At one point, Holbein colored pencils were the most expensive pencils money could buy. And they have possibly the most coveted range of pastels around. But are Holbeins really worth the hype?

When I first tried a few Holbein pencils in my past video, I considered them to be highly overrated. But I’m giving them another chance and I’ve bought the full range of pastel colors to give them another go.

Check out my past review here.

Looking for the Holbein Conversion Chart? Get it here!

Best Colored Pencils

But for those that want the same wonderful colors at a lower price, I’m also looking into the best pastel alternatives today to see how they compare and if these unique pastel colors are really as unique as they seem.

Watch the full video below!

Please Note: All opinions here are my own and this article is NOT sponsored or endorsed by any of the brands mentioned. This post contains affiliate links and I may earn a commission if you click them and make a purchase (at no cost to you). I have bought all pencils used, except the Black Widow Monarch pencils which were given to me for a previous review a few months ago.

Holbein Colored Pencils – 50 Pastel Tones

The Holbein pencils are quite unique to use because they are made of wax, oil AND fat – so they are firm, but VERY creamy. They’re not really like Prismacolor, but they’re also not like a Polychromos pencil. So if you’re looking for something different, this might be it.

They have a large 3.8mm core in a round barrel, and there are 150 colors available in the full Holbein range – with 50 colors available in the “pastel tones” range I’ve purchased today. You can also buy a smaller set of 12 pastel tones or purchase individual pencils as “open stock”.

These pencils hold a sharp point fairly well, don’t break often, and are easy to sharpen. They lay down nicely, they are very easy to blend, and the colors of the barrels match the inside of the pencils really well.

At a first, or second impression, I DO like how these pencils look and feel. They are a beautiful pencil. They are heavy and thick, so you’ll get a lot of color out of them and they feel high quality. These pastel colors in particular are a beautiful range, especially if you love collecting pencils or want to add on to other sets you already own.

I stand by my initial assessment that these aren’t as nice as some of the other quality pencils at the same price range, but that’s a personal choice as well. I personally prefer my Posca pencils, Prismacolors, Caran d’Ache Luminance and Polychromos. I reviewed all of these here.

But these ARE nice. I just think they are a bit overpriced.

Holbein Lightfastness Ratings

Holbein’s lightfastness ratings have come under scrutiny and caused a lot of confusion among artists. In the past, they’ve been quoted as saying they use their own lightfast rating system instead of one of the universal standards, which is not generally considered sufficient to be deemed “lightfast”.

More recently, artist Jane Bush was able to get an official statement from Holbein, which is the first time I’ve seen any real information about their Lightfastness. You can watch her video here.

But then today I stumbled across a video from Lachri Fine Art, who got a very different and confusing response from Holbein. I recommend checking out her video too and considering both sides of the story if lightfastness is something important to you. You can watch it here.

If you’re not using your pencils for professional art, this may not be something to worry about. For hobby artists, lightfastness isn’t something that needs to be a dealbreaker. In fact, even popular brands like Prismacolor aren’t considered lightfast, along with just about every budget brand you’ll find.

Where to buy Holbein Colored Pencils

The Holbein pencils are made in Japan, so they can be a little hard to find elsewhere. They are now available in Blick in the USA, or on Amazon Japan’s website. Some smaller art retailers are also starting to stock them as they become more popular.

Pastel Tones come in set of 12, 50 or individual colors.
Other colors are also available. Holbein’s full set is 150 colors.

Buy from Blick Online
Buy from Amazon Japan
Buy from Amazon Australia
Buy from Jacksons Art (UK)

Pastelowe Colored Pencils – The Perfect Holbein Dupe?

There’s an interesting kids brand from Poland that’s been grabbing a lot of attention as the perfect Holbein dupe – Pastelowe… Pronounced “pastel-love”.

These are marketed to children. So my expectation was that these would be similar to the quality of something like Crayola.

First Impressions of the Pastelowe Pencils

When I received these, I was surprised at just how similar they were to the Holbein pencils in their colors. It was as if someone had literally taken one of these sets of pencils to their manufacturer and asked them to copy them, color arrangement and everything. I’m not sure which brand came first, but the color order is identical – so this would be an impossible coincidence.

