Best Colored Pencils For Beginners

Best Colored Pencils For Beginners UK


Completely new to colored pencils? Find out all you need to know to get you started on the right path

As people, we inherently have a curious interest in nice shapes, colors, and satisfying consistencies of various things being applied on various textures. With all that being said, this list will compile some of the best-colored pencils for beginners.

You have every right to experience the best of the best especially when it comes to you spending time with something you love and are passionate about.

The list will cover some of the best-colored pencils ranging from wax-based, oil-based, pastel-based, or even chalk-based pencils for beginners (and veterans for that matter) you can find on the market.


01) Castle Art Supplies Gold Standard 120 Colouring Pencils Set

Quality Oil-based Coloured Cores Stay Sharper, Tougher Against Breakage | For Adult Artists, Beginners, Colourists | In Zipper Case

Castle Art Supplies Gold Standard main image

Features:

  • 120 colouring pencils set
  • Oil-based colored pencils
  • Comes in a zipper case
  • Pastel pencils

Description:

Castle Art Gold Standard contains 120 pencils of just about every color you could ever imagine. It’s an oil-based pencil that provides a soothing and vibrant color quality.

Comes in a Zipper Case which is easily washable and easy to carry around. The oil-based pencils contain a wide range of colors that constitute making the colored pencil set whole and a great selection for artists.

Pros
  • Tougher Against Breakage
  • Sharper points
  • High pigment
Cons
  • The bag’s size is a bit on the big side

Review:

The pencils feel premium with solid cores and vivid colors. A vast variety of colors is provided with this set and their blend-ability is smooth.

Overall, it is one of the smoothest and soft colored pencils for beginners and professional artists. Also, one of the best colored pencils for beginners in terms of budget and colored pencil selection.


02) Prismacolor Premier Soft Core Colored Pencils For Beginners

Set of 72 Assorted Colors + Prismacolor Scholar Colored Pencil Sharpener + Prismacolor Scholar Latex Free Eraser

Prismacolor Premier Soft Core Colored Pencils main image

Features:

  • Softcore colored pencils
  • Thick cores
  • Soft colored pencils
  • Ultra-smooth, even color laydown

Description:

Prismacolor premier soft core colored pencils have soft, thick cores which are perfect for shading and shadows. And its thick, robust leads resist cracking and chipping making them perfect for beginners.

The colored pencil set features each pencil having great pigment and high-quality ingredients which are great for any artist to use.

Pros
  • Richly saturated pigments
  • Ultra-smooth colored pencils
  • Comes with Sharpener and eraser
Cons
  • Might have some availability issue

Review:

Prismacolor is a well Structured colored pencil set. Easily acclaimed by almost every artist in the community. Certainly one of the best artist grade or student grade pencils in the market.

Overall, a great purchase as student-grade pencils that even professional artists may have a taste for, will definitely give any competitor a run for their money.


03) Shuttle Art Soft Core Coloured 174 Pencils Set

With 1 Colouring Book, 1 Sketch Pad, 4 Sharpener, 2 Pencil Extender, For Beginner Artists, Kids and Adults

Shuttle Art Soft Core Coloured 174 Pencils Set main image

Features:

  • 4 mm lead
  • Non-toxic colored pencils
  • Numbered pencils for easy identification

Description:

Shuttle art soft core coloured 174 pencils set is oiled based non-toxic pencils that have a velvety soft core and a beautiful selection of oil-based colors.

Pros
  • High-quality acid-free pigments
  • Waterproof and fade resistant
  • Easy to blend and shade
Cons
  • Might face a delayed shipment due to popular demand

Review:

Each pencil is labeled with a number and color name on the barrel for easy identification and matching. You can easily blend colors to get what you want or just pick simply from the set.

Soft leads write smoothly and lay down vibrant colors, which are easy to blend, layer and shade. High quality and 4.0mm thick lead core guard against frustrating breakages during general use and sharpening.


04) Bajotien 260 Colouring Pencils

Coloured Pencils For New Starters Through To Professionals

Bajotien 260 Colouring Pencils main image

Features:

  • 260 unique & wonderful colours
  • Soft lead colored pencils
  • Numbered & colour coded
  • Vibrant color quality
  • High pigment

Description:

Bajotien 260 colouring pencils are oil-based pencils which also have color coding and a color name on them for instant recognition and easy organization. The cores are strong and don’t easily break when sharpening.

These are artist-grade colored pencils for beginners and the soft core lead is brilliant and is something that is praised by most artists when it comes to oil-based colored pencils.

