What Do the Numbers Mean on the Shuttle Art Colored Pencils?
Best Colored Pencil Sets For Beginners And Professional Artists
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Color is the life of art. And the right medium can really brand colors pop off the page; colored pencils being a beloved medium for traditional piece of work.
Merely there are so many dissimilar packs and they vary and so much between styles.
How practice you know what colored pencil set to choose? How practise you pick between educatee, professional, and artist grades? Which types of leads blend the best?
In this article I'll examine all of these features and a whole lot more to assist you pick the very all-time colored pencils for your needs.
Whether you're looking to colour an adult coloring book or draw your ain piece of work from scratch, there is a perfect colored pencil set with your name on it.
Our Summit Option
Prismacolor 4484 Premier Pencils
This creative person grade set uses thick, soft cores that are nearly pure paint to get out silky and opaque lines. Blending, shading, and combining colors feels effortless with the Prismacolor Premier fix.
The thick lead stays sharper longer, resists flaking, and gives a wear-resistant and waterproof finish to go along your artwork in-tact for years.
Best Features:
- Soft wax-based cadre gives very brilliant colors
- High quality pencils with a trusted brand
- Thick cores resist flaking and sharpen easily
- Well over 100+ colors to option from
Features To Wait For
Choosing the right colored pencil gear up isn't as easy every bit going to the store and picking up the beginning box yous run into.
While you lot tin can get this route, you volition probably stop up disappointed with the result.
So what do you need to consider when selecting a prepare?
Budget
Your budget is going to play a big factor in the selection process.
Colored pencils range in cost from a couple of dollars to over a hundred. Yes, really!
Quality, number of pencils, and what comes in the set volition touch on the overall cost.
You will have to set up a upkeep range yous are comfortable with. As the former maxim goes: "Y'all go what you pay for."
However you can be frugal and still walk away with a great pencil prepare.
Know Your Needs
Only like beingness a carpenter or a repairman, artists need the right tools for the job.
What is that chore, though? Nigh smaller sets are marketed to adults for coloring in books. If that's what you're looking for then virtually any set will work.
If you are creating your own drawings yous may need more specialized sets.
At that place are several grades of colored pencils; still, the three almost common are Student(or Scholar), Professional, and Artist.
Information technology can get confusing since not all sets are labeled with their grade, and some companies utilise the professional and artist grades interchangeably.
Depending on your needs, knowing what course and how the pencils are fabricated will become a long way towards finding the perfect set up.
Student Course
These pencils are a step up from the basic colored pencils.
Their cores(which I call lead, even though they aren't made of atomic number 82 anymore) are hard, breakable and dull quickly. Student class pencils tend to color well but leave behind the tell-tale signs of pencil marks and scratches.
Student grade pencils are designed for colors other than pencil gray, simply just barely. They offering more than composite material and less pigment. The colors are brighter than the pencils from 3rd grade art class but aren't super brilliant.
Y'all won't frequently find pupil grade pencils that are waterproof or wearable-resistant. However they will save you a lot of money.
Student grade pencils tend to cost 50 to lx percentage less than the higher grade ones. Though they don't last equally long and so you may end up paying more in the long run.
Professional person Course
With professional grade pencils you can have either soft or hard cores. And depending on the other factors they will be better used for blending, shading, or filling in.
The cores are medium to thick depending on the brand and are less likely to flake or need constant sharpening.
Y'all will besides observe that you pay more for the professional course than you will for pupil course sets.
Though if you go professional person yous will know where your money went. The colors are vibrant and about will exist wear-resistant. If you search enough you tin can detect a ready that is besides waterproof.
Artist Course
So artist class pencils are going to be the most expensive when information technology comes to initial costs.
However yous will notice that these pencils last a lot longer than whatever other grade.
In the long run this offsets the cost and the longer y'all employ them to draw or create, the less they will end upwards costing you.
Creative person grade pencils tend to have thick, soft leads and comprise more pigment than any other grade.
Normally these will exist oil based cores instead of wax-based like the pupil and some professional person grades. Considering of this, the colors will glide smoothly on the newspaper without a lot of skipping, jumping or blanking.
