There is a vast range of Prismacolor pencils available that artists use to create different effects. Some are designed to create bold details and others help to outline artwork. If you’re an artist, then you’d already know that you need to switch between different colors frequently to create a single piece of art.
But after a couple of uses, you may find it very difficult to pick up the right color that you need to add to your work because your entire Prismacolor pencil set becomes a mess.
That’s why organizing all the pencils is critical and it can improve your coloring and drawing experience greatly. If you love to draw and color and have a lot of coloring supplies, then it’ll be very difficult for you to take your pencils out from the cardboard box multiple times a day.
In this article, we’ll discuss the best way to organize Prismacolor pencils. From desktop boxes and small bags to fabric roll up and DIY solutions, we’ll cover everything and we hope you’ll find the most suitable method to meet all your unique needs to organize Prismacolor colored pencils. So, let’s get started.
Why Do You Need to Organize Color Pencils?
There are multiple reasons why you need to organize your colored pencils. We’ve compiled a list of some of the most significant points that’ll give you a better idea regarding the importance of color pencil organizations.
- As an artist, you’ll need to get to your pencils with different colors as quickly as possible.
- You can create your value choices by sorting different shades according to your preferences.
- It allows you to see all the available colors distinctively that provides you with more ideas to improve your artwork on the fly.
- Your colored pencils look great in an organized form that adds more character and beauty to your working desk.
- It allows you to identify different colors easily even if the lighting conditions aren’t favorable.
- Cleaning up becomes a breeze and you can inspire other fellow artists as well with your excellent organizational skills.
Methods to Organize Your Prismacolor Colored Pencils
Keeping your drawing tools in an unorganized and improper way not only wastes your precious working time but can also reduce the lifespan of your color pencils greatly. You don’t want to spend most of your working time searching for the right colored pencil.
Keeping your pencils on the top of your working desk without using any box or any other safe method can be dangerous because they can roll off easily. Luckily, there are several efficient methods to properly organize colored pencils, and here are some of the best ones.
1. Organize Prismacolor Pencils By their Color Family
The most common one is to group them according to their color family (like red orange yellow green blue). For example, you can have a box or caddy that offers 7 different compartments or spaces.
You can keep all your pencils based on their color families in those compartments like all your red shades in one space, all your violet shades in another, and so on. The following are the 7 colors of the rainbow that you can use to arrange your pencils.
- Red
- Orange
- Yellow
- Green
- Blue
- Indigo
- Violet
This way, you’ll only need to look for a color in a specific family instead of searching through the unorganized pile of pencils. You can also use the color wheel for this purpose that will help you to organize confusing colors by putting hues in a wheel rather than a line. That’s because all colors will have an equal value. You can use the following points to sort your pencil colors by their color family.
- Sort the pencils into pastel, bright, and neutral hues.
- Place pastel shades in a separate caddy that includes light green, light blue, yellow and sort them in rainbow order.
- Have a separate compartment for bright hues such as purple, red, and pink.
- Let neutral colors such as white, black, and brown have their own location.
You can sort your Prismacolor pencils in rainbow colour order. At the same time, you can also sort them by chroma like from warm grays to cool grays. This arrangement will allow you to easily reach the desired pencil with the right hue in the shortest possible time.
2. Use Color Charts and Paper Labels
Another great way to organize your Prismacolor pencils is to use color charts that provide you with all the available color options. Every brand or manufacturer offers a color chart in the form of a picture that you can download to organize your color pencils with their respective hue order.
You can also cut small paper cards and label or color them with each pencil to create color swatches. Using this technique is also helpful because the outer barrel color of the pencils doesn’t represent the color accurately.
However, you’ll be able to identify each color without any confusion when you have paper labels on each pencil. Consider using the following steps to organize your pencils.
- Use a swatch for coloring and labeling for each pencil
- Download and print a universal color chart
- Cut the swatches but make sure that you’re the labels attached.
- Sort the swatches by using a rainbow colour order or any other according to your preferences by picking a desired spot on the color wheel.
- Sort your Prismacolor pencils using the same order.
- Stick the swatches in your notebook or swatch book to use in the future.
It’s undoubtedly a time consuming and labor-intensive task but it’s also more foolproof at the same time which makes your effort worthwhile.
3. Use Wooden Stands for Stylish Organization
Using wooden holders for your Prismacolor coloured pencils is a great way to organize your supplies. Not only do they allow you to access your colors easily, but they also improve the beauty of the entire working setup. You can find these holders in different shapes and sizes and choose the one that suits you the best.
These stands can easily hold your entire set of Prismacolor coloued pencils. Whether you want to organize them randomly or based on their color family, you can achieve that with these innovative stands easily.
The 60 pencil holder by Sketchers Companion is a great choice if you have a Prismacolor Premier Colored set of 48 Pencils. You can also find similar wooden pencil holders of different sizes which can store up to 168 pencils at the same time.
4. Use Wooden Pencil Drawers for More Space
Using wooden pencil drawers is a classy way to organize your Prismacolor pencils. Not only does this method allow you to keep your pencils protected and in place but you’ll also be able to access them easily. You can also place some of your supplies on the top of these drawers but avoid putting too much weight.
These containers are available with 2, 3, or 4 drawers and you can use them to store 75, 130, and 150 Prismacolor coloured pencils respectively. If you want something even bigger to store your entire collection of pencil colors along with other supplies then you can also go for a set with 10 drawers.
This one box comes with 50 different compartments and is more than enough to store up to 500 pencils. You can use it to store all your extra pencils, Copic markers, gel pens, or even sharpie pens.
5. Use Plastic Stands for More Efficiency
If you’re not fond of wooden products then we’ve got you covered. You can use plastic desktop pencil organizers that not only can hold your pencils but also markers, pens, and other large coloring supplies.
