How to Buy and Store Colored Pencils

Buy the right colored pencils for your projects.

You may remember colored pencils from childhood art projects, but professional grade tools are of higher quality and have a higher price tag. But when shopping for colored pencils, you must consider more than cost. Take into account the projects you'll be completing, the pencils' texture and the color variety of each set. Store your new purchases properly so that they last as long as possible.

Difficulty:

Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need

• A budget for how much you're willing to spend on colored pencils
• A computer with Internet access or
• A vehicle to get out shopping in multiple stores

1. Test pencils in an art supplies store for their texture and markings. Some colored pencils will feel like regular graphite pencils, while others will be softer and provide more coverage. Pick out the pencils that match your needs.

2. Buy your colored pencils in the largest set you can afford. Larger sets offer more color variety, making it easier to mix colors. Supplement the large set with smaller sets or individual pencils in the colors you use most often.

3. Purchase several colorless pencils for blending in the texture of your choice.

4. Store your colored pencils in a leather or nylon pencil case small enough to hold the pencils steady. The tight fit will prevent the pencils from moving and possibly breaking the lead inside.

5. Keep your pencil sharpener in good shape. Replace the blade often to get sharp points and use as much of the color as possible.

Tips & Warnings

• Buy colored pencils in large sets online or on Clearance for the best price

• Woodless watercolor pencils are a double bargain, because even the shavings are useful as watercolor if you save them.

• Woodless colored pencils wear down slower than wood cased ones.

• Artist brands often list the lightfastness rating for each color in the set, so you can make informed decisions based on how the art's going to be used.

• If you prefer hard colored pencils to soft ones, try Prismacolor Verithin or Derwent Studio colored pencils for sharp points, hard texture and good pigment saturation combined.

• If you prefer super-soft colored pencils, try Prismacolor Premier or Derwent Coloursoft.

• Don't skimp on quality to save money. Look for a smaller set or for a bargain artist grade brand like Koh-I-Noor Progresso if your budget doesn't allow for large sets.

• Don't try to make children's colored pencils produce the same effects you see in professional artists' colored pencil paintings, they do not have the same pigment saturation or soft texture for blending.