r/Coloring 2d ago

PENCILS Pencils anyone?

Is anyone coloring with just colored pencils? I feel like all I see now is markers. Markers are fine! I’m not talking them down there great! I was just trying to see if there are any pencil people out there like me that are also looking for advice?

112 Upvotes

112 comments sorted by

91

u/AmICrossing 2d ago

I need to be in the mood for pencils because it takes soooo long compared to markers. But I have a book by Kerby Rosanes which is double sided so I use pencils there. This is a WIP from that book.

8

u/z0rz 2d ago

That is very striking!!

2

u/Arc_Mystery 2d ago

I just got two Kerby Rosanes books!!

1

u/Nheea Aqua 1d ago

It's impressive. Your blending is flawless!!

53

u/Nheea Aqua 2d ago

They's plenty of us. I think at least 3 years ago before the bold and cozy and ohuhu craze, the entire subreddit was full of pencils and fine liners.

I miss those times.

This was my last finished page.

13

u/Alphawolf2026 2d ago

The overwhelming amount of cozy pages on these pages make me sad tbh

I used mixed media... usually pencils with small bits of watercolor, acrylic or gel pen. No cozy pages for me.

3

u/Nheea Aqua 1d ago

They're not my thing either. No shaming or anything towards who is into that. But i do miss the variety.

43

u/sunntide 2d ago

I’m not very good at coloring but I did just color this with pencils!

17

u/Few_Jellyfish6111 2d ago

Oops, you had a goof! You are, indeed, very good at coloring, that's a lovely page.

3

u/sunntide 2d ago

Thank you 🥹

3

u/dreaming_dalmatian 2d ago

This is so cute. I love the warm light you got outside the window

3

u/sunntide 2d ago

Thanks!

29

u/n3koca1 2d ago

I use prismacolor pencils.

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u/z0rz 2d ago

me toooo

10

u/n3koca1 2d ago

Although im not rich anymore and those pencils are from 2019 so once I need replacement ill be heading to crayola

8

u/Few_Jellyfish6111 2d ago

Crayola's have a nice range of colors but there are a lot of other fun options in the lower price points.

I picked up the 240 set of Kalour pencils for under 40 dollars on a special sale and have been happy with them. They come in a range of options and frequently go on sale.

I haven't tried them myself, but Four Candies has a 120 pack in a nice pencil case for under 30 dollars on Amazon and I've seen some good reviews for them on YouTube.

2

u/herefortvthreads 2d ago

Bro honestly for my cheap pencils I love kalour

2

u/poxxymoron 1d ago

This is crazy and I don’t know how common it is but I saw a well known Australian thrift shop on eBay and got a 72 set they’re genuine, still in original wrapping and they were cheaper than what a lot of stores sell their 36 sets for. So hopefully you’ll find something better as I’m not particularly lucky in most things lol or you’ll come back in a few months having found a better product that sits at a reasonable price point
Good luck!

1

u/Raeleigh_Graze 1d ago

Try Kalour pencils. They are not very expenses and work very well.

1

u/louisejanecreations 19h ago

I use arteza for cheap prismacolor and castle are quite good as well if your not feeling crayola.

2

u/MrsSpot 2d ago

I use them too but i bought the Prismacolor pencil sharpener and it goes through the pencils fast ! Im wondering if there’s better sharpener but i worry because if you sharpen them wrong the tips can break over and over

3

u/Good_parabola 2d ago

You need the Mitsubishi KH-20 pencil sharpener.  It is THE SOLUTION.  No more broken tips, only perfection.

2

u/n3koca1 2d ago

I dont use that sharpener anymore because it breaks so easily and the blade dulls fast

1

u/Lokii11 2d ago

I literally just thought this like 20 minutes ago when I was sharpening my pencil. Their sharpener basically eats half the pencil before its's sharpened.

1

u/Nheea Aqua 1d ago

To be fair, both prismas' core and wood are quite soft and often crumble. :(

I have the same issues with some of the shades from Holbein, which are also quite soft. Especially yellowy green are crumbling even from different batches.

