Cezanne Professional Colored Pencil Set of 120 Colors

Everyone always asks the same several questions about pencils when deciding whether or not to purchase a new brand of pencils. Probably the most commonaly asked question is "how do they compare to Prismas"? I have generally avoided that question, because EVERY brand is different. Well this time, in my review, im going to compare these new Cezanne Professional pencils to Prismas. This is one review that should or will, surprise many people. So let's get started.One of the biggest, and constant complaints about Prismacolor is how easily they break. The reason that they break is cost cutting factors. When prismas are made the core or for lack of better words, the lead is laid into a shallow "ditch" on one half of the pencil. Then the 2nd half of the barrel is put over it (like a sandwich) and the 2 halves are glued together. That pretty much leaves the core of the pencil just to easily move around. When the pencil is dropped, for example, the core can sometimes shatter, leaving you with many smaller pieces of the core that will basically just fall out of the pencil each time you attempt to sharpen it. The entire pencil, or the vast majority of the length has just become trash. Cezanne pencils, like prismas , have a wax based core. But the actual core of the Cezzane pencil is glued to the barrel. Now should you drop a Cezzane and break the core, you probably won't lose very much of it, if any at all because that core is glued to the barrel. Pencils with glued cores are generally your expensive brands .These Cezzane Pros are very creamy and soft. Honestly almost the exact consistency of Prismas. The Pros are being tested for light fastness right now. It takes some time to get those results. This is something that the Prismas have never done.All in all (just my opinion) I honestly think the Pros have surpassed the quality of Prismas for approximately half the price. I have been using mine for about a month and have not missed my prismas at all. Everything about the Pros is equal to or better than the Prismas. For the time being, my prismas are collecting dust.One last little note about the Pros. I think that the manufacturer must have consulted artists 🎨 in regard to what they expect from a good artist quality pencil. The color pallet really shows this. You are going to get some really wonderful colors that you rarely see from any brand. You get a large number of pinks, reds, greens, etc. These pencils are gonna become very popular once the word gets out.As always, have a most blessed day and color on!!!

These pencils are so smooth and creamy. Maybe not as creamy as Prismacolor but they’re right up there… I got these on sale. This is my 2nd set. My first set was the 72 set. I loved that one and still have a lot of pencils from that set. This time I purchased the 120 set, more colors of course! They’re beautiful, sharpen well, don’t break easily like Prismacolor. Great pigment layers easily. It’s such a joy to color with these and they perform well… I love these pencils!!!! Try them if you haven’t.

I consider myself to be a colored pencil addict. I love trying new brands. So when I saw that Cezanne had expanded their color selection from 72 colors to 120 colors, I had to give them a try.The variety of colors is great! There are lots of shades of yellow, orange, red/pink, purples, blues greens and browns. I was extremely happy to see they didn’t go overboard with the grays like some companies do.The pencils can be layered very easily, if you use a light hand. They do also burnish well, and blend well with a colorless blender, Vaseline, and gamasol.I have used these pencils on a variety of papers, from standard 20# printer paper, to 67# Bristol smooth and 80# Bristol vellum, as well as standard 110# card stock. The pencils performed well on all these papers, again doing best when building up layers slowly rather than with a heavy hand. If you tend to be heavy handed, these pencils won’t blend quite as easily because they are slightly on the waxy side vs oil, so the fill the tooth rather quickly if you use a greater pressure.Overall, I am impressed by these pencils. They are easily compatible to Prismas with less breakage and dust. Very good for both the beginner or most advanced artist/colorist.

These pencils aren't ever going to be as good as Prismacolors, top of the line Faber Castels, Caran d'Ache or Derwent. All those brands are expensive and have varying core strength, highest light fastness ratings, and blendability depending on preference. You get what you pay for in a lot of the art world and pencils aren't the exception. Can you make good art without them? Yes! I've seen artists use Crayola pencils for pro grade art. However, better tools make for less frustration and faster results most of the timeCezanne have been a fantastic middle ground.Pros:Good coverage. Far better than Crayola but not quite up with PrismacolorGood core strength. Unlike Prismacolors, you don't have to warm the cores before the first use to help prevent breaking. (Do a quick search for this trick, there's a number of ways).Can be sharpened with any cheap Big Box or office supply hand held sharpener. Prismacolors tend to do best with a specialized sharpener.Price. I paid $30 for 120 pencils. The same type of set would cost over $100 for any top brandCons:Nothing in this price range will have the light fastness of the expensive brands. For work you want to last for years, these won't be your go-to.Will not cover or blend on the same level as top brands. They're good, but where Prismacolor white will cover almost anything, this white just does a good job - not an exceptional job.Final Thoughts:Great for learning/practice or art you plan to scan and keep digitally.If you end up grinding down 25% of a pencil on a project you don't want to finish, it's not as big a deal as it would be if you were using a set priced at $100-$200+I'll buy these again for practice, coloring books, cards, other temporary art, and art ported over into a digital paint program.

the lead is breaking often. The pencils are soft, they blend well and the box has a nice array of hues. I’d still buy them. This is my second set