Castle Art Supplies Gold Standard 120 Coloring Pencils Set with Extras, Oil-based Colored Cores Stay Sharper, Tougher Against Breakage, For Adult Artists, Colorists, In Zipper Case

I have had this set for almost a year. I also own the 120 soft (regular wax) colored pencils, watercolor pencils, and the 50 metallic and pastel tint-- all Castle Arts and opted for the zipper case each time. I try to limit my spending on art supplies, as I am not a professional, and mainly use pencils for coloring, which I only do occasionally. So, the fact that I bought every pencil set available in a zipper case speaks to the quality, and amazing presentation of this brand of pencil! They have always come with an instruction booklet, which is individualized for the type of pencil, and is packed with helpful, useful, and informative content (some of it looks to be digitally generated, but I understand that's probably for efficiency purposes and I can overlook that minor issue for the wealth of great tips found in each book). They also have a sample drawing project...with steps to follow...but I haven't tried any of the projects because you'd likely need to be an intermediate artist or better to do those, as steps seem a little vague. Some of the sets came with pads of paper, too.As for these Gold Range pencils, I personally much much prefer the standard, cheaper soft pencil line. That said, I can see why these would be considered the "better" pencil because they're very richly pigmented. You can get some layering and blending effects, but these are like most other pencils labeled as "oil" pencils, they put down a lot of thick color. I feel like I can achieve the subtle, beautiful layering and blending effects with ease using the standard pencils, but really struggle with these. Maybe that's a me problem lol. I am probably doing something wrong, or not willing to venture into chemical solvents or whatever. I do own other "oil" pencils by Marco (Raffine), Shiperr Farben, and Brutfuner/Kalour (f.y.i. Brutfuner a k.a. Kalour et. al. makes the exact same oil pencils and produces them under about a dozen different brand names, so do some research before investing in any of the cheaper, generic pencils if you already own a set, because chances are that you'll just be re-purchading the same pencils). The Castle Arts Gold pencils are comparable if not better than any of these other oil pencils. To clarify, yes oil pencils still have a waxy binder, they just have a different formulation than typical colored pencils. I know what to expect when I open a new package of pencils that are labeled as oil pencils compared to regular pencils. I also wonder why it is that so many of the popular, highly rated generic/ cheap brand pencils are oil pencils lol, but that this set costs more than the other Castle Arts pencils that most people have better results with?As noted, these pencils have very vibrant colors, and lay down well on paper. They have a palette of colors that I like, with more purples and pinks than typical--but I noticed none of the Castle Arts line has really satisfied my needs as far as reds and oranges go. Like there's no good red. Oh well. One last thing I have to say is that I've attempted several coloring book pages with the Gold pencils, even in miniature coloring books, and taken these with me on vacation to try and force myself to use them. I have never finished a page started with these pencils. I've almost always finished the many pages started with the standard Castle Arts pencils!! Just like I almost never use any of the cheaper oil pencils I own. So, if you're on a budget, I recommend getting the other Castle Arts pencils first...or if you already have those, but are unfamiliar with oil pencils, get some of the generic oil pencils like Brutfuner just to be sure that you like this style of pencil before investing in this set. These are good for what they are...just not good for the way I personally know how to color--but, people who don't like muted colored pencils might actually love oil pencils because they lay down richer color!! It's all personal preferences.

These oil based color pencils are superior quality.The colors are vibrant and leave very little wax bloom when burnishing.The cores are large and soft, but won't break under moderate pressure.The functionality of the pencil is on par with Derwent and Faber-Castel. Easy laydown, uniform color, rich pigment (you won't have to layer as many times.)Layering multiple colors is flawless. I had no issues with three and even four color layers. Impressive.The case is very well made. Strong zipper and firm fabric molding.This set of pencils truly are among the best you can buy. You won't be disappointed.

The oil-based Gold Standard Colored Pencils set colors much more evenly & completely without being patchy or blotchy than the original wax-based edition of this set. The manufacturer is right that the lead is more firm & it also lasts a bit longer. This set gives me more even control over the color & it goes where I put it. If the color is too dark or goes where it shouldn't, it quickly picks up with a polymer eraser & without smearing. The wax set did not perform nearly as well on any of these points. So even if you're a beginner like me, or just coloring in books, don't hold back on getting yourself the Gold Standard. It's worth it. You won't have to be a high flying artist to make excellent use of this set.According to the manufacturer, they're even non-toxic, which is good for me, because I have a pet & I worry about trace amounts getting transferred to them over time or them accidentally getting hold of a pencil. I also love that Castle Arts is knowledgeable & happy to answer questions about their product.The book style case is a huge plus & I am beginning to wish that all colored pencils came in cases like this instead of flimsy trays. Some complain about breakage during shipping, but I have had pencils break trays in shipping too.The one suggestion I have is to include graphite drawing pencils with the bundle instead of sketch paper.Recommended not just for fine artists but for all teenagers & adults who are drawn to using this media. I'm just a novice, & I can't put them down. This is a kit that everyone can enjoy.