10 Best Pencils For Artists 2025 in the United States

The Prismacolor Premier Colored Pencils set offers 150 vibrant colors, making it an attractive choice for artists who value a wide range of shades. These pencils have soft, thick cores that are ideal for shading and creating shadows, providing a smooth and even color laydown. This can be particularly beneficial for detailed work and adult coloring books, as the leads are robust and resist cracking and chipping.

Another highlight is their lightfast pigments, which help in maintaining color quality over time. However, the softness of the lead means they might wear down quicker, requiring frequent sharpening. While the set is highly rated by users, some might find the price point a bit high.

Despite this, the quality and durability offered make them a solid investment for serious artists seeking reliable colored pencils.

The Faber-Castell Polychromos Artists' Color Pencils offer a high-quality option for artists and art enthusiasts, featuring 120 assorted colors. One of the standout features is the premium quality of these pencils, known for their vibrant, long-lasting colors due to the excellent lightfastness of the pigments. This means your artwork will resist fading over time, retaining its original brilliance.

The oil-based leads provide a smooth, buttery color laydown that is easy to blend, allowing for seamless layered effects which can be highly beneficial for detailed and nuanced artwork. The thick 3.8 mm leads are SV-bonded, making them break and water-resistant, which adds to their durability and reduces the frequency of sharpening and breakage during use. This set is housed in a sturdy metal tin, providing convenient storage and organization for the 120 pencils.

A point to consider is that these pencils are categorized as having a hardness degree of H, which may not be suitable for those specifically looking for a wide range of graphite hardness options. However, if your focus is on colored pencils rather than graphite hardness, this should not be an issue. Manufactured by Faber-Castell, a reputable brand in art supplies with a history dating back to 1761, you can trust the professional quality and consistency of these pencils.

The Castle Art Supplies 72 Colored Pencils Set offers a comprehensive range of colored pencils designed for adult artists, professionals, and colorists. The set is organized in a handsome presentation tin box, with pencils arranged by color families, making it easy to select the right color without hassle. The pencils feature a soft core made from an advanced formulation, providing a smooth, creamy laydown that is resistant to crumbling under pressure, ensuring durability and consistent performance.

This quality makes them particularly suitable for detailed work and prolonged use. The pencils are intensely pigmented, allowing for rich coverage and effortless blending and burnishing, which is ideal for layering and adding texture on various surfaces like paper, canvas, wood, and more. However, these pencils may not offer the same level of erasability as graphite pencils, which could be a drawback for some artists who frequently adjust their work.

The set includes a unique fold-out tutorial to help users refine their skills, adding an educational element that can be beneficial for both novice and experienced artists. Castle Art Supplies is well-regarded in the art community. While the pencils are designed primarily for coloring, their quality and ease of use make them a versatile addition to any artist's toolkit. Those seeking high-quality colored pencils with a focus on color richness and smooth application will find this set to be a valuable option.