Top 5 compared
The best sketching pencils
Pale guide lines, soft dark shading and every shade between, for first doodles or a full portrait.
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The top 5 at a glance
A sketching set is a spread of graphite pencils from hard to soft. The letters tell them apart: H pencils are hard and pale, for light guide lines, B pencils are soft and dark, for shading, and HB sits in the middle. Bigger kits add charcoal, woodless graphite for broad shading, or water-soluble pencils that turn into a gray wash under a wet brush.
Every set here runs from hard grades to soft, so there’s a pencil for each stage of a drawing, from the first light lines to the darkest shadows. The Faber-Castell tins hold pencils only, so an eraser and a sharpener are extra; the bigger kits include them, and some add blending stumps and a sketchbook.
What matters
- Break-resistant leads that survive the sharpener.
- A tin or case with a slot for each grade.
- The grade printed clearly on every pencil.
#1Faber-Castell Castell 9000 Art Set (12 pencils in a tin)
$10–$20
Twelve grades from a pale 2H to a velvety 8B, in a tin that lives happily in a school bag. Faber-Castell first made these green pencils, the Castell 9000, in 1905.
What owners say: Smooth and easy to sharpen, they suit stippling and line art as much as shading, and the spread of grades and the metal tin win over beginners and seasoned artists alike.
A closer look: Put each pencil back in its place in the tin, from soft to hard, and the right grade is always easy to find mid-drawing. A sharp craft knife gives a longer point than a sharpener, for shading with the side of the lead.
- Break-resistant leads
- Sharpens to a fine point
- Made in Germany
Best for: Students and serious hobbyists
- Pencils
- 12, 8B to 2H
- Extras
- Tin only
#2Faber-Castell Graphite Sketch Pencil Set (6 pencils)
Under $10
Six grades, 2H to 6B, are all most beginners need: hard ones for light construction lines, soft ones for shadows. The leads are glued along the whole length of the pencil so they don’t break when you sharpen them, and the wood comes from FSC-certified forests.
What owners say: Art students and beginners rate it highly, and one owner noticed a huge difference in how smoothly it shades and outlines compared with cheap pencils. They arrive sharpened, and the small tin travels well.
A closer look: Six grades go further than they look: lay in a light tone with HB, then darken in layers with 2B and 4B rather than pressing hard, and keep the 6B for the deepest shadows. Bearing down with a hard grade dents the paper, and those grooves won’t take shading later.
- Leads glued full length
- FSC-certified wood
- Hexagonal barrels
- Carbon-neutral production
Best for: A first real set
- Pencils
- 6, 2H to 6B
- Extras
- Tin only
#3Prina 50-Piece Drawing and Sketching Kit
$10–$20
Graphite, charcoal and a sketchbook in one zipped case: fifteen graphite pencils from 5H to 12B, black and white charcoal pencils, willow charcoal, soft pastels and blending stumps, plus a 50-page sketchbook with white, tan and black paper.
What owners say: Beginners get everything needed to start sketching, from pencils to sharpeners and erasers, and the variety packed into the case goes down well.
A closer look: Charcoal is much messier than graphite, so work from top to bottom and away from your drawing hand, and spray finished pieces with a fixative. The tan and black pages are made for the white charcoal pencil, which picks out highlights the other way around from graphite.
- White, tan and black pages
- Willow charcoal included
- Sandpaper block included
- Woodless graphite pencil
- Tutorial included
Best for: Graphite and charcoal together
- Pencils
- 15 graphite + 6 charcoal, 5H to 12B
- Extras
- Sketchbook, sticks, pastels, stumps, erasers, case
#4Prismacolor Premier Graphite Drawing Set (18 pieces)
$10–$20
Three kinds of graphite in one set: seven Turquoise wood-cased pencils from 6H to 8B, four woodless pencils for broad shading, and three water-soluble pencils that turn into a gray wash under a wet brush. Two erasers, a steel sharpener and a sanding board come with them.
What owners say: Owners rate the quality highly and enjoy sketching with them, and beginners say the set is an easy way into serious pencil drawing.
A closer look: Try the water-soluble pencils on heavier paper: shade an area, pull a damp brush through it to spread the graphite into a soft wash, and let it dry before drawing over the top. Rubbing a woodless pencil on the sanding board gives it a chisel edge for crisp lines.
- Water-soluble pencils make gray washes
- Magic Rub and kneaded erasers
- Chisel edge for crisp lines
Best for: Trying every kind of graphite
- Pencils
- 14: 7 wood-cased, 4 woodless, 3 water-soluble; 6H to 8B
- Extras
- 2 erasers, sharpener, sanding board
#5KALOUR 18-Piece Sketch Pencil Set
Under $10
Fourteen pencils from 5H to 14B, plus the bits beginners forget to buy: a kneaded eraser, a vinyl eraser, a sharpener and a paper blending stump.
What owners say: Art classes and sketching practice are where it earns its place, with a wide assortment of hard and soft grades plus the erasers and sharpener. Several owners had leads break inside the wood, though.
A closer look: Use the kneaded eraser for lifting out highlights: press and lift rather than rubbing, and pull it into a point for tiny details like the glint in an eye. The paper stump softens pencil shading into smooth gradients, so fingertips stay clean and the drawing doesn’t smudge.
- Kneaded eraser lifts highlights
- Double-hole sharpener
Best for: Learning to shade
- Pencils
- 14, 5H to 14B
- Extras
- 2 erasers, sharpener, blending stump
How they compare
Swipe sideways or rotate device to see all 5.
| Feature | #1Faber-Castell 9000 | #2Faber-Castell 6 | #3Prina 50-piece | #4Prismacolor 18 | #5KALOUR 18-piece |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best overall | Best budget | Most complete | Best starter kit | ||
| Picked Rating | 9.8 | 9.6 | 9.6 | 9.6 | 9.5 |
| Price | $10–$20 | Under $10 | $10–$20 | $10–$20 | Under $10 |
| Pencils | 12, 8B to 2H | 6, 2H to 6B | 15 graphite + 6 charcoal, 5H to 12B | 14: 7 wood-cased, 4 woodless, 3 water-soluble; 6H to 8B | 14, 5H to 14B |
| Extras | Tin only | Tin only | Sketchbook, sticks, pastels, stumps, erasers, case | 2 erasers, sharpener, sanding board | 2 erasers, sharpener, blending stump |
| Best for | Students and serious hobbyists | A first real set | Graphite and charcoal together | Trying every kind of graphite | Learning to shade |
| Buy now | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon |
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