ArtAspirant is reader-supported. We may earn a commission through products purchased using links on this page. Learn more about our affiliate disclosure
Artists, illustrators, and designers use art markers in their work to achieve a different result from what is typically achieved with paints, chalks, and pen-pencils. Colored pencils can be used to create art that is both descriptive and abstract, as well as informative and photorealistic.
Although they’re slower to use (in terms of laying down color) than wet media like paint, they’re almost unrivalled when it comes to control and information.
Since these pencils are partially translucent (also known as “semi-opaque”), you can build up your colors gradually from light to dark. Colored pencils, like watercolors, are known for their translucent nature, which can give your work a stunning brightness, especially when used on patterned paper.
Top 10 Best Colored Pencils Reviews
- Faber-Castell Polychromos Color Pencils
- Wood Colored Pencils
- Faber-Castell Color Pencils
- Orionstar Colored Pencils
- ZZWOND Watercolor Pencils
- WILSHIN Colored Pencils
- Colored pencils Set
- Colored Drawing Pencils
- FUNLAVIE Colored Pencils
- Mr. Pen- Colored Pencils
Faber-Castell Polychromos Color Pencils

The Faber-Castell Polychromos Color Pencils are one of the best color pencils in the market. According to the company, the Faber-Castell Polychromos Color Pencils are water-resistant. Moreover, the Faber-Castell Polychromos Color Pencil contains the highest quality pigments.
According to the company, the Faber-Castell Polychromos Color Pencils comes with oil-based leads. The oil-based leads help to provide buttery-smooth color quality. On the other hand, the color pencil contains a break-resistant 3.8 mm lead. Also, the Faber-Castell Polychromos Color Pencils are water-resistant.
Apart from this, the Faber-Castell Polychromos Color Pencil is easy to blend, Also, it contains unsurpassed lightfastness. Apart from this, the Faber-Castell Polychromos Color Pencils are very easy to use. Last but not least, the Faber-Castell Polychromos Color Pencil provides a wide range of color options.
You can read our buying guide on best gel pens for coloring
Features of the product |
The color pencil contains break-resistant lead. |
It provides a wide range of color options. |
The color pencil is easy to sharpen. |
The color pencil provides permanent colors. |
The colors of the pencils are Fade-resistant. |
The product is very easy to use. |
The colors of the pencil can be easily blended. |
Specifications of the product |
Brand: Faber-Castell |
Product dimensions: 3.94 x 1.97 x 7.87 inches |
Weight: 8.8 ounces |
Color: 120 |
Lead size: 3.8 mm |
Wood Colored Pencils

The Wood Colored Pencils provides a wide range of color options. According to the company, the Wood Colored Pencil is made with premium quality of Woods. The premium quality wood has to provide great strength and makes it easy to sharpen. Also, the Wood Colored Pencil contains break-resistant bold lead. The bold lead helps to provide great coloring texture.
With the help of Wood Colored Pencil’s lead, users can get different types of shades very easily. Also, the Wood Colored Pencil contains Wood oil-based ink. On the other hand, it is a non-odor and toxic-free color Pencil. Moreover, the Wood Colored Pencils doesn’t contain any toxic material. The Wood Colored Pencil comes in a fantastic carry bag.
Features of the product |
The color pencil is made with high-quality wood that makes it break-resistant. |
The colored pencils are easy to sharpen. |
The pencil contains a wide range of color options. |
It contains soft and premium lead. |
The color of the pencils are easy to blend |
The color Pencil contains Wood oil-based ink. |
The color Pencil provides long-lasting pigment. |
Specifications of the product |
Brand: Southsun |
Product dimensions: 13.78 x 8.27 x 1.97 inches |
Weight: 2.35 pounds |
Color: 160 |
Material: wood |
Faber-Castell Color Pencils

The Faber-Castell Color Pencils are another one of the best color pencils in the market. According to the company, the Faber-Castell Color Pencil provides a wide range of color options. On the other hand, the Faber-Castell Color Pencils comes with break-resistant lead.
The Faber-Castell Color Pencils contains a Classic hexagonal shape. The Classic hexagonal shape provides great gripping. One of the best parts of the Faber-Castell Color Pencil is, it is a permanent pencil color. Also, it doesn’t contain any harmful material that makes it suitable for every type of age group.
Features of the product |
It provides a wide range of color options. |
The color pencil provides Bright and luminous colors. |
The pencil comes with break-resistant lead. |
The Color Pencil contains a hexagonal shape. |
The product is very easy to use. |
The color Pencil contains wax-based lead. |
Specifications of the product |
Brand: Faber-Castell |
Product dimensions: 1.38 x 7.32 x 8.27 inches |
Weight: 8.8 ounces |
Color: 60 |
Material: wood |
Orionstar Colored Pencils

