Castle Art Supplies 48 Metallic Colored Pencils Set with Extras | Quality Wax Cores with Shimmering Shades for Professional, Adult Artists, Colorists | In Strong Carry-anywhere Zipper Case

I have several of the other pencil sets from Castle Arts, and while I don't have exclusive brand loyalty to them, I probably use any of their products more often than competitors because they are consistently high quality pencils at an affordable price. I always purchase the option with the zipper case. The pencils always come with some helpful instructional pamplets, usually some paper, and a card-stock test page, so you can swatch out the pencil, tuck this in the carry case, and find exactly what color you need for your artwork at a glance! The carry case is, for me, an essential upgrade, because I like to travel with my pencils, even if it's just from one room to another in my own home. Last winter, I frequently carried this metallic set along with a mini coloring book to college basketball games, so I could stay occupied for the hour or so before game time, and during half time, the size of this case and set made it perfect to travel, and doubled as a flat surface for the mini coloring book, so coloring was comfortable on the go. There's enough space to tuck an eraser pencils in the case, or you could alternatively bring a drawing pencil or two with no problem.I have several other metallic pencils brands for comparison. I know that in general consumers tend to be disappointed with metallic colored pencils. I guess if you don't know what to expect, you might be anticipating the shimmering brilliance of a glitter gel pen, or even the effect from metallic paints/paint pens. Nope. Not found in this brand nor any other brand of pencil!! Now, a lot of colorists use gel pens to add shimmering highlights over their colored pencil art. So be aware if you're trying to emulate someone else's coloring, if it's actually sparkly, they've gone to the mixed media realm and not purely used pencils!!As I have already been using other brands of metallic pencils for a couple of decades now, I did know what to expect, in general, from the performance of these pencils. Metallic pencils just offer a subtle, muted shimmer. They are just another tool for a colorist. They don't really look like metal or precious gems in the sun...but hey, they can help you achieve the look of those items in your art or coloring books. There's definitely a little learning curve. Ultimately, think of it as an extended range of colors that you probably don't have in your regular set of pencils. They have a little bit of a different effect than typical pencils, and generally you'll want to combine them with your other pencils, just using these in certain spots. Of course, you can use these by themselves, it all depends on the coloring book, or your art, and what look you're going for.To compare these with my other sets...these are better than most, but to be perfectly honest, Derwent makes a much much better product, but there's not as many colors there, and the price has skyrocketed on those since they first came out. They might be out of the budget for many hobbyists, or like myself, I have actually purchased them twice over the years, and would buy them again, but prefer to use the Castle Arts for most casual coloring because of the price difference!! Also, I think Crayola actually has much higher quality metallic pencils than these, but sets there just come with 8 pencils. So again, not as much variation as I want. It goes without saying the few metallics in one of my large Prisma color sets are superior, but that's even more limited than the Crayola options. I have several other store brand and generic and student grade metallic pencils. The Castle Art pencils are far better than any of them for the consistency and vibrancy of color. So, it's fair to say these are kind of middle of the road for performance, but where they do shine, no pun intended, is that there are so many pencils in this set, and it's packaged very well. I have completed some amazing coloring with these, and would absolutely buy them again in the future. Yes, there's perhaps some richer and more vibrant pencils on the market, but these do very well, and they combine well with the regular set of Castle Arts coloring pencils!! These are definitely worth getting, especially if you do adult coloring and want to add a little variety. I would suggest maybe getting the Crayola 8 pack first if you're totally new to the concept of metallic pencils, that might be all you need or conversely you might discover that you don't like any metallic pencil before investing in a big set like this one. These are comparable to the Crayolas, but just expect the colors to be slightly more muted, and the core seems a tad harder in these. Personally, I do love this set, and turn to it first out of all my other options these days.

I love all sorts of coloring with pens, pencils, paints, metallic....and CastleArt has a great selection. I find that their products are quality vs some of the cheaper ones I've purchased in the past. I have not be disappointed. They have a color "system" which works over all their products, so choosing colors or combinations is easy. There tutorials are useful to the beginner or the experienced, each giving the artist some hints and ideas. Their own website also offers other products and also has a coloring club where other CastleArt users can share their work. Hint: "dream" on CastleArt website, then check Amazon to see if a better price is offered - and/or join the color club and be offered discounts. I am 76 years old. I have never stopped coloring since a child. Its relaxing and at this age I don't have to ask my mother for new coloring supplies!

This set is amazing. Yes, the colored pencils are easy to work with and lovely to see but the exciting part is the metallic hue they give you. Perfect for tree leaves, flowers, sunsets and particularly suited to sci-fi work like dragons! Definitely give these a try!

A good set

I love these so much but I'm kinda upset though cause a lot of the colors are not that pretty.... but the actual Pencils themselves are perfect!!

Good value for what I got and I love the blending! The colors are great, but they missed#115-Brown Ochre from my set. I got two Burnt Sienna. I would have liked having the missed color. They are a really nice set!

These colors are amazing and the quality of the pencils are superb!

These are a little on the high side for colored pencils. But, the color amazingly. They are smooth and give a very rich color. Definatly worth the purchase. The pencil holder is great too, keeps everything organized and in one spot.

Would buy again

Trousse très pratique pour ranger les crayons. Je recommande.

Die Stifte sind einfach toll sie kamen gut verpackt hier an .Es lässt sich sehr schön damit malenIch würde sie jederzeit wieder kaufen

Well presented in a zipped case which holds each pencil perfectly with enough space to protect the tips. The cores are wonderfully vibrant and a lovely range of hues which are very silky smooth and layer fantastically. Comfortable to hold means longer use is possible. Love these shimmering beauties. The information and product details are helpful and the sketch pads are a real treat. I would highly recommend this item and they don’t break the bank.

Colori ottimi nelle loro tonalità autunnali