Artists Guide: Best Pencils for Drawing, Sketching, and Shading

Professional artists always require higher quality products, and, as a result, experienced artists know what to pay attention to and how to use each device in order to achieve better results. This time, WoWPencils has collected all the necessary information about the best drawing pencils for artists and tips on how to use them properly to improve their outcome. By the way, if you want to know, there were 145 hours spent in searching, identifying their strong and weak points, and investigating their perception by users. You are kindly invited to learn more about them.

Good Quality Pencils to Use for Artists

Mission	Review	Product Name	Price	Set Size	Type	Rating
Drawing		Faber-Castell Polychromos	Check Here	120	Color	10.0
Sketching		Marco Renoir	Check Here	100	Color	9.9
Shading		Cretacolor Monolith	Check Here	6	Graphite	9.8

Best Pencils for Drawing

Rank	Review	Name	Price	Set Size	Type	Rating
1		Faber-Castell Polychromos	Check Here	120	Color	10.0
2		ARTEZA	Check Here	12	Graphite	9.9
3		Staedtler Mars Lumograph	Check Here	6	Graphite	9.8
4		Faber-Castell 9000	Check Here	12	Graphite	9.6
5		STAR-JOY	Check Here	72	Color	9.5
6		Tombow MONO	Check Here	12	Graphite	9.4
7		Kasimir	Check Here	14	Graphite	9.3
8		Prismacolor Premier	Check Here	23	Color	9.1
9		Tombow 8900	Check Here	12	Graphite	9.0
10		Lyra Rembrandt Polycolor	Check Here	72	Color	8.8
11		Derwent Graphic	Check Here	12	Graphite	8.7
12		rOtring 600	Check Here	1	Mechanical	8.6
13		Tombow Irojiten	Check Here	30	Color	8.5
14		Koala Tools Bear Claw	Check Here	6	Graphite	8.4

Faber-Castell Polychromos: Great Quality Pencils

The fashionable metal tin of Faber-Castell contains a set of 120 high quality colored pencils that will cover all the needs of an artist or a beginner. The colors are vivid, bright, and durably resistant to light. Thus, you can be sure that your drawing will stay unchanged for a really long time.

Another pleasant thing about them is that all the colors are available individually, consequently, you do not need to worry if you run out of a particular shade.

The application of these tools is also seemless, thus any user who owns them will be pleased with their smooth gliding over the surface. By the way the width of the lead is 3.8mm which is also firm.

In addition, as the manufacturer claims, these tools are also resistant to any damage, thanks to an additional layer of bond, which is called secural bonding.

ARTEZA: Well Made

Unlike the previous product, this item is a set of 12 Arteza graphite utensils that also come in a metal tin. The nice advantage of these tools is that they come pre-sharpened, thus they are ready to go.

There is a variety of those with hard and less-hard cores, thus they are nice for drawing some realistic tiny details, shading and sketching. Their lead deserves additional attention since it’s made of high-density graphite which is why it nicely resists any accidental breakage. As for the barrel, there is nothing extraordinary, but it does have something special – the wood is basswood that is rarely used by stationery manufacturers, and it is well-known for its good quality.

Staedtler Mars Lumograph: Well Sharpening

The brand Mars Lumograph is considered to be one of the top Staedtler pencils, thus they are well-known tools to draw with among professionals and beginners. This set consists of items that have blacker leads, but not a range of soft and hard leads. They are specially designed for graphical drawing; however, they also can be used for sketching and other art techniques related to pencils.

Faber-Castell 9000: Best for Professionals

Another Faber-Castell product appears in this chart of the best drawing tools. This time it is a set of 12 graphite items that promise to be smooth in gliding over the paper. This is thanks to a special chemical formula that excludes trapping any ungrinded particles that cause the annoying scratchy effect.

These tools will be highly appreciated by those who are related to art. The wide range of hard and black leads will be useful in drawing portraits, shading, and other art elements.

STAR-JOY: Good for Colored Drawings

Star-joy is a wonderful option for everyone. This is a set of 72 oil-based colored pencils, an eraser, a sharpener, and an extender wrapped in the one of the best pencil cases that is hand-made. Students might adore this set, because the variety of colors is a huge advantage of Star-joy.

As a pleasant addition, there are some metallic cores which will decorate your drawing and extend the variety that they can be applied to. Thus, you can be sure that your future purchase is worth it.

Tombow MONO: Excellent for Portraits

Another set of pencils, but this time it’s a set of graphite pencils. It consists of 12 tools, and the range of core type is from 6B to 4H – which is enough for any kind of drawing, especially portraits, schemes, and different tables.

