--- title: "Faber-Castell Polychromos: Oil-Based Artist Pencils" canonical: "https://stationerytimes.com/guides/faber-castell-polychromos/" description: "Faber-Castell Polychromos colored pencils explained: 3.8 mm oil-based core, 120 colors, lightfastness stars, set sizes, Polychromos vs Prismacolor and origin." category: "Pencils" type: "Colored pencil" published: 2026-10-20 updated: 2026-10-20 author: "Ellis Penhale" publisher: "Stationery Times" sources: 14 products: - name: "Faber-Castell Polychromos artists' colored pencils, tin of 120 (110011)" brand: "Faber-Castell" brand_origin: "Germany" made_in: "Germany" material: "Cedar wood case, oil-based pigment core" released: "1908" price_band: "$ (under $5 per pencil (multi-packs divided by the count), typical US retail, October 2026)" manufacturer: "Faber-Castell AG, Stein, Germany" model: "Polychromos" mpn: "110011" gtin: "4005401100119" url: "https://www.faber-castell.de/produkte/PolychromosFarbstift120erMetalletui/110011" --- # Faber-Castell Polychromos: Oil-Based Artist Pencils > Faber-Castell Polychromos are oil-based artists' colored pencils made in Germany. The line has 120 colors, each with a 3.8 mm core in a 176 mm cedar pencil, and a star rating on every pencil for lightfastness. Sold in tins of 12 to 120, they cost under $5 a pencil in the big sets. - URL: https://stationerytimes.com/guides/faber-castell-polychromos/ - Category: Pencils - Author: Ellis Penhale - Published: 2026-10-20 - Updated: 2026-10-20 ![Faber-Castell Polychromos colored pencil, 176 mm long and drawn to scale, with a round dark green barrel, gold imprint and the end dipped in its orange lead color; inset: the sharpened 3.8 mm oil-based core](https://stationerytimes.com/images/raster/faber-castell-polychromos-16x9.png) *A Polychromos at its listed 176 mm, drawn to scale.* Original drawing (SVG): https://stationerytimes.com/images/faber-castell-polychromos-cover.svg. Drawings © 2026 Stationery Times, reusable with credit under CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). ## Product facts | Product | Brand | Brand origin | Made in | Material | Released | Price range (typical US retail, October 2026) | |---|---|---|---|---|---|---| | Faber-Castell Polychromos artists' colored pencils, tin of 120 (110011) | Faber-Castell (by Faber-Castell AG, Stein, Germany) | Germany | Germany | Cedar wood case, oil-based pigment core | 1908 | $: under $5 per pencil (multi-packs divided by the count) | - Made in (Faber-Castell Polychromos artists' colored pencils, tin of 120 (110011)): Germany. Officeworks lists Germany as the country of manufacture for the 120-pencil tin. Faber-Castell's German and other product pages we read don't state a country. Source: https://www.officeworks.com.au/shop/officeworks/p/faber-castell-polychromos-coloured-pencils-120-pack-fa18110011 ## Key takeaways - The full Polychromos range is 120 colors, sold in tins of 12, 24, 36, 60 and 120 plus a 120-color wooden case. - Faber-Castell's German site gives a 3.8 mm core, about 1.7 times the 2.2 mm core of a No. 2 graphite pencil; Galaxus lists a pencil length of 176 mm (6.9 in). - Each pencil carries 1 to 3 stars for lightfastness, graded good, very good or maximum; Blick sells a 102-color set of 3-star colors. - Cowling & Wilcox says Polychromos first launched in 1908; the 120 tin is item 110011, EAN 4005401100119. - Officeworks lists Germany as the country of manufacture; Faber-Castell is based in Stein, near Nuremberg. ## What are Faber-Castell Polychromos pencils? **Polychromos are Faber-Castell's oil-based artists' colored pencils, with a 3.8 mm core in a cedar case.