Drawing Mastery Guide: Best Tools, Pens & More

(Sweet note – this post contains affiliate links from Amazon so if you click them I get a small commission that helps to sustain the blog and post more awesome free content! Also I do buy all the things from amazon so these are my personal recommendations!)

I know it can be scary, if you’re entering a whole new art form for the first time. But never fear, the journey is absolutely and thrillingly exciting!

Creative drawing is an inexpensive and mess free way to produce beautiful art, relieve the stress and enjoy creative experience combined with Art & Color Therapy.

But to create beautiful masterpieces you need the tools – be it physical or digital – and that’s what I’m here for. I have been drawing for the past 15 years and would love to share all the top discoveries that will make your coloring journey more pleasurable and satisfying.

Let’s start!

Tools for doodling, hand writing and intricate mandala art

For all things doodle, hand writing and intricate mandala art I have been using these pens that allow a good variety of thickness and are very easy and mess-free to use. The thick ones feel like small brushes that is awesome!

Click here to get them on Amazon.

For paper I love this one – it has a very smooth yet fine art texture, is lightweight and holds the ink very well. Also I really love the fact that the spiral is on top that doesn’t obstruct the drawing from any side. There are plenty of sheets in the pad so lasts a looong time!

Click here to get the paper on Amazon.

Let’s now look at the markers. Markers are great because they can give an even and buildable color coverage without needing sharpened or creating too big of a mess, but choosing markers is tricky. There are two main types of markers, alcohol based markers and water based markers. Water based markers are usually inexpensive but they lack the smoothness and buildup that alcohol based markers provide, however they are both great options.

My all time favorite water based markers are the Ohuhu dual tip water based markers. These markers are amazing because although they are water based they apply a very smooth even color on the page, plus they have a fine tip and a brush tip for smaller and larger details.

Here are my absolute favourite markers – Ohulu markers. Click here to get them on Amazon.

I would start with a set of 40, however if you are serious you can easily for for a set of 100 like that. They are guaranteed to color in faultlessly even the most intricate nuances and provide you with a diverse palette to experiment with.

The next option in the category of alcohol based markers are Copic markers.

These markers are very popular among artists everywhere and for good reason. I have never used a marker that is blending so well or applied so smoothly as the Copic marker. They are very high quality and although you pay a little more than average, the markers make up for every penny you spend in the joy you get from coloring.

Next on the list of coloring supplies come colored pencils. Colored pencils are amazing for giving a coloring book pastel feel and adding texture to pictures. I recommend Faber-Castell, though they can be on the expensive side they are the best colored pencils I’ve seen on the market.

Check Faber-Castell pencils on Amazon here.

They give a smooth blendable line which can be manipulated any way you like, even creating ombre effects with ease. However, if you’re looking for a pencil set a little softer, then Prismacolor Premier pencil set would be for you. These pencils lay out an ultra soft and smooth layer with rich vibrant colors.

Now this list couldn’t be complete without paint pens that extend your creativity to different surfaces! I personally couldn’t finish any type of art without them, though they are definitely a more messy alternative.

The absolute best paint pens are the Uni-Posca paint marker pens. These markers are waterproof, they don’t bleed, they can be used on a variety of surfaces such as wood, plastic, or even metal. These pens are everything a normal marker could never be and I don’t know where I would be without them. They are water based and have a wide felt tip so these markers definitely aren’t for fine details, but for the big stuff they are an absolute lifesaver.

And finally, (last but not least!) certainly one of the most fun ways of coloring which is… drumroll please… gel pens! Gel pens are easy to use, and they glide across paper like ice skates, what’s not to love? The best pens for durability, long lasting ink, and even color selection, are the Uni-Ball Signor UM 151.

These pens are amazing for coloring tiny details featuring a fine tip of just .38 mm, but don’t let its thinness fool you! This pen has enough ink to cover pages and pages and with its ultra fast glide, you could color a piece in no time. These pens withstand a lot of pressure so if you’re a heavy writer that’s a fantastic security measure to make sure even you get fine and even lines without breaking your precious pens.

When I create digital drawings and majority of content for this blog I use only 2 things: iPad and Apple pencil!

It took me quite a bit of time to make an initial research and I never looked back and am very happy with the tools that I have picked. I did go for the big screen for ipad – 12.9 inches and it is incredibly convenient when creating intricate details and delivers such an immersive drawing experience altogether due to the bigger surface that I cannot recommend it highly enough!

The one I use is Apple iPad Pro 12.9-inch, 3rd Generation and I didn’t purchase it new. Mine was in a great condition and I never felt that there was any difference. My memory is 256 Gb and since I am not recording any videos on it for drawings only it is plenty of memory.

Click here to find it on Amazon.

To draw on it you would need an Apple Pencil 2nd generation (please note 1st genereration won’t be compatible with the model above).

Click here to find it on Amazon >>

PRO tip (optional)!

If you love the feel of fine art paper you can use a paper-feel screen protector. There are very many varieties of it and you can find them here >>

Hope that is helpful!

Creative drawing is an art in itself, its relaxing and fun and the best way to forget all about that annoying thing or an ex, and while the supplies don’t make the artist, they certainly do help. I hope this list inspired some of you to get out there and start colorful drawings, as well as inform you on the very best coloring supplies money can buy, because who could say no to a glittery gel pen? Certainly not me!

Wishing you create wonderful art with ANY tools – all you need is a pen and a bit of inspiration really