Review of Bruynzeel Colored Pencils | Bruynzeel Pink And Blue Set Of Colored Pencils.
Review of Bruynzeel Colored Pencils | Bruynzeel Pink And Blue Set Of Colored Pencils.
In this review we take a look at the Bruynzeel Colored Pencils, there is no model name or anything like that, they are simply branded as Bruynzeel Colored Pencils, however, they come in two different colored tins but the pencils are the same in each tin, we will talk more about this further into the review.
The Bruynzeel Colored Pencils that are on review in this post are in the process of a somewhat rebranding process. In other words, the tins that the pencils are sold in, the artwork on the tins are being renewed, as of approximately April 2022, the exact same pencils will be in a newly branded tins. However, despite Bruynzeel rebranding the pencils, they are still available to buy in many art stores world wide, in the current tins and when the rebranding is complete, I will of course update this post accordingly. It is essential to remember that the pencils are exactly the same.
I have reviewed quite a few of the Bruynzeel line, also under the Royal Talens banner and if you consider a grading system, from the artist grade to say Kids grade, the following sets might help you to visualise where this particular set of pencils fall. The Van Gogh Colored Pencil in my opinion would be the highest artist quality pencils because of the ASTM lightfast rating, just below the Van Gogh would be the Design Range. Bruynzeel have put a lot into the Design range, from their Pastel Pencils, Watercolor Pencils, Colored Pencils and Sketch Pencils, they are all excellent quality pencils and I would classify them as high end student grade pencils. Below the Design range would be the Expression which I have also reviewed and really love, Expression would be Student grade pencils. Finally I would then place the Bruynzeel Colored Pencils from this review high end kids grade to Student grade.
Bruynzeel Colored Pencils Characteristics.
The core of the Bruynzeel Colored Pencils is an average 3.3mm, encased within a 7.4mm hexagonal wooden barrel. Each barrel is lacquered the same color as the core, making the color coding selection visually easy. There is not much information printed on the barrels, on one side of the barrel is printed “Bruynzeel” obviously representing the company.
Further along from the Bruynzeel printing is printed “Holland” the country of origin for the company. Obviously the company is global and has setups all over the world, but Royal Talens originally was formed in Holland. On the end of every barrel is a 3/4 inch black flash which sports the Bruynzeel logo which is actually a really clever and attractive logo.
There is no pigment name printed on the barrels, I think this may be mainly to do with the total number of pencils in the line, but regardless of the reasons, I feel it is beneficial to everyone for the pigment name to be present on the barrels. Even if the pencils are intended for children, having the color names printed will aid in the children learning about colors.
Although the artwork on the actual tins for this particular set of Bruynzeel Colored Pencils is changing, I still feel it is worth talking about. It was the amazing artwork and design on these tins that first attracted me to them. There is a blue version and a pink version but both versions contain exactly the same pencils and there in might be the reason for the rebranding. Looking at the artwork on both tins, I think the pink tin was intended for young female artists and the blue tin for young male artists. Due to the changes we are all embracing and experiencing, I feel a more neutral design may be more preferable to artists. This is pure speculation on my part and may not be the reason for the rebranding.
Bruynzeel Colored Pencil Sets And Prices
As I have already mentioned, this particular range of Bruynzeel Colored Pencils are sold in a pink and blue tin, both tins sport exactly the same pencil it is just the tins that are different. There is 12 set and 24 set of the Blue Bruynzeel Colored Pencils and the same 12 set and 24 set are available in the Pink tin.
Unfortunately 24 is the largest set size in this range and I say unfortunately because considering their price point and who they are marketed for, I think at the very least a 36 set would be appreciated by artists.
Here in the UK to purchase the 24 set of Bruynzeel Colored Pencils, both the blue and the pink, you can expect to pay approximately £10.99 and the same for the set of 12 colored pencils both the pink and blue can expect to pay approximately £5.99
For artists in the US, to purchase either the Blue or Pink tin of the Bruynzeel Colored Pencils you can expect to pay approximately $17.26, for both the Pink and Blue set of 12 Bruynzeel Colored Pencils you can expect to pay approximately $16.68. All the prices listed are from Amazon as this is the easiest method to source, however prices for US artists are a bit high and I can only put this down to the pencils being European.
For artists in the EU to purchase either of the 24 sets, pink or blue you can expect to pay approximately €10.98, I was unable to locate prices and links for any of the 12 sets, but as always I will continue to update this post as and when prices, branding or links change ensuring that if or when you select a link on The Art Gear Guide, you will know that I have sourced the cheapest prices and links I can find on Amazon.
Bruynzeel Colored Pencil Performance
I guess this is the most important part of the review and this is always the section I dedicate the most time to during the testing process, doing everything I can to deliver the most accurate and honest account of whatever the review is.
As always I try to test the product on as many different paper types as I possibly can, of course I can’t test on all of the papers as the review would be weeks long, but regarding the surfaces, I try to ensure a good selection of variety. The first paper I used was on the swatch and for this I used the Strathmore 300 Series Bristol Velum which is a reasonably smooth paper but with a little bit of tooth. There are only 24 colors in the range and so the swatch is quite big allowing you to see the colors and the texture of the paper under the layers.
