I Tested Every Colored Pencil to Find the BEST One… and here are ALL the results!
Of course, taking 90+ pencil brands through 11+ different tests (along with extra research on other factors) adds up to a LOT of information for one blog post. So I’ve broken this article up into a (hopefully) easy-to-navigate mini website for you, where you can go on your own mini journey to find the best colored pencils for any situation.
Below, you’ll find the results of every colored pencil I tested, and the results of every test I performed.
You can watch everything in the video, or scroll down further to navigate to a specific brand of pencils or to a specific test.
Each section of this blog is broken up into pages to help this website load faster for you, and to help you navigate to the right sections quickly without confusion. So bookmark this page now so you can refer back to it whenever you need!
This article is currently under construction while my team and I gather all the information we have collected and build it into a format that’s easy for you to read! Check back frequently for more updates!
PLEASE NOTE: This post contains affiliate links and I may earn a commission if you click them (at no cost to you). I have personally purchased all of the pencils used in this review, except a few that were given to me in the past for other videos/articles. These include Black Widow Monarch, Arrtx, Derwent Chromaflow, Winsor & Newton. None of these brands are associated with this review in any way.
Colored Pencils by Brand
Budget-Priced Colored Pencils
Mid Price Range Colored Pencils
Mid-High Range Colored Pencils
High Price Range Colored Pencils
Colored Pencil Testing Results
(Coming soon) My team and I are working on gathering all the data from each of the following tests so you can see the full results and scores of each set of pencils. We’ll update this page with links as soon as we have this information!
I Tested Every Colored Pencil to Find the BEST ONE…
and here are ALL the results!
Of course, taking 90+ pencils through 11+ different tests (along with extra research on other factors) adds up to a LOT of information for one blog post. So I’ve broken this article up into a (hopefully) easy-to-navigate mini website for you, where you can go on your own mini journey to find the best colored pencils for any situation.
Blending
If you can learn to blend pencils, you can color almost anything. But not all pencils blend the same. With the right paper and the right technique, you can blend ANY brand of pencils. But some pencils just make this easier and produce better results for both beginners and advanced artists. Through 2 tests, I identified which colored pencils were the easiest to blend together.
Layering
I tested how many layers each pencil can make. Building up layers allows you to mix colors, create smoother blends, and have a lot more overall control in what you are creating. It’s important if you’re wanting to create realistic textures or draw a photorealistic portrait.
Durability & Strength (coming soon)
If pencils are dropped or damaged, they can break along the entire core, making them crumble. Some pencils are built to be more durable and resist breakage, so I tested which pencils could handle more pressure and would be less likely to break. I also tested which could hold a sharp point for the longest.
Erasability (coming soon)
I want to see which colored pencils can be erased, whether I’ve colored lightly or colored heavily. This can actually be a clever way to create highlights or bring back lighter areas when drawing things like hair or fur. And, of course, erasing is helpful if you’ve made a mistake.
Water-Resistance (coming soon)
I wanted to test if the pencils are water resistant or water soluble. If you’re wanting to use your colored pencils with mixed media or any kind of sealing spray or fixative, you want to be sure that it’s not going to move if it gets wet. Or in some cases, you may prefer a water-soluble pencil.
Pencil Barrel Design (coming soon)
For this test, I looked at whether the pencil barrel matched the color of the actual core, and rated the pencils according to whether they included color names, numbers, and displayed easy-to-read fonts and colors.
Other things tested (coming soon)
I also tested color intensity, opacity on dark paper, performance on markers, along with researching some general information about the pencils. Read about it here.
Lightfastness (coming soon)
I’m planning to do my own proper lightfast testing on every single colored pencil brand from this article. Please subscribe to my email newsletter for updates on when this gets published in 2025!
The Best Colored Pencils
After all this testing, I did choose some winners for some different categories of colored pencils. You can find the finalists in the video above, but I’ll also be updating this series of articles to include these finalists here as well, with more detail on the results and winners.
Finalist categories include:
- The Best Colored Pencils for Beginners
- The Best Value Colored Pencils
- The Best Pastel Range Colored Pencils
- The Best Prismacolor Alternatives
- The Best Polychromos Alternatives
- The Best Overall Colored Pencils
Don’t forget to bookmark this page for future reference!
