Coloring in adult coloring books doesn’t take a lot of supplies. Basically, you need a picture and a crayon, pencil, marker, pastel, or gel pen. Seems simple enough, but if you want to take your art up a notch, it can become a little more complicated. Here is my list of the 12 best coloring supplies and tools.
My Favorite Coloring Tools
This is not a “find the top sellers on Amazon and make up a random comment” blog. These are the actual items that I use to make my coloring art. I hope that they will inspire you to explore new-to-you products and practice new techniques.
As a colorist, I’m sure you have your favorite versions of some of these tools. I would love to hear about your favs in the comments.
Many colorists underestimate the importance of a white pencil. From blending to highlighting to creating eye sheen, a good white pencil is indispensable. Derwent’s white pencil is creamy and opaque, which allows me to create all sorts of effects.
For instance, in this picture from Fantastical Visions by Jeff Haynie, I used my Derwent white pencil to:
Brighten the coffee fiend’s eyes.
Create the smoke effect.
Highlight the cups and skulls.
Whiten everyone’s teeth.
White Derwent Drawing Pencil. Line drawing from Fantastical Images by Jeff Haynie.
Sometimes I can’t decide what to do with the background of a picture. Sometimes I don’t want to deal with it. My go-to shortcut for a beautiful no-effort background is to print out my picture on stationery paper.
The only drawback is that the paper usually doesn’t have much tooth. Great for markers but a little challenging for pencils.
The antiqued background perfectly framed this picture from Lisa Ortega’s Coloring Gifts™: Gifts of Friendship. I used BIC Intensity Colored Markers and Sharpie Permanent Markers. Both the Electro Pop and Color Burst have some nice unique colors.
Lisa Ortega’s Coloring Gifts™: Gifts of Friendship printed on vintage stationery paper.
I have many erasers, but my favorite in most instances is the Tombow MONO Zero Eraser. This little eraser is quite the workhorse. As you would expect, it can erase stray marks, but it can also add highlights and texture. I call this technique “coloring with an eraser.”
Another useful eraser is the Ohuhu Electric Eraser. It can erase most pencil marks, but you have to be careful not to damage the paper. Primarily I use it to make stars and glowy orbs. Make sure to get extra eraser inserts if you use it regularly. They seem to go fast.
The Prismacolor Verithin pencils have hard cores, which means you can sharpen them to a fine point. I use all of the colors for detailed pictures, but I particularly like the black for reestablishing lines that may have been colored over or erased off the page.
If there is one tool that I could never give up, it would be my Prismacolor Blender Pencil. Since discovering them, I don’t think I’ve used colored pencils on a picture without using a blending pencil. I use it to soften color transition and create a smooth finish. Especially helpful if you have toothy paper. I use my blender to burnish also instead of buying a different pencil.
Wondering why one of the pencils has a blue handle? That is my favorite style of pencil extender. We hate to throw away a pencil while there are still a couple of inches left but using the shorty leads to finger cramps. The pencil extender allows you to finish off the pencil in comfort.
I like to use a clipboard because:
It is easier for me to avoid rubbing and smearing my work.
I like to turn the page around as I color.
I always have a flat hard surface to color on no matter where I am.
My WIP from Explore Food & Wine of Tuscany, Italy by Bibi LeBlanc on a clear clipboard. I use a clipboard band to hold the bottom of the page. And because I know someone will ask, I use Prismacolor Premier Colored Pencils on this picture.
Transparent Plastic Clipboard, clipboard band, Prismacolor Premier Colored Pencils. Line drawing from Explore Food & Wine of Tuscany, Italy by Bibi LeBlanc.
Sometimes I use a hardboard clipboard and secure the page with artists’ tape instead.
What do pencils, chalk, pastels, eye shadow, and pan pastels have in common? First, they smear, which is great for blending but not so great when the side of your hand rubs color onto other parts of the page. And, if you’re coloring in a book, the color transfers to the back of the previous page.
