Anko
The Anko colored pencils are a low-budget pencil available in Kmart Australia. They feel similar to Crayola, but aren’t as pigmented. I wouldn’t recommend them (even at their price point), but if you are given a set, they work best on paper with some texture/tooth. There is no lightfast information available for these pencils.
Set Sizes available: 18
Available as open stock: No
Price Range: Budget
Where to Buy: Kmart Australia
Anko Color Range: 18 Colors
Arrtx
You can read my more in-depth review of them here. They are a great alternative to Prismacolor, and comparable to Arteza Expert. Their smooth core means they are great for blending and layering. There hasn’t been any lightfast information released about these pencils yet. The more recent set of 126 have been adjusted so the barrel colors are a better match for the cores than the 72 set.
Set Sizes available: 72, 126
Available as open stock: No
Price Range: Budget
Where to Buy: Amazon
Arrtx Color Range: 126 Colors
Art N Fly
The Art N Fly colored pencils are overall nice to use. They are advertised as oil-based, but blend more like a traditional wax-based pencil. They aren’t very durable, but otherwise performed well in all my testing. They are advertised to have “a high degree of lightfastness” but I can’t find any evidence of lightfastness ratings or testing online.
Set Sizes available: 48, 72, 120
Available as open stock: No
Price Range: Budget
Where to Buy: Amazon
Art N Fly Color Range: 72 Colors
Arteza Pastels
The Arteza Pastels range includes 50 pastel colors similar to those in the Holbein pastel range, but at a much more affordable price. They have a soft core, and perform similar to the other Arteza ranges. Even though they are triangular, they are easy to sharpen with a rotary/crank sharpener. I haven’t found any lightfast testing information for these.
Set Sizes available: 50
Available as open stock: No
Price Range: Budget
Where to Buy: Amazon
Arteza Pastels Color Range: 50 Colors
Arteza Premium
The Arteza Premium are a more budget-friendly alternative to the Arteza Expert colored pencils. They feel more firm and less creamy, and still blend almost as well. They didn’t perform quite as well in each test and are only available in a set of 48, but are still a great colored pencil.
Set Sizes available: 48
Available as open stock: No
Price Range: Budget
Where to Buy: Amazon
Arteza Premium Color Range: 48 Colors
Artist’s Loft
Artists Loft colored pencils are the home-brand of Michaels. They feel similar to Crayola, although are slightly better at blending and not as good at layering or producing vibrant colors. They didn’t perform too badly in any category, but they also didn’t perform the best. I haven’t found any lightfast testing information for these.
Set Sizes available: 24, 36, 150
Available as open stock: No
Price Range: Budget
Where to Buy: Amazon
Artist’s Loft Color Range: 72 Colors
Artlicious
The Artlicious pencils felt similar to Crayola as well, but I wouldn’t recommend them. They were crumbly and scratchy to use, and it was hard to vary the pressure of the pencil. My hands were sore almost immediately after starting to use them. I haven’t found any lightfast testing information for these.
Set Sizes available: 50
Available as open stock: No
Price Range: Budget
Where to Buy: Amazon
Artlicious Color Range: 50 Colors
Astra Pastelowe
The Astra Pastelowe (pronounced “Pastel-love”) were very popular a few years ago as the best Holbein dupe. (See my video about them here) Unfortunately they are incredibly hard to find, they have no numbers or names on the barrels, and they aren’t very nice to use. They are scratchy, with lots of filler, more intended for kids. Luckily, there are a few other brands that have now released competing pastel ranges. I haven’t found any lightfast testing information for these.
Set Sizes available: 50
Available as open stock: No
Price Range: Budget
Where to Buy: Astrapolska
Astra Pastelowe Color Range: 50 Colors
BiC Intensity
These colored pencils are advertised as “Premium” but their performance and price puts them more in the budget category. They blend fairly well and can layer better than most pencils, but they are also quite crumbly and aren’t as durable as advertised. Overall, I liked their performance, but I was disappointed that the packaging didn’t include any color names or numbers, which made them feel more like a product for kids. I haven’t found any lightfast testing information for these.
