Designed for professional artists, Swiss-made Caran d’Ache Luminance 6901™ coloured pencils provide guaranteed lightfastness complying with the highest standards for light resistance in coloured pencils (ASTM D6901). These pencils combine the smoothness of a permanent lead with excellent lightfastness. Every shade has been formulated using finely ground pigments chosen for their purity, intensity, and resistance to UV rays. Strong coverage and mixing capacity allow for intense applications, blending, and burnishing, while extreme softness enables subtle blending and graduations.

Perfect for artists seeking vibrant colour, precision, and professional-quality results. Ideal for detailed illustrations, ultra-realistic drawings, portraits, botanicals and fine-art works.   
 
Details of the Pencil & Lead

• Round cedar wood body with end casing matching the colour of the lead
• Light resistance complies with highest international standards for light resistance in coloured pencils (ASTM D6901) with 81 colours rated LFI  and 19 colours rated LFII maintaining their colour intensity for up to 100 years.
• A permanent creamy lead - oil/wax blend
• 3.8mm diameter for clean and accurate lines
• Maximum covering power
• Diverse colour palette with 100 colours in the range
• Made in Switzerland.

Techniques for Use

• Superimposing colours, shading, unlimited mixed media combinations
• Combine with SUPRACOLOR Soft Aquarelle for wash drawings and watercolour effects
• Use with Pablo pencils for details, hatching and to mixed media projects
• Can also be used with Neocolor II as a layering medium for adding textures, gradients and fine details.

Surfaces

It is recommended to use heavyweight archival papers with a fine to medium tooth with Caran d'Ache Luminance Pencils to ensure the surface has just enough tooth to grip the creamy lead. A hot pressed watercolour paper (HP) is ideal. For precise photorealistic artwork consider a good quality bristol vellum paper which will provide an excellent flat foundation for the rich pigments in the range. Toned papers offer a subtle texture, providing a neutral background that makes highlights pop and allow you to achieve shadows and depth quicker than a white paper.

Set 12 is a great introductory palette covering primary and secondary basics:

• Contents: White 001, Lemon Yellow 240, Orange 030, Permanent Red 061, Anthraquinoid Pink, Prussian Blue 159, Phthalocyanine Blue 162, Light Cobalt Blue 661, Grass Green 220, Spring Green 470, Perylene Brown 585, Noir Black 009

Set 20 provides a versatile colour palette to create a variety of artwork from landscapes, florals, still life and vivid abstract art with all 20 colours rated at the highest lightfast rating of LFI.

• Contents: White 001, Black 009, Orange 030, Yellow Ochre 034, Permanent Red 061, Russet 065, Burnt Sienna 069, Manganese Violet 112, Prussian Blue 159, Phthalocyanine Blue 162, Grass Green 220, Lemon Yellow 240, Spring Green 470, Slate Grey Graphite 495, Raw Umber 548, Anthraquinoid Pink 571, Perylene Brown 585, Light Cobalt Blue 661, Dark Sap Green 739, Golden Bismuth Yellow 820.

Set 20 Portrait colour pencil selection is tailored for animal and human portraits with the inclusion of pinks, blues and greens. The colour combination in the set is also suited to botanical illustrations and landscapes. 14 out of the 20 colours in the set hold a LFI rating while the remaining 6 colours are LFII rating.

• Contents: Anthraquinone Carmine 580, Herculanum Red 068, Hibiscus Pink 094, Pink White 581, Quinacridone Purple 115, Carmine Lake 575, Violet Pink 583, Bleu de Nîmes 135, Chrysocolla Blue 671, Indanthrone Blue 649, Ultramarine 140, Dark Indigo 639, Chromium Oxide Green 212, Middle Verdigris 713, Dark Cadmium Orange Hue 533, Medium Cadmium Yellow Hue 520, Indian Yellow 523, Terracotta 044, Warm Earth 40% 745, Butternut 542

Set 40 provides an excellent balance of earth, cool and warm tones, vibrant primaries and deep shadows. Perfectly suited for realistic wildlife, pet portraits, lush botanical illustrations and classic still life artworks. 34 of the set achieving LFI (the highest standard possible rating) and the remaining 6 LFII rating.

• Wildlife and Pet Portraits: Essential natural hues like Cassel Earth, Raw Umber, and Burnt Sienna, alongside toned greys that allow for incredibly lifelike fur texture and depth in animal subjects.
• Botanical and Landscape Art: With a robust selection of greens (such as Grass Green, Moss Green, and Malachite Green) and deep blues (Prussian and Phthalo), you can easily layer and blend rich, realistic foliage and sweeping natural vistas.
• Vibrant Still Life and Florals: The inclusion of bright pigments like Lemon Yellow, Orange, Permanent Red, and Anthraquinoid Pink enables you to create striking contrast and luminous floral arrangements.
• Volumetric Objects and Metallics: The blendable, creamy lead of these pencils makes them perfect for burnishing and creating smooth highlights when replicating glass, ceramics, or metallic objects.
• Contents:
  • Whites & Greys: White 001, Silver Grey 004, French Grey 70% 808, Slate Grey 495, Payne's Grey 70% 508, Black 009
  • Yellows & Oranges: Lemon Yellow 240, Golden Bismuth Yellow 820, Orange 030, Yellow Ochre 034, Brown Ochre 037, Naples Ochre 821
  • Reds & Purples: Permanent Red 061, Scarlet 070, Purplish Red 350, Anthraquinoid Pink 571, Manganese Violet 112, Violet 120, Violet Brown 120.
  • Blues & Greens: Phthalocyanine Blue 719, Prussian Blue 159, Light Cobalt Blue 661, Genuine Cobalt Blue 662, Turquoise Blue 171, Spring Green 470, Grass Green 220, Moss Green 225, Dark Sap Green 739, Malachite Green 180
  • Earths: Russet 065, Burnt Sienna 069, Burnt Sienna 10% 862, Burnt Ochre 077, Burnt Ochre 10% 872, Raw Umber 548, Cassel Earth 046, Green Ochre 025, Olive Yellow 015, Perylene Brown 585.