- Artist quality - Highly pigmented cores - Hexagonal FSC-certified cedar casings - Firm, break-resistant 3.8 mm leads - Excellent for detailed work with impressive lightfastness Caran d’Ache Pablo Colored Pencils combine precision and performance in one beautifully made pencil. Designed for artists who want control without compromising on color, Pablo pencils deliver rich, dense pigment with a smooth, dry laydown that’s ideal for detail work, layering, and clean edges. The harder core holds a sharp point for longer, making them a favorite for illustrators and anyone working in fine detail. Each pencil features a 3.8 mm core encased in FSC-certified cedar with a hexagonal shape. Color-dipped barrels offer a close match to the pigment inside, while gold foil stamping lists the color name and number in both French and English—along with the pencil’s lightfast rating. Pablo pencils are water-resistant and smudge-resistant, making them great for mixed media, dry layering, or colored pencil-only techniques. Colors blend smoothly without waxy buildup, and the opacity—especially in the white—is impressive. Available in 120 colors, they offer plenty of flexibility whether you're working from a full set or building a personalized palette over time.