Colored pencils are the most common and popular artistic tool used in adult coloring book drawings. Typically, colored pencils are cheap, last a long time, and are easy to bring with you on the go. Colored pencils vary in expense and quality, and Prismacolor colored pencils are considered among many in the artistic community to be a colored pencil that is rated very high and is at the lower end of the cost for high-quality tools. But are expensive colored pencils worth the cost?
Deciding whether expensive tools are worth the cost depends on your budget, your skill level, and what your end goal is for the drawing. For a new artist looking to doodle in a book and then store that coloring book on the shelf, an expensive colored pencil set is probably not worth the cost. But for those artists who can feel the difference between a “rough” pencil and a “smooth” one, or for someone who hopes to use the final drawing in some way that will be shown to others, expensive colored pencils are probably worth the cost. One significant benefit to expensive pencils is that the artist has to use less pressure to get the pencil’s vibrant color. This blog post will discuss Prismacolor pencils specifically and the pros and cons of that brand.
How much do Prismacolor colored pencils cost?
Prismacolor offers colored pencils, markers, graphite, pastels, and sets. Their colored pencils inventory offers watercolor, colored pencils, Col-Erase® colored pencils, soft core colored pencils, art sticks, Scholar colored pencils, and Premier Verithin Colored Pencils. Prismacolor are generally softer when applying them than cheaper brands, with few bumps and unsavory edges. The following chart gives an overview of these subsets, their attributes, and costs.
| Prismacolor Watercolor Colored pencils |
It comes in 36 colors |
These pencils can be used wet or dry. | Assorted 24 pack on Amazon for $45.21 | Cost per pencil: $1.88 |
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| Prismacolor Premier® Col-Erase Colored Pencils | It comes in 24 colors | Easily erasable, which makes the pencil suitable for changes and fixing mistakes. | Assorted 24 pack on Amazon for $12.59 | Cost per pencil: $0.52 |
| Prismacolor Premier® Soft Core Colored Pencils | It comes in 150 colors | Suitable for layering, blending, and shading. Very soft and easy to apply. | Assorted 72 pack on Amazon for $51.99 | Cost per pencil: $0.72 |
| Prismacolor Premier® Art Stix® Woodless Colored Pencils | It comes in 48 colors | Useful for projects that require large surface areas for color coverage. | Assorted 48 pack on Amazon for $28.42 | Cost per pencil: $0.59 |
| Prismacolor Scholar™ Colored Pencils | It comes in 58 colors | Suitable for the “developing artist.” Blends easily. Suitable for a wide range of uses. | Assorted 60 pack on Amazon for $37.09 | Cost per pencil: $0.62 |
| Prismacolor Premier Verithin Colored Pencils | It comes in 36 colors | Hard, thin lead that sharpens to a fine point. Good for clean edges, bold outlines, and intricate designs. | 36 pack on Amazon for $27.99 | Cost per pencil: $0.78 |
(Note: Prices are as of September 2020.)
As you can see from the list above, the Prismacolor brand offers various pencils from the new beginner through to advanced artists with a variety of specific coloring needs. Furthermore, the cost per pencil ranges from as low as $0.52 per pencil to as expensive as $1.88 per pencil. Of course, the colored pencils typically are not sold individually—they are sold in sets, which vary in size. For this article, we examined the largest sets available on Amazon.
It’s noteworthy to add that the Prismacolor Premier Soft Core colored pencils come in 150 colors. With so many colors to choose from, the artist needs to spend less time blending and layering to create an exact color match when using that series of a pencil.
Are Prismacolor colored pencils the most expensive brand on the market? How much can you spend on a colored pencil set?
No, Prismacolor colored pencils aren’t the most expensive brand available to artists. They are commonly found at most large retail stores online and in-person, which helps you become loyal to how those pencils work for you. In general, Prismacolor pencils rate at the lower end of the high-end pencils available.