The Orionstar Colored Pencil Contains high pigment colors. Apart from this, The Orionstar Colored Pencil provides a wide range of color option. Also, the colors of the Orionstar colored pencil can easily blend. According to the company, the Orionstar Colored Pencil is made with premium Woods. The premium Woods helps to provide great strength and makes it easy to sharp.
On the other hand, the Orionstar Colored Pencils comes with break-resistant lead. The 3.3 mm lead helps to provide great blending, layering and shading. One of the best parts of Orionstar Colored Pencils is, it comes in Zipper Storage Case. The Zipper Storage Case looks amazing and provides a professional look.
Features of the product |
The colored pencils are made with high-quality wood. |
The colored pencils are easy to sharpen. |
The pencil contains a wide range of color options. |
It colors of the pencils are high pigment color. |
It is very easy to blend. |
The lead of the Color Pencil is break-resistant. |
Specifications of the product |
Brand: Orionstar |
Product dimensions: 9.06 x 7.09 x 2.36 inches |
Weight: 1.54 pounds |
Color: 72 |
Lead size: 3.3 mm |
Material: wood |
ZZWOND Watercolor Pencils

The ZZWOND Watercolor Pencils are made 100% wooden. Also, it doesn’t contain any toxic element which makes it suitable for every type of age group. Also, the ZZWOND Watercolor Pencil provides a wide range of color options. Moreover, the colors of the ZZWOND Watercolor Pencils are premium quality colors and not easy to fade. Moreover, users can use ZZWOND Watercolor Pencils in both dry and wet foam
Apart from this, The ZZWOND Watercolor Pencil contains a travel-friendly design. It comes in a Multi-layered Zip n’ Flip style Nylon Case. The Multi-layered Zip n’ Flip style Nylon Case helps to provide a professional look. According to the company, the ZZWOND Watercolor Pencils are very easy to use.
Features of the product |
The product is a professional watercolor pencil set. |
The pencil colors are nontoxic. |
It comes with a highly portable carry case. |
It comes with a high-quality Core. |
The pencils have an easy to grip hexagonal structure. |
It comes with vibrant color options. |
Using a wet brush on drawn-out paintings will give a watercolor painting effect. |
It comes in an organizable structure. |
The pencils come with a huge color palette. |
The pencil colors are very durable. |
They are environment friendly. |
The pigment does not fade over time. |
Specifications of the product |
Brand: ZZWOND |
Product dimensions: 11.4 x 7.9 x 1.8 inches |
Weight: 1.9 ounces |
Number of pencils: 72 |
Material: Wood |
WILSHIN Colored Pencils

The WILSHIN Colored Pencil comes in a hexagon shape that provides great gripping and makes it easy to cut. Apart from this, the WILSHIN Colored Pencils are made of premium wood. The premium wood helps to provide strong, smooth, hard covering. According to the company, the WILSHIN Colored Pencils are very easy to use.
On the other hand, the WILSHIN Colored Pencil provides a wide range of color options. Also, every Pencil of the set contains a different color that helps to denote the color of the pencil. Moreover, the WILSHIN Colored Pencil comes with a 3 mm unbreakable lead. According to the company, the WILSHIN Colored Pencils are the ideal choice for painting, coloring, sketching, scrapbooking, hand-making and more.
Features of the product |
The set consists of artist-quality colored pencils. |
It comes with a huge color palette. |
The pencils have vibrant colors. |
The pencils are made up of high-quality wood for stop |
They have a hexagon shape for easy grip. |
The softening treatment makes the pencil comfortable. |
The thick color glue core prevents broken Core. |
It provides lightfast pigment bus stop |
It has a break-resistant lead. |
They provide clean and easy shopping. |
They are very durable. |
Specifications of the product |
Brand: WILSHIN |
Product dimensions: 7.1 x 7.1 x 0.6 inches |
Weight: 9.9 ounces |
Color: 48 |
Lead size: 3 mm |
Colored pencils Set

Colored pencils Set is another one of the best color pencils in the market. The colored pencils Set provides a wide range of color options. Also, the color of the colored pencils Set is the ideal choice for layering, superposition, gradation, mixing and practicing detailed techniques.
Also, the color is highly pigmented colors which is suitable for shading. Along with this, the colored pencils Set is perfect for color mixing, blending, sketching and more. On the other hand, the colored pencils Set contains a hexagonal shape that provides great gripping. Moreover, the color Pencil contains a 4mm unbreakable lead. Last but not least, the colored pencils Set is very easy to use.
Features of the product |
The color pencil is made with high-quality wood. |
They are oil-color pencils. |
They provide a painting look to the art. |
They come with a hexagonal design. |
The colored pencils are easy to sharpen. |
The pencil contains a wide range of color options. |
It contains soft and premium lead. |
The color of the pencils are easy to blend |
They have a rich and silky lead core. |
The color Pencil provides long-lasting pigment. |
They are very durable. |
The pencils come with an organizable storage option. |
Specifications of the product |
Brand: ONER |
Product dimensions: 7.68 x 2.17 x 2.17 inches |
Weight: 8 ounces |
Color: 36 |
Material: wood |
Colored Drawing Pencils