The manufacturer guarantees receiving a perfect experience with these items due to a perfectly designed structure: they have a well-centered core, and as a result, the user won’t have a broken device every 5 minutes of usage. There is one more thing about them — the lead is bonded along the wooden barrel, thus this product will survive any accidental falling.

Another advantage of this set is the eraser and good manual pencil sharpener. Thus, it must be said that the manufacturer takes into consideration the user’s opinion and does everything to please the potential customer.

Kasimir: Perfect for Art Classes

The Kasimir set of 14 graphite pencils would be a nice option for anyone who is involved in art, especially when you are a student and use a graphite core often during your art classes.

These items have a well-centered core, thus it’s not easy to break them. By the way, the barrel is made of wood and covered with a comfortable-to-hold finish.

The range of soft and hard cores allow performing anything on paper or canvas. Thus, you don’t need to keep other tools from various sets since these will definitely be winners.

Prismacolor Premier: Top for Anime Drawing

Lovers of anime will definitely adore this set of colored devices. This collection consists of 23 pieces, and the special selection of colors and shades would be a nice option to decorate your anime drawings. Particular attention should be given to their lightfastness and the durability of applied color.

The texture of the core resembles butter, and this feature allows them to blend and spread over the paper smoothly without any additional pressure. By the way, this is another reason why anime and comics lovers prefer to work with this collection of colorful tools.

Tombow 8900: Good Graphite Quality

The small yellow box can attract anyone’s attention, but before buying this product, any user would want to know about its art quality.

As you might know, Tombow is one of the popular brands among stationery products. As a result, this brand has to keep up with its quality and produce items that are worth customers’ attention. Consequently, the 12 graphite tools are comfortable to hold and work with, they are made of cedar wood, and they are breakage-resistant, thanks to a special method of bonding.

Lyra Rembrandt Polycolor: Best for Starter

Lyra is a wonderful set of colorful pencils, with 72 pieces. The colors are vibrant and bright, thus they can give life to any drawing. In addition, their features of light, water, and breakage-resistance is commendable. This is the wonderful list of features for beginners.

As for the texture of the lead – it’s awesome. It’s not hard so you have to press on it, and it’s not too soft, just like it should be. This feature is a wonderful thing to deal with when you work on various type of surfaces such as wood, textile, cardboard, etc.

Another advantage is their package, and in fact, all the items are in a metal tin that has a few trays. That’s why you can be sure that the pencil won’t fall out and the lead won’t break.

Derwent Graphic: Recommended for Artists

Derwent Graphic tools is another set of 12 graphite pencils. The broad variety of grades allows the user to draw both thin and bold lines wonderfully. This effect is achieved with different widths of cores: 3.5 mm for soft and 2.2 for hard.

Another advantage is being sturdy. The point keeps a fine angle for a long time and doesn’t require frequent sharpening, which is performed without any issues. This feature will be highly appreciated by professional artists, since drawing tiny details requires not only skills but the right tool.

rOtring 600: Top Mechanical Pencil

Finally, it’s the mechanical pencil’s turn. Mechanical devices are actively used by lots of artists in the world for their artworks. This sample even proves how good mechanical devices are.

First of all, the metal body is well-designed, and it will work for a really long time. There is a grip that prevents accidental dropping and a clip that keeps it safely attached to a pocket.

Moreover, it has a huge advantage – it doesn’t require sharpening and the lead can be replaced easily.

Tombow Irojiten: Best Wax Based Pencils

Wax-based colored pencils have always been considered to be professional grade tools. Thus, the Tombow Irojiten is no exception. This collection is beautifully arranged in a pastel-colored box with a few layers that contain wax-based drawing tools.

The core is soft but it’s sturdy enough to keep a fine point for a long time. This reduces sharpening and promotes a longer time of usage, which is quite valuable for anyone.

There are 30 colors and 10 of them glow in the dark. The texture allows layering and blending with each other nicely.

Koala Tools Bear Claw: Good for Drafting

And if you are in search of devices that perform good drafting, you might be interested in this item. The Koala is a kit of 6 tools that will pass high pressure and breakage tests. In fact, they have quite firm lead and wooden barrels, and these are the main reasons why Koala is so sturdy.

The shape is another point that should be observed. The triangular shape allows children to hold the writing tools properly and this will prevent from fatigue in the hands in the future.

The slightly bulky eraser at the end eliminates written things effortlessly.

