TOP PICKS FOR COLORING ART TOOLS

Choosing Your Coloring Tools

From crayons to brush pens, every tool has its own vibe. Here’s a quick guide to help you pick what works best for your style – and your coloring book pages.

Alcohol Markers

Professional-grade markers using alcohol-based ink for smooth blending and vibrant color.
Pros: Gorgeous gradients and high saturation. Ideal for layering and shading.
Cons: Bleeds heavily, can be pricey, and smells strong. Best for older users or advanced colorists.

Brush Pens

Marker-like pens with flexible brush-shaped tips, often used for hand lettering and watercolor-style effects.
Pros: Great for expressive strokes and blending. Fun for adults who want a paint-like look.
Cons: Wet formulas often bleed through pages, and control can be tricky for beginners or young kids.

Colored Pencils

Pigment cores inside wooden barrels, available in soft or hard varieties. There are lots of types of colored pencils out there – from student to artist grade, and from wax-based to oil-based, watercolor, pastel, or even tinted graphite.
Pros: Great for layering, shading, and detail work. Easy to control and don’t bleed.
Cons: Light colors may not show up well on some papers; need frequent sharpening; harder for very young kids or those with limited hand strength.

Crayons

Wax-based coloring sticks are loved by kids and nostalgic grown-ups alike.
Pros: Easy to hold, vibrant colors, won’t bleed through paper, great for bold shapes and little hands.
Cons: Hard to blend or shade, can be waxy or streaky on smooth paper.

Gel Pens

Ink pens with smooth-flowing, opaque ink – often available in metallics, neons, and glitters.
Pros: Amazing for small details, accents, and shine. No pressure needed to color.
Cons: Can smudge easily and may bleed through thinner paper. Takes longer to dry.

Markers (Classic Felt Tip)

Felt or fiber tips filled with water- or alcohol-based ink.
Pros: Bright, bold colors with smooth fills. Fun and satisfying to use.
Cons: Can bleed through paper, so always use a bleed sheet. Some markers dry out fast or get streaky on large areas.

Pastels (Oil or Chalk)

Soft, blendable color sticks that lay down rich pigment.
Pros: Beautiful for backgrounds and soft effects. Blendable and artistic.
Cons: Messy, smudgy, and not ideal for detail or outlines. Not great for standard coloring books unless sealed after.

Water-Based Ink Pens

Markers or brush pens with water-soluble ink.
Pros: Easy to blend with water, softer than alcohol markers, and often more kid-friendly.
Cons: Bleeds with pressure or layering, and water can warp the page if overused.