Last-Minute Holiday Gift Idea!

Looking for the perfect gift for an artist? Check out my Graphite Pencil Reviews to see my favorite studio pencils: Watch here!

This Lyra Rembrandt Art Design Pencil Set is budget-friendly at $14–$15 USD, but is it worth it? Watch the video to find out!

The Perfect High-Quality Paper for Artists!

If you're looking for beautiful, professional-grade paper with a variety of neutral tones, Stonehenge Neutrals by Legion Paper is a fantastic choice! I’ve used this paper for decades, and it’s consistently high-quality—perfect for mixed media, graphite, charcoal, colored pencils, and even crafts.

Budget-Friendly Drawing Pencils – If You Can Find Them!

Looking for an affordable pencil set for beginners or kids? The Kasimir Drawing Pencils were a solid budget option when I bought them in early 2020—but they’ve since disappeared from Amazon!

I’m not sure if the company shut down or if sellers just aren’t importing them right now. However, you might still find them on Walmart for $8.58. I’ve also included the original Amazon link in case they come back for Prime shoppers!

My First Paid Review! Honest Thoughts on This Eraser

After 6 years of working on my YouTube channel, this is my first paid review! But don’t worry—you’ll still get my honest opinion.

I actually prefer this polymer eraser over the Faber-Castell versions I’ve tried because:
Less dust – way easier to clean up!
Great for fine detail erasing
Good price for a 4-pack

Happy National Pencil Day! Let’s Talk Blackwing

This week, in honor of National (US) Pencil Day, here’s the scoop on the infamous Blackwing pencil.

You can check them out here Blackwing602.com (Nope, not sponsored! Just sharing!)

They’re beautiful pencils, but be warned—the sheer number of editions can turn into a serious collecting obsession!

SO you bought a graphite pencil brand that is a little thicker than your regular pencil sharpener? Here is the best adjustable size pencil sharpener I've found. I use this to sharpen my caran d'ache and mitsubishi hi-uni pencils. There are a few challenges with this sharpener though, it isn't perfect. Check it out to see what I like and don't like about this tool. Let me know if you find a better adjustable size manual pencil sharpener, too, please!

SO you bought a graphite pencil brand that is a little thicker than your regular pencil sharpener? Here is the best adjustable size pencil sharpener I've found. I use this to sharpen my caran d'ache and mitsubishi hi-uni pencils. There are a few challenges with this sharpener though, it isn't perfect. Check it out to see what I like and don't like about this tool. Let me know if you find a better adjustable size manual pencil sharpener, too, please!

The luxury brand of pencils: Caran D'Ache! These pencils ARE beautiful, and the gradation value of the paint is SO helpful in identifying what hardness of pencil you are grabbing. But are they worth THREE TIMES the amount of other pencils? Find out in this review!

Here is my review of the Mitsubishi Hi-Uni 22 Degrees Pencil Set. Who knew Mitsubishi made pencils in addition to cars! These pencils have proved to be quite nice, after use in the studio for the last month. They rarely break in my pencil sharpeners or just randomly. They have a great weight, a lovely lacquer feel to the paint, a fantastic labelling system on all facets of the pencil and a great case. My only two concerns: whatever am I going to do with the 3H-10H pencils that feel so scratchy and you can barely see??? And it is kind of a pain that they barely fit in my regular pencil sharpener and I have to use the sharpener that has an adjustable opening. Otherwise, totally worth the $!

Faber Castell is one of the older pencil companies in the world, and you can purchase them far and wide the world over. Here is my review of the classic pencil. They are a reliable work horse, but just a little tougher than some of the other pencils I reviewed. Still, the wood is quite nice, they sharpen well and they seem very consistent.

UPDATE February 2018!

I used this brand of pencil for about 10 years, mostly because I could buy them locally as individual pencils - so it was easy to restock the HB's, B's, 3B's and 4B's I use the most. But in December of 2016 I wanted to try other brands and since then, I've been using some of the other brands I've reviewed here on my channel. I just used a 4B Marco Raffine again, after 14 months away and it was HORRIBLE! It had a rough patch half way through the pencil that scratched the page and it was way too easy to break during sharpening. I won't be buying these again and won't recommend them to my students!

Ever want to erase colored pencil lines? With this tool, you can! They don't disappear entirely, but it is helpful, still. Here is my review and trial of this eraser.

This is a great tool for erasing detail, but it isn't my favorite detail eraser. I love the brush at the end, but the eraser isn't quite as good as my other favorites.

This is a great tool for erasing detail, but it isn't my favorite detail eraser. I love the brush at the end, but the eraser isn't quite as good as my other favorites.