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When it comes to choosing colored pencils, there are a dizzying number of options. However, after much research and experimentation, I have found that the best colored pencils for professional artists are the following:

1. Prismacolor Premier

2. Faber Castell Polychromos

3. Faber Castell Albrecht Durer Watercolor

4. Caran D’Ache Museum Aquarelle

5. Derwent Coloursoft

6. Caran D’Ache Luminance

7. Prismacolor Premier Verithin

I personally use a combination of different brands, as they each have their strengths. Some artists may may have a personal preference for one brand over the others for their color offerings, price, overall quality, or blendability, so I will go into more detail about each of the brands below to help you make an informed decision when purchasing your art supplies.

While reading the descriptions below, keep in mind your working style and priorities as an artist. Do you like to create tightly rendered photo-realistic work? Do you prefer looser more “painterly” or pastel-like drawings? Are you on a budget and looking for the most bang for your buck, or are you looking to invest in the highest quality regardless of price? Selecting the right colored pencil brand can help you achieve your artistic goals.

1. Prismacolor Premier

Prismacolor Premier are wax based soft core colored pencils offering 150 different colors to satisfy everyone from art students to professional colored pencil artists. These pencils have 7 mm barrel and a 3.8 mm core making them smaller than some other brands, but they are a good choice for budget conscious artists as they are the least expensive on this list.

I have grown attached to many of the unique colors offered and therefore keep a large supply of them for my colored pencil work. They are also offered open stock, so you can replace colors as needed.

In terms of lightfastness (degree to which colors fade over time), Prismacolor performs well overall, although some colors are not rated as highly as others. I have personally never had a problem with colors fading, but I also frame my artwork behind UV protective glass or plexiglass to hedge my bets.

These wax-based colored pencils can also be sharpened to a very sharp point for fine details, and yet have very soft leads allowing for smooth laydown and easy blending. These pencils can be applied with a light touch and in many layers, but they are not very forgiving in terms of adjusting mistakes as the waxy pigment seems to adhere very well to most surfaces.

There are a couple of things to note: the leads of certain specific colors are more prone to breaking than others (I’m looking at you, Tuscan Red!), and I have noticed that at least one color has changed slightly over the years (Beige Sienna). Also, be aware that Prismacolor pencils are prone to creating wax bloom, where the wax from the pencil rises to the surface of the drawing. But this can be dealt with, and I will cover that in a future blog post.

All in all, these are an excellent choice for their price, color selection and vibrant colors. Here is a drawing I did with all Prismacolor Premier colored pencils:

Still Life Sabotage by Holly Bedrosian

2. Faber–Castell Polychromos

Faber Castel Polychromos are oil-based colored pencils, and boast a larger 8 mm barrell. These oil-based pencils come in 120 colors that are very much like colors you would expect in other artist mediums such as oil paint. They are also available open stock so you can purchase individual colors as needed.

These artist grade pencils have a more break-resistant core than softer core pencils, but still allow for smooth blending. The oil-based cores allows for especially smooth blending when used on sanded surfaces. When working on pastel (sanded) surfaces you do need to take care as the pigment will be very prone to smudging. But this is a great option if you like to work loosely in the beginning and blend existing pigment and tighten details as you work.

Additionally, unlike wax-based colored pencils, Polychromos are not prone to wax bloom. And, they can be used together with wax-based pencils. I will very often combine these with other brands when working on paper or slightly toothy surfaces.

When I want to achieve a looser pastel-like look, I use these on a sanded paper as in the drawing shown below.

The con to these pencils is that they are on the expensive side, although they aren’t the priciest on this list.

Here is a drawing I did using all Faber Castell Polychromos on sanded paper:

Patrick and Sloth by Holly Bedrosian

3. Faber Castell Albrecht Durer Watercolor

Faber Castell Albrecht Durer Watercolor pencils are durable water soluble pencils that blend beautifully when water is applied. These can be used in conjunction with other colored pencils, either as an “underpainting” or over an existing colored pencil drawing.

The core size is 3.8 mm encased in a large sturdy cedar barrell, and the leads are very durable as compare with other colored pencils. They are also lightfast and acid-free making them excellent professional quality colored pencils.

The price point for these pencils is the same as the Polychromos, making them somewhat expensive, but they are not the most expensive watercolor pencil option.

I used Faber Castell Albrecht Durer Watercolor colored pencils as an underpainting for this drawing:

Patrick Profile by Holly Bedrosian

4. Caran D’Ache Museum Aquarelle

Caran D’Ache Museum Aquarelle colored pencils are another water soluble colored pencil option with a 3.8 mm durable lead. These are lightfast colored pencils with rich pigments. Artists especially enjoy the opacity and brightness of the white pencil in this line.

Since these are available open stock, you can choose your favorites to add to your collection. They do come at a higher price point than the Faber Castell Albrecht Durer pencils, but if you are looking for especially vibrant colors, this may be the pencil for you.

5. Derwent Coloursoft

Derwent Coloursoft are wax-based colored pencils with a large 8 mm barrel and a large 4 mm core. The soft cores allow for excellent blendability and layering.

These colored pencils are a great value (only slightly more expensive than Prismacolor), and I have found that they are less prone to wax bloom.

The cons are that these are somewhat prone to crumbling and do produce more dust.

Here is a piece I did using Derwent Coloursoft pencils in addition to other brands:

Hope by Holly Bedrosian

6. Caran D’Ache Luminance

Caran D’Ache Luminance are the most expensive colored pencils on this list, but these wax-based pencils offer excellent lightfastness and vibrant colors that one would expect from professional-grade pencils.

Similar to the Polychromos, the Luminance pencils come in a wide range of rich colors. I especially enjoy the warm flesh tones available in this line.

The cores don’t seem quite as soft as Prismacolor, but the pencils do blend beautifully. For the rich pigment, durability, and lightfastness, the quality of these pencils can’t be beat.

The only drawback is the high price, so if you are unable to purchase the entire set, I recommend purchasing individual pencils that you will use the most to start.

Here is a piece I did using Caran D’Ache Luminance colored pencils in addition to other brands:

The Influencer by Holly Bedrosian

7. Prismacolor Premier Verithin

Prismacolor Premier Verithin colored pencils have a hard wax 2 mm core, making them excellent for fine detail work. They do not apply as smoothly as soft colored pencils, but they also do not crumble as easily.

I used these pencils a great deal in the beginning of my career, but as my style has become slightly softer and looser, I have transitioned to using more of the above brands. In addition, it is difficult to cover large areas with these fine points, so it’s best to reserve these for detail work or very small drawings.

On the negative side, the colors aren’t as rich as the corresponding colors in the Prismacolor Premier collection, but you can achieve the same vibrancy if you combine the two.

Here is a piece I did using Prismacolor Verithin pencils along with Prismacolor Premier pencils:

Brass Ensemble by Holly Bedrosian

So there you have it – my favorite colored pencils for artists! If this the choices still seems daunting, remember that you can create amazing art with just about any colored pencil brand. Sometimes you just have to dive in and give it a go, and everything takes practice. Next time I will be covering the best surfaces to use with colored pencils, so be sure to subscribe to this blog so you don’t miss it!