Best Colored Pencils for Beginners 2026
Prismacolor Premier 72-Count are the best colored pencils for beginners — soft wax core blends smoothly, vibrant pigment, and artist-grade quality at $64.
See Today’s Price →At a Glance
| # | Product | Award | Price | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Prismacolor Premier Colored Penci… Prismacolor |
Best Overall | $67 Buy → |
9.2 |
| 2 |  Faber-Castell - Polychromos colou…Faber-Castell |
Premium Pick | $74 Buy → |
8.9 |
| 3 |  Polychromos 36 Pencil Studio SetFaber-Castell |
Studio Set | $64 Buy → |
8.5 |
| 4 | Best Budget | $38 Buy → |
8.2 | |
| 5 | Also Excellent | $28 Buy → |
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Colored Pencils for Beginners Buying Guide
Photo by Miguel Á. Padriñán / PexelsWax-Based vs. Oil-Based Colored Pencils: The Core Formulation Difference
Colored pencils use either wax or oil as the binder that holds the pigment together. Prismacolor Premier uses a wax-based core — soft, blendable, and creamy-feeling. Faber-Castell Polychromos uses an oil-based core — slightly harder, with less wax bloom (the whitish haze that develops on wax-heavy layers), and greater lightfastness (resistance to fading over time). For beginners, wax-based pencils (Prismacolor, Arteza) are more forgiving because the soft core allows color to deposit easily and blend with light pressure. Oil-based pencils require slightly more pressure to deposit color but produce more archival results and layer more colors without wax bloom. Start with wax if you want immediate satisfying results; consider oil-based after developing technique.
Core Hardness and What It Affects in Use
Colored pencil core hardness determines how the pencil behaves on paper. Soft cores (Prismacolor Premier, Derwent Lightfast) lay down rich color with minimal pressure, blend easily with other pencils or solvents, and cover paper grain effectively. Hard cores (Faber-Castell Polychromos is medium-hard) produce finer detail, maintain a sharp point longer, and are less prone to breakage during sharpening. Beginners often find soft-core pencils more enjoyable initially because the color payoff is immediate — hard cores require developing enough pressure control to use them effectively. The recommended approach: use soft-core pencils to learn color layering and blending technique, then work with harder pencils for detailed work as skills develop.
Lightfastness: Does It Matter for a Beginner?
Lightfastness (measured on the ASTM scale from I to V, with I being most permanent) determines how long colored pencil artwork retains its colors when displayed under light. Student-grade pencils often use fugitive pigments that fade noticeably within years of light exposure. If you're creating artwork for personal enjoyment or practice, lightfastness is irrelevant — the work won't be displayed long-term. If you create work you want to keep, sell, or give as gifts, lightfastness becomes important. Faber-Castell Polychromos earns excellent lightfastness ratings; Prismacolor is variable by color — some colors are lightfast, others are not. Arteza student grade has generally poor lightfastness.
Set Size for Beginners: Starting Range Without Overwhelm
Colored pencil sets range from 12 to 150+ colors. A 24–36 color set is the practical starting point for beginners — enough variety to explore color mixing and undertones without the overwhelm of managing 72 nearly identical shades of green. Prismacolor Premier 24-piece and Faber-Castell Polychromos 36-piece sets cover the full hue range with enough variation to develop color sense. Expanding to larger sets is most useful after you've identified the color families you use most — buying a 72-set immediately means many colors go unused while you buy additional pencils in your most-used colors.
How We Evaluated These Colored Pencil Sets
We assessed colored pencil sets on core softness and blendability, color vibrancy on white and toned paper, lightfastness ratings per color, breakage resistance during sharpening (soft cores break more easily — a real cost factor at premium prices), set range and color variety at each size, and whether the set includes essential colors (a full spectrum without excessive duplication of similar hues).
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Watch Before You Buy
“The gold standard for beginner artists — buttery soft cores that blend and burnish effortlessly.”
See Today’s Price →What we like
- 72 colors
- Soft core
- Burnishable
- Prismacolor quality
Watch out for
- High price point for a colored pencil set
- Soft core can break during heavy sharpening if not done carefully
- 72-color set is overwhelming for absolute beginners
Read Full Analysis
The Prismacolor Premier Soft Core 72 Count at $74.99 sets the standard for wax-based colored pencils — the soft core blends, layers, and burnishes in ways that harder pencils cannot match, making smooth gradients and skin tones achievable for beginners with practice. Compared to the Faber-Castell Polychromos 72 at $56.49, Prismacolor's wax core is softer and more forgiving to blend, while Faber-Castell's oil-based lead holds a sharper point for detailed linework. At the same $74.99 as the ARTEZA set, Prismacolor delivers superior pigment density and a stronger reputation in art education. The 72-color count can overwhelm absolute beginners — starting with a 36-set and building up is a reasonable approach. Sharpen slowly: the soft core fractures inside the casing if pressure is applied too quickly during sharpening.
