Detailed Prismacolor Premier Colored Pencils Review and related article resources.
Adult coloring can be enjoyable if you are beginning or becoming an experienced colorist. Using colored pencils you like can be the difference between a satisfying or unpleasant experience.
This article is about my personal experience with Prismacolor Premier Colored Pencils, and I have written the article from a colorist’s perspective on adult coloring. The review is subjective, based on my experience, research, and the performance of colored pencils in activities like coloring books, pages, and sheets. My review seeks to provide as much information as possible to ask the right questions, evaluate the information, and make better decisions about the colored pencils you choose and use. I will update this article as new information becomes available.
Prismacolor Premier Colored Pencils
Table of Contents
Additional Resources. The following are additional resources you can find on ColoringButterfly.com to assist you in learning more about colored pencils.
- Buying A Coloring Book: Everything You Need to Know (Guide)
- Buying Colored Pencils? Everything You Need Know (Guide)
- How to Find Colored Pencil Reviews (50+ ColoringButterfly.com)
- Guide to Amazon Colored Pencil Reviews (Fake vs. Trustworthy)
- Guide to Using Colored Pencil Set Reviews (Step-by-Step)
Prismacolor Premier Colored Pencils Descriptions and First Impressions
This section provides the facts, descriptions, and my first impressions of colored pencils. I am going to provide my subjective/personal review based on my experience, research, and the performance of colored pencils in activities like coloring books, pages, and sheets and answer the question; I am focused on answering the questions for the colored pencils, “What are the basic facts for Prismacolor Premier Colored Pencils?”; “What did you experience during the first inspection of Prismacolor Premier Colored Pencils?.” Let’s get started.
Go to ColoringButterfly.com YouTube Channel for more videos about coloring pencils, coloring books, and more.[Return to TOC]
Colored Pencil Facts
The following are some basic facts about the Prismacolor Premier Colored Pencils.
- Best for: Student/Hobbyist, Artist
- Size of sets: 12, 24, 36, 48, 72, 132, 150
- Available in open stock: Yes, you can purchase replacement pencils.
- Lightfastness rating: Yes, the pencils do have a lightfast rating.
- Cost range: Mid-range/average (.51 cents to $1.00 dollar)
- Barrel size: 7 mm
- Core size: 3.8 mm
- Type of pencil core: Wax-based
- Barrel type: Round
- Wood: Cedar
- Where to buy online: Amazon, DickBlick, CheapJoes, JerrysArtarama
- Made by: Newell Brands Inc
- Where manufactured: Before 2010 USA, after 2010 Mexico
- Company URL: https://www.prismacolor.com/
- Google search term: prismacolor premier colored OR coloured pencil review [Return to TOC]
Open Stock
Yes, you can purchase replacements for individual pencils, and this is especially important for pencils in the price range of Prismacolor Premier. If one or more pencils need to be replaced, like the color white, you don’t have to purchase another set as a backup. However, if you need 10+ pencils, I think the cost of Prismacolor Premier sets might be on the edge of being cheaper to purchase a new set than individual replacements. That is just my opinion. [Return to TOC]
Barrel Description
The Prismacolor Premier pencil shaft is lacquered in the color of the core pigment. On one part of the pencil shaft, you will see the following printed in silver, 
“Prismacolor Premier,” followed by the color name printed in English and a second language. Towards the end of the pencil, there is a color identification number with the prefix PC. This will be the open stock reference number if you want to order this color later. The end of the pencil shaft is open, and you can see the core pigment. The writing on the pencil barrel can be a little hard to read. [Return to TOC]
Lightfast Rating
Yes, Prismacolor Premier Colored Pencils have a lightfast rating. Lightfastness is a property of pencil core, such as dye or pigment, that describes how resistant to fading it is when exposed to light. The lightfast rating is essential to artists, especially when they spend long hours creating art; they will want the work of art to keep its vibrancy for years to come. The lightfastness has a lot to do with the higher cost of the pencils. Each Prismacolor lightfast colored pencil conforms to the ASTM standards.
The ratings are as follows 1(I) /Maximum lightfastness, 2 (II) /High lightfastness, 3 (III) /Reasonable lightfastness, 4 (IV) /Low lightfast, 5(V) /No lightfast. The lightfast rating indicates the item’s resistance to fading, which has been tested under museum conditions.
|
Prismacolor Premier Colored Pencils |
||
|
Lightfast Rating |
No. Pencils in Rating |
Est. Longevity/Years |
|
I |
60 Pencils | 100+ Years |
|
II |
26 Pencils | 50+100 Years |
| III | 25 Pencils |
15-50 Years |
|
IV |
13 Pencils |
2-15 years |
| V | 27 Pencils |
0-2 Years |
According to the ASTM Standards Organization, a colored pencil’s lightfast rating is defined by how resistant the color is to the fading effects of light. Colors with a strong lightfast rating will maintain vibrancy in the presence of light, while colors with a weak lightfast rating will readily fade or change color over time. Each Prismacolor lightfast colored pencil has a soft, thick core to deliver the smooth, creamy laydown of color that artists expect.
