High-pigment colored pencils—industry standard for storyboards, concept art, animation. Smooth laydown, excellent coverage, essential for quick on-set visualization. Every art department keeps them.
On set or during the prep phase, Prismacolors are the go-to for quick, impactful visualizations—not out of nostalgia, but pure practicality. The pencils deliver saturated color within seconds that adheres to paper, cardstock, or even prepared boards without crumbling or smudging. This makes them the standard in all areas where communication happens under time pressure: during storyboarding before shooting begins, for quick concept sketching for location decisions, or for rough animatics in early-stage development.
Opacity is the selling point—three or four strokes and the color is there, even over darker backgrounds. The rich, almost oily finish comes from the high pigment concentration and the wax binder system. This allows colors to be layered, blended, and corrected immediately without the pencils clogging or bleeding like cheaper alternatives. Unlike marker systems—which are faster but offer less control—you maintain the line with Prismacolors. You can be precise. This is crucial for character design or costume exploration across multiple variations.
In animation and the storyboarding process, Prismacolors are virtually indispensable. A storyboard artist who needs to deliver ten boards per hour relies on these pencils—because they work reliably, require no drying time, and the color quality remains consistent, whether it's your first or hundredth stroke. In concept art for VFX departments or production design, the same advantage is evident: fast, convincing color studies that convey the intended color direction to the DP or Art Director in seconds.
A practical tip: Prismacolors don't like extreme temperatures and lose grip if stored too warm. Storing a box in the truck on set is more sensible than in direct sunlight. And: don't use too much pressure—the material forgives force, but unnecessary force wears down the tip. Those who work with a light hand will get more mileage out of a single pencil.