Friday 25 May 2018

Supracolor anniversary edition, and a visit to a special place

I prepared a long post for today, but very annoyingly, Blogger has completely messed up my posts. When I wanted to add the finishing touches yesterday, it had disappeared, and instead, I had two identical copies of another draft. I don't know what Blogger has done with my post, and I can't really understand how this could happen. But it certainly is most annoying. I thought that technology is supposed to make our lives easier, but I feel that in the past two or three years, it has just become more and more complicated and annoying, and more expensive. But I better don't get started about it all....


So here's a shorter version of my post for today. In my last post, I talked about the Schmincke limited edition metallics watercolour box, and today, I'm showing you another special edition that I got the other day, the Caran d'Ache Supracolor limited edition anniversary box with 30 new colours.


Actually, I'm not really too fond of limited edition art supplies. But I simply couldn't resist this box. I do love Caran d'Ache products, and living in Switzerland, I grew up with them and have been using them all my life. They are readily available here, and are among one of the very few things that are actually cheaper here than pretty much every where else.


The problem with limited edition art supplies is, well, obviously, that their availability is limited, and once they're gone, they're gone. With something like the Schmincke metallic watercolours, it doesn't bother me too much, because I won't use them much anyway. I bought them just for fun, and I might play around with them occasionally, but I doubt I'd miss them once they're used up. But with other supplies, if something works for me and I like using it, and get used to it, well, I want to be able to buy it again. So basically, if I know that something isn't available, I'd just rather not use it at all. It may well be that the colour charts below are the only time these gorgeous pencils will ever be used.


Actually, I am a bit confused about these. On the box, it says that they are exclusive colours and on the pencils themselves, it says Limited Edition. But on their website, it also says that to celebrate the 30 years of Supracolor, they are "enriching the Supracolor® Soft colour palette with thirty brand new colours in addition to the 120 existing shades". So maybe it's just this particular box that is limited edition, and the colours will eventually be available? It seems a bit of a shame to create so many new colours and then not actually sell them. I guess we'll have to wait and see.


The lighter ones also work very well on darker backgrounds.


Making these colour charts has inspired me to take out and try my other watercolour pencils again. I like them, and I think they could be really useful for sketching outside, if you don't always want to take a proper watercolour box with you. I like how they come alive once you add water. But I haven't actually used them very much, so I'm now trying to get the hang of them.


Last Monday, I got to spend the morning at one of my favourite places, a nearby park famous for its rhododendrons and azaleas. A truly gorgeous, peaceful and tranquil place. Well, until lunchtime, when the masses started to arrive. I've never seen so many people queuing at the entrance when I left. But then it was a public holiday, and the first day of really fine weather in quite a while. There used to be a decent connection but unfortunately, they changed the bus time tables a while ago, which now makes getting there by public transport a real pain in the neck (1 hr 10 minutes, whereof 45 minutes is just waiting for connections, vs 15 minutes by car), otherwise I would go there much more often.










12 comments:

  1. oh yes, that's so annoying when you spend all that time preparing for a post and then all of a sudden, whoops, it's gone. I like how well these pencils work on darker backgrounds. I think you wouldn't get these results with regular watercolours. Love love love the park that you went to. Azalea's and rhododendrons are my all time favorites, I so enjoy their bright colours every spring. thanks for sharing those beautiful pictures!

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  2. Very helpful, indeed! Your photos are unbelievable. I would love to have a place to visit as beautiful as this is. Thank you for the wonderful photos. Happy PPF

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  3. New art supplies are the absolute best! Lovely photos too :) Happy PPF from Number 19 :D

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  4. Amazing collection of colors and I know you will put them to extraordinary use. Your botanical garden photos are breathtaking- what a gorgeous place to visit on a fine day! happy PPF!

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  5. Lovely work and gorgeous photos!

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  6. I agree that technology has gotten so much more complicated in the past couple years. And with more and more social media outlets. Progress... I do not understand the difference on labeling products. I would think if a new product is popular, why wouldn't a company keep making it? I guess that is why I do not work in marketing.

    That lake and the gorgeous sceneries is breathtaking. I would not mind a longer connection to get there just to melt into that serene environment.You live in a beautiful place. Happy PPF!

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  7. I am so sorry--I had that happen to me once, too. It SO frustrating! I had never heard of that brand of colored pencils before--are they as good as Prismacolor? Your photos of the lake and scenery are wonderful...they filled my eyes.

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  8. Technology is great when it works...when. The pencils look really lovely and vibrant and I really enjoyed looking through your gorgeous photos! Stopping by a little late for PPF!

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  9. nice work...the pencils look enchanting....beautiful snaps of nature!!

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  10. The pencils are great, but they pale in comparison with the beautiful nature photos. Thanks for sharing. Happy PPF, Valerie

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  11. Gorgeous photos and I envy your pens 😉
    Happy PPF 🌸

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  12. Beautiful colors to work with and those photos...WOW!!!

    Happy PPF~

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