PRINA 120 Colored Pencils Review – Worth the Money?

Quick Verdict

The PRINA 120 colored pencils deliver a lot of palette for the price. After working through half a coloring book page and a few quick sketches, the set earns a solid score for anyone who wants variety without committing to a $200 professional kit. Oil-based cores, 120 colors, a sketchbook, and a tutorial — it's a complete bundle that outpaces most competitors at this price point. I'd recommend it to adult colorists and beginners; professionals with existing high-end sets will want to look elsewhere.

What Is the PRINA 120 Colored Pencils Set?

The PRINA 120 colored pencils set is a mid-range art kit from a brand that has quietly built a reputation among hobbyist colorists over the last few years. This isn't a toy-grade bulk pack — it's positioned as a serious artist's tool at a approachable price. Inside the box you get exactly 120 pre-sharpened pencils, a 3-color sketchbook, a step-by-step drawing tutorial, and a zipper case that actually does its job.

The pencils themselves are oil-based with soft cores — a detail that matters more than most listings let on. Oil-based colored pencils behave differently than the wax-based ones most beginners start with. They layer more predictably, blend with less friction, and resist that waxy buildup that makes some coloring pages feel slick. More on how that played out in practice in a moment.

Key Features

• 120 oil-based colored pencils with soft cores for smooth, blendable laydown
• Pre-sharpened out of the box — ready to use within minutes of opening
• 3-color sketchbook included (ideal for practice pages and rough drafts)
• Step-by-step parrot drawing tutorial to kickstart beginners
• Durable zipper case for organization and transport
• Non-toxic formulation — ASTM D-4236 and EN71 certified
• Thick core designed for layering, shading, and color mixing techniques

Hands-On Review

I unboxed the PRINA set on a rainy Saturday morning — the kind of day that makes you want to color rather than think. The case zipper glides smoothly, which sounds like a minor thing until you've wrestled with a stiff case from a competitor. I laid out about 30 pencils I'd reached for instinctively, pulled a mandala coloring page, and got to work.

The first thing I noticed was how little pressure I needed. A light hand gives you clean, consistent color. When I wanted to build up intensity for a deeper section, a few passes with slightly more pressure layered beautifully without any waxy smearing. By the third coloring page, I had stopped thinking about the pencils and started thinking about the art — that's the real test.

The sketchbook that comes included isn't going to replace your favorite Bristol pad, but for the purpose it's serving — practice, rough sketches, testing color combinations before committing to a finished page — it's genuinely useful. I used it for about six quick studies before moving on to the actual coloring book, and the paper handled the oil-based cores without any obvious bleed-through.

What surprised me was the range within the color families. Some budget sets offer 120 colors that are mostly variations of the same six hues. PRINA has clearly put thought into the palette: there are earthy greens that actually read as earthy rather than grayish, warm oranges that don't veer into pink, and a spectrum of skin-tone pencils that beginners often struggle to mix from primaries. That's a thoughtful detail in a kit this affordable.

The parrot tutorial is simple — maybe too simple for anyone who has drawn before — but it does exactly what a beginner's tutorial should do: get you past the blank-page paralysis and into making marks. I showed it to a friend who had never used colored pencils, and she completed the exercise in under 20 minutes. That's the real audience here.

One thing nobody mentions in the listings: the pre-sharpened point on some pencils was slightly dull for fine detail work. I resharpened about eight pencils — a two-minute job with a good sharpener — and the difference was noticeable. If you're doing intricate adult coloring book work, budget five minutes at the start to touch up your most-used shades.

Who Should Buy It?

• Adult colorists who want a wide color range without investing $150+ in a professional set right away
• Beginners to colored pencil art who will benefit from the included sketchbook and tutorial to practice basic techniques
• Portable artists — the zipper case makes this viable for travel, waiting rooms, or taking to a café
• Gift buyers looking for a complete, self-contained art kit under $40
• Skip this set if: you already own Prismacolor Premier or Polychromos and want to expand an existing professional collection — the PRINA pencils won't match the pigment load of those higher-tier sets

Alternatives Worth Considering

Prismacolor Premier 72-Piece Set — If you've decided that colored pencil art is a serious hobby and budget isn't a concern, Prismacolor is the professional standard. Expect richer pigment and better lightfastness, but also a significantly higher price tag and no included sketchbook or case.

Crayola Colored Pencils 150-Count — A budget option from a household name. The color count is higher, but the wax-based cores don't blend or layer as smoothly as oil-based alternatives. Better suited for casual coloring than art-focused work.

Castle Art Supplies 72-Piece Colored Pencils Set — A mid-point between the PRINA and premium options. The Castle set offers solid build quality with fewer colors, which some artists actually prefer for the reduced decision fatigue when selecting a palette.

FAQ

Final Verdict

The PRINA 120 colored pencils set is exactly what it needs to be: a well-priced, complete bundle that removes friction for beginners and gives adult colorists plenty of range to work with. The oil-based cores genuinely outperform typical budget wax pencils in blending and layering, and the inclusion of the sketchbook and tutorial makes it a low-commitment entry point. It's not a replacement for professional-grade art supplies, but it never claims to be. For what it is — an accessible, high-color-count kit with real usability — it delivers. If you're in the market for a solid all-around colored pencil set under $40, this one earns a place on your shortlist.