Admittedly perfect for professional artists or anyone practicing to get an artist with serious effort.
Wax or Oil?
The cores of colored pencils are colored with pigments that are either wax based or oil based. Either will work, again depending on what your main utilize is.
Oil-based cores tend to be harder, more rigid, and are prone to flaking and breaking. This ways yous will stop more than often to sharpen the pencils.
Wax-based cores, on the other hand, are soft. While cartoon they almost seem to melt right into the paper. This makes drawing a lilliputian more difficult just once you get used to it you won't desire to go back to oil.
The oil-based colors hold more pigment (in general) than their wax-based counterparts.
This translates into more vibrant colors and the ability to blend and mix a lot easier.
You can also exercise shading work but it is more than hard with oil leads than with wax.
The Minor Details
Grade, price, and core materials are going to be the largest factors in deciding on which set to buy.
Yet there are some smaller details that some people like to have (or avoid).
For instance, some sets volition have well over 100 colors to choose from but non all of them will take the color name on the pencil itself.
Some artists similar the ability to search for "Copenhagen Blue" while others simply await at the sharpened tips to detect which i they want.
Pencil length is also something to consider. Shorter pencils will wear downwardly faster and be more hard to concur towards the terminate of their life. Longer pencils, though, tin can be more than difficult to manipulate in tighter coloring areas for detail work or shading.
Lead thickness, durability, and width all come into play as well. Thinner pencils will have less pb and cause more hand fatigue every bit they are harder to hold properly.
You volition have to try out a few different styles to find out which length and thickness work best for you. But more often than not speaking all sizes of colored pencils should work for all purposes. It's more often than not nearly getting used to the feeling.
At present that you know what to look for let's scan through the best colored pencil sets out there. I have a feeling your next set will be somewhere on this page.
Top Pick: Prismacolor Premier Colored Pencils
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The Prismacolor Premier set up includes 132 shades of colored pencils that offer superior strokes and lines.
The wax-based soft cores leaves behind vibrant colors platonic for blending and shading.
These artistic grade pencils are slow to dull and don't skip or scratch the page. Perfect for whatever pencil sharpener so you won't worry about too much breakage.
Silky lines let y'all create solid blocks or hinted shades forth tight edges. You lot can even colour over other pigments without haemorrhage to create fifty-fifty more shades.
Y'all also get the color names in both English and French every bit well every bit the pencil number printed right on the butt. Really a top-notch pencil with a high-quality build.
If you lot are creating your own projects or need a versatile tool for coloring, the Prismacolor Premier pencils will give y'all the best of both worlds.
These besides come up in smaller sets if y'all need less than 100+ colored pencils. So there'south actually something in the Prismacolor lineup for everyone.
Pros
- Thick wax-based cores provide rich colors and solid lines
- Wear-resistant and waterproof markings
- Pencil lead resists flaking for longer functioning
Cons
- May be a footling also pricey for some artists
- Tin can become blotchy if used with too much tip force
SUDEE STILE Colored Pencils 120
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SUDEE STILE has a professional person class colored pencil ready with 120 unique colors.
The wax-based cores are soft still house to give the user a solid marking pencil. SUDEE STILE has enlarged the cores and uses poplar wood for the butt which gives a firmer grip with less hand fatigue.
The wood and core combination make the pencils easier to sharpen and hold the lead in place to forbid breakage at the tips. Much moreso than other hard cored pencils.
The pencils will ho-hum faster than the oil based cores; however shading lines can be achieved with better results.
Colors are numbered simply not named on the barrels.
The actual colour numbers are stamped on the wooden barrel and the blunt ends have a color cap displaying the lead color for piece of cake identification. This all feels very intuitive when working and drawing regularly.
The set includes three removable trays with ii sharpeners to ensure you lot ever have the proper tip for your projects.
