Oil-based or wax-based coloured pencils: what actually changes
Oil-based or wax-based coloured pencils: what actually changes
Almost every question about coloured pencils comes back to one line on the box: whether the core is bound with wax or with oil. It is a small difference in manufacture and a large difference in how the pencil feels, and it is the first thing worth knowing before comparing sets.
What the binder does
A coloured pencil core is pigment held together by a binder and a filler. Wax and oil are the two common binders. Both deliver the same pigments; what changes is how the core releases them onto paper and how it responds to pressure.
Wax-based
Wax cores are softer. They lay down colour quickly, cover paper in fewer passes and blend into each other readily. That softness is also the drawback: the point wears down fast, fine detail is harder to hold, and heavy layering eventually produces a slick surface that will not take another layer.
Wax-based pencils suit large areas of saturated colour, bold work and anyone who finds hard pencils frustrating.
Oil-based
Oil cores are firmer. They hold a sharp point far longer, which makes them better for detail, fine lines and controlled shading. They release less pigment per pass, so building up a deep colour takes more layers — but the surface stays workable for more of those layers before it saturates.
Oil-based pencils suit botanical and portrait work, anything with fine texture, and anyone who dislikes constant sharpening.
Wax bloom, and why it is not a defect
Heavily layered wax-based work sometimes develops a faint whitish haze after a few days. That is wax bloom: some of the binder migrating to the surface. It looks alarming and it is harmless.
It wipes away with a soft cloth or a piece of tissue, and a light spray of fixative prevents it returning. Oil-based pencils bloom far less, which is one reason people who frame their work tend to drift towards them.
Softness, hardness, and what “soft core” means on a box
Manufacturers describe cores as soft, medium or hard, and the terms are relative to that manufacturer rather than to an industry scale. A “soft core” oil pencil is generally still firmer than a typical wax pencil.
Where a listing states the binder and the core hardness, both are worth reading together. Where it only says “soft core”, that usually indicates a wax-leaning pencil aimed at colouring books and broad work.
Which to buy first
If most of the drawing will be adult colouring books, wax-based sets fill areas faster and with less effort, which is most of the pleasure of the activity.
If the work involves detail, texture or realistic rendering, oil-based sets repay the extra layering time with control.
Plenty of people end up with both and use them together — a wax pencil to lay a base and an oil pencil for the detail on top. That combination works well; the reverse, oil over heavily burnished wax, generally does not, because the wax surface will not accept it.
Colour count, and how much it matters
A 72-colour set and a 120-colour set contain the same pigments; the larger set simply divides the range more finely. For blending-heavy work, a smaller set plus good technique gets further than a large set used flatly.
What does matter is whether the set includes enough neutrals and a genuine range of light values. Sets that are heavy on bright hues and thin on greys and pale tones are harder to work with than the colour count suggests.
Practical checks before buying
- Check the binder: oil for control and detail, wax for coverage and speed.
- Read the core hardness alongside the binder, not instead of it.
- Look at the neutrals and light values in the range, not just the total count.
- Check whether the set is in a tin, case or box if it will be carried around.
- Expect wax bloom on heavy wax work, and treat it as normal.
Both types are on the shelf here, and the binder is noted on the listing wherever the maker states it.
Where this sits in the shop
Everything discussed above comes back to one part of the shop: Coloured Pencil Sets, which currently holds 3 listings between $9.99 and $26.09. The whole of it is picked and packed at Rudy's Hobby & Art, 35-16 30th Ave, Long Island City, NY, during Wed–Sat 11am–6:30pm, closed Sun–Tue — so anything written here can be checked by phoning the counter on ((718) 545-8280.
From our shelves
- Art Supplies 120 Colors Colored Pencils Set for Adults Coloring Books with Sketchbook — $26.09
- 80 Colored Pencils Set, Oil-Based Soft Core for Adult Coloring Books, Professional Color Pencils Art Gifts for Artists, Beginners and Adults — $9.99
- KALOUR 72 Count Colored Pencils for Adult Coloring Books, Soft Core,Ideal for Drawing — $12.99
What we get asked about this
How long will my order take?
Handling takes 1–2 business days and carrier transit is normally 3–7 business days, so most orders land in 4–9 business days. Tracking is emailed as soon as the label scans.
How much is shipping?
Orders of $49.00 or more ship free inside the United States. Below that, a flat $5.99 covers packing and carrier handling, whatever the box weighs.
Read next
- Blending coloured pencils without a solvent
- Choosing your first set of brush markers
- Why the paper matters more than the pens
Ordering from Rudy's Hobby and Art
Orders of $49.00 or more ship free anywhere in the United States, and a flat $5.99 covers everything below that. Handling takes 1–2 business days and carrier transit is normally 3–7 business days. Unused items can go back within 30 days, and if the mistake was ours we pay the return postage.
Questions about anything above go to [email protected], answered within 1 business day, or call (718) 545-8280. Full detail is on the Shipping Policy and Refund and Returns pages.