Colored Pencils for Coloring Classes

Colored Pencil Classes at the Kirk Bear Canyon Library March 6 & 20, 5:30 - 7:30.

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.

Happy coloring!

Rose Rainbow

This design is a repeat type from a coloring book I actually bought. Most of the books out there don't appeal to me At All, but this one did for a few designs.  It's called Joyous Blooms. I know part of the appeal was the flowers and quotes, which I love.

It was fun to experiment with for watercolor on the Bristol Vellum. To see how much water the paper could take before deteriorating or buckling too much. Overall it did surprisingly well. Good for student practice. Below are materials used for this project.







Materials for Watercolor Pencil Session April 6, 5:30 - 7:30:
• Watercolor pencils or watercolor set.
• Water brush and or 2 brushes: #1 round brush, #2 round brush. Synthetic.
• Colored Pencils
• Clipboard or other board to tape your project onto.

A 5x7" design will be provided. Pencil sharpeners will be available for use.
Aaron Brothers, Michaels, Jo-Anns, Sarnoffs are resources for the materials.
Call or go online to their websites to make sure they have them in stock.

Creative Coloring Students

Yesterday's colored pencil class had a nice turnout and everyone had fun. I hope all came away with at least one good tip to improve their future coloring experiences.
The sample coloring cards provided a practice area to try out blending, shading, different colored pencil brands, new materials. It's a nice introduction to the world of colored pencils.





There are so Many, many ways to use them and the best fun is experimenting with new materials, techniques. Having someone in person show them where you can ask questions is helpful in addition to the tons of information found in bookstores, internet etc.

One of the things I really enjoy is the camaraderie and interest we experience when getting together with like minded enthusiasts. Coloring is relaxing, fun and easy to learn. Get a few basic shading and blending techniques down to take it even further. It's addicting.

Maybe we can start a Coloring Club...  :)
It's nice to get together, share information and just talk art. Find quality artist supplies at Sarnoffs and additional local places.

Three Reasons to Have A Color Journal

Making color journals and references of the media you work in can be very handy to have. Below are three reasons I like to make my color charts of colored pencils and paints.

First, start by getting your colors lined up, warm to cool or whatever works. Then do a small shade bar, from darkest to lightest.

1. Pencils, watercolors, acrylics will vary slightly (or a lot) from different manufacturers.
Also, it can be difficult for beginners to choose based on the packaging color. Having your little color reference can make it easier to see the actual color on the paper.

2. If trying a new brand, it's good to make notes on the side along with the # number of the color to refer back to when getting a palette ready for new work. Each brand and color will have it's own personality and often vary. Light fast, permanence, strengths etc.

3. It's always relaxing and fun to document observations on the colors, feel how each works.  For beginners it is an excellent way to practice shading.


The printed color chart is from Faber-Castell site. It shows all the colors in each of the sets they make. (found under Customer Service tab at the bottom).  There is another chart that lists light fastness for each color. The site will give color charts for their products.


Using a variety of brands gives me the flexibility I need to achieve the results I want.