Drawing Supplies
Best Colored Pencils for Artists: A Practical Buying Guide
Published February 25, 2026 · Updated March 14, 2026 · 10 min read
Wax-based vs oil-based cores
Colored pencil cores are bound with either wax or oil, and the binder changes how the pencil behaves. Wax-based pencils (Prismacolor Premier is the famous example) are soft, creamy, and layer and blend beautifully — but they are fragile, their tips break easily, and wax bloom (a cloudy film) can appear over heavy layers. Oil-based pencils (Faber-Castell Polychromos) hold a sharper point, resist bloom, and layer more controllably, but they feel harder and blend less readily.
Neither is better. Wax suits expressive, painterly coloring; oil suits detail and control. Many artists use both in the same piece — oil for the precise underdrawing, wax for the blended top layers.
Student grade vs artist grade
The difference is pigment load and lightfastness, not just price. Student-grade pencils (Crayola, lower Faber-Castell lines) use more filler and less pigment, so colors are paler and fade faster in light. Artist-grade pencils cost more per pencil but deliver richer color, better layering, and far better permanence — a drawing made with artist-grade pencils can last generations; one made with student grade may fade in months of sunlight.
For a beginner who is learning, a mid-range set is fine. For anything you want to keep, sell, or frame, buy artist grade. Our research suggests the jump in quality from student to artist grade is the single biggest upgrade in colored pencil work.
How many colors do you need?
More than 36 is usually diminishing returns for beginners. A 24-pencil set forces you to learn color mixing and layering — skills that matter far more than owning 120 ready-made shades. Professionals do own large sets, but they got there by mastering a small one first.
If budget allows, a 36- or 48-pencil artist-grade set is the sweet spot: enough colors to work without constant mixing, not so many that you spend the session choosing.
Picks by level
For beginners, Prismacolor Premier Soft Core in a 24- or 36-set is the approachable wax-based standard — soft, blendable, and widely available. For artists who want control and a sharp point, Faber-Castell Polychromos is the oil-based benchmark and the better choice for detailed work. At the top end, Caran d’Ache Luminance offers exceptional lightfastness for archival work, at a price that only makes sense for finished, sellable art.
Pair any set with a colorless blender pencil and good heavy-weight paper — colored pencil needs tooth and weight to layer well. See our best sketchbooks guide for paper that holds up to heavy layering.
The picks, in one place
Our tested recommendations
- Prismacolor Premier Soft Core (24 set)
The approachable wax-based standard — soft, blendable, and the set most beginners learn on.
Check price on Amazon - Faber-Castell Polychromos (24 set)
Oil-based, holds a sharp point, resists bloom — the better choice for detailed, controlled work.
Check price on Amazon
Frequently asked questions
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