March 10, 2009

Hooray, Prismas!

Jippiieeeh - I got Prismas and Stonehenge!!!!

It has been a huge problem to purchase Prismacolor colored pencils in Germany or in Europe in general.
Because of a real good friend (thanks so much, Joanie and Rose and Birdie xoxoxox) once got a huge set of Prismas as a gift two years ago. Of course the most often used pencils went down and so I used them less - and this blocked me a lot. Okay, I tried out pastels, pastel pencils and the last time watercolors, but nothing was really satisfying me as CPs do.

I of course have bought some other brands like Faber-Castells Polychromos and Lyras, but none of these CPs are what I like very much.
I also bought a set of Derwents and these pencils are really good, but nothing goes over Prismas.

Last week I typed the word "farbstifte" (german for colored pencils) in google and - wooohoooooooooo - there was a new shop (Farbstifte.net) and now guess which brand of CPs they sell..................

Yeeeees - my beloved Prismas. I am sure you can imagine what I did at once! I made a huge order and replenished my Prismas - and bought a set of the new 2006 colors aaaaaand: I bought STONEHENGE PAPER!!!! It was never sold in Germany before, and also Dura-Lar is now available here.

Yesterday I received my order and the feeling was like christmas. Oh, I love to unwrap all the pencils and the paper, sharpen all pencils and put them in my CP cabinet.

And of course making a colorchart with the new pencils. and I must say that I love these new colors - they are perfect for landscapes, these pencils are a must and I have missed them. Derwents Coloursofts had these colors already but the Prismas are definately much better, softer and more brilliant and vibrant.

For those who don't know the colors yet here they are:

1092 - Nectar
1093 - Seashell Pink
1094 - Sandbar Brown
1095 - Black Raspberry
1096 - Kelly Green
1097 - Moss Green
1098 - Artichoke
1099 - Espresso
1100 - China Blue (Isn't this an song of Enya too?)
1101 - Denim Blue
1102 - Blue Lake
1103 - Carribbean Blue

Wow - they are all great and my fave color is 1092 "Nectar" - perfect for skin, treetrunks, sand, wood, great one. But also the greens are wonderful for foliage - together the the last "new colors" - the colors 1080 up to 1091 they are what a landscaper needs.

And the Stonehenge paper is definately the best ever for CPs. It is always highly recommended in nearly every book about colored pencils and I am so glad that I now can purchase it. I tried it out with a little tulip and it is amazing how many layers it takes. I will show the tulip tomorrow (I forgot to take a photo at daylight).

This shop sells a lot more new stuff like ZestIt or Gamblin Gamsol, Blue Tak, Frisket - everything that was not "gettable" here before.
Anja, the wonderful kind and friendly owner, sells to wherever needed. She is definately a darling and a great artist too.

and if you now think that I am thrilled - you are totally right. And I look forward to the next day - trying out more of my new goodies.



6 comments:

m1 Designs said...

That is such wonderful news. YEAH!!!! I mostly use the Prisma as well. I still have not used Stonehenge with the cp's but have tried it for graphite.
Glad your new supplies are bringing a smile to your face.

Making A Mark said...

Martina - thanks for your comment on my blog

I actually got a free pack of these pencils when I attended the CPSA Convention in Albuquerque in July 2006.

The thing is - they're not all lighfast. In fact there were at the time some fairly serious issues around lightfastness with a number of the Prisma colours. These are now being addressed through their new lightfast range. If buying new pencils I'd always advise going for the new lightfast pencils

I've made lightfastness a feature of my informaiton site Coloured Pencils - Resources for Artists and you might want to go and take a peek at the information there.

Nithya Swaminathan said...

This is indeed great news. I have moved to Germany recently, and was disappointed not to find prismacolors here. I could not get them in India, and was hoping they would be available here. So this is awesome! Thank you!

Teresa Mallen said...

Congratulations on your new pencils! I like the Prismacolor brand too. Like Katherine said, I would recommend using the Lightfast line, particularly if the work will be for sale. Stonehenge is fantastic paper. It takes lots of layers, it stays clean and I find I can lift pigment without lifting fibers. Have fun with your new loot!

Teresa said...

Hi Martina,

Glad you were able to find the art supplies you wanted. It's so exciting to get that box of goodies in and such fun trying everything out.

Have fun!

Unknown said...

WoooHooo So happy you have your Prismas..I have also found an online supplier where I can get Prismas open stock here in Aussie.
I am happy too...I am hooked on them now also.