The variety of different kinds of pencil available to artists today can be overwhelming, with different varieties serving different mediums, such as watercolour or pastel.
Here we are looking at the best pencils in a few different common categories, ranging from the traditional graphite pencil to more modern variants, such as mechanical pencils. This guide also includes watercolour pencils, a type of colour pencil that is soluble in water and can be used to make watercolour effects, and pastel pencils, which are pencils with a soft, chalky pastel core, good for creating delicate, soft line work or adding fine detail to pastel drawings.
If you are new to drawing, or if it is your first time trying out a medium such as coloured pencil, a set is a good starting point, from which you can add colours you need or replace colours you use regularly. Sets also make a great gift for aspiring and keen artists alike.
Check out our guides on the best pencil sharpeners and the best erasers to go with your pencils. Once you are ready to get drawing, this guide on shading in pencil will help you get started.
The best pencils for drawing and sketching
+ Smooth to use
+ Quality materials
- Only comes in 12 pack
Palomino Blackwing pencils have wax added to them, making them super-smooth to use, and they create velvety dark marks. We gave them five stars in our Palomino Blackwing pencils review. A pack of 12 also offers good value for such fine-quality pencils, making these our best pencils for drawing overall.
+ Professional quality
+ Range of effects
- Softer pencils could be darker
Faber Castell pencils are a popular choice with artists for sketching, and with good reason, as these pencils are excellent quality. This set includes additional graphite sticks and water-soluble graphite to play with, and comes in a stylish yet durable tin, making them a perfect gift or upgrade for your own materials.
+ 17 grades
+ Pure cedar wood
- Slightly harder cores
For a much more economical option, these hexagonal design pencils are ideal for honing shading skills. The full range covers 17 grades from 9B to 6H, but smaller selections feature a good, representative sample. These are encased in pure cedar wood and boast ultra-fine graphite lead suitable for more rigid technical drawing techniques.
The best pencils for colouring
+ Intense colours
+ Excellent lightfastness
- Somewhat limited colour selection
The first oil-based range of pencils from Derwent, these offer super-intense but flexible colours – how firmly you press makes a huge difference in how they show. Derwent has taken the lightfast element very seriously for colour that can stay for up to 100 years in museum conditions. The pencils layer beautifully, and their maple casing looks and feels great.
+ Blend well
+ Sharpen nicely
- Variable light fastness
Another selection from the same reliable brand, the Procolour range came out in 2017. The pencils feel substantial, with a sturdy circular shaft, and the leads aren't too waxy or too brittle. They boast a high pigment level, which makes for wonderful colour gradation, even with a light touch. We gave them four and a half stars in our Derwent Procolour review.
+ Blends very well
+ More affordable
- Less reliable light-fastness
Prismacolor pencils stand out in being especially easy to blend, with a pleasing, smooth texture. The colours are also strong and vibrant. The light-fastness can vary across the range, with some colours being very fugitive and unsuitable for display. Otherwise, these are an excellent choice for beginners, or to use in a sketchbook.
The best mechanical drawing pencils
+ Consistent lines
+ Low risk of breakage
- Lead movement takes getting used to
The design of mechanical pencils hasn’t seen any massive progression in recent years, but Uniball Kurutoga Pipe Slide takes a leap forward with a spring-loaded clutch that incrementally twists the graphite as you write. This means the lead wears in a uniform way, staying pointed so that the beautifully thin line remains consistent.
+ Great price
+ Good all-rounder
- Tapered grip uncomfortable for some
We think this is the best pencil for those that want a budget mechanical option. These pencils might not boast any clever features, but they're nice to hold and draw with, and a pack of four is great value. With a plastic barrel, ribbed finger grip and removable metal pocket clip, these make good pencils for professional drafting, too.
+ Hard wearing metal casing
+ Comfortable grip
- Plastic internal screws may break
This beautiful metal drafting pencil is without a doubt one of the best pencils for pros. It has a full metal hexagonal body designed to balance its weight and a circular cross-hatch metal grip. The cushion point mechanism allows the sliding sleeve to give slightly under pressure, reducing the risk of the lead breaking.
The best watercolour pencils
+ Excellent colour intensity
+ Soft and smooth texture
- A few colours not light-fast
Inktense pencils are strongly pigmented, resulting in exceptionally vibrant colours when water is applied. The texture is quite soft, so they lay down colour well and feel smooth, even working well with more textured papers, like cold press watercolour paper. The colours blend effectively when activated with water too. Whilst most colours have excellent longevity, a few of the red shades may fade sooner.
