Faber-Castell Polychromos vs Prismacolor Premier (2023)

Welcome to the battle of the battles! When it comes to colored pencils the question is one: Faber-Castell or prismacolor?

Over the years I have worked extensively with both brands and even though there is a ton of arguments on the internet, I wanted to add my own little voice.

So, faber-castell or prismacolor? Hmmm, it is not so straightforward people, I’m sorry! But I will explain in depth and help you decide which brand is best for you.

First of all, a few facts about the pencils and then I will jump to how they perform in artworks.

Prismacolor are super soft and creamy wax-based pencils. That means that wax is used to bind the pigment.

Faber-castell on the other hand are oil based, hard pencils they are more chalky compared to the creamy prismacolors.

So, let’s check out how they compare to each other.

1. Texture.

If you have worked with graphite pencils you must have know that the softer the pencil, the bigger the texture it creates. Same is true for colored pencils. Soft prismacolors tend to create a lot of texture whereas harder faber-castell leave less of a texture.

2. Color brightness.

No one beats prismacolor here. Have never seen more bright, vibrant colors. Faber-castell seem less saturated, which isn’t necessarily a disadvantage. It all depends on how realistic you would like your artwork to be.

3. Layering.

With faber-castell I feel I can layer as many colors as I want. With prismacolor I can only layer 4-5 colors and then the pigment cannot be transferred on the paper any more. Possibly it has something to do with the wax. As a result it might look a bit monochromatic. Bright, yes, but monochromatic.

4. Blending.

Let me tell you a secret. I hate blending colored pencils. I think it makes the drawing to lose character. All fine texture I worked so hard to achieve lost… I do not see a reason why should I do this. Not to mention blending with solvents. It’s called drawing for a reason. Otherwise why not call it painting? The only times I “blend” I use pencil strokes to create the illusion of gradually changing color. I find that this is done equally easy (or shall I say difficult??!) with both pencils.

5. Lightfastness.

I have yet to research this quality for myself. Currently making my own experiment to see how the pencils react over time. Although lightfastness is not directly related to a pencil’s ease of use, it is obviously an important quality. Commissioned works after all, are meant to stay on a wall for decades. No one wants a beloved drawing fade over time. For now I can only trust pre-made charts, according to which faber-castell rank higher regarding lightfastness.

6. Pencils per page.

What the €&@ is this?? Well I needed a way to describe how fast a pencil is consumed. Prismacolor pencils are out a lot faster than faber castell, because they are softer. I need approximately 1 faber castell pencil and 2 prismacolor pencils to fully cover an A4 sized sheet of paper.

7. Price.

Prismacolor are generally a lot cheaper. On the internet, a 120-piece faber-castell set starts from 165$ and a 150-piece prismacolor set starts from 100$. However, in my small town that I live faber-castell are readily available at the local bookstore, whereas I need to order prismacolor from aboard. Which means that their final cost is about the same for me.

Don’t believe anything!

So, after all this rant, with me leaning obviously towards faber-castell, I’m showing a couple more examples that prove… that in the end it doesn’t come down to the pencils, but how you use them. Yes, you can have extra bright colors with Faber-Castell too, and yes, you can achieve extra extra smooth realistic texture with prismacolor!

What is the final outcome?

In the end it comes down to personal taste. I love both pencils. To be completely honest, at some point about one and a half year ago, I fully switched to faber-castell. For a couple reasons. I can reach them at the local bookstore XD. And I can buy them open stock, whereas I have to order a whole box of prismacolor, with some colors never to use. Also Faber–Castell rank better regarding their lightfastness. I am very serious about this. Imagine your clients looking at their drawing fading over time…

However, the fact remains that…

Prismacolor are unbeatable when creating bright poster-like illustrations, and Faber-Castell are unbeatable when it comes down to create the smoothest, most realistic portraits possible.

That’s all folks!Keep drawing!

Videos links to the drawings of this post:

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