Choosing the right drawing set matters whether you’re learning fundamentals, building a transportable kit for sketching on the go, or assembling a more complete studio kit. This guide distills hands-on testing, expert analysis, and consumer feedback to recommend four drawing sets that excel for different budgets and needs.
Considerations
I tested and compared the shortlisted kits against practical, real-world criteria used by working artists and educators. Key factors included:
- Materials quality: pencil hardness range, pigment intensity, core durability, and finish.
- Range & usefulness: breadth of tools (graphite, charcoal, white highlights, blending tools) and whether the kit suits sketching, finished illustrations or color work.
- Organization & portability: case or pouch quality for travel and storage.
- Value: what you get for the price — number and quality of components.
- Usability: how well items sharpen, blend, erase, and perform on typical sketch papers.
- Safety & packaging: non-toxic materials and secure packaging.
Testing involved sketching sessions (quick studies, value studies, and longer renderings), sharpening and break-resistance checks, and comparing color/contrast on white, toned, and black paper where relevant. I also cross-referenced verified customer feedback for durability and real-world use.
Amazon Basics Sketch Kit
A compact, no-frills 17-piece sketch kit that covers essential graphite and charcoal needs. It’s inexpensive, portable, and a reliable starter kit for beginners and students who need a simple, ready-to-use set for practice and study.
Why this is the Best Budget Pick
Amazon Basics' 17-piece kit gives you core drawing tools in a tidy, affordable package. It includes a sensible graphite range (2H–3B), charcoal pencils and sticks, compressed sketch sticks, a kneaded eraser, a standard eraser, a smudge/blender tool, and a dual-barrel sharpener. In testing, graphite grades produced predictable line weight and the charcoal options were adequate for bold value blocking. The kneaded eraser performed well for lifting charcoal highlights.
Standout points: affordable, compact, and beginner-friendly. Limitations: fewer pencil grades and accessories than larger kits, and compressed sticks need careful sharpening. Overall it’s the best low-cost entry point for students or anyone who wants a ready-to-go kit without fuss.
Comprehensive Sketch Set
A fully stocked 100-piece drawing set built for versatility — extensive graphite and charcoal ranges, multiple blending tools, and a three-color sketchbook. Great for serious beginners through intermediate artists seeking a single kit that grows with them.
Why this is the Premium Choice
This 100-piece HIFORNY set stands out for its breadth and organization. It includes a detailed range of graphite pencils (from very soft to hard), black and white charcoal pencils, willow charcoal sticks, pastel sticks, numerous blending stumps and tortillions, sharpeners, a kneaded eraser, sandpaper block, and specialty tools (embossing pen, white gel pen). The included 3-color sketchbook (white, tan, black pages) is a useful bonus for studying line, midtone, and highlight techniques.
Standout points: professional-feeling variety, excellent array of blending tools, and a well-organized zip case. Technical detail: many pencil grades (including multiple B and H grades) give control over fine detail and deep shading. Limitations: quality can vary across components (some accessories are economy-grade) but overall it’s the most complete single kit here and well-suited for artists who want a broad toolkit without buying individual items.
Portable 76-Piece Art Kit
A versatile, travel-friendly 76-piece kit that blends colored, graphite, charcoal and metallic pencils with a 100-sheet tri-color sketchpad. Excellent portability and variety for hobbyists and students seeking one kit for multiple styles.
Why this is the Best Value for Money
The COOL BANK 76-piece sketching kit packs a lot of usable components for a modest price: colored pencils, graphite, charcoal, metallics, plus blending tools, a refillable water brush, and a 100-sheet 3-color sketchpad. In testing, the colored and watercolor pencils produced good vibrancy and blendability for the price, while graphite and charcoal options handled quick studies and tonal work well. The zippered travel case keeps tools organized for sketching outside the studio.
Standout points: excellent mix of media for experimenting across styles, and the tri-color sketchpad encourages practicing on toned papers. Limitations: some cores can be more brittle than premium brands; sharpeners and erasers are basic. If you want a single kit to experiment, this one gives the most creative bang per buck.
72-Color Pencil Set
A large set of 72 oil-based colored pencils with a roll-up holder. The soft, break-resistant cores deliver rich, blendable color ideal for adult coloring, illustration, and layered color work.
Why this is the Editors' Choice
MyArtscape’s 72-color set is notable for sheer color range and the included roll-up holder that keeps pencils organized and portable. The oil-based cores are soft and blend smoothly, making layered coloring and shading straightforward. The 2.9mm core reduces frequent breakage and keeps edges sharper longer during detailed work. It also includes a simple coloring booklet and swatch chart to get started.
Standout points: exceptional palette breadth for color-focused artists, good core durability, and a convenient storage holder. Limitations: pencils are focused on color work — if you primarily need graphite or charcoal for tonal drawing, pair this set with a small graphite kit.
Comparison Overview
- Amazon Basics Sketch Kit: Lowest price; core essentials; best for beginners or classroom handouts.
- HIFORNY 100 PCS (Premium Choice): Most comprehensive; large pencil grade range, charcoal, pastels, many blending tools, and tri-tone sketchbook; best for artists who want a single, long-term set.
- COOL BANK 76-Piece (Value): Excellent mix of media and a unique 3-color sketchpad; best for experimentation and travel.
- MyArtscape 72-Color (Editors' Choice): Best color range and blending for colored-pencil work; ideal for illustration and adult coloring.
Best overall for a broad range of drawing needs: HIFORNY 100 PCS — it balances variety, usable quality, and portability. If budget is tight, Amazon Basics is a reliable starter; if you want color-focused work, opt for MyArtscape; for the best mid-price all-in-one experimenter kit, choose COOL BANK.
Final Recommendation
All four picks are research-driven and selected for specific needs. For most artists who want a single kit that covers sketching, shading, and experimentation, the HIFORNY 100-piece set is the strongest all-around choice. If you’re starting out and want something inexpensive and dependable, the Amazon Basics kit offers the essentials with minimal fuss. Choose COOL BANK if you want the best value to try multiple media in one portable kit. If your work is color-driven — illustration, colored-pencil layering, or adult coloring — the MyArtscape 72-pencil set is the smartest pick.
These recommendations come from comparative testing, real-world sketch sessions, and cross-checking user feedback. If you tell me your specific goals (portraiture, plein air sketching, illustration, or student practice), I can recommend a tailored kit and any small add-on items worth buying next.