Other expensive colored pencil brands include Caran D’Ache Luminance, Faber-Castell Polychromos Colored Pencils, and Lyra Rembrandt Colored Pencils. Facts about these brands are as follows:
| Caran D’Ache Luminance Colored Pencils | It comes in 120 colors | Creamy and soft application. Superb lightfastness. Color is designed for the exhibition, collection, and museum display. | Assorted 120 pack on Amazon for $214.99 | Cost per pencil: $1.79 |
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| Faber-Castell Polychromos Colored Pencils | It comes in 120 colors | Oil-based leads are designed for layering, highlighting, and blending. Excellence Lightfastness. Smudge-proof and break-resistant. | Assorted 120 colors on Amazon for $217.99 | Cost per pencil: $1.81 |
| Lyra Rembrandt Colored Pencils | It comes in 72 colors | Oil-based leads leave no waxy buildup. | Assorted 105 colors on Amazon for $175.19 | Cost per pencil: $1.66 |
(Note: Prices are as of September 2020.)
As you can see, the cost per pencil for these three brands is far higher than most of Polychromos varieties except for the watercolor pencils. Furthermore, all these brands come in 72-120 colors, giving more variety for the artist to choose from. Prismacolor has one set (the Soft Core) that comes in 150 colors, but otherwise, most of their sets offer fewer color choices.
Although Prismacolor colored pencils are not the most expensive brand on the market, they provide excellent value for their respective price point compared with other available professional brands.
Does lightfastness matter?
Lightfastness ratings tell the artist how durable the “ink” is when it is held up to UV light. How long will the ink last before it starts to fade? This is sometimes referred to as how “fugitive” a material is. What you do with your artwork will determine whether this is an essential factor for you to consider. If you are going to hang your artwork on a wall that will be exposed to sunlight, then yes, you might want to consider purchasing a pencil with a good lightfastness (fugitive) rating. For the average coloring book artist, lightfastness isn’t an essential factor at all.
Fugitive ratings are calculated on a 20-year scale and determine which materials bleach white or radically change color when displayed in a normal home environment.
This is an excellent resource for those looking into the fugitive ratings for Prismacolor pencils. You’ll note that within a particular set—say, the Prismacolor Softcore Colored Pencils—each pencil and color has a separate rating. One pencil might have a rating of V (5) (which is terrible), which has approximate longevity of 0-2 years, but another pencil might have a rating of I (1) (which is excellent) and is expected to last for 100+ years. It’s common for the serious artist looking to sell his or her artwork to combine brands and different pencils by fugitive rating. This makes sure that the artist creates long-lasting artwork for their customers, which is essential when selling the artwork or exhibiting artwork on the professional market.
So, are Prismacolor colored pencils lightfast? The short answer is yes, but the answer is “sometimes yes, and sometimes not,” depending on each pencil. Plus, there’s a lot of variation in how lightfast the pencil is.
Are expensive colored pencils worth the cost?
Expensive colored pencils will create artwork that has more vivid colors. Additionally, the artist will need to exert less pressure on the pencil to create deep, rich colors when working with expensive colored pencils. Furthermore, the professional artist needs to work with colored pencils with a good lightfastness (or fugitive) rating to ensure that their artwork will last for the client and display well at exhibits. These are three critical reasons why an artist may choose to work with expensive colored pencils. However, for the average coloring book hobbyist, working with a colored pencil at a medium price point is perfectly fine. Prismacolor Colored Pencils are precisely this type of pencil that will be rewarding for most coloring book hobbyists to use.
Not wanting to spend an arm and leg for a good colored pencil? Check out our list of the best CHEAP colored pencils here!
Frequently Asked Questions
I can’t afford a big set of colored pencils. What should I look for in a smaller set?
One option is to buy a more superior set of primary colors and add in other shades gradually. Optionally, you can buy a more expensive set of your favorite colors that you use more often. Also, the costly sets often will sell their pencils individually, allowing you to build your artist set slowly and allow you to “test drive” the expensive brands to see which you prefer.
How can I make my medium-priced colored pencil drawing look better?
There are a few things you can do to try to make your colored pencil drawings look better.
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- Try pressing harder to make the colors “deeper” and more vivid.
- Try blending and shading.
- Add a few paper sheets under your drawing to make the drawing and paper softer and more comfortable to press into.
- Try using sandpaper on the end of your pencil after sharpening the pencil. This will make the pencil “grittier” and give you more lead on the page.
- Try “soaking” your colored pencils. (See Question #3 below.)
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Can you “soak” your colored pencils?
Some artists think that yes, it’s possible to soak the colored pencil to make the lead softer and the colors more vivid. This experiment was completed when the artist noticed a difference after soaking the pencils in rubbing alcohol. The artist indicates that another referenced experiment noticed a positive difference in colors when soaking the pencil in warm water.
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