The best professional colored pencils depend on what the artist wants to achieve. Soft cores are prone to breaking but great for blending. So if you want to do a great sunset a soft-core pencil would be best. Hard cores hold a sharp point so are great for detail work. Also, you want to keep in mind the pencil’s lightfast rating. This is the rate at which pencils fade in light exposure.
1. Derwent Artists Colored Pencils
These pencils have good color variations and blend well. When you blend with this pencil you a light hand, it will produce great results this way. They are smooth to color with and hold a sharp point. Has a wax-based core. When you buy a set it comes with 120 colors.
2. Derwent Color Soft Colored Pencils
Pencils are easy to blend and the colors are vibrant. The waxy core works well when layered. However, they are more expensive. They feel nice when you use them to color. Also, they are not the best choice if you want to focus on fine details. These pencils have been compared to the feeling of using a pastel.
3. Derwent Studio Colored Pencils
This brand of colored pencils does not blend as well as color soft, but has a harder core and is great for detail work. Because of the hard core these hold up to pressure quite well and if applied with a heavy hand the colors can be vivid. Comes with 72 pencils in an attractive wooden box. A great pencil to add to a set of pencils with a softer core.
4. Derwent Lightfast Colored Pencils
Soft and easy to blend, the colors will not fade for up to 100 years under museum conditions. They have a great lightfast rating, thus the name. If you do choose to go with this pencil you will have to buy several packs for a good color range. They come in packs based on shades and do not come in packs with a complete color spectrum. They are expensive but are great pencils.
5. Faber-Castell Polychromos Colored Pencils
Faber-Castell Polychromos have a high lightfast rating. They have a firm lead and are perfect for the finer details of a piece. Blending with these pencils is effective even with the firm core but they do take more skill to blend. This can be an expensive pencil. And although these pencils are oil-based there is no waxy bloom.
6. Blick Studio Artists’ Colored Pencil
This pencil has a firm core and blends well. This pencil performs well on multiple types of paper and is easy to use. Also, produces a vibrant color and is not too expensive. You can purchase this pencil at Blick stores throughout the United States, if you live outside the U.S. they may be hard to come by.
7. Colour Blend by Spectrum Noir
Comes in color sets so you have to collect ranges to get a full-color spectrum. This is a combination pencil with both a wax and oil-based core. Easy to blend, but not as smooth, and the colors are usually vivid but a little inconsistent. Pencil breakage is common. A lot of colors in the set are similar in tone.
8. Prismacolor Premier Soft-Core Colored Pencils
Smooth and buttery wax-based core. Feels great to use and easy to blend. Vibrant colors and works on any paper. Easy for those who are experienced and those who are just starting. Wax buildup is an issue, and so is breakage. This is to be expected though because of the soft cores. They do not keep a sharp point well. The most affordable artist-grade pencil.
9. Marco Raffine Fine Art
A good choice for those with a low budget. They work great with quality paper, but not so great with low-quality paper like printing paper. This pencil is easy to blend and holds a sharp point. But lacks in vibrancy. Easy to hold and the color the color produces is usually the same as the color preview at the end.
10. Lyra Rembrandt Polycolor
These are oil-based and nice to hold. Has a firm core and blends well. But it does leave crumbs. It has a small range of colors. This pencil has a great lightfast rating. When you buy the set, it comes with a wooden box which is great for holding your new pencils in.
11. Caran D’Ache Luminance 6901
More pro recommendations HERE.
12. Uni-Posca Colored Pencils
The core is a mix of oil and wax. Because of their makeup, you can even use them on glass and metal. Their pigment is great and it’s a pencil that blends well. You can purchase smaller or larger set sizes for this pencil.
13. Holbein Artists’ Colored Pencils
Expensive and exclusive with a great color range. This pencil has a combination core as well, made of both wax and oil. It has a great buttery smooth texture and is a very popular pencil with artists. They have a soft core but are not as prone to breakage.
14. Staedtler Ergosoft Colored Pencils
Smooth colored pencils that blend well, and keep a sharp tip. They are bright pencils shaped like a triangle for ergonomic support. Also, they come with a case that holds the pencils in place. However, they do have a waxy bloom and are more expensive.
The pencils which you decide to go with are based on what you need from them and your budget. Do you want the emphasis of your piece to be on how vibrant the colors are? Then go with something like Holbein Artists’ Colored Pencils or Uni-Posca Colored Pencils. For detailed work try something with a stronger core. If you are going for an overall quality try, Faber-Castell Polychromos Colored Pencils.
Getting started coloring can be daunting considering how many options there are. Not just a lot of pencils, but so many paper types, and erasers, something that seems like a simple hobby can easily become complex. It’s just about going with your gut and getting started. Have a good time coloring with coloring books, or sketching your favorite characters. The more you do it the more you will know what step you need to take next to build your skills.
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