A good colored pencil set isn’t necessarily the one with the most pencils. I would rather have 24 or 36 useful colors that layer well than a huge box filled with near-duplicates I rarely touch.
When I choose a set, I look at the type of pencil, how the colors are distributed, whether the pencils layer and blend well, and whether the set includes enough neutrals and darker colors for the kind of observational drawing I do.
I’ve used sets from Prismacolor, Faber-Castell, Derwent, and other brands over the years. Below I’ll explain how I choose between them, how many colored pencils I actually think you need, and what I look for before buying a larger set.
Colored Pencil Sets at a Glance
| Set | Best for | Set size I’d consider | Feel |
|---|---|---|---|
| Prismacolor Premier | Soft blending and rich color | 24–36 | Very soft |
| Faber-Castell Polychromos | Detail and controlled layering | 24–36 | Firmer |
| Derwent Coloursoft | General sketching and softer color | 24–36 | Soft but controlled |
If you’re comparing the actual pencil lines rather than deciding which size set to buy, see my separate guide to the best colored pencils for artists.
How Many Colored Pencils Do You Actually Need?
For most drawing, I don’t think you need an enormous set.
A set of roughly 24 to 36 good colored pencils is enough for a surprisingly wide range of subjects.
That gives me enough variation to build warm and cool colors, shadows, natural greens, skin or fur tones, and more neutral mixtures without carrying dozens of colors that are almost identical.
I often use even fewer when traveling or sketching away from home.
| Set size | How I see it |
|---|---|
| 12 colors | Good for a very compact sketching kit or learning to layer colors |
| 24 colors | A practical starting point for most drawing |
| 36 colors | My preferred balance of range and usefulness |
| 48–72 colors | Useful if you want more premixed color choices |
| 100+ colors | Convenient, but not necessary for making good drawings |
A large set can be enjoyable, but I wouldn’t delay learning colored pencil because I thought I needed every available color.
What Colors Should a Good Set Include?
I pay more attention to the distribution of colors than the number printed on the box.
A useful 36-color set should give me enough variation to mix and layer rather than filling the tray with bright colors that are difficult to use in observational drawing.
I particularly look for:
- Warm and cool blues
- Several useful browns
- Warm and cool reds
- Muted as well as brighter greens
- Deep purples or blue-violets for shadow mixtures
- Greys or other neutral colors
- A cream or light warm color
- Dark values that aren’t limited to pure black
I don’t need the box to contain the exact final color of every object I draw. Layering several colors is part of how I use colored pencil.
Types of Colored Pencils You’ll Find in Sets
Not every box labeled “colored pencils” contains the same kind of tool. The type of pencil can matter more than the number of colors.
Wax-Based Colored Pencils
Wax-based pencils can feel very smooth and soft. Prismacolor Premier is the obvious example among the sets I use.
I like this type when I want rich color, smooth blending, and the ability to put down pigment fairly quickly.
Oil-Based Colored Pencils
Faber-Castell Polychromos are oil-based and feel noticeably firmer to me.
That firmer core is useful when I want a sharper point, cleaner details, hatching, or more gradual layering.
Watercolor Pencils
Watercolor pencils can be used dry, but their defining feature is that the pigment can also be activated with water.
I consider them a separate drawing tool rather than simply another version of ordinary colored pencil. If you’re deciding between the two, see my guide to colored pencils vs. watercolor pencils.
Erasable Colored Pencils
Erasable colored pencils can be useful for planning, notes, and loose sketches, but I don’t expect them to give me the same color strength or layering performance as the artist pencils I use for more developed drawings.
I cover those separately in my guide to erasable colored pencils.
Prismacolor Premier Sets: Best for Soft Blending
I reach for Prismacolor Premier when I want soft cores, strong color, and easy blending.
They put pigment down quickly and work particularly well when I’m building larger areas of color instead of concentrating on tiny details.
For me, a 24- or 36-color Prismacolor set gives enough range for most sketching without making the palette unnecessarily complicated.
What I Like
- Rich color
- Soft application
- Easy layering and blending
- Useful when I want a smoother, more painterly finish
What I Don’t Like
The soft cores wear down faster and need more sharpening than the firmer pencils I use.
If you’re using a soft set frequently, a good sharpener makes a noticeable difference. I cover mine in the colored pencil sharpener guide.
Faber-Castell Polychromos Sets: Best for Control
Polychromos are what I prefer when the drawing requires sharper marks and more controlled layering.
They feel firmer and drier than Prismacolor, which gives me more resistance against the paper. I like that when I’m drawing fine textures such as feathers, fur, bark, or other small details.
They also hold a point longer, so I don’t need to sharpen as frequently.
