Two years ago, I reviewed Arrtx colored pencils — and honestly? I had some real complaints. So when Arrtx reached out and told me their new edition had fixed those issues, I was skeptical. But you know what — they actually delivered! From the thicker 5mm core to the readable barrel labels to a box that doesn’t make you want to throw it across the room, this new version is genuinely impressive. Stick around for the full unboxing, swatches, and coloring session, and see if you love what they did as much as I do!
Video Description
Two years ago I reviewed Arrtx colored pencils and had real complaints: hard-to-read barrel text, a box that fought me, and a crumbly core. So when Arrtx said this new edition was different, I doubted that. But they were right! The core is now 5mm instead of 3.8mm, and it layers better. The names on the barrels are actually readable. The box is useful instead of annoying. I love what they did with these.
Watch the unboxing, swatches, and coloring to see if you agree.
===COLORING BLISS PRODUCTS===
Simple Bliss Autumn Coloring Cards
Packs A & B: https://www.coloringbliss.com/product/coloring-cards-autumn-charm-packs-ab/
Pack A: https://www.coloringbliss.com/product/coloring-cards-autumn-charm-pack-a/
Pack B: https://www.coloringbliss.com/product/coloring-cards-autumn-charm-pack-b/
See All of Our Coloring Cards
https://www.coloringbliss.com/new-coloring-cards/
See Our Swatch Books
https://www.coloringbliss.com/shop-swatch-books/
===LINKS===
New Arrtx 126 Colored Pencils (5mm Core)
https://link.amazon/B0imtjjq3
AFMAT Electric Pencil Sharpener
https://amzn.to/4xnbMrY
Glass Pump Dispenser Bottles
https://amzn.to/4sobIoj
Gamsol Odorless Mineral Spirits
https://amzn.to/4tVzSb9
Blending Stumps
https://amzn.to/4tGuN6l
===RECOMMENDED VIDEOS===
Best BUDGET FRIENDLY Colored Pencils? [Arrtx Unboxing & Review] https://youtu.be/ali3RZJ19PQ?si=i5UCRGPTqyqrYtOU
===CHAPTER MARKERS===
00:00:00 – Welcome & Introduction
00:01:13 – What Did they Change?
00:03:39 – Unboxing
00:11:15 – Swatching
00:13:57 – Swatching Results
00:20:09 – Testing
00:22:30 – Testing Results
00:24:31 – Price
00:28:14 – Coloring
00:33:29 – My Recommendation
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Transcript
Artix 126 Color Pencils — New Set Review
Two years ago, I reviewed this box of Artix 126 color pencils. I didn’t love them, but I didn’t hate them, and I enjoyed the feel of them. I really thought I would color with them regularly. But I have to admit, because of some major issues I had with that set, they have sat on my shelf for the last two years.
Well, recently Artix reached out and said, “Did you know we’ve made a new set of Artix 126 color pencils?” At first I wasn’t that interested, because I wasn’t wowed by their first set. But Artix has been around for over two years now and has really come out with a lot of impressive products. So I thought, “All right, go ahead and send me the new set. I want to see if you’ve improved that line.” So here they are today.
First Impressions of the New Box
I have to say, I’m really excited that they’ve gone to a new box — we’ll talk about that in a minute. We’re going to put these pencils through the full test: swatching, the worksheet, and some coloring. We’ll see if Artix has truly improved their color pencils.
With the old box, the top lifts off to reveal 126 pencils standing upright in a foam insert inside two separate boxes. I really did not like that system. It was hard to find the color number you were looking for, it felt awkward, and the lid always wanted to come off the wrong way. That was one major reason I stopped reaching for them.
The second major reason? The labeling on the pencils themselves. Let me show you — I’ll grab a blue pencil so you can see how small the writing is. Right above my fingernail is where the color number is printed. It’s tiny and in metallic writing. You can barely read the name — Helio Turquoise, I believe — and the number is 2014. I would say these were probably the most difficult pencils I’ve ever had to read numbers on. So I’m really excited to see whether they’ve fixed that with the new set.
The Big Upgrade: 5 mm Core
There are other differences that have me excited, and one of the biggest is the core size. The old pencil has a 3.8 mm core — the same as a Prismacolor pencil — but the new pencil has a 5 mm core. The only other pencil I know of that comes close to that is the Derwent Drawing pencil. A 5 mm core means the pencil will color much longer between sharpenings. I can’t wait to test it out.
Unboxing the New Set
Let’s open this up. They’ve got a nice plastic overwrap on it. From what I understand, it’s the same 126 colors — they just feature the larger 5 mm core. I want to compare them against my old swatches from two years ago to confirm the colors are the same.
