After considering dozens of colored-pencil sets and spending six hours testing 13 popular sets, including one marathon two-hour session with about 60 kids and parents, we’ve decided that our top pick for someone shopping for their first colored-pencil set is Prismacolor’s Premier Colored Pencils (24-count or 72-count).In our tests, these pencils were among the best at color application, blending, and durability. They lay down rich, vibrant color and are as fun to draw with as pencils from sets twice the price. We recommend these pencils for any beginning colored-pencil artist or coloring-book enthusiast, or even for a serious child artist.