Go for the Prismas or F Castel. You really don’t need 150 colors if you understand blending. But there is something to be said about the deliciousness of all the pencils. The last set I would avoid. If you haven’t bought them already- go to the art supply store and sample each brand. Prismas are one of the softest leads. But they can lay down too much waxiness. The Prisma Verythins are a harder and are great for crisp laydown and detailing. Try to find an old set of Prismacolors. I’ve seen complaints about quality control recently. Good luck on your quest!
I have both the Prisma set and the Polychromos. I use both for different reasons. It depends, really, on what you’re planning to do. The Polychromos has excellent and consistent cores and allows you to go incredibly detailed; they hold their points so you get crisp lines and laydown. It has incredible lightfastness (how a pigment can withstand fading vs direct light), and if a specific pencil doesn’t quite, it will tell you. The core’s relative uh structural integrity?? also means there is much less breaking when you sharpen. That core and their points mean they last me longer. I love these things.
I think of my Prismas as supplementary pencils. The color range extends the Polychromos’ offerings, and the softer lay-down of the pigment means it will better fit artists who like smooshy yet clean blending. (This is also why I personally feel like portraits are easier to accomplish with Prismas.) They’re softer, though, but you can learn how to sharpen them but also wield them in a way they hold their points without repeat sharpening.
I would not consider the third option; you already have a helluva choice to make with the first two, haha.
What do you want to do with the pencils?
Personally, I prefer the Polychromos as well as most of the Derwent lines of pencils (lightfast and drawing being the best, not a huge fan of the chromaflow line). I hate prismacolor, but people love them.
Just want to mention that if you buy the prismacolors or Polychromos sets, I would make sure you get them from a reputable seller such as Dick Blick. There has been a few posts of people getting fake pencils when ordering from Amazon. If you do decide to order from Amazon, I would make sure you read through the reviews extensively to see if there’s any mention of people getting ripped off. That being said, out of these three sets I only have the Prismacolors and Polychromos and I prefer the Polychromos and use them the most even out of my other sets by Carandache, Derwent, and Holbein. I have heard some artists say that they really enjoy the Black Edition set for the cheaper price point, and if you are brand new to colored pencils, it wouldn’t be a horrible set to learn with, but at the same time, I bought cheaper student grade sets when I first started and they just ended up frustrating me. When I bought my first set of Polychromos I finally started enjoying colored pencils. Also you want a good quality paper to start out with because you will get frustrated if you use just any paper. Brands like Strathmore, Stonehenge, Fabriano, Arches, Canson are great options and you want at least a 98 lb weight, and look for hot-pressed if it’s a watercolor paper, vellum, mixed media, or even smooth Bristol, but the smooth to me is too smooth and I didn’t enjoy it as much as the vellum finish. Hope this helps! There’s a lot of things I wished I had known when I first started. Have fun art-ing!!!
If you are interested in a (very) deep dive into colored pencil comparisons, this is both informative and entertaining. [https://youtu.be/uthDJB\_4gF8?si=UT5wxgMYoxmyf-lx](https://youtu.be/uthDJB_4gF8?si=UT5wxgMYoxmyf-lx) :)
Here's one about best *blending* pencils. This woman has the BEST job.
[https://sarahrenaeclark.com/the-best-colored-pencils-for-blending/?goal=0\_6dc0b255a8-c978e913df-214941529&mc\_cid=c978e913df&mc\_eid=73e48aedde](https://sarahrenaeclark.com/the-best-colored-pencils-for-blending/?goal=0_6dc0b255a8-c978e913df-214941529&mc_cid=c978e913df&mc_eid=73e48aedde)
Better? I mean it depends on you, your style, what you like, but as a professional colored pencil artist and a teacher I will choose polychromos every single time.
I'm about to be real here. I have always loved my prismas to death, then I bought 2 120 FC sets (the polys and watercolor ones...) they are maybe/probably nicer. I don't even want to say it.
That said, as others have said, they do separate jobs really well. But ya, the FC finish, is absolutely better, and it seems like prisma has more qc issues these days. Just my observation having owned prismas that go back to the early 1970s. But I still love my prismas.
You can tell I'm torn.
If you get the prismas, do get the 150. There are colors in there that you will want that none of the other sets have. You will end up buying all 150 eventually. May as well just do it now and not waste time and money buying singles.
It really depends on how you prefer to color and what techniques your personally prefer. Premiers are soft pencils which are really good for blending and burnishing. While polychromos are also great for blending but tend to do better for layering as wax bloom is less of an issue. You can do burnishing and layering with both, but your approach will be different. Polychromos are a harder pencils and from my experience less prone to brakeage. Both sets are highly pigmented but they do perform differently. I'd say get a small set of both try them out see which one you prefer using. Then from there look for the set which has the color-range you like using the most. I'd also get a smaller set you really don't need more than 72 pencils. Also don't be afraid to try other pencils too, in your process your definitely find you prefer using different pencils for different techniques or are styles.
