What makes Col-Erase pencils so popular?

[nikita5]

I often hear people mention that Col-Erase pencils are really popular among animators. I was wondering if there's any particular reason behind this type of pencil being so widely used in the industry?

[xia]

2D Animator weapon of choice = col-erase. Because of it waxy texture and it doesn't smear like graphite or chacoal. The type of paper we use in animation house is kinda slick so graphite/pencil would smear thus easily loosing its solidity of line (which is really important to the clean up artist to pick up on.) and would not stick to it very well to the animation paper. Stack and stacks of paper and touching/moving/ fliping it around will smear your work so the waxy medium helps BIG time. Also variety of colors help when you have to animate different part of body...such as hair+body. So when you pencil test you know what to look for and what/where to fix if there is anything to be fixed. On the flip side, it is hard to erase col-erase completely from the paper compare to graphite.

Other than that, it's great for life drawing and other cool stuff...'cuz it doesn't smear.

If you are a clean up artist, graphite/pencil/ink often use to finalize the frame.

[Red_Rook]

Col erase makes a light blue that is considered "non photo blue"
in other words it has the the same value as the paper but since its a diffrent colour you can still see it. You can then ink over it and photocopy it and the blue (being the same value as the paper) will not show up, only the inked area. That way you can be as loose and sketchy as you like then tighten it up, photo copy it and you only have the tight inks.

Xia i think your getting confused with normal prisma pencils. Cole erase are specifically made to be erased easily they even come with one on the end, infact ive found them easier to erase then graphite. Also most of them are quite hard, there line quality aint that good. However there erasability and the non photo blue makes them so valuable.

[xia]

RedRook>> Col-Erase drawing line can be PHOTOCOPIED. It has navy blue (the sidely used one, but it also has many colors) The non-photo blue pencil is totally different medium and it has a skyblue color. (And yes they are called NON_PHOTO BLUE pencil, not Col-Erase). Yes, you can erase Col-Erase, but you can not wipe them clean like graphite (GOT IT?). They comes in many color (up to 24 I believe).
PrismaColor is totally different, but it sort of have the same feel but softer. And you CANNOT Prisma Color.
I was an animator for Disney interactive for about a year before I got my current job. We use tons of Col-Erase thruout the year...only col-erase.

Fuck! why did I even bother replying this shit!!! Should let them ignorance be, next time around.

[NoUseFrAName]

I find there's different levels of waxiness from colour to colour on the Col-Erase pencils. My faves are the purple and red ones. The navy blue ones just didn't respond as well to the paper for me.
I think of all the ones I used, the red was the smudgiest....and even then, it's not really that smudgy...just a bit softer of a lead maybe.

And the Non-repro blue ones.....man, for some reason I just can't sharpen those without breaking them. I think the lead stuff on those is made out of a completely different material....

-Rob

[JoshuaTheJames]

I was really frustrated when they discontinued Brown!!!! Those Bastards! They might as well get rid of blue!

Argg..

-Joshua

[-W.-]

And yes they are called NON_PHOTO BLUE pencil, not Col-Erase

don't wanna raise the heat but SANFORD actually makes a pencil called SANFORD COL-ERASE NON_PHOTO BLUE i guess it's just a special pencil from the COL-ERASE line so the probably still diffrent in there characteristics as you say

[Red_Rook]

RedRook>> Col-Erase drawing line can be PHOTOCOPIED. It has navy blue (the sidely used one, but it also has many colors) The non-photo blue pencil is totally different medium and it has a skyblue color. (And yes they are called NON_PHOTO BLUE pencil, not Col-Erase). Yes, you can erase Col-Erase, but you can not wipe them clean like graphite (GOT IT?). They comes in many color (up to 24 I believe).
PrismaColor is totally different, but it sort of have the same feel but softer. And you CANNOT Prisma Color.
I was an animator for Disney interactive for about a year before I got my current job. We use tons of Col-Erase thruout the year...only col-erase.

Fuck! why did I even bother replying this shit!!! Should let them ignorance be, next time around.



are you drunk?

now before you go all agro nazi on me again I have alight blue pencil next to me that clearly states:

USA SANFORD col-erase 20028 Non Photo Blue


in that order. So please dont tell me that it doest exist, and to what extent ive used them for they erase perfectly, and arent really waxy at all. They may have a wax base but they dont act like it. And yes I am quite aware that there are other colours that are not non-photo i have a bunch of them. But one of the most highly advertised reasons is that they have this particular blue.
http://img75.photobucket.com/albums/v228/Redrook/col_erase.jpg

[NoUseFrAName]

maybe that's why the ones I use suck so much....on them it says:

">EF Eberhard Faber col-erase Copy-Not 1298 Non-Photo Blue"

-Rob

[artkitty]

I have to agree that they don't erase that well, certain colors esp the red tend to stay no matter what! But it's usually fine if you scan and up the levels a bit.
I love sketching with col-erase, nice balance of tones and hardness. Most of my sketches are done with them. Love the terra cotta ones :3
Also the colerase non-photo pencil seems to pick up on scans more than other brands, I don't recommend it.

