Comparing coloured pencil ranges

Which brand should I buy?

We are currently working on this article and will bring you a new update as soon as it is available

If you asked 10 coloured pencil artists which pencil range they recommended, there would be many different answers. The truth is, because each artist works on different paper/supports using various techniques, one pencil range could never fit every single need and is the reason for so many brands out there, great for those who like to work with different brands and even better for those artists that like collecting them, however it can be overwhelming for those who are new to coloured pencils and need some guidance, all those pencil brands on offer can be very daunting. I trialled these pencils for my own purposes initially but thought I would share my findings as it may help other CP artists out there who are looking to buy their very first pencil range or for those looking to expand their pencil cases. I personally believe that an artist adapts to their product more than the product adapting to us (more on this at the bottom of the page) but this is not an article that will tell you which brand you should buy or which is the best pencil range, that is for you to decide, however I hope this article gives you some good pointers of each brand before spending a lot of money on pencils that may not be suited to your style.

All coloured pencils are wax, oil or water based. Every brand varies in their formulation with differing amounts of pigment and binding agents which creates the variation in colour, capabilities, hardness and softness.
​The 12 pencil brands included in this exercise are Caran Dache Luminance, Derwent Coloursoft, Van Gogh, Derwent Lightfast, Faber Castell Polychromos, Derwent Procolour, Berol Karisma*, Prismacolor Premier, Prismacolor Verithin, Derwent Drawing, Lyra Rembrandt Polycolor and a non branded range. I use most of these pencils to some extent in my own work (except Prismas & Lyra), but the pencil ranges that I use exclusively are the Caran Dache Luminance and Derwent  Lightfast so this exercise has been achieved by trialling a small collection of colours from other pencil brands bought purely for this test over those I use regularly and already have in my studio.

The 'tests' shown on this page pick out the six most important factors that a pencil range can offer me in my own work and they need to be able to:

• Blend well for use on backgrounds and skin tones
• Allows Intermixing (light over dark and vice versa)
• Have hard and soft pencils for different areas of my work
• Pigments must be strong and very lightfast
• Ensure I can use fixative between layers which aids the process and avoids 'muddy/dull' colours
• Most importantly I need my choice of pencil to allow at least 10 layers

*Berol Karisma - These pencils were made in the UK by the company Berol (who also used to make the Prismacolors too!) which offered a European version of the Prismacolor Premier pencils, sadly due to falling sales they were discontinued in 2005 but sets, bundles and even single stock of these pencils still turn up on the online auction sites from time to time, so thought I would include them here anyway. Read our comprehensive article about these pencils HERE

The comparison charts shown below were created on a mid grey paper called 'Ursus', and this exercise was purposely done on a 220gsm weight allowing me to show you the difference between this and a heavier weight 300gsm. The results can be found at the bottom of this page.

Results of the 6 tests

---

Black & White Test

I always advise in my workshops that it is a good idea to sample the black and white pencils before you splash out and buy a whole boxful, this can offer an insight into how strong the pigments in the range will be and may save you a lot of mistakes and more importantly, cash.
RESULTS: I found the brightest white to be the Karismacolor (sadly discontinued) closely followed by the Caran Dache Aquarelle and then the Coloursoft and the weakest white was both the Prismacolor Verithin and the cheap, non brand range (understandable) I no longer have the Karisma white to be able to include this in my findings sadly but for the black pencils, I found 3 brands matching in strength which are the Derwent Lightfast, Royal Talens Van Gogh & Caran Dache Luminance pencils to be the darkest - the weakest black was the Coloursoft. Lyra Polycolor have 2 blacks in their collection and the 'Black' is much darker than the 'Black Hard' - there is more binder in the 'Black hard' pencil core which gives a finer point due to the hardness but this tends to compromise the strength of the pigment. The Coloursoft black was poor in comparison to the strength of the white and I don't actually use this pencil at all preferring the Luminance black instead. I also found that the Prismacolor Premier, Derwent Lightfast, Van Gogh, Procolour, Karisma and Luminance black are all matt blacks (no wax bloom) but the others give out a shiny finish, however further layers of these matt blacks will produce a shiny finish too (wax bloom). The non brand black was rather a strong tone but its white was the weakest - both this brand and the Verithin pencils are quite weak in pigment. The Premier, Procolour & Polychromos white have strong pigments, but the Luminance white is marginally brighter than both these. The Van Gogh White is not as strong a pigment as it's black counterpart and the Derwent Lightfast white is as strong a pigment as the Caran Dache Luminance.