Clear acetate film is one way to protect your work. I will cut a half-page to place under the side of my hand. Since it is transparent, you can still see your work, and it slides easily over the page. If you want to keep your colored picture from smearing onto the page before it, you can insert a full-sized page between the pages of your book.
Here is a sheet of acetate protecting a WIP page from Nightfall Coloring Book by Maria Trolle.
Acetate Film. Line art from Nightfall Coloring Book by Maria Trolle.
Because my cat, Buster, liked to steal and chew on the acetate film, I got in the habit of using Canson Foundation Tracing Paper to protect my picture.
A black pen, extra-fine tip marker, or fine-liner is indispensable when coloring. It can be used to:
Create dark accents.
Reestablish lines that have been colored over or erased.
Add personal touches to a design.
Sign your work.
My three favorite sizes of SAKURA Pigma Micron Black Ink Pens.
The Sakura Microns are my favorite because of the variety of tip sizes. I always have the right size for anything I want to do. Another multi-tip pen set that I use is the Faber-Castell FC167137 Wallet Pitt Pen Nibs Art Set.
Finding the right pencil sharpener is difficult. Each brand and style of pencils have their own attributes. Plus, every sharpener is a little different. One person may love electric sharpeners, and another feels like they waste too much of the pencil.
The Dahle 155 is my current favorite for several reasons.
Even my largest barrel pencil fits in it.
I can adjust the sharpness of my pencil point.
The sharpening cylinder never dulls.
It has a cup to catch pencil shavings.
I usually use the Prismacolor Premier Pencil Sharpener or Kutsuwa STAD T’GAAL Angle Adjustable Pencil Sharpener for a handheld sharpener.
TIP: Do you have a pencil sharpener that needs sharpening? Sharpen a plain graphite pencil to clean the blade.
Wait, what? A make-up brush? You create pencil dust when using your pencils to layer, blend, or burnish. Erasing also leaves a residue. Wiping it off with your hand can smear colors, and blowing it off increases your chances of breathing the fine powder. Not good for your lungs.
I like several dusting brushes, including this Mini Dusting Brush and Sheep Hair Hake Brush, but I always come back to my blush brush. It is easy to hold, and the long soft bristles are firm enough to move the dust without damaging my picture.
This WIP is from Nightfall Coloring Book by Maria Trolle.
EcoTools Precision Blush Brush, Faber Castell Triangular Grip Eraser. Line drawing is from Nightfall Coloring Book by Maria Trolle.
This picture also shows my second favorite eraser. The Faber Castell Triangular Grip Eraser is wonderful for:
Erasing clouds into a colored sky.
Creating transparency for clothing, bubbles or ghosts.
Creating texture and blending in backgrounds and landscapes.
To erase hand smudges.
White paint pens and white gel pens are very popular for creating highlights and covering stray marks. I prefer the paint pens because, overall, they are more opaque, meaning they will provide better coverage.
This WIP is from the 3D Mandala Coloring Book by Radu Frăsie.
White Paint Pen. Line drawing from 3D Mandala Coloring Book by Radu Frăsie
I will also use Dr. Ph. Martin’s Bleedproof White opaque watercolor paint with a small paintbrush to add highlights or correct mistakes. It can also be thinned to create eye shine and other effects.
What do you think of my list? Do you have a favorite go-to tool? Would you like to see a demonstration of any of the products or techniques? Let me know in the comments.
All the colored pictures are mine, and you can see them at my Facebook coloring group: Deirdre Gamill Hock’s Coloring Gallery. I would love to see your pictures in my Facebook group, Obsession Coloring Club. Join today!
Want to learn how to color a beautiful face? Click here.
I’ve included Amazon links to the supplies in my list. I make a small commission if you click through the link. However, you can purchase these items at other popular online and brick-and-mortar art supply stores. Many coloring book artists also sell pdf copies of their books for people that prefer to store their books electronically.
Deirdre Gamill-Hock is a lifestyle/wellness coach and freelance writer/editor who writes engaging content for blogs and small businesses. Contact her at deirdre@deirdrehock.com or click here.
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