Best Pencils for Sketching

Rank	Review	Name	Price	Set Size	Type	Rating
1		Marco Renoir	Check Here	100	Color	9.9
2		Leda Art Supply	Check Here	1	Mechanical	9.8
3		Castle Art Supplies	Check Here	26	Graphite	9.7
4		Dainayw	Check Here	24	Graphite	9.6
5		Blackwing Palomino	Check Here	12	Graphite	9.5
6		Dyvicl	Check Here	12	Graphite	9.3
7		Bellofy	Check Here	12	Graphite	9.1
8		Royal & Langnickel	Check Here	12	Graphite	9.0
9		Lyra Rembrandt	Check Here	12	Graphite	8.9
10		Derwent Graphic	Check Here	12	Graphite	8.8
11		Finex	Check Here	18	Graphite	8.7
12		Royal & Langnickel Essentials	Check Here	12	Graphite	8.6
13		Derwent Water Soluble	Check Here	6	Graphite	8.4

Marco Renoir: Best Sketching Set

This box of 100 brilliant colored oil-based items are made from materials that do not influence human’s health, thus children and pregnant women are safe.

This sketching set comes in a metal box which can really be a top gift for your children who like making illustrations.

Leda Art Supply: Top Clutch Pencil

The Leda Art Supply is a perfect clutch set of six-sided polymer devices for your graphite art creations. These tools are tipped with fine brass finishes and are really easy to grip while making precise sketching.

Castle Art Supplies: Great for Students

If you want to achieve sketching perfection, you may want to use this convenient 26 piece Sketching & Drawing set which includes all the required drawing tools for any aspiring artist.

The Castle Art Supplies box is made of top-quality materials and will make you enjoy your art activities.

Dainayw: Good Variety of Grades

This set of 24 graphite utensils can be a perfect gift for a beginning artist as well as for artists who are looking to take their sketching to a professional level. They are crafted from the finest basswood.

Blackwing Palomino: Softest Lead

Blackwing Palomino utensils are made from the finest materials including premium cedar from California and Japanese graphite. This set is perfect for writers, musicians, and everyday users.

Dyvicl: Great Choice for Beginners

If you are an artist or an amateur who is looking to develop your drawing skills, these utensils can be a real bargain as they are ideal for drawing, sketching, and doodling.

Bellofy: Easiest to Use

This is a sketching set that comes with a travel tin which can be perfect for beginners and artists who want to improve their shading and sketching skills to a high level. This set will allow you to comfortably draw during all hours without chafing or finger cramps.

Royal & Langnickel: High Quality Pencils

The Royal & Langnickel set includes 12 graphite core pencils, an eraser, a sharpener, a pad, and a case with a zipper. This set is made for easy traveling and storage.

Lyra Rembrandt: Most Unbreakable

This Lyra Rembrandt set is perfect for drawing, sketching, and designing. It has a convenient tin case which can be easily transported. The pros and cons are the following:

Derwent Graphic: Longest-Lasting Pencils

Derwent Graphic products are famous among artists and beginners. They provide a professional quality product with amazing performance. They are quite comfortable, thanks to a hexagonal barrel. There is a wide range of 20 degrees that supplies the user with an unrepeatable experience.

Finex: Perfect As Gift

If you are searching for the highest quality sketch pencils, Finex can be a perfect deal for you. This set is convenient for transportation and ideal for aspiring artists.

Royal & Langnickel Essentials: Great Price

This set of 12 graphite pencils is a wonderful option whether you are a beginner or an advanced artist. The reason for their high popularity is a reasonable price. Fortunately, the price doesn’t influence the quality.

Derwent Water Soluble: Best for Blending

Derwent Sketching Pencils are water-soluble tools that are appropriate in various cases. Their performance during freestyle sketching is decent which makes them quite popular for this type of art. In addition, the variety of colors provides a rich and velvety texture. In addition, the blending ability is beautiful.

Best Pencils for Shading

Rank	Review	Name	Price	Set Size	Type	Rating
1		Cretacolor Monolith	Check Here	6	Graphite	9.8
2		Soucolor	Check Here	72	Colored	9.7
3		General’s Kimberly	Check Here	10	Graphite	9.6
4		Caran d’Ache Pablo	Check Here	120	Colored	9.5
5		Artist’s Choice	Check Here	120	Colored	9.3
6		Sargent Art	Check Here	50	Colored	9.2
7		Positive Art	Check Here	120	Colored	9.1
8		Art-n-Fly	Check Here	48	Colored	8.9
9		OOKU	Check Here	48	Colored	8.8
10		Crayola Blend & Shade	Check Here	50	Colored	8.6
11		Prismacolor Scholar	Check Here	7	Graphite	8.5
12		General’s Layout	Check Here	12	Graphite	8.4

Cretacolor Monolith: Fine Woodless Pencils

The Cretacolor Monolith Set is comprised of 6 pieces of graphite pencils that do not contain wood, a 1 graphite water-soluble aqua monolith, a holder with a cap, a kneaded eraser, and a regular sharpener. All the tools are in a metal tin box which is comfortable to travel with.

