Faber Polychromos Pencil 280 Burnt Umber

Faber-Castell Polychromos colored pencils are a favorite among artists for good reason. The colors are super vibrant, blend beautifully, and don't get that waxy buildup like other pencils. They're oil-based, so they layer smoothly, and the leads are tough enough to hold a sharp point for detailed work without breaking easily. Plus, the colors are lightfast, so your artwork won't fade over time. Perfect for both beginners and pros who want rich, long-lasting color in their drawings.

For the price point, they are great pencils. The packaging is high quality. They're packaged in a high quality metal box, they include a pamphlet in a variety of languages with tips and tricks, and the pencils themselves are very well made. After extreme usage, the box did show wear and tear, but i constantly had mine in a bag and things constantly banged and attached the outside. Over time, the case did warp and eventually became hard to close, but it still works fine. The pencils themselves are amazing, they're oil based and blend like a dream. They could include a little more variation in the color range, but the lay down is amazing and the pigments are very vivid.

A must have for Adult coloring hobbiests

These Faber Castell Polychromo oil based pencils came in a tin wrapped in plastic, wrapped again in a cardboard box inside of another box with my other orders from Blick. I'm a disabled colorist who uses art for both therapy and a low impact activity to pass time as my body recovers from a severe illness. I've been wanting the Polychromo pencils for awhile now and finally got around to ordering from Blick because I've loved the care and quality of the products shipped and delivered. I've ordered open stock pencils, full sets and other art products and all arrive in beautiful condition.The polychromos are a hard cored oil based pencil made by the German company. They have a great color selection fairly close to what's available in Prismacolor premiers but with the ... MoreThese Faber Castell Polychromo oil based pencils came in a tin wrapped in plastic, wrapped again in a cardboard box inside of another box with my other orders from Blick. I'm a disabled colorist who uses art for both therapy and a low impact activity to pass time as my body recovers from a severe illness. I've been wanting the Polychromo pencils for awhile now and finally got around to ordering from Blick because I've loved the care and quality of the products shipped and delivered. I've ordered open stock pencils, full sets and other art products and all arrive in beautiful condition.The polychromos are a hard cored oil based pencil made by the German company. They have a great color selection fairly close to what's available in Prismacolor premiers but with the oily core instead of wax. They are amazing for flesh, fur and hair as they can hold a point for ages, which makes you feel like you're getting more bang for your buck.I swatched half of these without sharpening, then the other half with sharpening. The coating put over the cores made little impact in this particular brand of pencil and the colors swatched.I'm attaching a picture of a girl and her skirt that I colored last week using the polychromos to give anyone who hasn't worked closely with these pencils an idea of what they are capable of.For anyone not familiar with polychromos, the hard and oily core calls for a multitude of very light layers. Anywhere from 6 to 20 woth multiple shades and even contradicting colors to get the vibrant blend of colors you want. Unlike Prismas and most other wax based pencils, you don't need to use a blender after the layers or color choices.This is neither my first time nor will it be my last time ordering from Blick. I love the art products carried, the option for open stock items and the great condition things arrive due to the care of packaging each order. Regardless of the #sweepstake, I'd have written this review for these beautiful pencils.

I will be back to indulge my passion of color

I draw and color using my pencils. Polychromos and prisma color. These are currently my go to but I am incorporating Derwent ink tense in different ways with the other pencils. And I am experimenting with pastels. I find multi media projects are great and challenge me to master each media so I can combine achieving a totally unique result. At my age anything to inspire challenge relax and entertain. I will be back. I appreciate your service ease in navigating your site etc. keep up the good work.

