Ohuhu – 72 coloured pencils

72 Ohuhu Halawa coloured pencils — a 4 mm oil-based core for detailed colouring

Ohuhu Halawa coloured pencils have a 4 mm oil-based core that's soft and rich in pigment. It glides over paper without pressing, lays down intense colour in one pass and blends naturally. The 72-pencil set includes two metallic shades, gold and silver, in a metal tin with a colour chart and guide.

Oil-based or wax core: what's the difference?

A wax core lays down a layer that quickly saturates the paper's tooth and leaves a whitish haze after several layers. An oil-based core stays creamy, layers for longer and blends without saturation. That makes it much better suited to layering and gradual gradients.

Getting gradients and layers right

Work in light layers rather than pressing: lay down the light shade, then the mid tone, then the dark, and soften the transitions by going over them gently with the lightest colour. This technique gives soft shadows and depth, especially on portraits and botanical illustrations.

A pencil that's pleasant to hold and sharpen

The linden wood barrel is light, comfortable in the hand and sharpens cleanly without splinters or broken cores. Use a well-sharpened sharpener and turn the pencil rather than the blade: that's the movement that protects oil-based cores.

A tool that works with the rest of your supplies

These pencils go on top of a base laid down with Ohuhu alcohol markers to add grain and texture, combine with watercolour and take final highlights with Languo 0.6 mm gel pens. That compatibility makes them a good buy even if you already colour with markers.