Comparing Castle Art 120 Colored Pencil Set to Arteza 120 Colored Pencils

Arteza came out of nowhere with a pretty good set of colored pencils, and quickly followed with a storehouse of other art supplies including paints, paper and markers.

Castle Art has oil based colored pencils with a price that can't be beat.

I've used them both at different times in my coloring videos, and have been asked by many viewers which set I prefer. 

To find the answer I made a video comparing the pencils as I used them. They are similar in several ways:

• They are more transparent than more expensive brands
• They are both creamy and hold a point very well.
• They both work very well for the price. 

They differ in a few ways also:

• Arteza barrels are thicker.
• Castle Arts feel a bit dryer--more like Polychromos.
• Arteza is a bit creamier--more like Prismacolors.

There are more similarities and differences that I talk about in this comprehensive video. Arteza has a color chart on their tin, and since Castle Arts had none I made my own, and it is available to download below the video on YouTube.

 Enjoy! Let me know which set YOU prefer.

TOP FIVE Colored Pencil Blending Mistakes

 There are many types of colored pencils on the market. From the cheapest to almost-crazy expensive, they have one thing in common--to get good results they need to be blended. But it is not as easy as it seems!

Watch this video to see the most common colored pencil blending mistakes, and how easy it is to avoid them.

(This image is from my coloring book EVERYDAY MAGIC. Buy Artist's Edition on ETSY.)