The best pencils for artists, including options for colouring, drawing and sketching

best pencils - coloured pencils in a line
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The best pencils for artists can help your work shine – and can help you work more comfortably too. There are thousands of different pencils out there, so it can be tricky to whittle down your options, but in the guide below, we compare the best pencils of different categories to help you choose.

Our reviewers have tested out the best pencils for a range of creative tasks, including the best pencils for drawing, watercolour, colouring and pastels. We tried out the pencils for a range of tasks, paying attention to colour range, blending, lightfastness (whether they fade in light) and overall quality and feel. We've included options for both professionals and hobbyists, evaluating each pencil on value as well as quality, performance and durability.

Rosie Hilder

Rosie Hilder is Creative Bloq's Deputy Editor. After beginning her career in journalism in Argentina – where she worked as Deputy Editor of Time Out Buenos Aires – she moved back to the UK and joined Future Plc in 2016. Since then, she's worked as Operations Editor on magazines including Computer Arts, 3D World and Paint & Draw and Mac|Life. In 2018, she joined Creative Bloq, where she now assists with the daily management of the site, including growing the site's reach, getting involved in events, such as judging the Brand Impact Awards, and helping make sure our content serves the reader as best it can. 

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