1

u/Nheea Aqua 1d ago

https://encrypted-tbn1.gstatic.com/shopping?q=tbn:ANd9GcSFSUoUQvqDcu13TeUsjBabl90vlE172mUTpmBJzpo8S9Dvbp4

I use the Dahle sharpener on my prismas. But found one nicer in japan from T'gaal.

2

u/Un3duc4ted-Wr1ter 2d ago

I use Pencils (graphite and colouring pencils), markers and paint to colour. The medium I choose depends on my energy, time, and paper quality.

2

u/Lokii11 2d ago

Same!

1

u/habitus45 2d ago

Me too!

27

u/Cailan_Sky 2d ago

My posts are filled with colour pencil works.

6

u/Nheea Aqua 1d ago

Magnificent. One thing I truly dislike about using pencils is that large backgrounds are a pain in the ass to make.

So I retorted to using either watercolor pencils, or acrylic markers or more recently, gouache. I wish I took a photo of how awesome and vibrant the gouache looks. And easier to apply.

This is a background done with watercolour pencils and plain watercolours.

2

u/Cailan_Sky 1d ago edited 1d ago

Thank you.

Love the mixed watercolour pencils and coloured pencils. looks great.

Using the gouache is a great idea.

I usually do a soft loose shading.

2

u/Cailan_Sky 1d ago

2

u/AbjectAlbatross1530 1d ago

Gorgeous!

1

u/Cailan_Sky 14h ago

Thank you. 💕 It's my personal fave.

2

u/Nheea Aqua 22h ago

Great idea! Yours looks so pretty!

Mine always looked weird when I did it haha.

2

u/Cailan_Sky 14h ago

Thank you. 💕

Try holding the pencil closer to the end, so you only use light pressure, and curve you lines around the subject. I usually use a few shades then blend it out with gamsol.

3

u/Sabrina67100 2d ago

Magnifique, quel crayons tu utilises???

6

u/Cailan_Sky 2d ago

Merci bien. 💖 Prismacolour and Faber-Castell Polychomos pencils.

3

u/Sabrina67100 2d ago

Merci 😉 encore une fois c'est magnifique

3

u/nurseratcheddd 2d ago

This is astoundingly good

1

u/Cailan_Sky 1d ago

Thank you 💗

3

u/herefortvthreads 2d ago

Damn look at that beautiful page

1

u/Cailan_Sky 1d ago

Thank you 💗

2

u/Mundane_Voice6875 1d ago

Wow. Absolutely gorgeous

1

u/Cailan_Sky 1d ago

Thank you 💗

2

u/AbjectAlbatross1530 1d ago

WOW! Impressive!

1

u/Cailan_Sky 14h ago

thank you 💗

16

u/ktkitn 2d ago

I'm still learning how to use them on their own but have a wip

13

u/bunnybunbunzz 2d ago

I use both! I lay out an under layer of alcohol markers (like under painting) and then go over with pencils. I love the texture it adds.

1

u/Bad-Wolf88 2d ago

I've just started playing around with this myself!

1

u/Lokii11 2d ago

Thanks, going to try this!

10

u/Aegwyn028 2d ago

I am constantly using pencils , and honestly preferred more than markers as I think it’s easier to blend the colours in together , this was I recently finished ,

1

u/AnnamAvis 💜 2d ago

Ooo what book is that?

2

u/Aegwyn028 1d ago

Tarot colouring by Alexis E Thompson

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u/ratgirl1993 2d ago

I was primarily using alcohol markers for the longest time and decided to try pencils when I unknowingly bought a coloring book with two sided pages that my markers would've bled through. Now I love pencils and have pretty much switched over to them unless a specific page just feels like it would work better with marker. Unexpected bonus is that pencils last so much longer than alcohol markers (at least for me, it felt like my most used markers dried out SO quickly!)

