My Go-To Art Supplies for Colored Pencil Drawing
I have had a few questions on different posts about what materials I like to use in creating my colored pencil drawings. So I thought a blog would be a great way to help other artists or those who just love coloring with colored pencils to know the pros and cons of different brands. Also, I thought it would be helpful to know what other materials go into working with colored pencils. If you have any questions I would love to hear from you!
Colored Pencil:
I started using colored pencils around 2017 and mostly used Prismacolor. As I sought to grow in my knowledge and skill of colored pencil, I began doing some research and watching YouTube videos to learn what successful colored pencil artists were using. I noticed many artists were moving away from Prismacolor but was a bit hesitant to try anything new because I liked working with what I was used to. However, as with most things there are pros and cons. So I have listed a few below to help guide you in your next colored pencil purchase.
Prismacolor Pros and Cons:
Pros:
-Amazing color range
-They are very blendable and easy to create all the different shades and tones you need to make your drawing come to life.
-Affordable: An individual pencil is less than $1.50 each and sets go on sale quite regularly at most arts and crafts stores, which leads to the next pro.
-Accessible: You can pick these up at most local arts and crafts stores like Hobby Lobby, Michaels and JoAnn (we don’t have a Jerry’s Artarama or Blick close by).
Cons:
-They break easily: Because they are softer than some other brands, which is what makes them so blendable, they tend to break with too much pressure so there is a bit of a learning curve there. You have to find just the right amount of pressure.
-Quality Control is not great. I have ordered these from many different companies and picked them up at local crafts stores and it doesn’t seem to matter, they still end up being crushed inside the barrel. This means that they will not sharpen and the point continues to break off. Lately, some have been completely crushed on the inside and the pencil sharpener just eats them up.
That being said, I will still use Prismacolor because the color range and blendability make it worth the frustration of the cons, especially when it comes to black. Prismacolor Black is probably the darkest out there.
I learned about Faber-Castell Polychromos from professional artists I follow on social media. They are another brand I really enjoy using, and plan to add more of them to my colored pencil collection.
Faber-Castell Polychromos Pros and Cons:
Pros:
-Good color range
-Blendable
-VERY strong and easy to get sharpened to a good point. This also helps the point last a lot longer while coloring.
Cons:
-More expensive: they range from $2.50-$3.00 per pencil and sets are pricier as well.
-Not as easy to find open stock in local stores. They must be ordered. Sets are also limited to 12 at stores like Michaels and JoAnn and I have not seen these at my local Hobby Lobby.
I have slowly started building my collection of these though and will continue to do so over time. I will give a thorough update on them once I have used them more.
There is one other brand I like to use and that is Caran D’Ache. I don’t have as much experience with this brand but their white is amazing. It is very opaque and bright when placed over other colors. It is an excellent pencil for highlights.
Paper
I have tried a few different papers as well. I have found that Stonehenge Legion Vellum 90lb paper works really well. It definitely handles layers and blending well. The main downside to this paper is that it is very textured and it is really difficult to get all of the small white texture dots to blend out. The other paper I have used is Strathmore 300 Bristol Vellum 100lb. This is my new go to and what I will be using going forward. It is durable and can handle many layers, as well as blending and burnishing with blenders and solvents. I am able to get a really smooth finish in my drawings with this paper.
Blender and Solvents
Blenders and solvents are also extremely important in colored pencil drawing. These items are what give a colored pencil drawing a painterly look and texture. For blender pencils I like using Prismacolor and Caran D’Ache blenders. I typically use a blender for mixing colors once they are layered on the paper to create the different tones and values I need to create. I use solvents as a final step to blend away the areas of paper that the colored pencil may have missed. I use both Gamblin Gamsol and Zest-it Pencil Blend. Both of these work really well.
I hope you have found this helpful! Again, please reach out with any questions you may have!
Take care!
