The best colouring pencils is really down to personal preference, but according to the most popular brands in our store, the best professional quality pencils are Prismacolor pencils, they are soft and have rich pigments that are great for shading and blending. A great midrange option are Derwent pencils that come in a variety of shades, colours and sets. Crayola and Faber-Castell pencils are a wonderful option for those starting out their colour journey.
Wax-Based Coloured pencils: These are the most common type of pencil, they are great for blending and layering.
Oil-Based Coloured Pencils: These pencils are great for finer details and precision, they are not as fragile when it comes to breaking as they have harder cores.
Watercolour Pencils: These pencils need water for a full effect as their pigment dissolves when water is added creating a watery effect. Watercolours can be used wet and dry.
Pastel Pencils: Pastel pencils are soft and create a chalk like effect. These pencils can be very fragile and messy.
Mechanical/Lead Coloured Pencils: Ideal for technical, detailed drawings that need fine lines.
Erasable Coloured Pencils: Often used for planning and sketching, these are softer colours that are easily erasable.
While every artist has their own preference of what they like to use typically you will find artists use Prismacolor Premier pencils and Derwent Pencils. Both Prismacolor and Derwent have a range of different sets that offer pencil sets in various sizes and colour options.