Holbein Artists' Colored Pencils 150 Color Set vs Prismacolor Premier Colored Pencils 24

Buy the Holbein 150 set if you want a wide, oil-based range with thick 3.8 mm cores that lay down color evenly and hold up to light. Buy the Prismacolor Premier 24 set if you want a small, soft, creamy core for blending and shading and don't need many colors. Holbein owners praise the smooth laydown and lightfastness; Prismacolor owners praise the blendability but report brittle cores that break when sharpened.

• Choose the Holbein 150 set if you want the widest color range, thick durable cores and strong light resistance in one box.
• Choose the Prismacolor Premier 24 set if you mainly blend and shade and want a compact, soft-core starter set.