Detailed Caran D’Ache Pablos 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 Pablos 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 Pablos 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 Pablos 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 Pablos Colored Pencils?”; “What did you experience during the first inspection of Caran D’Ache Pablos 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 Pablos Colored Pencils.
- Best for: Hobbyist, Artist
- Size of sets: 12, 18, 30, 40, 80, 120
- 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: Oil-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 pablos OR coloured pencil review
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)
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 Pablo. If one or more pencils need to be replaced, you don’t have to purchase another set as a backup.
Barrel Description
The Caran D’Ache Pablo has a very classy look and feel. The shaft is made of Cedar wood and has a color lacquer finish representing the color of the pencil core. The 
hexagonal shape of the pencil is a big plus for keeping the pencil from rolling off the desk/table. On one side of the pencil shaft, you will read Permanent Colour, Pablo, Caran D’Ache, and Swiss Made in gold leaf. On the other side of the pencil shaft, you will find both English and the name of color followed by the number which correlates to the color of the pencil. You will use this number when ordering a replacement. At the end of the pencil, next to the pencil identification number, you will find the lightfast rating indicated by stars. At the end of the pencil is a decorative gold band with an endcap that covers the pencil to protect the pencil core. [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 Pablo pencils had a rating of 1 * being the lowest and three *** being the most lightfast. Caran d’Ache states that one* rating is resistant to fading from 8 to 25 years, & 3*** is resistant up to 100 years. [Return to TOC]
Range of Colors
The Caran D’Ache Pablo is a broad range of rich, beautiful, and unique/highly concentrated pigments that are creamy and easy to blend. You have the color
pallet to color any theme coloring book or scene. I especially liked the range of neutral colors and selections of greens, pinks and purples.
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.
The Caran D’Ache Pablo 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. [Return to TOC]
Container Description
The pencils come in a tin. The tin is very functional. Unlike many colored pencils containers that place their pencils in a flimsy plastic molded tray with elastic loops or indented finger grips, it is easy for pencils to fall out when moving from a tray. The Caran D’Ache Pablo pencils have designed a metal self for each row of pencils. It’s a small detail that makes it easy to work with and protects the pencils and your investment. [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). Overall, I was pleased with what I found in the quality of the pencils. [Return to TOC]
Caran D’Ache Pablos 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 Pablos Colored Pencils?
- Are the Caran D’Ache Pablos Colored Pencils better than other colored pencils?
- What are the Caran D’Ache Pablos Colored Pencils’ pros and cons?
- What are some tips on making the best purchase decision?”.
How the Colored Pencils Performed
The Caran D’Ache Pablo colored pencil is a beautiful pencil to look at and hold. The colors are rich and creamy, like the feeling when coloring. I especially like how I can use the pencil and have it keep its point as I color. I was incredibly impressed
with the ease of layering. I was purposely heavy-handed and applied more than three layers in one drawing, producing a beautiful, vibrant color without a waxy bloom or tackiness. I think they perform better at layering with a lighter 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. During my use, have I experienced broken tips or crumbling cores. Because the pencils are oil-based, it makes it easier to shade and blend.
You can use a standard pencil sharpener. 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 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, Artists (+)
- Pencils do have a lightfast rating (+)
- Pencils are open stock (+)
- Oil-based, firm and durable core (+)
- Beautiful range of colors (+)
- Vibrant colors and pigmentation (+)
- Color application is smooth and buttery (+)
- Superior opaque qualities especially with the color white (+)
- Pencils respond well to light and heavy pressure (+)
- Excellent layering and blending for coloring books (+)
- Strong core resistant to breakage (+)
- Can sharpen pencils to an excellent point (+)
- Writing on the pencil is easy to read (+)
- Works well with different quality coloring books (+)
- Ability to color fine detail (+)
- Pencils will hold a sharp point (+)
- Pencils are well made (+)
- Wonderful quality for the price (+)
- Exceptional adult coloring experience (+)
- High-end priced colored pencils (+/-)
Tips for Purchasing
Caran D’Ache Pablos Colored Pencils are considered high-end/expensive and premium ($1.00-$2.00) and come in sets of 12, 18, 30, 40, 80, and 120 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 Pablo Colored Pencils, I purchased five open-stock pencils (e.g., about $2.50-plus U.S. Blick.com) to 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 Pablo 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 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 Pablos Colored Pencils.
Free Caran D’Ache Pablos 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 Pablos 120 Color Pencils Swatch-Blank
- Caran D’Ache Pablos 120 Color Pencils Swatch-Filled In
Suggested Caran D’Ache Pablos 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 pablos 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]
3 Responses
Your review by far has been the most helpful in regards to adult coloring. I really appreciate the time you took to post this. I color more on the botanical side and was wondering if this set would be beneficial for me? Thank you!
Thank you for taking the time to comment. I do spend a lot of time coloring botanicals, flowers, blooms, and fauna. The Caran D’Ache Pablos is a perfect fit for coloring this image/line drawing type. I tend to use the Pablos on the better type of paper. I use less expensive sets on Amazon-type paper. Did I answer your question?
Thank you so much and yes, you did. I’ve recently purchased them and love them in my Johanna Basford books.