Next up in the run of finished coloring pages I tackled for my 19-WIP-to-FO Challenge is from the Grimm Fairy Tales coloring book.

I’d started this page back in 2017(!!) using the cover of the coloring book itself as a reference.

I’d found this 24-pack of Staedtler Colored Pencils at my local dollar store and was curious about how they would compare to more expensive pencils. Would I be able to get good results without paying very much?

As always I swatched the colors first for my swatch book. They’re very soft and muted, and the swatches remind me a lot of the Marco Raffiné colored pencils I reviewed here.

The pencils have hard cores that hold a point well but the color payoff is not very vivid. Even with a lot of pressure they remain desaturated and soft-looking.

Using light layers I was able to build up some color depth but it wasn’t easy.

What I’d said in my previous challenge post about this page:

As the caption states, I wanted to finish this page primarily so I wouldn’t have to use the pencils any longer.

Once the image was complete I found it lacking without a background but didn’t have any inspiration for what to put. In the end I did soft swirls with pink, purple and blue to fill in the white space.

Start date: November 2 2017

Completion date: January 6 2022

Summary: can you get good results with cheap pencils? IMHO, sure. I enjoy using my other pencils more, but if you’re looking for soft colors, hard leads that will hold a point and have a decent assortment of colors, you could do a lot worse than these inexpensive pencils. I wouldn’t recommend them for professional artists but they’d be fine for kids, school or coloring books with small sections that need good points.

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