These pencils look great and feel nice to hold although they don’t have any names or numbers to identify each pencil, which makes them difficult to use on a professional level.

After swatching the colors, it’s clear that these colors are an exact match – although I think a few of my colors have moved around in the box, or maybe one of the manufacturers decided on a different order for these few colors.

But other than 2 or 3 pencils that are a close match, the rest are almost indistinguishable from each other in color. It’s no surprise people recommend the Pastelowe as the best budget Holbein alternative.

Pastelowe vs Holbein – How do they compare?

But while they LOOK like the Holbein, they definitely don’t feel like them.

It takes a lot more pressure to get the same color from these pencils, and they don’t allow for many layers or blend together like the Holbein. They definitely feel like a cheaper pencil, and that’s to be expected for the price and the fact they are designed for children.

It helps to keep them sharp and use light pressure. But the amount of binder in these pencils means you might struggle to get the beautiful bold colors you’re hoping for. So it will depend on what you are looking for in a pencil as to whether these are good for you.

I had really high hopes for these pencils, especially after some really positive reviews about them.

The colors are beautiful – a perfect match for the Holbein. And you’ll be able to create beautiful pages with either of these sets of pencils. But the Holbein are much nicer to use, and that experience is worth the extra price in my personal opinion at this point.

Where to buy Pastelowe Colored Pencils

If you are wanting to try the Pastelowe, you can find them on Amazon Germany’s website. But if you’re in Australia or another location where they won’t deliver, you’ll need to shop online at a Polish art shop like I did!

Buy from Amazon Germany
Find retailers on the Astra website

Here’s the shop I purchased my set from:

Marco Square C280 Colored Pencils

These are an oil-based pencil with a firm core, and a square barrel. They are thinner than a Brutfuner, and are well presented with a beautiful range of colors.

Performance-wise, they are  comparable to Marco Raffine pencils – which is no surprise, coming under the same Marco label.

These Marco square pastels are another budget set of pencils, so we’re not expecting Holbein quality here.

But even as budget pencils – I paid about $20 US dollars for the set of 24 on Aliexpress – and for another $20 I could own the full set of 120 Brutfuner square pencils – which in my opinion, perform MUCH better than these. Here’s my review if you’re interested in checking those out.

So you need to consider whether the pastel tones are a bit of a novelty here – and you’ll be surprised how many of your current sets already include a lot of these colors – but more on that shortly.

If you’re wanting a cheap but pretty pastel set, I’d probably choose these over the Pastelowes, but if you LOVE pastels, or love collecting pencils, they are both quite affordable so I don’t see a problem in trying both. If you’re looking for something a bit more practical, keep reading – I might have another solution for you.

Where to buy Marco Square Colored Pencils

There are many sellers on Ali Express, so I recommend checking individual reviews before purchasing. Also check that the “color” selection is the correct set you are wanting to buy – the listing includes completely different sets (and types) of pencils on many Aliexpress listings.

I have had good experiences so far with this particular store below.

Buy from Andstal Stationery Store on Aliexpress

Marco Pastel Colored Pencils (Hexagonal Set)

These perform similar but not quite as well as the Marco square set – and in fact, if you’re buying on Ali-express, you’ll often find them under the same listings when you buy.

They are oil-based as well, with a firm core.

They take a lot more effort to get results, and I don’t really enjoy coloring with them, so these are not pencils I’d personally use again. They are nice colors, but the square set are just a bit nicer at a similar price per pencil.

These have no numbers or colors on them, so I’ll probably end up giving these to my kids or using them as photo props.

Where to buy Marco Pastel Colored Pencils

This link is the same as the above Marco set, but under “color” you can choose the hexagonal set of 12 or 24 pencils.

Buy from Andstal Stationery Store on Aliexpress

You can also find these on Amazon under the brand name Suolong.

Best Colored Pencils

DIY Pastel Colored Pencil Sets – Do You Already Own These?

But my biggest question – do you even need to buy these sets? Or do all sets of pencils already include these pastels if we just rearrange them?