+ Good for detail work
+ Can be used dry or wet
- Variable light fastness
These pencils are very popular with artists thanks to their excellent range of colours and quality construction. The core is on the firmer side for colour pencils, so they hold a point well, making them good for detail work. They're perfect for both drawing and painting techniques and come in tins from 12 to 120.
+ Very chunky
+ Set includes sharpener
- Not artist grade
Despite being designed as a children’s toy, in an unexpected turn, Stabilo woody pencils have taken off with artists in recent years. They are exceptionally thick and chunky, making them great for large scale, expressive drawing. Though their unusual shape makes then difficult to sharpen, the set does include a custom sharpener to make this a breeze. They’re quite soft and will lay down readily on a variety of different papers.
The best pastel pencils
+ Good lightfastness
+ Smooth texture
- More expensive
These are pricey, but they're richly pigmented and almost all 84 have high lightfastness ratings. The texture is smooth as it goes down, and it leaves dense colour. They feel harder than a soft pastel, and the core is quite thick. The hexagonal barrel is a perk, and the wood is smooth and easy to cut with a blade.
+ Easy to sharpen
+ Good for fine lines
- More brittle
These pencils have a smooth, chalky feel more on the firmer side, which makes them easy to sharpen to a good point, and they keep a point. This makes them one of the best pencils among pastels for fine lines. Colour intensity is fantastic, going down densely. They tend not to blend so easily as other pastels, though they transfer well.
+ Bright colours
+ Good blending
- Quite dusty
Koh-I-Noor’s are among the softest pastel pencils our reviewers have used. They're bright and blend readily, though there is some loss of intensity when blending. For the price, the colour is surprisingly intense and most are lightfast. The casing is good quality and easy to sharpen. We found these to be suitable for beginners and professionals alike.
How to choose the best pencils
When you're weighing up the best pencils, there are several things to take into account. First, think about your level, are you more of a beginner, intermediate or a pro user? This will dictate which pencils you get, as beginners won't want to waste money on expensive pencils they will only use rarely and pros won't want cheaper pencils that won't last as long. You'll also want to think about what you're going to be using your pencils for, are they for sketching, drawing or colouring? Pencils are created with different use cases in mind so this will dictate the type of pencil you choose.
You'll also want to consider price, how much are you willing to spend on a box of pencils? These considerations will tie in to how big a box you want, could you get by with a smaller set of pencils, or just one mechanical pencil, or do you want more colours and therefore a bigger set?
Other things to take into account are the brand – you'll want to choose a brand with a good reputation like the ones above – as well as colour range, blending and lightfastness (whether they fade with light exposure). Comfort is also important, we've chosen pencils that our artists have tried and know are comfortable but it's worth looking at reviews too. The other thing to think about is durability, more expensive pencils tend to sharpen better and will therefore last longer.
How we test the best pencils
To test the best pencils our reviewers have tested them in a variety of situations, creating a range of marks and using them in a range of projects. They have looked at how easy and comfortable they are to make marks with, how easy they are to sharpen, as well as how work created with them reacts to light. Where applicable, they have also tried blending them with other pencils and mediums to see how well they fare. They've also examined the hardness of each pencil and considered pigment and colour range in their reviews.
FAQ
Which type of pencil is best for drawing?
There are lots of different types of pencil. A HB pencil is the one that most people will be familiar with and use as a child for writing. It can also be used by artists for writing and sketching. 2B pencils are commonly used for sketching and as they are softer, can also work well for shading. Typically, artists use B pencils, mostly between B to 6B, with the higher number indicating a softer, darker lead. The H pencils are less commonly used, but are occasionally handy for creating a light underdrawing, or adding light, fine details.
Also good for sketching and drawing are graphite pencils, and some people like mechanical pencils, as they are generally good for creating fine lines.
Our top pencils are Palomino's Blackwing pencils, which are pricey but beautiful to use. We also like Caran D-ache's Graphite Line set of pencils and Lyra Rembrand Art pencils.
Is 2B or HB better for writing?
Typically, an HB pencil suits writing better as it is less likely to smudge. If you need a darker mark for scanning, or are prone to hand strain, a softer and darker 2B pencil is the better option.
Mechanical pencils are also a popular option for writing in pencil, as they do not require regular sharpening and maintain a consistent line thickness.
For more on pencils, see our dedicated guides to the best mechanical pencils, the best coloured pencils, the best watercolour pencils and the best pastel pencils.
