In a world where technology is often taking over we love to share exciting new products aimed to bring you back to the traditional pen and paper, and so when we were contacted by L’oeil and asked to review their prototype sketching pencils we were more than happy to get involved. The following review is for their first prototype and as such is not the finished product.
The pencils came in a simple but well designed sturdy cardboard tube which has an outer transparent protective plastic casing. L’oeil state that they refuse to use environmentally harmful materials in there products and that the pencils themselves are made with premium raw wood from California.
Included in the prototype set were 12 sketching pencils comprising of 1xF, 1xH, 1x3H, 2xHB, 1xB, 2x2B, 2x4B and 2x8B. Each pencil was put through a test and compared to Staedtler Mars and traditional pencils, and the following is a compiled list of the results we found:
- The pencils were good for blending. They were smooth and easy to smudge and blend out.
- They erase quite well, and, as expected darker grades of pencil leave more residue.
- Even on the softer leads, the nib did not blunt as easy as other pencils making adding darker detail easier.
- Each grade of pencil provided a good gradient of shade.
- It would be good to have a wider range for example adding 6B, 2H
Below is a table of our results for each pencil. Please click on the thumbnail for a larger view.
Overall we think the sketching set prototype has great potential and it’s a promising start for L’oeil who clearly have a passion for both art and the artist community, and of course for the products they are creating. If you would like to find out more about them and their kickstarter project then you can visit their site HERE for more information and to see some of the great art tutorials they offer.