I’ve pulled out my Prismacolor, Brutfuner, Arteza and Black Widow sets of colored pencils.

I’m confident that each of these sets should ALREADY include a decent range of pastel colors, if we just learn what to look for. I’m curious to see just how many of our Holbein colors are included already in these bigger sets – and just how unique these Holbein pastels really are.

After going through each set, choosing the lightest colors and swatching them against the Holbeins, here’s the comparison chart I’ve created. You can download the full colored version or blank version of this here. Some other colors would make for suitable pastels too, but my goal here was to match the Holbeins as closely as possible. (Also note the colors below are from a scanned version, so they not true to real life)

Where a color includes a “+W” in the color name, it means I’ve added a layer of Prismacolor white pencil on top to lighten the value to create a closer match.

TIP: Adding white to almost any color, and varying the amount of layering and pigment of the color underneath, can turn almost any color into a “pastel” color. You can purchase white Prismacolor pencils open stock in many art stores or on Amazon or Blick.

(I’m still working on this second page – I’ll update this post in the future if I find more matches!)

GRAB A COPY OF THE CHART AS A PDF HERE!

I’m actually surprised at how many matches we’ve been able to make from these other sets. None of these brands quite match the FULL Holbein range, but they all include a very good range of pastel colors – more than most people probably realize.

The Black Widows especially have a really impressive range of pastels, particularly in the Monarch set. (I was given the Monarch set for free to review when I first started my YouTube channel and ended up buying the other sets) So these might be another good budget option for pastels to extend your color range. They won’t be quite as pretty on your shelf, but they are practical, easier to blend than the Pastelowes or Marcos, and offer a great variety of the unique pastel colors that most other brands seem to be missing.

Final Thoughts – Holbein vs Alternatives

(Pictured above: The 2022 Coloring Planner – Find out more here)

OK, if you want my honest opinion on all of this, here it is.

If you’re someone who has a bigger budget, who loves collecting pencils, and who loves full sets – then save up for the Holbein. They are a beautiful set – and the pastel range is quite unique.

But if you’re looking for the savvy option, trying to stick to a budget, or just don’t want to buy more pencils than you really need – start by looking through the sets you already own.

You can use my chart above to see if you can create your own pastel collection simply by rearranging what you already have and even using a white pencil to lighten some of your regular colors.

From there, you might choose to add on a smaller set, something like the Black Widow Monarch set, or you might even buy some of your favorite colors from the Holbein pastel tones as individual pencils instead of buying the whole set.

I know for me, while this set is pretty, it will actually be a challenge to use a lot of these colors, and I would have loved to buy a pastel set half the size if it were available with the best colors from this main set.

The budget alternatives like Pastelowe and Marco are great to offer those unique colors for cheaper – but I wouldn’t rely on these as your main set of pencils. But there’s no denying that their colors are beautiful, and sometimes, that might be all you’re looking for.

If you’ve found this review helpful, please tell me in the comments, especially on the video on my YouTube channel!

OK, if you want my honest opinion on all of this, here it is.

If you’re someone who has a bigger budget, who loves collecting pencils, and who loves full sets – then save up for the Holbein. They are a beautiful set – and the pastel range is quite unique.

But if you’re looking for the savvy option, trying to stick to a budget, or just don’t want to buy more pencils than you really need – start by looking through the sets you already own.

You can use my chart above to see if you can create your own pastel collection simply by rearranging what you already have and even using a white pencil to lighten some of your regular colors.

From there, you might choose to add on a smaller set, something like the Black Widow Monarch set, or you might even buy some of your favorite colors from the Holbein pastel tones as individual pencils instead of buying the whole set.

I know for me, while this set is pretty, it will actually be a challenge to use a lot of these colors, and I would have loved to buy a pastel set half the size if it were available with the best colors from this main set.

The budget alternatives like Pastelowe and Marco are great to offer those unique colors for cheaper – but I wouldn’t rely on these as your main set of pencils. But there’s no denying that their colors are beautiful, and sometimes, that might be all you’re looking for.

If you’ve found this review helpful, please tell me in the comments, especially on the video on my YouTube channel!

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