The 26 best colouring pencils brands
Faber-Castell, Derwent and Caran d'Ache lead our ranking of 26 colouring pencils brands. Compare what each brand makes, visit its official site, or shop it online.
Colouring Pencils brands, ranked
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1
Faber-Castell
Polychromos oil-based pencils are the main draw, with a wide palette sold in tins and boxes for serious artists.
Top products: Polychromos· Black Edition
Website: fabercastell.com |Brands like Faber-Castell
Popularity 10.0/10
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2
Derwent
Oil-based core pencils with a lightfast rating, popular with illustrators who need colour that holds up over time.
Top products: Lightfast· Coloursoft
Website: derwentart.com |Brands like Derwent
Popularity 9.8/10
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3
Caran d'Ache
Swiss maker with a premium price point, favoured by artists wanting smooth laydown and richly pigmented, tin-packed sets.
Website: carandache.com |Brands like Caran d'Ache
Popularity 7.8/10
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4
Prismacolor
Soft-core wax pencils with rich, creamy laydown, a favourite for layering and blending on mixed-media work.
Top products: Premier· Col-Erase· Scholar
Website: prismacolor.com |Brands like Prismacolor
Popularity 7.3/10
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5
Crayola
Washable, child-friendly pencils that suit school use, with bright colours and sets up to a hundred pieces.
Top products: Twistables· Colors of the World
Website: shop.crayola.com |Brands like Crayola
Popularity 5.4/10
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6
Staedtler
Staedtler's Mars Lumograph and jumbo Ergo Soft pencils cover artist-grade and kid-friendly needs alike.
Top products: Mars Lumograph· Ergo Soft Jumbo
Website: staedtler.com |Brands like Staedtler
Popularity 4.4/10
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7
Koh-I-Noor
Czech maker with a classic wax-based artist range and woodless pencils that suit sketchers on the go.
Top products: Polycolor· Progresso Woodless
Website: kohinoorusa.com |Brands like Koh-I-Noor
Popularity 4.2/10
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8
Tombow
Japanese maker of colour pencils and dual brush pens, with a strong range for hobbyists and planner-style crafting.
Website: tombowusa.com |Brands like Tombow
Popularity 2.8/10
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9
Royal & Langnickel
Budget-friendly kits pitched at beginners and hobby painters, typically sold as multipack sets.
Website: art.royalbrush.com |Brands like Royal & Langnickel
Popularity 1.8/10
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10
Mitsubishi
Mitsubishi has an industrial arm that builds servo motors and shafts for machinery. Its products span servo motors, shafts, car parts and diesel fuel system components.
Website: mitsubishielectric.com |Brands like Mitsubishi
Popularity 1.7/10
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11
Conté
French maker of sketching tools, including coloured pencils suited to soft shading and textured paper.
Website: contebyoksana.com |Brands like Conté
Popularity 1.7/10
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12
Prang
Classroom staple with non-toxic, child-safe colour pencils and crayons made for school use.
Website: prang.com |Brands like Prang
Popularity 1.5/10
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13
Winsor & Newton
British artists' brand with watercolour pencils and professional-grade coloured pencils for detailed, layered work.
Website: winsornewton.com |Brands like Winsor & Newton
Popularity 1.3/10
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14
Daler-Rowney
English art-materials maker with a traditional range of colour pencils suited to students and professionals.
Website: daler-rowney.com |Brands like Daler-Rowney
Popularity 1.3/10
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15
Eberhard Faber
Eberhard Faber is a household name when it comes to art supplies. Its wide range and quality have made it the favorite brand for artistic kids and adults. Their products are thoroughly tested and proven to be safe for kids....
Website: eberhardfaber.com |Brands like Eberhard Faber
Popularity 1.2/10
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16
Pentel
Pentel has many best-quality pens, refills, stationery, and accessories. They've been assisting people in developing their unique handwriting style and becoming more expressive for over 40 years. They are a renowned maker of exquisite writing and drawing products. Their goal...
