There’s nothing like a good set of drawing pencils to level up your art. But before you pick which drawing pencil set to buy, there are numerous factors to consider.
In this post, you will find the most crucial information about drawing pencils, but if you’re in a hurry, here’s my short recommendation on drawing pencils: it is worth spending a little extra more on getting good quality. While many cheap ($8.00 – $10.00) drawing pencils will do just fine, they will eventually fall short and hold you back when you improve your drawing skills. You can get an exceptional drawing pencil set at around $30.00, and they will perform x10 times better, or even more! My recommendation for an excellent drawing pencil set is the Staedtler Mars Lumograph Art Drawing Pencils (click here to see them on Amazon). Those are the pencils I use and the ones I will forever use—zero complaints after seven+ years of regular use.
All I want when giving you this recommendation is to save you time and make you get the best out of your drawings as soon as possible.
Keep in mind that practicing and drawing more often are the main things that are going to make you improve your drawings.
So now let’s get to the details.
How Do Professional Drawing Pencils Look Compared To Cheap Ones
So how does a cheap drawing pencil perform versus a professional one? I have these four drawings I can show you so you can see the differences.
Using Cheap Drawing Pencils
I drew these two drawings using a cheap HB pencil. I don’t remember its name or brand because I bought it seven years ago in a store near home.
Although drawing technique plays an essential factor in how good a drawing looks, it was still challenging for me to achieve the look I wanted in my drawings. But then I got the professional drawing set.
Using Professional Drawing Pencils
At that time, I drew a lot every day and noticed that I couldn’t easily achieve darker tones or smooth light shadows, so I decided to buy the Stadtler set. This how my drawings turned out after that.
I never thought I needed them so much until I used them. The difference was HUGE, and the pencils did so much more than I expected them to do. I just wanted to get darker tones and lighter shadows, but the line’s quality and the way the pencils glided on the paper were on a whole different level. To see exact details on what was different, look for the table below.
Comparing Staedtler Pencils With Kimberly Pencils
To help you decide what drawing pencils set to buy, I will compare Staedtler pencils with Kimberly pencils (The cheapest option for average quality) and see how they perform.
I compared them to Staedtler because those are the pencils I own at the moment, but pencils like Faber-Castell, Derwent, and other brands recommended after the table are a great choice too!
These are the main things I noticed by comparing them over months.
| Factors To Consider | Staedtler Pencils | Kimberly Pencils |
| Tone Differentiation | Excellent | Average |
| Tone Evenness | Great | Average |
| Grip | Great | Great |
| Force Needed For Darker Tones | Low | Medium |
| How Smooth Are Their Strokes | Very Smooth | Average |
| Do Their Leads Break | Never in 7 years | Leads broke twice |
| Packaging | Excellent | Not So great |
I’ve used Faber-Castell and Derwent drawing pencils, and although they are a great option, I still prefer Staedtler drawing pencils because of how easy it is to get the tones you want, especially dark ones.
Top Drawing Pencils Brands To Consider And Their Price
All pencils recommended on this list are pencils I have drawn with at some point and I consider them to be great picks. I used Caran d’Ache’s three times only.
- Staedtler: My top pick. Excellent quality for the price. Set of 12 costs $17.60 – Set of 24 costs $26.98 (Links to amazon)
- Faber-Castell: These pencils are an amazing option as well. I have used them I would say they’re a solid option. Set of 12 costs $21.99.
- Derwent: Great option for professional drawing, just as the other two. Set of 12 costs $23.99 – Set of 24 costs $34.33
- Caran d’Ache: These pencils are undoubtedly top tier. However, I would only buy them if your drawing skills are very high, and still, it may not be necessary at that point. Set of 15 costs $239.00
- Arteza: For more affordable options, Arteza pencils would be a perfect fit. Set of 12 costs $12.99.
- Tombow: I would say these pencils are better than Arteza, but not better than Derwent, Faber, or Staedtler. Set of 6 costs $12.00 – Set of 12 costs $20.32.
- Kimberly: Great for a tight budget and starters. Set of 10 costs $9.49.
I based all these recommendations on my seven+ years of experience drawing with professional pencils, so I might consider some better than others because of my drawing style. However, you can only find the perfect drawing pencils for you if you try different ones.
If you haven’t tried any professional drawing pencils yet, do consider starting with the Staedtler ones! I’ve never seen anyone having a bad experience with them so far.