The Best Coloured Pencils for Serious Artists

Choosing coloured pencils, or colored pencils as US readers say, is a little like choosing an instrument: the tool shapes the performance, and the wrong one makes a skilled artist feel clumsy. The best pencils give predictable layering, strong pigment and a smooth feel on paper. They respond to pressure changes, allow subtle transitions and do not crumble in the sharpener.

Three names keep appearing in serious studios: Faber-Castell Polychromos, Caran d’Ache Luminance and Derwent Lightfast. This guide explains what sets them apart, what to look for in any professional pencil, and which one to buy for the work you actually do. It is part of our complete coloured pencil guide. Buying a whole set? See best coloured pencil sets, compare Prismacolor vs Polychromos, or take the pencil set quiz for a shortlist.

Our picks at a glance

Need	Pick	Why
Crisp detail, fur, glass, metal	Faber-Castell Polychromos	Firm, oil-based, holds a sharp point, endless clean layers
Portraits and soft realism	Caran d’Ache Luminance	Creamy, opaque, exceptional for skin
One pencil for everything	Derwent Lightfast	Balanced softness, smooth layering, top-tier lightfastness
Rich, painterly colour on a budget	Derwent Coloursoft	Velvety, soft-blending wax pencil
Widest colour choice	Faber-Castell Polychromos	Widest range of the three professional favourites

An open pencil case holding coloured pencils, pens and a small bottle.

What to look for in a serious coloured pencil

Five qualities separate professional pencils from the rest.

Pigment load. More pigment and less filler means richer colour from lighter pressure, which leaves room for more layers. Weak pencils need heavy pressure to show colour, and that flattens the paper’s tooth.

Layering. A good pencil lets you build dozens of thin layers without clogging the surface or developing a waxy haze. Firm cores tend to layer cleanly for longer; soft cores build colour faster but fill the tooth sooner.

Lightfastness. This is how well a colour resists fading. If you sell or exhibit work, it matters a great deal. Professional ranges publish ratings for their colours, and it is worth checking the specific pencils you plan to use. Read coloured pencil lightfastness explained for how the ratings work.

Core strength. The core should survive sharpening and pressure. Cores that snap waste money and interrupt work; sometimes the sharpener is the cause, so see best pencil sharpeners for coloured pencils.

Colour range. A wide range means less mixing; a curated one can be lovely if the colours suit your subject. Polychromos has the widest range of the three favourites, while Luminance is smaller but beautifully curated, with exceptional skin tones. Ranges change, so check current colour lists.

Faber-Castell Polychromos: the precision choice

Polychromos are oil-based and firm. That makes them perfect for crisp edges, fine detail and clean layering. They hold a point beautifully and do not clog the tooth quickly, so you can build many layers without wax bloom. They are especially popular with wildlife and still-life artists, and they are the most affordable of the three professional favourites. Lightfastness is excellent overall, with a few colours varying slightly.

If you love precision, Polychromos feel like home. If you want buttery soft gradients over large areas, they are less indulgent than a wax pencil. Read the full Faber-Castell Polychromos review.

A hand-drawn colour wheel made with three Faber-Castell Polychromos pencils on blue-grey paper. Drawing by Michael Brace.

Caran d’Ache Luminance: the creamy premium choice

Luminance is wax-based, soft, creamy and opaque. It deposits rich pigment quickly, blends effortlessly and burnishes into a smooth, unified surface. It is ideal for portraits, soft realism and rich colour depth, and it is the most expensive of the three. Skin tones are a particular strength.

The trade-off is cost and a softer point, so it is not the pencil for very fine, hard-edged detail. Our Caran d’Ache Luminance review covers who gets the most from it.

Derwent Lightfast: the balanced all-rounder

Lightfast sits between the two. It is smoother than Polychromos but firmer than Luminance, with smooth layering, clean burnishing and top-tier lightfastness. Its range is growing, with strong earth tones and neutrals. It is priced mid to high: professional, but a little more accessible than Luminance.

It suits artists who want one pencil that handles both detail and softness, and it is excellent for building depth in shadows and skin.

Derwent Coloursoft: soft and painterly

Coloursoft is velvety and rich, great for soft blending and painterly effects. It is a friendlier price point than the premium ranges and appears in Michael’s hand-drawn swatch work on grey paper. It is a good choice if you love a soft, creamy laydown and want to work expressively. For its place in the wider Derwent family, see our Derwent coloured pencils reviewed.

Which one to buy

Match the pencil to the subject.

• Portraits. Luminance and Lightfast for skin, Polychromos for detail in eyes and hair. See best coloured pencils for portraits.
• Wildlife and fur. Polychromos for fur and feathers, with a softer pencil for eyes and noses.
• Still life, glass and metal. Polychromos for crisp edges and reflections; softer wax for rich food textures and painterly finishes.
• Everything. Lightfast.

For a feature-by-feature breakdown, read Polychromos vs Luminance vs Lightfast. If you are unsure whether the jump to artist grade is worthwhile, professional versus student coloured pencils explains what you gain.

Why professional pencils behave differently

Professional pencils are not simply nicer versions of student pencils. They are defined by high pigment concentration, excellent lightfastness, smooth layering, predictable behaviour and strong cores that resist breakage. In practice that gives you five advantages:

• Cleaner layering. Colours stay clear as layers accumulate instead of turning grey.
• More subtle blending. Gradual transitions need pigment that responds to small pressure changes.
• Better colour accuracy. A pencil that looks the same across the range makes colour matching predictable.
• Greater control over pressure. The same pencil can give a whisper or a dark accent.
• Consistent results. Fewer surprises across the whole set.

If you have ever struggled with muddy colours or waxy build-up, better pencils solve most of those problems, although technique and paper account for the rest. For artists who sell work, exhibit or simply want drawings to last for decades, professional pencils stop being a luxury and become a necessity. The trade-offs, including when student pencils are still the smarter buy, are set out in professional versus student coloured pencils.

Amateur and mid-career: what changes

Amateur artists find these pencils make learning easier because they behave predictably: pressure, layering and blending do what you expect, so you spend your effort on drawing instead of fighting the tool. Mid-career artists value the nuance: subtle shifts in pressure, delicate transitions and the ability to build dozens of layers without wax bloom or muddy colour. If you are moving from hobbyist to serious practice, upgrading to one of these sets can feel like stepping into a new medium.

That said, upgrade in stages. Buy the pencils for the subject you draw most, learn them thoroughly and let your next purchase be led by what you find missing. Keep a swatch card so you know exactly what each pencil does on your paper.

Get more from any pencil

Professional pencils reward technique. Begin with light pressure and build gradually, so each layer sits on open tooth. Learn to layer coloured pencils properly, then use burnishing at the end for a polished finish. Wax bloom, the waxy haze that can appear on heavily layered wax pencils, is easier to avoid when you keep pressure light early on.

The short version

Buy Polychromos for precision and value, Luminance for portraits and luxury, and Lightfast if you want one professional pencil that does most things well. Add Coloursoft if you enjoy a soft, painterly laydown. Whichever you choose, pair it with sturdy paper and patient layering. New to the medium? Start with the beginner picks instead.