First, if you are using
Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain: The Definitive, 4th Edition
to learn to draw, this has a lot of what you will need in a convenient case. Going through the book, I rarely have to reach to anything that didn't come in this kit shy of my sketch book. That was what turned me on to it, and that's why I love it. Incidentally, if you are learned to draw, I'd highly recommend that book, this kit, and
Strathmore STR-340-111 50 Sheet Draw Tape Bound, 11 by 14"
or a similar size sketchbook (or any sketchbook if you're not fussy) to get started. The three together will see you a good way into your journey. Throw in a drawing board if you're feeling fancy.
Indeed, for most instruction programs, this and some paper is all you'll need. it is a very well provided kit.
Going through all of it, piece by piece. The case itself is quite sturdy (my cat has taken a try at destroying it, and I've taken a try at over-stuffing it, and it's survived both of us.) It holds everything securely and presents them well with the built in stand.
Pencils include 8B, 6B, 5B, 4B, 3B, 2B, B, HB (HB is your standard #2 pencil by the way), 2H, 3H, 4H, and 5H. For those familiar with drawing pencils, you already know that's quite a huge range. For those unfamiliar, H measures hardness and B measure boldness. 5H is so hard it barely makes a line and 8B is so dark it's practically charcoal.
Speaking of charcoal, this kit contains a box of 4 sticks of willow charcoal (made it though a lot of rough treatment because the case does a good job of protecting it until I finally broke them intentionally), three sticks of charcoal (soft, medium, and hard) and three charcoal pencils (soft, medium, and hard). The charcoal sticks are the darker matte ones. The shiny one are graphite.
On the graphite side there are three sticks (soft, medium, and hard) and a 6B soft graphite pencil.
On the pastel side, there are four pencils: Black, Grey, Red Brown, and Sepia.
It comes with two pencil sharpeners, and here I took one out to make room for something else (I've been tweaking the kit a bit -- more on that in a bit) and replaced one as it wasn't a terribly sharp sharpener. That was the only bit I was disappointed in, and it happens sometimes.
It also comes with sandpaper and an Xacto knife for additional sharpening options. I've used the knife to cut cardboard with no issues.
On the eraser front it has a kneeding and a vinyl eraser. That's all you need.
It has three blending stumps (very generous -- most kits have just one) and a double sized pencil extender.
Now, since I'm weird, I extended the kit a bit. To wit, I've added:
an eraser shield (that it would have been nice if it came with it, but it would have been hard to present it well -- I just stuck it behind the pencils),
Pilot FriXion Colors Erasable Marker, 6 Color Set (SFC-60M-6C3)
(the only thing that isn't secured in the kit)
An eraser for said markers (that's what replaced the extra sharpener)
Three Conte crayon pencils
One white pencil
Pentel Arts Pocket Brush Pen, Includes 2 Black Ink Refills (GFKP3BPA)
The point of that simply is, with moving stuff around the kit is quite versatile and suited for individual customization. There is room to make this kit uniquely yours.
Castle Art is extremely responsive to customer concerns (I emailed them with a question about the kit and they got back to me promptly and with very helpful information).
They do not, at the time of this writing, offer refills, but I have found each of the components either here at Amazon or at various online and brick and mortar art supply stores, so it won't be hard to refill the case at need.
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Castle Art Supplies 40 Piece Premium Drawing and Sketching Set With Tutorial | For Artists, Professionals or Beginners | Pencils, Charcoal, Graphite and More | In Neat Carry-Anywhere Zipper Case
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Whether you’re new to art, want to start over or believe you can do better, you can only be true to your vision with great art materials. But how do you choose them?
We understand and listen with care to our customers and create what they really want.
Every art set thoughtfully selected, logically organized, premium quality, affordably priced, helpfully packaged, tried and tested, with know-how guides.
With Castle Arts you can.
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Learn with Castle Arts.
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Product Description
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Your Growth, Our Mission
It’s All About You
As your creative partners, we evolve with you, act on feedback, and support your artistic journey.
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No More Creative Barriers
Art Is for Everyone
Whatever your skill level, our products help you reach your potential with pro tips and tutorials.
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A Joy to Use
Created by Artists for You
Our supplies are developed by resident artists, with premium materials to empower every creator.
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United Through Art
A Creative Community
Join our community to find inspiration, share ideas, showcase your work, and motivate other artists.
1 It’s All About You 2 Art Is for Everyone 3 Created by Artists 4 A Creative Community
What Our Customers Are Saying..
The Best Gift!
“I would recommend this to anyone who is wanting to give a fun artistic, creative and good quality gift.”
I Would Recommend
“Lovely case of drawing items. I would recommend it for beginners and professional it's great, good value for money, the delivery is super fast.”
Good Selection.
“I love the tutorials and the selection of professional items included in the set, although I don't know yet know how to use all of them!”
Soft And Easy To Use
“I love the set of pencils. They’re soft and easy to use when drawing.”
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Draw Anywhere, Anytime
Your Portable Studio for On-the-Go Creativity
Achieve your best work with this all-in-one drawing set and its convenient pop-up zipper case.
