The best colored pencil sets depend on your priority: choose Prismacolor Premier for rich, soft pigment at a reasonable price, Faber-Castell Polychromos for controlled layering and durable oil-based cores, Caran d’Ache Luminance 6901 for premium lightfast artwork, and a smaller 24- or 36-color student set for learning without overbuying.
Our top picks
KALOUR 72 Count Colored Pencils for Adult- KALOUR Colored Pencils for Adult Coloring Books, Soft…
- 【Premium Colored Pencils】: Each pencil body has a…
- 【Soft Core】: Colored pencils have soft Core,The silky…
Crayola Colored Pencils- Explore a spectrum of color with 36 distinct…
- Ignite your child’s artistic potential with this vibrant…
- Enhance educational and creative activities with these essential…
PRINA Art Supplies 120 Colors Colored Pencils- Premium Colored Pencils: Bright, vivid, bold, and assorted…
- Professional Sketch Art Kit: Includes 3-color sketchbook and…
- Portable Zipper Case: Keeps colors organized and protected…
| Product | Key specs | |
|---|---|---|
| KALOUR 72 Count Colored Pencils for Adult | KALOUR Colored Pencils for Adult Coloring Books, Soft… 【Premium Colored Pencils】: Each pencil body has a… 【Soft Core】: Colored pencils have soft Core,The silky… | Check price |
| Crayola Colored Pencils | Explore a spectrum of color with 36 distinct… Ignite your child’s artistic potential with this vibrant… Enhance educational and creative activities with these essential… | Check price |
| PRINA Art Supplies 120 Colors Colored Pencils | Premium Colored Pencils: Bright, vivid, bold, and assorted… Professional Sketch Art Kit: Includes 3-color sketchbook and… Portable Zipper Case: Keeps colors organized and protected… | Check price |
 Crayola Bulk Colored Pencils for Kids | Includes 24 packs of Crayola Colored Pencils, each… These colored pencils are perfect for encouraging students’… Soft cores won't break easily, and pre-sharpened tips… | Check price |
As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you.
Best colored pencil sets at a glance
| Set | Available set sizes | Core type | Best feature | Typical market range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prismacolor Premier | 12, 24, 36, 48, 72, 132, 150 | Wax-based, soft | Dense pigment and smooth blending | About $20–$180, depending on size |
| Faber-Castell Polychromos | 12, 24, 36, 60, 72, 120 | Oil-based, firm | Fine detail and clean layering | About $25–$220 |
| Caran d’Ache Luminance 6901 | 20, 40, 76 | Wax-based, soft | Very high lightfastness and opaque coverage | About $70–$320 |
| Derwent Coloursoft | 12, 24, 36, 48, 72 | Wax-based, soft | Velvety coverage and expressive marks | About $20–$130 |
| Staedtler Ergosoft | 12, 24, 36 | Wax-based, relatively firm | Accessible price and beginner-friendly handling | About $10–$35 |
Prices vary by retailer, packaging, sales, and whether the pencils are sold individually or as a complete set. The set counts above refer to commonly sold configurations rather than every regional assortment.
Our picks by drawing situation
| Your situation | Best starting choice | Why |
|---|---|---|
| First serious set, limited budget | Prismacolor Premier 24 or 36 | Strong saturation makes blending satisfying before advanced technique is developed. |
| Precise botanical, architectural, or portrait work | Faber-Castell Polychromos 36 or 60 | Firm cores hold a sharp point and build controlled transparent layers. |
| Finished artwork intended for display | Caran d’Ache Luminance 40 or 76 | Broad lightfast selection is more suitable for work where fading matters. |
| Bold, soft, painterly coloring | Derwent Coloursoft 36 or 72 | The soft core lays down color quickly and produces broad, smooth passages. |
| Occasional coloring and compact storage | Staedtler Ergosoft 24 | A smaller, affordable set avoids paying for colors that may rarely be used. |
Head-to-head comparison
Prismacolor Premier: the easiest route to rich color
Prismacolor Premier pencils use a soft wax-based core that puts down vivid color with light pressure. They are particularly effective for coloring books, animals, flowers, and illustrations where smooth transitions and saturated blocks matter more than extremely sharp lines.
The trade-off is durability. A soft core can break more readily if the pencil is dropped, overheated, or sharpened aggressively. Wax bloom—a pale, hazy film that can appear over dark areas—is also more noticeable than with many oil-based pencils. A soft cloth or colorless blender can help polish a finished area, while storing the pencils away from heat reduces avoidable damage.
Faber-Castell Polychromos: best for layering and detail
Polychromos pencils have a firm oil-based core. They do not usually look as intensely saturated after one pass as a very soft wax pencil, but several light layers can create nuanced color without immediately filling the paper’s tooth. Their point lasts well for eyelashes, veins, lettering, edges, and small textures.
These pencils suit artists who prefer to build an image gradually. A limitation for beginners is that achieving a deep, even background takes more strokes and patience. Their metal tins are practical and stackable, although individual pencils can be slower to identify when the set is stored flat.
