The Colorists 2020 Giveaway Event

Presented by Staedtler and Marjorie Sarnat
Jan 1 – Jan 20, 2020

It’s a new year and a new you, and now’s the time to take your artistic skills to the next level. What better than to put new artist materials to use in your artwork, courtesy of Staedtler. Through its generosity, I am able to offer U.S. residents the chance to win one of three amazing prizes:*

“2020 GRAND PRIZE”

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• triplus fineliners – A fibre-tip pen set of 20 fineliners makes superfine lines to let you get down to the details

• Double-ended watercolor brush pens – This 36 pen set consists of double-ended brush pens that are ideal for variable strokes and shading 

• Watercolour graphite pencils – The 3 pencil weights and brush included in this set are ideal for watercolor drawing and sketching, as well as graying down areas of color in your artwork

  #MySTAEDTLER #DesignJourney #triplusfineliner

“2020 2nd PRIZE”

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• Super Soft Coloured Pencils – With this set of 24 you’re able to achieve high coverage and bright colors on both white and black paper

• Coloured Pencils – The soft lead in this set of 24 lets you achieve a wide range of dry techniques in bright colors and are also easy to blend

• Watercolour graphite pencils – The 3 pencil weights and brush included in this set are ideal for watercolor drawing and sketching, as well as graying down areas of color in your artwork

  #MySTAEDTLER #DesignJourney

“2020 3rd PRIZE”

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• Super Soft Coloured Pencils – With this set of 12 you’re able to achieve high coverage and bright colors on both white and black paper

• Mars® Lumograph Premium Quality Pencils – A set of 6 break-resistant, super-bonded lead pencils for writing, drawing and sketching. (I swear by them!)

  #MySTAEDTLER #DesignJourney

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CONTEST IS CLOSED, THANK YOU FOR YOUR INTEREST!

The Colorists 2020 Giveaway Event

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Wishing You the Happiest New Year!

Staedtler products are a welcome part of my arsenal of tools for creating artwork. I am pleased to start the new year with you to introduce you to their quality and versatility.

The image above is from my new coloring book, “Best Dressed Pets,” due to come out January 15, 2020! This Hawaiian Cat is enjoying a day in the sun. I completed the artwork using Staedtler colored pencils for shading and fineliners for detail.

My wish is for all of you and yours to have a healthy and prosperous new year. May 2020 be filled with joy, hope, and happiness.

With love and gratitude,

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To learn more about Staedtler’s products visit:
www.staedtler.us

Follow Staedtler on Social Media:
www.facebook.com/staedtler.northamerica
www.instagram.com/staedtlernorthamerica
twitter.com/STAEDTLERNA

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*GIVEAWAY RULES

Participants and winner(s) must be U.S. residents. No purchase necessary to enter. Contest begins on January 1, 2020 at 12:00 a.m. and ends on January 20, 2020 at 11:59 p.m. Limit of one entry per person. Winner(s) will be selected at random from all eligible entries received. Winner(s) will be notified via email and must acknowledge by replying January 22 or prize will be rewarded to another eligible participant. Void where prohibited.

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[Disclosure: I received the Staedtler products mentioned in this article for myself at no charge in exchange for offering this giveaway. How easy was that?]

Staedtler Triplus Fineliner Review Update: 48 Color Set

Staedtler’s Triplus Fineliner pens are among my favorite coloring products. I rely on these pens for coloring small details and for creating optical mixes by leaving white space between the marks or by multi-color marks. Now Staedtler offers a set of 48 brilliant colors in the familiar 0.3mm line width.

My previous review included the 20 Colors Set, the 6 Neon Set, the 6 Pastel Color Set, and the 6 Earth Tone Set for a total of 38 colors. Read it to learn more details about how the Fineliners perform: http://bit.ly/1QnZkQ7

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TRIPLUS FINELINERS LAYERED WITH COLORED PENCILS Detail from Creative Kittens by Marjorie Sarnat

The 48 Color Set combines the four sets mentioned above, plus 10 additional colors. Since the pens don’t have color names on them, I call the new colors: vibrant true red, burnt orange, light terra cotta, dark terra cotta, yellow ochre, light peach, golden yellow, kelly green, dark mint green, and spruce green. These new colors round out the existing mix to create an array of beautiful choices for any look you want to express.