Set Sizes available: 12, 24
Available as open stock: No
Price Range: Budget
Where to Buy: Amazon
BiC Intensity Color Range: 36 Colors
Brutfuner 520
The Brutfuner pencils come in a huge range of 520 colors, which is hugely appealing to some, but overwhelming for others. Personally, I chose to purchase the 260 set, and still found this to be far more colors than I think is necessary or practical. Their performance is good, with easy layering and vibrant colors, but they lack in blendability. I have not been able to find any lightfastness testing on the Brutfuner range.
Set Sizes available: 260, 520
Available as open stock: No
Price Range: Budget
Where to Buy: Amazon
Brutfuner Color Range: 520 Colors
Brutfuner 180 colour pencils
The Brutfuner colored pencils are a great budget option for artists who want good pencils at a reasonable price. They come in a great range of colors, and have a hard core and a smooth feel. They are advertised as an oil-based pencil, but still blend quite well. I have not been able to find any lightfastness testing on the Brutfuner range.
Set Sizes available: 180
Available as open stock: No
Price Range: Budget
Where to Buy: Amazon
Brutfuner 180 Colored Pencils Color Range: 180 Colors
Brutfuner Macaron
I’d say the Brutfuner Macaron Pencils are one of the best budget pastel colored pencil sets available. They are a similar feel to Prismacolor and Holbein pencils, although not quite as buttery smooth or high-quality in comparison. Their color range is almost identical to Holbein, and they are a much lower price. I suspect they are the same as Kalour Macaron pencils, which are produced in the same factory. They are a great choice for any artist looking for good pastels at an affordable price. I haven’t seen any lightfast information for these.
Set Sizes available: 50
Available as open stock: No
Price Range: Budget
Where to Buy: Amazon
Brutfuner Macaron Color Range: 50 Colors
Brutfuner Square
The Brutfuner Square colored pencils are a great budget colored pencil that performs well at a good price. The pencils have a firm, smooth core, and blend well even though they are oil-based. They don’t work quite as well on textured paper, and I haven’t been able to find any lightfast ratings for them. They don’t fit in a standard sharpener, but most desktop sharpeners (like a Dahle 155) work fine.
Set Sizes available: 120
Available as open stock: No
Price Range: Budget
Where to Buy: Amazon
Brutfuner Square Color Range: 50 Colors
Castle Arts Premium
Castle Arts Premium colored pencils are another good alternative to Prismacolor pencils. They are not too different to the Castle Arts Gold range, and still blend beautifully, at a slightly more affordable price. They are a great choice for beginners. The company says they do their own lightfast testing, but I was unable to find any lightfast information online.
Set Sizes available: 72, 120
Available as open stock: No
Price Range: Budget
Where to Buy: Amazon
Castle Arts Premium Color Range: 120 Colors
Cezanne Premium
The Cezanne Premium pencils have good color vibrancy, but otherwise I personally wouldn’t recommend them compared to the other colored pencils I’ve tested. I found them to be quite scratchy and filled with a lot of filler. I was unable to find any lightfastness ratings for these pencils, but this is to be expected for their price.
Set Sizes available: 6, 12, 24, 72, 120
Available as open stock: No
Price Range: Budget
Where to Buy: Amazon
Cezanne Premium Color Range: 120 Colors
Cra-z-art
Cra-z-art colored pencils are very similar to Crayola pencils in their appearance and feel. These pencils are primarily marketed towards kids, and their low price point reflects this. With the right paper, these pencils can perform ok and can be layered quite well. Personally, I’d still prefer Crayola over these. They do not have any lightfastness testing or ratings.
Set Sizes available: 12, 24, 36, 72
Available as open stock: No
Price Range: Budget
Where to Buy: Amazon
Cra-z-art Color Range: 100 Colors
Crayola
Crayola colored pencils are a great budget option, primarily marketed at kids. They are widely available and affordable, making them a good choice for young artists.Their hard casing can make them difficult to sharpen, and I’ve found a handheld sharpener is actually easier than a desktop crank sharpener. They lack lightfastness testing but are good for fine details and maintaining a sharp point. They can be layered quite well, as I demonstrated in my Crayola vs Caran d’Ache challenge here.