I do want to say a special thank you to Artix for sending this to me. They also included a cute little sketchbook, and I really appreciate them supporting the channel. I don’t take gifted products lightly. On this channel, 90% of the time I purchase the products you see me unbox. This one was gifted, but it came with no expectations, so I can be just as honest and just as picky as I always am. You can trust me on that.
Okay — first look. This is not a metal tin. It’s a cardboard box, but a nice, thick, sturdy one. Inside, we’ve got some packing foam and a printed swatch chart. With the last set, you had to print out the swatch chart yourself, so having it included is a really nice touch. The color names and numbers look very familiar from the older set.
We have a beautiful insert displaying the pencils, and a little thank you card from Artix. Now here’s the first tray — and it uses a plastic tray nestled inside a cardboard box with a ribbon pull, so you can lift it out easily. Really smart design.
Comparing Old vs. New Pencils Side by Side
Let me grab a pencil right away. This pencil feels heavy and substantial in my hand. And look at that core. Here’s the old Artix pencil next to the new one — the difference in core size should be very easy to see on camera. The bodies appear to be the same size; they’ve simply gone up to the 5 mm core. I just keep getting blown away by that.
They’ve also changed the labeling. It still says “Artix Color Pencil” in silver print, but it’s not as flashy and chrome-like as the old metallic printing. There’s also a cute little bow design instead of a star. But here’s what really excites me — flip to the other side of the pencil and look at that label. It’s almost matte, and you can actually read it: Cobalt Teal Blue, AT2015. Clear and easy. Now try reading the label on the old pencil. I dare you.
Those were the two main problems with the original set: the box system and the unreadable pencil labels. They’ve fixed both of those things and added a 5 mm core. I am genuinely impressed. Artix listened. Sometimes we point out these details and nothing ever changes, but they heard us, fixed the issues, and actually went further by upgrading the core. That’s really exciting.
Setting Up for Swatching
Here’s the second tray — beautiful colors. I can’t wait to swatch them and see how they perform. Another issue I had with the older pencils was crumbling, so I’m curious to see if that’s improved as well.
Two years ago when I did my video on the original set, I left the pencils in Artix’s order. This time, I’m putting them into my own color order, because I feel like they’re worth the time. I like my pencils in color wheel order: starting with yellow, moving through the warm colors, through the cool colors, and ending with grays, blacks, whites, and any specialty pencils — like the couple of metallics, which will go at the end.
I’ve got some organizing to do, so I’m going to set up my swatch book and be back in just a moment with everything prepared.
Swatching
All right, my swatch book is filled out and ready to go, and I’m getting more and more excited about these pencils. As I swatch them, I want to share a few things from the Amazon listing — particularly about lightfastness. I thought it was interesting that they specify the pigments have been tested for lightfastness, rather than the pencils as a whole. I found that distinction worth noting, so keep that in mind as you listen.
Here’s what the listing says:
“These pencils are formulated to minimize dragging and deliver consistent color coverage. The soft core helps reduce visible grain and white spots on textured paper, allowing for smooth layering and blending with minimal patchiness or harsh lines under normal use. This pencil features a jumbo 5 mm diameter soft core. The thick design is less prone to breakage and offers broader coverage, allowing you to lay down color quickly. Plus, the increased diameter means you can focus on creating for longer periods between sharpenings.
These pencils are made with light-stable pigments that have passed lightfastness testing. Your finished artwork resists noticeable fading over time, even when displayed on a wall or stored in a portfolio. Colors retain their original appearance for years, so you can create with confidence. With 126 vibrant colors, this set gives you a wide range of shades for portraits, sketches, coloring books, and more — great for artists, students, or anyone who loves to draw and color.”
Today we’re working in my Volume 1 Swatch Bliss swatching catalog book. This book is printed on beautiful color pencil paper — approximately 147 GSM, thick white paper with a nice tooth to it that works really well with color pencils. You can have your own swatch book printed at Coloring Bliss on your choice of paper — just follow the link in the video description.
For today’s swatching, I’m going to swatch each tray on its own page. Since the pencils come in three trays, it works out to three pages in my book naturally. That will also make it easier for me to locate colors while I’m coloring later.
Crumb Test Comparison
Okay, the swatching is done. But before we look at the swatches together, I want to talk about crumbs — because it was one of the notable issues with the original set.
I grabbed one pencil from the old set and one from the new set. Coloring with the old one, you can see the crumbs coming off. Now with the new one — can you hear the difference? The sound is different. The feel is different. I think they may have a slightly different formula in the core.