The set comes in a sturdy cardboard box with 3 rows of graduated height pen holders. The pens are easy to see, use, and store.

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TRIPLUS FINELINERS LAYERED WITH COLORED PENCILS AND WHITE HIGHLIGHTS WITH GEL PEN. Detail from Fanciful Fashions by Marjorie Sarnat

The suggested retail is US$86.00. With store discounts the set may be available for less. I found the pens at Michaels for US$69.99. http://bit.ly/2rpk95S With Michaels' typical 40% off coupons you can grab these at a great value.

This quality set is well worth the price because the pens endure many more colorings than most fine line pens.

[Disclosure: I received the Staedtler Fineliner Pens mentioned in this article at no charge in exchange for writing a product review.]

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For more information about Staedtler Fineliner Pens, read my previous review >>

Product Review and Giveaway: Staedtler 48 Colored Pencils Set

[Disclosure: I received the Staedtler 48 Colored Pencils Set mentioned in this article at no charge in exchange for writing a product review.]

I found Staedtler Colored Pencils to be a superb value. Here’s a basic set of colored pencils in a beautiful array of colors. These pencils are durable enough to last through many art projects and offer another big plus: the triangular barrels are so comfortable to grip I felt no pressure on my fingers.

The sets are in a lower price range similar to student level sets, yet they perform to the expectations of pricier artist quality sets. The 48 color set sells for between $9.68 and $16.98 online (Product No. 1270 C48A6). The pencils come in a flat cardboard box with two plastic grooved trays that hold 24 pencils each.

Great Performance and Versatility

TRIANGULAR SHAPED BARRELS PROVIDE AN EASY GRIP AND LIMIT PENCILS FROM ROLLING AWAY.

1. Wood barrels with 02.9 mm color core
2. Ergonomic triangular shaped barrels feel great in the hand. They’re easy to grip, your fingers won't cramp, and the pencils don’t roll away
3. The colors have consistently rich pigmentation, unlike many student sets that have faint or uneven pigmentation
4. The brilliant colors are soft and blendable. They color smoothly, layer nicely, and burnish well
5. The pencils are easy to sharpen. There is no lead “fall out,” chipping, or flaking. The leads hold a sharp tip and are durable enough to use for fine lines and details
6. The colors are vivid and clear and provide good coverage on a variety of surfaces, including smooth, medium, and rough toothed papers
7. Because they layer well, the range of colors can be broadened through visual mixes

BECAUSE THEY LAYER WELL, THE RANGE OF COLORS CAN BE BROADENED THROUGH VISUAL MIXES

Colors

The 48 color set includes a full range of light to dark primaries and secondary colors: reds, yellows, blues, oranges, greens, and purples. There are also some pastel hues and several warm and cool neutrals.

I found that occasionally the color of a barrel does not match the color of its lead. In a few cases the color of a lead is so much like the color of another lead in the set that it’s difficult to see the difference — even though the barrel colors differ. The barrels have no color names or numbers on them. I wrapped tape around the barrels and wrote names on the tape to help me identify colors. This is a small "drawback" though.

The Staedtler 48 Colored Pencils set proves to be fine value for the price. I would recommend this set to any beginning or experienced artist.

A Staedtler Giveaway and More [CONTEST IS CLOSED]

Staedtler has kindly offered to give a 48 Colored Pencils Set to one lucky winner! To enter, simply sign up on the "For Color Lovers" email list. If you are already on the list there's nothing more you need to do — you are entered automatically!

