72 Professional Oil Based Colored Pencils for Artists - Pencils for Drawing, Sketching and Coloring Books - Soft Core Art Pastel Pencils Set w/Skin Tone in Metal Case

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When choosing a colored pencil, remember that different colored pencils have different properties. For instance, the softer the lead the more likely it is to spread. There are also some brands of colored pencils that break down faster than others due to the pigments they contain. I believe Derwent Coloursoft also uses a high level of waxes, though I have not heard complaints about blooming - perhaps Derwent are not being used so much in hot conditions. What Our Editors Say “We love that the oil-based formula of these colored pencils is good for shading. They apply and blend well, and each pencil is nice to hold. However, they have a smell, and some colors in the largest set are too similar to each other.” When comparing different oil-based colored pencils, you need to determine how big of a set you need. If you’re just starting out, a 24-piece set might be good enough. It’s more affordable and won’t be too limiting compared to a 12-piece set. The binder used in wax-based coloured pencils gives them a soft ‘buttery’ texture perfect for mixing, layering and blending. They provide heavier coverage on paper than other types of coloured pencil and produce vivid and vibrant hues. Wax-based coloured pencils also tend to be easier to erase if you make a mistake or wish to tone down the colour saturation.

A green capsicum completed in Caran d’Ache Luminance. Image of capsicum from Kate Clarke’s online course. The oil-based pencils appear more vibrant compared to the wax-based pencils. Oil-based pencils have the best yellows-greens and the darkest blues. Magicfly’s colored pencils set comes with 72 assorted colors which are enough to cover most of the things you draw. They’re oil-based and able to blend and layer well. They have vibrant colors, and finally, they’re very affordable. Lightfastness refers to the ability of the color pigments to withstand light without fading. Colored pencils that are lightfast tend to produce artworks that last a long time without fading. Higher-end brands tend to be lightfast.Premium lead also allows for a smooth and uninterrupted coloring experience that is capable of layering, blending, and shadowing. What Our Editors Say “We love the lightweight wood used in these oil-based colored pencils because they're easy on the hands but durable enough to withstand sharpening. Additionally, the pencils don't warp or break even after multiple uses. These oil-based colored pencils are unbelievably cheap but blend nicely and beautifully.” The artist-grade Polychromos is one of the most popular colored pencil sets among artists of all levels. They’re oil-based, but they feel softer and smoother than other brands.

SOFT CORE: Creamy texture glides smoothly on the paper, making them perfect for blending and shading. The main downside with these is that they come with some very similar colors under different names. You probably can’t notice the difference between them. This means that your color range is smaller than they advertise. But, you won’t have to replace those similar colors when you run out.To make the pencils long-lasting, the leads are SV bonded, so the pencils last for longer than many other colored pencils. I am finding that the softer lead of the Derwent pencils is better for coverage and the Polychromos (mentioned above) for detail lines but they both blend and layer beautifully with an oil painting quality. The colours of the colour wheel shown above were created with four pencils from each colour family. This limited how many colours were available in each colour pencil set. Then this post will look at colour wheels and see if there are differences between the colours of wax-based and oil-based coloured pencils, and if there are differences between the lightfast and non-lightfast wax-based and oil-based colours. Examples of when to use different pencils are provided.