Chunky colored pencils are some of my favorite drawing tools. They can be used for detail work or for covering large areas quickly. They’re also great for kids or anyone who likes a thicker pencil.
My go-to favorite used to be Prismacolor Art Stix, but since being discontinued a few years ago, I’ve had to find replacements. This post covers all the thick, chunky, and oversized colored pencils I could find.
Top Pick: Cretacolor Megacolors
The Cretacolor Megacolors set of 12.
Cretacolor Megacolors are oversized colored pencils with a quality wood pencil surrounding a 6.4mm core of buttery smooth color. These pencils can make intense blocks of color, and are easy to sharpen. The back end is finished and sealed. All in all, a great pencil!
Available in sets of 12, 24, and 36 or individually, these are my top pick for big colored pencils. Prices range from $18-20 for a set of 12 to $53-55 for a set of 36 or about $2.50 per individual pencil. Cretacolor also makes a set of 12 metallic colors in the same thick pencil style. (Shop metallic pencils at Blick.)
Cretacolor Megacolors test pages
Cretacolor Megacolors on white paper.
Cretacolor Megacolors on black paper.
Table of Contents
Top Pick: Cretacolor Megacolors
Runner Up: Koh-I-Noor Woodless Pencils
Lyra Color Giants
Stabilo Woody
Caran D’ache Fluo
Prismacolor Art Stix (discontinued)
Summary
Runner Up: Koh-I-Noor Woodless Colour Pencils
The Koh-I-Noor Woodless Colour Pencils set of 24.
The 24-color set comes in two stacking trays that slide into the original cardboard packaging.
The Koh-I-Noor Woodless Pencils are made of colored lead sealed in a plastic finish. These pencils are smooth, easy to sharpen, and fun to use. They are the closest to the Prismacolor Art Stix, but with the sealed sides, they can’t be used horizontally to make wider marks.
While great to use, one drawback is these are prone to breaking. A few were broken in shipping and more broke from pressing too hard. But even when broken, the pieces can be sharpened and used. Just be gentle with this.
Koh-I-Noor Woodless Colour Pencils are available in sets of 12 for around $10 or 24 for $15, or they can be purchased individually for $1.25.
Koh-I-Noor Woodless Colored Pencil test pages
Koh-I-Noor woodless colored pencils on white paper.
Koh-I-Noor woodless colored pencils on black paper.
Lyra Color Giants
The Lyra Color Giants set of 12.
Lyra Color Giants are large wooden pencils with a 6.25mm core with an unfinished end. They are similar to the Cretacolor Megacolors, but I found the lead to be stiffer and harder to use. You may prefer this hardness for detail work, but it was a drawback for me.
Overall, the Lyra Color Giants felt like school grade pencils and just weren’t as smooth as the Cretacolors.
The pencil are available in packs of 6 ($9), 12 ($18) or 18 ($34) and also a variety of special packs such as metallic colors, skin tones, or triangular versions.
Lyra Color Giant test pages
Stabilo Woody Pencils
Stabilo Woody set of 10 colors and sharpener.
Stabilo Woody 3-in-1 pencils are an interesting entry. Soft, waxy, and definitely chunky, these are designed for kids but some professional artists love them for their smooth quality and flexibility: in addition to being similar to colored pencils and wax crayons, they are also water soluble. The Woodys are definitely and interesting drawing tool for artists of all ages
Stabilo Woodys are so large that they come with their own sharpener. Available in sets of 6 ($19), 10 ($22) or 18 ($41) and also 6 pastel colors or individually for around $3 each.
Stabilo Woody test pages
Stabilo Woody test on white paper.
Stabilo Woody test on black paper.
Caran D’Ache Fluo
Caran D’ache Fluos are a series of 4 colored pencils with 4.5mm cores that are available in fluorescent pink, green, orange, and yellow. They are a fun addition to your colored pencil kit, but not a full-color set.
The Caran D’Ache Fluos are available for $4 each.
Caran D’Ache Fluo test pages
Caran D’Ache Fluo on white paper.
Caran D’Ache Fluo on black paper.
Discontinued Favorite: Prismacolor Art Stix
Prismacolor Art Stix were blocks of solid colored pencil. Similar in shape to pastels but not powdery like a pastel, they could be used to draw or rubbed sideways to cover large areas of paper. The lead and colors were the same as regular Prismacolors. Originally made in 48 colors, the Art Stix were discontinued in 2020 or 2021. Hopefully Prismacolor will bring them back! Definitely pick some up if you see them for sale anywhere.
Conclusion
This post has covered a variety of thick, large, and chunky colored pencils. The top pick is Cretacolor Megacolors for their intense, smooth colors are overall quality but there are a variety of options that may be perfect for your studio.
What is your favorite colored pencil? Let us know in the comments.
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