As you can see, for a 24 set the palette is pretty standard, my only issue is with the three greens they have selected, this is purely a personal thing as I enjoy botanical art and so would have prefered a slightly more olive green in the selection rather than the aqua green. However, as 24 sets go, the palette really isnt that bad.
Given the fact that the Bristol Velum is quite a smooth paper surface, I was really surprised with the pigment strength, for a really inexpensive set of pencils, I wasn’t expecting the severe punch of color when laying down the colors. One or two of the colors were insanely strong like the yellow for example, I bearly had to touch the paper and the color just lept from the core to the paper.
As I am sure you know, I don’t buy into this wax and oil myth surrounding the core of pencils, this is due to the level of research I have completed into this complex subject and concluded that both ingredients are present in almost every pencil, where so many of us make mistakes is the various types of wax that can be used which can be misleading when testing, as a result I prefer to stay clear of the wax and oil debate and try to describe the core.
For the Bruynzeel Colored Pencils, I would rate the softness as medium to soft, if Prismacolor is the softest core representing 1 on the scale and the Derwent Artist pencils the hardest core representing 10 on the scale, I would slot the Bruynzeel Colored Pencil in at 3 possibly 4. I found the consistency really difficult to work out, it felt dry, almost chalky when using, but when looking down at the color leaving the core onto the paper, the results didn’t match how the pencil felt in my hand, the result was that of a glossy consistency, somewhere close to emulsion paint for your walls.
As always I have conducted a few test which should help you see how the pencil performs. The paper used for all of these tests was the Agave Watercolor Paper from Hahnemühle. The first test is the layer test, for this test I completed 5 columns and in each column I added light layers, so the first column I added one single light layer, the second column I added two light layers etc all the way to the 5th column. The last column sported a single heavy application from each pencil. For this test I always use 5 light layers as a good guide as this is considered approximately the number of layers you should apply before using OMS ( Odourless Mineral Spirits )
The Next test was the blending test, again this test was completed on the same Agave Watercolor Paper, this paper sports a nice texture and so gripped hold of the pencil core really well. The purpose of the blending test is to create a third color using two other colors. As you can see from the images, the blue and yellow created a gorgeous green, the red and yellow created a clear orange and by far the most difficult color to create in the test, the red and blue created a decent purple.
The last test on the Agave is the Odourless Mineral Spirits Test, I completed a sphere and used the yellows, oranges and reds to create this, for the results of this particular test it is best to watch the video where you will see the OMS activate the core of the pencil on the paper. I personally don’t use OMS, but I know a lot. of colored pencil artists do and so it is important I show the results.
The final test is the Bruynzeel Colored Pencils on Black paper, this test does not define the pencil as good or bad, simply whether or not the core is translucent or opaque. Each colored pencil artist has their own preference and you generally find that the softer the core the more opaque the color on black paper, but as you can see this was not really the case for the Bruynzeel pencil. Colored pencil artists can create the most beautiful work on dark paper and this test helps to show the artist if the pencils will work as they require them to before spending their own hard earned money
I created my own artwork using the Bruynzeel Colored Pencils as actual performing artwork is often the best way to really understand the pencils. I have also added a series of images on The Art Gear Guide of this artwork photographed from start to finish. Alternatively you can watch the speed drawing video I have uploaded on my YouTube channel, although it is quite fast, you can see the layers build up and the blending take hold.
Bruynzeel Colored Pencil Conclusion
Obviously there is no lightfast information, they are not artist quality pencils, but they are very important in their own right in my opinion. When our kids were young, every Christmas, my wife and I would see these huge art sets in stores, £10 for 200 pieces, pencils, crayons, watercolors etc. They always looked impressive and for the money, as a parent with no art knowledge, never in a million years did we think we were doing more harm than good in buying them.
When the kids opened themon Christmas morning, in the evening after they had played with all their main presents and were getting tired, they would move on to the colouring sets and they would last all of five minutes. The reason for this happened was because nothing inside the set produced color on the paper, they were so void of color that the kids moved on to washing the dishes. I am of course joking about the last bit, no Christmas miricles in the Harrison house, but kids expect immediate results and when they don’t get them they either move on or switch off. Giving kids terrible art supplies could turn them off art for life and I know some people might not think that was a bad thing, but Vicky and I wanted our children to try as many new experiences as possible. After all, you would not take your children scuba diving in pool with no water, you would want to take them to a beautiful reef, filled with life and beauty. An experience like that will hook their imagination, the alternative would simply prevent them from trying again.
Sets of colored pencils like the Bruynzeel Colored Pencil on review are the type of pencils that you should be giving your children to use for them dipping their toe into the world of art. Immediate results, gorgeous color and easy application, no rubbing with the force only the Hulk could muster.
But the Bruynzeel Colored Pencils are not only for children in my opinion, they 24 count does make the audience very shallow, but I tried them on some adult colouring books and they performed beautifully. To find out more about the Bruynzeel Colored Pencils you can check out my YouTube Review by following the link. Alternatively if you would like to know more about the artwork I created you can check out the still images I have provided or of course check out the speed drawing video and watch the art come to life in front of your eyes.