The American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM Organization), in collaboration with the Colored Pencil Society of America (CPSA), developed the ASTM D6901 standard for colored pencil lightfastness. Prismacolor Premier Lightfast Colored Pencils fully comply with the ASTM lightfast standard.
- Highest ASTM-Approved Lightfast Ratings
- Maximum Resistance to the Fading Effects of Light
- Rich Colors for an Ultrasmooth Laydown of Color
- Soft, Thick Cores for Superior Blending and Shading
- Artists’ Palette of Professional Quality Colors
Range of Colors
The Prismacolor Premier is a broad range of rich, intense, beautiful pigments that are creamy and easy to blend. You have the color pallet to color any theme coloring book or scene. These soft-core pencils are best designed for blending, shading, covering large areas, and creating custom colors.
The writing on the pencil barrel can be a little hard to read. Prismacolor Premier has chosen an odd and confusing way to arrange their colors in the trays. Pulling the plastic trays out can be wonky and hard sometimes to keep the pencils in the tray. I did not find any repeats in colors, and I like the range of blues and reds.
Here’s the color breakdown: 6 excellent greens, five warm greens, six muted cool greens, six muted warm greens; 4 Aquas; 8 cool blues, six neutral blues, six warm blues, four muted blues; 7 cool purples, four warm purples; 4 orange-toned peaches, three pink-toned peaches; 5 cool pinks, five warm pinks, three muted pinks; 6 cool reds, four neutral reds, three warm reds; 8 oranges; 6 bright yellows, six muted yellows; 8 beiges, seven cool browns, seven warm browns; 6 cool greys, 6 French greys, six warm greys; black, white; metallic silver, metallic gold.
The writing on the pencil barrel can be a little hard to read. Prismacolor Premier has chosen an odd and confusing way to arrange their colors in the trays. Pulling the plastic trays out can be wonky and hard sometimes to keep the pencils in the tray.
Before using the colors on a project, I recommend swapping the colors for the set (and for every pencil you own. [Return to TOC]
Container Description
For the 150-pencil set, the case is a nicely designed protective box that closes with a magnetic flap and can be flipped back to be an easel or propping up pencils for a more accessible selection. The trays have finger slots for easy removal. The trays have individual slots for each pencil to help keep the pencils from rolling. I noticed that the end of the tray where the pencil was sharped was tapered, making it easier for me to pick up the pencils. [Return to TOC]
First Inspection
As a habit, when I first open the box of pencils, I like first to check pencil duplications and missing pencils. Check to make sure the cores are centered. Next, I will check them for pencils for imperfections (e.g., shaft spits, broken cores, light printing). I did find a few pencils where the core was off-center just a little bit. Overall, these pencils came in good condition, well packed. [Return to TOC]
Prismacolor Premier Colored Pencils Review and Summary
In this section, I move beyond the description and facts of the colored pencils. I am going to provide my subjective/personal review based on my experience, research, and the performance of colored pencils in activities like coloring books, pages and sheets and answer the question; I am focused on answering the questions like
- What do you think about Prismacolor Premier Colored Pencils?
- Are the Prismacolor Premier Colored Pencils better than other colored pencils?
- What are the Prismacolor Premier Colored Pencils’ pros and cons?
- What are some tips on making the best purchase decision?”.
How the Colored Pencils Performed
The Prismacolor Premier colored pencil is a soft wax-based pencil with a creamy, almost buttery application. Because of the softcore, I found it difficult to get fine detail when I used any pressure. Depending on the picture, I usually apply more
than one layer to all my coloring. When I apply just one layer, I don’t get complete coverage which leaves white space. The more tooth the paper has, the quicker you can lay down complete full coverage.
What I like about Prismacolor Premier is that I can quickly produce rich colors with a light touch. Every pencil I have used leaves a rich pigment as it glides across the paper. Seriously, it does not take a lot of pressure. If the angle of my coloring is too sharp, the core will easily break.
I can easily blend with Prismacolor Premier with and without a blending pencil. I often use the Prismacolor Colorless Blending Pencil because it smooths and evens the texture. When I use many layers or Prismacolor, I am prone to develop a wax bloom. A “wax bloom” is a milky-like film appearing at the layers’ surface.
It was not easy to erase Prismacolor. Even after applying heavy pressure, I still had more pigment showing than I wanted. Because of the softcore, I had issues with being able to keep a sharp point.
