20 colours
Luminance 6901 permanent artist coloured pencils
Swiss made in Geneva. ASTM D-6901 lightfastness rated.

Twenty colours is where Luminance stops being a treat and starts being a tool. Enough warm and cool colours to draw almost anything properly, in the pencil professional coloured pencil artists trust for archival work. Creamy, pigment rich, permanent and built to last on the wall.

★ Art Shed Staff Tip
Pair each colour with its lightest neighbour when you shade. Layering a light tint over a mid tone softens the transition far better than pressing harder.
Perfect For
IllustrationUrban sketchingBotanical drawingStudentsGiftsEveryday drawing

What You Get in the Box of 20

◉In the Box20 pencils
A versatile working palette of 20 Luminance colours, brights plus key earths and darks.
★LightfastnessASTM D-6901 rated
Every colour rated LFI or LFII under ASTM D-6901, the coloured pencil lightfastness standard.
✎Lead3.8mm permanent
Creamy, wax based, high pigment lead that layers, blends and burnishes. Water resistant once down.
✓Made InGeneva, Switzerland
FSC certified cedar barrels, colour matched to the lead, with the colour name and number printed on each.

The Box of 20 covers brights, earths and darks, enough to draw finished, believable work without constant mixing. It is a favourite with illustrators and students who want professional results without the size of a big box.

Every pencil is the same archival Luminance: ASTM D-6901 rated lightfastness, 3.8mm creamy permanent lead and an FSC certified cedar barrel colour matched to the lead.

Colours in the Box of 20

All 20 colours by number and name, as published for this set. Every colour is also sold on its own, so note the numbers of your favourites for top ups.

001 White
009 Black
030 Orange
034 Yellow Ochre
061 Permanent Red
065 Russet
069 Burnt Sienna
112 Manganese Violet
159 Prussian Blue
162 Phthalo Blue
220 Grass Green
240 Lemon Yellow
470 Spring Green
495 Slate Grey
548 Raw Umber
571 Anthraquinoid Pink
585 Perylene Brown
661 Cobalt blue 5%
739 Dark Sap Green
820 Golden Bismuth Yellow

Caran d'Ache occasionally updates set assortments, so the colours in your box may vary slightly from this list.

Which Luminance Set Is Right for You?
Box of 12: The way in. Core colours to find out what the fuss is about.
Box of 20 (you are here): A proper working palette for drawing and illustration.
Portrait Box of 20: Twenty skin, hair and fur tones built for portraits of people and pets.
Box of 40: Our pick for serious drawing. Warm and cool versions of the colours that matter.
Box of 76 + 2 Blenders: The classic Luminance palette plus two full blenders.
Box of 100 + 2 Blenders: The complete range, every Luminance colour.
Wooden Box of 76: The classic palette in a mahogany coloured birch wooden box.
Wooden Box of 100 + 12: The complete range in a light oak case. The ultimate.

The Caran d'Ache Difference: Swiss Made Since 1915

Caran d'Ache has made drawing tools in Geneva for more than a century, and they still make them the slow way, in their own Swiss workshops at Thônex just outside the city. Not outsourced, not rebadged, not made wherever is cheapest this year. Every Luminance pencil is designed and made in Switzerland, from the pigment-rich lead to the FSC certified cedar that wraps it.

It is still a family company too. The Hübscher family has led Caran d'Ache since the 1930s, and today Carole Hübscher runs it as the fourth generation. That continuity is why the quality does not wobble from batch to batch. The Luminance pencil you buy this year lays down exactly like the one you bought five years ago, which matters when you are matching colours across a body of work.

This is the company that launched Prismalo in 1931, the world's first watercolour pencil, so coloured pencils are not a side line for them, they are the whole point. Luminance is their flagship, the pencil they put their name to for professional, archival work. We have stocked Caran d'Ache at Art Shed Brisbane for years, and Luminance is the pencil our coloured pencil artists save up for.

