How to Color like a grown-up – The Best Tools for Adult Coloring
While I hope to create more posts teaching how to color like a grown-up, I decided to start with the best tools for adult coloring. You may have started off with your kid’s crayons (or you may be looking for insight for your child who is now graduating from those crayons). It’s time to move on and turn coloring into art – which is what the adult coloring trend is all about. Disclosure: this post contains affiliate links.
Adult coloring has taken the world by storm and the demographics are telling: children as young as six or seven years old, and adults as old as eighty, ninety are learning how to color like grown-ups… Because why should we leave it behind in preschool?!
Even children who would normally nix coloring as “baby-ish” are taking on simpler coloring pages. Grown-ups who are looking for ways to relax, who don’t typically feel artistic but can use a creative outlet, or who like to really focus on color and leave the drawing behind are all heading toward the adult coloring books.
So where do you start when purchasing the best tools for adult coloring?
Here are a few pointers:
- Brand matters – and it will often be the defining factor on whether a coloring tool is worth keeping or handing down to your preschooler.
- Choose your coloring style– There’s a lot of information below, but for that reason I included WHAT to use WHEN. Start by figuring out your coloring style and getting the tools that best fit.
- It’s okay to use the kid pencils – While I recommend primarily artist quality supplies below, every so often, I pull out my son’s washable markers when I want a sheer finish…
- Dry media vs. wet media – Know the difference! Wet media (such as markers and gel pens) can bleed. Test your paper, use a divider paper between pages, and look out for books with blank backs. Dry media is great for books that have images back-to-back and don’t have problems with bleed.
- Package size – You don’t need the largest color set of anything. I think that the 24 pack range is a sweet spot when you’re on any sort of budget. You’ll get a few shades of every color, plus a few neutrals.
- Don’t be afraid to mix – different coloring tools provide different textures and results – mix and match in one image to add texture!
I hope I can help you learn how to color a little better with these tips for finding the best coloring tools for adult coloring – that suit YOUR style!
The Best Tools for Adult Coloring – Your Main Tool
These are the best tools for adult coloring for filling in the main part of your image…
Anything else is, well, kind of extra!
1. Soft core colored pencils
The main difference between your your Crayola pencils and a pro pencil is a soft core! That literally means that the inside is softer.
Yeah, it means that it breaks more easily, but it also allows you to layer, blend, and get rich, thick color. Here’s a quick video for you to check out to see just what I mean and how to color with these:
The learning curve is not as hard as it may seem (some day I’ll be writing a tutorial… meanwhile you can check out this free page, as well as this one, where I explained it a bit.)
- Splurge: Caran D’ache Luminance
- Mid-range: Faber-Castell Polychromos
- Save: Prismacolor Premier
Colored pencils gallery:
(If you like it, click on the image to be taken to that coloring page!)
2. Alcohol markers
These are high in price, but huge in impact. They soak the surface less than water-based markers and are super blendable, without tearing the paper. You’ll get results on par with professional illustrations if you use them right – rich in color, smooth blending…
Alcohol markers tend to come with dual tips – a broader one for filling spaces and a finer one. Many of them are refillable – so you can just replace your top color, making it a lifetime investment.
- Splurge: Copic markers
- Mid: Prismacolor Premier
- Save: Blick Art Supplies branded markers has great reviews.
3. Gel pens
Oh, how I wish I had discovered these for adult coloring sooner! Gel pens have it all: they are surprisingly easy to blend, have tons of textures and styles you don’t get in ANY other medium (glitter, metallics, milky pastels, sheer and opaque colors…) They are even cheap. It’s so easy to learn how to color like a pro using gel pens!
HOWEVER… they smudge sometimes so if you’re a bit of a klutz this may be an issue for you. They also use up surprisingly quickly so you may go through a lot, minimizing the whole “cheap” angle (so if you see a good deal on a huge pack with double colors, you may want to grab it).
- Splurge: Sakura Gelly Rol
- Mid: Pilot Juice
- Save: Shuttle Art
Gel pens gallery
(If you like it, click on the image to be taken to that coloring page!)
4. Fineliner water-based markers
Markers in general lay down bold, rich colors – and when you take it beyond your kid’s markers, the color is more opaque and even richer. Ultra fine point markers are my tool of choice when coloring an adult coloring page with very fine spaces.
