These Are a Few of My Favorite Things…

These Are a Few of My Favorite Things…

I get asked all the time for recommendations for creative art supplies so we’ve created your one stop shop for my favourite pencils, markers, paper and everything in between!

This content is NOT sponsored or endorsed by any of the brands mentioned on this page. Some items have been given to us by brands over time, but this does not affect my rating of them in my favorites list. This post contains affiliate links (mostly Amazon) and I may earn a commission if you click them (at no cost to you).

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Sarah’s Favorite Art Products

  • All-Time Favorite Colored Pencils
  • Favorite Mid-Range & Budget Colored Pencils
  • Colored Markers
  • Favorite Pencil Sharpeners
  • Favorite Erasers
  • Favorite Blending Tools
  • Other Media Sarah Uses Regularly
  • Favorite Art Paper

Sarah’s Most Popular Coloring & Art Resources

  • How to Blend Colored Pencils
  • Learn Shading, Lighting Techniques & Textures
  • How to Choose Colors
  • Tips for Beginners
  • Coloring Page Background Ideas
  • Ultimate Reviews & Product Comparisons
  • Coloring on a Budget
  • Planners

Sarah’s Studio Setup

  • Studio Layout
  • Recording Equipment
  • Editing Software

Business & Marketing resources (coming soon)

Sarah’s Favorite Art Products

All – Time Favorite Colored Pencils

Caran d’Ache Luminance Coloured Pencils

They’re expensive, but by far my favourite colored pencils!

Buy at Amazon: 20 | 40 | 76 | 100
Buy at Blick

See them in action on YouTube:

Prismacolor Premier Soft-Core Colored Pencils

Prismacolor Premier Colored Pencils

My go-to pencil for most of my coloring, and a more affordable option than my other favorites. Beautiful blending.

Buy at Amazon: 1 | 12 | 23 | 24 | 36 | 132 | 150
Buy at Blick

See them in action on YouTube:

Faber-Castell Polychromos Colored Pencils

Faber-Castell Polychromos Colored Pencils

The best quality oil-based pencils you can buy. Beautiful colors, great for fine details.

Buy at Amazon: Set of 12 | 24 | 36 | 60 | 68 | 120
Buy at Blick

See them in action on YouTube:

Caran d’Ache Pablo Colored Pencils

These pair well with the Luminance pencils. Great for fine details that the softer pencils can’t do. I first thought they were oil-based, but Caran d’Ache have confirmed they are actually wax-based pencils as well. They are firm, but still blend really well.

Buy at Amazon: 12 | 18 | 30 | 40 | 80 | 120 

See them in action on YouTube:

Derwent Lightfast Colored Pencils

I don’t use these a lot, but they feel similar to the Caran d’Ache Luminance, so I’d love to get a bigger set.

Buy at Amazon: 12 | 24 | 36 | 72

Buy at Blick

See them in Action on Youtube:

Favorite Mid-Range & Budget Colored Pencils

Arrtx Colored Pencils

Arrtx are a great alternative to Prismacolor, and comparable to Arteza Expert. Their smooth core means they are great for blending and layering. The more recent set of 126 have been adjusted so the barrel colors are a better match for the cores than the 72 set.

Buy at Amazon: 72 | 126

See them in Action on YouTube Here:

Star Joy Gold Edition Colored Pencils

Star Joy Gold Edition Pencils are a good quality option at an affordable price.

Buy at Amazon: 72 | 120

See them in Action on YouTube Here:

Markart/Nyoni Colored Pencils

These pencils are no longer as cheap as when I first tried them, but their quality is still very good for the price. (Both brands are the same pencils)

Buy Markart at Amazon: 48 | 72 | 120 

By Nyoni at Amazon: 48 | 72 | 120 

See them in Action on YouTube Here:

Brutfuner Square Colored Pencils

I was really surprised at the quality of these ‘budget’ pencils. One of the best for the price! Note that these are different to the round Brutfuner pencils under the same listing.

Buy at Amazon: 72 | 120 

See them in action on YouTube:

Black Widow Monarch Colored Pencils

Black Widow Colored Pencils

I love the unique color ranges of Black Widow, and they are creamy to blend with.

Buy at Amazon: Spider (24) | Scorpion (24) | Cobra (24) | Monarch (48)

See them in action on Youtube:

Derwent Inktense Colored Pencils

These are in a bit of a different category, being more like a permanent watercolor pencil – but I couldn’t NOT include them in this list! I have loved these pencils every time I’ve used them, although I haven’t tried traditional watercolor pencils to compare properly (yet.)

Buy at Amazon: 12 | 24 | 36 | 72 

See them in action on YouTube:

Colored Markers

Ohuhu Alcohol Markers

I love how affordable yet high quality these markers are. An easy yes from me! I prefer the brush marker tip, and the sets are constantly changing (with new colors coming out regularly) so it’s best to check their Amazon store for the latest bundles and ranges.