I really appreciate all this information that you’ve compiled… what an incredible resource! Historically I haven’t been super into colored pencils but I’m trying to give them a whirl. I wonder what you think about Amazon Basics Premium Colored Pencils? As I’m firmly in the beginner category, I found the price tag to be unbeatable when stacked against the reviews. Many reviews talked about their quality in comparison with their low price so I’m giving them a go! But I’d love to know what you think as I’ve never tried any of the “nicer” / more expensive brands!
Thank you for this very passionate and enthusiastic pencil testing. Your verbiage made it feel real when reading. How you liked/disliked each pencil and the colors, the feel as well as the colors, whether it was vibrant or softer tone.
You did an incredible job looking at nearly every pencil on the market and you confirmed my top choices for me. Thanks for such a great review.
am I missing something I cant seem to see the results?
I was looking for the results as well, but they don’t seem to be out yet. There is a statement above that says the following:
“Colored Pencil Testing Results
(Coming soon) My team and I are working on gathering all the data from each of the following tests so you can see the full results and scores of each set of pencils. We’ll update this page with links as soon as we have this information!”
Impressive test! Help me a lot to choose.. or maybe confuse, as my wishlist went from 4 brands to 17! Lol
Anyway, I got a set not on the list. Giotto Stilnovo .. would be nice to see how they compare to the others.
Could you add a few more like Prang, Sargent Art, and more?
Thank you SO MUCH for the exhaustive work you do to help artists at all levels. I have watched many of your videos; I do not work with coloring pages, but so much of your information helps me as I learn and progress through my own artistic endeavors. Your presentation style is delightful. Keep up your good work!
Thanks for sharing your thoughts on the different brands and the thorough testing. Unlike a lot of other Youtubers, you seem unbiased, which is great! In terms of open stock, I’m guessing this is location based, as here in the UK we can get all the Derwent pencils, except their academy range, as open stock. Hopefully, if they haven’t already, they’ll be available open stock in other countries too. Also, we can get the FC Goldfaber open stock here, which are lovely pencils, just wish there were more colours! On the other hand, Prismacolours are much harder to get. So that section at least is very location based.
Regarding erasability: I have found one colored pencil that actually erases well : Pilot Frixion Erasable Colored Pencils. I lucked out finding them in a thrift store and on the paper we tested with, they erased clean, which is nuts. They’re normally very expensive, and the color payout is not especially strong, but if you really need something erasable, that’s your best go-to.
Interesting. Try putting a test page in the freezer, though.
I used Frixion pens (not pencils) a lot for business related matters. One winter day, I had left my papers in the car as I visited a customer.
So, it turns out that intense cold brings back everything you deleted with friction. It also turns out that when all of this comes back at once, your papers are useless.
If the pencils work the same way, that’s something to keep in mind.
I’m sure a clever artist could do some fun tricks with it… but it might also end up ruining some pieces.
I am a beginner and I have found your way of teaching woks for me. I have watched your videos and appreciate the long hours you put in for the benefit of others. My first large set was the Shuttle Art 174 premium pencil set. The core size on this set is 4.0 mm and is their artist quality set. The next set was the Prismacolor Premier 48 set. I found I was able to mix the two sets and blend them easily. I received the Prismacolor Premier 150 set for Christmas. I just finished swatching it and now I have the task of putting them in color family order. I am looking forward to using them to color a page. Thank you for all you do for our benefit!
WOW Great performance charting! I love this! Definitely a page to be bookmarked .. I will definitely be returning often to check for updates! What a huge undertaking by you and your team! Bravo, Sarah .. A great wealth of information for all who use coloured pencils! Thank-you Sarah .. SO INFORMATIVE
This is such an amazing resource, thank you so much! I can see that so many hours went into this and it’s something that I will be referring to regularly. In fact, I already made my first purchase using this guide!
Although I appreciate this comparison, I disagree with a lot of key comments about them. PRISMA premiere, they are ULTRA soft & not one other pencil on the market uses the same binders and pigments ratios. This is why they are Ultra soft. So in now way possible is ARTEZA anywhere near them. Maybe more on the polychromos softness.
Also ARRTX – being the 126 set has just been released for the public to purchase they are also in the ULTRA SOFT category. However, the richer pigments and the firmer core competed to PRISMA make them a close second. But the pigments are more vibrant. With that said ARRTX has changed out several colors but that’s not to say they won’t return in a larger set. Being a new set there’s always going to be some bumps.
Arrtx may have a budget friendly price but they are a quality product and artist grade just like PRISMA & polychromos.
I just wanted to add that not all the ones that are open stock are only on Amazon or online stores. There are many that are available to purchase open stock at your local art stores.
