by Daily Art Hour l May 3, 2023
How will you color our free Kawaii coloring pages? Check out our tips for choosing the best coloring materials for kids and adults!
Probably the hardest part of any coloring page is just choosing if you’re going to use colored pencils and markers, paints, crayons, pastels, or something else. There are so many choices it can be hard to decide what’s best.
We think one of the most exciting and fun things about our free coloring pages is that they really let you go wild with your choices. You don’t need to use just one coloring material at all, you can pick and choose based on each picture and the overall feel. And it never needs to be the same from one person to the next. The best coloring materials for adults may not even be the same as the best coloring materials for kids.
Having a bunch of choices for how you plan to color something is what can make coloring so much fun. You can change the whole feel of a picture based on not just color but material. Markers by nature are going to give bright, solid colors. Colored pencils might let you play with shading and a wider range of colors to give more nuance to your picture. And something like watercolor paints could really let you make your image look more sophisticated and even instill some emotion in it.
When it comes to choosing coloring materials for beginners, don’t worry if you’re not sure what is going to look best. Part of the fun is being able to try different techniques and different materials. But guess what! We have some tips.
These are just our ideas about which coloring materials we think will work best. We’ll cover what we think would look great. If you want, give it a try and then show us how you did. Or try something totally new and show us how you did it!
The 8 Best Colored Pencils, Pens, and Markers to Use
#8 - PrismaColor Premier Wax Core Pencils
Let’s start with some colored pencils. Did you know that colored pencils, or pencil crayons, come in three different types? Some are wax-based like crayons, some are oil-based, and others are water soluble which means you can wash them away afterward.
We think some of the best wax-based colored pencils you can use are the PrismaColor Premier soft-core colored pencils. The “lead” of these pencils is a soft and creamy wax consistency that allows you to have so much rich color on your pages. You can layer and blend colors and bring any image to life in ways that a lot of other colored pencils just can’t do.
Another great thing about these sets is that you can get just a small one with only 12 colors or an incredibly huge set of 150 different colored pencils! It’s so much variety and such good quality.
We think if you’re looking for the best of the best to bring these adorable Kawaii Kingdom characters to life, you should give these a try if you’re able.
For example, here’s a fun and unique page from the Kawaii Kingdom. We chose this one to start because it may seem simple and cute at first but think about all the ways you can make this one come to life.
This is an underwater picture, so imagine how we can show that off. Imagine the shades and layers of green and blue that you could put in here. You could make this one burst with color using these PrismaColor pencils.
One idea is to make this one just burst with color! Depending on your palette, you could make this one so vibrant and bright that people will see it across the room. You could make the blue of the water so rich and deep, or you could even use a green color for a twist on the effect.
The colorful Kawaii characters could be contrasting colors. Something that really stands out against the color of the water. Maybe bright reds and yellows.
Or you could even color the whole scene like a camouflaged underwater world. Everything could be blue and green and gray. The range of PrismaColor makes it possible to do anything you can imagine.
Give it a look and see what you think then try coloring it for yourself!
#7 Faber-Castell Polychromos Oil Pencils!
Another great option for colored pencils is the Faber-Castell brand polychromos oil pencils. Oil pencils are colored pencils that have an oil-based core, just like our last brand had a wax-based one. You might not notice a lot of differences on the page, but they are both high quality.
These are a good option for when you don’t want to worry about the bleed from markers, but you still want deep color. Just watch out for smudging which could ruin your picture by accident!
These pencils have a lot of colors that are unique and fun to use.
#6 Faber-Castell Goldfaber Aqua Watercolor Pencils
If you have never used watercolor pencils before, they can be a lot of fun. You can use these dry just like any colored pencil but there’s a twist if you like. You can use water with these pencils, and it makes them almost like watercolor paint in pencil form.
We think a good option if you’re new to watercolor pencils is the Goldfaber aqua watercolors from Faber-Castell again. These are available in various-sized sets, and they are priced well for beginners.
There are higher-quality watercolor pencils out there that you can use, too. Even Faber-Castell makes a different version that is of much higher quality. But they can be pricey too, so maybe only look at those if you try these first and like them.