Some plastic desktop organizers also come with 360 degrees rotating functionality with a number of different compartments. You can use different spaces to organize your coloured pencils based on their color family or any other way you like.
These plastic organizers might not be the most beautiful containers that you can use to organize your color pencils, but they offer easy access to all of your coloring material.
6. Use Roll-Up Cases to Reflect Your Personality
Organizing Prismacolor pencils in fabric roll-up cases is also a very popular way that many artists use. It also reflects their personality and you can also use it if it’s your cup of tea. You can use different loops of these cases to thread your color pencils, roll them up, and you’re good to go.
This method will suit you the best if you travel or move around a lot. You can easily carry your entire coloring collection and take it wherever you go. They can also absorb shocks if you drop them mistakenly and keep your pencils safe.
The only downside of using the fabric roll-up cases is threading all your pencil colors through different loops. The best way to use these fabric roll-up cases is to store your color pencils in a rainbow color order.
While buying these bags for your Prismacolor pencils, it’s important to look for a flap and secure loops to keep the pointed ends of your colour pencils safe. We also recommend you go choose a product that comes with some additional pockets to store erasers and sharpeners
7. Leather Zipper Pencil Case If You’re a Minimalist
If you like products made of leather then leather zipper pencil cases can be your best choice. They come in different sizes, shapes, and colors, and you can opt for the one that suits your personality and needs the best.
The most commonly available options allow you to store 120, 96, 72, 48, and 24 pencils. The zipper completely encloses all the pencils and ensures their safety, especially the pointed ends.
Most leather zipper pencil cases come with wider loops. Therefore, you can easily store up to 3 pencils per loop. If you have a ton of pencils and you also like to move around and travel a lot, then it’s another great option.
8. Use Carry bags to Carry All Your Coloring Supplies
If you like to carry all your coloring material with you, then consider buying a carry bag to store your Prismacolor pencils. You can lay a carry bag flat by unzipping it and organizing your pencils in loops. Again these carry bags come with wide loops where each can hold up to 2 pencils.
Other than that, the bag also provides you with multiple mesh pockets where you can store your different coloring accessories. It’s an efficient way to organize your Prismacolor pencils and take them with you wherever you want. You can easily find carry bags that can store up to 132 pencils.
9. Use DIY Solutions
If you are a DIY enthusiast and can work with a sewing machine or have skills for woodwork then why not make your own organizer for Prismacolor pencils. It’s the best way to meet all your unique needs.
All the methods that we have discussed so far are great ideas and you can use any of them to modify and upgrade depending upon your preferences. However, you can also start from scratch if you want to craft something unique.
If you’re good with sewing machines then you can create a pencil wrap organizer easily for yourself. If you have a 3D printer then you can find tons of colored pencil organizer designs online that you can print for free.
How to Maximize the Lifespan of Your Prismacolor Pencils?
All the aforementioned methods to organize and store your Prismacolor coloured pencils will improve the lifespan of your coloring material. However, there are some other factors as well you need to keep in mind and the following are our top tips.
Pick the Right Spot to Place Your Coloring Supplies
After organizing your Prismacolor pencils, the next step is to find the right spot to place them in your home. The most important factor to consider while deciding on a spot is to make sure that it’s easily accessible.
- If you have a dedicated place in your houses such as craft space or art studio, then keeping your Prismacolor pencils on top of your desk can be a great way to keep them safe.
- If you use a coffee table for drawing and coloring and you don’t have pets or kids in your house then place the pencil container in the top corner.
- If you have kids and pets in your home then place your pencil organizer on a bookshelf once you’re done using them.
Avoid Sunlight, Humidity, and Heat
Heat and direct sunlight can cause the tips of your Prismacolor coloured pencils to get dry and become quite brittle. In worst cases, the pigments in the core of your Prismacolor pencils can also get damaged, which can affect your drawing and coloring experience.
If your working area or drawing desk receives direct sunlight then consider moving it away to avoid it. You’ll need to make sure that your colored pencils are away from heat all the time so that they can maintain the quality of their color.
Find a cool and dry place to keep your Prismacolor colored pencil containers or holder. Keep in mind that extremely humid places can also damage the core of colored pencils greatly.
Avoid Stepping On or Dropping Your Prismacolor Colored Pencils
It seems self-explanatory, doesn’t it? But the fact of the matter is that it’s the most common reason why Prismacolor coloured pencils get damaged. It’s especially true if you have small kids in your house who love to play with your coloring material.
You can teach your kids to put away the colored pencils after using them or keep your supplies somewhere they can’t reach. If you’re working with many colours at once, then consider using any of the above-mentioned methods for proper organization. It’ll keep your coloring pencils from rolling onto the floor and around your drawing area.
The way you handle your Prismacolor coloured pencils can also affect their longevity. Keep in mind that the inner pigment of these colored pencils is soft and it can get damaged even with a little pressure. So, always hold them with care to maximize their lifespan.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best way to organize Prismacolor Colored Pencils?
The best way to organize Prismacolor Coloured Pencils is to arrange them according to their color family and store them in a safe container or holder. It provides you with quick and easy access and you won’t need to waste any more time searching.
Why is it difficult to erase Prismacolor pencils?
The Prismacolor are wax-based pencils that aren’t designed to be erased conveniently. If you’re new to drawing and coloring and need to erase more frequently then consider using col-erase colored pencils. These pencils come with rich pigments that not only allow you to apply them smoothly but can also erase them conveniently.
Can you soften the cores of Prismacolor-coloured pencils by putting them in the microwave?
No, putting your Prismacolor color pencils in a microwave is never a good idea. It can damage the core pigment of the pencils greatly. However, you can place these pencils in direct sunlight just for a couple of minutes to soften them.
