Best Colored Pencils for Beginners: 5 Picks Compared

Five colored pencils in rows, each labelled with its pick: Black Edition, Prismacolor Premier, Tombow Irojiten, KOH-I-NOOR Progresso and Albrecht Dürer — One pick per way of drawing; each pencil drawn in proportion, as on its own guide.

Products compared

Product	Brand origin	Made in	Price range
Faber-Castell Black Edition colored pencils, 36 colors (FC116436)Faber-Castell	Germany	Not stated^*	Price range: $under $5 per pencil
Prismacolor Premier soft-core colored pencils, 72-count set (3599TN)Prismacolor	United States	Mexico^*	Price range: $under $5 per pencil
Tombow Irojiten colored pencils (US Woodlands set of 30, item 51526)Tombow	Japan	Not stated^*	Price range: $under $5 per pencil
KOH-I-NOOR Progresso woodless colored pencils, set of 24 (8758/24)KOH-I-NOOR	Czech Republic	Czech Republic^*	Price range: $under $5 per pencil
Faber-Castell Albrecht Dürer artists' watercolor pencils, tin of 36 (117536)Faber-Castell	Germany	Germany^*	Price range: $under $5 per pencil

Notes on these facts

Faber-Castell Black Edition colored pencils, 36 colors (FC116436): Made by Faber-Castell AG, Stein, Germany. Country of manufacture not stated: Faber-Castell's German and US pages don't state a country of manufacture. Galaxus listings, seen in search results, give different origins for different Black Edition sets (China, Vietnam, Brazil), so check the box.
Prismacolor Premier soft-core colored pencils, 72-count set (3599TN): Made by Newell Brands. Made in Mexico: ADI Global Distribution's catalog entry for the 3599TN gives Mexico as the country of origin and Newell Brands as the maker, and says origin is subject to change (its spec tab is shown to signed-in dealers). A brand-guide write-up also reports that packaging says "Made in Mexico". Prismacolor's own site blocks automated readers, so we couldn't check it there. Source. Price: example listing. Released: Year the Eagle Pencil Company introduced the Prismacolor name, per Wikipedia (citing Prismacolor's About Us page); we found no separate launch date for the Premier soft-core line.
Tombow Irojiten colored pencils (US Woodlands set of 30, item 51526): Made by Tombow Pencil Co., Ltd.. Country of manufacture not stated: Tombow's Japanese and US pages don't state a country of manufacture. Swiss retailer listings seen in search results disagree (Japan for a 36 set, Vietnam for some single pencils, China for a 30 set), so check the box.
KOH-I-NOOR Progresso woodless colored pencils, set of 24 (8758/24): Made by KOH-I-NOOR HARDTMUTH a.s. (České Budějovice). Made in Czech Republic: Koh-i-noor's Czech e-shop marks the single pencils and the sets of 6, 12 and 24 "Vyrobeno v ČR" (made in the Czech Republic). Source.
Faber-Castell Albrecht Dürer artists' watercolor pencils, tin of 36 (117536): Made by Faber-Castell AG, Stein, Germany. Made in Germany: Faber-Castell's own US product photo of a single pencil (117672) shows GERMANY printed on the barrel, and its brand comparison chart on the Amazon US listing ticks 'Made in Germany' for Albrecht Dürer. A Galaxus listing for the 24 tin, seen in search results, also gives Germany. Source.
Price bands are typical US retail, checked October 2026. Conversions to US dollars are approximate, at October 2026 rates (US$1 = ¥158 = ₩1,330 = NT$32.5 = CN¥6.7 = SEK 9.9 = DKK 6.7 = ₺49.6 = C$1.41 = A$1.43 = CZK 21.7; €1 = US$1.12; £1 = US$1.32; CHF 1 = US$1.21).

Key takeaways

Faber-Castell lists a 3.3 mm SuperSoft core for Black Edition; its 36-color box was #12 in Amazon US colored pencils on October 22, 2026, with 10,331 ratings.
Prismacolor Premier has 150 colors with a wax-based core of 3 to 3.8 mm, per retailers; Staples shows the 72-count set at 4.87 stars from 1,698 reviews.
Tombow sells Irojiten as three 30-color volumes grouped by tone; each costs ¥3,960 (about US$25) in Japan.
KOH-I-NOOR Progresso pencils are solid color with no wood, about 7.6 mm across per a distributor, twice a 3.8 mm core.
Albrecht Dürer watercolor pencils have a 3.8 mm water-soluble core in 120 colors, and Faber-Castell says they're made in Germany.

What are the best colored pencils for beginners?

For most beginners, Faber-Castell Black Edition: soft, bright, affordable and good on black paper as well as white. The other four suit a particular style: blending, careful color choice, big shading or watercolor. It’s #1 because Faber-Castell makes it to show on black and colored paper as well as white, and its soft core lays down strong color with light pressure.

Best overall: Faber-Castell Black Edition. Why it’s here: its 3.3 mm SuperSoft core gives strong color with light pressure, and it’s the only pick made to show on black paper too, in sets of 12 to 100.
Blending: Prismacolor Premier. Why it’s here: a soft wax-based core that blends into rich, creamy color, in 150 colors; the trade-off is more breakage.
Color choice: Tombow Irojiten. Why it’s here: the only pick sold in volumes grouped by tone, Japan’s “color dictionary”, which makes choosing colors that go together easier; 90 colors in the US.
Shading: KOH-I-NOOR Progresso. Why it’s here: the only woodless pick, all core (about 7.6 mm), so you can lay its side flat for big shading; made in the Czech Republic.
Watercolor: Faber-Castell Albrecht Dürer. Why it’s here: the only watercolor pick: draw dry, then brush on water for a wash, in 120 colors.

