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Basic supplies and materials

Pencils, paper, a sharpener and something to lift color will be all you really need to get started.  There's an array of other helpful tools and supplies that will make the task easier as well, but, there is no need to have all of these in the beginning, just build your supplies as you build your skills.  Of course, a comfortable chair and either a drawing board or desk are important too.

Pencils:

It's helpful to start with a set but not necessary.  Sometimes a set will have colors you will seldom use.  If you can though, the best thing is to get a full large set.  If you choose Prismacolor Premier Colored Pencils by Sanford as many beginners do, then try to get a full set of 132.  Or you can order particular colors in open stock over the Internet or at your local art supply store.

Soon you'll notice that you will use a group of colors the most and if you choose to use a brand that is readily available in open stock, it will be easy to replace them as you use them.  Once you become familiar with the various colors and your favorite palette, choosing colors will be easy.

It is important to choose artist grade colored pencils.  As mentioned, Prismacolor Colored Pencils are a good choice as they are smooth and creamy; they are wax based and feel rather soft and blend well, the new Derwent Coloursoft Pencils are also soft and smooth like Prismacolors.  I'm also fond of oil based pencils like Caran d'Ache Pablo Colored Pencils or Faber-Castell Polychromos Colored Pencils, these work exceptionally well on harder paper or surfaces.  ANY of the Artist Grade Colored Pencils are good to start with, it's a good idea to try as many brands as you can because they all vary in texture or hardness and everyone has their own favorite.

Paper:

There is a wide variety of choices for paper or support, whatever you decide to use, make sure the paper is acid-free or archival.  The choice you make in paper will affect your style of work.  Some people prefer rough textures where often times you can still see the grain of paper when a piece is completed; others prefer smoother or softer papers.  Some papers allow more layers of pencil work than others, so the choice in paper will also be determined by the techniques that most suit you.  As with the pencils, it's a good idea to try as many different papers as you can, everyone has their own favorites.

Watercolor papers are very well suited for colored pencils.  I really like Fabriano Artistico, either Cold Pressed which has a more textured surface or Hot Pressed which is smoother.  Normally, for very detailed work, a smoother surface is favored. Another popular choice for soft smooth paper is a printmaking paper called Stonehenge.

Pencil sharpener:

A quality electric sharpener is a must!  Some handheld or battery operated sharpeners are good, but sometimes people struggle with broken leads and or pencil casings when using them.  I use the Panasonic KP-310 Electric Pencil Sharpener.  It is easy to keep clean and sharpens with precision to a long sharp point each time. I've read so many times of people experiencing trouble with Prismacolors breaking, but with this sharpener I've been very fortunate and rarely if ever have breaking problems.

Soft Cloth:

I keep a soft cotton cloth handy, either on my lap when my desk is crowded with an innumerable amount of pencils or somewhere close to the sharpener.  Each time I sharpen a pencil, I wipe the lead clean because the sharpener usually makes fine particles of dust and attracts pieces of the wood casings around the lead, this can pollute your paper while working.

Drafting Brush:

While using colored pencils, you will often get pencil dust, or very fine flecks of lead left behind on your paper as you work.  A drafting brush is a useful tool for gently brushing this dust away, as using your hand would likely cause the dust to smudge across your paper.  I brush often to keep my paper clean, or I'll use my breath to blow the dust away, depending on the paper I'm using, the drafting brush is more effective. It's also very useful to use during your preliminary work, it helps to brush away the little pieces your eraser leaves behind when working out your line drawing or value studies. I usually do my preliminary work on tracing paper which gets dirty very quickly if you use your hand to wipe pencil dust or the pieces left behind from the eraser. I use the C-THRU 8 1/2 inch drafting brush with a contoured handle.  It works well and fits my hand nicely, I prefer the shorter handle as it gives me more control. I have tried another brand with a longer handle but I kept inadvertently knocking it on my paper causing indentations, with that one I also found the tufts or bristles to be too soft and sparse, which did not wipe all the dust off.

Erasers:

Reusable Adhesive Putty is a very effective erasing tool for colored pencils. It is soft and sticky, usually used for mounting photo's or paper to surfaces. There are a variety of brands, do not get the yellow kind, it leaves yellow on whatever it touches, I highly recommend the gray putty. There are various brands, I prefer those that are the softest and most sticky. Do not leave the putty to rest on your paper for long periods of time, it could leave oily patches on your paper. It is safe to use however to lift colored pencil by dabbing or rubbing gently over the pigment you would like to remove. The more you work the putty in your hand, the stickier it becomes and the more pigment it will remove. You can press it into shapes to fit various areas. Replace when it starts getting too dirty. It takes a little practice, but eventually you'll feel it is as essential to have as your pencils and paper! I also like to use it to lift the stray flecks of pencil dust that the drafting brush sometimes misses.

I'm also very fond of the Sakura Cordless Electric Eraser. This tool is like magic when you learn how to use it. It can even sometimes erase right down to the bottom layer of pencil, just takes a little practice to know how much pressure to use and to what angle to hold it. When you first start to use it, practice on a spare piece of the paper or support you're using to know how not to damage the surface, you don't want to make deep indentations on soft papers or remove paper tooth if you push too hard. It's also very useful to use during your preliminary work, it helps especially if you're using tracing paper because it prevents wrinkles and possible tearing.

coloredpencilpoints.com by Liesl Huddleston, 2007 - 2009