Polychromos vs Luminance vs Lightfast

Three professional coloured pencils (colored pencils to US readers) keep coming up whenever serious artists compare notes: Faber-Castell Polychromos, Caran d’Ache Luminance and Derwent Lightfast. They are all excellent, and they are not interchangeable. Each one balances softness, control and reliability a little differently, so the right choice depends on what you draw.

This comparison works through ten features, then gives a verdict by subject. It is part of our complete coloured pencil guide, and the shortlist version is in best coloured pencils. The comparisons below draw on Michael’s assessments and general knowledge of the ranges, so check current colour lists and pricing with the manufacturers. For two-way matchups see Prismacolor vs Polychromos and Polychromos vs Goldfaber, or try the pencil set quiz.

The ten-feature table

Feature	Polychromos	Luminance	Lightfast
Base	Oil-based	Wax-based	Wax-based hybrid
Hardness	Firmest, crisp	Softest, creamy	Balanced
Softness	Least soft	Softest	Moderately soft
Layering	Endless clean layers	Deep, opaque layers	Smooth, controlled
Burnishing	Crisp, sharp finish	Burnishes like butter	Clean, no streaking
Lightfastness	Excellent, a few colours vary	Top tier	Top tier
Colour range	Widest, 120 colours	Smaller, curated	Growing, balanced
Price	Most affordable	Most expensive	Mid to high
Portraits	Great for detail	Ideal	Excellent
Wildlife	Perfect for fur and feathers	Great for soft areas	Balanced
Still life	Best for crisp edges, glass, metal	Best for rich colour, food	Best for smooth transitions

A hand-drawn swatch card on grey paper showing colour pairings: black with deep red, white with cream, red with bright orange, and bright lilac with yellow ochre. Drawing by Michael Brace.

A pencil roll case holding coloured pencils.

Feature by feature

Hardness and softness

Hardness decides whether a pencil glides, grips or digs in. Polychromos are firm, crisp and controlled. They hold a point beautifully, so they suit fine detail, sharp edges and intricate texture. Luminance is soft, creamy and velvety, gliding across the paper and depositing rich pigment quickly. Lightfast is balanced: smoother than Polychromos but firmer than Luminance, which is why it appeals to artists who want one pencil to do most jobs.

Softness affects blending and how quickly you build colour. Luminance blends effortlessly for buttery transitions, Lightfast is versatile and Polychromos is best when you want controlled layering. Our wax versus oil guide explains why the binder creates these differences.

Layering and burnishing

Polychromos give endless clean layers because the firm core does not clog the tooth quickly, which allows dozens of layers without wax bloom. Luminance builds deep, opaque layers fast and suits artists who love bold colour. Lightfast layers smoothly and with control.

Burnishing is the polished, glossy finish from pressing hard. Luminance burnishes like butter, because the wax melts into a unified surface. Lightfast burnishes cleanly without streaking, ideal for a final polish. Polychromos burnish with a crisp, sharp finish, well suited to reflective surfaces and fine detail. See how to burnish coloured pencils and how to layer coloured pencils.

Lightfastness

Lightfastness is how long colours last without fading. Luminance and Lightfast are top tier, designed for professionals who exhibit or sell work. Polychromos are excellent overall, though a few colours vary slightly and remain highly reliable for professional use. Because ratings are per colour, read coloured pencil lightfastness explained and check the manufacturers’ charts.

Colour range and price

Polychromos has the widest range of the three, at 120 colours, so it suits artists who want variety. Luminance is smaller but beautifully curated, with exceptional skin tones. Lightfast has a growing, balanced range with strong earth tones and neutrals.

On price, Luminance is the most expensive, Lightfast is mid to high and Polychromos is the most affordable of the three. Ranges and prices change over time, so check current listings.

Verdict by subject

Portraits. Luminance is ideal, being creamy, subtle and perfect for skin. Lightfast is excellent, with smooth transitions and rich shadows. Polychromos is great for detail: eyes, hair and texture. Our best coloured pencils for portraits goes into skin-building.

Wildlife. Polychromos is perfect for fur detail, feathers and crisp edges. Luminance is great for soft areas such as eyes, noses and subtle shading. Lightfast is balanced and excellent for both detail and softness.

Still life. Polychromos is best for crisp edges, glass, metal and reflective surfaces. Luminance is best for rich colour, food textures and painterly finishes. Lightfast is best for smooth transitions and layered depth.

Who should buy which

• Buy Polychromos if you love precision, draw wildlife or still life, want the widest range or need the best value of the three. Read the Polychromos review.
• Buy Luminance if you draw portraits or rich, soft realism and value creamy, opaque colour. Read the Luminance review.
• Buy Lightfast if you want one professional pencil that handles both detail and softness, with excellent lightfastness. See where it sits in Derwent coloured pencils reviewed.

How the three feel in use

Numbers and tables tell you what the pencils are, but not how a drawing session feels.

Polychromos reward patience. You build tone in steps and the pencil stays sharp, so you can keep returning to the same area to refine an edge. The result is controlled, precise and slightly crisp. They are at home in drawings where accuracy is the point, such as reflections on a glass or the individual hairs in an animal’s coat.

Luminance rewards confidence. The pigment arrives quickly, the colour is rich and opaque, and blending happens almost as you draw. It suits an artist who works in soft, sweeping layers and wants a painterly finish. Because it is soft, plan to sharpen often and be careful with pressure so the surface does not fill too early.

Lightfast sits in the middle and rewards versatility. It is smooth enough to blend, firm enough to control, and the burnish is clean. If you work across subjects, it is the pencil you are least likely to fight.

Combining the three

Nothing stops you owning all three. A practical approach for a mixed portfolio:

1. Block in broad colour and value with the softer pencil.
2. Refine forms and shadows with the balanced pencil.
3. Sharpen edges and add fine detail with the firm pencil.
4. Finish highlights last, especially on toned paper.

If you combine wax and oil, keep the early layers light and test on a scrap of your paper. Our wax versus oil guide explains the details.

What this comparison does not decide

A comparison like this is a starting point. Your paper, pressure, subject and taste can matter more than any single pencil feature. Michael’s paper guidance is that heavier, toothy paper suits layered work and smooth papers such as Arches Hot Press suit portraits, so read the best paper for coloured pencils alongside this page. Also remember that colour ranges expand and prices shift, so check current information before buying a full set.

Choosing on a budget

If money is tight, the sensible route is not to buy the cheapest of the three by default but to buy the one that matches your subject and start with a small selection. Polychromos is the most affordable of the three and has the widest range, which makes it a low-risk first professional set for detail work. If you draw portraits, a handful of single Luminance pencils in skin-tone colours may serve you better than a large set of something else. Lightfast singles let you sample the balanced feel before committing. Whatever you buy, keep swatches on your own paper so the comparison is fair.

Is the upgrade worth it?

If you are still deciding between beginner and professional tiers, read professional versus student coloured pencils. Professional pencils offer cleaner layering, more subtle blending, better colour accuracy and more predictable results across the range, which matters most once technique is developing.

The short version

Polychromos for control, detail and value; Luminance for portraits and rich softness; Lightfast for balance and top-tier lightfastness. Choose by subject, test before you invest, and check current ranges and prices with the manufacturers.