How did we choose these picks?

We compiled these picks from published sources, not hands-on testing: makers’ specs and claims, retailer data such as Blick’s, US availability and price band. All five are in our $ band per pencil in sets, so we chose by core: the most forgiving one for a first set, then one pick for each style a beginner might grow into.

How do these colored pencils compare?

All five sit in our $ band per pencil in sets; the core is what sets them apart.

	Black Edition	Prismacolor Premier	Tombow Irojiten	KOH-I-NOOR Progresso	Albrecht Dürer
Pick	Best overall	Blending	Color choice	Shading	Watercolor
Core	3.3 mm, SuperSoft	3–3.8 mm, soft wax	Medium; wax-based per Tombow USA	Solid, about 7.6 mm	3.8 mm, water-soluble
Barrel	Black wood, triangular	Cedar, painted	Round, cream enamel	None (lacquer)	Painted the lead color
Colors	Sets of 12–100	150	100 in Japan, 90 in US	26 in the US	120
Made in	Varies by set	Mexico	Not stated	Czech Republic	Germany
Band	$	$	$	$	$

Specs are from Faber-Castell, Tombow, KOH-I-NOOR and retailers; see Notes on these facts.

Colored pencil cores to scale: Black Edition 3.3 mm, Prismacolor 3 to 3.8 mm, Albrecht Dürer 3.8 mm, Irojiten not published, Progresso about 7.6 mm — The woodless Progresso is about twice as thick as a typical artist core.

Why is Black Edition a good first set?

It’s soft enough to lay down strong color with light pressure, and Faber-Castell makes it to show on black paper as well as white. The German site says the SuperSoft core is pigmented for light, colored and dark paper.

The 36-color box was #12 on Amazon US’s colored-pencil best-seller list on October 22, 2026. Some buyers on Faber-Castell’s German page report points breaking in a single-blade sharpener, so a crank sharpener is worth it.

Is Prismacolor Premier worth it for a beginner?

Yes if you want to blend: the soft wax core gives rich, creamy color, at the cost of more breakage. Sharpen gently with a sharp blade and stop as soon as the point forms.

Prismacolor has been a US name since 1938 and now belongs to Newell Brands. For how it differs from an oil-based artist pencil, see Prismacolor vs Polychromos.

What makes Tombow Irojiten different?

The sets are organized like a dictionary: each 30-pencil volume holds three tone groups of ten colors. Tombow launched Irojiten in Japan in 1988, and the US sets are called Rainforest, Woodlands and Seascape.

That structure helps beginners learn which colors sit together. The cream barrels have a color-matched end, so you can find a pencil in a cup.

Woodless or watercolor: who are they for?

Progresso suits loose, large shading; Albrecht Dürer suits anyone who wants to paint. A Progresso is all core, so you can lay its side flat on the paper, and Blick says each holds about five times the lead of a regular pencil.

An Albrecht Dürer pencil draws like a normal colored pencil until you add water. Faber-Castell rates each color’s lightfastness on the barrel, which matters for finished work.

Where are they made?

Faber-Castell says Albrecht Dürer is made in Germany, and KOH-I-NOOR makes Progresso in the Czech Republic. Retailers give Mexico for Prismacolor Premier.

Faber-Castell doesn’t state a country for Black Edition, and European retailers list China, Vietnam or Brazil by set; Tombow doesn’t state one for Irojiten. For artist-grade picks, see our best colored pencils.

Frequently asked questions

What colored pencils should a beginner buy?

A mid-size set of soft, affordable artist-style pencils, such as Faber-Castell Black Edition 36 or a Prismacolor Premier 24 or 48. Soft cores lay down color with little pressure, so you learn layering faster.

How many colored pencils does a beginner need?

Twenty-four to 36 colors is plenty to learn layering and blending; you can mix in-between shades by layering. Tombow's Irojiten volumes of 30 are a tidy alternative.

Are Prismacolor pencils good for beginners?

Yes, for blending: the soft wax-based core lays down rich color easily. The trade-off is breakage, so sharpen gently with a sharp blade.

Are wax-based or oil-based colored pencils better for beginners?

Wax-based pencils such as Prismacolor Premier feel softer and blend easily; oil-based pencils such as Polychromos hold a sharper point. Either works for learning.

What is a woodless colored pencil?

A pencil that is all core, coated only in lacquer, such as KOH-I-NOOR Progresso. You can shade large areas with the side and still sharpen it in an ordinary sharpener.

Do you need special paper for colored pencils?

Not to start, but heavier drawing paper takes more layers than copy paper, and once you add water to watercolor pencils, use watercolor paper so the sheet doesn't buckle; that's our suggestion, not a maker rule.

Where are these colored pencils made?

Albrecht Dürer and Progresso are made in Germany and the Czech Republic, Prismacolor Premier in Mexico per retailers; Faber-Castell and Tombow don't state a country for Black Edition or Irojiten.

Sources (6)

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