Luminance 6901 Clr Pncl Set 76 Artist Rng

These colored pencils are by far the best colored pencils I have ever used, and I've used a lot. I've ordered many different types and brands from Amazon and I've purchased many different types from stores, but these far exceed any of those. In there durability, their vibrance, their smoothness, their pigmentation, the way they blend, the way they feel and even the way they hold up when sharpening (always have had problems with that with 99% of the pencils I've had minus a very select few - these and prism colored pencils, thats it), plus the white colored pencil actually works like it's supposed to when using it to highlight and blend it is just amazing, and lastly even the packaging is just superb. Each pencil is tucked in its individual little slot of protection in this box. I highly recommend if you are a serious about your colored pencils, they are so worth it even though the price is quite high, but you pay for what you get truly. Extremely high quality. They are incredible. In fact I want to buy another set, which I will be doing very soon but I'm going to get the larger set. Definitely recommend.

Caran d'Ache Luminance 6901 colored pencils have held a special place in my heart for over 15 years. Amongst brands like Faber Castell, Prismacolor, Derwent, Bruynzeel, Holbein, and others, they remain my absolute favorites. These pencils are renowned for their exceptional pigment quality and lightfastness, and they never disappoint. What truly sets Luminance apart is the incredible quality of their colors. The vibrancy and smoothness of these pencils make them a joy to work with, and they consistently deliver stunning results. They're a top choice for any serious artist or enthusiast. Now, onto the one aspect that left me slightly disappointed: the packaging used. Instead of the usual protective box I've received when ordering these pencils, they arrived in a simple paper bag. As a result, the box containing the pencils was quite battered upon arrival. I reached out to customer service, mentioning that my previous purchases from a seller in the Netherlands always arrived in excellent condition, thanks to an outer Caran d'Ache box. Amazon informed me that the choice of packaging is primarily determined by the seller, but they assured me they would report this concern. I genuinely hope that the shipping method has been improved since my purchase. Given the investment these pencils represent, it's imperative that they arrive in perfect condition. I understand that lower pricing is sometimes possible due to packaging shortcuts, and for some customers, the condition of the pencil box may not be as significant. However, for those of us who appreciate the care taken in packaging to protect the valuable contents, it's a matter of significant concern. In conclusion, I give the Caran d'Ache Luminance 6901 colored pencils a well-deserved 5-star rating for their outstanding quality and performance. These pencils are simply unbeatable.

I find these an utter pleasure to work with, especially due to effects achieved with the Luminance's creamy layering and blending properties. The colors simply melt into each other, without losing the integrity and glow of the individual colors. I believe in painstaking use of multiple layers, but the results of layering even as few as three colors of these surprise me with each experiment. Lately I've been enhancing earlier finished illustrations (in ink, watercolor and/or other pencils) with overlays of Luminance, and am thrilled with the resulting depth and vibrance -- my "meh" feeling about these earlier works has been radically transformed. As other reviewers have mentioned, the names of individual colors on the pencils are not easily read, but I personally don't find this an inconvenience, and the cap colors are true to actual colors. Certainly beautiful artwork can be made with less expensive tools. For myself, the unique qualities of Luminance add so much to my joy in creating art, I've not regretted my investment for an instant. I thank other reviewers here for the thoughtful assessments that encouraged me to try them.

Okay I know that they are insanely expensive investment but if your pocket allows definitely invest in these, even if it's a smaller set and u just buy a couple colors by themselves over time, because they're so worth it. I've been using polychromos and prisma premier for years and while I love both I have major problems as well. Prismas are amazing at blending but they suck at sharpening or keeping a point and sometimes with too many layers I get wax bloom, while polychromos are amazing at fine details but not the easiest to blend. Here is where my new favorite colored pencil comes in. LUMINANCE is butter smooth but holds a point and stays sharp longer and doesn't have any of the structure flaws like prisma, meanwhile it blends itself its so amazing and joyful to work with. The pigment in these are high quality and super pigmented. Also I just want to say, I usually take my colored pencils and throw them in a canvas roll or a secured pencil pouch BUT this box holds the pencils so snug that I've kept them in there. It is a bit inconvenient to have three trays on your art desk but I typically work in color groups so its not much of an issue.

For the price I was a bit hesitant to purchase these pencils but I had heard a lot of good things and read reviews stating how excellent they were that I finally decided to go for it. Presentation wise the packaging is a bit lacking being that its cardboard but they are well protected by a foamy padded material (it would have also been nice if you could slide the trays out somehow instead of lifting each layer out). The pencils themselves are gorgeous and you can really see the craftsmanship put into each of them. Performance is where these really shine however, they have almost a smooth pastel like feel that allows them to blend and layer like a dream. I read that these are wax based pencils so there is a tiny bit of bloom when layering but it’s not really noticeable. I was also able to sharpen each pencil to a fine point point without any breakage which really surprised me. The price is a bit steep but these pencils are as good as advertised, I’d recommend buying a few of these as they’re sold open stock and try them out if you’re on the fence.

Wonderful glowing, subtle colors. Creamy feel as you lay down the color. Pencil tips are a good match for the actual color - this makes usage quite convenient (although I prefer the Faber Castell method of coloring the whole pencil shaft). On the down-side, the names of the colors and the other lettering on the pencil shafts are very hard to read (in fact I have had to add a magnifying glass to my table-top toolbox). The packaging is not as convenient as the other Caran d'Ache products I own. Only two of the pencil trays lift out, so you have to dip down into the box for one third of the pencils. The trays that do lift out have loops for lifting, but they are very short and clumsy to use. Strangely for such beautiful pencils, the box is made of cardboard, so I wonder how long it will last. The box is well made however, in the sense that it pads the pencils superbly. Happily so, because the pencil box arrived inadequately packed, actually banging around in the shipping box. Wonderful pencils, less wonderful lettering and packaging.

Nice variety of colors. I like the way they feel while you’re drawing. They blend nicely.

Creamy, wonderful, expensive pencils. Someday I'll have the biggest set!