Love These Pencils

I have wanted a set of Polychromos pencils for years and haven't bought them because of how expensive they are. I got an excellent deal on Blick that made them affordable (thanks Blick!!). These pencils are amazing!!! I love how fine of a point that they keep. It is a big adjustment from my Prismacolor Premiers. They require so much lighter of a touch. The trade off is that you can make fine lines that would be impossible with the Prismacolors. I feel like, once I get used to these, that they will rate way high on my list of favorites. I dare say that they may even bump the Prismacolors as my absolute favorites. The reason why I didn't rate these the best in thier category is that I think both Prismacolor and Farber-Castelle produce fantastic products! They are not ... MoreI have wanted a set of Polychromos pencils for years and haven't bought them because of how expensive they are. I got an excellent deal on Blick that made them affordable (thanks Blick!!). These pencils are amazing!!! I love how fine of a point that they keep. It is a big adjustment from my Prismacolor Premiers. They require so much lighter of a touch. The trade off is that you can make fine lines that would be impossible with the Prismacolors. I feel like, once I get used to these, that they will rate way high on my list of favorites. I dare say that they may even bump the Prismacolors as my absolute favorites. The reason why I didn't rate these the best in thier category is that I think both Prismacolor and Farber-Castelle produce fantastic products! They are not alike, though. If I want softer lines and easier blending, Prismacolor wins. If I want fine lines and control, then Farber-Castelle wins. I think that I will be reaching for both types of pencils regularly and it is not really fair to conpare the two. I think anyone who is interested in colored pencils as a medium should try both and see which one suits thier preferences.

Love at first sight

First time trying Polychromos and I'm already in love. I bought a few colors to round out my old 24-pack of Prismacolors and now I have to restrain myself from buying more Polychromos. They apply like butter and there's none of the waxy finish that you get when you build up Prismacolors too much. They're slightly thicker than Prismas, too - perfect for people like me who grip pencils too tightly. A little more expensive than Prismas, but if you rely on colored pencils as much as I do, then they're worth every penny.#sweepstakes

Luxurious Pencils

I was so excited to receive these pencils. I couldn't resist when saw the holiday pricing go as low as it did. I love how smoothly Polychromos set down on paper. The colors are so rich and creamy. The pencils last a long time, too. They are a wonderful set of pencils and if you can afford them, or get them when on sale, I recommend you go for it. I think you'll spend less in the long run than you will with cheaper pencils. Another bonus is that you can get single pencil replacements without having to buy a new set as with the less expensive.

Solid and reliable, good colors

Great colors. These are fairly hard pencils, good for line work and hatching, and lighter shading that shows the paper tooth/grain. With more pressure you can get solid colors similar to prismacolor without the wax buildup. Colors are not quite as bright and vivid as Prismacolor, not quite as nuanced as Luminance. These are great pencils to have in your artbin. They are a good choice if you are only going to have one type and don't want to spend luminance money.

Wonderful Colored Pencils

I haven't spent enough time using them to properly compare them to my Prismacolors but they lay down smoothly and richly. I bought four of the maximum lightfast pencils (three stars) during the buy 2 get 2 sale: Dark Indigo, Cobalt Green, Pompeian Red, and Beige Red. I wanted to try them out first and if I liked them, not have duplicates within one of the smaller sets. I've enjoyed them so far! :)I doodled this cute little rat. She's outlined in Indigo which was also used in the darker hearts and on her nose and whiskers. Her fur is Pompeian Red and her paws, tail, and inner ears are all Beige Red. Her irises and the gradient in the heart is Cobalt Green. (The two reddish hearts are other products and the highlights were all added/enhanced with Yono White or ... MoreI haven't spent enough time using them to properly compare them to my Prismacolors but they lay down smoothly and richly. I bought four of the maximum lightfast pencils (three stars) during the buy 2 get 2 sale: Dark Indigo, Cobalt Green, Pompeian Red, and Beige Red. I wanted to try them out first and if I liked them, not have duplicates within one of the smaller sets. I've enjoyed them so far! :)I doodled this cute little rat. She's outlined in Indigo which was also used in the darker hearts and on her nose and whiskers. Her fur is Pompeian Red and her paws, tail, and inner ears are all Beige Red. Her irises and the gradient in the heart is Cobalt Green. (The two reddish hearts are other products and the highlights were all added/enhanced with Yono White or Montana White Acrylic Markers.)

good pencils, bad color palate

I was really disappointed in the color palate, i bought a box of 24 and didn't look that close, but when i got them, no pink (there is sort of a muddy off pink?) and a lot of brown, no pretty purple-but a sort of dark reddish off purple, but many that could have been swapped out due to they are very similar. everyone raves about the quality of these pencils, but if i get a 24 pack and don't get all the colors, that's not worth raving about. I returned them and bought a different brand (kinda put me off the brand honestly). lesson learned, look closely at the color palate! Blick staff were great & helpful!