This article contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Colored pencils vary considerably even within the same brand. Pigment load, filler content, binder formula, opacity, value, and best handling practices can change from color to color.
Let’s test one of Prismacolor’s many reds:
The original dozen…
Prismacolor started making pencils in 1936 and Crimson Red 924 was part of the original color lineup.
Although Prismacolor now makes several reds with only subtle differences (see below), Crimson Red is considered their “primary” red.
This classic red is ideal for portraiture, botany, landscapes, and general sketching.
Let’s look closer at Prismacolor’s Crimson Red, PC924.
Prismacolor Premier: Learn about the pencil line, sets, and how Prismacolor colors compare.
The Color: Prismacolor Crimson Red 924
Name: Crimson traditionally refers to cooler reds which lean more towards purple than orange. Maybe I’m nit-picking but based on the name, I’d expect Crimson Red 924 to be cooler than this evenly balanced fire-engine style red. But this color is almost 100 years old and maybe our definition of an ideal crimson has changed.
Temperature: Crimson Red is a clean and bright, just slightly cool red.
Indicator Accuracy: The paint on Prismacolor Crimson Red 924 is darker than the fully burnished color but it’s near enough that you can easily tell what you’ll get when you use this color.
Remember, back when this pencil was developed, there was only one red in the box so there was no need to match the color exactly.
Availability: Crimson Red is a popular color and is therefore included in all Prismacolor sets including the standard 12-set*, plus sets of 24, 36, 48, 72, 132, and 150.
*Crimson Red is not included in the specialty sampler sets like Botanic Garden 12-set, Landscape 12, or Under the Sea 12.
Buy Prismacolor Premier Crimson Red PC924
The smallest Prismacolor set containing Crimson Red is the standard 12-count Assorted set.
These are affiliate links. Purchases made through them help fund the Lab’s independent testing at no additional cost to you. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Test Results: Prismacolor Crimson Red 924
Core Firmness: Prismacolor Premier pencils are well known as one of the softest artist grade pencils on the market today. Crimson Red has the standard slick and smooth glide across the paper.
Oil or Wax Base: Read more about why this is nonsense here.
Point Retention: Like all soft colored pencils, Crimson Red does not hold a point well, it’s actually a bit softer than the average Prismacolor Premier pencil.
Starting with a freshly sharpened pencil, I lost the fine point almost immediately and the strokes got very wide even before I got to 50 strokes. This pencil is not recommended for detail unless you sharpen frequently.
All tests are conducted on Strathmore Bristol 300 Smooth for consistency.
See how each test works.
Opacity: Color opacity is one of the most important features of a colored pencil. Read why here.
Crimson Red is extremely translucent, almost transparent pencil.
When colored over a black swatch, to the naked eye, this pencil is almost invisible and I had to tilt my paper to prove that I’d applied enough test color. That’s an actual swatch photo, the color is there but man, it’s hard to see.
Glazing: The transparency of Crimson Red makes it amazing for glazing. In my classes at ColorWonk.com, we call these “magic pencils” because they’re chameleon colors, ideal for adding glazing subtle color without loudly advertising which color you used.
Masking: Translucent pencils like Crimson Red cannot be used to mask or block previous layers of pencil. Even if you press hard, this pencil is incapable of blocking prior layers.
Pigmentation: While I can’t measure true pigment load without laboratory equipment, Crimson Red behaves like a richly pigmented pencil.
The color builds generously with changes in hand-pressure (shown above) or with repeated layers of light consistent pressure (below). Note that the color basically reached full value at 9 layers of pencil. The 10th layer filled in more tooth but didn’t noticeably add to the color.
Glide: Like most Prismacolor Premier pencils Crimson Red has a slick, almost oily feel— extreme glide with zero sand, grit, or drag.
Laydown Consistency: When applied with light to moderate pressure in even layers, Crimson Red’s laydown is consistent with no streaks of binder or blotchy pigment.
I don’t typically recommend burnishing with a heavy hand. I prefer to build to the burnishing stage gradually in light layers. But if you insist, Crimson Red is a excellent candidate for single-coat burnishing without pilling or excessive shedding.
Paper Adhesion: Crimson Red is a soft and almost grabby pencil. There were no issues getting it to stick to Smooth Bristol.
In fact, I specifically recommend Prismacolor Premier pencils when working on ultra-smooth or polished marker papers where adhesion is usually a problem. Prismacolor often sticks when nothing else will.
Layering Adhesion: I had no issues getting Crimson Red to stick to itself. In the sample above, the area burnished with light layers (top left half) shows 15 moderate pressure layers and I saw no trenching or pilling in the process. I did get a bit of shedding with this heavy pressure, it’s a soft pencil so they’re not going to withstand a lot of pressure without giving way. Excellent adhesion is typical of Prismacolor Premier.
Erasure: Soft colored pencils are not generally not erasable.
With 10 firm swipes of a non-abrasive polymer eraser over a pressure-burnished swatch, the best I was able to do was lift most of the color— but you can still see significant pigment embedded in the tooth and the paper is permanently stained.
Shedding: See above Layering Adhesion. With an extremely heavy hand, I was getting some minor shedding but I wouldn’t call it excessive. To be clear, all colored pencils shed a bit and Crimson Red does give off some dust.
To avoid grinding the dust into your paper with the side of your hand, I recommend stopping periodically to lightly brush your project clean with a soft hake brush (Amazon) (Blick), a large makeup brush (Amazon), or a natural fiber drafting brush (Amazon) (Blick).
Point & Breakage: I sharpen all my colored pencils to a long point using the X-Acto School Pro (Amazon) (Blick).
Crimson Red was tested with this same long point. At no time did I break my lead or snap off the tip, not even when coloring with burnishing level pressures.
Crimson Red is a sturdy color which can handle firm pressure but not abuse.
ASTM D6901-06 Rankings:
I - Excellent, 100+ years
II - Very Good, 50-100 years
III - Good, 15-50 years
IV - Poor, 1 year
V - Very Poor, weeks - months
Lightfast Rating: Crimson Red 924 scores a II (very good) rating using certified ASTM D6901-06 lightfast testing.
See Prismacolor’s full chart with test results here.
Level II pencils can last 50 to 100 years before any fading might occur.
Given that this color is 1930’s technology and that it’s a cooler red (which tend to fade more), I’m actually shocked to see this pencil score so high.
Crimson Red in Action:
Here’s a taste of how I use Prismacolor Pomegranate 195. Each lesson project teaches realistic coloring techniques using professional markers and colored pencils.