Website: pentel.com |Brands like Pentel
Popularity 1.1/10
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17
Marco
Marco is a brand dedicated to bringing you the most up-to-date products on 3D printing, additive fabrication, and lighting, generally known as digital manufacturing. Marco covers everything from design methods to industrial applications to consumer trends in this fast-growing area....
Popularity 1.1/10
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18
Sargent Art
The one-stop-shop for all kinds of art supplies, essentials, and classroom essentials, Sargent Art is the answer. In both educational and retail markets, they are thoroughly known and proclaimed, all thanks to their excellent quality of products. From packaging to...
Popularity 1.1/10
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19
Sakura
Fineliner pens, brush pens and paint markers from Sakura use pigment inks suited to waterproof, fine line work. Sakura Color Products is a Japanese manufacturer headquartered in Osaka, and its Pigma Micron, Gelly Roll and Koi brush pens are sold...
Popularity 1.0/10
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20
Cretacolor
Cretacolor manufactures art materials, including oil pastels, oil pencils, graphite and colored art pencils. The brand took over Brevillier-Urban, which helped it grow into a premium label. Watercolor, pastel crayons and sketch pads are also in its lineup.
Website: cretacolor.com |Brands like Cretacolor
Popularity 1.0/10
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21
Dixon Ticonderoga
Settled in Italy, Dixon Ticonderoga is one of the world's most significant art and education supply organizations. With a wide scope of brands and a large number of items sold worldwide, the organization is focused on the quality, security, usability,...
Website: dixonticonderogacompany.com |Brands like Dixon Ticonderoga
Popularity 0.9/10
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22
Fantasia
Fantasia's women's range includes shoes, sandals and slippers alongside clothing, with boots, bikinis and lingerie among the items. The company has operated since 1997 and offers a wide selection in many body sizes. Across the women's collection, footwear, swimwear and...
Website: fantasiawear.com |Brands like Fantasia
Popularity 0.8/10
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23
Spectrum Noir
Spectrum Noir produces alcohol-based brush pens, watercolour pencils and art sets for colouring and illustration. Its markers come in wide colour ranges with dual-tip designs for detailed and broad strokes. The art supplies are popular with hobbyists and professional illustrators...
Website: spectrumnoir.com |Brands like Spectrum Noir
Popularity 0.8/10
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24
Arteza
Let the artists within you shine with Arteza. They provide the best art supplies for you, including all painting, crafting, and drawing supplies. You can also find wooden display easel, planning pads, magnetic organizers, and many more to help you...
Popularity 0.7/10
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25
Grafix
Grafix eyewear is conceived in Germany and manufactured in their state-of-the-art factory to the finest quality standards, ensuring that they are built to last. Experienced artisans manufacture very creative eyeglass frames from supreme-quality titanium in their foundry. The work makes...
Popularity 0.7/10
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26
ArtSkills
Poster-making is not everyone's cup of tea. The cause for that may be lack of creativity, unavailability of proper supplies, lack of time, or just unwillingness to do it. But no matter! All stores are available on Artskills. Once you...
Website: artskills.com |Brands like ArtSkills
Popularity 0.7/10
Official websites and social accounts
| Brand | Website | X / Twitter | YouTube | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Faber-Castell | fabercastell.com | /FaberCastellUSA | fabercastellusa | @FaberCastellUSA | FaberCastellUSA |
| Derwent | derwentart.com | /derwentartofficial | derwentartofficial | @derwentart | – |
| Caran d'Ache | carandache.com | /carandache.of.switzerland | carandache | – | CARANDACHEcom |
| Prismacolor | prismacolor.com | /prismacolor | prismacolor | – | – |
| Crayola | shop.crayola.com | /Crayola | – | @crayola | CrayolaLLC |
| Staedtler | staedtler.com | /STAEDTLER | p | @STAEMars | STAEDTLERpencils |
| Koh-I-Noor | kohinoorusa.com | /KohINoorUSA | kohinoorusa | – | UClfMY66jglM9gB-DSdXPc1Q |
| Tombow | tombowusa.com | /tombowusa | explore | @tombowusa | – |
| Royal & Langnickel | art.royalbrush.com | /royalbrushart | royalbrushart | @royalbrushart | – |
| Mitsubishi | mitsubishielectric.com | /MitsubishiElectric | – | – | UCkDaGvT5PvALPg9sjhVEusA |
Colouring Pencils Buying Guide
Colouring pencils have been a favourite item for artists and children alike for generations. The perfect set of colouring pencils can bring life to your drawings and craft projects. But buying the right set of colouring pencils can be a daunting task for the uninitiated. With so many options out there, it can be challenging to know what to look for. But fret not, we have put together this comprehensive buying guide to help you choose the right set of colouring pencils for your needs.