[Blind]

I've wondered the same thing. Lately I'm using the darker blue one which has printed on it "Sanford col-erase 20044 Blue" and I love it. I can't put my finger on why I like it so much, I just do.

[egerie]

I prefer working with Indigo Blue (20060). I heard the RUMOR Sanford was to discontinue this one too! :( If they keep going at it, what colours will be left?
I love to do layout with red and green. Works well for some anatomical studies too.

P.S.: Seems like Sanford DID discontinue Tuscan Red, Indigo Blue, Vermillion, etc. In other words, my favorites. :realmad::realmad::realmad: I thought Indigo had a better punch than Blue. Gave me more definition of my lines when I wanted to tighten the drawing. Poo-hey! Time to write letters.

[McNallyism]

actually, the people at the local art store said they were discontiniuing the whole line of col-erase....scary.

[Blind]

actually, the people at the local art store said they were discontiniuing the whole line of col-erase....scary.That would suck... but we've got to hope that if the demand is there someone will make something similar and pick up the business.

[kmscottmoore]

Damn, you guys make me feel old.

col-erase is a brand name. The whole point of a non-photo blue pencil, is that a stat camera can't see it. In other words, it doesn't show up in a stat photograph. It is a non-photo reproducing pencil.

Way back when, like a million years ago, before computers there used to be something called a production artist (or more derrogatively, a cut-and-paste guy.) The job of the production artist was to prepare 'mechanicals' which were basically illustration board with all of the elements of an ad pasted in place. That mechanical was then sent to a stat house, which used a special type of camera to create the film that printing plates are made from.

The production artist would draw guide lines on the board to help line things up. Since the lines were drawn with a blue pencil, they would be invisible to the stat camera.

Then there was ruby lith . . . aw, never mind . . . .

[Matt Dixon]

Just come off the phone to my Col-Erase supplier. It seems that Sanford have discontinued all but Blue, Green, Carmine Red, Yellow and non-photo Blue. Such a dramatic reduction in the range might support the rumoured end of the line for Col-Erase, but apparently there's no official word on this.

Stock up now, Col-Erase fans! If knows of a source for Indigo Blue or Lavender ( by the box ) in the UK, or that will ship to Europe, I'd be very grateful to hear about it.

In the meantime, can anyone suggest an alternative..?

[tulokyn]

I've been using Indigo Blue Verithins since the loss of my beloved Indigo Blue Col-Erase. They don't erase as well, but they erase better than Prismas, and they are kind of nice to draw with.

[egerie]

I wrote Sanford for some more info but of course they never answered. Well not yet at least.

tulokyn - Thanks a bunch for the tip I'll be sure to try it next time I hop over to the art store!

[Blind]

I've only seen the colors that Matt mentioned available online, but if I spot any lavendars or indigos, I'll chime in here.

[ceenda]

Just come off the phone to my Col-Erase supplier. It seems that Sanford have discontinued all but Blue, Green, Carmine Red, Yellow and non-photo Blue. Such a dramatic reduction in the range might support the rumoured end of the line for Col-Erase, but apparently there's no official word on this.

Stock up now, Col-Erase fans! If knows of a source for Indigo Blue or Lavender ( by the box ) in the UK, or that will ship to Europe, I'd be very grateful to hear about it.

In the meantime, can anyone suggest an alternative..?

Matt, which UK-based Col-Erase supplier are you using? I recently bought boxloads of Blue Col-Erase from Paper People:

http://www.paperpeople.co.uk/pencils.html

I got them the very next day in the post. :d

I'm quite new to Col-Erase, but I find them wonderfully smooth to work with. Not too smudgable either. (my hands get sweaty, oh yes ladies...)

[Matt Dixon]

*Shakes Ceenda firmly by the hand*

Nice one! I normally use Chromacolour. Paper People were very helpful - they have very few of the discontinuted colours left, but I've just snagged a few boxes of Indigo Blue and the nice chap's throwing in a couple of Verithin's to try. ( Thanks for recommending those, Tulokyn. :) )

He tells me that he's had assurances that Sanford have no immediate plans to discontinue the remaining Col-Erase line. I guess we should be thankful for small mercies. He also said that there are still decent stocks of Col-Erase 24 colour boxed sets floating about on both sides of the Atlantic - useful information if you're desperate for a particular discontinued colour.

The quest for Lavender continues...

[moribund art]

I also use the non-photo col erase and it says USA SANFORD col-erase 20028 Non Photo Blue and it works FINE!
Even tho i also like the indigo blue its my favorite!

[Interceptor]

Carmine red is awesome.

[jeremyg0rd0n]

I love black colerase pencils so much for drawing, and I find that their waxiness and value range is quite superb. A drawing professor from SVA recommended them, and they are definitely my favorite drawing pencils I've used thus far. I love not having to worry about smudging my marks and still having great line quality and shading. On Ebay I found 72 for 12 dollars too, which was amazing.