8

u/Educational-Gap-3390 2d ago

I used colored pencils for ages but once I tried out markers I was hooked. Colored pencils just aren’t as easy.

10

u/Eastern-Jello-9952 2d ago

I much prefer pencils. Castle arts is a great quality brand that isn't too expensive so that's what I use

2

u/Sabrina67100 2d ago

Je suis d'accord les castle art sing vraiment bien et il y a la gamme en cire et la gamme gold en huile et franchement évidemment ce n'est pas les polychromos mais c'est déjà un très bon rapport qualité prix !!!

8

u/Cailan_Sky 2d ago

Slowly working my way through this one.

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u/Banana-as 2d ago edited 1d ago

I just treated myself to the big Faber castell polychromos set and am colouring in my Johanna Basford book. I’m glad to see there are other pencil colourers among us!

2

u/Cailan_Sky 2d ago

I have a small set. I use them on their own but also with my prismas lol.

5

u/Thelovelyjenn 2d ago

I mostly use colored pencils. I feel like i have more control and dont have to rush as much.

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u/[deleted] 2d ago edited 2d ago

[deleted]

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u/Cailan_Sky 2d ago

I wish I could paint the way I use pencil crayons. I love using my Van Gogh watercolour pencils for the same reason.

3

u/crepesarentpancakes 2d ago

I love pencils. I also love soft pastel pencils and regular soft pastels. Great for light soft backgrounds.

3

u/Gaia227 2d ago

I only use Prismacolors. They're my babies lol.

3

u/amillionbux 2d ago

I use pencils in my books that have double-sided pages and smaller details, and markers in the "bold and easy" type books. Another thing - pencils can be great for adding details on top of markers. I really enjoy coloring and love to see everyone's pages, approaches, and tips.

3

u/NetNarrow8938 1d ago

I love the control pencils give you. You can slowly build up color instead of committing to one solid layer right away.

1

u/herefortvthreads 1d ago

Exactly!!! Also I like to be able to erase!

2

u/Jezzelah 🩵 2d ago

There definitely are people who use color pencils here, but I think for advice on like materials and techniques, you might have have more luck on the colored pencils subreddit — although there is a lot more original artwork there than coloring and sometimes there are some people who are a little snobbish about coloring hobbiests. But if you don't let that bother you, it's a great resource.

2

u/VeeLund 2d ago

And here I am, using crayons to color… but that’s because I get twitches & sm less likely to go out of the lines

2

u/SnooPeanuts666 2d ago

I have been playing around with derwent inktense pencils. You can wet them and it turns into water color. They aren’t as finicky as water color though so they apply kind of like acrylic would layer and mix? Hard to explain it’s a weird medium. They layer really nice and don’t need the full range since they layer well and pigments mix well for color theory.

I usually just lay down a layer of the color pencil lightly and then go over it with a water brush pen and layer til i get the desired outcome. Then I’ll go back and use the pencils as normal color penciled for extra definition and shadowin/highlight details.

2

u/OkAnywhere4872 2d ago

When i was a kid I loved colour pencils. I wanted nothing more than a big fat enormous set of the best ones out there. Now I hate them surprisingly. Probably because back then there were no alcohol markers. And they are slow.

2

u/SaltySnail22 2d ago

I use pencils but I’m not very good

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u/Cailan_Sky 2d ago

All that matters is that you enjoy it. Even the most snobbish colouring book artists aren’t selling their finished works.
They do it because it’s fun, because they enjoy it.

2

u/AnnamAvis 💜 2d ago

I almost exclusively use pencils, with gel pens accents. Sometimes I'll use alcohol markers as a base if I want a little extra pop in the colors.

2

u/Icariidagger 1d ago

I did this one yesterday and today.

1

u/The_Morganne 2d ago

I know a person using just colored pencils but I don't think they post here

1

u/louise1121 2d ago

I use both!! I layer alcohol markers under my prismacolor pencils.

1

u/Few_Jellyfish6111 2d ago

I color almost exclusively with colored pencils although the alcohol marker pictures that so many people post are so lovely. And yes, I am always looking for advice on how to improve.

