Best Colored Pencils for Beginners 2026

Colored Pencils for Beginners Buying Guide

Photo by Miguel Á. Padriñán / Pexels

Wax-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.

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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.

Prismacolor Premier Colored Pencils Soft Core 72 C...

$63.64

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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.

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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).

Related Guides

• Best Art Sets for Kids
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• Best Drawer Organizers

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Faber-Castell Polychromos Colour Pencil Tin of 36

$56.49

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