So, I have to guess these opinions were based on location availability of the creator.
Added not the Uni Posca has a color range of 240??? It only 100 are available to purchase. Is there another 140 pencil color choices available for purchase then?
If it’s one thing I know after 30 plus years using colored pencils and dealing with them is that every artist has a style, a preference and favorite. Whether it falls under a budget category pencil or an expensive brand. Opinions are just that opinions. I suggest the results are taken as such and not as gospel because I find too many inaccuracies with the assessments. The biggest one being lack of knowledge of the core’s components to actually do a proper comparison you need this info. Especially since all pencils contain wax and oil binders thete really is no such thing as a wax OR oil only pencil. Best of luck happy creating..
Appreciate your thoughts and opinions, Stephanie. I didn’t do a specific rank for softness, so I’m not sure what you’re referring to in the ultra soft comparison. I’ve tried to be as objective and detailed as possible, but of course it’s going to be impossible for anyone to be completely objective in any assessment without being a machine, especially when comparing so many pencils.
The color range of Uni Posca was possibly a typo. With the 90 brands tested, and all the information collected, I’m sure you can appreciate humanity allows for little mistakes like this occasionally! Thanks for pointing it out so we can update this.
The wax/oil info is based on what is advertised by the companies. I don’t necessarily agree with this, but am going by the manufacturer information. In the future, I’d love to pull these pencils apart for myself and do a deeper dive into the differences.
:)
This is such an amazing resource, thank you so much!
Most browns, blacks, earth reds and yellows tend to be lightfast due to the use of mineral pigments (iron, etc.). If you want to cut to the chase, look at the lightfastness color charts for various brands. Generally, it is the violets, lavenders, and pinks that use fugitive pigments (often based on old organic colorants such as rose madder and alizarin crimson). If the makers would switch to quinacridone pigments they would have much better lightfastness ratings on these colors. Many yellows such as aureolin yellow, arylide yellow, diarylide yellows, and some hansa yellows are fugitive, so testing yellows is a good idea also. If the violets, pinks, lavenders, and yellows in a set hold up to light, they likely all will. I’d really like to see how the Chinese SJ STAR-JOY Gold Edition pencils hold up to a lightfastness test. I second trying out the Royal Talens Van Gogh pencils. They claim to be all LFI and LFII lightfastness rating and only cost about US$1 a pencil.
Bright reds and blues have lightfastness problems as well. So do any mixed-pigment colors which results in a noticeable color shift as one of the components fades.
Brand issued lightfastness charts are not always reliable. Pencil and paint manufacturers sometimes just copy pigment lightfastness information without testing for lightfastness in the specific medium. Artists who performed their own independent blue wool tests have often found discrepancies between the brands’ LF rating and the actual performance.
Where are you finding the RT Van Gogh at such a low price? I’ve only seen them at Jacksons and they are closer to $3 a pencil in sets with no open stock. I’m very familiar with their watercolor line and they are completely lightfast in independent RL testing, so I would be quite confident in their claims.
colouredpencil.shop has VG pencils for 80p per pencil.
I can’t wait until I can read the comparison !
I know it’s a tall order to test actually every single color pencil brand in the world, but two notable brands stand out to me as missing from this test. Both are artist grade, lightfast brands with a long tradition, so I believe they deserve a mention:
– Derwent Drawing – soft core, small range of natural colors, existed for 20 years or so, popular among portrait and animal artists, open stock. Not a top choice for a standalone set, and not popular for colorists that prefer bright colors, so I get why you may have excluded it on purpose.
– Talens Van Gogh Colour Pencils – medium hardness, decent size range, the most affordable of all lightfast pencils, open stock (not in every country though).
They’re not as popular because art influencers never recommend them, and it’s a vicious circle – because they’re not popular the importers drop them, because they’re not easily available across the world they can’t get popular. (As opposed to their watercolor range that’s quite popular, because of the excellent price to quality ratio, and available across the world.) Every reviewer that gave them a chance has loved them! But they never end up in these “ultimate color pencils comparisons”. Coloring Bliss and Frugalcrafter had never mentioned them either. Only the Art Gear Guide has a video review on them. It’s a shame they always get ignored!
Hi there, I loved the review. I own Polychromos , Derwent and Arrtx (on your recommendation). Love them both. I also own Micador Colour Rush, available from Big W Australia. They only come in 12 and 24, but they are my favourite budget pencil to use on colouring books. Thank you for your for your dedication to all things ‘colour pencil’.