Derwent Coloursoft - Brightest White

Caran Dache Luminance - Darkest Black

Derwent Lightfast - Darkest Black

Van Gogh - Darkest Black

Derwent Procolour

Prismacolor Premier

Berol Karisma

Faber Castell Polychromos

Lyra Polycolor

Prismacolor Verithin

Weakest - Non- Brand

Hard V's Soft

---

The images below were created with newly sharpened points, I then drew a line by pressing heavily onto the paper. There was little difference between them all really but I did find that the Verithin pencils broke constantly and the Lyra & Coloursoft pencils had a tendency to crumble at the beginning, not unexpected from the Coloursoft pencil as its name denotes a certain caution, but the Lyra pencil surprised me as it is oil based and these tend to be harder 'leads', the Derwent Lightfast was also somewhat crumbly as an oil based pencil too.
RESULTS: I found the Polychromos & Procolour to be the hardest (with little to distinguish between the 2) and the Prismacolor Premier being the softest followed by Coloursoft & Van Gogh. The surprise was the Derwent Procolour, as it is wax based, I would have expected it to be softer, however the Derwent Lightfast which is oil based and usually harder, is actually softer which creates thicker lines - Derwent challenging the norms it seems and why not! As the Polychromos, Procolour and Verithin pencils have hard cores, they are ideal for creating fine lines and whiskers/hair whilst the Coloursoft & Premier pencils are particularly good for tonal backgrounds. The importance of using the correct pencil sharpener for your pencil brand can play a huge part in avoiding breakages and an article is currently in the making on this subject.

Derwent Procolour - Hardest

FC Polychromos

Prismacolor Verithin

Karisma

Non brand

Luminance

Lyra Rembrandt

Derwent Lightfast

Van Gogh

Coloursoft

Prismacolor Premier - Softest

10 Layer Test - Mixed Layering

---

Layering plays a major role in my work and I was very interested to see how all the pencils would compare. I need to ensure my pencils allow me to produce at least 10 layers and this was tested by using a 'mixed' layering technique which involves layering light colours over darker colours and vice versa to see how well they continue to cover. These layers help me to create the realism in my work and is what I have based the findings on stated here.
RESULTS: The Luminance pencils easily allows for mixed multiple layering (10+ layers) with the white continuing to show strength over darker colours, I have easily applied over 15 layers too with these pencils. Surprisingly, the non brand pencils allowed multiple layering too offering over 10 layers however the pigment in the white pencil isn't very strong. The Derwent Lightfast pencils are confusing as I have found that oill based pencils don't allow me to layer extensively but these did however drawing using these pencils will require organisation as they can only layer light to dark and do not intermix. The Verithin and Procolour are not ideal for overlaying as they only really allowed up to four layers and the Prismacolor Premier would only layer light to dark, refusing to intermix (see below) - the stage that follows these layers are where the pencils will then start to blend losing their hard edges which could give a 'muddy' appearance and become more a tonal blend than definitive strokes. Click on the images below to see how all the pencils fared.

Luminance - well beyond 10 layers

Derwent Lightfast - multiple layers but light to dark only

Non brand - beyond 10 layers

Van Gogh - beyond 10 layers

Lyra Rembrandt - upto 10 layers

Coloursoft - Upto 8 layers

Karisma - upto 8 layers

FC Polychromos - Upto 7 layers

Verithin - Upto 4 layers

Derwent Procolour - Upto 4 layers

Prismacolor Premier - Does not Intermix

Intermixing - Alternating Tones

---

'Intermixing' (a term created purely for this exercise) tests the strength of darker colours and the white pencil when used consecutively together (without the use of a fixative) For this test I applied two white lines (top) and then applied darker colours over them, I followed this up with the white pencil (bottom) over the top of these colours to see how well the white can overlay darker colours.
RESULTS: The strongest white is the Coloursoft which is able to eliminate nearly all trace of colour which shows that even when a darker colour is placed over the top, the white pencil can play a huge part in lightening tones. The Luminance pencils are just as good and lighter layers can continue to be effective over darker colours, the Lyra Polycolor had very good results especially showing how strong the white is over the black! The Polychromos range proved rather impressive too but the Prismacolor Verithin lacked strength and the Prismacolor Premier white failed to overlay any colour very well as did the Van Gogh pencils, although you can see how strong the pigments of both pencils are. The Derwent Lightfast pencil has strong pigments and although darker colours apply easily over the white, the white does not layer well over darker colours however you can see some shift in the black pigment as the white pencil has dragged out this pigment across the page somewhat, I have not seen this before. This may be a negative to some and a bonus to others. Lastly, as expected, the non brand lacked the strength of the white but this has already been mentioned in the black & white test.
Why does this information matter? My coloured pencil art was originally applied light to dark with very little to no room for deviation or mistakes and this took some serious thought process and planning - with the introduction of higher quality pigments in coloured pencils and stronger whites, I can now alternate and this is perfect for applying highlights in very dark areas for greater effect and in the long run, my work has become even more detailed.

Coloursoft - Best

Karisma

Luminance

Lyra Polycolor

Polychromos

Verithin

Derwent Procolour - light colours do not intermix well

Prismacolor Premier - strong pigment, minimal intermixing

Derwent Lightfast - Strong pigment, poor intermixing with light over dark

Van Gogh - Strong pigment, poor intermixing

Non brand - Intermixes the least

Additional technique - Fixative between layers

---

Fixative is one of my best friends and although the brand I use (Loxley) is not sold as a re-workable spray, I find using it between layers helps additional layering, aiding vibrancy without changing the colour in any way. I occasionally use it between layers if necessary but not regularly. The examples below show the 'fixed' colour tone (marked) which has been treated with 2 separate 'fixative and fur' layers and the unmarked side shows line application without the use of fixative. 
RESULTS: The Luminance and the Non branded pencils came out the best for this technique. Most of the other brands, particularly if they are oil based) are not affected by the fixative or caused blending rather than aiding further definition so using fixative with some pencil brands is an unnecessary technique. The worst outcome was the Van Gogh pencils which caused a blotchy effect over the fixative.

Luminance - Most suited

Non brand

Premier

Verithin - Blends rather than layers

Karisma - Blends rather than layers

Coloursoft - No effect

FC Polychromos - No effect

Rembrandt Polycolor - No effect

Derwent Procolour - No effect

Derwent Lightfast - No effect

Royal Talens Van Gogh - Poor effect

Blendability

---

Pencils that can create smooth backgrounds and perfect transitions for skin tones are very important in my work. As a coloured pencil purist, I do not use blending products (except a blender pencil) simply because I have no idea how these products may affect the drawing in later years, it is also because I like the challenge of blending too.
RESULTS: As expected the Derwent Coloursoft pencils blended the best due to its soft core, closely followed by the Karisma pencils. The Derwent Lightfast pencil appears to have shattered expectations again as an oil based pencil, as it blends smoothly and little pressure is needed to apply and blend, more like a wax based pencil. I was very surprised with this outcome (Well done Derwent!) The Luminance pencils, Lyra Polycolor and Prismacolor Premier do not blend as smoothly but a BLENDER pencil can be used to improve this somewhat (results will depend on the amount of layers and heaviness of the application) - The 'Non brand' range are limited in their blendability but allows for some and due to the hardness of the Verithin, Procolour and Polychromos pencils, I found these blended the least. Finally the Van Gogh pencils let me down with their blending abilities as I thought these would act the same as the Premier Prismacolour, sadly they don't, when an oil based pencil (Derwent Lightfast) blends far better than a wax based pencil (Van Gogh). 

Colousoft - Smoothest blending

Karisma

Luminance

Prismacolor Premier

Lyra Polycolor

Non brand

Verithin

Polychromos

Van Gogh

Derwent Procolour - Poor Blendibility

How white are the whites?

---

A great way of testing the strength of the pigments in a pencil is to trial the white pencil on black paper. Below I have trialled 12 different pencil brands and found varying degrees of brightness between them, the brightest was the Karismacolor closely followed by the Caran d'Ache Museum Aquarelle and the worst was the cheapest brand (understandably) WH Smith which is a UK store brand followed by the Rembrandt Polycolor.  Sadly the Karismacolor range was discontinued in 2005 but its twin sister is the Prismacolor Premier which isn't quite as bright.

