Coloring Pencils

There are SO many different brands out there that it would be impossible for me to try them all out, but I have tried a couple. I believe what people like are the pencils that are softer, because they give more pigment when you use them. So it is entirely a preference thing. And what you choose is entirely up to you.

The one that the "real artists" will tell you to buy is Prismacolor. They are actually pretty good, but they also cost anywhere from $.89 to $1.29 per pencil. That can become quite expensive if you use more than a few colors.

You can also get one that is slightly cheaper called Scholar Prismacolor. They are a bit less expensive. About $8 for 12 at Walmart. (I actually paid only $.10 for a pack of 12 due to a mark down error). Honestly I can not tell the difference between the two types. I tried using the color "Bleu Copenhagen" from both sets and even though there was a slight different in the actual color, the intensity was so close that I personally couldn’t tell the difference.

I use Crayola a lot and you can get a pack of 12 for about $3, depending on where you buy them. Sure they are not as 'soft' or color intense as Prismacolors, but for my purpose they work just fine.

Walmart also carries a line of products from Daler-Rowney called Simply Artist. A pack of 12 pencils will run about $7. Only issue with these are when they need sharpening. I have tossed a couple because they constantly break when you try to sharpen them.

I think when it comes to coloring pencils it is really all about how much you are willing to pay. And how much you use them. I use them a lot so I definitely prefer to pay as little as possible. I really don’t use them to make large pieces of art, I am using them more to add a few lines of color, some detail, etc. If coloring pencils are your preferred art supply and you plan on focusing on art made using coloring pencils then you will probably want to pay for the better quality rather than quantity.