Prismacolor Premier 150: my review after 5 years of color by number

Prismacolor Premier 150: my review after 5 years

Prismacolor Premier were my first proper high-end pencils. I have had them for four or five years, and for a long time they did almost all of my Disney color by number pages. Here is what I think after all that time, and above all the thing nobody ever tests: do they hold up on three-millimetre sections.

What I bought

The 150 pencil set, for roughly 177 euros on Amazon. I later added the 23 colour manga set, at 41 euros.

Let me save you my mistake: all 23 manga colours are already in the 150 set. I did not know that when I bought it. If you go for the big box, the manga set adds absolutely nothing.

The core: very soft, and wax based

Prismacolor pencils are wax based. The core is very soft, noticeably softer than my Faber Castell or my Polychromos. That single fact defines everything about them, for better and for worse.

Broken cores are the complaint you read everywhere about Prismacolor, so let me be direct: mine do not break. If yours keep snapping, the pencil is not the problem, your sharpener is. I invested in a Dahle 133, a hand-crank model with an adjustable point, and I have had zero issues since. With any pencil, high end or budget. If you are spending 177 euros on a set, do not destroy it with a two-euro sharpener.

The point does wear down fast, though, and that part is true. A soft wax core is used up faster than a hard one: you sharpen more often, and the pencils get shorter more quickly. For the quality you get it stays acceptable, but if you colour a lot and the thought of watching your pencils shrink bothers you, know it before you buy.

On color by number pages, they are excellent

This is where I really wanted to test them, because colouring by number is nothing like working on a large drawing. They grip beautifully on Hachette Heroes paper: the pigment takes immediately, with no need to push.

And that is exactly where the soft core becomes a real advantage: it lays down colour without any pressure. On tiny sections where you have to place colour cleanly inside an outline, that changes everything. You work much faster, and your hand tires far less. One condition: you really have to sharpen properly first. With a dull point, a soft core spills over the lines. With a crisp point, it is remarkably precise.

Then there is the question everyone asks: does it cover the printed numbers? It depends on the shade. Dark colours cover well and the digits disappear. Light colours do not: the number stays faintly visible. That is true of every coloured pencil, but it is worth knowing.

Compared to my other pencils

When I really want a page to turn out well, when it is one that matters to me, I reach for my Caran d'Ache Luminance. There is no contest. But Luminance is a whole other budget. And that is precisely where Prismacolor sits: genuine quality, without going into extreme prices.

What annoys me

One thing, but it comes back with every single page: the smell of wax. It is strong, and it is not my favourite scent. When I spend two hours on a drawing, I smell it for two hours. Very personal, but if you are sensitive to smells, better to know beforehand.

The good

• Very strong pigmentation, the colours are bold
• Perfect grip on color by number book paper
• Soft core, ideal for small sections without pressing
• The cores do not break, with a decent sharpener
• 150 colours, you never hunt long for a shade
• Solid value against the very high end

The bad

• The wax smell, present throughout the whole session
• Points wear down faster than with wax-free pencils
• You need a good sharpener, so an extra cost
• Light shades do not hide the printed numbers
• The manga set duplicates the 150 box

Finished pages

Every page below was coloured entirely with Prismacolor Premier, in Disney color by number books.

My verdict

I recommend them, as long as you can afford the budget. They are very good pencils, they have been with me for four or five years, and they have never let me down. They suit color by number work particularly well, because the soft core lets you move quickly through small sections without pressing.

But if the idea of using them up worries you, know that wax goes faster than other cores. At 177 euros a box, if that thought makes you uneasy, look at wax-free pencils instead. They will last you longer, even if laying down colour is not quite as effortless.