My Thoughts on Amazon Basics Premium Colored Pencil | Review

See my thoughts on the Amazon Basics Premium Colored Pencils - and decide for yourself if these are worth buying.
I share positives and negatives, and as always, remember that everyone has a different coloring style.
So, what works for one may not work for another.
If you want to buy the 72 count set featured here, you can find it on Amazon: amzn.to/319mUdJ
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Until next time, stay Colorfully Optimistic!
All music used is royalty-free from KZbin.

[@pattytolliver2651]

I would love to see a color along with these pencils. Thank you for sharing.

[@ColorfullyOptimistic]

Sure thing!

[@gwenscoggins1]

I just purchased these. I needed another budget set for my coloring books. I didn't want to use up my prisma's and polys in my books. I already have the Castle Arts which I'm using now. I just ordered the 120 count Castle Arts Watercolor pencils too lol . I've just started coloring in books. I'm excited !

[@ColorfullyOptimistic]

Awe I hope you like them! They really are a nice budget pencil!

[@gwenscoggins1]

@@ColorfullyOptimistic I know you probably have plenty of watercolor pencils by now but the 120 set of Castle Arts watercolor pencils are on sale for a limited time for 39 dollars! Same colors as the pencils. If you got these to use with the pencils you might like them more 😅

[@whatifamanda]

Yayy for a color along with them!!! I never gave these pencils a second thought because I saw someone saying they were worse than Crayolas. But now after your review, and seeing how pigment they are on your swatch, I want to give them a try.

[@ColorfullyOptimistic]

I would definitely say these are better than crayola. Much softer. Everyone's coloring experience/preference is different too of course, but I enjoyed these.

[@freakyganji]

I made the mistake of buying the pencils before reviewing, or researching, so it was quite a relief to see this

[@ColorfullyOptimistic]

I enjoy them and luckily they're not too expensive!

[@eugeniapitts3296]

I love these pencils! Have bought every size and kept the 72 myself. Bought some for my mother who is an artist (not to sell) and she loves these because they don't break as easily as prismas and she loves to color dark.

[@ColorfullyOptimistic]

They are fun. However, I'm sooooo devoted to my Prismas they could never replace them, but they are a great one to use

[@rosiecraftedcolours2231]

Great review. I'd love to see you do a colour along with them. They are all sold out right now, I'm hoping they restock soon. Some of the colours are so vibrant.

[@ColorfullyOptimistic]

Yes, when I first found them they only had the 24 count, and a few weeks later the 72 count were back. So just keep checking. I know their production is slower thanks to COVID :)

[@Dustyrosepetal]

I bought these awhile ago, and though I haven't used them a ton, I really do like them. For the price I would suggest them if you cant afford Prismas. Here in Canada the 72 set is about $40 so about $20 cheaper then Artiza and $40 less then Prismas 72 sets. The only thing I had a problem with was that one of them was off center by quite a bit, its one of the greens, can't remember what one off the top of my head. Another suggestion would be Prisma Scholars, especially since right now they are on sale for about $20, though the Scholars only come in a 60 set.

[@ColorfullyOptimistic]

Oh that's a bummer one was off center! I didn't have any like that, but it wouldn't surprise me considering the price of them.

[@terracedflame4702]

What's the difference between PC scholar and premiere?

[@Dustyrosepetal]

@@terracedflame4702 The Scholars don't blend quite as good as the Premiers and there are only 60 different colors. Also they don't come in open stock. Other then that if the premiers are to expensive the scholars are a good option.

[@viridian4573]

​@@Dustyrosepetal The Prismacolor Scholars are soft but they are a bit lacking in intensity and color payoff. How do the Amazon Basics compare to Scholars in pigment density?

[@LeeDee5]

Glad I found this video! I’ve been looking at this set after they were out of stock for probably like a year. I’ve seen these dip down to $24.99 which great although I probably have more than enough pencils 😆 I would watch a color along with these.

[@ColorfullyOptimistic]

Yes! they are surprisingly good for the price. I was rather surprised myself.

[@adelinenicholas922]

I have the 48 count tin. Love them. Love their big cores!!

[@ColorfullyOptimistic]

Yes, they are great pencils!

[@kb9847]

I have the Amazon Basics 24. I wanted to try them before buying more. I LOVE them!! They blend really well. I have some Prisma Colours and for the price difference, I think they are great!! Esp if I'm not doing art to sell. I will be investing in a larger tin soon. :)

[@ColorfullyOptimistic]

Oh yea they're not bad at all. I still love my Prismacolor more but I'm a Prismacolor gal 😆. These are very nice for the price. Great for adult coloring!

[@kaylamarie75]

I have tried to like prismas for the last decade, and I just don’t. I’ve never liked how they blended or how soft they were. I have loved these since the day I got them, because they aren’t as soft. Im always looking for prisms-adjacent. Soft enough to blend, but hard enough to hold a point.