Pros
- Thick cores allow for shading and sketching at any length
- Poplar wood barrels are easy to sharpen
- Professional course cores are designed to lay down more than constant color
Cons
- Colors can exist harder to mix together
- Harder tips are more decumbent to breaking over time
Arteza Colored Pencils (72 Set)
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The oil-based cores of this Arteza set make for bright, vibrant coloring experience with minimal breaking.
These pencils are encased in a hardwood barrel and exercise not flake, break, or splinter when sharpening. Y'all can apply almost whatever pencil sharpener and never sweat extra breakage from besides much forcefulness.
The prepare of 72 colors focuses more on the darker tones, which is bad news for those that work on darker paper.
But if yous unremarkably work on lighter paper or in a sketchbook then yous won't miss those brighter toned colors.
Y'all can't replace individual pencils as the Arteza pencils are only sold in sets. But yous can get a cost-constructive color range with their dissimilar sets.
This is good if y'all tend to apply up certain colors well before others.
Not but are the barrels marked with the pencil number and colors but yous will also observe little plus sign markings(up to three) on each pencil. This is the lightfast rating.
One plus has a lighfastness of x to 25 years, ii pluses rate at 25 to 100 years and three pluses charge per unit over 100 years. Pretty cool characteristic!
Pros
- Mid-range cost for high-end pencils
- Easily identifiable colors with name and lightfastness ratings
- Cores do not break as easy as other similar pencil sets
Cons
- Less bright tone colors in the set
- Can't replace private pencils without ownership a new prepare
Positive Art Colored Pencils (60 Set)
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Positive Art has a professional grade set of lx colors that have an incredible feeling in your easily.
The thicker barrel is soft to grip and doesn't slide equally much equally some others in this list with a similar build.
The cores are hard which can suspension at the sharpened tips with too much pressure. So you lot accept to be cautious of how much you're pushing on the newspaper.
Once you suit your hand to the new feel these pencils glide along smoothly.
They aren't as bright equally some of the higher-end creative sets here. But for general coloring you won't detect much of a difference honestly.
The cores are thick and provide wide coverage with minimal effort and with less hand fatigue y'all can color for longer. This is practiced news if you detect yourself pushing likewise hard on your electric current pencils.
These colors are mixed well and don't fade in calorie-free, though they aren't wearable-resistant or waterproof.
I'd say this pack is great for newer artists who have never used colored pencils before. Break into the game with a set up that feels professional but doesn't come at the same cost tag.
Pros
- Colors alloy and fade well into other colors
- Thicker barrel is easier to concord and manipulate from many angles
Cons
- Leads break easier than some other pencils
- Sharpening tin can cause flaking
Shuttle Art Colored Pencils (136 Set)
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Shuttle Fine art has a fantastic soft core colored pencil set designed for students and professionals akin.
Normally there isn't a hybrid between pupil class and professional grade, but Shuttle Art found a way.
The cores are wax based to provide an fifty-fifty glide, though the barrel wood is a little less than professional quality. You probably won't discover this equally you get used to working with them.
For coloring books and general coloring on printer paper, these pencils piece of work great.
Sharpening can be frustrating as the barrel splinters and the lead can crack. I'd recommend a unproblematic handheld artist sharpener if you lot go with this pencil set.
Just in the set yous get a ton of diversity.
This includes 136 colors that lay downwards a smooth, easily blended line that's ideal for mixing and shading. A very squeamish pack considering everything you get, only have to play with them cautiously.
Pros
- Colors mix and blend well
- Hues of the most pop colors including metallics
- Wax-based cores give softer lines with less pressure level
Cons
- Must be sharpened carefully to avert breakage
- Pencils are slightly thinner and smaller leading to more frequent mitt fatigue
Coloré Colored Pencils (72 Set)
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Coloré has their own pupil form colored pencil set designed for everyday apply past anyone.
The barrels are designed for easy grip and firm control. This goes for kids and adults.
However they are decumbent to splintering when sharpening so I definitely advise a handheld sharpener for this pack too.
The cores are harder than well-nigh others so don't be confused by the label on the packaging that says "Creative Quality." The set is not artistic grade.
Simply that marketing fake pas bated, the colors are rich and lay down hands on whatsoever newspaper.