According to the company, the Colored Drawing Pencils are one of the best color Pencil in the market. Apart from this, the Colored Drawing Pencil provides a wide range of color options. Also, the colors of the Colored Drawing Pencils are highly pigmented.
On the other hand, the Colored Drawing Pencil are a multipurpose color pencil. According to the company, The Colored Drawing Pencils are very easy to use. One of the best parts of Colored Drawing Pencils is, they can easily eraser through an eraser. Moreover, its triangular shape helps to provide great gripping.
Features of the product |
The color pencil provides Bright and luminous colors. |
The pencil comes with break-resistant lead. |
They are erasable. |
They are made up of high-quality lead. |
The Color Pencil contains a triangular shape. |
The product is very easy to use. |
The color Pencil contains wax-based lead. |
Specifications of the product |
Brand: Jilide |
Product dimensions: 7.99 x 2.95 x 2.87 inches |
Weight: 9.2 ounces |
Color: 24 |
Material: wood |
FUNLAVIE Colored Pencils

The FUNLAVIE Colored Pencils are oil-based colored pencils that provide vibrant and smooth color quality. Also, it is very easy to blend. Apart from this, the FUNLAVIE Colored Pencils are made with premium Woods. The premium wood helps to provide great strength and makes it easy to sharpen.
Apart from this, the FUNLAVIE Colored Pencil comes with hard to break lead. Apart from this, the FUNLAVIE Colored Pencils are made with environment-friendly materials that make them suitable for every age group. According to the company, the FUNLAVIE Colored Pencils are the ideal choice for sketching writing and drawing.
Features of the product |
The colored pencils are made with high-quality wood. |
The colored pencils are easy to sharpen. |
The pencil contains a wide range of color options. |
It colors of the pencils are high pigment color. |
It is very easy to blend. |
The lead of the Color Pencil is break-resistant. |
They are oil-based colors. |
They are eco-friendly. |
Pencils are non-toxic. |
The premium quality wood prevents splintering. |
They have a hexagonal shape for good grip. |
Specifications of the product |
Brand: FUNLAVIE |
Product dimensions: 9.84 x 2.76 x 3.15 inches |
Weight: 4.9 ounces |
Color: 24 |
Material: wood |
Mr. Pen- Colored Pencils

