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The Best Colored Pencils for 2023

Tiffany Smith
  Mar 27, 2023 5:07 PM

Here we ranked and reviewed the top 25 Best Colored Pencils that are highly rated by customers. You can see some famous brands as Prismacolor, Castle Art Supplies, Crayola, Magicfly, Soucolor, Color More, Norberg & Linden, Arteza Kids, Derwent, Sargent Art, Zenacolor, Shuttle Art, Yordawn, H & B.


Overview

The best colored pencils are a must-buy for any artist, whether you're working professionally or drawing for fun. They are also an excellent gift for kids to help them develop their creative skills.

With the high-quality results you get from the best colored pencils, you'll be able to precisely layer and blend colors, enhancing the quality of your work. You'll find it more enjoyable to do tasks like shading, shading, and shading, as well as more advanced techniques like rubbing and trimming paper. 

Below, we list the best colored pencils available to buy. You can also read the buying guides to figure out more things that need attention to.


Buying Guide

There are many factors to consider when purchasing colored pencils. Here are some top tips to help you buy colored pencils.

Type

Color pencils come in three different types: wax, oil, and water-soluble. Here are the key differences between each.

  • Colored pencils are made from wax containing pigments held together by a wax binder. They provide full coverage and vibrant colors. Wax-colored pencils are the softest colored pencils and are easier to blend and layer than others. The softness makes them more prone to breakage than other pencils, so they may not last as long as other pencils.

  • Oil-colored pencils are water-resistant. They include a vegetable oil binder to hold the pigments together. Oil pencils need more pressure to get the same color as wax colored pencils and don't blend or layer as quickly as wax pencils.

  • Water-soluble colored pencils refer to watercolor pencils. They contain an Arabic gum binder that is activated by water, so the pigment is miscible with water. You can use them with water to create a watercolor effect or without water for regular drawings.

Soft and hard

When choosing colored pencils, you should pay attention to whether the consistency is classified as soft or hard. The ideal thickness depends on your skill level and personal drawing preferences.

Professional artists often prefer soft colored pencils because they blend well and easily color. The texture of a soft pencil can range from smooth and creamy to coarse. Remember that soft colored pencils require more frequent sharpening and may break more easily.

Student colored pencils tend to fall on the harder side. Hard colored pencils are great for smaller, more complex drawings because they can be sharpened into sharp, thin tips. However, when using hard colored pencils, it will be more difficult to color and blend.

Quality and color range

Color quality depends on the amount of  binder and pigment in the crayon. Professional colored pencils tend to have higher color quality because they contain a higher pigment concentration. Most colored pencils come in several different colors, which is helpful because they don't mix as easily as paints to form other colors.


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    9.6
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    Crayola
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2
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    Castle Art Supplies
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  • Brand
    Prismacolor
4
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    9.6
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    Prismacolor
5
  • SCORE
    9.6
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    SSC Score is a ranking system developed by our team of experts. It from 0 to 10 are automatically scored by our AI Consumer Report tool based upon the data collected. This score has no relationship or impact from any manufacturer or sales agent websites. Learn more

  • Brand
    Castle Art Supplies
6
  • SCORE
    9.6
    SSC Score

    SSC Score is a ranking system developed by our team of experts. It from 0 to 10 are automatically scored by our AI Consumer Report tool based upon the data collected. This score has no relationship or impact from any manufacturer or sales agent websites. Learn more

  • Brand
    Castle Art Supplies
7
  • SCORE
    9.6
    SSC Score

    SSC Score is a ranking system developed by our team of experts. It from 0 to 10 are automatically scored by our AI Consumer Report tool based upon the data collected. This score has no relationship or impact from any manufacturer or sales agent websites. Learn more

  • Brand
    Prismacolor
8
  • SCORE
    9.6
    SSC Score

    SSC Score is a ranking system developed by our team of experts. It from 0 to 10 are automatically scored by our AI Consumer Report tool based upon the data collected. This score has no relationship or impact from any manufacturer or sales agent websites. Learn more

  • Brand
    Prismacolor
9
  • SCORE
    9.6
    SSC Score

    SSC Score is a ranking system developed by our team of experts. It from 0 to 10 are automatically scored by our AI Consumer Report tool based upon the data collected. This score has no relationship or impact from any manufacturer or sales agent websites. Learn more

  • Brand
    Prismacolor
10
  • SCORE
    9.6
    SSC Score

    SSC Score is a ranking system developed by our team of experts. It from 0 to 10 are automatically scored by our AI Consumer Report tool based upon the data collected. This score has no relationship or impact from any manufacturer or sales agent websites. Learn more

  • Brand
    Prismacolor

Last update on 2023-03-27 / Affiliate links / Images, Product Titles, and Product Highlights from Amazon Product Advertising API


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