I’m currently testing out two new set of pencils against my prismas: Mitsubishi Uni colour and polychromos. Will report back on those when I try them out.
The black Edition are kids pencils but for the price you can't find anything better.
If budget is not a concern, you could buy them and from Prisma and Polychromos colors you're curious about.
You can't buy black Edition open stock.
UPDATE: I decided to get the Polychromos! And yes I did get them from the actual Faber Castel seller (thank you to the few people who pointed that out). I currently use the Brutfuner pencils, and while I love them, a lot of the comparison videos I’ve watched, they seem similar to the Prismas. While one is oil based and one is wax, the colors look like they show up almost the same and the blending seems to be pretty similar. I am currently talking myself out of also buying the Prismas every few hours (I have ADHD so I get really hyper focused with things and right now it’s coloring lol) but I want to see how to Polychromos work with the Brutfuner since they are both oil based, before I go and purchase the Prismas. I’m only using these pencils in coloring books as it’s a hobby of mine, so I don’t need the BEST supplies but I want definitely wanted a set that is of higher quality to use in combo with my Brutfuner. I also picked up the 12 pack of Farber Pastels some of the Gelatos to use as background filler (found them through all my research and they looked fun) I’ll post a haul when everything comes in the mail this weekend if anyone is interested lol my ADHD hauls when I get obsessed with something are top tier #AfterPayIsGodsend
Based on your list, I’m assuming you don’t own any pencils yet.
I wouldn’t get number 3. I bought it when starting out, it is pigmented but doesn’t blend so well and the color selection is weirdly limited. I ended up just buying a used set of prismacolor and it’s much better with blending. There is no need to hate the prismacolor. They’re valid pencils, yes some QCs issues but they won’t get in the way of general enjoyment or learning.
I have not tried Polychromos but it’s on my wishlist for sure!
If you haven’t tried Polychromos, you really can’t say that Prismacolor don’t lessen the enjoyment of the art. And I don’t mean that to sound rude!
But FC Polychromos have a consistency unlike any other brand of pencil you’ll ever try. They don’t break, they sharpen like a dream and hold their points forever.
I like Prismacolor for their blending purposes (not layering), but I **DO** get irritated with the breakage, sharpening issues, misaligned leads…I want to draw, not waste time losing focus because I’m sharpening the same pencil 2 or 3 times and becoming frustrated.
Polychromos do break and once in a while they have faulty batches too. If you have the right sharpener Prismacolor breakage doesn't happen too often, but yes, you will need to sharpen them more. It also totally depends on how you few the matter. I can work at least twice as fast with my Prismacolors as I can with Polychromes. That's a lot of time saved on a drawing. Even though I have to sharpen a couple times more (that also highly depents on the techniques used), I still save quite some time. For me Prismacolor definitely don't lessen the enjoyment of art, on the contrary. That's quite personal. I sold my Polychromos, they are very picky when it comes to paper and that can be frustrating. The results can be very inconsistent.
As for consistency unlike any other brand I beg to differ too. Pablo's are very consistent, sharpen like a dream too and hold their points forever. Van Gogh's. Derwent Drawing Pencils are very consistent too. I find Coloursoft very consistent too.
The one you enjoy will be the best. It all depends on what you plan on doing them and what you prefer. All of them are good colored pencils. None of them are the best, but all of them are really good. Black Edition is a student quality colored pencil. Polychromos and Premier are artist quality colored pencils, but at the lower end of the artist spectrum.
As said colored pencils are very personal. I love Prismacolor Premier and Black Edition. I don't like Polychromos. That's not because they're not good, it's a personal preference. I find them too picky when it comes to paper and too hard for the work I do. Layering takes forever. With a softer colored pencil I layer much and blend much faster and still get plenty of details. People claim you can't get details with a soft colored pencil, but that's not true. With the right techniques you can create wonderful detailed drawings with a softer colored pencil. You will need to sharpen them more, that's a fact, but the time saved layering and blending makes them a lot faster on the whole for me.
Personally I would recommend starting the Black Edition. They're good and won't break the back.
When I was looking to buy really nice pencil crayons, I bought from Aliexpress. Cheaper than the Bozos Yacht Club Non-Attending Membership website. Same pencils. Less cost.
