Staedtler colored pencils vs. other brands

Reader question: Hi, I love working with colored pencils and I recently came across your blog. I have a set of Staedtler - Luna Pencils (24 shades) and I really like these pencils. I haven't used any other brand before and would like to upgrade my pencil set. Is there a brand that you recommend or is Staedtler good enough? Also, how many shades should I buy?

My personal favorite colored pencils are the Prismacolors. I have the set of 150, which is perfect for my needs. That's not to say that everyone needs 150 shades! You can do a lot with just the 24 shades that you currently have. If you want, you might try increasing your number of shades to 48 or so, and seeing if and how that changes your art.

If you would like to try other brands, you can always get 1 or 2 colored pencils from each brand to test them out, and then compare them. Some art supply stores sell them individually and they will often let you test the colored pencils right in the store.

It's always best to get Artist Grade colored pencils rather than Student Grade colored pencils. The Artist Grade colored pencils will be more expensive, but the quality is worth it. They contain more pigment and less filler, which results in richer color. They are also lightfast, which means they will last longer than drawings made with Student Grade colored pencils.

I hope that helps!

Colored Pencils Guide

If you’d like to read about my recommendations for artists and colorists, check out my Colored Pencils Guide! I cover things like pencil type (wax-based vs. oil-based), consistency, lightfastness, and which brands I like.

Check out my Guide to Buying Art Supplies

Best Colored Pencil Techniques for Realism

If you’re interested in learning how to layer and burnish colored pencils to draw vibrantly realistic art, check my Rainbow Rose Colored Pencil demo where you can watch this artwork unfold as I share with you all my favorite tips and techniques for creating realism with colored pencils!