[@ColorfullyOptimistic]

that's great these work for you! These are very soft. I'd say the only difference I get is that they just don't have that "wow" pigment. They have a little less, little more muted at times, than Prisma, but definitely a great (and affordable) alternative.

[@nanetteatienza4297]

I was thinking of getting this due to good reviews at Amazon, but since you are an expert, may I ask how do you compare this with Castle Arts soft core and Arteza? Which one is the most creamier and easier to blend? Also, what paper do you use for colored pencils? Some artists prefer with tooth, some smooth. Can you tell me the brand pls? Thank you.

[@ColorfullyOptimistic]

I typically use smooth paper. I might have to go back and do more on this review, since it's older. These are not as waxy as Arteza, but not as hard as Castle Art -- somewhere in the middle. They do fine on tooth and smooth paper though. I wouldn't necessarily call them "creamy" but that's because Prisma is what I call creamy lol. These are not a Prisma replacement -- too hard for that. However, they aren't an awful set and they are good for those looking to get started and need a super budget-friendly set. Castle Art and Arteza are incredibly overpriced and I don't think of them as "budget" sets.

[@nanetteatienza4297]

@@ColorfullyOptimistic you are right. Amazon is in between. I don’t have Arteza. But I have Castle arts. Castle arts are hard pencil, not creamy and harder to blend in my opinion. Trying to like it but I just couldn’t. However, they are good on smoother paper but not in textured paper. Polychromos and Prisma are still the best colored pencil. Nothing can beat them. Thank you for replying. Appreciate it.

[@nanetteatienza4297]

@@ColorfullyOptimistic I have polychromos and prisma color pencils, too. They are my favorites.

[@naikouhh]

i have a question as a baby artist here 😭😭 does it have a creamy blend to it like primas?

[@ColorfullyOptimistic]

No. They are soft, but not even close to Prisma in terms of being creamy

[@susancarson7818]

These people who want really pretty colors and can’t afford prismas.... get these... save your monies to get the Best... but meanwhile get coloring happily!!!

[@ColorfullyOptimistic]

Yes! Definitely a budget-friendly pencil and does surprisingly well.

[@deedeebattle2522]

I don't have these Pencils, but I will get them by September.. Color Along in October 2020 for Halloween.. just a suggestion.😘 Thanks for the review.

[@ColorfullyOptimistic]

Great idea!! I can definitely aim for something in October :)

[@lemoncrinckles]

Thanks for doing your review of the Amazon Basics Soft Core 72 set of colored pencils. It's nice to know a more experienced colorist also had a good impression of them. I have the 72 set of Prismas. Bought the 120 set of Crayolas after watching a couple reviews, and couldn't give them away fast enough. The set of Prisma Verythins set my teeth on edge: almost impossible to get any color the 'lead' is so hard. Also gave away. I'm very pleased with the Amazon pencils. The variety of colors and ease of use is very pleasing for this beginner. And yes, the price is incredible! I paid $26. (:

[@ColorfullyOptimistic]

Yes, I actually hope they come out with a larger set of these, but don't know what Amazon plans to do with them.

[@bostonblackie9503]

They were worth buying when you got 72 for $26.00 CAN. This year they are about $40. However, they are very good pencils, teachs people how to know and use their pencils. As for Prismacolor I gave up buying their stuff because the company doesn't give a dam about their customers, the pencils are not the greatest and there is so much more competition out there now. PC are not the alternative to FC. AB are great for beginners at the right price and are presented very nicely.

[@ColorfullyOptimistic]

I'm sorry you have had so many issues with Prismas. I only had some a few years ago when they had their manufacturing problems, but I got full refunds and replacements. In all honesty, I don't deal with Prisma directly. Instead, it is the company I buy from, which is usually Amazon, blick Arts, Cheap Joes or Jerry's (depending on who has the deal), but all of them are very good about returns when there are issues. However, I haven't had any problems with my Prismas for a long time, so I feel bad you have :(

[@bostonblackie9503]

@@ColorfullyOptimistic I had PC as my first real quality coloured pencil and was unhappy with the way the would break but used them until I got PC Verithin and realised I liked a harder pencil. I then found PC created a bit of a mess because they are so soft. In an attempt to get a harder pencil I tried Derwent Procolour, they were hard a little too hard, I really should try them again. Eventually, after trying other brands I got a deal on FC and bought them. They are wonderful! Haven't used them as much as I would like, recently got into markers so been trying those out. My problem with PC is the company, in order to complain you have to give them your name, address, telephone number, etc. All meant to discourage you or they just want to know as much about you as possible. I also have their Watercolour Pencils, can't believe what they cost now and their Art Stix which I can't stand for various reasons. As for the price of AB at the current time put a few dollars to the price if you can, and buy FC Goldfaber, a 48 set of wonderful pencils, the less number of pencils the more you learn. FC are giving the public a true apprentice colour pencil. I love them!

[@ColorfullyOptimistic]

@@bostonblackie9503 If you like the harder lead, but didn't like Procolour, have you tried Derwent Artists? I really love them.