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A Professional-Quality Drawing Set You Can Rely On
Premium-grade graphite, charcoal, pastels, and tools. A trusted addition to any artist’s collection.
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Master drawing techniques with our 28-page guide book and a step-by-step graphite pencil tutorial.
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Overview and Comparison Of Castle Arts Premium Color Pencil Range
 40pc Drawing & Sketching |  12pc Drawing & Sketching |  26pc Drawing & Sketching |  60pc Drawing & Sketching |  100pc Drawing & Sketching |  120+ Mixed Media Zipper | |
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Customer Reviews
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11,147
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2,772
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9,911
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294
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562
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308
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Price
| $44.99 | $16.99 | $12.99 | $64.99 | $79.99 | $89.99 |
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Are graphite pencils included?
| 12 pencils | 12 pencils | 12 pencils | 12 pencils | 12 pencils | 7 pencils |
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Are graphite sticks included?
| ✔ | ✘ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
|
Charcoal pencils and sticks?
| ✔ | ✘ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
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Are willow sticks included?
| ✔ | ✘ | ✘ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
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Pastel pencils and sticks?
| ✔ | ✘ | ✘ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
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Are sharpeners included?
| ✔ | ✘ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
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Are erasers included?
| ✔ | ✘ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
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Black fineliner pens included?
| No | No | No | Yes, 6 pens | Yes, 8 pens | No |
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Water brush pens?
| No | No | No | 1 pointed, 1 flat | 1 round, 1 pointed, 1 flat | No |
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Water-soluble pencils?
| No | No | No | 3 water soluble graphite | 12 water soluble graphite | 30 watercolor pencils |
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40 Piece Drawing and Sketching Set
Castle Art Supplies
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This Item  Castle Art Supplies 40 Piece Premium Drawing and Sketching Set With Tutorial | For Artists, Professionals or Beginners | Pencils, Charcoal, Graphite and More | In Neat Carry-Anywhere Zipper Case |  |  |  |  |  | |
| Price | $44.99 | $29.99 | $24.99 | -25% $29.99 Typical: $39.99 | $79.99 | -13% $20.96 List: $23.99 |
| Delivery | Get it as soon as Friday, May 3 | Get it as soon as Friday, May 3 | Get it as soon as Friday, May 3 | Get it as soon as Friday, May 3 | Get it as soon as Friday, May 3 | Get it as soon as Friday, May 3 |
| Customer Ratings | ||||||
| Giftable | ||||||
| Value for money | ||||||
| For beginners | ||||||
| Sold By | Castle Art Supplies | TCP Global Corp | XINJING | TCP Global Corp | Castle Art Supplies | Goodluck001 |
| point type | Bold | Medium | Medium | Medium | Fine | Medium |
| material | Wood, Lead | Plastic | Plastic | — | Charcoal,Wood | Wood |
| closure type | Zipper | Snap | zipper | snap | Zipper | zipper |
Reviews with images
Fantastic array of supplies.
Pros: the graphite pencils are pretty much buttery smooth and a joy to work with, really one of the best pencil sets so far. The willow sticks last a long time. The pencil extender is a lifesaver. The sharpeners are sharp and do not dull quickly.Cons: the kneaded eraser is useless, breaks apart like an old starburst. The charcoal pencils don't smudge/blend well, which would be great if the compressed charcoal was smaller/pinpoint but they are not. The chalk pastel pencils aren't the best quality.I created a charcoal art piece with this set and have attached a photo for reference. Overall, turned out well and I am happy.
Top reviews from other countries
Chantal
Amazing All-In-Sne Sketching & Drawing Set!
Reviewed in Canada on October 25, 2021
Chantal
Reviewed in Canada on October 25, 2021
I am perfectly pleased with the quality of the pencils. The vinyl eraser is like any other eraser of its kind and it does what it’s supposed to. The smudging pencils are sturdy and can withstand the necessary amount of pressure to blend graphite and charcoal. The graphite sticks seem promising for shading in large areas, though I’ve only used them twice. Same with the charcoal sticks. One small criticism is the size of the kneading eraser, I do wish it was about 2-3 times larger so you can cover larger areas with it. I personally don’t like plastic sharpeners so I won’t be using it, but I tested it and it does it’s job, no bending or cracking of the plastic. The steel sharpener is a nice weight and size with 2 different sizes use. The sandpaper is where I think the big kicker is. Sandpaper isn’t a secret in art but usually we find ourselves buying a whole roll from the hardware store cause on its own in an art supplies shop they’re just over priced, let’s be honest. I’ve never seen a pencil set with a sandpaper pad included. The sandpaper holds so many uses, cleaning/sharpening your smudging pencils, sanding a dull pencil down to a fine point without needless sharpening, quick & easy way to clean your vinyl eraser, and I could go on. I’m sure there’s more that other people have done with it that I’ve never thought of myself.
Overall opinion: I love it. I’ve had only one small complaint amongst the entire kit. Notably I can’t presently comment on the willow sticks and pastel pencils as I have not used them yet. I will update my review in the future to include how I feel about them as well!
Images in this review
Budgie
Good quality kit including case
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on February 21, 2024Rafael Carvajal
Juego premium de material para dibujo
Reviewed in Spain on December 27, 2023