When Faber-Castell announced 20 brand new Polychromos coloured pencils, I couldn’t wait to get my hands on them.

Like many coloured pencil artists, I already have my trusted favourites, so I was curious to see whether these new additions would genuinely fill gaps in the range or simply look nice in the tin.

After swatching every colour, here are my honest first impressions.

My First Thoughts

The warm colours immediately caught my eye.

The new oranges, reds and earthy tones instantly made me think of chestnut horses, bay horses, golden retrievers and warm-toned fur. I could already picture myself using them in future animal portraits.

The greens, however, were a surprise. I don’t use green very often, so I wasn’t convinced I’d find much use for them.

My Favourite New Polychromos Colours

A few pencils immediately stood out.

Golden Ochre (285)

This was an instant favourite. Sitting somewhere between Burnt Ochre and Light Yellow Ochre, it’s perfect for:

• Chestnut and bay horses
• Animal eyes
• Warm fur
• Autumn tones

I have a feeling this will become one of those pencils that gets used constantly.

Red Jasper

A gorgeous warm orangey-red that will be incredibly versatile in animal portraits.

Perinone Orange

Bright but beautifully soft, with just a hint of pink that makes it feel less harsh than a traditional orange.

Pyrrole Red

Another colour I can see using regularly for warm fur, noses and subtle colour transitions.

The Biggest Surprise

The pencil that surprised me most was Slate Green.

Although it looks green in the tin, on paper it behaves much more like a warm grey with a subtle hint of colour. I can already see myself using it in shadows, backgrounds and neutral fur tones.

It’s a good reminder not to judge a pencil by its name!

The New Blues

The pale Aquamarine Blue also caught my attention.

I think it’ll be lovely for:

• Icy highlights
• Black animals
• Snow scenes
• Cool reflected light

It’s always useful to have softer alternatives to the greys we naturally reach for.

What About Lightfastness?

My only disappointment was that not all of the new colours have excellent lightfast ratings.

A couple only received one or two stars. They’re beautiful colours, but I do prefer using highly lightfast pencils whenever possible, particularly for artwork that’s designed to last.

Are They Worth Buying?

For me, yes.

Not every colour will become a regular, but several have already earned a place in my working pencil collection. The warm earth tones, subtle skin colours, beautiful shadow colours and even some of the greens have genuinely impressed me.

Watch My Full Swatching Video

If you’d like to see all 20 new Polychromos colours swatched, hear my thoughts on every pencil and discover which ones I’ll be using most in future drawings, watch the full video above or by clicking the link below.

🎥 Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KMzHXqj68JM