Top 5 Artist Quality Colored Pencils: Beautiful Sets Worth a Second Look

Introduction

There is a real difference between artist grade and artist quality colored pencils. Artist grade pencils carry lightfast ratings verified through the ASTM or Blue Wool systems, the two independent standards artists can actually trust. Artist quality pencils still produce absolutely gorgeous, beautiful work, but their lightfast testing is done in-house by the manufacturer, so there is no independent way to verify the numbers.

This list focuses on the second group: five pencils that perform beautifully but fall outside those two recognized systems. The rankings were close, because there is not much between them in terms of quality and ability. They are ordered from fifth to first.

Why Lightfastness Ratings Matter

Lightfastness is what tells you how a finished piece will hold up over time, and for many artists it is the single most important specification on the box. When a manufacturer tests lightfastness in-house, often on a star or internal rating scale, those results do not correlate with ASTM or Blue Wool grading. That does not mean the claims are wrong, only that they cannot be independently verified.

This matters most if you sell originals or take commissions. If lightfastness is not verifiable, buyers cannot be guaranteed how the artwork will age. Getting an accredited ASTM rating is a long, expensive process involving external pigment testing, which is exactly why brands that achieve it display it prominently on their packaging.

The good news: if you cannot afford the independently rated premium sets, there are practical workarounds, covered at the end of this guide.

5. Prismacolor

Prismacolor earns its place because of how it feels on the page. The cores are thick, creamy and opaque, laying down rich, vibrant color with minimal layering. That makes them the natural pick for fan art pieces and other bright, bold work where heavy coverage has already been laid down with markers and you just need a pencil to smooth transitions.

Plenty of exceptional artists build entire careers on this pencil. Instructor Cynthia Knox uses Prismacolor almost exclusively across her tutorials, books and classes, and the work speaks for itself. The trade-off is straightforward: lightfast testing is in-house only, so if you plan to sell originals, you have no independent verification of how those colors will age.

For bright, opaque, fast-paced illustrative work, though, this is still a genuinely enjoyable pencil to reach for.

4. Holbein Artist Colored Pencils

Holbein is a pencil that is easy to love and slightly harder to fully trust, and both sides of that explain its position here. The full set has a beautiful palette, with lots of muted and pastel tones alongside everything a colored pencil artist needs for any genre of artwork.

The biggest drawback is the price: these are hugely expensive. The other concern is lightfastness. For years there was no specific lightfast information on the Holbein website or packaging, and although the site now states the products are ASTM lightfast tested, the branding does not carry the certification the way other manufacturers display it. Brands that earn accredited ASTM ratings tend to announce it clearly, with certificates and prominent labeling. Direct email enquiries about lightfastness have returned conflicting answers, which is why this stays in the artist quality list rather than artist grade.

Still, as pure drawing tools, these are gorgeous pencils with a superb palette.

3. Koh-I-Noor Polycolor

The Koh-I-Noor Polycolor is one of the first pencils to recommend when someone says they cannot afford the top-tier lightfast sets. Since expanding to a 144-color line around 2019, having previously offered a 72 set plus themed subsets like landscape, waterscape and dedicated browns and greys, the palette has become genuinely gorgeous.

The pricing is reasonable for the type of pencil you get, and the pencils do carry a lightfast rating system on them, though again it is an in-house scale rather than ASTM or Blue Wool. For artists who want beautiful results on a sensible budget, this remains a constant recommendation.

2. Caran d’Ache Pablo

Caran d’Ache Pablo is a pencil many people are surprised to see ranked this highly, and the reason it sits in the artist quality list is its rating system. Pablo uses a three-star in-house scale rather than ASTM or Blue Wool grading. In the 120 set, only 45 pencils carry three stars, which the manufacturer describes as lasting 100-plus years, with 69 pencils at two stars and six at one star.

That split matters. Some artists will only use the highest lightfast colors in any set, and for them the Pablo is effectively a 45-pencil range. For everyone else, the character of the pencil is excellent: a nice strong core that holds a point really well, and a beautiful palette that is especially well suited to landscape and botanical work.

It was a close call between this and the Koh-I-Noor for second place, and the Pablo’s handling quality tipped it.

1. Lyra Rembrandt Polycolor

The number one pick is Lyra Rembrandt Polycolor, and it was an easy choice. This is a pencil that gets overlooked far too often, yet the moment an artist picks up a set and starts using it, the performance and quality come as a genuine surprise.

Lightfast testing is again in-house, similar to Koh-I-Noor, which is the only reason it appears in this list instead of the artist grade list. The pencils themselves are gorgeous, and there is even a aquarelle version of the Rembrandt Polycolor that is another lovely option.

The advice here is simple: try a couple of open-stock pencils or start with a 12 or 24 set, test them on your favorite paper, and see for yourself. Paired with a good quality paper, these pencils produce beautiful artwork.

Buying Advice and Workarounds

Lightfastness only matters to certain artists. If you are selling original pieces or taking commissions, it is important, and independently rated pencils are the safest route. But there are other ways around it if you are on a strict budget.

If your client knows the situation with lightfastness, you can still preserve the artwork by framing it behind UV-protected glass and using a highly archival paper. Alternatively, sell prints rather than originals. Modern giclee prints are genuinely high quality, using archival inks and archival papers in the printing process. They are not the same as the original, but they are far more than something run off a home printer, and the funds from selling prints can eventually put a set of independently rated pencils within reach.

Conclusion

All five of these pencils produce beautiful work, and the ranking came down to fine margins. Prismacolor for bold opaque coverage, Holbein for its superb muted palette, Koh-I-Noor for value, Caran d’Ache Pablo for its strong core and landscape-friendly colors, and Lyra Rembrandt Polycolor as the overall pick. If you sell originals, treat lightfastness seriously and verify what you can; if you are building your skills or working on a budget, any of these sets will serve you well.