** Faber-Castell's German site lists the 3.8 mm core, smudge- and water-resistant color and break resistance from "Sekuralverleimung (SV)" bonding; retailers describe the binder as oil-based. The name means "many colors". Cowling & Wilcox dates the first Polychromos to 1908, though we found no Faber-Castell page confirming the year. ## Polychromos specs | Spec | Value | |---|---| | Maker | Faber-Castell AG, Stein, Germany | | Colors | 120 | | Binder | Oil-based | | Core | 3.8 mm (Faber-Castell) | | Length | 176 mm (6.9 in) | | Case | California cedar, SV-bonded core | | Lightfastness | 1–3 stars on each pencil (good, very good, maximum) | | 120 tin | 110011, EAN 4005401100119 | | Sets | Tins of 12, 24, 36, 60, 120; wooden case of 120 | | Made in | Germany (per Officeworks) | The core, bonding and finish come from Faber-Castell's German site; the length from Galaxus, the cedar case from Cowling & Wilcox and Art to Art. Faber-Castell publishes no length, so treat 176 mm as a retailer figure. Its German site shows 138 color variants for single pencils, more than the 120 in the biggest tin; we couldn't see the list. ## How big is the Polychromos core? **Faber-Castell lists it at 3.8 mm, about 1.7 times the core of a No. 2 graphite pencil.** ![Polychromos 3.8 mm core drawn to scale next to a 2.2 mm No. 2 pencil core and 0.5 mm mechanical lead; below, the one-to-three-star lightfastness key printed on each pencil: good, very good and maximum](https://stationerytimes.com/images/faber-castell-polychromos-core.svg) *Core diameters to scale, and what the stars on each pencil mean.* A wide core takes broad strokes and shading well, and it can still be sharpened to a fine point because the oil binder is firmer than wax. ## What do the lightfastness stars mean? **Each pencil carries one to three stars; Cowling & Wilcox describes them as good, very good and maximum lightfastness.** Some retailers map three stars to Blue Wool 7–8, but we couldn't confirm that mapping on a page we could read. If your work will hang in daylight, use three-star colors where you can. Blick sells a 102-color set of only the maximum-lightfastness colors and says they resist fading for more than 100 years under museum conditions, so most of the 120 earn three stars. ## How do you blend and layer Polychromos? **By building thin layers with light pressure, then pressing harder for the final layers.** Walmart reviewers of the 120 tin say the colors blend well, lay down smoothly and layer with other media. Faber-Castell describes the color as smudge- and water-resistant ("wisch- und wasserfest") once on paper. That means finished areas stay put when you rest your hand on them, but you can't wash them out with water as you would a watercolor pencil. Oil-based cores are often said to take more layers than soft wax cores before the paper stops accepting color. We haven't measured that ourselves yet. To lighten a layer rather than erase it, dab it with a kneadable eraser such as the [Faber-Castell Art Eraser](https://stationerytimes.com/guides/faber-castell-art-eraser/). ## Which Polychromos set should you buy? **Start with the 24 or 36 tin, then add single pencils; buy the 120 if you already know you'll use the range.** - **12 or 24:** enough for sketching and learning layering. - **36 or 60:** adds earth tones and grays for landscapes and portraits. - **120 tin or wooden case:** the full range, and the cheapest way to buy per pencil, still in our $ band (under $5). Open stock lets you replace the colors you use most without buying another set. ## How does Polychromos compare with Prismacolor Premier? **Polychromos is firmer and oil-based; [Prismacolor Premier](https://stationerytimes.com/guides/prismacolor-premier-colored-pencils/) is softer and wax-based.** | | Faber-Castell Polychromos | Prismacolor Premier | |---|---|---| | Binder | Oil | Wax | | Colors | 120 | 150 | | Core | 3.8 mm | 3–3.8 mm | | Made in | Germany | Mexico | | Price band per pencil | $ | $ | A review roundup credits Polychromos with creamy laydown and good point retention but notes the harder core needs more pressure for heavy coverage. Choose Polychromos for detail and layering, Premier for fast, rich coverage. ## How does Polychromos relate to the Castell 9000? **Both are Faber-Castell's artist pencils in dark green barrels: the [Castell 9000](https://stationerytimes.com/guides/faber-castell-9000/) is the graphite line, Polychromos the colored one.** Use a light 9000 grade such as 2H for the underdrawing, so the graphite doesn't gray your colors. For an alternative graphite range with more grades, see the [Staedtler Mars Lumograph](https://stationerytimes.com/guides/staedtler-mars-lumograph/). For ink lines under colored pencil, Faber-Castell's [PITT Artist Pen](https://stationerytimes.com/guides/faber-castell-pitt-artist-pen/) uses lightfast, waterproof India ink. ## Where are Faber-Castell Polychromos made? **Officeworks lists Germany as the country of manufacture for the 120 tin.