Skip to Content

Top 10 Best Colored Pencils for Drawing

Top 10 Best Colored Pencils for Drawing

So, you want to take your artwork to the next level. You want to create consistency and excellence in your drawings by using colored pencils but do not where to start. Hold on! You’ll discover the best colored pencils for drawing in this post, so read till the end!

We usually associate colored pencils with childhood but if we talk about the adult coloring book craze, we will come to know that adults also use colored pencils in their drawings. Do you know colored pencils can offer a range of possibilities for the artists? 

Yes, it is true! Colored pencils are one of the most important tools that artists can use in their drawings. They allow artists to create beautiful drawings, especially with their hues. But when it comes to choosing the best-colored pencils, it becomes a challenge. The fact is there are no clear cut colored pencils that you can claim as the best for drawing. 

Every artist selects colored pencils according to his/her personal experience. But to get you started on the right track as an artist, we have made a list of some of the best colored pencils to try. We all know that each colored pencil has its own features, composition as well as flaws but the preference of artists totally depends on their experience. 

Most artists prefer to go for selecting the colored pencils of the leading brands such as Caran D’Ache or Faber-Castell. There are various factors that may help you to check the quality of the colored pencils. 

How to Check the Quality of a Colored Pencil

First of all, you need to check how the colored pencil glides over the paper. Is it easy to drag it over the paper or any other surface or not? Remember, the pencils of good brands always come with high-quality ingredients which make them easy and soft to glide on the paper. 

Moreover, check the color of the pencil. Go for selecting colors with richer hues and avoid pale and dull colors as such colors are less in pigments. 

In this post, we are going to discuss everything related to colored pencils for drawing. By reading this post till the end, you will come to know what the best-colored pencils are that you can use for drawing in coloring books. 

If you are a beginner and want to know about the colored pencils, you have come to the right place. Because here, you will also get to know what colored pencils are the best for beginners. The brands of the colored pencils mentioned here are available online so it will be easy for you to test different pencils to hone your art skills, without breaking the bank. 

[do_widget id=custom_html-20]

colored pencils for drawing

What colored pencils are best for drawing?

Here is the list of best-colored pencils that you can use for drawing. Enjoy!

01. Prismacolor Premier Colored Pencils

Prismacolor Premier colored pencils feature-rich and vibrant colors that may allow an artist to add an enhanced effect in the drawings. These are, in fact, the best pencils for beginners as well as professional artists. 

Having a rich combination of tone and value, these colored pencils provides much ease. The lead of these pencils has a more binding agent which makes these pencils good to hold and blend. 

The standard package of Prismacolor Premier includes colored pencils with a coloring booklet so you can color the exciting illustrations from New York City. These colored pencils are made with high-quality pigments and may allow you to add beautiful blending, layering, and shading effects in your artwork using the soft and thick cores of the pencils.

In short, if you want to get soft and smooth colored pencils so that you can play with them and make beautiful drawings, Prismacolor Premier colored pencils are for you. These are the best colored pencils for drawing!

Pros:

  • Good quality
  • 150 vibrant colors
  • Provide rich color saturation
  • Pre-sharpened pencils

Cons:

  • Its wax-based lead may break

02. Derwent Colored Pencils

Want to create stunning watercolor effects with colored pencils? Want to get pencils from a trustworthy brand that can make good-quality art supplies? Saying yes? Derwent colored pencils are the best to use as you can draw and paint with these pencils. 

The best thing is these pencils are water-soluble so you can create a wide range of effects with pencils. From adding delicate colors to bold colors, the Derwent colored pencils may allow the artists to create artistic effects in the drawings. Yes, it is right. You can apply a heavy coat with Derwent color soft pencils or you can make the color light by blending it.

Packed with 72 watercolor pencils, this set of pencils comes in a beautiful wooden box. Each pencil features a 6.9mm barrel and a thick 4mm round core. The look of these pencils is appreciated by most artists. These pencils also fit nicely in the budgets of most people due to the affordable price option.

For adding intense colors with soft edges, you may use these easy-to-sharpen pencils with wet paper. Most artists use Derwent colored pencils with a wetted tip for creating rich and textured patterns in the drawings.

Pros:

  • Break-resistant colored pencils
  • Provides artistic flexibility
  • Durable core with good color selection
  • Great layering and blending capabilities

Cons:

  • If you want to apply colors in detailed areas, these pencils are not much effective

colored pencils for drawing 03. Staedtler Ergosoft Colored Pencils

On number three, we have Staedtler Ergosoft Colored Pencils as the best colored pencils for drawing. These pencils come with a great ergosoft grip and high-quality pigmentation.

Packed with 24 colors, this set of colored pencils come with a protective coating. Plus, their application over the paper is quite soft and smooth.

These pencils come in a stand-up easel case which makes the pencils a good choice for many artists as these pencils are easy to organize. The Staedtler Ergosoft Colored Pencils are not water-soluble sue to which the artists have to blend these colors thoroughly to get the perfect shade. 

Although blending is a bit challenging, this task becomes quite easy with the Staedtler Ergosoft colored pencils. These pencils are less expensive as well. In short, they are excellent colored pencils that can be used at so many levels.

Pros:

  • Easy to use colors
  • Provides great vibrancy
  • Durable 

Cons:

  • A little bit pricey
  • There is a lack of color options which makes most artists limited in their color range

04. Crayola Colored Pencils

If you want to get a smooth and vibrant color at a reasonable price, stop your search, and use Crayola colored pencils. Packed with 36 colors, this set of colored pencils is ideal to be used in school projects as well as in adult coloring books. In fact, it is the perfect colored pencil especially for those who want to get started with colored pencils.