Caran d’Ache Luminance 6901: premium choice for permanence
Luminance 6901 pencils combine a soft wax feel with a color range designed around high lightfastness. They are capable of opaque coverage over multiple layers and work especially well for colored pencil paintings, commissioned pieces, and artwork that may be displayed for years.
The main barrier is cost. A complete set is a substantial purchase, and the soft core means that a sharpener must be gentle and well maintained. Artists who are still experimenting may get better value by buying a smaller set and adding individual colors after identifying their preferred palette.
Derwent Coloursoft: expressive and forgiving
Coloursoft pencils have a soft, creamy feel and are useful when you want visible, energetic marks rather than extremely fine precision. They blend readily and cover paper faster than a firm-core pencil. This makes them appealing for large areas, loose portraits, and colorful studies.
Because the core is soft, a very sharp point will not last as long during detailed work. They are best paired with a sharpener that removes wood gradually rather than one designed for hard graphite pencils.
Staedtler Ergosoft: sensible for beginners
Ergosoft pencils are a practical entry point for casual coloring, school projects, and early drawing practice. Their firmer handling is less intimidating for users who are learning pressure control, and smaller sets are easy to carry.
They do not offer the same pigment density, blend range, or archival positioning as the premium sets above. That is not necessarily a weakness: for occasional use, a modest set can be more economical than a large artist range that spends most of its time unused.
What matters more than the number of colors?
Pigment richness
Soft wax cores generally produce stronger color with fewer strokes. Firm oil-based pencils may look lighter initially but give you more control over transparent layers. Test a set on the paper you actually use; cheap, smooth paper can make almost any pencil appear slippery, while textured paper increases stroke visibility and pencil consumption.
Layering and blending
Layering means placing several light applications of color instead of pressing hard at once. Firm pencils usually leave more tooth available for later layers. Soft pencils blend quickly but can burnish the surface earlier, leaving it resistant to additional color. For smooth gradients, use light pressure, overlap neighboring hues, and reserve heavy pressure for the final layer.
Core durability
Core breakage is affected by manufacturing, shipping, sharpening, and storage—not just brand. A pencil that repeatedly breaks at the same length may have a damaged core from a fall. Sharpen with a fresh blade, rotate the pencil as you sharpen, and avoid twisting a soft pencil forcefully. Electric sharpeners can work, but they remove material quickly and are less forgiving with soft artist cores.
Color range
A 150-color set is not automatically more useful than a 36-color set. Large collections add convenience, but they also create near-duplicates and make palette decisions harder. For most beginners, 24 to 36 carefully spaced colors are enough to learn value, pressure, layering, and complementary mixing. Expand later with dark neutrals, muted earth colors, skin tones, and specialty greens or blues.
Case design
Metal tins protect pencils well and usually stack neatly, but they can be noisy and make individual colors slower to locate. Hinged plastic cases are lighter and often easier to browse. Soft rolls save desk space and travel well, but they provide less impact protection. For a large collection, consider whether the case lets you replace individual pencils without unpacking the whole set.
A practical way to choose your set size
Estimate how often you will use the pencils before paying for a large assortment. For example, suppose a 36-pencil set costs $45 and you expect to complete 18 drawings in the first year. The pencil-set cost works out to $2.50 per drawing before paper and sharpening supplies. A 72-pencil set costing $95 would cost about $5.28 per drawing at the same usage level. The larger set becomes easier to justify only if its additional colors save enough time or if you expect substantially more use.
For most people, the best progression is:
- 12 colors: basic practice, travel, and testing whether you enjoy the medium.
- 24 colors: a balanced beginner palette for simple illustrations and coloring.
- 36 to 60 colors: the most useful range for regular portrait, botanical, and illustrative work.
- 72 or more colors: convenience for frequent artists who value ready-made subtle shades.
Ownership tips that prevent wasted pencils
- Make a swatch chart on the paper you normally use, labeling each pencil by name or number.
- Keep pencils horizontal or in a protected case, especially during transport.
- Do not leave wax-based pencils in a hot car or beside a radiator.
- Sharpen in short passes and inspect the exposed core for cracks before continuing.
- Use scrap paper under your hand to reduce oil and dirt transfer onto pale areas.
- For artwork intended to last, check each brand’s lightfastness information rather than assuming every color in a set has equal permanence.
Final recommendation
Choose Prismacolor Premier if immediate pigment richness and easy blending are your top priorities. Choose Polychromos if you want a sharp point, deliberate layering, and dependable detail work. Choose Luminance 6901 when lightfastness and premium finish justify the price. Choose Coloursoft for soft, expressive coverage, and Staedtler Ergosoft for inexpensive practice. If you are unsure, a 24- or 36-color set is the safest starting point: it provides enough variety to learn the medium while leaving room to discover which colors and core behavior you actually use.
Write Your Review
No reviews yet. Be the first to share your experience!