- Mid: Staedtler Triplus, Stabilo 88
- Save: Mr. Pen
5. Brush and broader point water-based markers
Even pages with fine lines tend to have larger spaces, so you may want to have markers with slightly wider tips for filing those in! Look for brush tips as well- they’re great for getting a smooth flow!
Look out for tip types – many of them come with dual tips which are great! I personally love a great brush tip.
- Splurge: Tombow, Sakura koi
- Mid: Staedtler Noris Club
- Save: Crayola Super Tips
Markers gallery:
(If you like it, click on the image to be taken to that coloring page! You may also find great tips for how to color with these markers.)
Colorless Blenders
Take your coloring to the next level by becoming a pro blender! Some of my favorite tools for blending include the following:
Blender pencil – perfect for blending colored pencil without adding any pigment!
Blending marker – This one does double duty – blending both pencil and marker – although the shelf life is shorter than the blender pencil.
A Finishing Touch
If you want to add a unique touch to your artwork (because yes, your coloring IS a piece of art!) these surprising tools can help!
Eyeshadow – Perfect for softly blended backgrounds, use an eyeshadow palette with an eyeshadow brush to fill in a background while allowing it to take a backstage, and not overwhelm your main image. Eyeshadow is GREAT for skin tones as well, which can be pricey and difficult in other media.
Highlighted accents – Sometimes a little white highlight, laid down on top of our image can add all the character you need! Try a white paint marker, chalk marker, or white gel pen. You can even do the reverse and add shadows using charcoal.
White Chalk Marker Gallery:
Click on the image if you want to download that coloring page.
Texture:
Add a touch of “something extra” by putting a little texture into your drawing. Try water-based metallic paint markers, glitter glue, and even nail polish for some gloss. It doesn’t stop at art supplies – try craft materials as well. Glue on some real ribbon, add nail gems… the possibilities are endless.
Metallic Accents Gallery:
Click on the image if you want to download that coloring page.
Cool to have handy
A top quality pencil sharpener – OF course, to keep your pencils in good form, invest in a great sharpener. IF you’re using a manual sharpener (not electric) hold the pencil in your weak hand while sharpening to avoid broken points.
A cushion for your fingers – When you’re coloring a lot and intently, you’ll find that it can be hard on your fingers! Get a good old pencil grip to protect.
An illustration marker or fine permanent marker – Go over the outline of your image with this – it makes a massive difference (see my video in the marker section of this post)!
What are YOUR best tools for adult coloring? Got any tips for how to color like a pro?! Comment below!
Get the book! By purchasing Moms & Crafters publications, you are supporting my blog and enabling me to keep on providing you with free printables and tips like these. Coloring for Coffee Lovers is my most popular coloring book, but you can find all of my printed coloring books here and digital coloring books here.
This was full of great information I wish I’d had before beginning to color again as a grown up! I have spent money on tools I wish I hadn’t. I was pleased to see that I have some of the tools you recommend! Thanks for all the info!
You didn’t mention sharpies, do you recommend them at all?
Yes and no. They’re great if you just want a tool for coloring and you have them handy, but I wouldn’t recommend them for “next level coloring”. I have them in every color because I do crafts with them, and I recently colored this page with them.
IT looks great, but the colors are much darker, as the paper absorbs them too much (because they’re meant for non-porous surfaces.) They also don’t blend very well (see the streaks). So if you’re just looking to unwind and grab something to color, sharpies are great, especially if you love the smell (I do!!) But if you’re looking for some next level coloring, I’d recommend illustration/art markers as mentioned in the post.
Loved all of this info! I was also wondering what you’d recommend for paper to print the coloring design on.
If you’d like it to be durable or if you’re using anything other than colored pencils, go with cardstock.
Hello!
My mother is now into the adult coloring pages and she has been following some YouTube videos, such as Chris Cheng. I would like to get her one of the pencils (pens?) that we see the YouTube artists use to add dots to flowers, or for ladybug eyes, etc…but we can’t see what they’re using, even though we stop the video!
Can anyone advise?
Thanks so much!
Hi! Do you mean white highlights? Very likely a Gelly Roll pen.
I really enjoyed reading your tips on adult coloring! I’ve been experimenting with watercolor pencils recently and having a lot of fun with them. One tip I’ve found useful is to lightly apply water after coloring to blend the colors smoothly—it can really enhance the vibrancy and depth of your artwork. Thanks for such an insightful post!