Hi There. How are you?

As my loyal readers know, I produced a coloring book this fall. (It's been the most popular item I've ever sold to date! Thank you for that!) I often get asked about the best materials for coloring, so I thought I'd share my personal faves.

My Favorite Tools for Adult Coloring - JENNIFERJOHANSSON.COM

I'm All About Prismacolors

If I'm going to sit down and color, I'm going to use Prismacolor pencils. They are so soft and easy to blend. (I'm in no way being paid by Prismacolor to sing their praises, I just really like them!)

At more than $1.00 each, Prismacolors are expensive. That's why I recommend you start with a set of Prismacolor Scholar pencils. Designed for the " developing artist", Prismacolor Scholars are really just as nice as the Prismacolor Premiers, but are a little less expensive and don't break quite as easily. You can get a set of 24 Prismacolor Scholars for $7.48 on DickBlick.com. That's a steal!

If you are new to colored pencil blending, I also recommend you pick up a colorless blender. It's basically a colored pencil without any pigment, and helps to soften edges and blend two colors together.

Sharpening Prismacolors

If you're not careful, It's very easy to break the lead while sharpening Prismacolors. To keep this from happening, always use a handheld sharpener or even an exacto knife to sharpen your Prismacolors. I'm quite fond of the General's All Art sharpeners, as long as they stay sharp. At just $1.00 a pop, you can afford to pick up a new one every few months or so. When sharpening Prismacolors, turn the pencil sharpener while holding the colored pencil still. You put less stress on the pencil and have less of a chance of breaking the lead.

Erase if You Must

The art teacher in me believes that you don't need to use an eraser with colored pencils. You just find a creative way to cover up your "mistakes." Colored pencils don't erase all that well either. You'll never be able to get back to a perfectly, white paper, but you will be able to lift up most of the pigment.

My favorite eraser of all time is the Magic Rub. It's a vinyl eraser that won't smudge or leave marks like pink erasers can. If you're trying to get into tiny detailed areas, try a kneaded eraser. They are like silly putty and can be molded into all sorts of shapes and sizes.