Reviewing the Luminance Percent Coloured Pencils | Materials Guide

This week, I wanted to share my thoughts on a range of colours that I am, quite simply, in awe of, and that is the Caran D’Ache Luminance Percent range. Honestly, I don’t know how I managed for so long without these colours. They are absolutely fabulous and, quite possibly, my new favourites! 

Below is a list of a few of my favourites, as well as my thoughts on each and my recommendations for which colours every artist should have in their toolkit! 

Sepia 10% 

This is a gorgeous violet colour and one of my most-used pencils. It’s fantastic for yellow and orange animals, paler skin and shading areas around the eyes. 

Brown Ochre 10% 

Again, this one is brilliant for drawing animals, especially any yellow or gold animals, like Golden Retrievers, lions and leopards. It has a lovely natural tone to is and it’s an incredibly useful pencil. 

Raw Umber 10% 

This one is great for white fur, brown fur, anything really! The full-strength Raw Umber is quite a green-brown, whereas the 10% is much closer to a warm grey. 

Dark Flesh 5% / Warm Earth 5% (741) 

Honestly, I think this is the best pencil from any manufacturer. It’s the most brilliant, brilliant colour. It’s a dark pink-brown colour, and it’s great for human and animal portraits. 

Remember, this one has had a name change. Previously, it was called Dark Flesh 5%, but it’s now known as Warm Earth 5%. Look for number 741 if you can’t be sure which is which! 

Light Flesh 10% (542)

Another fabulous colour. It’s got a lovely, buttery tone, and it’s another pencil that is fabulous if you’re drawing golden animals like Retrievers or Labradors. 

The name of this one may be changing, so make sure you look out for number 542. 

Burnt Sienna 10% 

While the full-strength Burnt Sienna is a brown-red colour, almost rusty, the 10% has more of a pink tone, and it’s fabulous for drawing pale skin.

If you don’t already have any of the Luminance Percent colours, I would highly recommend getting them. A lot of the colours in the range are ones that I feel have been missing for a long time, and they have made sure a difference to my artwork. If you don’t have the budget to buy the full range, I’d recommend adding the Sepia 10%, the Raw Umber 10%, the Brown Ochre 10% and the Warm Earth 5% (741) to your toolbox. They are simply brilliant, so useful, and I couldn’t go without them! 

Click on the video at the top of this blog to see what each of my favourite Luminance Percent colours look like, to discover a few more and to find out where you can buy them online.