Detailed Spectrum Noir ColourBlend (Shade and Tone Set) 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 Spectrum Noir ColourBlend (Shade and Tone Set) 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.
See the article “Spectrum Noir ColourBlend (All 5 Sets) Colored Pencils Review for Adult Coloring” for a complete review of Spectrum Noir ColourBlend colored pencils.
Spectrum Noir ColourBlend (Shade and Tone Set)
Table of Contents
- Descriptions and First Inspection
- Spectrum Noir ColourBlend (Shade and Tone Set) Review
- Other Resources
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)
Spectrum Noir ColourBlend (Shade and Tone Set) 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 Spectrum Noir ColourBlend (Shade and Tone Set)?”; “What did you experience during the first inspection of Spectrum Noir ColourBlend (Shade and Tone Set)?.” 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 Spectrum Noir ColourBlend (Shade and Tone Set) Colored Pencils.
- Best for: Student/Hobbyist
- Size of sets: 24
- Available in open stock: No, you cannot 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:
- Core size: 4 mm
- Type of pencil core: Wax-based
- Barrel type: Round
- Wood: Cedar
- Where to buy online: Amazon, DickBlick, JacksonsArt, Aliexpress
- Made by: Crafters Companion Group
- Where manufactured: China
- Company URL: https://www.spectrumnoir.com/us/ and https://www.spectrumnoir.com/uk/spectrum-noir-colourblend
- Google search term: spectrum noir colourblend OR coloured pencil review [Return to TOC]
Other Spectrum Noir ColourBlend sets: When you add the Essentials set to the other four expansion sets, you will have 120 pencils. All five sets include Essentials, Florals, Shade and Tone, Naturals, Primaries, and smaller sets.
Barrel Description
The barrels of the pencils are a rich burgundy/Crimson color. On the side of the barrel, you will see in gold lettering the words “Spectrum ColourBlend” followed by the color name. A band follows the color name with an end cap representing the core pigment’s color. [Return to TOC]
Lightfast Rating
Yes. The pencils do a have a lightfast rating of 50-100 Years. 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 essential 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. [Return to TOC]
Range of Colors
Shade and Tone are 1 part of a 5 set collection totaling 120 pencils. Each set has 24 colored pencils, and no color is repeated in any of the sets. The color range of all colored sets is well balanced, which allows you to color any themed coloring book (e.g., portraits, landscapes, seascapes, varied designs). Each set is designed to assist you with the colors you would most likely be using for the category of coloring and drawing. The pencils have an excellent level of pigment that produces sound and vibrant colors. This is an excellent addition to their other sets and blends nicely with the other color palettes.
Spectrum Noir ColourBlend Shade & Tone is part of the specialty sets you can use for floral, marine and nature scenes. The colors for the Shade & Tone set are as follows:
|
Spectrum Noir ColourBlend Shade & Tone |
|||
|
Admiral Blue |
Anemone | Atlantic Blue | Coconut |
| Coffee Bean | Deep Purple | Driftwood |
Harbour Blue |
|
Havana |
Night Sky | Oyster | Passionfruit |
| Pebble | Periwinkle | Reef Blue |
Rock Pool |
|
Sangria |
Sea Urchin | Seal Grey | Spice Brown |
| Storm Cloud | Timberwood | Verdigris |
Violet Pearl |
Because there are five sets, I did not think keeping the sets in their original tins was practical, so I transferred them to the case for easy access and better color ordering. Before using the colors on a project, I recommend swapping the colors for the set (and for every pencil you own) rather than relying on the color printed on the pencil barrel. [Return to TOC]
Container Description
The pencils come in a tin with 24 pencils in a plastic tray. On the front of the tin is a picture of a dolphin. [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). These pencils came with several broken lead points. Overall I was hoping for a little more quality in delivery but was pleased with the pencils. [Return to TOC]
Spectrum Noir ColourBlend (Shade and Tone Set) 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 Spectrum Noir ColourBlend (Shade and Tone Set)?
- Are the Spectrum Noir ColourBlend (Shade and Tone Set) better than other colored pencils?
- What are the Spectrum Noir ColourBlend (Shade and Tone Set) Colored Pencils’ pros and cons?
- What are some tips on making the best purchase decision?”.
How the Colored Pencils Performed
Like the other Spectrum Noir ColourBlend expansion sets, the Shade and Tone set did not disappoint me. The pencils are waxed-based, softcore, with a round barrel. When I was coloring, I purposely colored with varying levels of pressure. I was
able to experience a consistent, smooth feel, vibrant and pleasing color, good saturation, and excellent coverage of large areas. The pencils are nice looking and have a nice feel in my hands. I enjoyed the coloring experience.