Crayola Color Range: 120 Colors
Crayola Colors of the World
Crayola Colors of the World colored pencils are a great addition to the Crayola range. They introduce a huge range of colors, specifically to allow artists and kids to create a variety of skin tones that were difficult with the standard Crayola colors. They are affordable and available at most stores. They are good for fine details and keeping a sharp point, but like Crayola, they are difficult to sharpen and do not have lightfastness ratings. They also did develop wax bloom before I even finished all my testing.
Crayola Colors of the World Color Range: 24 Colors
Doms
Doms Color Range: 24 Colors
Set Sizes available: 12, 24
Available as open stock: No
Price Range: Budget
Where to Buy: Amazon
Faber-Castell Classic
The Faber-Castell Classic Colored pencils are a good choice for kids or beginners. They feel similar in quality to a Crayola pencil, but more durable and do a better job of layering than Crayola, although the colors are not as bright. These pencils are also water-resistant. There is no lightfastness information available, which is common for budget pencils.
Faber-Castell Classic Color Range: 60 Colors
Kalour
Kalour Color Range: 240 Colors
Set Sizes available: 72, 120, 240
Available as open stock: No
Price Range: Budget
Where to Buy: Amazon
Kalour Macaron
The Kalour Macaron Pencils are one of the best budget pastel colored pencil sets you can buy. I suspect they are the same as the Brutfuner Macaron pencils, which are produced in the same factory. They feel similar to Prismacolor and Holbein pencils, although not quite as vibrant or easy to blend in comparison. Their color range is almost identical to Holbein, and they are far more affordable. I haven’t seen any lightfast information for these.
Set Sizes available: 50
Available as open stock: No
Price Range: Budget
Where to Buy: Amazon
Kalour Macaron Color Range: 50 Colors
Marco Raffine
The Marco Raffine colored Pencils are a firm pencil at a budget price. Great for fine details, but not as good at blending. They are a popular choice for adult coloring beginners who like something similar to a Polychromos pencil, without the price.
Set Sizes available: 36, 48, 72, 120
Available as open stock: No
Price Range: Budget
Where to Buy: Amazon
Marco Raffine Color Range: 72 Colors
Markart colored pencil
Markart colored pencils are one of my top picks for the best budget pencil. They come in a large variety of colors and their cores are smooth and firm like Polychromos. These pencils are mostly water-resistant and make for a good Polychromos alternative if you are on a budget. I have not been able to find any lightfastness ratings for these pencils.
Set Sizes available: 120
Available as open stock: No
Price Range: Budget
Where to Buy: Amazon
Markart Color Range: 120 Colors
Nyoni colored pencils
Nyoni colored pencils are almost identical to the Markart colored pencils, because they are from the same manufacturer. I have a review comparing both brands here. These pencils are firm and smooth, are water-resistant, and are a great budget Polychromos alternative. I have not been able to find any lightfastness ratings for these.
Set Sizes available: 48, 72, 120
Available as open stock: No
Price Range: Budget
Where to Buy: Amazon
Nyoni Color Range: 120 Colors
PhoenixColor (Cat box) – 36
These PhoenixColor pencils are a budget friendly set of pencils that can only be purchased on AliExpress. They perform slightly better than Crayola, and so I think they are better suited to kids than to adults. I can not find any information in regards to lightfastness ratings.
Set Sizes available: 36
Available as open stock: No
Price Range: Budget
Where to Buy: Aliexpress
PhoenixColor (Cat Box) Color Range: 36 Colors
Shuttle Art
Shuttle Art Color Range: 172 Colors
Set Sizes available: 80, 123, 138, 172, 174, 180
Available as open stock: No
Price Range: Budget
Where to Buy: Amazon
SJ Star-Joy Gold Edition
SJ Star-Joy Gold Edition Color Range: 120 Colors
Set Sizes available: 72, 120
Available as open stock: No
Price Range: Budget
Where to Buy: Amazon
Soucolor
Soucolor Color Range: 180 Colors
Set Sizes available: 72
Available as open stock: No
Price Range: Budget
Where to Buy: Amazon
What about DERWENT
I need your help. I purchased the full color suite. And I can’t seem to find the place where it shows the equivalents of different brands of pencils
Hi Linda. The Color Companions contain selected pencil equivalencies. If you need help with saving your download, please reach out to us via [email protected] – Kristen (Team Sarah)