Prismacolor Premier Colored Pencils Review: 24 Soft Core Set

Quick Verdict

The Prismacolor Premier Colored Pencils 24-count set delivers the buttery-smooth blending and rich pigmentation that made this brand famous. If you want professional-quality soft core colored pencils without committing to a massive set, this is a sensible entry point. After two weeks of regular use across multiple coloring sessions, I'm giving these a 4.4 out of 5. They blend beautifully, yes — but the soft cores wear faster than I'd like under heavy shading, and 24 colors can feel limiting when a project needs something specific. Worth it? For most adult colorists, absolutely. Just know what you're getting into before you buy.

What Is the Prismacolor Premier Colored Pencils Set?

I cracked open this tin on a quiet Saturday morning, the kind where the coffee's still hot and nobody needs anything from you for a few hours. The Prismacolor Premier Colored Pencils arrived as a sturdy metal tin holding 24 pencils arranged in a neat grid — nothing fancy, but you can tell immediately these aren't your drugstore colored pencils. Each pencil has that distinctive Prismacolor lacquer finish, slightly glossy, easy to grip.

The set includes a curated range of colors: True Blue and Lt. Cerulean Blue for sky work, Grass Green and Dark Green for foliage, earth tones like Sienna Brown and Dark Brown, plus Crimson Red, Violet, Orange, and that particular Pink that somehow makes floral work look alive. Black and White round out the set for outlines and highlights. It's a thoughtful selection for someone building their first real colored pencil collection.

Key Features

• Soft, thick cores excel at shading, gradients, and smooth color transitions
• Ultra-smooth laydown reduces paper drag and feels almost creamy
• Lightfast pigments resist fading over time in displayed artwork
• Thick, robust leads resist cracking and chipping during normal use
• 24-color set covers essential hues for most adult coloring projects
• Durable metal tin case for organized storage and portability
• Professional-grade quality suitable for both hobbyists and serious artists

Hands-On Review

I started with three pencils I knew I'd reach for repeatedly: Crimson Red, Sienna Brown, and True Blue. The moment I laid down the first stroke, the difference hit me — these cores are soft. Not mushy-soft, but that satisfying give where the pigment releases evenly without you having to bear down. The color coverage was impressive even with a single pass. I was coloring a mandala design, layering Crimson Red over itself to build depth, and the transitions were nearly seamless.

By day three, I noticed the cores wearing faster than my old student-grade pencils. That's expected with soft cores — they're trading durability for that buttery laydown. What surprised me was how well the Prismacolor Premier Colored Pencils handled shading. I'd been skeptical about whether budget soft cores could compete, but the pigment concentration is real. One layer of True Blue gave me better coverage than three passes with cheaper alternatives.

Blending two colors together felt intuitive. Where I'd normally struggle with harsh lines between a transition, the soft cores melted into each other with minimal effort. A blending stump helped, but honestly, my fingertip worked fine for most adjustments. The tin case has become my evening ritual companion — flip it open, pick a color, close it back up. No fiddling with loose pencils.

Is there a learning curve? A small one. The soft cores require a lighter touch than you're probably used to if you're switching from hard-core pencils. Press too hard and you'll wear through color faster and risk breaking the tips. But for layering and burnishing? These are genuinely pleasurable to use. The 24 colors cover most needs, though I found myself wishing for a few in-betweens. Canary Yellow to Grass Green is a big jump, for instance. That's where larger sets shine.

Who Should Buy It?

Adult coloring enthusiasts upgrading from basic colored pencils will appreciate the immediate improvement in blend quality and color richness. The learning curve is gentle enough that beginners can produce satisfying work quickly.

Artists seeking portability will love the compact tin. It fits in a desk drawer, a craft bag, or under a book — no elaborate storage solutions required. Each pencil stays protected.

Gift buyers looking for a thoughtful present will find this set hits the sweet spot: impressive quality, reasonable price, and nothing about it feels like a throwaway item.

Skip this if you need fine-detail precision work — the thick cores leave thicker strokes. Look instead at harder-core professional sets. Also skip this if you're on a tight budget and need maximum quantity; 24 Prismacolor pencils costs more than 72 student-grade pencils, and that math matters.

Alternatives Worth Considering

Faber-Castell Polychromos 24-Count — if durability matters more to you than buttery blending. The harder cores last longer and handle fine details better, though blending requires more effort.

Derwent Procolour 24-Count — similar soft-core experience with slightly different color characteristics. Worth comparing if you can't decide between brands.

Prismacolor Premier 48-Count Set — if 24 colors leave you wanting more variety, stepping up to 48 eliminates that color-gap frustration without jumping to the full 72.

FAQ

Final Verdict

The Prismacolor Premier Colored Pencils 24-count set earns its reputation as a staple in the adult coloring world. The soft cores deliver where they promise — smooth laydown, excellent blending, rich pigments — with a reasonable trade-off in durability. You'll sharpen more often, you'll be gentler with light colors, and you'll occasionally wish for one more shade. That's all okay. What matters is that these pencils make coloring feel rewarding, and after two weeks of regular use, I kept reaching for them over my older supplies. For the price, you won't find a better-balanced set that performs this consistently well. Pick up a set, give yourself a few sessions to adjust to the soft cores, and see if you agree.