I felt the blending and shading were just as good and met what I needed for coloring. I did experience a slight crumbling as I pressed harder, but I just brushed it away. I like to use a blending pencil and marker; in both cases, I achieved smooth results.
I found the pencil sharpens well overall. I did have problems with pencil cores breaking with normal sharpening, and I had to sharpen several pencils 2 or 3 times before the core became stable.
I had some issues with coloring small detailed areas because the softcore would lose its point rather quickly. Make sure you use a quality sharper with a good blade. When I press hard, my fingers don’t hurt. However, I did find I did have to sharpen the pencil more often than I would like. I made a mistake in my coloring, used an eraser, and was pleased with how the color pigment was quickly removed from the paper. Regarding paper, the pencil performance seemed to be just as good on the basic Amazon coloring book paper as on the more expensive artist edition coloring books. If I had to choose, I liked how the pencils performed on a slightly toothy paper.
I think there are various ways to determine how you gain the most from the Essentials colored pencil. You can use the coloring pencil
- As your sole set alongside other pencils.
- As part of the other sets from the Spectrum Noir ColourBlend collection.
- Combine with other non Spectrum Noir ColourBlend sets to get a harder core for small details.
- For practice, before you use more expensive pencils (e.g., Pablo’s, Ploychromos)
- For non-permanent work.
Review Summary and Rating
Spectrum Noir ColourBlend Primaries and the other five sets are good pencils and easy to recommend for adult coloring books and artists. With all five sets, I think you will find that the range of colors is rich, bright and inviting, which allows you
to color any themed coloring book (e.g., portraits, landscapes, seascapes, varied designs). I felt blending, shading, and layering were good and what I needed for my adult coloring experience. The pencils are easy to sharpen with no breakage.
Overall, there was much not to like. If I had my wish, I would like to have 1 set of pencils and not have to purchase different expansion sets (e.g., Essentials, Florals, Shade and Tone, Naturals, Primaries). You will need to purchase other sets to get a good range of colors. I was rather frustrated not being able to find all the coloring sets at once, and I had to wait up to a month to receive all my orders finally. As of this writing, this still seems to be an issue.
If you are forced to choose which sets to purchase, I would suggest getting the two core sets (i.e., Primaries, Essentials) or three specialty sets (i.e., Florals, Shade and Tone, Naturals). The important takeaways are as follows:
User Experience (Pros & Cons) Considerations
- Recommend for adult coloring (+)
- Best for student/hobbyist (+)
- Wax-based, medium-hardness core (+)
- A broad range of colors when combined with all sets (+)
- Color application is smooth and creamy (+)
- Pencils respond well to light and heavy pressure (+)
- Quality layering and blending for coloring books (+)
- Pencils set designed for portraits, landscapes, seascapes, varied designs (+)
- Works well with different quality coloring books (+)
- Packaging is average (+)
- Pencils feel good in the hand (+)
- Lovely adult coloring experience (+)
- Several pencil cores fractured during sharpening (+/-)
- Pencils do not have lightfast rated (+/-)
- Not available in open-stock (+/-)
- Minor to high wax blooming and dust (+/-)
- Expensive for the performance (-)
- Must purchase more than 1 set (-)
- Pencils would lose their tips quickly (-)
Tips for Purchasing
Spectrum Noir ColourBlend (Shade and Tone Set) Colored Pencils are high-end/expensive and premium ($1.00-$2.00) and come in set 24 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.
Because Spectrum Noir ColourBlend pencils come in sets and pencils do not come in open stock, I suggest you purchase 1 set and test the pencils to see how you like them. I chose to get the Primaries set as my first set, and I liked the set I purchased and ended up getting other sets. I always favor purchasing the largest set because you have the color pallet to address various coloring and drawing projects.
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 Spectrum Noir ColourBlend Colored Pencils.
Free Spectrum Noir ColourBlend 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).”
- Spectrum Noir ColourBlend 120 Color Pencils Swatch-Blank
- Spectrum Noir ColourBlend 120 Color Pencils Swatch-Filled In
- Spectrum Noir ColourBlend Color Pencil Sets Swatch-Blank
- Spectrum Noir ColourBlend Color Pencil Sets Swatch-Filled In
Suggested Spectrum Noir ColourBlend 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 “spectrum noir colourblend colored OR coloured pencil review.”
Thank you for taking a moment to view and read the article. Feel free to provide your comments.
