Colored pencils split into two broad categories: wax-based and oil-based cores, and that distinction drives most of what you’ll notice day to day. Wax-based pencils, the more common type, blend smoothly and layer well but can develop a waxy bloom (a hazy film) over time and are more prone to breaking if dropped. Oil-based pencils resist breakage better and hold fine detail longer but can feel firmer and less buttery when blending. Pigment quality is the next big factor — artist-grade pencils use more pigment and less binder, giving richer, more lightfast color, while student-grade sets rely on fillers that fade faster and look chalkier on paper. Color count matters less than most people assume; a well-curated 48 to 72 color range with good value spread (lights, darks, and midtones in every hue) often outperforms a 150-color set padded with near-duplicate shades. Also check core thickness and whether the pencils are pre-sharpened, since thicker cores resist snapping but can be harder to get fine detail from. Finally, consider lightfastness ratings if you plan to display or sell finished work, since some budget pencils fade visibly within a year or two of sun exposure. Paper choice affects colored pencil work more than people expect, too: a smoother, heavier paper lets wax-based pencils build up more layers before the tooth fills in, while rougher paper grabs pigment faster but limits how many layers you can blend before the surface feels saturated. Sharpening setup is another small but real consideration — softer wax cores wear down faster and benefit from a quality manual or electric sharpener, while harder oil-based cores hold a point longer between sharpenings.
Prismacolor Premier Colored Pencils (150-Count)
Prismacolor Premier uses a soft, wax-based core that’s deeply pigmented and famous for how easily it blends and layers, with the 150-count set covering an enormous range of hues, tints, and shades, including dedicated skin tones and a wide spread of grays.
It’s a go-to for colorists, illustrators, and students who prioritize smooth blending and color saturation over durability, and the massive set size means very little color mixing is needed. The soft wax core is more prone to breaking if dropped and can develop waxy bloom over time, which some artists remove by lightly buffing the surface with a soft cloth or stocking.
Faber-Castell Polychromos Colored Pencil Set
Polychromos pencils use an oil-based core prized for its break resistance and ability to hold fine, precise lines, with each color rated for lightfastness, making them a favorite for archival-quality work intended to last decades without noticeable fading.
They’re well suited to artists who need durability and detail control, such as botanical illustrators or anyone doing fine linework alongside color layering. The firmer oil-based core doesn’t blend as buttery-smooth as a soft wax pencil, so achieving very soft color transitions takes more deliberate layering and burnishing technique than with a softer wax pencil.
Arteza Colored Pencils (72 Colors)
Arteza’s 72-color set uses a wax-based core with vivid, saturated tones and a reasonably smooth lay-down for the price point, packaged in a tin with a color range that covers most common subjects.
It’s a strong budget pick for beginners and hobbyists who want vibrant results without an artist-grade price tag, and the 72-color spread is generous enough to avoid constant blending for basic work. Lightfastness and long-term color stability aren’t on par with premium oil-based pencils, so pieces meant for display in direct sunlight may fade faster, and framing behind UV-filtering glass is worth considering for anything you want to keep long term.
Castle Art Supplies Colored Pencils (120-Count)
Castle Art Supplies offers a 120-color wax-based set aimed at adult colorists and hobby artists, with pre-sharpened pencils and a case designed for easy color selection.
It sits in the middle ground between budget and premium, offering good color saturation and a large range at a friendlier price than Prismacolor’s top tier, making it popular for adult coloring books, casual sketching, and gift sets for newer artists. Some users note the cores are slightly softer and break more easily under heavy pressure than premium oil-based brands.
Derwent Lightfast Colored Pencils
Derwent’s Lightfast line is built around a single promise in the name: every pigment is rated 100% lightfast under accepted museum testing standards, meaning colors are formulated to resist fading for roughly a century under normal display conditions. The oil-based core is wide (4mm) and holds a point well, which suits detailed, long-term projects.
It’s the pencil to reach for when a piece is genuinely going to be framed, sold, or displayed in direct light for years, rather than kept in a sketchbook. The trade-off is price — Lightfast sits at the premium end of the category, and the smaller available color counts (12 to 100-pencil tins) mean more deliberate color mixing than a 150-count wax set.
Caran d’Ache Luminance Colored Pencils
Caran d’Ache’s Luminance line is a Swiss-made, wax-based pencil that manages to combine exceptional lightfastness with a softer, more buttery lay-down than most oil-based competitors, which is unusual since lightfast formulas are typically firmer. Many colorists consider it the closest thing to a “best of both worlds” pencil on the market.
It comes at a genuinely premium price per pencil, and sets are sold in smaller color counts (12 to 100) compared to budget wax lines, so it’s realistically a pencil you add to an existing collection rather than a first purchase. For professional illustrators and colored-pencil artists selling original work, the combination of lightfastness and smooth blending is often considered worth the cost.
Choosing by what you’re actually making
If you’re coloring for fun or working through adult coloring books, a wax-based 72 to 120 color set like Arteza or Castle Art gives the most color variety per dollar and blends easily enough for casual work. If you’re illustrating or doing botanical and technical drawing where fine detail and durability matter, an oil-based set like Polychromos holds a point longer and resists breakage better through long sessions. If the finished piece needs to survive years of display or sale without fading, Derwent Lightfast or Caran d’Ache Luminance are worth the premium specifically because ordinary wax and oil pencils, even good ones, aren’t rated for that kind of permanence.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does “lightfast” actually mean on a colored pencil?
Lightfastness measures how well a pigment resists fading or color-shifting under prolonged light exposure, usually tested against accepted scales like ASTM or the Blue Wool Scale. A pencil rated highly lightfast should show little to no visible fading after years of normal indoor display, while a non-rated or low-lightfast pigment can visibly shift within a year or two in direct sunlight.
Can I mix wax-based and oil-based pencils in the same drawing?
Yes, many colored pencil artists layer both intentionally — oil-based pencils underneath for structure and fine detail, with wax-based pencils on top for smoother blending and burnishing. The two cores behave differently under pressure, so it helps to test blending on scrap paper first, but there’s no chemical incompatibility that prevents combining them.
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