Whether you are making a sketch of something or you are creating a masterpiece of landscape drawing, the Crayola Colored Pencils set will get you covered. These pencils are not only good at basic coloring and drawing but also perform well in other coloring techniques as well. 

One more thing: these pencils are not only durable and sharp but give bold and bright shade of colors as well. Moreover, they come in a wide range of sizes, shapes, and colors.

These pencils are considered as one of the best colored pencils for drawing. Why? Because they never disappoint! In short, the Crayola Colored Pencils are worth a try!

Pros:

  • Pre-sharpened
  • Comes with a nice price
  • Long-lasting
  • Decent intensity
  • Premium-quality

Cons:

  • The blending of Crayola colored pencils is a lit poor
  • Rough finish
  • Poor pigment quality

What colored pencils are best for beginners?

05. Faber Castell Colored Pencils

Faber Castell Colored Pencils are one of the finest colored pencils on the market today. If you are a beginner and want to get started with colored pencils, then the Faber Castell Colored Pencils set is a good option for you. These colored pencils will definitely help you to take your drawings to the next level. 

They are easy to work with and provide a thick and pigmented application. The color that you get is just amazing. The color that you see outside the pencil is exactly the same that you get. They are of good quality and are perfect for those who want to pursue coloring seriously.

 As these pencils allow blending so you can get a lot of flexibility from them. This is a professional set of colored pencils that can allow you to create more dimension in your artwork.

These colored pencils are not only good at coloring but come in impressive packaging as well.

Pros:

  • Allows good blending and layering
  • Offers great color intensity
  • Spreads the color evenly

Cons:

  • Needs application pressure

06. Arteza Colored Pencils

Another colored pencil set that is great for beginners is Arteza Colored Pencils. Yes, you read it right. The Arteza Colored Pencils are one of the best and finest colored pencils that beginners can use in their drawings. 

This pencil set comes with bright and bold colors so you can get a vibrant coloring experience with it. This set comes with 72 unique colors with a softcore as well as a non-slip grip.

The lead of these pencils is strong enough and does not allow breakage even if you apply too much force. So, you can use any pencil sharpener for these pencils. Moreover, with these unique colored pencils, you can get the original color combinations.

Most artists claim that as these colors are usually dark so they do not provide much flexibility. Although the colors are dark in shade but if you draw in a sketchbook or on a lighter paper, these colors are an ideal option. The Arteza Colored Pencils set is said to be the perfect set that you can take with you on the go!

Pros:

  • Affordable price
  • Perfect for layering and blending
  • Strong leads and cores

Cons:

  • Colors are usually dark (Not preferred for the artists who like to draw on dark pages)

07. Caran d’Ache Luminance Colored Pencils

Caran d’Ache Luminance Colored Pencils is another colored pencil set that not only provides strong coverage but gives excellent shades with finely ground pigments. It is the best colored pencil set for those artists who want to add several effects using blending and layering. Believe me, these colored pencils will definitely make your artwork pop!

The lead of the Caran d’Ache Luminance Colored Pencils is quite strong and can be sharpened to a fine point very easily. Moreover, these pencils come in a well-protected wooden box or a sturdy case. 

In short, they are fantastic colored pencils that are not only well-constructed and easy-to-sharpen but also blend very easily.

Pros:

  • Finely ground pigments
  • Great packaging
  • No lead breakage
  • Provides easy blending
  • High smoothness

Cons:

  • This set comes with only bright colors
  • Expensive option

08. Positive Art Colored Pencils

Another set of colored pencils that beginner artists may use is Positive Art Colored Pencils. These pencils can glide over the paper very smoothly and come with a strong lead that is difficult to break. They are not as bright as other colored pencils set listed here but are good to be used for general coloring.

Pros:

  • High-quality colored pencils
  • Offers easy blending and layering
  • Ideal for students and professionals alike
  • Smooth precision lead

Cons:

  • Colors are not so bright

What colored pencils are best for drawing in coloring books?

09. Blick Studio Artists’ Colored Pencils and Sets

If you are searching for professional-quality colored pencils at a budget-friendly rate, Blick Studio Artists’ Colored Pencils and Sets is an ideal option. These colored pencils not only provide smooth application but their vivid and bright colors make them perfect to be used for a variety of applications. 

This pencil set is packed with 91 colors with each color comes with intense pigments and feels nice in the hand. Its barrel diameter is over 8 mm while the diameter of the core is 3.8 mm. This colored pencil set is perfect for professional artists and colored pencils enthusiasts. 

From a usability point of view, a lot of artists are happy with this pencil set because these colors are easy to blend and give fantastic results. In short, the Blick Studio Artists’ Colored Pencils is one of the great colored pencils for drawing.

Pros:

  • Economical price
  • Bright and vivid colors
  • Provides smooth application
  • Blends very easily

Cons:

  • The tips of these pencils may break

10. Prang Thick Core Colored Pencils 

The last colored pencils for drawing on our list are Prang Thick Core Colored Pencils. Packed with 50 colored pencils, this set is ideal to be used for drawing in coloring books. With soft and bright colors, each color of this set is quite easy to blend. Moreover, these pencils are durable and come with real wood casing.

Pros:

  • Smooth core
  • Non-toxic colors
  • Resist fading
  • Long-lasting colors

Cons:

  • The lead of these pencils may break

Conclusion

So, these are the best colored pencils for drawing. Do try out the above-mentioned colored pencils in your artwork, no matter if you are a beginner, an aspiring artist, or a professional sketchbook creator. 

Before trying out these pencils, do practice some good colored pencil techniques so you can get a good understanding of how to draw with the colored pencils for the long term. Happy Drawing!