Best Colored Pencils Under 25 Dollars: The Sets That Hit Their Lowest Price at Black Friday

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Black Friday is the one week the premium-pencil premium collapses. Blick has run Prismacolor Premier 24-count at 50% off — about $13 — and Scholar 24 drops near $18. If you’ve been waiting to try soft-core pencils without paying $25 list, this is the window. But the deal only matters if you know which set you actually need: Premier for blending-heavy coloring, Scholar for heavy hands and detail work, and the oil-based alternatives that never go on sale because they never inflate in the first place. Here’s the per-pencil math on six sets worth your attention.

Let’s break down what each set does best, what it costs per pencil, and which Black Friday floor is actually worth waiting for.

Prismacolor Premier Soft Core Colored Pencils (24-ct) — The Blending Benchmark With the Documented BF Floor

The Prismacolor Premier Soft Core 24-count is the pencil most adult colorists start with, and for good reason: the soft wax-based cores lay down color in two layers where harder pencils need five. Blending, burnishing, and gradients all get easier when the pigment flows. At list price ($24-25), the per-pencil cost is about $1.04. At the documented Black Friday floor near $13, you’re paying about 54 cents per pencil — cheaper than many student-grade sets.

The honest con: wax bloom. Soft-core Prismacolors develop a cloudy film on heavy-layered areas, especially in warm tones. A fixative spray or a colorless blender manages it, but it’s a real workflow consideration. The cores also snap in cheap sharpeners — use a hand-cranked sharpener, not an electric one.

My take: If you layer and blend, this is the set that makes adult coloring feel like art instead of filling. Wait for the BF floor if you can.

Prismacolor Scholar Colored Pencils (24-ct) — The Beginner Set That Takes Abuse

The Prismacolor Scholar 24-count is the hardened-core sibling: firmer leads that survive heavy hands and cheap sharpeners without snapping. The tradeoff is less blendability — gradients take more passes, and the color laydown is drier than Premier. At the documented Black Friday floor near $18, the per-pencil cost is about 75 cents. That’s more per pencil than the Premier on sale, which tells you something: the Scholar’s value is durability, not price per pencil.

My take: Right for beginners and kids who press hard. If you already color with a light hand, skip to Premier.

Prismacolor Premier Soft Core (36-ct) — The Upgrade Once the 24 Runs Dry

The Prismacolor Premier 36-count adds 12 hues to the 24-set, mostly skin and earth tones that adult coloring books actually demand — portraits, landscapes, and animal fur all need those mid-range browns and warm grays. The 36 hovers near $25 at list, so it’s borderline for an “under $25” guide, but Black Friday has historically pushed it toward $18-20, which makes the per-pencil cost drop to about 55 cents.

My take: The upgrade that matters. Those 12 extra colors are the ones you’ll actually reach for. If BF drops it under $22, grab it.

Winsor & Newton Studio Collection Artist Pencils (24) — The Sleeper Pick Under $30

The Winsor & Newton Studio Collection 24 is the quiet alternative for colorists who find Prismacolor too waxy. The cores are soft and responsive — closer to a cream than a wax — and they layer cleanly without the bloom problem. About $22-25 street, and rarely discounted, which means the price you see is the price you pay. The smaller color range (24 hues) is the tradeoff versus Prismacolor’s broader palette.

My take: The pick for colorists who’ve tried Prismacolor and found it too slick. Worth the experiment if wax bloom drives you crazy.

Faber-Castell Goldfaber Colour Pencils (48-tin) — The Oil-Based Set That Never Inflates

The Faber-Castell Goldfaber 48-tin is the honest everyday-price reference point. SV-bonded cores resist cracking and sharpen clean to a point, and the oil-based formula doesn’t wax bloom. About $35 street — over this guide’s $25 ceiling, but included because it’s the price floor that never moves. No Black Friday drama, no fake-discount dance. If you want to skip the sale-watching entirely, this is the set that respects your time.

My take: The anti-Black-Friday pick. Pay $35 once and never think about sale timing again.

Common Mistakes When Buying Colored Pencils on Sale

Buying on sticker price alone: A “60% off” Prismacolor Premier 72-count is still $35. The 24-count at 50% off ($13) is the better deal per pencil if you don’t need the extra hues. Run the per-pencil math before you click.

Confusing Scholar with Premier: The packaging looks nearly identical. Scholar is the hardened-core student line; Premier is the soft-core artist line. If the deal doesn’t say “Premier” or “Soft Core,” it’s probably Scholar — which is fine, but not the same pencil.

Assuming more colors = better: The jump from 24 to 36 adds useful skin and earth tones. The jump from 36 to 48 adds specialty hues you’ll rarely use. The 24 or 36 is the sweet spot for most adult colorists.

Skipping the sharpener: Soft-core pencils need a quality hand-cranked sharpener. The $2 sharpener that came with your kid’s school supplies will crack Prismacolor cores. Budget $8-12 for a decent one.

The Cheapest Setup That Still Works

• Budget blend: Prismacolor Premier 24 at BF floor ($13) + a hand-cranked sharpener ($10) = $23 total. This setup handles 90% of adult coloring book pages.
• Step-up: Premier 36 at BF price ($20) + sharpener ($10) = $30. The extra 12 colors unlock portraits and landscapes.
• The no-sale-needed route: W&N Studio 24 ($23) + sharpener ($10) = $33. Same quality tier, no sale-watching required.

Keep reading: Our Black Friday art supply planning guide tracks which sets actually drop and which are just stickers, and our Premier vs Scholar comparison breaks down every difference.

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