Top 5 Colored Pencils for Portrait Drawing
Creating a portrait is a challenging task, especially if you want to use colored pencils instead of traditional mediums like oil or acrylic paint. But with the right tools in your hand, you can achieve the desired level of realism and detail in your artwork. In this article, we have curated a list of the best colored pencils for portrait drawing, based on their quality, color range, and ease of use.
Prismacolor Premier Colored Pencils
Prismacolor Premier colored pencils are widely considered the top choice for portrait artists. Their soft and creamy leads allow for smooth blending and layering, while the high pigment concentration results in vibrant and intense colors. They also come in a wide range of skin tones and shades, making it easier to create realistic portraits. Keep in mind that these pencils can be a bit pricey and prone to breakage, so handle them with care.
Faber-Castell Polychromos Colored Pencils
Faber-Castell Polychromos colored pencils are another popular choice for portrait artists. They have a harder lead than Prismacolors, which makes them more resilient and less prone to smudging. They also have a high lightfastness rating, which means their colors won’t fade over time. While they have a smaller range of skin tones, their colors are highly pigmented and blendable.
Caran d’Ache Luminance Colored Pencils
Caran d’Ache Luminance colored pencils are known for their exceptional lightfastness and color intensity. Their creamy leads allow for smooth layering and shading, and they come in a wide range of skin tones and shades. These pencils are a bit expensive, but their quality is worth the investment for serious portrait artists.
Derwent Coloursoft Colored Pencils
Derwent Coloursoft colored pencils have a soft and velvety texture that makes them ideal for creating smooth gradients and transitions in portraits. They come in a wide range of skin tones and colors, and are more affordable than some of the other high-end pencils on this list. However, they are not as blendable as some of the other brands, and may require a bit more layering to achieve the desired effect.
Staedtler Karat Aquarelle Colored Pencils
Staedtler Karat Aquarelle colored pencils are unique in that they can be used dry or wet. When used dry, they have a soft and blendable lead that works well for portraits. But when used wet, they turn into watercolor pencils, allowing for even more versatility. They have a good range of skin tones and colors, and their leads are highly pigmented and lightfast.
