The Best Colored Pencils

For children, colored pencils are a cornerstone of fun activities. They are used at home and at school to make whimsical pictures, complete homework and doodle aimlessly.

However, in addition to being popular with kids, colored pencils are now also part of an adult pastime. These days, you’ll find adults — professional artists and beginners alike — creating beautiful works of art using colored pencils. Available in dozens of colors, the pencils are used for drawing, sketching, shading and coloring.

Coloring can help adults exercise their creative side while relaxing after a long day of work. Many people find coloring enjoyable because they get to pick different hues, create eye-catching patterns and drawings and focus on an entertaining activity.

Whether you’re a fan of coloring books or you like to come up with your own designs, colored pencils can help you achieve exactly the look you want. You can press down hard on the pencils to create thick lines, or lightly shade certain areas for a totally different look. The options are limitless with colored pencils.

• Regardless of whether you’re a professional artist or just dabbling in coloring, you’ll want to check the number of colors you get in a package when purchasing a set. For those that create intricate patterns and unique designs, you may be looking for a wide range of colors. If you already have many colored pencils and are just looking to add on a few additional ones, a smaller range of colors might work for you. The Prismacolor Premier Colored Pencils, 150-Count comes with 150 unique colors.
• “You can buy colored pencils in sets or singly,” says our resident arts and crafts expert, Amy Markham. She’s an art educator and the creator of the art podcast Starling. “If you use one color more than the others in a set you can easily replace that one without having to purchase an entire set again,” she notes.
• It can be frustrating when the core of the pencil breaks while coloring, and you have to pause your activity to sharpen your pencil. That’s why a break-resistant core is important for many coloring enthusiasts. Some sets specify a break-resistant core. Other sets of colored pencils have a thick and robust lead core, which makes it difficult for them to chip and crack.
• The core of your colored pencils also determines how useful they are for different drawing effects. “Hard-core pencils are best for creating sharp lines and drawing in details,” says Markham. “They are also great for lettering and outlines. Soft-core pencils are best for shading, blending and layering.”
• There are two main techniques for using colored pencils: layering and burnishing. Layering is generally used at the start by coloring different colors on top of one another to create unique shades and tones. Burnishing involves additional layering and blending the layered colors until the appearance is smooth and shiny. For many artists and coloring enthusiasts, being able to layer, shade and blend colors is a vital factor when choosing coloring pencils. If the lead core is too hard, then the pigment won’t blend in and shading will not be smooth. Some sets have a soft core designed to glide smoothly across the paper, while other models feature ultra-smooth and even color laydown.
• Having a box or case to store your colored pencils makes it easy to manage the clutter that can come from having dozens of pencils. There are colored pencils that come in a metal durable, double-hinged storage tin case. The Prismacolor Premier Colored Pencils, 150-Count comes in a standard packaging box, while the Crayola Erasable Colored Pencils, 50-Count comes in a peggable, see-through window box.
• For many people, professionals and novices alike, affordability is an important factor to consider when making a purchase. The Crayola Erasable Colored Pencils, 50-Count is a low-cost and very affordable option, while the Prismacolor Premier Colored Pencils, 150-Count is higher in price.