To sweeten the Giveaway, I’ve created 3 levels of prizes. In addition to the colored pencils set, the first place winner will also receive a Textile Designs Coloring Book, and a Creative Cats Sticker Book. Second and third place winners each will receive a Textile Designs Coloring Book and Creative Cats Sticker Book, too. Please see Giveaway Contest Rules below. Thanks for participating and good luck.!

COMPLETED ILLUSTRATION FROM MY NEWEST COLORING BOOK, THE ART OF MARJORIE SARNAT: ELEGANT ELEPHANTS ADULT COLORING BOOK, TO BE PUBLISHED JULY 2016. SIGN UP ON MY EMAIL LIST TO BE THE FIRST TO LEARN ABOUT ITS RELEASE DATE. © MARJORIE SARNAT.

Giveaway Contest Rules: Eligible only for residents of the U.S.A. or Canada. Entries must be received by 11:59 p.m. PDT, July 17, 2016. Winners will be drawn at random from my email list on July 18, 2016, and notified by email promptly thereafter. If winner(s) don’t respond by July 24 prizes will be awarded to alternate persons at my discretion. [CONTEST IS CLOSED]

Staedtler triplus Fineliner Pens Are Superior Performers and a Pleasure to Use

Products Reviewed

• 20 Colors Set
• 6 Neon Colors Set
• 6 Pastel Colors Set
• 6 Earth Tone Colors Set

[CONTEST IS CLOSED!]
Staedtler has generously offered the 20 Colors Set and Neon Colors Set to one lucky winner.

[Disclosure: I received the Staedtler Fineliner Pens mentioned in this article at no charge in exchange for writing a product review.]

Staedtler triplus Fineliner Pens come in a sturdy clear plastic case that flips back to become an easel. The easel sets up and down easily, and does not tip over when you reach for a pen.

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I found Fineliner Pens to be a superior quality product and a reliable pleasure to use. They're surprisingly versatile, too.

Well Designed with the Artist in Mind

1. Ergonomic triangular barrels feel great in the hand
2. Superfine tip gets into intricate areas without bleeding
3. The caps match the colors
4. The pens glide smoothly and release color in an even flow
5. Water-based inks give opaque coverage, yet you can create watercolor effects by applying a moist brush over colored areas
6. Colors can be layered over each other. I especially liked using light gray for shading over bright colors
7. The fine tips are great to use for cross hatching, stippling, and other textures
8. Fill larger areas by placing lines next to each other
9. They resist bleeding through paper.
10. They layer well over and under most colored pencil types.
11. They have enough ink to last longer than many other pens of this type
12. The pen caps snap closed and won't fall off.
13. Dry Safe: The pens can be left uncapped for days without drying up
14. Easel storage case is easy to use

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Colors 

Staedtler triplus Fineliners don’t indicate color names on the pens or packaging, so the names I use below are my own.

• The 20 Pen Set includes a complete range of colors: primary, secondary, and tertiary colors along with two earth tones, two grays, and black. The brighter colors in the set are vivid and intense and the dark colors are distinctive
• The Neon colors are vibrant and slightly pale, which is great because they're not overwhelming as are many other brands. The colors are blue, hot pink, pale orange, yellow, green, and red-orange. My only issue is that the blue cap is a different blue from the aqua color the pen actually is
• The Earth Tone colors are deep and rich. The colors are dark red, dark mauve, purple, dark green, brown, and dark gray
• The Pastel colors are pink, lavender, peach, lime, gray, and blue. The colors are soft and mellow enough to be sophisticated without losing the fresh, sweet look of a pastel palette
• The colors are different in each set, so if you buy the entire array you will not be duplicating colors.

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After experimenting with Staedtler triplus Fineliners I found them versatile and satisfying, and now they are part of my repertoire for coloring my work. These are my go-to pens for fine detail. 

The 20 pen set is listed on Amazon and Dick Blick for approximately US$27.00. They are priced right and well worth the money because of their superior performance and how long they last.

Learn more at Staedtler's website.