The number identifier is printed on the butt merely not the colour name. Although the atomic number 82 color is reproduced on the barrel end which is a very close match to the bodily colour.
The cores resist breaking mostly because of how dense they are.
If you're coloring with lines you'll discover they feel lower quality than that of the higher-end pencils. Only for standard cartoon hatch shading they work very well.
Especially if you lot're getting a pack for your child or if yous're simply starting out with colored pencils.
Pros
- A total pack of colors for artists including skin tones
- Thinner cores mean a effectively point if you sharpen just correct
Cons
- Often splinters when sharpening
- Lower quality color compared to larger brands
ColorIt Colored Pencils (72 Set)
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These ColorIt colored pencils are a professional person grade pencil prepare that come in a zippered travel pouch for easy transportation.
In this ready you'll also go a bonus sharpener so you lot don't need to purchase one separately. This is slap-up news for anyone who's never worked with colored pencils before.
All cores are wax-based for a softer, smoother result. No extra pressure required.
The softer cores don't flake as much when beingness sharpened and they agree a point longer.
Plus with these softer cores you'll observe they concur more than paint than some of the other options on this list too.
Your finished consequence is a vibrant colored piece that mixes well with all colors on the page.
And the thickness of the marks lend to blending and smudging. Wear-resistant, though not waterproof, you tin can however use oils to mix and blend on paper if needed.
Also worth noting these barrels have the color marked on the finish of the pencil and the color name and identification number are printed about halfway downwards.
Pros
- Soft atomic number 82 doesn't crave much pressure to depict with
- Easy-to-agree barrels with color names labeled
- Wax-based cores hold more pigment
Cons
- These are non waterproof
- Harder to accomplish precision shading
Faber-Castell (24 Set)
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For over 250 years, Faber-Castell has been producing high-quality fine art sets and materials to artists of all ages. These colored pencils are professional grade with extra thick lead(3.8mm versus 3.3mm).
Considering of this thickness the leads resist breaking and chipping, even when being sharpened aggressively in an electric sharpener.
The oil-based cores lay down a smooth and rigid color that mixes better than most other oil-based pencils.
The barrel'due south wood is the color of the paint for the entire length of the pencil, non just the edgeless end.
The names of the colors, though, are not printed anywhere on the pencils.
On the plus side all of these colors are wear-resistant, water-resistant, and accept a lightfastness of over 100 years.
The smooth softwood surrounding the core is easy to concord and offers very little hand fatigue. You can depict for hours and become some real high-quality output!
Pros
- Wear and water-resistant cores
- Extra thick atomic number 82 sharpens easily without breaking
Cons
- Limited color swatches
- Colors don't mix well with oils or wet mediums for smudging
Diamond Driven Colored Pencils (120 Fix)
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Diamond Driven colored pencils are student grade pencils that offer a professional grade final work. The cores are standard thickness and oil based, which ways you tin can sharpen them to a fine bespeak without worrying about breaking.
I often worry about sharpening my pencils and this pack really felt incredibly sturdy. I'd rank it within the top 3 of sturdiness when used inside an electric sharpener.
The barrels show the color of the pigment, but unlike most professional/creative person form pencils they are non SV bonded.
Because of this you may experience some lead and barrel separation which can atomic number 82 to the barrel splintering during sharpening. Or even during repeated use.
The colors do alloy well and with the harder cadre you lot can do detailed work in smaller areas, perfect for coloring books and more circuitous drawings.
Pros
- Easy to hold with a good length
- Will sharpen to an ultra fine bespeak
- 120 colors cover most hues and tones
Cons
- A slightly thinner core than other brands
- Barrel isn't bonded to the core which can issue in wood splintering
Wanshui Colored Pencils (168 Fix)
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Check out this 168-fix of Wanshui colored pencils.
It gives yous some vibrant colors totaling 168 student grade pencils that include neon and metal colors.
If you prefer to color to describe on darker toned paper this set will testify nicely.
With soft leads you'll be able to lay down color with the best of the oil-based cores. Very little pressure needed and then yous can even utilise this on thinner tracing paper.