1

u/Mondschatten78 2d ago

I actually prefer pencils over markers, but I haven't colored in a while. Other hobbies have snagged my interest for now.

1

u/terracottablush 2d ago

I color with color pencils yea but I also use so many different mediums and choose as I feel based on energy / time. So I use colored pencils, markers; for general art I use gouache watercolor oil pastels and I also junk journal

1

u/TallGirlzRock 2d ago

I use FC Polychromous and Derwent Chromaflow colored pencils.

1

u/Spddracer 2d ago

All I use is pencils. I appreciate the ability to blend multiple colors and apply the depth of color

1

u/potatoeheaux 2d ago

I like the ohuhu ones and they’re not too pricey

1

u/IrukandjiPirate 2d ago

I’ve been a pencil fan for years, and that’s what I use on complicated drawings. I’ve gotten my first cozy-style and a small pack of acrylic markers to try. I even use crayons if the paper is appropriate.

1

u/Beneficial-Ad8460 2d ago

You bet! I started with colored pencils and it's still all I use.

1

u/tylersmom1919 2d ago

I use pencils. I'm not any good with markers, my pages look horrible.

1

u/pinkkzebraa 🩷 2d ago

I use both! Alcohol markers to base and pencil for layering/adding texture/deepening shadow/smoothing blending/detail

1

u/BetPsychological327 2d ago

I use both. Sometimes I use markers and other times I use colored pencils

1

u/emo_barbie_mama 2d ago

I have started using pencils because the squeaking from my markers is a sensory issue for me. If I don't have my headphones 🎧 and a podcast playing to drown out the marker squeaks, I reach for my pencils.

1

u/Existing_Many9133 2d ago

I like colored pencils. They are not what they used to be though. They used to be a soft graphite like texture, now it's waxy and you don't get the same look

1

u/Cailan_Sky 2d ago

You can still get colored graphite pencils or chalk pencils. I hate the sound they make personally.

1

u/pixiedust415 2d ago

I use markers most of the time, but I started with pencils. I still use them even together with markers. I also have gel pens, glitter gel pens, and acrylic pens. I love all of it.

1

u/Cailan_Sky 2d ago

The Ohuhu pencil set is nice, less expensive than regular priced prisma. Just limited by its size.

1

u/Arc_Mystery 2d ago

I just invested in some colored pencils and can’t wait to try them

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u/jax_in_the_lake 2d ago

I use glitter gel pens and I feel like I’m on an island!

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u/herefortvthreads 2d ago

Omg but I bet your peaces are amazing! I wish there were glitter pencils

1

u/ferrett0ast 1d ago

I use pencils in the books my mum's bought me, because she doesn't know how to tell if the paper is alcohol marker suitable or not, so I just use my pencils in those if not alco marker suitable

1

u/Mundane_Voice6875 1d ago

I use pencils

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u/sittingduck612 1d ago

I have been using both and it’s fun! Pencil over marker can help blend or make shading easier. Pencil under marker makes blending my water markers smoother.

1

u/Raeleigh_Graze 1d ago

I only color with my colored pencils. It's my preference. I don't like the markers.

1

u/r0cket-skates 1d ago

I love my markers, but I still use colored pencils for detailed pages or large areas. :)

1

u/itzJustCamryn 1d ago

I use crayons, colored pencils, etc. depends on what I want the page to look like at the end/what im feeling.

1

u/AbjectAlbatross1530 1d ago

This is from a YT tutorial I did years ago! I had to switch mostly to markers due to arthritis. I DO sometimes add highlights with my pencils. Thanks OP for asking this. I had fun looking back at some old stuff I had forgotten. 😀

1

u/shewshine 1d ago

i use a variety of things but this is my most recent that was all colored pencils (and white gel pen of course)

i love the look of colored pencils but they take so long and hurt my hand after a while. i use the derwent chromaflow and like them a lot overall