“Oil-based pigments resist smudging and deliver unmatched vibrancy for a 36-color set.”
See Today’s Price →What we like
- 36 colors
- Oil-based
- Lightfast
- Professional tin packaging
Watch out for
- High price per pencil compared to student-grade alternatives
- Tin of 36 colors requires mixing to fill gaps in a full palette
- Oil-based core takes adjustment for those used to wax-based pencils
Read Full Analysis
The Faber-Castell Polychromos Tin of 36 at $56.49 is the lowest-priced Polychromos option on this page and the only one with a protective metal tin for storage. Oil-based cores are the key distinction from the Prismacolor ($74.99) and ARTEZA ($74.99) wax pencils: Polychromos hold a sharper point for longer, resist smudging when layering, and are rated lightfast for archival work — meaning finished pieces will not fade under UV over decades. The trade-off is blending: oil-based cores require more pressure to blend smoothly than wax, making Prismacolor's soft core easier for beginners learning color mixing. At $56.49 versus $64.90 for the Studio Set, the tin format adds built-in storage protection at $8.41 less. Best for beginners who prioritize precision and archival quality over easy blending.
“Student-grade Polychromos quality without sacrificing Faber-Castell signature precision.”
See Today’s Price →What we like
- 36 Polychromos pencils
- Premium oil-based
- Lightfast
- Studio packaging
Watch out for
- Studio set format does not include a storage tin
- 36-color count requires mixing for a complete working palette
- Higher price than student-grade alternatives at the same count
Read Full Analysis
The Faber-Castell Polychromos 36 Studio Set at $64.90 contains the same oil-based Polychromos pencils as the Tin of 36 at $56.49, with one packaging difference: the Studio Set uses a cardboard presentation box without a metal storage tin. At $8.41 more than the Tin set, the Studio format is a harder value call — the packaging provides less storage protection at a higher price. The Polychromos oil core delivers the same sharper point retention, smudge resistance, and lightfast archival quality that distinguishes it from the wax-based Prismacolor ($74.99) and ARTEZA ($74.99) on this page. If you already have a pencil case or storage solution, the 36 pencils here are functionally identical to the tin. For those who want built-in storage, the Tin at $56.49 is the better buy for the same 36-pencil set.
“72 vibrant pre-sharpened wax pencils in a sturdy tin at roughly half the price of Prismacolor.”
See Today’s Price →What we like
- 72 colors
- Soft wax core
- Pre-sharpened
- Budget professional
Watch out for
- Soft wax core can break more easily during sharpening than harder alternatives
- Pigment quality is not lightfast enough for archival work
- Large 72-color set produces significant waste for beginners who use few colors
Read Full Analysis
The ARTEZA Colored Pencils 72 at $74.99 share the exact same price as the Prismacolor Premier 72, making the comparison direct. ARTEZA's soft wax core blends similarly to Prismacolor, and the pre-sharpened set is ready to use immediately out of the box. The key difference: Prismacolor carries stronger pigment density and brand reputation in art education, while ARTEZA's pigments are not rated lightfast for archival work — finished pieces may shift color over years under direct light. If longevity matters, the Faber-Castell Polychromos oil-based options are the archival investment despite the smaller 36-color count. At identical pricing to Prismacolor, ARTEZA's advantage is frequent discount pricing and wide availability. Best for practice work and high-volume sketching where archival permanence is not the goal.
“Play-Doh's 36-Pack Case of Colors is a modeling compound set, not colored pencils, and appears on this page due to a product routing mismatch. No pros/cons data is available. For colored pencil recomm”
See Today’s Price →Watch out for
- Cast iron and stainless require specific care to maintain performance and prevent rust or sticking
- Heavier than non-stick coated alternatives making handling challenging for some users
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is better: Wax-Based vs. Oil-Based Colored Pencils: The Core Formulation Difference?
What should I know about core Hardness and What It Affects in Use?
Lightfastness: Does It Matter for a Beginner?
What should I know about set size for beginners?
How We Evaluated These Colored Pencil Sets?
How We Analyze Products
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Prices shown reflect Amazon pricing at the time this page was last generated. Click “See Today’s Price” to get the current live price on Amazon. Read our full methodology →