Blending leaves a fleck to exist desired with these pencils, due in role to the hardness of the leads.
These barrels are bonded so splintering while sharpening is minimized quite a bit, though not eliminated.
The hard cores are also prone to flaking when using too much pressure so go along an eye on your posture. Remember these lay downwardly smooth and yous exercise not demand to push very hard.
The packaging is eco-friendly which is a huge plus. But not very transportation friendly.
In one case you remove the paper-thin band y'all are left with four PET plastic trays and zilch else. So you may demand an art supplies container to keep them all together.
The pencils themselves are non named past colour, only instead by number. Wanshui has included a DIY listing where you can colour in a box and label the colors next to each number for easier reference.
It'south a cool characteristic only can be a tad annoying. Would be nice if they were labeled, only that'south such a small-scale complaint that it actually doesn't detract from quality.
Pros
- Very piddling pressure level required to get darker colors
- Long barrels for increased life span
- One of the largest sets with 160+ pencils
Cons
- Colors can skip when doing quick lines
- Minimal packaging makes transportation hard
SoHo Urban Artist Colored Pencils (72 Ready)
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If yous are looking for way and comfort and so the SoHo Urban Artist gear up is for y'all.
These black lacquered barrels are hexagonally shaped for an extra like shooting fish in a barrel grip that'll keep you lot drawing for hours. The barrels are mostly black with the ends showing the core color.
Now the cores themselves are wax-based and extra thick(3.8mm) which take been gum bonded to the barrel.
Resistant to breaking, chipping, or smudging, these colors get onto the folio smoothly and evenly.
I will say the pencils are a lilliputian shorter than you may be used to. But with consistent utilize you will find the tips don't deadening fast and yous can have more control over the pencil.
Really this is a pack that grows on you over time.
Information technology works great for both newbie artists and more professional artists alike.
Pros
- Extra thick core means a lot more colour to use
- Points are easy to sharpen without breakage
- An first-class all-around gear up for all skill levels
Cons
- Takes a niggling time to adjust to the smaller size
Most Affordable Colored Pencils On A Budget
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If you demand a high-quality colored pencil set but are limited on a upkeep and then check out this CYPER TOP set.
With a full of 80 different colors you're walking away with i hell of a bargain!
If you purchase the cylinder of pencils you will become the 80 pencils in a cardboard rounded container without whatsoever add-ons.
You tin too purchase the case which gives a more permanent home to these pencils and includes a sharpener with iii small-scale rolls of decorative duct tape.
Extras aside, the pencils depict actually well. Yous can't expect a lot in the manner of summit quality just you can expect these to draw well and get out behind some gorgeous colors.
The pencil barrels are hardwood to resist breaking while being transported.
And the leads offering a smooth, student grade colour fix which is nifty because everything you get here.
It's noticeable that the pigment isn't as rich equally well-nigh other pencils that cost a lot more. That's really a given.
Merely for coloring books, basic practice, or testing new ideas, the price tag far outweighs the complaints.
Finding The Correct Set For You
The three nearly of import factors of any colored pencil set up are the lead type(oil or wax-based), quality class(student, professional or creative person) and your budget.
Some other affair to consider is your skill level and what sort of quality you're looking for.
Even professional artists will pick up a smaller pair of colored pencils every so often. It'southward crucial to know what you lot're looking for and get a fix based on your specific needs.
Looking over all the options I say the Prismacolor Premier ready has everything that whatever artist would demand.
This fix offers vibrant colors, immovability, and continuous performance with a trusted brand name. Nonetheless you may make up one's mind you like a longer butt, a thicker core, or just don't need that many colors. So if the Prismacolor pack isn't for you accept another wait over this list and see what you think.
Y'all're sure to find a bully set of colored pencils if you continue researching and know exactly what you lot're using them for.
Author: JT Pledger
JT is a ghostwriter, novelist and screenwriter. He loves making words convey more than than just a message and helping others find their passion with the written give-and-take. Yous tin can contact him through his website.
Source: https://conceptartempire.com/best-colored-pencils/