Colored pencils are composed of pigment and a binder that is either wax, oil or a poly combo. Which of the best colored pencils you select will depend on your price point, the look of the finished work you are after and if you are using them for casual coloring or going for a framable piece of art.
Below is a list of my recommendations for the best colored pencils for beginners, for adults, and for professionals while each are laid out in easy to read sections below.
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If you are short of time here’s my top pick for the best colored pencils for the beginner category
Castle Art Supplies 72 Colored Pencils
- Wax based and comparable to Prismacolor
- Large selection of colors
- Beautiful tin storage box with three storage trays
- Full refund or replacement guarantee if not happy
- Their motto is “challenging the big brands with our double the colors-half the price presentation set”
- Very highly rated by reviewers
Total Rating: 90 %
- 4 out of 5 Clean Sharpening
- 5 out of 5 Blendability
- 5 out of 5 Quality of construction
- 5 out of 5 Color saturation
- 4 out of 5 Color selection variety
https://youtu.be/iBuhYsRRjB8
For Beginners
Like many things in the marketplace, colored pencils come in a variety of quality and for a variety of different purposes.
Let’s start with pencils suitable for children or casual beginners who are very budget minded.
Student grade (not college, but grade school) pencils are going to be hard and durable. They are made of inexpensive materials with lots of binder and are going to be great with electric pencil sharpeners.
It will be difficult to get a bright vibrant color. They are not lightfast and they will be not opaque.
You can expect some lead fall out (the lead just up and drops out of the wood casing), some powdering as the lead sheds a bit and inconsistent feel – sometimes smooth, sometimes gritty.
Sometimes the lead will drag and stop as you color.
Here is a sample of five different sets
1. Crayola Colored Pencils 50 count
And Crayola Colored Pencils 100 count
- Proven quality from generation to generation, Crayola is a brand you can trust with American non toxic standards
- This kid’s set is perfect for beginners and children
- At a price point comfortable enough to get started
- Nice selection of colors
Total Rating: 73%
- 3 out of 5 Clean sharpening
- 3 out of 5 Blendability
- 4 out of 5 Quality of construction
- 3 out of 5 Saturated color
- 5 out of 5 Color labelled on pencil
- 4 out of 5 Color variety options
Crayola Colored Pencils 50 count for Adults
- Basically the same set, but packaged to appeal to grown ups!
2. Sargent Art Premium 50 Count
- A trusted manufacturer for over 75 years
- The price point in this set can’t be beat
- Rated safe for ages 3 and up
Total Rating: 56%
- 3 out of 5 Clean sharpening
- 3 out of 5 Blendability
- 3 out of 5 Quality of construction
- 3 out of 5 Saturated color
- 2 out of 5 Color labelled on pencil (outside doesn’t always match accurately the lead color)
- 3 out of 5 Color variety options 2 whites and 2 blacks make a variety of 48 actual colors
3. US Art Supply Colored Pencils 50 Count
- NOT made in USA, a bit of a name issue
- Best selling adult colored pencils in this price point
- Wax based
- Colors are lighter in intensity, so difficult to get a vibrant color
Total Rating: 53%
- 5 out of 5 Clean sharpening
- 2 out of 5 Blendability
- 4 out of 5 Quality of construction
- 2 out of 5 Color Saturation
- 0 out of 5 Color labelled on pencil
- 3 out of 5 Color variety options
4. Star-Joy Colored Pencil Set 72 count
- Comes with a canvas roll wrap pencil holder, sharpener and eraser
- Large variety in colors, but some are nearly exactly the same shade
- Budget priced
Total Rating: 60%
- 4 out of 5 Clean sharpening
- 3 out of 5 Blendability
- 4 out of 5 Quality of construction
- 3 out of 5 Saturated color
- 0 out of 5 Color labelled on pencil
- 4 out of 5 Color variety options
For Adults, a Step-Up From Student Grade Coloring
The most selection and price point differences are going to be in this category. Nearly ALL pencil manufacturers are going to label their pencils as “premium” or “artists pencils” because no one is stopping them . Over all, you can expect some pencil lead breakage due to inconsistency in manufacturing, varying qualities of materials, poor packaging for transit or someone somewhere dropped the box or pencil, breaking the lead in its casing.
These pencils may not be light fast, and archival quality, but they will color substantially better than student grade.
There will be variations from pencil to pencil as some will be scratchy or gritty and some will be awesome.
They will be made from wax or oil and cased in everything from top quality cedar to junk wood.
The harder the pencil, the smaller the detail you can do. The softer the lead, the easier it will be to color in large areas of surface.
Another factor to consider is the coloring book you are choosing to use. The paper can make or break your recreational experience! A smooth tooth paper with a certain level of thickness will give you a glide and buttery lay down, but a cheap, thin paper will make your pencil drag and be very difficult to get a solid fill in.
So experiment with different brands and papers. Every person is going to have a different opinion and preference, so it really comes down to trying out a few brands and finding your sweet spot.