What I Like
- Good point retention
- Controlled layering
- Useful for smaller details
- Good for directional hatching and texture
What I Don’t Like
They don’t have the immediate softness of Prismacolor, so someone looking primarily for creamy blending may prefer a softer set.
Derwent Coloursoft Sets: A Softer Alternative
Derwent Coloursoft sit in a useful middle ground for me.
They are soft enough for expressive drawing and layering but don’t feel exactly like Prismacolor.
I also like the more subdued colors available in the range when I’m drawing natural subjects and don’t want everything to become overly saturated.
What I Like
- Soft application
- Useful muted colors
- Good for loose observational sketching
- A useful alternative to Prismacolor and Polychromos
Which Colored Pencil Set Should You Buy?
I would make the decision based on how you actually want to draw.
| If you want… | I’d look at… |
|---|---|
| Soft color and easy blending | Prismacolor Premier |
| Fine detail and a sharper point | Faber-Castell Polychromos |
| A softer general-purpose drawing set | Derwent Coloursoft |
| A small first set | 24 colors |
| A versatile long-term set | 36 colors |
| A compact travel set | 12–18 carefully selected colors |
If you’re trying to choose between specific professional pencil lines rather than set sizes, use my artist colored pencil comparison instead.
Are Bigger Colored Pencil Sets Better?
Not automatically.
The advantage of a large set is convenience. I can reach for a color that is already close to what I want rather than building it through several layers.
The disadvantage is that a huge set can encourage me to think of color matching as simply finding the correct pencil.
I actually learn more about colored pencil when I work with a smaller range and have to layer warm and cool colors together.
So I don’t see 72, 100, or 150 pencils as automatically superior to a thoughtful 24- or 36-color set.
What About Affordable Colored Pencil Sets?
I don’t think a beginner needs the most expensive pencils available.
What I would avoid is buying purely by the number of pencils in the box. An inexpensive 72-color set isn’t necessarily more useful than a smaller set with better pigment and layering.
For me, the important questions are:
- Does the pencil put down enough pigment without excessive pressure?
- Can I layer several colors?
- Can I keep a usable point?
- Does the set have enough useful neutrals?
- Will replacement pencils be practical if I use one color much faster than the others?
I would rather begin with a smaller good-quality set than buy a giant box primarily because it looks impressive.
Colored Pencil Sets for Blending
If blending is my main priority, I prefer a softer pencil.
Prismacolor Premier is the obvious choice among these three because the soft core makes it easier to build dense, smooth transitions.
I still build the color gradually instead of immediately pressing hard. Once the surface has enough pigment, I can increase pressure or use another color to smooth the layers together.
If you want to work specifically on that finishing method, see my guide to burnishing colored pencils.
Paper Changes How a Colored Pencil Set Feels
I don’t judge a colored pencil completely independently from the paper underneath it.
A firmer pencil on a smooth sheet feels very different from the same pencil on a paper with more tooth.
More textured paper can hold additional pigment but may leave more visible white surface between the marks. Smooth paper can produce crisp details but may accept fewer heavy layers depending on the surface.
If a pencil set feels disappointing, I sometimes test it on another paper before deciding the pencils are the problem.
See my guide to the best paper for colored pencils for more on that relationship.
Why I Sometimes Travel With Only 12 to 18 Colors
When I’m sketching away from home, I often don’t want to carry an entire 36-color tin.
A smaller selection of roughly 12 to 18 colors can be enough when I choose them carefully.
I want a few warm and cool colors, some earth tones, dark values, and enough variation to create useful layers.
The limitation actually helps me concentrate on value, temperature, shape, and layering rather than trying to locate a perfect premixed match for everything I see.
How I Use a Limited Colored Pencil Set
My drawings normally begin with large shapes rather than details.
I look at the subject and identify broad areas of light, shadow, and color. I start with lighter pressure so I can gradually layer different pencils over one another.
I don’t need one pencil to perfectly match every color I observe.
A shadow might contain layers of blue, violet, brown, or another nearby color rather than simply a darker version of the object’s local color.
That ability to combine colors is one reason a smaller quality set can be more useful than its number of pencils suggests.
If you’re new to that approach, continue with my how to use colored pencils guide.
The Set Size I Would Start With
If I were starting colored pencil again, I would probably choose a good 24- or 36-color set rather than immediately buying the largest collection available.
That is enough range to practice layering and color relationships without making the set cumbersome or unnecessarily expensive.
From there, I’d learn which colors I actually use. A larger set makes more sense once I understand where the smaller palette is genuinely limiting me.
For more guides on materials, techniques, mixing media, and drawing with this medium, continue to my main colored pencils page.