Let me try another one. I grabbed Mayan Violet — number 4122 in the new set. Old pencil: crumbs. New pencil: noticeably fewer crumbs and a smoother feel. I genuinely think something has changed in the formulation. It’s not a dramatic difference, but it’s there, and I love it.
One other thing I noticed while swatching: the exterior paint color on the pencils matched the core colors much better than the previous set. That was a happy surprise I wasn’t expecting.
Looking at the Swatches Together
Let me give you a close look at all three pages of swatches.
Page one covers my first tray. Page two covers my second tray. Page three covers the third tray, which I’ve broken into warm grays, cool grays, a couple of neutrals, black, white, and then the metallics at the bottom. When you move them in the light, you can really see how beautifully the silver and gold shimmer.
Steve joined me to take a look, and here’s what he had to say:
Steve: I’m really impressed — not just by the coverage across the full color wheel, but also by the range of lights, mediums, and darks. That’s pretty thoughtful. There’s one color at the end that I found really interesting — number 1111. It’s a very unique color that seems like it would be incredibly useful.
Me: I wasn’t sure where to put it, so it ended up with the neutrals. My ordering isn’t perfect this time around — a couple of pencils are probably in the wrong spot. If I end up loving these pencils long-term, I’ll do a more precise arrangement and an official swatch chart. That’s just how we work around here: rough order first, then refined later.
As for the browns — we go from yellow through orange and red-orange, then into reds, and then into browns. There are two-and-a-bit rows of browns, plus another one or two. If you do a lot of skin tones or landscapes, this set gives you a lot of options.
The only downside I can think of right now is that Artix doesn’t offer open stock. That means if you use up a few pencils, you have to replace the entire set rather than buying individual pencils. That’s worth keeping in mind.
But that 5 mm core, Steve — it means the pencils will last significantly longer, and they’re the same body size as the previous set, so they’ll work in a standard pencil sharpener beautifully. We’ll test that shortly.
The Worksheet
Now it’s time for the worksheet — six steps total, with a bonus step at the end.
Step 1A and 1B — Swatching: We already swatched on white paper. For 1B, I use a small black square of black paper to swatch several colors and see how they read on a dark background.
Step 2 — Three-Color Blend: I’m blending yellow, orange, and red using Jennifer’s rule of blending thirds. The goal is a smooth, even gradient across the rectangle.
Step 3 — Two-Color Solvent Blend: I color the left two-thirds of the rectangle with blue and the right two-thirds with yellow, creating a green overlap in the center. Then I apply odorless mineral spirits to that center area to see how the core responds to solvent.
Step 4 — Crumbs and Sharpening: Using a green pencil, I color from left to right with light pressure on the left transitioning to heavy pressure on the right. I sharpen the pencil both before and after this section and test it in my AHMAT electric pencil sharpener.
Step 5 — Layering Test: Using a violet pencil, I color each square with the number of layers indicated, starting at the far left. I note at which square I needed light pressure, medium pressure, and when layering becomes difficult and requires burnishing pressure.
Step 6 (Bonus) — Water Solubility: I do a few swatches at the bottom of the paper, then use a water brush to see whether the pigment activates or stays put.
Worksheet Results — Including a Surprising Discovery
Steps one through five came out really well. I was genuinely excited — thinking, “We have a new pencil I can’t wait to recommend to everyone.”
Then we hit Step 6: water solubility.
These pencils are not advertised as watercolor or water-soluble pencils. So in my mind, if you draw with them and add water on top, the color should hold firm, or at most shift just slightly. But look at the results. Look at how much color lifted off each of those swatches. They might as well be watercolor pencils — that’s how much pigment activated with water.
That is a significant discovery. Does it change how I feel about these pencils? A little, yes — because I use color pencils in mixed media situations all the time. When I reach for a wax- or oil-based color pencil, I need it to stay put. If I want water reactivity, I’ll reach for a watercolor pencil on purpose.
So if you work in mixed media, you need to know this about the Artix pencils. Be careful using water anywhere near them — unless you actually want to take advantage of that water-soluble effect. It’s not necessarily a flaw if you plan for it, but it can absolutely ruin a piece if you don’t know about it going in.
Price
One thing we haven’t discussed yet is price. As of September 2026 on Amazon in the US, this set costs $66.99 for all 126 pencils — that’s about 53 cents per pencil. Not the cheapest pencils I’ve ever reviewed, but definitely more affordable than something like a Derwent Drawing pencil, which also has a 5 mm core. They’re solidly in the budget-friendly range, which was one of the things that made me excited about them.
For comparison, the original Artix set is still available at $49.99 — about 40 cents per pencil — which makes sense given the smaller 3.8 mm core. When you’re shopping, just make sure you’re selecting the right set. I’ll put a direct link in the video description.