** Faber-Castell is based in Stein, near Nuremberg; its own pages that we could reach don't name the factory for Polychromos. ## Frequently asked questions ### Are Polychromos pencils oil-based? Yes. Retailers such as Cowling & Wilcox describe artists' pigments in an oil-based binder, which makes the core firmer than wax-based pencils and helps it hold a point. ### How many colors does Polychromos have? 120 in the largest tin and wooden case; tins of 12, 24, 36 and 60 are subsets, and Blick sells a 102-color set of the most lightfast colors. Faber-Castell's German site shows 138 color variants for single pencils, so the open-stock range may be larger. ### What do the stars on Polychromos pencils mean? They rate lightfastness. Cowling & Wilcox describes the grades as good, very good and maximum, and Blick says three-star colors resist fading for more than 100 years under museum conditions. ### Are Polychromos better than Prismacolor? They're different. Polychromos are oil-based, firmer and keep a point longer; Prismacolor Premier are wax-based, softer and cover faster. Many reviewers praise both, so choose by how you like to work. ### Are Polychromos pencils worth the money? For finished art you want to keep, usually: the oil-based cores are break-resistant, lightfast ratings are printed on each pencil, and the 120 tin works out to under $5 a pencil. For casual coloring, a cheaper set is enough. ### Can you blend Polychromos pencils? Yes, by layering. Reviewers say they blend well and lay down smoothly, though the harder core needs more pressure for heavy coverage than a wax-based pencil. ### Where are Faber-Castell Polychromos made? Officeworks lists Germany as the country of manufacture. Faber-Castell is headquartered in Stein, near Nuremberg. ## Sources - [Faber-Castell (Germany): Polychromos Farbstift, 120er Metalletui (colored pencils, metal tin of 120: item 110011, 3.8 mm core, smudge- and water-resistant, SV bonding)](https://www.faber-castell.de/produkte/PolychromosFarbstift120erMetalletui/110011) - [Faber-Castell (Germany): Polychromos Farbstift, 165 wacholdergrün (single pencil, juniper green: 138 color variants listed)](https://www.faber-castell.de/produkte/PolychromosFarbstift165wacholdergr%c3%bcn/110165) - [Galaxus: Faber-Castell Polychromos 120 metal case (176 mm length, 3.8 mm lead)](https://galaxus.fr/en/s12/product/faber-castell-polychromos-120-metal-case-multicoloured-120-x-pencils-8578778) - [eBay.de: Faber-Castell Polychromos 120 (110011, EAN 4005401100119, 3.8 mm lead)](https://www.ebay.de/p/7027179130) - [Officeworks: Faber-Castell Polychromos 120-pack (country of manufacture Germany)](https://www.officeworks.com.au/shop/officeworks/p/faber-castell-polychromos-coloured-pencils-120-pack-fa18110011) - [Freestyle Photo: Polychromos 120 in metal tin (oil-based binder, cedar)](https://www.freestylephoto.com/110011-Faber-Castell-Polychromos-Color-Pencil-Set-120-Pencils-in-Metal-Tin) - [T N Lawrence: Faber-Castell Polychromos pencils (lightfastness grading)](https://www.tnlawrence.com/faber-castell-polychromos-pencils) - [Art to Art: Faber-Castell Polychromos pencils](https://www.arttoart.net/faber-castell-polychromos-pencils) - [Merriartist: Polychromos 165 Juniper Green (3.8 mm, California cedar, SV bonding)](https://merriartist.com/products/fc110165) - [Blick: Polychromos set of 102, maximum lightfastness (3-star colors, 100+ years under museum conditions)](https://www.dickblick.com/items/faber-castell-polychromos-pencil-set-of-102-maximum-lightfastness-assorted-colors/) - [Guild Art Supply: Polychromos 24-color tin set](https://www.guildartsupply.com/shop/c/p/POLYCHROMOS-PENCILS-24-COLOR-TIN-SET-x51208295.htm) - [Walmart: Faber-Castell Polychromos tin set, 120 colors](https://www.walmart.com/ip/39104359) - [Mayfair Farms: best colored pencil sets, July 2026 (Polychromos 120 review)](https://www.mayfairfarms.com/?p=33718) - [Cowling & Wilcox: Polychromos colour pencil tin of 120 (first launched 1908, oil-based binder, 3.8 mm, FSC cedar, lightfastness grades)](https://cowlingandwilcox.com/coloured-pencils/112-faber-castell-polychromos-colour-pencil-tin-120)