Overall, I was pleased with what I found in the consistent quality of the pencils. The pencils work well on different types of coloring book paper toothy but thin paper found in self-published Amazon books the thicker paper found in Johanna Basford’s books to the smoother paper found in Joseph Catimban and Kirby Rosanes coloring books. Overall I think the pencils do well on both papers.
Prismacolor Premier need more sharpening because they do wear down faster. Early on, I had some difficulty with sharpening. Difficulty means that I have had core breakage and wood issues. I have several sharpeners that I like using. I have learned from experience that I want my sharpener blades to be sharp. Sharp blades help keep the core from breaking, the wood snagging, and other problems. Nothing is more frustrating than seeing a good pencil whittled down with a poor sharpener. I did have better success with the electric sharpener once I got the right touch to insert the pencil. [Return to TOC]
Review Summary and Rating
I like the Prisma Color pencils. I don’t think they are the best pencil; however, of all the pencil collections I have, I would say that I use these pencils about 50% of the time. I like the price point. I love the way they feel in my hand and their color saturation. They blend effortlessly and are simply creamy as color in adult coloring books of all themes. I love the vibrancy of the colors. I’m not too fond of my issues with sharpening and core breakage. Arrrgggg. But these pencils are no-brainer choices for adult coloring. Overall, the coloring experience was good. The important takeaways are as follows:
User Experience (Pros & Cons) Considerations
- Recommend for adult coloring (+)
- Budget-friendly colored pencils (+)
- Best for students/hobbyists, artists (+)
- Wax-based, medium-hardness core (+)
- Pencils are available in open-stock (+)
- Pencils do have lightfast rated (+)
- Color application is smooth and creamy (+)
- Colors are bright and vibrant (+)
- Quality layering and blending for coloring books (+)
- Works well with different quality coloring books (+)
- Covers large areas easily and great for deatil (+)
- Packaging is well-designed (+)
- Pencils feel good in the hand (+)
- Very good quality for the price (+)
- Wonderful adult coloring experience (+)
- Pencils wear down quickly and need sharpening more often (+/-)
- Moderate pencil led flaking (+/-)
- Be careful when using electric sharpeners (+/-)
- Will not hold a sharp point for very long (+/-)
- Pencils wear down quickly and need sharpening more often (-)
- Pencils do produce a wax bloom (-)
- Pencil leads are soft, prone to breaking when coloring (-)
Tips for Purchasing
Prismacolor Premier Colored Pencils are considered mid-range/average (.51 cents to $1.00 dollar) and come in set sizes of 12, 24, 36, 48, 72, 132 and 150 pencils. Before I purchased the Prismacolor Premier Colored Pencils, I purchased a small
set of 12 to get a feel for the pencil in coloring, layering, feeling in my hand, sharpening, and so forth. The other option would be to purchase a couple of open stocks, but prices can be costly, so look around. Or you can ask a friend to test them (this is the best option).
If you decide to get a set, I suggest getting the most extensive set you can afford to avoid duplicates and give yourself a full pallet of colors. In the long run, I feel like I save the most, and I especially look for special promotions during holiday seasons and put out price watches on my favorite eCommerce sites.
An excellent way to learn about the performance is to read reviews like this, view YouTube reviews, and read Amazon reviews. In the long run, I feel like I save the most, and I especially look for special promotions during the holiday seasons and put out price watches on my favorite eCommerce sites. [Return to TOC]
Other Valuable Resources
The following are a few more resources to support your review of Prismacolor Premier Colored Pencils.
Free Prismacolor Premier Colored Pencils Swatch Downloads
To give back to the adult coloring community, I have developed color pencil swatches for all the colored pencil sets I own and have reviewed. Note below two listings for each swatch, “Blank” and “Filled-in.” These terms mean. “Blank” is a swatch version you can download and fill in yourself, and “Filled-in” refers to a version of the swatch I filled in when I reviewed the pencils. You can also use these as a reference to see what the colors will look like before purchasing. Also, see the article “Free Color Pencil Swatch Charts for Adult Coloring (Detailed).”
- Prismacolor Premier 150 Color Pencils Swatch-Blank
- Prismacolor Premier 150 Color Pencils Swatch-Filled In
Suggested Prismacolor Premier Colored Pencils YouTube Reviews
I encourage you to seek other written evaluations, YouTube discussions, and Amazon-like reviews. I want to suggest the following a few YouTube reviews/opinions.
If you would like to find other reviews, do a Google search query on ” prismacolor premier colored OR coloured pencil review.”
Thank you for taking a moment to view and read the article. Feel free to provide your comments.
Don’t forget to share the post. [Return to TOC]
