What I Use: Colored Pencil Edition
I’m going to be honest.
For a long time, the only medium I really loved to use was graphite. I love the subtlety of pencil, how much the image changes when it catches the light, and how delicate the drawings were. When it came to branching out to color, colored pencils seemed like the sensible next step. My birthday (or maybe it was Christmas?) rolled around, and my parents gifted me with the most amazing colored pencil set that I have been using for years now! I haven’t needed to experiment with many other brands because I am extremely happy with my set up. In my limited testing and my extensive online research, these are widely regarded as being some of the best artist-grade but well-priced colored pencils. So thanks, Mom and Dad! You chose well!
Without Further Ado…
My go-to colored pencils are the Prismacolor Premier Colored Pencils. These are also known as their “soft core” colored pencils, which is exactly what it sounds like. They have a soft wax core so they glide smoothly on to the page and leave behind lots of vivid color. They don’t erase or smudge easily (we’ll get to that in a second) and come in 150 different colors with a variety of different sets.
Click on any of the images in this post to purchase!
Prismacolor sells a variety of curated sets including this botanical pack.
They also sell individual pencils which is great for supplementing a set or when one wears down.
I mean look at that selection! It’s what my colored pencil dreams are made of.
Paper
There are a lot of different options for paper when it comes to colored pencil. My favorites are smooth papers with just a little bit of tooth. Tooth is paper texture - you need a little bit in order for the paper to hold onto the wax. Bristol paper, colored pencil paper, mixed media paper, sketch paper, vellum-textured paper, any of these would work well for colored pencil. All of the papers that I use regularly are from Strathmore.
This paper is made for Colored Pencil. It’s an artist-grade, lighter weight option. This wire-bound pad is great for sketches or beginners.
I love this Mixed Media paper! It’s heavier (i.e. sturdier) than the Colored Pencil paper but has a similar toothy finish.
This paper is luxurious. It’s even thicker than the previously mentioned paper. If you’re someone who frequently traces their subject matter, this paper is probably too thick for that.
Strathmore also makes Toned Mixed Media papers that come in a few colors including gray (shown above), tan, and steel blue. I use it for experimentations or value studies.
My other must-haves
I couldn’t complete my colored pencil pieces without these other tools! I have them listed here in order of necessity. If you only get one of these, let it be a really good pencil sharpener! Being able to control the sharpness of your pencil tip is vital to your drawing success and an electric or flimsy sharpener just won’t cut it.
The softness of soft core pencils allows for beautiful blending and easy transfer to paper but it also means that they can wear down and break easily, including when sharpened. I highly recommend a good quality, manual pencil sharpener in order to keep the tips of your pencils sharp! This one is my favorite. *
Colored pencils (and really all dry media) will pick up the texture of the surface you’re drawing on. If I just laid down my paper onto my wood desk, my drawing would have a pretty distinct woodgrain pattern in it. I like to use this drawing board so that I have a nice smooth surface to work on.
Colored pencils do not (and, in my opinion, should not) erase easily. I swear by these sand erasers which are essentially a very fine sandpaper! I use mine almost every day. My tips: erase carefully, use only on sturdy paper, and know that you are exfoliating the paper surface and if you overdo it, you may not be able to draw on top of your erased spot.
Another eraser favorite! This kneaded eraser is great for gradual erasing. If you dab your drawing (rather than using the usual scrubbing motion), you can very lightly erase the drawing so that you’re leaving just a light layer of colored pencil behind. It’s actually really fun to experiment with!
*An update since this was originally published: It’s come to my attention that there are restrictions on shipping brass pencil sharpeners. California, where I live, is one of the states where it’s not allowed. If you find that this is the case where you live, I recommend making your purchase at an art supply store in person!
FULL DISCLOSURE.
I don’t have any discount links and I don’t get paid for recommending certain products. I will, however, get a small portion of the sale if you purchase anything via the links above! Everything above is tried, true, and wonderful.
And that’s about it!
If you have any questions or if there are any other topics you want me to touch on, let me know in the comments below! I am here and happy to talk materials. Are there any colored pencil materials that you like that I didn’t mention? I’d love to hear that too!
Best,
