Ready for some creative coloring but confused about what to get, where to start?
There are a lot of options out there and it can be a little overwhelming for the beginner, if you don't know what you're looking for. In the many years of drawing, I have tried a lot of brands, types of pencils, products.
Colored pencils have so many possibilities. It's a slow enjoyable medium with a zen like quality as layers of shading are applied. That's why coloring is recommended for stress relief - Slow, creative unwinding. The continued popularity of coloring books is evidence - they are Everywhere.
The following is a list of colored pencil brands I have tried and own. I often mix the brands to get the results I want.
I have featured the current popular brands with some prices and quality info.
Links enclosed are to:
Michaels (online coupon), Sarnoffs of Tucson, Walmart (Prismacolors, best deal), Amazon.
Prismacolor Premier Colored Pencils$$ Pros: Artist Quality. Rich buttery pigments, blends and layers beautifully. Large color selection. Online color charts available on their site for download. Available at many places, even at Walmart.
Cons: Soft core lead breaks easily. Not all colors are lightfast.
Wax Binder. Can develop a waxy haze on top of layers.
Prismacolor Verithin Colored Pencils$$ Pros: Artist Quality. Rich pigments, Large color selection. Hard lead core does not break easily and keeps a sharp point. Good for fine details.
Cons: The harder lead makes blending a bit more difficult.
Wax binder.
Koh-I-Noor Polychromos Colored Pencils$$ Pros: Artist Quality. Nice pigments, blends and layers easily. Hard lead core does not break easily and keeps a sharp point. Up to 72 color selection. Michaels carries this brand. Blends nicely with Prismacolor Premier Colored Pencils and Faber-Castell pencils. Get the ones Encased In Wood.
Cons: Only found in select stores. The wood cased ones only found online.
Oil binder. No wax haze, clean finish.
Faber-Castell Polychromos Colored Pencils$$$ Pros: Artist Quality. Rich pigments that blend and layer beautifully. Large color selection. Online color charts available on their site for download. Most colors are lightfast. Lead is harder, keeps a sharp point longer, doesn't break easily.
Cons: A bit more expensive.
Oil Binder. No wax haze, clean finish.
Sarnoffs of Tucson and Michaels offer the artist quality pencils individually to purchase. Another reason to buy artist quality - they are usually available individually in case you run out of your favorite colors.
Or would like to try a new brand but don't want to buy a whole set of the higher end products.
* Bottom line (no pun intended): get the best materials your budget can afford.
So don't wait - just start!
Stay tuned for paper suggestions. Art results depend not only on the pencil choice, but more importantly, the paper choice.
There are additional media combos for colored pencils like inks and mirco pens, watercolors for later posts. Mixed media is my very favorite method of creating.
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