As adult coloring becomes more popular, colorists are getting more creative with their coloring mediums.
Adults color with:
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- Colored pencils
- Markers
- Watercolor brush pens
- Crayons
- Colored pens (gel and ballpoint)
- Watercolor brush pens
- Chalk pens
- Pastels
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Although coloring medium is mostly a matter of preference, many colorists find that finer-tipped tools like markers, pens, and colored pencils are best for detailed work. Tools offering wider coverage, like watercolor brush pens and pastels, work well for larger works and backgrounds.
What to Color With
Below, we get into detail about each coloring option to give you an idea of which one you might prefer to start with.
Colored Pencils
Colored pencils are probably the most well-known choice for adult coloring and are often sold next to adult coloring books or included in coloring sets. Colored pencils’ sharp tips offer colorists a great degree of precision, and the price and availability can’t be beaten. But what a lot of people don’t realize when they’re first starting in coloring is that there is more than one kind of colored pencil:
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- Wax-Based
- Oil-Based
- Water Soluble
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Water-soluble pencils are the most common type and are the ones found in most general stores. They’re made with students and hobbyists in mind and offer a hard lead that is easy to sharpen to a fine point.
Wax-based pencils are intended for more severe colorists and have soft leads that make it easy to lay down color and blend it effortlessly. Although they’re a step up from water-soluble pencils, they come in a range of qualities and price points. However, wax-based pencils’ softcore wears down quickly, so it’s hard to keep it sharpened to a fine point.
Oil-based colored pencils are a cross between wax-based and water-soluble, providing super-blendable color with a lead that’s hard enough to hold a point. They’re much less common than the other two, though, and because they’re intended for artists, they’re on the pricier side. Colored pencils are very convenient since they’re portable and don’t leave much of a mess, although it’s a good idea to have a sharpener and eraser on hand when using them.
Markers
Markers are another staple in many colorists’ toolkits, offering the precision of colored pencils and the bright pigment of ink. Like colored pencils, there are a lot more types of markers than people initially realize. Each type offers a different benefit, but ultimately, it’s up to the artist to decide which will work for each particular piece of work.
Alcohol-Based Markers: Alcohol-based markers are highly blendable and give smooth, even coverage, as long as you work quickly before the quick-drying ink sets. Once the ink is set, there’s not much you can do to blend it, although blender markers can help to soften edges and streaks a bit.
Water-Based: Water-based markers are slower drying, and their ink can be reactivated for blending by using a wet paintbrush over it. This makes them perfect for layering, shading and blending multiple colors, and covering large areas smoothly. However, piling on multiple layers of water-based ink, or going over the ink with water, can cause the paper to tear or wrinkle and curl. Using thicker, higher-quality paper can reduce the chances of this, but always keep it in mind when you’re deciding how much water to put down on a page.
Chalk Markers: Chalk markers can be a fun addition to your coloring tool collection and are incredibly fun to use on black coloring books made just for them. The black background causes the color to pop off the page. If you’ve ever seen a special chalkboard at a cafe or restaurant, chances are, they used chalk markers. Chalk markers write just like regular markers but dry with the consistency of chalk. This makes them decent for blending, but you might want to use a fixative when your work is finished, as chalk markers tend to rub off. If you like the look of chalk but want something portable that won’t make a huge mess, chalk markers are an excellent alternative to pastels, which we’ll talk about below.
Learn more about the best markers we recommend here!
Watercolor Brush Pens
Watercolor brush pens are called pens, but they’re more of a pen/marker/watercolor hybrid. Watercolor brush pens contain watercolor ink, which is released through a tip with a brush on the end. This allows for a lot of control and flexibility over brush stroke thickness, controlled by the amount of pressure and angle used. Watercolor brush pens are super versatile and great for extensive backgrounds and fine details—their watercolor ink blends and layers and traditional watercolors. Like watercolors and water-based markers, watercolor brush pens can be reactivated with water, making them great for color washes, fades, and ombre effects.
Crayons
Crayons are perfect if you’re coloring primarily to relieve stress, the brightly colored wax pigment being smooth and easy to lay down. We’ve all used them before, so we know what to expect when we pick them up. This can cut down on the anxiety of using a new medium, especially if you’re picking up coloring for the first time since reaching adulthood. But crayons are great tools for more severe colorists as well. They provide fast, easy coverage that layers well and can be sharpened for more detailed work. Try adding baby oil over sections of crayon to achieve unexpected blending and fading effects. Their price and availability make them ideal for experimenting with mixed-media projects, too.
Colored Pens
Although common among stationary and letter artists, pens aren’t entirely as widely used in adult coloring. But their availability and price make them worth a mention. It’s essential to know that not all pens are created equal, like pencils and markers. Some pens are better suited to coloring than others.
Ballpoint Pens: Ballpoint pens contain fast-drying, oil-based ink. This ink is prone to clumping and requires applying more pressure to lay down the color. This can get tiring on the hand and arm over time. For this reason, they’re not the best choice for coloring. They can be used in mixed-media pieces, though, for detailed accents and even some shading.
Rollerball Pens: Rollerball pens contain water-based ink. The ink flows more freely with less pressure than oil-based ink, and it lays down a smoother color. There are also more colors to choose from, making them the right choice for adult coloring. However, they’re prone to smudging, mostly if a thick layer is used. Left-handers especially may have trouble with this if they’re not careful about where their hand is dragging over the page.
Gel Pens: Gel pens contain water-based gel, which provides the best of both worlds. The ink glides on smoothly, is quick-drying, and less likely to smudge. Gel pens are the best choice for coloring. Pens are convenient for colorists since they’re:
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- Widely available
- Inexpensive
- Portable
- Don’t require sharpening
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On the other hand, they’re not ideal for shading and blending.
Soft Chalk Pastels
Pastels are sticks of chalk mixed with pigment and a binder. They’re perfect for creating layered effects or blending and can cover a large background in a short amount of time. However, it’s difficult to achieve precision with pastels, so be sure to have an eraser handy. When using pastels for a coloring book, always use soft or chalk pastels, never oil-based ones.
Don’t Be Afraid to Mix Mediums
Part of the fun of adult coloring is freeing your creative side and being able to let go. This makes it the perfect chance to embrace your creativity and experiment a little. Rather than choosing one medium and sticking with it no matter what, try mixing different ones to see what cool effects you can make. Try filling in the background with pastels and letting the foreground pop with some bright marker or crayon. Or do a color wash using watercolor on the background and fill in the smaller details with colored pencils or gel pens. You can even layer one medium over another. Maybe you’ve used watercolor brush pens on the whole page and want to add some shading or detail. Why not try layering on some marker?
Final Thoughts
The more you experiment with different mediums, the more you’ll find one that works best for you. Whether you choose your medium based on your mood or the specific project you’re working on, there’s no wrong choice, as long as you’re happy with the result.
Frequently Asked Questions
What tools do I need for adult coloring?
For adult coloring, you need a coloring book or downloadable coloring pages, something to color with, an eraser for mistakes, and an optional spray fixative to protect your work once finished.
Where can adults find illustrations to color?
Adults can color in coloring books or printable coloring pages. There are also apps and websites for creating your coloring pages out of photos. You can even trace or color free-form on blank paper if you want to start branching out into sketching and drawing.
Let’s get started coloring! Click here to download my free adult coloring eBook and sign up for my email newsletter!
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