[@bostonblackie9503]

@@ColorfullyOptimistic No I haven't but I bought Procolour under the impression they were middle of the road. If I buy Derwent again it will be their coloured drawing pencils. I already have their Graphtint.

[@ColorfullyOptimistic]

@@bostonblackie9503 I haven't tried the drawing ones, but I've heard good things.

[@janstess86]

Personally, I really like these. I have Polychromos and Prisma, and * prefer Amazon Basics. Their prices are great..

[@ColorfullyOptimistic]

They aren't bad, but I have used Prisma so long that it's hard to replace them lol

[@oh_k8]

The Amazon Basics pencils are pricewise more comparable to Prismacolor Scholar. How would you compare the Amazon pencils to Scholar?

[@ColorfullyOptimistic]

Pricewise, yeah they are more like Scholars, but Scholars are a lot harder. I no longer own Scholars so I can't compare them these days, but the Basics are a lot softer and usually compared to Prismas (not the Scholars), but they are not as creamy as regular Prismacolors. That said, these aren't an awful pencil by any means.

[@oh_k8]

@@ColorfullyOptimistic the Scholars go on sale right around this time. A 60 pack in Canada is $20 at Walmart. This puts them right around the price point of 72 Amazon Basics at $30. However, if you watch the Scholar vs Prismacolor comparison videos, artists have said they were comparable. Just a hunch but I think comparing the Scholar and Amazon Basics would likely be more performance comparable. The Scholar might be harder but if you catch a pack on sale this back to school season, would you consider doing a performance test? Thank you.

[@ColorfullyOptimistic]

@@oh_k8 if they go on sale I might compare them yes. The reason I don't usually compare Scholars is they are not artist grade (they are student grade) and while they are similar in price to Amazon Basics, the comparisons are people usually want to see if these budget friendly pencils compare to the artist-grade materials, which is why I compare these to traditional Prismas and not the Scholars - if that makes sense. I'll definitely see what I can do though!

[@oh_k8]

@@ColorfullyOptimistic I do understand that but the Amazon Basics pencils are not artist grade either, they're both student grade pencils (scholar) and while everybody wants a cheaper pencil, nobody has yet compared these 2 good quality student pencils. I think this is definately a topic of interest for budding artists who want a practice set of coloured pencils. Thank you.

[@ColorfullyOptimistic]

@@oh_k8 Yes, totally get that. I'll do my best :)

[@DollarDiva99]

Omg. I finally found a fellow Colorist with a similar Coloring style as mine 😁😁😁 I'm heavy handed and color from dark to light. Its unusual to find someone who colors like me! 💛💚💜🧡💙❤

[@ColorfullyOptimistic]

Ha! That's so great! When I first started out it was hard to find tutorials going from dark to light. There's only a few people that do. I just can't go light to dark no matter what I try.

[@azranur8325]

I bought these and the colors are pretty, and kinda hard... Especially when coloring to get pugment out of it u kinda have to press hard so ..

[@ColorfullyOptimistic]

They are harder than Prismacolor, but to me not much harder than Black Widow. The pigments are not as vibrant, but I mean I don't expect much for budget. I do agree they need some pressure, but if you enjoy layering they work out well too.

[@cance7984]

BLICK Art Materials manufactures its own colored pencils. I would be grateful if you would review those.

[@ColorfullyOptimistic]

Yes, I have seen those - I might add those to my list to try and review!

[@melissakalloway1916]

Hi, Kori. Thanks very much for this Amazon Basics review. I looked through all your video titles before asking; did you ever have time to do a project with these? If not, that's okay. You're a busy lady and have to move along. But, if you did, I'd appreciate the link to your video. Tx.

[@ColorfullyOptimistic]

Hey Melissa! So, I do have one picture I colored along on here, and a livestream with them. I have a playlist for them here: kzbin.info/aero/PLd70maO9f9Extvc7mllh_b527SMOWYe_d That will have all the videos where I'm using these.

[@thedancingdog1605]

Do they come sharpened?

[@ColorfullyOptimistic]

Yes, but I highly recommend always sharpening again when you get them, because there tends to be residue on pencils from manufacturing.

[@RajeshKumar-xg4wr]

What's amount of this item

[@ColorfullyOptimistic]

So the price varies, and it looks like Amazon is out of stock of the 72 version. At the time I purchased them, which was July last year, they were $29.99.

[@RajeshKumar-xg4wr]

@@ColorfullyOptimistic okay and thank you

[@Hollister74]

I absolutly hated these after I got them. I ended up giving them to myb14 year old.

[@ColorfullyOptimistic]

Ah I'm sorry to hear that. I like mine, but I mean they are no Prisma that's for sure! We all experience pencils so differently, but at least these aren't super expensive and I'm sure your 14-year-old appreciates a new set. I tend to give my daughter ones I don't like as well, haha.

[@catz-]

I have theses

[@ColorfullyOptimistic]

Do you like them?