See the Ohuhu range at Amazon

See them in action on YouTube:

Copic Marker Wire Stand - 20 Clever Ways to Organize Your Coloring Supplies

Copic Sketch Alcohol Markers

They’re not cheap, but the Copic markers are still some of the nicest markers I’ve ever used. Although I often use these alongside my Ohuhu markers because I don’t have the full color range.

See the Copic range at Amazon

See them in action on YouTube:

Arrtx Oros Alcohol Markers

These markers blend very well and are a great affordable option

Buy at Amazon – 12 | 24 | 36 | 42 | 80 | 90

See them in action on YouTube:

Tombow Dual Brush Pens

These are my go-to for water-based markers. They are very versatile to use for lettering, writing, coloring or watercolor effects. And they don’t ruin the paper as quickly as similar markers.

Buy full set at Amazon
Visit the Tombow Amazon Store

See them in action on YouTube:

Favorite Pencil Sharpeners

Favorite Erasers

Favorite Blending Tools

Other Media Sarah Uses Regularly

Favorite Art Paper

  • Neenah Bristol Vellum (Best for printing): Amazon
  • Strathmore Bristol Vellum 300 Series: Blick | Amazon
  • Fabriano Hot-Pressed Watercolor Paper: Blick | Amazon
  • Fabriano Black Black Paper: Amazon
  • X-Press It Blending Card (Best for Markers): Amazon

Sarah’s Most Popular Coloring & Art Resources

How to Blend Colored Pencils

  • How to Blend Colored Pencils (Start Here!) – VIDEO | ARTICLE
  • 21 Rainbow Gradient Blends To Try – VIDEO | ARTICLE
  • 12 Ways to Blend Colored Pencils – VIDEO | ARTICLE
  • Blending Colored Pencils with Household Items – VIDEO

Learn Shading, Lighting Techniques & Textures

How to Choose Colors

  • Using a Color Wheel (The Basics) – VIDEO | ARTICLE
  • How to Use a Color Palette – VIDEO | ARTICLE
  • (Example) Kerby Rosanes Coloring Page – VIDEO

Tips for Beginners

  • How to Get Better at Coloring – VIDEO | ARTICLE
  • Things I Wish I Knew as a Beginner Artist – VIDEO
  • How to Use Colored Pencils in Adult Coloring Pages – VIDEO | ARTICLE
  • How to Draw with Pencils & Markers Together – VIDEO | ARTICLE
  • 5 Easy Tips to Improve Your Coloring – VIDEO | ARTICLE
  • How to Choose the Best Paper for Coloring Pages – VIDEO | ARTICLE

Coloring Page Background Ideas

  • BACKGROUND COLORING IDEAS Using Masking Film, Tape & Markers! – VIDEO
  • Bokeh Background (Markart vs Nyoni Review) – VIDEO
  • (Example) Toy Story Bokeh Background – VIDEO

Ultimate Reviews & Product Comparisons

Coloring on a Budget

  • The Best Prismacolor Alternatives – VIDEO | ARTICLE
  • The Best Holbein Alternatives – VIDEO | ARTICLE
  • Drawing Realism with Crayola (Challenge) – VIDEO
  • How to Color with Cheap Pencils – VIDEO | ARTICLE
  • How to Make Any Color with Just 12 Pencils – VIDEO | ARTICLE
  • Are these the best affordable colored pencils? – VIDEO | ARTICLE

Planners

  • A look at the 2023 Coloring Planner – VIDEO
  • 10 Planner Ideas to Organize And Decorate Your planner – VIDEO | ARTICLE
  • How to Make Planner Stickers – VIDEO | ARTICLE
  • How to Use a Digital Planner – VIDEO

Sarah’s Studio Setup

Studio Layout

Studio Recording Equipment

We’ve recently partnered with BlackMagic Design who have provided some of our recording equipment. We were already using their cameras and editing software beforehand. This is the equipment we currently use, but is not essential if you’re just starting out. A good phone camera records decent video, although I do recommend investing in a good microphone as early as you can.

Main Camera

Overhead Camera

Side Camera/Photography

Lighting

Microphone

Audio Recorder

Teleprompter

Video Monitoring/Streaming

Computer & Editing Equipment

Video Editing Software

Photo & Design Software

Learning New Things

Skillshare

Skillshare has thousands of online classes for beginners or pros, whether you’re looking to get more creative or you’re just curious to learn something new.

If you have a specific skill you’re trying to learn, Skillshare is the perfect place to start.

Their classes range from fine arts and illustration, to music, film & video, digital art and more.

The FIRST 1,000 people to use my link will get a 1 MONTH FREE TRIAL of Skillshare Premium.

Business Marketing Resources

COMING SOON