Ticonderoga erasable colored pencils are most useful as sketching pencils rather than replacements for artist-grade colored pencils. I like them for loose drawings, thumbnails, underdrawings, and situations where I want to adjust marks as I work. They erase noticeably better than the traditional colored pencils I normally use, but they don’t have the same richness or layering ability.
I’ve used them in my sketchbook when I want color without committing immediately to every mark. For that kind of drawing, the ability to erase and reshape an area is genuinely useful.
Ticonderoga Erasable Colored Pencils: Quick Verdict
| Best for | Sketching, thumbnails, underdrawings and loose studies |
|---|---|
| Erasability | Good with lighter applications |
| Color strength | More muted than artist-grade colored pencils |
| Layering | Limited compared with softer artist pencils |
| Paper | Smoother, lower-tooth paper works best for me |
| Finished artwork | Not my first choice when I want rich layering or burnishing |
If your main priority is rich pigment, deep layering, and a polished colored-pencil drawing, I would use a more traditional artist pencil. If you want something forgiving for sketching and planning, the Ticonderoga erasables make considerably more sense.
How Ticonderoga Erasable Colored Pencils Feel
The first difference I notice compared with softer artist-grade colored pencils is the feel.
The Ticonderoga pencils feel lighter and somewhat waxier to me. They don’t put down the same dense color that I expect from something like Prismacolor, but that lighter application is part of what makes them practical for sketching.
I can put down a loose shape, adjust it, erase part of it, and keep working without feeling as though I’ve committed to a heavy layer of pigment.
They also hold a reasonably useful point, which matters when I’m moving from a broad block-in toward smaller details.
Do Ticonderoga Erasable Colored Pencils Actually Erase?
Yes, within reason.
I wouldn’t expect them to disappear from the paper as completely as a faint graphite line. But when I’ve applied the color without pressing too hard, I can remove or soften enough pigment to correct a shape, clean up an area, or change a contour.
That is considerably more useful than trying to erase a heavily applied traditional colored pencil, where pigment can remain embedded in the paper even after repeated erasing.
The built-in erasers are functional for these lighter adjustments. I think of them less as a way to return the paper to perfect white and more as another drawing tool for editing the sketch.
For a broader look at this type of pencil rather than this specific Ticonderoga set, see my guide to erasable colored pencils.
What They’re Good At
I think these pencils make the most sense when the drawing itself is still changing.
- Loose sketchbook drawings
- Thumbnails and composition studies
- Colored underdrawings beneath ink
- Planning large light and shadow shapes
- Testing a warm or cool base color
- Early stages of a more finished drawing
They’re less intimidating than laying down a strong, permanent-looking colored-pencil mark immediately.
How I Use Them for Sketching
My favorite use is as a loose first layer.
I normally begin a drawing by looking for the largest relationships of light, shadow, and form rather than constructing the subject from a series of geometric shapes.
With an erasable colored pencil, I can use one color to establish those first large masses without making the drawing feel too rigid.
For a warm scene, I might begin with a red or orange family. For something cooler, I may start with blue or green. I’m not trying to produce the finished color at this stage. I’m simply using color to organize the drawing.
Once the large shapes work, I can continue with ink, graphite, or more traditional colored pencil.
Ticonderoga Erasable vs. Regular Colored Pencils
| Ticonderoga Erasable | Artist Colored Pencil | |
|---|---|---|
| Easy to adjust | Yes | Usually more difficult |
| Heavy layering | Limited | Better suited |
| Rich saturation | Moderate | Usually stronger |
| Underdrawing | Very useful | Can work, but harder to remove |
| Loose sketching | One of their strengths | Depends on the pencil |
| Burnishing | Not my preferred tool | Much better suited |
This is why I don’t see the Ticonderoga pencils as direct competitors to something like Prismacolor. They’re solving a different problem.
If you’re trying to build rich, finished colored-pencil drawings, my guide to the best colored pencils for artists covers pencils better suited to that kind of work.
Pros
- They really are erasable. Light applications can be adjusted much more easily than most traditional colored-pencil marks.
- They’re useful for underdrawings. I can work out a composition before putting more permanent marks over it.
- The muted color can be an advantage. It doesn’t immediately dominate the drawing.
- They’re good for loose sketching. I don’t feel as committed to every line.
- They sharpen well enough for smaller details.
Cons
- They’re not especially rich. The pigment doesn’t give me the same depth as my artist-grade pencils.
- They’re not ideal for heavy layering.
- They aren’t my choice for burnishing.
- The available color range is less useful for nuanced finished work.
- Rough paper makes erasing more difficult.
What Paper Works Best?
I get better results on smoother paper with relatively little tooth.
When the surface gets rough, pigment settles into the texture and becomes harder to remove cleanly. That works against one of the main reasons I’m using an erasable pencil in the first place.
I’ve had better results with smooth sketch paper, mixed-media paper, and hot-press watercolor paper than with heavily textured surfaces.
If paper choice is the bigger question, see my guide to the best paper for colored pencils.
Are They Good for Beginners?
I think they can be useful for beginners precisely because they reduce the feeling that every colored-pencil mark is permanent.
You can establish a shape, notice that something is wrong, erase part of it, and continue. That can be helpful while you’re still learning how much pressure to use and how to build a drawing gradually.
However, I wouldn’t use them as your only introduction to colored pencils. Their lighter pigment and limited layering don’t show everything the medium can do.
For the broader process, start with my guide on how to use colored pencils.
Are They Good for Finished Artwork?
They’re not my first choice.
If I want deep layering, richer color, smooth gradients, or heavy burnishing, I would switch to an artist-oriented colored pencil.
Where these pencils make the most sense to me is earlier in the process: planning, experimenting, warming up, or producing a loose sketch where editability matters more than maximum color saturation.
Ticonderoga Erasable Colored Pencils vs. Pencils With Erasers
The built-in eraser is convenient, but that’s only part of the appeal. What matters more is that the colored core itself is forgiving enough to be adjusted.
Some colored pencils may have an eraser attached without the pigment being particularly easy to remove. I would therefore judge an erasable pencil by what happens on the paper, not simply by whether there is an eraser on the end.
I compare that broader category in my guide to colored pencils with erasers.
Who I Think These Pencils Are Best For
- Sketchbook artists who like adjustable marks
- Anyone making thumbnails or composition studies
- Beginners nervous about committing to colored-pencil marks
- Artists who want a colored underdrawing beneath another medium
- People who prefer loose observational sketches to heavily burnished colored-pencil work
My Take After Using Them
I wouldn’t buy Ticonderoga erasable colored pencils expecting them to replace a good artist-grade colored-pencil set.
That’s not where I think they are strongest.
I like them because they occupy a useful space between a traditional sketching pencil and a colored pencil. I can introduce color early, work loosely, make corrections, and then decide whether the sketch needs anything more.
For that purpose, they’ve earned a place in my sketching toolkit.
For more on pencils, techniques, paper and related materials, continue to my main colored pencils guide.