After reading this post, you will know what the colours in the basic Caran d’Ache Luminance set of 12 pencils.
We have taken closer looks at the Luminance range of pencils. This includes the expanded range of 100 pencils and the set of 76 Luminance pencils.
In particular, we have had an in-depth look at this basic set of 12 pencils. We have shown you the 144 colours that can be created by layering the 12 pencils in the set. As well, you can sort and search the colour recipes for these 144 colours.
Use this post together with our post on colour harmonies to help you choose the colours of your next artwork.
This post has images that includes the names, numbers, lightfast ratings and colour swatches of each pencil in the 12 set. Please read this disclaimer that explains how the colour analysis was undertaken.
Caran d’Ache Luminance set of 12 coloured pencils
When looking at the set as a whole, all colours (including the colour wheel family colours and neutrals) are shown clockwise in the chart below.
The chart represents a total of 12 pencils, of which 2 are neutral and 10 belong to the colour wheel colour families.
Now to get a closer look. Let’s separate these colours into two groups – the colour wheel colours, and the neutral colours.
The colour wheel colours
The colour wheel has 12 colours, and the colours move clockwise around the wheel. This is outlined in the image below.
The colour wheel colour family colours available in the set are outlined in the image below.
Of the colour wheel colours, the make-up of each colour family is outlined below. While the colours are of varying shades and tones, the predominant base colour belongs to the colour wheel colour family in which it has been placed.
Red – 12 o’clock
Starting with red at the 12.00 o’clock position, you can see that the Luminance set of 12 has 2 pencils that belong to the red colour wheel colour family.
Red-Orange – 1.00 o’clock
The next colour family group is red-orange at 1.00 o’clock. You can see that the Luminance set of 12 does not have a pencil that belongs to the red-orange colour wheel colour family.
Orange – 2.00 o’clock
The next colour is orange at 2.00 o’clock. The coloured pencil set of 12 has 1 pencil.
Orange-Yellow – 3.00 o’clock
Orange-Yellow sits at the 3.00 o’clock position. The set of 12 Luminance pencils does not have a pencil that belongs to the orange-yellow colour wheel colour family.
Yellow – 4.00 o’clock
At 4.00 o’clock sits yellow. The coloured pencil set of 12 includes 1 pencil that belongs to the yellow colour wheel colour family.
Yellow-Green – 5.00 o’clock
Yellow-green sits at 5.00 o’clock. The image below shows that the coloured pencil set of 12 includes 1 yellow-green colour family pencil.
Green – 6.00 o’clock
Green sits at 6.00 o’clock. The image below shows that the coloured pencil set of 12 includes 1 green colour family pencil.
Green-Blue – 7.00 o’clock
Green-blue sits at 7.00 o’clock. The coloured pencil set of 12 does not include any green-blue colour family pencils.
Blue – 8.00 o’clock
Blue is at the 8.00 o’clock position. The coloured pencil set of 12 includes 2 pencils that belong to the blue colour wheel colour family.
Blue-Violet – 9.00 o’clock
Blue-violet sits at the 9.00 o’clock position. The image below shows that the set of 12 includes 1 blue-violet colour wheel colour family pencil.
Violet – 10.00 o’clock
Violet sits at the 10.00 o’clock position. The coloured pencil set of 12 does not include any violet colour family pencils.
Violet-Red – 11.00 o’clock
Violet-red sits at the 11.00 o’clock positon. The coloured pencil set of 12 includes 1 violet-red pencil.
Colour wheel colour family – Summary of Caran d’Ache Luminance set of 12
As you can see from the above images, the Caran d’Ache Luminance set of 12 coloured pencils have pencils in 8 of the colour wheel colour families. It does not have pencil that represent red-orange, orange-yellow, green-blue or violet colour families.
Now let’s look at the neutral colours included in this basic set of 12 coloured pencils.
Neutral colours
Of the set of 12 coloured pencils, 2 are neutral. There are no metallic pencils in the set. These are shown clockwise in the pie chart below.
The breakdown of these pencils are as follows.
First there is the neutral-black pencil.
Next is the neutral-white pencil.
The bar chart below shows the breakdown of the set’s neutral pencils.
As you can see, the Caran d’Ache Luminance set of 12 coloured pencils is made up of a variety of colours and neutrals.
As noted above, the selection of colour is subjective and the reviewer has chosen colour by looking at the actual colour swatches. Nevertheless, you may find that a particular colour belongs to a different colour group or family.
Lightfastness
This set of 12 are all lightfast pencils. All 12 pencils have the highest lightfast rating of I.
Make your own colour chart
For your knowledge, it’s advisable to make your own colour chart so that you can get to know your coloured pencils.
What are the colours that you can make from this set?
We have layered the 12 pencils in the set, and from this we have found 144 new colours. These are shown in the bar chart below. You can see how these colours are made.
Now you should have a better understanding of the colours available in the 12 set of Caran d’Ache Luminance coloured pencils. You should also now be aware that you can make many colours from a basic set of pencils. Don’t be limited as you can make even more colours by layering 3 or more pencils.
Layer these pencils, and then find a harmonious colour relationship to use in your next art project.
Use this handy interactive colour chart if you want to see what is available in the full Caran d’Ache Luminance range of 100.
If you’d like to see how they compare, we have also had a closer look at the Prismacolor Premier set of 12 coloured pencils.