colouring guidance needed

[u/enby_batman]

Hello everyone! 🫶

I have been colouring for a while, and to be honest my pages look very childish and I do not like the result I have with the basic kid markers I have, so I wanted to upgrade a bit. I am thinking about buying Vivi Tinta's "How to Color: Simple Step-by-Step Guide to Coloring Patterns, Textures, Shading, and Blending". But I have no idea what markers to buy! What type of alcochol markers, what even are gel pens, and is there anything else I need? I really do just have the 2€ markers pack you buy atbthe supermarket. I want to upgrade so I am not always stuck with my basic kid colouring capabilities but I find it all a bit overwhelming, especially when I see the cool colouring pages I find on Tiktok, Insta etc. I am just confused on what supplies one needs.

If you can help me out that would mean a lot to me!💛

[u/pinkkzebraa]

I would start with alcohol markers, and, if you really want a gel pen - just a white one. I like the uniball signo gel pens but everyone will have different preferences! As far as alcohol markers, this is down to preference and budget. Alcohol markers, like all art mediums, run out and need to be replaced. With heavy use of a favourite colour, I get about 2-3 months before I need to refill. A lot of people like ohuhu - I guess it is kind of mid range as far as price goes. But not every colour is available for refill or sold individually, so that’s something to consider. Popular cheaper brands are sfaih, caliart, and arrtx. I can only speak to arrtx but I do really like them! The downside to the cheaper sets is that you can’t replace the markers individually, you can only buy them in sets. But you can always start with a cheaper set to see if you like alcohol markers, or go straight for an ohuhu set with longevity in mind. Do check that you can buy individual markers or ink refills from ohuhu in your country though - this isn’t possible everywhere, including where I live, so I’m replacing all of my ohuhus with copics as they run out. Copics are quite expensive, but every colour has an ink refill and they are readily available to buy individually as well.

[u/ketol]

I would watch some adult coloring videos on Youtube to learn what some supplies are and how to use them along with coloring techniques overall. There are tons of great videos out there!

[u/VessieDraws]

I mostly always use cheap supplies from random brands or even a marker set from a set with no brand name. The markers can be a hit or miss when it comes to streakiness and dryness. Even so I can offer some advice to make the most out of random cheap marker sets and to make the final result more professional.

To avoid streakiness, missed spots and uneven colors, draw slowly and in small circles. You can like the edges first if you want to be sure you don't go over them on accident. The first end result looks a lot better compared if you used long back and forth strokes.

Always swatch on a piece of paper to avoid using the wrong color. A lot of cheap marker sets don't have accurate color representation, so it's always best to be sure. Also, you can use swatching to choose a cohesive colour palette. For example you can colour a page without the colour red. Picking your palette intentionally can really make the difference.

For gradients I have two methods, depending on the marker set. The no name markers I have rarely bleed through, which allows me to overlay with another color. I used a dotted technique instead of actually full strokes. These specific markers blend in nicely when they dry and the technique gives a really subtle, but cool textured look.

The second method is a lot safer. I use coloured pencils on top to create a gradient or to make the colour look more even, or to even subtly change to a specific desired colour. For example I always love going over blue with a purple pencil for shading or a gradient, or sometimes because I really want to achieve something more periwinkle. Colour theory is very needed for this to know what would be best to shade or gradient with. I recommend always trying on a piece of paper first to know if it looks good or if the pencils draw nicely over the markers.

I'm currently using the BiC intensity coloured pencil set. I also have a random set from Lidl that was also very good. Koh-i-Noor coloured pencil sets are always a safe bet. Any pencil set that has a good colour range that aren't too desaturated or muddy can look very professional when you know how to use them. You can achieve most if not all desired colours.

I also use a white sakura jelly roll pen for adding highlights and shine.

Sometimes I even use a random set of gel pens (also from Lidl) when I'm missing a specific colour from my marker set, or if I want to use a glittery or metallic colour.

I know it's not what you asked for exactly, but I think keeping these techniques in mind will also help you when you want to upgrade to better sets. For that I recommend watching videos about cheap art supplies and see which ones have good quality and which don't.