Pros
  • Affordable
  • Incredibly versatile use
  • Numbered & colour coded
Cons
  • The plastic cover may be flimsy

Review:

Bajotien 260 colouring pencils set has a greater number of pencils than most colored pencils in the market. You might need a whole color chart to identify what shades you have due to the sheer amount of colored pencils featured in this vibrant colored pencil set.

Overall, a great purchase if you can get your hands on the product. For the price, it offers great value for money while providing adequate amounts of colored pencils in one set without breaking the bank.


05) Arteza Professional Watercolour Pencils

Set of 72, Multi-Coloured Drawing Pencils for Artists in Bright Assorted Shades, for Colouring, Blending and Layering, Watercolour Techniques. Suitable For Amateurs

Arteza Professional Watercolour Pencils main image

Features:

  • 72 colors
  • Non-toxic & safe
  • Bright and vibrant colored pencils
  • Watercolor pencils

Description:

Arteza professional watercolour pencils come in 72 shades with bright color. It is easy to blend and mix, and the color laydown is smooth unlike wax-based colored pencils or hard pencils which sometimes struggle.

Arteza professional watercolour pencils is a great choice for those who want professional-grade pencils at a budget-friendly price but without any compromise.

Pros
  • Safe to use colored pencils for all ages
  • Blends great
  • Bright and vibrant
Cons
  • Might have some availability issues

Review:

Arteza colored pencils are a selection of fine point watercolor pencils, alongside an even better selection of shades. The pencils have a smooth texture that is praised by most artists that use them.

Overall, with their budget-friendly pricing, Arteza professional watercolour pencils are a great choice for those who want professional-grade pencils without any compromise.


General Information About Colored Pencils For Beginners

Colored pencils are a wonderfully dynamic medium that is highly beloved by artists and hobbyists alike because they’re so easy to use – plus they’re a lot cleaner and require almost no set-up compared to most other art mediums!

There are different types like water-based, oil-based colored pencils, wax-based colored pencils, etc. Each has its own applications and is used for different purposes. So before you start out, it’s important to know what is it that you want to draw.

There are countless types of colored pencils even in the wax-based colored pencils department where you can find both hard wax and soft wax.

Conclusion / Roundup

When it comes to selecting your colored pencil sets, it’s a good idea to always keep an open mind as you will surely face many options. It is best to have patience and keep trying newer things and exploring possibilities beyond your comfort zone to find out what is the best for you.

Be it hard colored pencils or wax-based colored pencils, there is something for you and you will never know unless you give it all a shot.

FAQs

How many colored pencils should a beginner use?

It will be advisable to buy 24-48 pencil sets for a beginner. Color selections vary by manufacturer, however, if you want to be ahead of your needs and don’t want to go overboard with the number of colored pencils, as I say, 24-48 colored pencils are a great number to start with. Choosing between student grade colored pencils, artist grade pencils and professional grade colored pencils also needs to be considered for your colored pencil art.

Are Prismacolor pencils better than Crayola?

Prismacolor color pencils are obvious to pick for those who are looking for good color for the kids and those who can afford them. But Prismacolor is not as affordable as Crayola. It can therefore be better to start off with a cheaper option then move to an expensive one like Prismacolor.

What pencils are as good as Prismacolor?

It depends on the applications and the project and how much you are willing to pay for it. But overall speaking Prismacolor pencils have one of the higher quality considering the price. You may try Faber Castell colored pencils or ARTEZA as they are also some of the most popular colored pencils on the market.

Which color pencil is the best?

Well, the taste of each individual is subjective, however, if you were to absolutely need a name, when it comes to high quality colored pencils then Prismacolor or the woodless pencils from Faber Castell are great. When you’re an artist, you can make do with even a cheap set and a color chart. If you have a taste for the finer things then the ones mentioned are definitely a good possibility for your money.

What is wax bloom in relation to colored pencils?

Wax bloom is a natural occurrence that takes place when the pigment in colored pencils separates from the wax. This can result in a cloudy or frosty appearance on the surface of the colored pencil. While it’s not ideal, it’s not indicative of a defective product and doesn’t affect the performance of the wax based pencils. In fact, the bloom can often be removed with a bit of elbow grease. So, if your colored pencils are looking a little cloudy, don’t worry – it’s just wax bloom and it’s nothing to be concerned about.


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Written By Adam Rushton

Adam has made a name for himself in the illustration industry and is a passionate blogger and writer on the subject of art, illustration and graphic design.

His artwork has been featured in countless publications and used for very well-known media projects. As a professional illustrator for over 20 years, Adams media outlets, a wealth of knowledge, and experience enable him to consult and advise artists and illustrators in this country (from York and Manchester to Southampton and London) and all over the world.


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