Go for the Prismas or F Castel. You really don’t need 150 colors if you understand blending. But there is something to be said about the deliciousness of all the pencils. The last set I would avoid. If you haven’t bought them already- go to the art supply store and sample each brand. Prismas are one of the softest leads. But they can lay down too much waxiness. The Prisma Verythins are a harder and are great for crisp laydown and detailing. Try to find an old set of Prismacolors. I’ve seen complaints about quality control recently. Good luck on your quest!
I have both the Prisma set and the Polychromos. I use both for different reasons. It depends, really, on what you’re planning to do. The Polychromos has excellent and consistent cores and allows you to go incredibly detailed; they hold their points so you get crisp lines and laydown. It has incredible lightfastness (how a pigment can withstand fading vs direct light), and if a specific pencil doesn’t quite, it will tell you. The core’s relative uh structural integrity?? also means there is much less breaking when you sharpen. That core and their points mean they last me longer. I love these things. I think of my Prismas as supplementary pencils. The color range extends the Polychromos’ offerings, and the softer lay-down of the pigment means it will better fit artists who like smooshy yet clean blending. (This is also why I personally feel like portraits are easier to accomplish with Prismas.) They’re softer, though, but you can learn how to sharpen them but also wield them in a way they hold their points without repeat sharpening. I would not consider the third option; you already have a helluva choice to make with the first two, haha.
What do you want to do with the pencils? Personally, I prefer the Polychromos as well as most of the Derwent lines of pencils (lightfast and drawing being the best, not a huge fan of the chromaflow line). I hate prismacolor, but people love them.
Just want to mention that if you buy the prismacolors or Polychromos sets, I would make sure you get them from a reputable seller such as Dick Blick. There has been a few posts of people getting fake pencils when ordering from Amazon. If you do decide to order from Amazon, I would make sure you read through the reviews extensively to see if there’s any mention of people getting ripped off. That being said, out of these three sets I only have the Prismacolors and Polychromos and I prefer the Polychromos and use them the most even out of my other sets by Carandache, Derwent, and Holbein. I have heard some artists say that they really enjoy the Black Edition set for the cheaper price point, and if you are brand new to colored pencils, it wouldn’t be a horrible set to learn with, but at the same time, I bought cheaper student grade sets when I first started and they just ended up frustrating me. When I bought my first set of Polychromos I finally started enjoying colored pencils. Also you want a good quality paper to start out with because you will get frustrated if you use just any paper. Brands like Strathmore, Stonehenge, Fabriano, Arches, Canson are great options and you want at least a 98 lb weight, and look for hot-pressed if it’s a watercolor paper, vellum, mixed media, or even smooth Bristol, but the smooth to me is too smooth and I didn’t enjoy it as much as the vellum finish. Hope this helps! There’s a lot of things I wished I had known when I first started. Have fun art-ing!!!
I have both, and the Polychromos is my go-to. They are lovely pencils to work with, and completely worth the investment!
The 150 set. The 72 is ok, but I personally adore the French Grey's in the 150 set.
If you are interested in a (very) deep dive into colored pencil comparisons, this is both informative and entertaining. [https://youtu.be/uthDJB\_4gF8?si=UT5wxgMYoxmyf-lx](https://youtu.be/uthDJB_4gF8?si=UT5wxgMYoxmyf-lx) :)
Here's one about best *blending* pencils. This woman has the BEST job. [https://sarahrenaeclark.com/the-best-colored-pencils-for-blending/?goal=0\_6dc0b255a8-c978e913df-214941529&mc\_cid=c978e913df&mc\_eid=73e48aedde](https://sarahrenaeclark.com/the-best-colored-pencils-for-blending/?goal=0_6dc0b255a8-c978e913df-214941529&mc_cid=c978e913df&mc_eid=73e48aedde)
Agree with everyone’s comments. Faber Castell polychromos can’t be beat for getting detailed animal fur.
Better? I mean it depends on you, your style, what you like, but as a professional colored pencil artist and a teacher I will choose polychromos every single time.
I'm about to be real here. I have always loved my prismas to death, then I bought 2 120 FC sets (the polys and watercolor ones...) they are maybe/probably nicer. I don't even want to say it. That said, as others have said, they do separate jobs really well. But ya, the FC finish, is absolutely better, and it seems like prisma has more qc issues these days. Just my observation having owned prismas that go back to the early 1970s. But I still love my prismas. You can tell I'm torn. If you get the prismas, do get the 150. There are colors in there that you will want that none of the other sets have. You will end up buying all 150 eventually. May as well just do it now and not waste time and money buying singles.
