presentation and look of the pencils are quality. The barrel is round and made of cedar. Unlike other color pencils where the entire barrel is
covered in lacquered, you can see the rich color of the cedar wood. Each pencil has the name of its color printed on the shaft in English and Swiss. In addition, you will find a number code that will correlate to its color when ordering open stock. The end of the barrel is enclosed, and the cap colors are a near-perfect match to the core pigment color. While I love the look of the pencils, the lettering on the sides of the pencils is a little hard to read. [Return to TOC]
Lightfast Rating
Yes rating. Lightfastness is a property of a colorant such as dye or pigment that describes how resistant to fading it is when exposed to light. Lightfast rating is extremely important to artists, especially when they spend long hours creating art; they will want the work of art to keep its vibrancy for years to come. The lightfastness has a lot to do with the higher cost of the pencils.
Caran D’Ache Luminance Colored Pencils comply with ASTM D-6901 the international standard for lightfastness which is indicated with Indicator of LFI or LFII lightfastness. Lightfastness I (LFI = excellent) and lightfastness II (LFII = very good) colored pencils offer long-lasting artworks for 100 years or more under normal museum conditions. [Return to TOC]
Range of Colors
The Caran D’Ache Luminance is a broad range of rich, beautiful, and unique/highly concentrated pigments that are creamy and easy to blend. The color pallet has a good cross-section of browns and greys with slightly limited choices of reds, blues, greens, pinks and yellows. The set contains many shades for the skin. There does not appear to be any gaps in the range of colors. [Return to TOC]
Container Description
Unlike many containers made of tin, the Caran D’Ache is made of well-designed, sturdy cardboard. Each pencil has its slot, which helps to protect the pencil from
breaking. When the lid of the container is closed, you can turn the box upside down the pencils will stay in place. They are shipped with plenty of padding to keep them safe. The pencils in the 76 assorted colors come in three trays, and 100 assorted colors come in four trays. Because of the strength of the container and the protection of each pencil, you may want to keep the pencils in the container and not transfer them to the carrying case. Only two/three of the trays lift out. The trays that lift out have short loops for lifting and can be a little hard if you are not careful. [Return to TOC]
First Inspection
As a habit, when I first open the box of pencils, I like first to check pencil duplications and missing pencils. Check to make sure the cores are centered. Next, I will check them for pencils for imperfections (e.g., shaft spits, broken cores, light printing). The packaging and container were among the best designed and protective cases for the colored pencils. Overall, I was pleased with what I found in the quality of the pencils. [Return to TOC]
Caran D’Ache Luminance Colored Pencils Review and Summary
In this section, I move beyond the description and facts of the colored pencils. I am going to provide my subjective/personal review based on my experience, research, and the performance of colored pencils in activities like coloring books, pages and sheets and answer the question; I am focused on answering the questions like
- What do you think about Caran D’Ache Luminance Colored Pencils?
- Are the Caran D’Ache Luminance Colored Pencils better than other colored pencils?
- What are the Caran D’Ache Luminance Colored Pencils’ pros and cons?
- What are some tips on making the best purchase decision?”.
How the Colored Pencils Performed
These pencils are an absolute joy and pleasure to work with. The colors are rich and creamy. I especially like how I can use the softcore pencil and have it keep its point as I color. I was incredibly impressed with the layering. I was intentionally heavy-handed and applied more than 5 layers to one drawing, producing a
beautiful, vibrant color without a waxy bloom. They perform equity well with a light touch and glide across the page. I feel like the color palette is sufficient to allow me to color an image in any themed, any themed colored book.
I felt the pencils were easy to blend, and I liked how I was able to use white pencils worked well to lighten other colors. I used 1 of the two blenders with the set and felt like the blender did a good job. If you go outside the lines or make a mistake, I think you will find the pencil easy to erase.
Because of the expense of the pencils, I highly recommend that your pencil sharpener has a sharp blade so as not to cause undue waste of the pencil. I was able to sharpen the pencil to a fine point without breakage.
The pencils work well on different types of coloring book paper toothy but thin paper found in self-published Amazon books to the thicker paper found in Johanna Basford’s books to the smoother paper found in Joseph Catimban and Kirby Rosanes coloring books. Overall I think the pencils do best on paper with some teeth. A paper’s tooth describes the surface feel of paper. Generally, the more tooth a paper has, the rougher it feels.