The Mr. Pen- Colored Pencil is another one of the best color pencils in the market. Apart from this, the Mr. Pen- Colored Pencil provide a wide range of color options. According to the company, the Mr. Pen- Colored Pencils are long-lasting color pencil.
Moreover, the Mr. Pen- Colored Pencils are the ideal choice for Art Projects, school assignment, book coloring and more. On the other hand, the Mr. Pen- Colored Pencils are very easy to use and it is made with 100% wood that is Easy Sharpening. Also, the Mr. Pen- Colored Pencil comes with an unbreakable lead.
Features of the product |
The pencil colors have lightfast pigment. |
It comes with a highly portable carry case. |
It comes with a high-quality Core. |
The pencils have an easy to grip structure. |
It comes with vibrant color options. |
It comes in an organizable structure. |
The lead of the pencil is break-resistant. |
The pencil colors are very durable. |
The premium quality wood provides easy sharpening. |
Specifications of the product |
Brand: Mr. Pen |
Product dimensions: 8.19 x 5.16 x 0.75 inches |
Weight: 8.1 ounces |
Number of pencils: 36 |
Material: Wood |
Colored Pencils In-Depth
Small crevasses or valleys in the grain of the paper are left untouched by pigment and allowed to show through if the user does not press too hard.
These pencils’ flexibility allows them to be used to create bold, opaque colors by pressing harder or layering and blending. These pencils are not only versatile, but also functional and hassle-free! They’re small and light, so you can take them with you and draw on the go.
They’ll even last a long time; unlike paint or markers, you won’t have to worry about them drying out. Colored pencils often don’t need as many extras as a medium like oil paint would: you can get a lot done with only a collection of colored pencils, a sharpener, and a small sketchbook.
To produce smooth tonal gradations, blend the best colored pencils. Layering or burnishing, as well as solvents, blender pencils/markers, and even baby oil, can be used to do this. The consumer can make blends that are so smooth that they resemble an oil painting!
By layering colors (called optical color mixing), you can create different hues and tones, but since you can’t combine new colors directly (like you can with paint by mixing one color of paint directly into another color of paint), many artist-grade colored pencils are available in a wide variety of colors that can normally be bought separately.
These pencils are less difficult to erase than paint or markers, but more difficult than graphite or watercolors. Although the pigment lifts off, some color will remain. If you press hard (burnish) or use a lot of colored pencils, the ink will be more difficult to remove and will more likely not be fully erased.
And when high-quality pencils first became available in the 1930s, they were mostly used by illustrators and graphic designers. They were occasionally used by fine artists for sketching and preparing, but not for producing completed works of art.
Fine artists started to accept colored pencils for their flexibility and ease of expression in the 1960s, and this mindset began to change. They’re now regarded as a legitimate art medium and are extremely popular among colorists.
The colored pencils can be used with a variety of other mediums, including graphite, markers, gel pens, watercolors, crayons, pastels, and gouache! To add texture and give the artwork a more realistic feel, I like to use markers to put down lots of vivid paint, then draw on top with colored pencils to add detail and give it a more organic feel.
Watercolor pencils can be mixed and layered to create complex hues. They also need few materials, are low-maintenance, and are stain- and spill-free. This makes them suitable for both travelling artists and beginners: most colored pencil techniques only include a pencil kit, sketchbook, sharpener, and eraser.
Continue reading to learn what to look for in a colored pencil, as well as our top colored pencil picks, colored pencil tips, and comprehensive test results for opacity, eras ability, solubility, and more.
The best colored pencils are worthwhile investments for one simple reason: they allow you to fully appreciate the capabilities of colored pencils. Colored pencils are available in three grades: student, scholastic, and artist, with increasing pigment to filler ratios.
You were possibly using student-grade pencils if you’ve ever found colored pencils to be frustrating and dull. Artist-grade pencils have better blending, layering, and coverage than regular pencils. Better pencils make it easier to transfer an image from your mind to paper, as well as being more enjoyable to use.
How to choose colored pencils?
There are also some basic considerations to be taken into account when purchasing a package of popular colored pencils. You can make the best artworks by using the best colored pencils. Therefore, the following considerations are: –
- A high-quality pencil’s wood is one of the most significant elements. Genuine Incense-cedar is used to make the best pencils, while Basswood or Poplar is used to make good budget pencils. Avoid pencils made from pitted or tropical woods.
- The tiny holes or pits in the wood help to identify these pencils. The wood used to make these pencils is often processed in an unsustainable manner, and the pencils sharpen unevenly. Extruded plastic pencils should be avoided. The smooth, plastic casing distinguishes these pencils. These pencils are not biodegradable and are difficult to sharpen.
- A letter and/or number designates the graphite hardness of a pencil. The graphite in high-quality pencils is based. A “lead pencil” contains no lead. Instead, the heart is made of a graphite-wax-or-oil mixture. 9H is the hardest graphite available, while 9B is the softest.
- The majority of eraser-tipped pencils are in the 2H to 4B range. Since there is no uniform graphite grading scale, the hardness, smoothness, and overall consistency of graphite varies from one manufacturer to the next. In general, a #2 pencil and an HB pencil are interchangeable.
- Layering several hues to create unique colors and add shading is common in colored pencil art. Artists can burnish their work to make the colors look more unified or to depict very smooth surfaces. Burnishing is the process of layering with heavy pressure until no paper is visible.
- Burnishing can be done with any pencil, but colorless blender pencils are a popular option. Harder pencils are more difficult to mix than soft pencils.
- Colored pencils should have a lot of pigment. This allows you to create a range of tones by varying the amount of pressure you apply. More pigmented pencils, as well as lighter pencils, are usually more vivid.
- Since many pigments fade when exposed to light over time, it’s best to use lightfast colored pencils for important projects. Wax bloom may occur on pieces drawn with wax-based pencils, obscuring the color. To fix sketches, gently wipe away the wax. You may also use a fixative spray to significantly minimize the risk of wax bloom on finished parts.
- The last aspect is durability, broken leads can happen to any wooden pencil, but colored pencils are particularly fragile because of their soft cores. When dropped or sharpened, pencils made of high-quality wood that is firmly attached to the pencil cores are less likely to break. Owing to the power of their cores, harder pencils are less likely to have broken tips.
Conclusion
So, these are all the best colored pencils in the market that fulfill the basic aspect. These pencils are preferred by artists because they give a sense of control and help them to achieve a more realistic look in their art. Not only this but pencil colors are very vibrant and easy to handle for artists so most of them prefer them on any other art supplies.
FAQs: –
The best colored pencils are the Faber-Castell Polychromos Color Pencils.
The best qualities to look for is the lead quality and the blend ability. After all blending is the only thing that changes a whole art style. Also, vibrance of the colors is important to create a good art.
The Faber-Castell Polychromos Color Pencils are the easiest colored pencils to use.