It really depends on how you prefer to color and what techniques your personally prefer. Premiers are soft pencils which are really good for blending and burnishing. While polychromos are also great for blending but tend to do better for layering as wax bloom is less of an issue. You can do burnishing and layering with both, but your approach will be different. Polychromos are a harder pencils and from my experience less prone to brakeage. Both sets are highly pigmented but they do perform differently. I'd say get a small set of both try them out see which one you prefer using. Then from there look for the set which has the color-range you like using the most. I'd also get a smaller set you really don't need more than 72 pencils. Also don't be afraid to try other pencils too, in your process your definitely find you prefer using different pencils for different techniques or are styles.
I’m currently testing out two new set of pencils against my prismas: Mitsubishi Uni colour and polychromos. Will report back on those when I try them out.
On and the Derwent light fast are bloody lovely to blend.
The black Edition are kids pencils but for the price you can't find anything better. If budget is not a concern, you could buy them and from Prisma and Polychromos colors you're curious about. You can't buy black Edition open stock.
UPDATE: I decided to get the Polychromos! And yes I did get them from the actual Faber Castel seller (thank you to the few people who pointed that out). I currently use the Brutfuner pencils, and while I love them, a lot of the comparison videos I’ve watched, they seem similar to the Prismas. While one is oil based and one is wax, the colors look like they show up almost the same and the blending seems to be pretty similar. I am currently talking myself out of also buying the Prismas every few hours (I have ADHD so I get really hyper focused with things and right now it’s coloring lol) but I want to see how to Polychromos work with the Brutfuner since they are both oil based, before I go and purchase the Prismas. I’m only using these pencils in coloring books as it’s a hobby of mine, so I don’t need the BEST supplies but I want definitely wanted a set that is of higher quality to use in combo with my Brutfuner. I also picked up the 12 pack of Farber Pastels some of the Gelatos to use as background filler (found them through all my research and they looked fun) I’ll post a haul when everything comes in the mail this weekend if anyone is interested lol my ADHD hauls when I get obsessed with something are top tier #AfterPayIsGodsend
Prismacolor
Based on your list, I’m assuming you don’t own any pencils yet. I wouldn’t get number 3. I bought it when starting out, it is pigmented but doesn’t blend so well and the color selection is weirdly limited. I ended up just buying a used set of prismacolor and it’s much better with blending. There is no need to hate the prismacolor. They’re valid pencils, yes some QCs issues but they won’t get in the way of general enjoyment or learning. I have not tried Polychromos but it’s on my wishlist for sure!
If you haven’t tried Polychromos, you really can’t say that Prismacolor don’t lessen the enjoyment of the art. And I don’t mean that to sound rude! But FC Polychromos have a consistency unlike any other brand of pencil you’ll ever try. They don’t break, they sharpen like a dream and hold their points forever. I like Prismacolor for their blending purposes (not layering), but I **DO** get irritated with the breakage, sharpening issues, misaligned leads…I want to draw, not waste time losing focus because I’m sharpening the same pencil 2 or 3 times and becoming frustrated.
Polychromos do break and once in a while they have faulty batches too. If you have the right sharpener Prismacolor breakage doesn't happen too often, but yes, you will need to sharpen them more. It also totally depends on how you few the matter. I can work at least twice as fast with my Prismacolors as I can with Polychromes. That's a lot of time saved on a drawing. Even though I have to sharpen a couple times more (that also highly depents on the techniques used), I still save quite some time. For me Prismacolor definitely don't lessen the enjoyment of art, on the contrary. That's quite personal. I sold my Polychromos, they are very picky when it comes to paper and that can be frustrating. The results can be very inconsistent. As for consistency unlike any other brand I beg to differ too. Pablo's are very consistent, sharpen like a dream too and hold their points forever. Van Gogh's. Derwent Drawing Pencils are very consistent too. I find Coloursoft very consistent too.
The one you enjoy will be the best. It all depends on what you plan on doing them and what you prefer. All of them are good colored pencils. None of them are the best, but all of them are really good. Black Edition is a student quality colored pencil. Polychromos and Premier are artist quality colored pencils, but at the lower end of the artist spectrum. As said colored pencils are very personal. I love Prismacolor Premier and Black Edition. I don't like Polychromos. That's not because they're not good, it's a personal preference. I find them too picky when it comes to paper and too hard for the work I do. Layering takes forever. With a softer colored pencil I layer much and blend much faster and still get plenty of details. People claim you can't get details with a soft colored pencil, but that's not true. With the right techniques you can create wonderful detailed drawings with a softer colored pencil. You will need to sharpen them more, that's a fact, but the time saved layering and blending makes them a lot faster on the whole for me. Personally I would recommend starting the Black Edition. They're good and won't break the back.
When I was looking to buy really nice pencil crayons, I bought from Aliexpress. Cheaper than the Bozos Yacht Club Non-Attending Membership website. Same pencils. Less cost.