Soucolor: Top Soft Core Pencils

This is the box of 72 colored items is convenient as the colors are all visible in storage and you will not have any trouble finding the color you are looking for.

They are perfect for drawing, sketching, and coloring adult coloring books. They are made from non-toxic and odorless materials.

General’s Kimberly: Best for Amateurs

The Kimberly 25 graphite drawing kit is comprised of 10 pre-sharpened pencils. All of them are made of cedar and have hexagonal barrels. The variety of hardness is from 8B to 4H. Besides that, there is a sharpener and eraser. This is a great set of drawing pencils for beginners or adept artists.

Caran d’Ache Pablo: Strongest Pigment

This is a set of 120 colored devices that are usually used for any type of art technique. They are water-resistant and will be a perfect gift for your children. Take this colorful drawing set with you to go wherever your imagination takes you.

Artist’s Choice: Easiest to Hold

The set of Artist’s Choice comes with 120 bright colors that work nicely with shading, blending, and other art techniques.

This product will be a great discovery for professionals, amateurs, or beginners in art activities. The set was created to offer a high-quality product designed specifically for all types of artists.

Sargent Art: Good for Adults

This 50-item set was created for artists and illustrators of all ages. Being good-looking also adds respect and trust in the product. The barrels match the lead finish, thus nobody will mess up the colors. Furthermore, the thicker lead provides smooth gliding over the paper, which will make their usage easier and more comfortable.

Positive Art: Most Vibrant Colors

Another set of 120 pieces with vibrant colors from Positive Art. They are a nice option to hone your art skills since all the features are specially designated for such purposes. The core of these tools is quite thick, equaling 3.3mm, and besides that they are fade-resistant which is highly valued in drawing, shading, and sketching.

Art-n-Fly: Best Oil Based Pencils

Art-n-Fly are high quality oil-based colored pencils that provide the user with an unbelievable effect on paper. The colors are more than vibrant and vivid, and besides applied colors can last for a very long time. Thus, an experienced artist or a beginner will appreciate such a gift. In addition, this kit is an affordable alternative to famous products of the same high quality.

OOKU: Good Watercolor Pencils

Do your kids love to color all day or are you an artist yourself and are looking for the right color? Choosing the right tools gives the best inspiration! OOKU presents the Watercolor Pencils Artist Set with 48 dry coloring items/wet watercolor painting. This watercolor drawing set is primed for beginners and professionals alike who are looking for a perfect balance of quality and value. These watercolor devices are magically transformative.

Crayola Blend & Shade: Creamiest Colors

50 colors come in the set of Crayola Blend & Shade, with unusually decorated barrels. All of them have a black matte finish and the end is dipped into the correspondent color the same as the lead.

With Crayola you can easily blend, shade, and add detail to your art and craft projects. Designed for smooth color laydown, these premium devices add vivid color to both light and dark paper.

Prismacolor Scholar: Perfect Shading Kit

The Prismacolor art kit supplies the customer with 6 pieces of graphing tools. The pencils would work nicely whether you are specialist or just starting your path in an art trade.

The main advantage is their ability to work on a big area as shading tools. However, their performance in shading is not limited.

General’s Layout: Smoothest Shades

The General’s Layout Pencil is a set of 1 dozen items. The pencils have decently dark lead with smooth textures that are applied without any issues. Besides, the core is a little thicker than usual pencils. These features are useful in making precise and tiny details or even shading.

Best Pencils for Shading in 2020 (Unavailable Now)

Review	Name	Set Size	Type
	Strapright	72	Colored

Strapright: Perfect for Colorist

Whether you are a professional artist or a beginner, you always should keep your knowledge updated, as this will help to achieve wonderful outcomes. In this case, the 72 vivid colors from Straprigth is an unrepeatable option. As a pleasant bonus, you will also receive a 50-sheet coloring book, thus you will never be bored.

Buying Guide

The first thing you should consider is what your purpose for buying pencils is — and you should follow some basic rules. The second thing is taking into account whether you are an experienced artist or a beginner. There are some features that help you make a decision.

FAQ

Buying drawing utensils is not as difficult as it seems. However, lots of users have questions that are left without answers. By the way, even some experienced artists have questions despite having a proven track record. Consequently, here are collected some frequently asked questions and the answers to them.

Interesting Facts

There are lots of interesting facts that surround us in everyday life. However, information about writing and art utensils is not common. Thus, we suggest you find out some interesting facts about drawing tools.

Summing Up

There are plenty of tools that can be used for drawing techniques, but how they can be differentiated? The answer is obvious, of course, and by reviewing all their features, advantages, and disadvantages a user can get a complete picture. And only after a thorough investigation can the user can make firm decision, thanks to WoWPencils team.

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