Here are my picks of the top rated pencils that have a proven track record and good to excellent reviews from purchasers:
1. Castle Art Supplies 72 Colored Pencils
- Wax based and comparable to Prismacolor
- Beautiful tin storage box with three storage trays
- Full refund or replacement guarantee if not happy
- Their motto is “challenging the big brands with our double the colors-half the price presentation set”
- Very highly rated by reviewers
Total Rating: 90 %
- 4 out of 5 Clean Sharpening
- 5 out of 5 Blendability
- 4 out of 5 Quality of construction
- 5 out of 5 Saturated color
- 5 out of 5 Color labelled on pencil
- 4 out of 5 Color variety options
2. Prismacolor 3598T Premier Soft Core 48 count
- By far the world’s best selling colored pencil is Prismacolor
- The leads are soft and blend easily
- Each pencil has its own name and number so that you can order replacements one at a time. Which is a huge bonus at this level because you will run out of your favorite and not want to buy an entire set again just to get one pencil
- There are huge varieties of colors
- They need to be layered in order to get a depth of color
- If you enjoy blending and using a gentle stroke you might like this brand
- Customer ratings report that the quality is inconsistent or getting worse
Total Rating: 83%
- 3 out of 5 Clean sharpening
- 4 out of 5 Blendability
- 4 out of 5 Quality construction
- 4 out of 5 Saturated color
- 5 out of 5 Color labelled on pencil
- 5 out of 5 Color variety options
Prismacolor Premier Colored Pencils, Soft Core, 150 Pack
- The entire line in a very nice storage box
Steve, embed the video on the 150 pack amazon page here or on youtube
3. Prismacolor Premium Verithin Colored Pencils pack 36
- Same quality but harder and thinner lead for outlining and tiny detailed spots, so fewer colors available
- Not intended to fill in large areas of color
- Precision drawing then fill in with the soft core pencils
- And HEY! That’s my friend’s artwork on the box cover! Beautiful work by illustrator Kimberly Kincaid
Total Rating:80%
- 5 out of 5 Clean sharpening. These pencils are hard!
- 3 out of 5 Blendability….but they are not intended for blending
- 4 out of 5 Quality construction
- 3 out of 5 Saturated color ….but they are not intended for saturation
- 5 out of 5 Color labelled on pencil
- 4 out of 5 Color variety options
4. Artist’s Choice 120-Pack Colored Pencils
- Reviewers rave that these compare to Prismacolors at a price point which is very low
- They are waxed based and come with a full refund option if you do not like them!
- No names or numbers on pencils
- USA based customer service, which is excellent
- Best seller
- Great value for price point
Total Rating: 60%
- 3 out of 5 Clean sharpening
- 4 out of 5 Blendability
- 3 out of 5 Quality construction
- 3 out of 5 Saturated color
- 0 out of 5 Color labelled on pencil
- 5 out of 5 Color variety options
5. ARTEZA Colored Pencils, Professional Set of 48 Colors
- In the same league as Artist’s Choice is Arteza brand. They are waxed based, but not as soft as Prismacolor, which means they will hold their point longer and not break as easily
- They don’t layer as well as Prismacolors
- They have vibrant color
- Available in a larger set for greater variety
- Individually numbered
Total Rating: 76%
- 4 out of 5 Clean sharpening
- 3 out of 5 Blendability
- 3 out of 5 Quality construction
- 4 out of 5 Saturated color
- 5 out of 5 Color labelled on pencil
- 4 out of 5 Color variety options
ARTEZA Colored Pencils, Professional Set of 72 Colors
6. Amazon Basics Colored Pencils 72 count
- Wax based
- Comes in a nice storage tin like the most expensive brands with two trays
- A little harder than Prismacolors
- Creamy application
- Individually numbered and named
- Great price
Total Rating: 86%
- 4 out of 5 Clean sharpening
- 4 out of 5 Blendability
- 5 out of 5 Quality construction
- 4 out of 5 Saturated color
- 5 out of 5 Color labelled on pencil
- 4 out of 5 Color variety options
7. Soucolor Artists Colored Pencils 72 count
- Waxed base
- Soft core
- European safety standards materials
- Full refund or replacement if not happy
- No name or number on individual pencils
- Cardboard tube for storage
Total Rating: 70%
- 3 out of 5 Clean sharpening
- 3 out of 5 Blendability
- 4 out of 5 Quality construction
- 3 out of 5 Saturated color
- 4 out of 5 Color labelled on pencil – numbers only
- 4 out of 5 Color variety options
For Artists
The claim of ‘professional quality’ is a nebulous one. Any brand can claim this and since there is no uniform testing by an unbiased testing company, all we can really go by is time tested products and recommendations from professional artists.
What I look for in a colored pencil is maximum blending ability without waxy blooming, light fastness, rich, vibrant pigments for saturated color the first pass, individually numbered pencils for reordering and a flawless application without dragging, grit or uneven strokes, extremely high construction….and they dang well better not break while being sharpened or splinter off wood.