These pencils are designed for both the artist and creative professionals. I thoroughly enjoy using these pencils; an adult colorist who loves to spend time and effort creating beauty and using imagination in coloring books. Before I started using these pencils, I did a lot of practicing to upgrade my skills, and I just wanted to ensure I was getting the most from my efforts in using the pencils. I don’t use these pencils for just any coloring book. I made a conscious decision to specifically use these pencils for the artist editions coloring books from my collection like:
- Hana Karlzon-Daydreams Artist’s Edition
- Johanna Basford-Enchanted Forest Artist’s Edition
- Maria Trolle-Twilight Garden Artist’s Edition
- Rachel Reinert-Botanical Wonderland-Artist’s Edition
- Millie Marotta-Millie Marotta’s Wild Savannah-Deluxe Edition
Review Summary and Rating
I thoroughly enjoy using these pencils. Do I need them for coloring books? No, not for my adult coloring. Nevertheless, they are a fantastic splurge. I am especially
extra proud of the coloring I do with these pencils. I have never regretted my investment. If you are an artist/professional, I am sure these pencils are high on your acquisition list. The important takeaways are as follows:
User Experience (Pros & Cons) Considerations
- Recommend for adult coloring (+)
- Best for hobbyist, artist (+)
- High quality wax-based, medium-hardness core (+)
- Yes, pencils are available in open-stock (+)
- Yes, pencils have a lightfast rating (+)
- A broad range of colors (+)
- Produce intense color (+)
- Rich pigmentation (+)
- Core is strong and resistant to breakage (+)
- Color application is smooth and creamy (+)
- Tri-layer wood casing (+)
- Exceptional layering and blending (+)
- Pencils respond well to light and heavy pressure (+)
- Experienced nol wax bloom or dusting (+)
- Sharpens to a fine point (+)
- Works well with different quality coloring books (+)
- Holds a point well for find detail (+)
- Pencils feel good in the hand (+)
- Case/container is well designed for maximum pencil protection (+)
- Excellent quality for the price (+)
- Exceptional adult coloring experience (+)
- High-end priced colored pencils (+/-)
- Lid on tin case needs to be more secure (+/-)
- Minor wax boom when coloring (+/-)
- Not as easy for layering and blending as other Derwent pencils (+/-)
- Not good for larger areas (+/-)
Tips for Purchasing
Caran D’Ache Luminance Colored Pencils are considered high-end/expensive and premium ($1.00-$2.00) and come in sets of 12, 20, 40, 76, 80, and 100 pencils. Usually, before purchasing, it is advisable to get a feel of the pencils by either
purchasing a small set or individual pencils when you can buy open-stock or if you know someone who has the pencils can try theirs.
Before I purchased the Caran D’Ache Luminance Colored Pencils, I purchased five open-stock pencils (e.g., about $2.50-plus U.S. Blick.com) so I could get a feel for the pencil in coloring, layering, feel in my hand, sharpening and so forth. The open-stock prices can be costly, so look around. I thought Amazon was the most expensive. Once I was convinced that I liked the pencils, I went ahead and purchased the Caran D’Ache Luminance 100.
I would suggest getting the most extensive set you can afford to avoid duplicates and give yourself a full pallet of colors to work with. In the long run, I feel like I save the most, and I especially look for special promotions during the holiday seasons and put out price watches on my favorite eCommerce sites.
If the pencils are too expensive, but you still would like to have the pencils, you can always purchase a small set, add a few open-stock pencils each week or so, and build your set up over time.
An excellent way to learn about the performance is to read reviews like this, view YouTube reviews, and read Amazon reviews. In the long run, I feel like I save the most, and I especially look for special promotions during the holiday seasons and put out price watches on my favorite eCommerce sites. [Return to TOC]
Other Valuable Resources
The following are a few more resources to support your review of Caran D’Ache Luminance Colored Pencils.
Free Caran D’Ache Luminance Colored Pencils Swatch Downloads
To give back to the adult coloring community, I have developed color pencil swatches for all the colored pencil sets I own and have reviewed. Note below two listings for each swatch, “Blank” and “Filled-in.” These terms mean. “Blank” is a swatch version you can download and fill in yourself, and “Filled-in” refers to a version of the swatch I filled in when I reviewed the pencils. You can also use these as a reference to see what the colors will look like before purchasing. Also, see the article “Free Color Pencil Swatch Charts for Adult Coloring (Detailed).”
- Caran d’Ache Luminance 100 Color Pencils Swatch-Blank
- Caran d’Ache Luminance 100 Color Pencils Swatch-Filled In
Suggested Caran D’Ache Luminance Colored Pencils YouTube Reviews
I encourage you to seek other written evaluations, YouTube discussions, and Amazon-like reviews. I want to suggest the following a few YouTube reviews/opinions.
If you would like to find other reviews, do a Google search query on “caran d’ache luminance OR coloured pencil review.”
Thank you for taking a moment to view and read the article. Feel free to provide your comments.
Don’t forget to share the post. [Return to TOC]
