THE ACTUAL SIZE OF PASTEL PENCIL CORES
In the vast world of drawing and painting, pastel pencils hold a special place for artists seeking subtle color transitions and delicate textures.
However, choosing the pastel pencil brand that offers the best value for money can be a real challenge. Beyond pigment quality and ease of use, the actual length of the pastel core plays a crucial role in determining the true value of a pencil.
To find out which brands offer the best value, I compared several pastel pencil brands by measuring the amount of usable pastel core they actually contain.
Discover which pastel pencil stands out—and which one might make you rethink your investment…
COMPARISON
The photo speaks for itself! (Just to clarify, the pencils on the left are all brand new.)
Five brands—Caran d’Ache, Derwent, Faber-Castell, Cretacolor, and Conté à Paris—have a pastel core that runs the full length of the pencil.
By comparison, Stabilo Carbothello loses about one-fifth of its usable core length, while Koh-I-Noor performs the worst in this regard, with roughly one-quarter of the core missing. On top of that, the last centimeter of the Koh-I-Noor core is difficult to use because it becomes too loose inside the wooden barrel.
However, Koh-I-Noor is still my favorite brand at the moment because the pencils are extremely pleasant to use and very affordable.
As for Stabilo Carbothello, although they are priced closer to the market average, they are also among the pencils I use the most.
You simply need to be aware of the true cost in relation to the amount of usable pastel core you actually get.
How to Use Your Pencil Right Down to the Last Millimeter
Many beginner and even professional artists still don’t know about this incredibly useful tool: a pencil extender (also called a pencil holder).
Yet it’s an essential accessory if you want to avoid wasting the valuable pigments in your pastel pencils or colored pencils.
Here’s a link to the pencil extenders I personally use:
Pencil Extender / Pencil Holder
An essential accessory once your pencils become too short to hold comfortably.
(Not compatible with Conté à Paris pencils, as they are too thick.)
What About You?
Did you find this article helpful?
The comments section is yours—I’d love to hear your thoughts!
Want to improve your skills, be proud of your artwork, and sell more paintings?
I can help you progress through my online video courses!
From beginner to advanced, discover techniques for Soft Pastel, Acrylic Painting, Oil Painting
Join a community of ambitious artists! 🎨
Follow Me
Work-in-progress pastel drawings and paintings, new commissions, original artwork for sale, videos, latest news, giveaways, and much more…
Discover My Artistic World Through My Original Paintings
www.skyzune-art.com
You may also like
NEW PASTEL PAPER TEST: PASTELGRAIN