Types of Colouring Pencils
Before we delve into buying tips, let’s take a quick look at the different types of colouring pencils available:
- Wax-Based: Wax-based colouring pencils are made of a combination of wax, pigment and binding agents. They produce vibrant colours and are ideal for blending and layering. They are also easy to sharpen and are less likely to break. One downside of wax-based pencils is that, in hot temperatures, the wax can melt and smear.
- Oil-Based: Oil-based pencils have a soft, velvety texture and produce rich, dense colours. They have a slower drying time than wax-based pencils, making them ideal for blending and layering. They are also more resistant to breaking than wax-based pencils but can be more challenging to sharpen.
- Watercolour: Watercolour pencils are made of a water-soluble binder that allows for the creation of beautiful watercolour paintings. The pigments are water-reactive, meaning that they can be blended and layered with water to create a beautiful, transparent finish. They are less resistant to breaking than wax and oil-based pencils and are not suitable for use on certain types of paper.
- Charcoal: Charcoal pencils are made of compressed charcoal powder and are ideal for creating darker, more dramatic drawings. They are not suitable for use on certain types of paper and require a fixative to prevent smudging.
Points
The point or tip of the pencil is an essential consideration when choosing the right set of colouring pencils for your needs. Here are the options available:
- Blunt Tip: Blunt tips are ideal for fast colouring and shading. They are less precise than other types of tips, but they are less likely to break.
- Sharp point: Sharp points produce fine lines and are ideal for detailed work, writing and doodling. They are more prone to breakage than blunt tips.
- Chisel: Chisel tips produce both fine and broad strokes and are ideal for creating a variety of line styles. However, they tend to wear down very quickly and require frequent sharpening.
- Round: Round tips produce wider strokes and are ideal for colouring larger areas. They are less precise than sharp points but are less prone to breakage.
Colour Range
The range of colours available in a set is another vital consideration when choosing the right set of colouring pencils for your needs. Most sets range in colour number, but some offer more shades than others. If you intend to use your pencils for detailed work, you may want to opt for a set with a wider range of colours. However, a limited colour range can be beneficial to those who wish to hone their blending and shading techniques. Ultimately, the amount of colour options you need depends on the intended use of your colouring pencils.
Quality
The quality of your pencils will significantly affect the outcome of your work. Cheaper sets often contain lower-quality pigments, which can result in less vibrant colours and difficulty blending. High-quality pencils tend to be made with artist-grade pigments and binding agents, resulting in rich, vibrant colours and ease of blending. Additionally, high-quality pencils tend to have more robust lead cores that are less prone to breaking.
Brand
While not always a guarantee of quality, well-known brands tend to offer higher quality sets compared to their cheaper counterparts. Some popular brands include Prismacolor, Faber-Castell, Derwent, and Staedtler.
Price
As with anything, the price of your colouring pencils should reflect your intended use. If you are just starting out and are unsure of your needs, you may want to opt for a cheaper set until you have a better idea of what you require. However, if you are an experienced artist or intend to use your pencils for professional purposes, investing in a higher-end set is justifiable.
The Verdict
The perfect set of colouring pencils will differ for everyone depending on their unique needs. However, by considering the type of pencil, the range of colours, quality, brand and price, you can narrow down your search and find the best set of colouring pencils for your needs. Whether you’re an artist or a child, the right set of colouring pencils can add enjoyment and creativity to your artistic projects.
