5 Best Colored Pencils brands for Beginners – Pros and Cons List

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There are just so many brands of colored pencils to choose from it’s hard to know where to start. It’s overwhelming the amount of choices you have.

 

So we’ve narrowed it down for you.

 

Here’s a list of the top five best colored pencil brands for beginners, and the pros and cons of each. Now you can finally make your mind up.

5. Black Widow

Black Widow Colored Pencils, 24 Set | $17.57

 

The Black Widow brand name may not be as well-known as others, but offers fun, unique pencils that are smooth and vibrant, making them a great choice for beginners.

 

The 24 colored pencils give a small enough range of colors, but each has its own creative name such as “Spiderweb” for dark grey, or “Egg Yolk” for deep orange.

They are quite soft, making them very simple to use and great for blending.

 

The body, being solid black,  have to be one of my favorites of any colored pencil brand when it comes to appearance!

 

This set has an average rating of 4.7/5 stars on Amazon.com. 

 

Read the reviews or get your own here.

 

Pros:

• Easy to use.
• Affordable.
• Stylish look.
• Interesting color names.
  
  

Cons:

• Average quality overall.
• Not the biggest range of colors.
• Case bends easily and can be hard to close once it does.
• Color names take some getting used to.
•  

Overall Rating: 8/10

4. Arteza

Arteza Colored Pencils, 120 Set | $59.99

 

Arteza are known for their balance between price and quality.

 

This set contains 120 unique colors for virtually the same price that other, slightly higher quality brands would charge for just 36 or even 24 of their pencils!

 

Okay, so the quality doesn’t quite match up with say Prismacolor or Polychromos, but it’s not far off, and the low price per pencil more than makes up for it.

If you’re someone who wants a good, solid set of soft, easy-to-use colored pencils, with an absolutely huge range of colors then these are without question the right pencils to get. 

 

This set is a very clever investment – even with daily use, this set of pencils alone will give you years of high-quality, enjoyable coloring.

 

This set has an average rating of 4.7/5 stars on Amazon.com. 

 

Read the reviews or get your own here.

 

Pros:

• Incredible range of colors.
• Best price to quality ratio of any brand of colored pencil.
• Easy to use.
• Blend nicely.
  
  

Cons:

• Some colors are a little dull.
  
  

Overall Rating: 8.5/10

3. Castle Art Supplies

Castle Art Colored Pencils, 120 Set | $54.99

Castle Arts Supplies are one of the leading choices for colored pencils. Like the Arteza pencils, this set contains 120 unique colors for a ridiculously low price.

 

With this beautiful range of colors, and smooth cores that lay down color quite well, this set is perfect for beginner/intermediate artists.

Another clever investment, as this set of pencils alone will give you years of use.

 

This set has an average rating of 4.7/5 stars on Amazon.com. 

 

Read the reviews or get your own here.

Pros:

• Huge range of colors.
• Excellent value.
• Easy to use.
• Blend nicely.
  
  

Cons:

• Some brights can struggle a little.
• Core color doesn’t always match the color shown on the body.
  
  

Overall Rating: 8.7/10

 

2. Faber-Castell Polychromos

Faber-Castell Polychromos Colored Pencils, 36 Set | $55.98

 

Faber-Castell Polychromos are one of the huge names in the colored pencil world.

 

They’re more expensive than most other brands, but the quality more than makes up for it.

 

This set contains 36 colored pencils with superb quality inside and out.

 

The body of the pencils can’t be beat – they are by far the highest quality bodies on this list. You feel like you’re holding something special with each one.

 

The cores are harder than most of the pencils on this list, making them a little harder to use, but absolutely perfect for fine details.

If you prefer quality over quantity, then these are the choice for you.

 

Even the tin box that they come in is a high-quality hinged box that is a pleasure to use.

 

This set has an average rating of 4.8/5 stars on Amazon.com.

 

Read the reviews or get your own here.

 

Pros:

• High-end quality pencils.
• A must-have for fine-details.
• Body of each pencil is top-of-the-line.
• Storage case is the best on this list.
  
  

Cons:

• A bit pricey.
• Hard core can take some getting used to.
• Not as vibrant as softer-core pencils.
  
  

Overall Rating: 9.3/10

1. Prismacolor

Prismacolor Colored Pencils, 36 Set | $29.99

 

Now for the one you’ve all been waiting for.

 

Number one on the list has to go to Prismacolor.

 

These are my go-to coloured pencils. They have a soft, smooth core that makes them an absolute pleasure to use, as well as produce the most full, rich colours out of any brand I’ve ever used.

 

They also blend the best and the easiest, even with moderate pressure you can easy lay down a thick layer of color.

The body on each pencil is high-quality, not as much as the Faber-Castell Polychromos, but high-quality nonetheless.

 

Because the cores are so soft, the wear away faster, making them not ideal for details. Don’t get me wrong, they can be used just fine for them, but just require more sharpening.

 

In terms of performance, both Prismacolor and Polychromos are top-notch. It’s really a question of preference; would you prefer soft, rich cores that are easy to use? Go for Prismacolor. Or harder cores that are great for fine-details and wear away less? Polychromos are you’re best choice.

 

This set has an average rating of 4.8/5 stars on Amazon.com.

 

Read the reviews or get your own here.

 

Pros:

• Rich, soft cores produce the most vibrant colors.
• Very easy to use and blend.
• Not as expensive as Polychromos.
  
  

Cons:

• Soft cores mean more sharpening, which means they don’t last quite as long as the Polychromos.
  
  

Overall Rating: 9.5/10

 

 

Things to remember!

 

Using colored pencils is a technical medium that required quality pencils. Using cheap pencils will make the learning process 10 times harder.

 

Choose a high-quality, long-lasting set and you’ll be ready to go!

 

And most importantly – have fun!