Sharpening
Before we get to the coloring portion, I want to show you one more thing: what happens when you sharpen these pencils.
I have my AHMAT electric sharpener set to the most blunt tip setting. Here’s what a pencil looks like fresh from the box — a slightly chunky, flat end because of that thick core. And after sharpening, look at how long that exposed lead is. It’s really impressive.
My first reaction when a pencil came out of the sharpener was actually a moment of panic — the tip looked so long I was sure it would snap immediately. But I tested it at full burnishing pressure and not one pencil broke. I sharpened all of them. Look at how beautiful they are. That 5 mm core is doing exactly what it promises.
Coloring — Simple Bliss Autumn Charm Cards
For today’s coloring session, I’m using our Simple Bliss Autumn Charm coloring cards, picking from Pack A. There are two packs available, with 100 total illustrations to choose from.
The illustrations that caught my eye today were: a cluster of acorns and a leaf, a cute little pumpkin house, an adorable little squirrel, and one with the text “Fall Is Here.” I was torn between the squirrel and the acorns, but I went with the squirrel — because there’s an acorn in the illustration too, so I get both!
If you haven’t ordered your own set of Simple Bliss Autumn Charm coloring cards yet, follow the link in the video description. You can order one pack or both packs, and an acrylic stand is included with your order. For a limited time, when you buy two packs, we’ll throw in a set of Bliss Blank art cards — 50 cards valued at $9.99 — as a free gift.
Finished Coloring
For my little squirrel, I really wanted her to read as red overall, so I worked a lot of warm reds into her fur and built up shadows with deep, dark tones. Making the dark areas truly dark is what makes the bright areas feel brighter — that contrast is everything.
I also used odorless mineral spirits (Gamsol) applied with a blending stump to break down the color, eliminate the white of the paper quickly, and blend out pencil strokes. It’s such a fantastic technique and it makes the coloring process feel effortless and joyful.
For the background, I did a light wash of blue on top and green on the bottom, then used odorless mineral spirits again to dissolve the pencil marks and blend everything smoothly. I finished with some small details in the grass to add a little extra charm.
Here is my finished coloring card. I love her. I love her rosy cheeks and her red fur. She’s just the most charming little creature. We don’t have many squirrels in my neighborhood, so whenever I visit somewhere that has them, I’m completely delighted. This little squirrel captures that feeling perfectly.
Final Opinion
It’s time for my final verdict on the Artix 126 color pencil set.
I think they’re a winner. I think this is going to become a set I reach for regularly — which means I’ll probably invest in a canvas zip-up case for them eventually, though the box is working well for now. The lid is a little snug, but I’d rather have it be slightly stubborn than too loose when I’m moving the whole box around.
Here’s my full summary:
What I love:
- The new box design is practical, well-organized, and easy to use
- The labels on the pencils are now readable — a huge improvement
- Significantly fewer crumbs compared to the original set
- The exterior pencil colors match the cores much more accurately
- Smooth layering and beautiful blending
- More layering capacity than some other pencils I’ve tested recently
- Vibrant color payoff
- The 5 mm core means less frequent sharpening and more time coloring
- Price point is reasonable for what you’re getting
The one concern:
- Water solubility. These pencils are not marketed as water-soluble, but they behave as though they are. If you work in mixed media and use water anywhere near your pencil work, please keep this in mind. They are not the right pencil to reach for if you need your color to be waterproof. If you’re going in with a watercolor background after the fact, it will activate these pencils and the results may not be what you intended.
Outside of that single issue, I think these pencils are a dream. If you haven’t tried the Artix pencils before, this new set is a great place to start. I’ll link to them in the video description — that’s an Amazon affiliate link, which gives Coloring Bliss a small commission at no extra cost to you. It helps keep this little business going, so thank you for using it.
Comment below: Is water solubility a deal-breaker for you? Are you looking for a pencil that is completely waterproof, or does that result from Step 6 not bother you? I’d love to know — it’s a really interesting conversation to have in the comments.
For me personally, it’s a deal-breaker in mixed media situations, but if I’m sitting down to color a page without any water elements involved, it doesn’t bother me at all.
Thank you so much again to Artix for sending this set. I was genuinely and pleasantly surprised. This was a really fun video to film.
Thank you all for watching and spending this time with me today. I hope you have a wonderful, colorful, blissful day. Bye-bye, everyone!
Now I get to put my little squirrel up on the back wall — and I still have seven more autumn coloring cards to finish before the whole wall is complete. But that’s a project for another day. Right now, I’m going to go eat dinner.
