Coloured Pencils

Coloured pencils have a core made from pigment and binder encased in wood, so you can draw, shade and layer colours without water or waiting for anything to dry. Here you will find artists' coloured pencils for illustration and drawing, as well as school and children's coloured pencils for colouring in. Choose individual colours to replenish your collection or sets of 6 to 288 pencils. The range includes KOH-I-NOOR, Lyra, Bruynzeel, GIOTTO, Jovi, DOMS and Faber-Castell.

What is the difference between artists' and school coloured pencils?

Artists' coloured pencils contain more pigment in their cores, making the colours easy to layer and blend directly on the paper. These include the KOH-I-NOOR Polycolor, Lyra Rembrandt Polycolor and Bruynzeel Design ranges. You can also buy Lyra Rembrandt Polycolor and Bruynzeel Design colours individually when one shade runs out before the others.

School and children's coloured pencils are sturdier and often have thicker cores that are less likely to break under heavy pressure. GIOTTO Be-Be has a core measuring 7 mm in diameter for very young children. Lyra Groove and Jovi Jumbo have a triangular shape that guides fingers towards the correct grip. Large school packs from GIOTTO, Jovi and DOMS provide enough pencils for a whole class.

Wooden or woodless coloured pencils?

A woodless coloured pencil consists entirely of a coloured core with a thin coating of lacquer, such as KOH-I-NOOR Progresso Woodless or Jovi Non-Wooden. You can draw with both the tip and the side of the core, so you can quickly colour in larger areas too. It is more fragile, though, so protect it from falls. A traditional wooden pencil is more durable and can be sharpened to a fine point for detail work.

How many colours should a coloured pencil set have?

A set of 12 to 24 colours is enough to get started with basic shades and mix them by layering. For portraits and landscapes, consider a set of 36 to 72 colours or a themed set, such as KOH-I-NOOR Polycolor Portrait with skin tones or Polycolor Greys with shades of grey. A metal or wooden case keeps your pencils protected and your colours organised. You can find a sharpener suitable for thick pencils too among the pencil sharpeners. If you want to blend colours with water like watercolours, take a look at watercolour pencils.