A Century of Colour in Geneva
1915 Founded in Geneva as a pencil factory.
1924 Renamed Caran d'Ache, after the Russian word for pencil, karandash.
1931 Launches Prismalo, the world's first watercolour pencil.
Luminance Built to the ASTM D-6901 lightfastness standard for coloured pencils.
100 The Luminance range grows to 100 colours, including shades unique to Caran d'Ache.
Today Still family owned, still made in its own Geneva workshops.

Why Professional Artists Choose Luminance

  • Lightfastness you can prove. Made to ASTM D-6901 with every colour rated LFI or LFII. Your originals and commissions keep their colour.
  • A lead that does the work. Creamy and pigment rich, so colour goes down in fewer layers and burnishes to a painterly finish.
  • Colour you can find again. Every barrel matches its lead and carries the colour name and number, so reordering is easy.
  • Responsibly made. FSC certified cedar, designed and made in Switzerland.
  • Open stock. Every colour is sold individually, so your box never has to run out.

Getting the Most Out of Luminance

Layer gently and build up. Glaze warm over cool, or cool over warm, to create colours that are not in the box.

Burnish final layers for a smooth, painted look, then add sharp details on top.

Browse more coloured pencil sets, all our pencil sets, or the full Caran d'Ache range.

Questions About the Caran d'Ache Luminance 6901 Box of 20

Who is the Luminance Box of 20 for?

Illustrators, students and anyone drawing regularly who wants a professional, archival pencil in a manageable set. Twenty colours cover brights, earths and darks for finished work.

How lightfast are Caran d'Ache Luminance pencils?

Luminance is made to ASTM D-6901, the international lightfastness standard for coloured pencils, which rates colours from LFI (the best) down. Caran d'Ache rates every Luminance colour LFI or LFII, and in the full 100 colour range 81 colours are LFI. That is why galleries and collectors are happy to hang Luminance work, it is built to resist fading for up to 100 years under normal display conditions.

Luminance vs Polychromos: which is better?

They are different, not better or worse. Luminance has a creamy, wax based permanent lead that lays down rich colour quickly and burnishes beautifully, and its lightfastness ratings are the headline. Faber-Castell Polychromos is oil based, slightly firmer and holds a sharper point for fine detail. Lots of artists use both, Luminance for rich layers and burnishing, a firmer pencil for crisp details on top.

What paper is best for Luminance pencils?

A smooth to fine tooth paper with some weight gives the best results, so you can build many layers without polishing the surface flat. Hot pressed watercolour paper, Bristol board and dedicated coloured pencil papers are all excellent. Toned papers make the light colours glow.

How do you blend Luminance pencils?

Layer light pressure first, then build up. You can burnish with a white or light colour for a smooth, painterly finish, use a colourless Caran d'Ache pencil blender to melt layers together, or use the Full Blender, a colourless oil and wax medium, for larger areas. Luminance's creamy lead responds to all three.

Why is Caran d'Ache considered such high quality?

Because they still make it themselves. Caran d'Ache has made drawing tools in its own Geneva workshops since 1915, is still family owned, and controls everything from pigment to finished pencil. Luminance is their flagship coloured pencil, made to the ASTM D-6901 lightfastness standard in FSC certified cedar. That consistency is why professional artists trust it for work they want to last.

Can I add single Luminance colours to my set?

Yes. Luminance is sold as open stock, so you can replace the colours you use most without buying a whole new box. White and the light skin tones go fastest for most artists. Ask our team if you need a colour you cannot find online.

Where can I buy Caran d'Ache Luminance in Australia?

Right here. Art Shed Online is an authorised Australian stockist of Caran d'Ache, buying through the official Australian distributor, so you get genuine Swiss-made Luminance, never a grey import. We ship fast Australia wide, and our team are artists who use these pencils themselves, so ask us anything. The Box of 20 is a great step up from the 12.

(NU6901-720)

SKU NU6901-720
Barcode # 7630002327626
Brand Caran d'Ache
Shipping Weight 0.3320kg
Shipping Width 0.200m
Shipping Height 0.020m
Shipping Length 0.280m
Shipping Cubic 0.001120000m3