Caran d'Ache Luminance 6901 Coloured Pencil Box of 12
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Fair warning: once you draw with Luminance, cheaper pencils start to feel like crayons. The Box of 12 is the easiest way to find out why coloured pencil artists talk about these like they are a religion. Twelve creamy, pigment packed, archival pencils that lay colour down in one pass and blend like butter.
What You Get in the Box of 12
Twelve colours is a great way in. Luminance layers so well that a dozen well chosen colours will mix into far more on the paper, and you get to learn how the lead behaves before committing to a big set.
It is the same professional pencil as the biggest boxes, made to the ASTM D-6901 lightfastness standard with FSC certified cedar barrels. When you are ready for more colours, every Luminance colour is sold individually, or step up to the 20 or 40.
Colours in the Box of 12
All 12 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.
Caran d'Ache occasionally updates set assortments, so the colours in your box may vary slightly from this list.
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.
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 Started with Luminance
Start light and build up in layers. Luminance rewards patience with depth you cannot get from one heavy layer.
Burnish with a light colour or a Caran d'Ache pencil blender for a smooth, painterly finish.
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 12
Is the Luminance Box of 12 good for beginners?
Yes. It is the ideal way to try professional pencils. Twelve core colours, the same archival quality as the big sets, and room to add open stock colours as you grow.
Are Luminance pencils worth it for beginners?
If you are serious about coloured pencil, yes. Professional pencils are easier to use, not harder, because the pigment lays down and blends properly instead of fighting you. Start with a smaller box and add open stock colours or a bigger set as you grow.
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.
Are Luminance pencils water soluble?
No. Luminance is a permanent, water resistant pencil. If you want watercolour pencils, look at Caran d'Ache Supracolor or Museum Aquarelle. Many artists lay a watercolour pencil underpainting first, let it dry, then build detail on top with Luminance.
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 12 is a popular first step into professional pencils.
(NU6901-712)
| SKU | NU6901-712 |
| Barcode # | 7630002335621 |
| Brand | Caran d'Ache |
| Shipping Weight | 0.2110kg |
| Shipping Width | 0.170m |
| Shipping Height | 0.015m |
| Shipping Length | 0.200m |
| Shipping Cubic | 0.000510000m3 |
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