The Ultimate Guide to Choosing Colored Pencils

In the vast world of art materials, colored pencils hold a special place. There's something incredibly comforting about seeing a whole array of vibrant colored pencils, something no other medium can evoke. If you ask me what my favorite drawing tool is, I’d undoubtedly say: colored pencils!

Recently, thanks to the adult coloring book craze, colored pencils have become incredibly popular. The market is flooded with brands, types, and grades of colored pencils, making it hard for beginners to know where to start. Out of a deep love for colored pencils, we have spent considerable time researching and testing different brands. I hope this guide helps you find the perfect brand and type of colored pencil for your needs.

Investing in Professional Grade Colored Pencils

When it comes to buying art supplies, my philosophy is to get the best quality within your budget. High-quality colored pencils have pure pigments, vibrant colors, and are lightfast, meaning they won’t fade over time. We've all used student-grade or even children’s colored pencils at some point—these cheap pencils have low pigment purity and poor lightfastness, resulting in dull colors that fade. If you're serious about drawing, I recommend opting for artist-grade colored pencils.
"But professional colored pencils are expensive, and I'm just starting out. What should I do?" you might ask. In this case, I suggest buying fewer colors of the best quality pencils rather than a large set of lower-grade pencils. Colored pencils are transparent, like watercolor, allowing you to mix and create more colors. Realistically, you won’t use all 100+ colors in a large set, so it's better to start with a few essential colors and build your collection over time.
Many art supply stores, both physical and online, allow you to purchase single pencils. This can be a great way to expand your collection without breaking the bank.

Types of Colored Pencils

Colored pencil cores are made from pigment powder combined with a binder, typically wax or oil. Based on the binder, colored pencils can be divided into three main categories: wax-based, oil-based, and watercolor pencils.

(▲Colored pencils with vegetable oil and wax as binders)

Wax-Based Colored Pencils

Wax-based colored pencils are the most common and typically less expensive than oil-based ones. These pencils have soft cores, providing excellent coverage and a crayon-like feel. However, they can produce a wax bloom, a thin white film, after layering multiple colors. This can be mitigated by applying a fixative or avoiding too many layers. Wax-based pencils can also be prone to breakage and leave small bits of pigment on your paper, but with careful handling, these issues can be minimized.
Popular wax-based colored pencil brands include:
Prismacolor (USA)
Derwent Artists (UK)
Caran d'Ache Luminance (Switzerland)

Oil-Based Colored Pencils

Oil-based colored pencils have harder cores than wax-based ones, maintaining a sharp point for fine detail work and broad coverage. They provide rich, vibrant colors with a smooth application, although they do not layer as well as wax-based pencils. Due to their transparency, blending techniques differ slightly. They can also smudge more easily, so it's best to use a protective sheet while drawing. Oil-based pencils are generally more expensive.

Common oil-based colored pencil brands include:
Faber-Castell Polychromos (Germany)
Caran d'Ache Pablo (Switzerland)

Lyra Rembrandt Polycolor (Germany)

(▲Watercolor Pencils)

Watercolor Pencils

Watercolor pencils use a water-soluble binder, allowing them to be used both dry and wet. When water is added, they produce a watercolor effect. These pencils are versatile, perfect for large washes and fine details. However, the colors when dry differ from when wet, requiring practice to master. High-quality watercolor pencils combine the benefits of oil and watercolor pencils, offering creamy textures and vibrant colors when used dry or wet.

Top watercolor pencil brands include:
Faber-Castell Albrecht Dürer (Germany)
Caran d'Ache Supracolor Soft (Switzerland)

Lightfastness and Permanence

Lightfastness, or resistance to fading, is crucial for professional-grade art materials. Artworks that fade over time lose value, disappointing both the artist and the collector. As more colored pencil artworks enter galleries and collections, manufacturers have prioritized improving lightfastness. Some pencils, like Faber-Castell Polychromos and Caran d'Ache Luminance, indicate lightfastness ratings on the pencils, with three stars denoting the highest lightfastness.

Color Range

While mixing colors can expand your palette, the number of colors in a set is still worth considering. Each brand has its unique color formulations, so even pencils with the same color name can look different. When choosing a brand, consider not just the number of colors but their usefulness and uniqueness. Some brands offer colors that are irreplaceable by others, which can be a deciding factor.

In conclusion, choosing the right colored pencils involves understanding their types, quality, and lightfastness. Whether you opt for wax-based, oil-based, or watercolor pencils, investing in high-quality materials will enhance your artistic experience and the longevity of your artworks.

(▲Luminance has many unique soft gray and earth tones)

Testing and Choosing the Best Pencils

I recommend visiting art supply stores that allow you to test pencils. Select a color, such as red, and try similar shades from different brands. Compare their vibrancy, core hardness, smoothness on paper, breakage tendency, blendability, transparency, and coverage. Check if the pencil shafts are straight and the cores consistent. You might even bring your preferred drawing paper to see how each brand performs. This hands-on approach will help you find the colored pencils that best suit your artistic needs.

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