Arrtx 126 Artist Grade Colored Pencils - Pencil Review

 

Pencil Review

Arrtx Artist Colored Pencils 126 Set

Arrtx 126 Colored Pencils Set 

In the pencil world, like the real world, it's safe to say that primarily you get what you pay for and I am a huge advocate of this mantra. Typically, if you invest in a good set of colored pencils you will be rewarded with righ pigments, tight quality control and consistent results. 

So imagine my surprise when Arrtx came on the scene - a company offering pencils at lower prices that are also marketed as 'artist grade' and rumoured to be a pretty even match for a PRISMACOLOR Premier. 

Like a lot of artists I did a double take and because I'm not a fan of hype, I waited until they were on sale before I bought the Arrtx 72 set. Needless to say I was incredibly impressed and in the 12 months I've been using my 72 set, I have recommended them to everyone who asks.
Today I'm going to take you through the reasons I love Arrtx pencils, the drawbacks I've found and the colors available in the 126 set, which Arrtx have very very kindly sent me for an honest review in return.

Arrtx Colored Pencils 126 - The Details

Pencil Number: 126

Barrel Size 7.8mm

Barrel Shape: Round

Core Size: 3.8mm

Binder: Wax

Metallics: 2

Fluros: 3

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The Good

The first thing I like about these pencils, it has to be said, is the price. Many new colorists are put off by the investment required for good pencils and I completely understand that. While its rare that people are happy to go and spend $200-$300 on pencils, Arrrtx Colored Pencils are incredibly affordable, especially when you take into account the quality of the product.
Arrtx Colored Pencils come in a 72 set also for the colorist looking to start out lightly but I found that the extra 50 colors were well worth it. There were a lot more mid tones that were fantastic for shading and highlights.

Using the Arrtx pencils does feel alot like using a Prismacolor Premier! Being a wax based core, the colors transfer well to paper without too much effort and the blend incredibly well. There's also a great range of colors that are same same but different enough that you can create some beautiful seamless graduations of color.

I also really liked the effects you can create with Arrtx on cheaper papers because let's face it, sometimes that's all we have. They were highly forgiving on standard issue printer paper and on Amazon printed books where there is a limited amount of layering opportunity. Alternatively, they also performed beautifully on better quality paper like Neenah Bristol Vellum and in higher end Coloring Books like Johanna Basford or Hanna Karlzon

 

The Bad

One of the critisisms of the original 72 Colored Pencil set was the over representation of yellow in the mix with a whopping  11 yellow or gold tones. I personally don't see this as a draw back because it all depends on what you like to color or draw. The 126 set has added 2 extra yellows to this mix so the over representation has kind of balanced out. 

The three neon colors, fluro yellow, furo orange and opera pink appear to be a different core formulation to the rest of the pencils because when I swatched them, they felt completely scratchy and rough to use; nothing like the creamy, blendable wax core I was expecting. This is a drawback that was remedied somewhat with a good pencil sharpener but it was a bit of a dissapointment. 

Lastly, the silver writing on the side of the pencils may be a little difficult for some to read so this is a consideration. It definitely picks up the glare a bit in some lights and while this doesnt affect the way your pencil will work, it goes to the overall experience. 

None of these issues were deal breakers for me and I found myself reaching for my Arrtx sets (yup, I have two now) again and again this week. I love the larger barrel, I love the truenss of the barrel color to the core and the overall coloring experience right up there with what you might get from a Holbein or a Caran d'Ache pencil.

In all I have falled head over for these pencils and have been recommending them as the perfect starter pencils to anyone who wants to start coloring, or rediscover it. Let me know what you think and please comment below if there's a set of pencils you'd like me to review next. Until then - happy coloring.

- Alix 

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