This is a whole entire post about my very favorite color in the whole world: using it, finding it, collecting it, and enjoying it.
There are lots of people who love love love this color (along with Deco Blue) and we were all sooo bummed when it was discontinued in 2007.
As soon as I heard the news I immediately went on the lookout for replacements! Here is where I first found them:
In my college’s bookstore, summer of 2007
If you are having trouble with broken leads use a knife to sharpen- it will help enormously! This is something my dad taught me to do. He adored writing utensils, especially fountain pens and since he passed away in 2002 I have his collection of them. In the 6th grade I had my own Swiss Army pocketknife and was taught to sharpen pencils with it. I even took it to school and sharpened them there! No one batted an eye in my Midwestern state in the late 80s!
In an online scrapbook shop, 2011
And more recently:
E-Bay auctions, Individual pencils 2021 (Save your search so E-Bay can e-mail you as soon as someone lists one!)
E-Bay auctions for vintage sets of 96 or 120, (these sets contain all the decos!) 2020
That’s a lot of pencils! You say. Yes, I say, but I use this color more than any other and nothing makes me happier in my art supplies! I have several ”dead” pencil ends too short for even an extender anymore to attest to how much I use this color!
In my inventory I think I have 6 full-size and 2 half-sized pencils. My precious… (Rubs hands together like Golem.)
I used to really be anxious about using them- but now I know I can find them in old vintage sets, I don’t worry so much anymore! Viva Le colour!
Also….bonus! I bought a lot of greens and found that Prismacolor Scholar pencils have one that is an incredibly close match! Number 320! Scholars are almost as good as Premieres/Regular Prismas. The Scholars are a little bit scratchy, but that’s all I can tell. (I had a much-loved set of scholars growing up.)
I use deco aqua to do a lot of shadows and highlights, but my favorite time is when I’m just laying down the pure color on paper. That is so satisfying.
Since cool mint is my very favorite color in the whole world I see it every where! And buy and love things this color too!
With lots of deco aqua love to you from Kansas Street,
-Jaime
Life on Kansas Street 
Thanks for posting this! I was young and not really into the art world at the time when this color was available, but as someone who is now into art, has cool mint as one of her favorite colors, and loves the Deco Pink pencil, I found this article an interesting read. I love the way you’ve rendered the teacup, as well as the swatches of similar colors. I wonder if Prismacolor will ever bring back the missing Deco shades.
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Thank you very much! I am so glad to have found a kindred spirit! I’ve been hoping they will bring them back, but the company has changed hands several times. Maybe they lost the recipe lol! My newest favorite is Daniel Smith’s Primatek Fuchsite Genuine- it’s a gorgeous and iridescent cool mint! PS got my teacup drawing skills from the Wonderful Liz Steel. Her blog is great!
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Maybe we have to pester Prisma a lot! I know there are Deco Blue fans who’d probably join the cause. I remember reading an article about an artist, Don Colley, who convinced Faber Castell to keep around the Pitt Big Brush Pens in a new format.
I haven’t done a lot of watercolor yet, but I’ll keep that Daniel Smith color in mind! I’m also going to try to get the Scholar pencil to try it for myself.
If you dabble in markers, what markers would you say are closest in color to Deco Mint? (Other than the Prisma markers you show above, haha.) I have a Copic marker, BG10 Cool Shadow, that I think looks similar…
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I would love to pester! Lol Unfortunately I don’t do markers, but you are right on track with Copic, they have such a wide range! I will check that color out!
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