What ticks all these boxes for me are polyblend or oil-based pencils. They are a big jump in price, but after you try them, you’ll see what all the fuss is about.
After being fed up with the middle of the road pencils, I bought this set from Faber-Castell and gave my other pencils to the grandkids. I don’t miss the old pencils one bit.
1. Faber-Castell Polychromos Colored Pencils 120 count <<< Absolute Best Colored Pencils for Artists
- Nice tin box with three storage trays
- Individually named and numbered
- Slender feel in the hand
- Smooth lay down of color in rich pigment
- Oil based, so can be blended out with Odorless Mineral Spirits
- Resembles oil painting when finished
- Comes with an adjustable sharpener for different angles of point
- I have had zero breakage or problems with these beautiful pencils
- Lightfast
- A professional art materials manufacturer since 1761
Total rating: 100%
- 5 out of 5 Clean Sharpening
- 5 out of 5 Blendability
- 5 out of 5 Quality of construction
- 5 out of 5 Saturated color
- 5 out of 5 color labelled on pencil
- 5 out of 5 color variety options
You can try a smaller set for a very reasonable price:
Faber-Castell Polychromos Colored Pencils 24 count
2. Lyra Rembrandt Polycolor Art Colored Pencils 72 count
- Very much like Faber-Castell
- A tad more budget friendly
- I bounce between this and Faber pencils and can’t tell them apart in application
- Lightfast
- Reliable quality and reputation
Total Rating: 96%
- 5 out of 5 Clean sharpening
- 5 out of 5 Blendability
- 5 out of 5 Quality of construction
- 5 out of 5 Saturated color
- 5 out of 5 Color labelled on pencil
- 4 out of 5 Color variety options
3. Koh-I-Noor Polycolor Colored Pencils 72 count
- Manufactured in the Czech Republic, with California cedar wood
- These quality pencils are oil based
- At a great price point
- They are rated very high
- The brand has been around for a very long time
- Limited color selection
- Harder core than other polys
Total Rating: 96%
- 5 out of 5 Clean sharpening
- 5 out of 5 Blendability
- 5 out of 5 Quality of construction
- 5 out of 5 Saturated color
- 5 out of 5 Color labelled on pencil
- 4 out of 5 Color variety options
4. Caran d’Ache Luminance Colored Pencils 76 count
- Swiss made
- Highest price point
- Two blender sticks included
- Wax based and erase well
- Burnish up to 10 layers with no bloom
- About half the pencils are neutral or earth toned, which are great for portraits and landscapes
- Larger than standard diameter pencil requires a versatile sharpener
- Superior quality wood
Total Rating: 96%
- 5 out of 5 Clean sharpening
- 5 out of 5 Blendability
- 5 out of 5 Quality of construction
- 5 out of 5 Saturated color
- 5 out of 5 Color labelled on pencil
- 4 out of 5 Color variety options
5. Derwent Colored Pencils, Procolour Pencils 72 count
- British company that has been around for over 100 years
- They are widely used and readily available
- Their slogan for this line of pencils is “Covering power of wax, but glides on like oil”
- Average lightfastness
- High price
- Combination wax and oil based, so you can use solvent to blend
Total Rating: 86%
- 5 out of 5 Clean sharpening
- 4 out of 5 Blendability
- 5 out of 5 Quality construction
- 3 out of 5 Saturated color
- 5 out of 5 Color labelled on pencil
- 4 out of 5 Color variety options
Colored Pencil Samples From My Favorite Coloring Books
Here are some samples from one of my all time favorite coloring books using my Lyra, Faber-Castell and Koh-I-Noor pencils. I prefer a heavier paper so I can color on both sides and one that is on the smooth spectrum, so that I can blend out any texture of the paper completely. In these samples I did not blend with oil or solvent because I don’t want any buckling or bleed through to the backside. The pages are buttery smooth with a pale ivory tint and the line drawings are medium grey color.
Romantic Country the Second Tale by Eriy (a series is available!)
Here are some colored pencil sample pages I did
Another Favorite book is Twilight Garden by Trolle
A few pages are printed with black background, which really makes the colors pop. A little more textured paper, but nice weight and parchment colored. The lines in the book are very thin black ink and permanent.
Here are two colored pencil samples one with a black background and a white background
And a very popular coloring book destined to become a coloring classic is Johanna Basford’s Enchanted Forest
Nice thick paper, ivory color with a tad of texture which is perfect for your next colored pencil project
Adult Coloring Book : Stress Relieving Designs Animals, Mandalas, Flowers, Paisley Patterns And So Much More: Coloring Book For Adults
This brand new book is already a best seller:
No matter what pencils, books or paper you choose to color with, you will have a blast! So get started today and enjoy the relaxing, meditative and beautiful world of coloring with adult pencils.
If you invest in colored pencils, you should absolutely invest in the best colored pencil sharpener so click in to learn which one to buy!
Here are a few more great colored pencil tutorials about various techniques of blending and layering if you want to learn even more: