Colored Pencils for Drawing

Colored pencils – for drawing, coloring in and shading. They differ in lead thickness, barrel shape and whether the line can be dissolved with water.

Which colored pencils to choose for drawing

Artist colored pencils: Polychromos and Bruynzeel Design

Faber-Castell Polychromos pencils have firm, impregnated wax-based leads 3.8 mm in diameter which, according to the description, don’t smudge. You can buy them as a 60-piece set in a tin or individually. Bruynzeel Design has a soft 3.7 mm wax core that layers and blends smoothly right on the paper; its 48 shades are matched to the watercolor range. For portraits and tonal studies, try the Bruynzeel Design Specialties oil pencil and the GIOCONDA sepia pencil from Koh-i-noor, whose line you can spread with a brush.

For everyday drawing, GIOTTO Stilnovo with a 3.3 mm tip in 12 or 36 colors or Nassau 72 pcs with numbered pencils in a tin will do the job nicely.

Watercolor pencils: dry or with a brush

Watercolor pencils draw just like regular ones, but you can then blend the line with a damp brush. A brush is included in the Bruynzeel Van Gogh 24 pcs, Colorino Artist 12 pcs and Daler Rowney 12 pcs sets – in the last one, the brush has its own water reservoir, so you can take it with you on trips. The R&L drawing set in a pencil case also includes a sketch pad, an eraser and a sharpener as well as the brush. Without a brush: GIOTTO Stilnovo Aquarell, Nassau 10 pcs and DARWI 12 pcs.

Colored pencils for kids by age

JOVI My First 4-in-1 are chunky round pencils from 12 months (i.e. from age 1) that combine a colored pencil, a wax crayon, a watercolor pencil and a glass pencil. GIOTTO Be-Be have a soft 7 mm lead for the youngest children, are dermatologically tested and wash off hands with water. From age 3 there are JOVI woodless triangular pencils in packs from 12 to 288 pcs and the JOVI Maxi box of 120 with a 5 mm lead. Colorino JUMBO pencils are 10 mm in diameter, with the lead bonded along its full length.

For school, try Colorino triangular pencils with a sharpener, GIOTTO Colors 3.0 with a space for the child’s name, or double-ended Bruynzeel Holland (12 pencils, 24 shades, from age 4). For more crafting, see craft supplies for kids.

Sets or single colored pencils

A set is worth it when you want a whole palette at once, for example Polychromos 60 pcs or 36 pcs in a tin. You can top up single Polychromos, Goldfaber or Bruynzeel Design pencils whenever your favorite shade runs out. You’ll find pastels in soft pastels, graphite and charcoal in pencils and charcoals, more pencils in pencils and printmaking and sketchbooks in sketchbooks.

Frequently asked questions

Which colored pencils should I choose for kids?

Go by the age given in the product description: JOVI My First are suitable from 12 months, JOVI woodless and JOVI Maxi from age 3, and Bruynzeel Holland from age 4. Chunky or triangular pencils, such as Colorino JUMBO or GIOTTO Be-Be, are easier for small hands to hold.

Which is better: watercolor pencils or regular colored pencils?

It depends on the technique. According to the description, Polychromos are water-resistant, so your drawing stays exactly as you drew it. Watercolor pencils draw dry in the same way, but you can also blend them with water. Bruynzeel Design offers both ranges in matching shades.

What paper should I use with watercolor pencils?

For the Bruynzeel Van Gogh set, a good-quality heavy watercolor paper is recommended.

How can I tell good-quality colored pencils?

Look at the lead: Bruynzeel Design has a centered, double-bonded 3.7 mm core, and Colorino has its lead bonded along the full length. According to the description, Colorino pencils also have a high pigment content, so they give rich color without pressing hard.