The Best Adult Coloring Supplies (October 2023 Update)

The Best Adult Coloring Supplies 2023

the-best-coloring-supplies-for-adults-2022

Coloring is an excellent way to relax and de-stress. Adults can use more sophisticated tools than children when it comes time for some serious coloring fun, as you'll see in this article!

MARKER RECOMMENDATIONS:

Markers are one of the most popular adult coloring tools, offering vibrant colors with opaque coverage. They're great for impromptu sessions because they can be pulled out and put away very easily! Buying art markers is difficult though - there's just so many options to choose from that it becomes hard to know which ones will work best on your project or paper grade level (thicker vs thinner sheets). That said if you have any questions about what type might suit you best then don't hesitate to leave a comment below!

Staedtler Fine Tips Markers

They are vibrant, never bleed, and come in a variety of colors (36) to keep you satisfied.

Pentel Markers set of 36

Staedtler Triplus Fineliner Pens

When it comes to fine liner pens, this is my go-to...

Dual Tip Brush Marker Pens by Tanmit

Art Marker Pens with Dual Tip Journal Pens with Fine Points and Colored Brush Markers

iBayam Journal Planner Pens

Arteza Real Brush Pens

Ohuhu 40-color Alcohol Markers

Reminder! Because alcohol markers bleed through paper, they should only be used on one-sided images with a barrier behind them.

BIC Intensity Fashion Permanent Markers

COLORED PENCIL RECOMMENDATIONS:

There is no substitute for the artistic, sketch-like appearance that colored pencils produce. They have a wide color palette, allowing for a variety of looks ranging from muted to vibrant to everything in between. Use them on their point for detail work or their side for textured shading. Colored pencils work best on smooth paper because they don't glide as well on textured paper, leaving unsightly gaps and white spaces.

After considering dozens of colored-pencil sets and spending four hours testing 14 popular sets, including one beautiful marathon three-hour session with about 40 kids and parents, we've decided that Prismacolor's Premier Colored Pencils are our top recommendation for someone shopping for their first colored-pencil set.

Prismacolor Premier Colored Pencils - Set of 72

Crayola Colored Pencils 50 Colors

Castle Art Colored Pencils

Marco Raffine – 72 Colors

Sargeant Art Pencils 50 Pack

Lyra Rembrandt 72 Colors

Faber Castell 120 Colors

Staedtler Ergosoft Pencils

Faber Castell Polychromos Artist Pencils 60 count

Luminance Colored Pencils

GEL PEN RECOMMENDATIONS:

Gel pens provide vibrant color precisely without bleed-through and are available in a variety of finishes in a single product line. Our favorite pens may not be the best for everyone, but they are the ones we adore, despite being a little unusual or difficult to find. They work on a variety of papers and are simple to use and store. Some gel inks are designed to stand out on dark paper and over dark inks, making them ideal for accents and other details. Because gel ink dries quickly, we don't recommend using it on large coloring sheets..

Color-it Gel Pens

These were a new supply for me in 2021, but WOW the pack they come in is incredible..

Sakura Gelly Roll Pens – Big box of 72

You all know I can't live without the clear sparkle pens that you can use over your pencil or marker marks, which have long been a favorite of mine, especially the sparkly set.

Uniball Signo White Pen in Bold

This tool is invaluable for creating white highlights and other special effects in your coloring.

Reaeon Gel Pens

100 refills – 28 Glitter, 18 Metallic, 16 Neon, 15 Pastel, 14 Neon-Glitter, 6 Swirl, 3 Classic

Tanmit Gel Pens

set of 100 with 100 refills

Gel Pens

a small set of 30

Glitter Gel Pens

100 Color

Arteza Gel Pens

set of 60

Shuttle Art Gel Pens

set of 180 with 180 refills

Fiskars 48 Gel Pens

BRUSH PEN RECOMMENDATIONS:

Color with brush pens to flex your artistic muscles! Advanced colorists will appreciate these because the flexible tips move fluidly between thin and thick lines, allowing for artistic expression. The vibrant colors blend well and provide adequate coverage. Brush pens work well on most papers and have little to no bleed-through.

Akashiya Sai Watercolor Brush Pens

Kuretake Zig Wink of Stella Glitter Brush Pens

WATERCOLOR RECOMMENDATIONS:

While watercolors are not a traditional coloring medium, they do give coloring pages a romantic, fine art look and feel. Watercolors should not be used on regular coloring books; a heavier watercolor paper is required to handle the high water content. Watercolors take longer to create than other tools because dry time and clean-up time must be factored in.

Kuretake Gansai Tambi Watercolors

Akashiya Japanese Gansai Watercolor Palette Box

FineTec Artist Mica Watercolors

BLACK LINER RECOMMENDATIONS:

If you don't want to limit yourself to pre-printed coloring pages, fill in the blanks with your creations using black liners. These pens are also useful for adding additional artwork to existing coloring books or pages. The best black liners are archival, which means they can be colored over with other tools without smudging or shifting.

Sakura Pigma Micron Drawing Pens

Staedtler Pigment Liners Marker Pens

Uni Pin Pens

PENCIL SHARPENERS RECOMMENDATIONS:

Pencil sharpeners are a must-have in the world of art supplies. Sure, you can use a knife to make that perfect point, but why not just stick that dull writing implement in a snugly housed blade that will do the same thing with much less effort? Some people prefer an easy and quick motorized option, while others prefer a manual sharpener with a little more control. Furthermore, you can choose between a one-size-fits-all style and one with interchangeable holes for multiple pencil sizes. Find the best pencil sharpeners—all HiKoloring-recommended—below.