Best Colored Pencils For Beginners

Best Colored Pencils For Beginners


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) Prismacolor Premier Colored Pencils For Beginners

Art Supplies for Drawing, Sketching, Adult Coloring | Soft Core Color Pencils, 150 Pack

Sanford Prismacolor Premier Colored Pencils main image

Features:

  • Set of 150
  • Sharpener included maintaining a fine point during your art
  • Versatile diameters of pencils
  • Over a dozen colors of each shade

Description:

Prismacolor premier colored pencils are one of the best pencils for adult coloring books. Their quality and value are unmatched as per quite a few reviews will testify.

The Prismacolor premier pencils have high-quality pigments like you would find in expensive pencils for only a fraction of the price making them the budget king.

Pros
  • Versatile color selection
  • Vibrant colors
  • Comes in a sturdy cardboard box
Cons
  • Is a very popular brand and counterfeit sets might be an issue

Review:

Prismacolor colored pencils are a brilliant collection of a whopping 150 sticks of pencils. This set will have you covered on all bases with coloring pencils that have a stick for every color needed for your adult coloring books.

There is no way of going wrong with the Prismacolor set as they offer great value for money. Definitely worth every penny for one of the best colored pencils collections in the market especially with how the wax-based pencils feels.


02) Derwent Colored Pencils (Beginners Set)

Watercolor Pencils, Drawing, Art, Metal Tin, 72 Count

Derwent Colored Pencils front

Features:

  • Water-soluble colored pencils
  • Comes in a sturdy tin box
  • Hexagonal pencils
  • Versatile color selection

Description:

The Derwent set of color pencils is a great selection for professional-grade pencils and can also be used as student-grade colored pencils. Each pencil individually sports a hexagonal shape, which is the optimal shape for artists to grip.

Derwent is acclaimed among many brands to provide great student-grade pencils or pencils for professional-grade artists that ensure color quality with great consistency and overall great quality ingredients.

Pros
  • Full range of colors
  • Richly saturated pigments
  • Great for fine detail work with hard lead
Cons
  • Popular brands may be prone to counterfeit sellers

Review:

Derwent always delivers high-quality pigments and products when it comes to art mediums and supplies at a very reasonable price making them a tough contender for the best colored pencils you can easily afford.

Overall, a great purchase if you are looking for a safe and reliable product without breaking the bank or worrying about the quality. They are also sold individually if you are interested in purchasing any pencils without buying the set.


03) Castle Art Supplies 120 Colored Pencils Set

Quality Soft Core Colored Leads for Adult Artists, Professionals, Beginners and Colorists | Protected and Organized in Presentation Tin Box

Features:

  • Set of 120
  • Comes in a tin box
  • Soft lead
  • Blendable

Description:

The Castle pack of 120 colored pencils features a collection of 120 versatile shades of soft colored pencils that covers almost all that you need in terms of shades. It is among one of the larger colored pencil sets.

Each of the individual pencils has simple identifiable color labeling for you to easily understand what shade of color you’re using. The colored pencils used are soft pencils however they are also durable, making them preferable for artists to use.

Pros
  • Vibrant color
  • Velvety softcore
  • Rich pigments
Cons
  • May have some availability issues

Review:

The Castle art set of 120 colored pencils has a collection of great pencils that have a satisfying softcore lead which is also durable if you want to work with fine points. The drawing application has a vivid color laydown which is great for any artist.

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.


04) Koh-i-Noor Mondeluz Aquarell Drawing Set of 72 Colored Pencils

Perfect for blending and layering. Suitable for beginners

Koh-i-Noor Mondeluz Aquarell main image

Features:

  • Pack of 72 assorted pencils for beginners
  • Comes in a tin container
  • Variety of shades are available
  • Comes along with 2 sharpeners and 3 brushes

Description:

Koh-i-Noor pencils is a very versatile set that comes with 2 sharpeners and 3 brushes included for a precise end blended application in a high-quality tin box. Amazing colored pencil set which features each pencil having more pigment and allowing you to switch easily between broad strokes or light strokes.

These are artist-grade colored pencils that don’t get dull or pale tones that come with having less pigment over a period. 72 pencils cover almost all the spectrum of colors. These are watercolor pencils that blend and activate really easily.

Pros
  • 2 sharpeners and 3 brushes included
  • Each colored pencil has high pigment
  • More water-soluble than other pencils.
Cons
  • Might face a delayed shipment due to popular demand

Review:

These are quality and enjoyable pencils. The soft, not waxy texture is similar to Inktense which is easy to blend, unlike hard wax pencils. The pencil sharpener is a great and fun touch too since you won’t need to find an appropriate one via a separate search to service the colored pencils in this colored pencil set.

The pencils color smoothly and the colors are vibrant. There is no color name, only numbers which are very hard to read but easy to find the shade of. These are a set that is up there with professional quality.


05) STABILO CarbOthello Metal Box of 36 Colours

Chalk-Pastel Coloured Pencil For Beginners

STABILO CarbOthello main image

Features:

  • Artist-grade pencils
  • Uses gum Arabic binder
  • Can be used wet or dry
  • 4.4 mm diameter lead
  • Can be blended and smudged, partially aquarelle

Description:

This stunning collection of STABILO CarbOthello chalk-pastel coloring pencils are available in a range of 36 beautiful colors. They can be dry-blended or smudged with either fingertips or a blending stump to create a variety of artistic effects with no wax bloom.

These are hard-colored pencils with a soft wax core. Partially aquarelle, the pigments can also be used with a brush and water, great for both amateur and professional artists. Also a good buy for people who are a fan of wax-based pencils.

Pros
  • High pigmentation
  • Can be dry-blended or smudged
  • Zero wax bloom
  • Vibrant colour
Cons
  • Price is on the premium side

Review:

These wax-based pencils are great artist-quality pencils and perhaps a little bit more on the premium side than other colored pencils, providing a great finish and matt texture for superior results, and the best part is you have zero wax bloom.

Overall, these artist-grade pencils are great for all sorts of artwork and the colors look very vibrant on most surfaces. The color pencils’ main feature is that you never have to worry if your pencils create wax bloom and get ruined super quick.


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.

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 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.

Can a beginner use oil based pencils?

Many artists start out using oil-based pencils because of their smoothness and the wide range of colors available. However, they can be a bit more difficult to use than other types of pencils. Beginners may find it helpful to practice with a less expensive set of oil-based pencils before investing in a higher quality set.


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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.