Prisma Color Pencils

Today was a good day to use the 50% coupon at Ms today only to get the bigger sets of pencils at a great price.

I bought two different 12-pencil sets and then got a few more individual ones a few at a time. There were too many colors in the big sets that I didn't like much.

I got a 24 set of the watercolor ones a few years ago and find the colors are plenty variety for my uses. I use them with rubber stamps and to do small embellies on cards and LOs. For me 72 would be way too many different colors, I find with the 24 I can do great shadings with results I love.
but go for what you want and use a coupon or sale or both. Save all you can so you can use the $ for more different things!

I had picked up the 48 piece set that came with a bonus 12 set of the Verithin Hard leaded color pencils from Aaron Bro's a couple years ago. I was allowed to use a coupon on top of the sales price so they were pretty affordable. For me the 42 set is fine, it has a good range of colors in just the right hues. Recently I've just really started to use these (artistic block I've called "The Berlin Wall" is comin down, finally!) in a variety of ways but have yet to wish I had more.

I agree, isnt bigger always better? Of course not when it comes to the number on the scale or the size of your jeans. I got the small set and wished I had gotten the bigger one. Now I am saving to buy the biggest one they sell at M's and use my coupon. lol.

I started off with the set of 24, and within a week, I was ordering individuals...I am close to having them all now. I don't use them that often, but I love them, and they are so nice to have on hand.
Go for the bigger set, and build up. 72 is a good starting point,and use your coupon.

I got a set for 17 bucks at HL on clearance. Love them and used them for art class and other things. Look for a good sale.

Go to an art store that has a prismacolor selection and just look at them for a while. Think - why do you want them? what will you use them for? What colors do you really and truly want? Sometimes this technique tells me that I really only need a couple of 'whatever' ... sometimes it confirms that I need 'everything.' Almost always helpful.

Another suggestion, if the art store is convenient .... first, whatever deal you can get on a set go for it. Then, stop into the art store on a regular basis and buy a pencil or two or three or four or five when you can. Budgeting five bucks every week or every month or whatever seems pretty minimal and allows you some variety.

Thanks for the great advice, I am so torn about the 72 versus the larger set. The price difference is huge and there are other scrappy things I want (isn't there always).

Prismacolors are great. What really matters is how you'll use them.

If you're like me ... in grade school I always wanted the biggest box of crayons you could lay your hands on. If I use it I want every color under the sun (of whatever - colored pencils, paper ... diamonds )

My DH, a painter, uses them to plan his paintings, and he has many regular color that he gravitates toward and replaces often. Including some unfortunately discontinued colors, although we occasionally find them on ebay.

Ultimately - any "set" of anything is a very generic 'most-used' collection. Sometimes a great starting point, but you will undoubtedly have items that you won't use much, and there will be items left out that you personally might consider "can't-live-withouts."

I say get the biggest set you can, knowing that it's not complete for your needs, and build from there.

I just buy individual pencils. BUT if you can get them with a 50% off coupon, I'd go for the HUGE set! I have their water color pencils too- LOVE them! I use a water brush and take the color right off the pencil. They're really nice to use when you emboss an image and use the edges of the embossing as a "dam" for the watercolor.

Depends what you want to do with them. For drawing with lots of shading and highlighting the bigger set is useful. For coloring stamped images the smaller set works well.

I am looking at getting a set but I am not sure which one to get. Is the 72 piece set a good one and does it offer enough variety or would I end up wishing I got the bigger set?