The 'Non brand' pencils revealed...

What are these 'Non brand' pencils?

Find out HERE

We use these pencils in our workshops, but highly recommend them to those new to the medium, who wish to practice their coloured pencils techniques before spending a lot of money on a professional range. They have a great range of colours with strong pigments and are well worth £11.00! Click the image to read our article on these pencils for lots more information.

---

Other related articles that may be of interest

Coloured pencils Checklist

Pencil storage chest

Free step by step tutorials

Blenders & Burnishers

---

The importance of paper weights

---

There are many weights of paper that are used in art, different mediums require different weights of paper. The weight of paper that I used for the examples shown on this page was 220gsm (gsm = grams per square meter) this is a weight that I previously used before my 'layering' technique required a heavier weight paper, and now I use a 300gsm which allows me to apply over 10 layers without it creating any indents as you can see on the images below. The weight you should use depends on your technique so always trial out different paper weights before deciding on your preferred one.

220gsm

300gsm

The lightfast ratings and costings

Different pencil brands have different lightfast ratings, explanations of the star symbols can be found below this chart and I apologise it's rather complicated. If you wish to find out more about the lightfastness of these brands, available additional pages can be accessed via links found at the top of this page - simply click on the pencil brand in black which will take you directly to the dedicated page - all other brands will have their own page at some point and will show up as a link when these are available. 

Brand	Colours	Lightfast rating	RRP (GDP)
Derwent Coloursoft	72	Blue Wool	£2.15
Derwent Lightfast	100	​Blue Wool	£3.50
Derwent Procolour	72	​Blue Wool	£2.20
Caran d'Ache Luminance	100	ATSM-D6901	£3.70
Caran d'Ache Museum Aquarelle	150	ASTM-6901	£3.70
Berol Karismacolor	129	Blue Wool	£1.90 ​(estimated)

Brand	Colours	Lightfast rating	RRP (GDP)
Faber Castell Polychromos	120	Star rating	£1.99
Lyra ​Polycolor	78	Star rating	£1.50
Royal Talens Van Gogh	60	​Blue Wool	£2.20
Non brand range	48	None	£10.99 ​(48 set)
Prismacolor Premier	150	ASTM-6901	£1.90
Prismacolor Verithin	40	Unsure	£1.80

Adapting to coloured pencils

Whichever pencil brand we choose, our artistic style may change over the years which may be affected by the pencil range(s) we use but as the years go by, we progress and the more we do, the more we improve.
As an example here are a couple of Boxer dog portraits, one created in 2012 and the other in 2015, I originally worked with the Derwent Coloursoft & Berol Karisma range, both of which are very soft, wax pencils but I then decided to change to using the new Caran Dache Luminance pencils which were a little firmer and the range offered lots of neutral colours which are ideal for a pet portrait artist and it is partly this reason that I was able to progress more easily to achieve better realism in my ​work.

2012 - Created using Karisma & Coloursoft

2015 - Created using Luminance

---

Progression in art is an important part of the work we produce as it becomes a challenge to improve each drawing/painting we do and should we all reach the top of our game, feeling we could progress no further, there is always that possibility that it becomes boring and maybe a chore especially if you are creating art for a living. For me, I would have to move on to another medium and because I have always had a passion for coloured pencils, I do not wish to reach this stage and so take a break from pencils for a few weeks and move on to acrylics which keeps it exciting. I find that by ignoring the 'well executed' parts of my work to concentrate on the 'requires improvement' sections ensures I continue to feel challenged thus thoroughly enjoying each and every drawing I undertake.

Thanks for reading! I do hope that this article has been of some help to you - please feel free to request a specific art related article if you wish, if I can help I will.

Karen

Our articles are never finished.
​As more products appear on the market, we continue to extend the information to incorporate these products.

​If you found this article helpful, please share using the tabs on this page (not available on a mobile)
​Why not bookmark and come back at a later date to see what we have added.
Thank you for viewing!

---

Original article written: 16th July 2015
New update due