Hey hi hello!
When I first got into coloured pencils in 2016, I spent SO LONG googling this, that and the other about what pencils, paper and sharpener was best. Hours and hours trawling through so much information and questioning artists, and then
many pennies buying the stuff that was recommended to have a go myself.
So to help out other aspiring coloured pencil artists, I’m going to do a quick list of things I use for every drawing, from paper to sharpener, fixative to erasers with links to purchase to make it easy peasy lemon squeezy!
Some links will be affiliate links and will have – (aff link) – next to them, this means either I am a partner of the brand and/or that I make a little money if you buy an item through my link. If the link takes you to Jackson’s Art – you get 10% off your first order!
PAPER
I use Stonehenge Fine Art Paper (aff link) which I buy in sheets from Jackson’s Art.
PENCILS
Faber Castell Polychromos 120 set* are my staple box of coloured pencils, I also have the Caran d’Ache Luminance and Pablos which fill in some of the colour gaps. You can also buy single Polychromos (aff link) from Jackson’s Art.
*The link is from Amazon and the price was £153.81 for a tin of 120 when I wrote this.
SHARPENERS
I use 3 different sharpeners for the 3 different sets of pencils… but my Polys sharpener is the KUM: Masterpiece (aff link) and LISTEN this is the best sharpener I’ve found and I’ve gone through so many I can’t even begin to tell you.
This beauty gives the most gorgeous long point and when the blades dull, I switch them round and buy the sets of replacement blades (aff link).
ERASERS
The Tombow: Mono Zero Eraser (aff link) is fabulous for erasing small details as the tip is so small. They come in two different sizes, round and rectangle and loads of colours to choose from!
I also have a Derwent Pen Eraser but I cannot for the life of me find it anywhere online and a putty eraser which you can mould into shapes and erase larger areas with.
PENCIL EXTENDERS
These pencils are e x p e n s i v e so get your moneys worth and invest in some pencil extenders*!
*The link is from Amazon and the price was £6.95 for 6 when I wrote this.
SLICE CERAMIC KNIFE
When I first saw these blowing up on Instagram I was very confused about how they would work. The idea is that once you’ve got a your coloured pencil laid down, you can use the edge of the Slice Manual Pen Cutter‘s (aff link) ceramic blade to scrape off a layer of pencil and create highlights! They are just the best tool and I am now a Slice Partner!
You can use code CHERRY10 for 10% off if you’re in the UK and CHERRY10USA if you’re in the States!
TAPE
I absolutely abhor masking tape – I’ve yet to find one that doesn’t rip the edges of my paper when removed. In my quest for the perfect tape I have a drawer full of failure rolls, but I came across this Scotch Removable* tape on Amazon and thought I’d give a go because well, hopefully it does what it says on the tin right?! And it does! Incredibly easy to remove, doesn’t leave any residue or marks and is absolutely perfect for drawing over the top of and then peeling away to leave a gorgeous clean line.
*The link is from Amazon and the price was £5.60 when I added this (01/02/22).
EMBOSSER
Took me a while to find out what these things were called just now! These aren’t the exact ones I use as I couldn’t find when/where I bought mine, but I use these types of Ball Stylus‘* for whiskers and fur highlights, these tools are so handy and help you emboss/dent the paper, then when you draw over the top of where the paper is dented, the coloured pencils just glide over the groove leaving the embossed area white!
*The link is from Amazon and the price was £6.59 for 5 when I wrote this.
FIXATIVE
I buy the Winsor and Newton Professional Spray Fixative to seal all my finished coloured pencil work, it just gives that beautiful finish. I get mine from The Range but you can shop about for the best price!
And I think that’s about everything! I hope this helps you out and if you have any questions – feel free!
Cherry xo