After buying some small sets of Caran d’Ache’s pencils, I wanted to get the full ranges, but buying the pencils individually worked out to be far cheaper than buying the complete sets in boxes, so that’s what I did. However I needed something to store them in, so I started looking for a nice big pencil case that would let me store all (or at least most) of the pencils and display them so I could see at a glance what each colour was. The biggest case I could find was this one from Jackson’s.
It holds 120 pencils and folds open to hold 60 pencils on each side. Two rows of loops allow you to slot the pencils in vertically, with enough room above and below each row that the tips of the pencils don’t bump or rub on the case or on other pencils. The loops are quite tight, so getting two large, round-barrelled pencils (eg. Caran d’Ache’s Luminance or Derwent’s Artist lines) is a bit of a challenge, but it is doable. Thinner pencils (like Prismacolor Premiers or most watercolour pencils) go in a lot more easily. I noticed that it became easier with the thicker pencils over time, so the loops do seem to stretch a little to accommodate the pencils.
The case cost about $18 AUD, which is pretty good considering the size and quality of the case. I’ve seen a lot of cases which store fewer pencils that were more than double the price. It has a sturdy handle, making it easy to carry to and from art classes or sketching trips along with the rest of your supplies. There’s also potentially enough room to store an eraser or a small pencil sharpener along the ‘spine’ of the case.
If you want a convenient way to store all your individual pencils, one of these cases would be a good investment. You could even transfer a full set from an existing tin into this case for easier transport and better protection. It allows you to safely store your pencils and easily find the colour you need, so it’s definitely worth getting if you’re a coloured pencil artist.
artdragon86 