Comparing Prismacolor and Polychromos

Today, I’m comparing Prismacolor colored pencils and Faber-Castell Polychromos pencils. Is one better than the other? Let’s talk about that.

Comparing Prismacolor and Polychromos

When I first began using colored pencils in the 1980s, I used mostly Prismacolor because that’s what I had. I still use them sometimes, though I now limit myself to the lightfast colors for fine art.

In 2017 I purchased my first set of Faber-Castell Polychromos pencils, and they are now my go-to pencils. I like them because they perform so well on Clairefontaine Pastelmat (my favorite paper).

So I’m comparing Prismacolor and Polychromos based on years of personal use with both brands. I will begin with the basics.

The Basics

Grade

Both brands are artist grade pencils. They have more pigment so they lay down color better, faster, and more smoothly than scholastic or student grade pencils. They also contain less fillers and binding agents, so they’re easier to use than scholastic or student grade pencils.

Price

As of this writing (October 2025), Prismacolor pencils are available through Dick Blick for $1.38 per pencil. Polychromos pencils at Dick Blick are $2.68 per pencil open stock.

Performance

While I do often use Prismacolor and Polychromos together, I have found over the years that each works best with a specific paper.

I have long thought that Prismacolor and Stonehenge paper were made for each other. That’s no doubt due to the fact that for many years, I did all my portraits on Stonehenge using Prismacolor. Color glides onto the paper almost effortlessly most of the time.

Prismacolors also work well on Bristol. I just don’t use that paper very much.

Polychromos, on the other hand, work best on Pastelmat for me. I have tried them on Stonehenge and didn’t like the result. I’ve also used them on Bristol Vellum and Canson Mi-Teintes, and found both unsatisfactory. In general, Polychromos pencils seem to do better on papers that are more textured.

Every pencil works differently for each artist. A lot depends on what you hope to accomplish with your art (is it just for fun, or do you hope to sell it,) your skill level, and your dedication to long-term colored pencil use.

How pencils feel when you draw with them is also a huge matter of personal preference. Some artists find Polychromos scratchy, for example. I don’t.

So what works for me may not work for you, and what doesn’t work for me may work wonders for you.

How They Differ

Perhaps the biggest difference other than price is the number of colors available. Prismacolors are currently available in 150 colors. Polychromos has 120 colors.

Prismacolor pencils are wax-based. That means that the binding agent that holds the pigment together is more wax than oil. The result is a soft pencil that layers easily and blends smoothly.

On the other hand, Polychromos pencils are oil-based. The binding agent contains more oil than wax. As a result, the leads are harder and dryer. They still layer and blend smoothly, but it may take a few more layers to get smooth color and blending may require a bit more effort.

Prismacolor pencils sharpen to a nice point, but because they’re so soft, the point wears down fairly quickly, even on smooth paper. Polychromos pencils also sharpen to a nice point, but they hold the point longer unless you use a paper like Pastelmat (which wears down all pencils quickly).

The softer a pencil is, the more likely the tip is to break in the sharpener or while you use it. That’s because they aren’t as strong as a harder pencil. So Prismacolor pencils often break more often than Polychromos pencils.

More wax means more wax bloom. Prismacolors are more likely to create wax bloom than Polychromos. The fact is that I’ve never had to deal with wax bloom with Polychromos, no matter how many layers I use. I’ve often had to deal with wax bloom when using Prismacolors, especially with the dark colors.

Final Thoughts on Comparing Prismacolor and Polychromos

Overall, the biggest differences between Prismacolor and Polychromos pencils is in price, softness, and color selection.

They do layer and blend differently, too, and they do work better on some papers for me.

But I often use them together and have never had problems mixing them.

Keep in mind that the opinions stated in this post are just that: My opinions and observations over years of use. As I mentioned before, every artist requires something different in performance and result. The pencils that perform well for me and give me the results I want may not work at all for you.

But I hope I’ve at least given you a little information help you decide which pencils (and what type) are most likely to work for you.

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