#5 Crayola Super Tip Markers
How could we recommend markers and not give you Crayolas? These super tip markers are some of the most popular markers in the world and there’s a good reason. Just look at all the colors you can choose from. And Crayola really is a name you can trust.
These are great markers for adults and kids alike. The colors are bright, and the selection is wonderful. You don’t need to feel intimidated by these like you might with some of those expensive and professional markers. These are just for having a good time and relaxing.
If you just want to have fun when you color and make a bright, beautiful picture, we think you’ll love these.
#4 Shuttle Art Markers
Some high-quality markers can be super expensive. These Shuttle Art dual-tip alcohol markers are right in the middle with so many colors and good quality results, but not the highest price tag. Over 200 colors mean you have nearly endless ways to color any page.
With so many choices and so many shades, we think these markers are a good option for people seriously into coloring. If you like to challenge yourself and make super unique pictures, this is a great choice.
#3 Faber-Castell Felt Tip Pens
Faber-Castell doesn’t just make great pencils, they make amazing markers and colored pens, too. These felt tip pens come in a great range of colors and they’re a good price as well. Sometimes colored pens can get pricey, so it’s good to find affordable ones.
With a big range of bright colors, these felt tip pens can make any image look super vibrant and lively. A fun twist with these pens is that they have a rotating connector on them. That means you can click two markers together and use them both to color in two shades at the same time!
The ink is water soluble and washes out of most fabrics, so it should be safe for kids and adults alike. The number of colors means your pictures have lots of options and you won’t feel stuck doing the same thing again and again.
If you want some bright pens at a good price, we think these are some of the best you can get to ensure you have plenty of fun with whatever your coloring project might be.
#2 Lelix Dual Tip Colored Pens
Having two tips on a colored pen opens up how you can bring a page to life. One fine tip and one brush point mean you can switch from really fine detail to richer, full coloring. And these Lelix Dual Tip colored pens are a great way to do that.
They’re super affordable compared to more premium brands, but they still have a great range of colors with 120 in a set. The ink is water-based too, which is great for kids and newcomers to coloring. There are no fumes, they’re non-toxic and they won’t bleed through your page to ruin the picture or anything under it.
You need to remember to keep the cap on these when not in use so they don’t dry out. But other than that, they’re reliable and super bright. With so many choices you can color all kinds of pages and really get into the fine details to make it look professional if you want.
#1 Copic Sketch Markers
These markers are the real deal and the best of the best. If you are super serious about art, you can’t go wrong with Copic Sketch markers. But keep in mind, these are the most top-of-the-line markers out there. For casual coloring and fun, you wouldn’t use these.
Copic Sketch markers are expensive and that can't be ignored. But they are also so good that if you use them, you’ll maybe never want to use another kind of marker ever again. These are premium quality, alcohol-based markers that can make any picture come to life like nothing else.
The richness of the color and the quality is present in every stroke of the marker tip. You can turn a simple page into a vibrant masterpiece with these. And if you take the time, you can make any image absolutely breathtaking.
We think this picture here is a great example of something that these markers could take to the next level. The night sky, the colorful Kawaii character, the delicious-looking treats. This could pop off the page and look so good.
Whatever you decide, we’re sure it will look great.
Colored Pencils and Markers? Paint? Something Else? Tell Us Which Coloring Materials You Choose!
We hope you were inspired by some of our recommendations for best-colored pencils, pens, and markers. Maybe you even picked a few favorites. With so many coloring materials for beginners to choose from, you could color all your favorite pictures in a hundred different ways.
Don’t forget that, since our coloring pages are free, you really can try a bunch of ways. Our suggestions are just what we think is best based on how they look, what they do, and what they cost. You can try our ideas and compare them to your own.
If you want, try a few different materials and compare the results with your friends. You could all download the same free coloring pages, and each choose a different coloring material. When you’re done, you all can compare and see which you like best!
Remember, there’s really no wrong way to color. The best-colored pencils, pens, and markers for you all depend on your tastes and what you feel looks best. But hopefully, our recommendations for the best coloring materials for kids and the best coloring materials for adults help a little.
When you’re done coloring your pages, we hope you’ll consider sharing them with us on our Facebook page. We love to see what everyone does and all the amazing creativity out there.
