• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to footer

Coloring Book Addict

Adult Coloring Books, Supplies & Tips - Adult Activity Art Books

  • Home
    • Affiliate Disclosures
    • Disclosures
    • Privacy
  • Coloring Supplies
    • Where to Start
    • Tips for New Colorists
    • Colored Pencil 411
    • Best Markers
    • Best Gel Pens
    • Best Watercolor Supplies – Advanced
  • Tips & Tricks
    • Adult Coloring Books – Top 13 Tips for New Colorists
    • Colored Pencil Tutorials
    • Best cheap colored pencils for adult coloring books
    • Best Gel Pens for Adult Coloring Books
    • Background Coloring Supplies
    • How to Organize & Store Adult Coloring Supplies
    • Best Watercolor Supplies for Coloring Books
  • Topical
    • African Coloring Books For Adults
    • Black Artists
    • Color By Number Adult Coloring Books – For Beginners
    • Coloring Books for Men
    • Coloring Postcards and Greeting Cards for Adults
    • Feminist Coloring and Activity Books
    • Color By Number Adult Coloring Books – For Beginners
    • Nurse & Doctor Coloring Books Honoring the Front Line Heroes
    • Querkles Dot to Dot Challenging Puzzle Books for Adults
    • Women of Color Coloring Books
  • Seasonal
    • Winter Coloring Books for Adults
    • Romantic Valentine’s Day Coloring Books for Adults
    • Best Coloring Books for Mom
    • Spring & Easter Holiday Coloring for Grown-ups
    • Flower and Garden Coloring Books for Adults
    • 2025 Coloring Calendars
  • Zentangle
    • Best Zentangle Supplies
    • Zentangles for Mindfulness
    • Zentangle Coloring Books
    • Zenspirations – Easy to Learn Patterned Drawing Joanne Fink
  • Kids – Things to Do
    • Rock Painting
    • Disney Coloring Books & Activity Books for Kids
  • Seniors
    • Winter Coloring for Seniors
    • Large Print Puzzle Books for Seniors
  • Art Classes
    • Let’s Face It 2025 – A Year-Long Online Art Course
    • How to Use Stencils in Mixed Media Art
    • Micki Wilde – Artist and Teacher
    • Ephemera for Junk Journaling
    • DIY Projects
  • What is Mixed Media Art?
    • Mixed Media Art Workshops Supplies Books & Art Journaling
    • Best Scissors for Fussy Cutting
    • Best Glue for Art Journaling
    • Rolodex Art – Free Course from Autumn Moon
    • Encouraging Words for Artist Trading Cards
    • Artists on Etsy
    • Jane Davenport Adult Activity Books – Art & Drawing
    • Tim Holtz – King of all Things Distressed
    • Tamara Laporte of Willowing and Life Book Fame
    • My Favorite Art Magazines
  • Autumn Coloring Books
    • Best Halloween Coloring Books for Adults
    • Autumn Coloring Books
    • Easy Autumn Coloring Books
    • Witchy Coloring Books & Things To Do
    • Day of the Dead Dios de Los Muertos Coloring Books
  • Current Art Deals
coloring book affiliate disclosure

Best cheap colored pencils for adult coloring books

October 5, 2024 By Adult Colorist 14 Comments

coloring book affiliate disclosure
Best cheap colored pencils for adult coloring books

Most adults who are just starting to color are not willing to invest a bunch of cash for colored pencils or other art supplies until they decide that they want or need to, and honestly, you can get beautiful results from the cheapest of pencils.

There are three differences between student-grade and artist-grade colored pencils.

  1. Colorfastness – if you are just coloring for fun, you don’t need to worry about this at all! What it means is that your colors if exposed to light will fade over time. Sometimes they even do that right in the book even if it’s not exposed to light.
  2. Ease of Coloring – the artist quality pencils have more pigment in them so the colors are easier for older fingers to apply. , Luminance pencils, for example, the most expensive of the artist pencils glide on your paper like silk.
  3. The intensity of Colors – the intensity of the colors is much deeper and richer with fewer layers.

All that being said, if you are coloring for fun, recreation and relaxation, those things really don’t matter, so these are our favorite inexpensive colored pencils.

Best Budget-Friendly Colored Pencils

adult coloring book supplies

Marco Raffine Colored Pencils

The least expensive wax-based colored pencil that performs like it’s oil-based more expensive cousins are the Marco Raffine line from Japan. These were the first set of cheaper pencils we tried out and we are still a huge fan. They are my go-to set to take with me on outings because for one thing, the whole set fits in my pencil roll-up AND if I lose them or one gets broken, my investment is minimal. 

Pros: Lost Cost, Nice Colors, Ease of Coloring

Cons: Only 72 colors, no color names on pencils (just a number) and the barrel is silver so it’s sometimes hard to see what color the pencil is. No tin.

Click to order here.
You can buy these from Amazon here.
Marco Raffine 36 Amazon US
Marco Raffine 72 Canada
Marco Raffine 120 Amazon US
Walmart

SCHPIRERR FARBEN COLORED PENCILS

96 named and numbered oil-based colored pencils at this price and they have amazing reviews.

They come in a pretty tin pre-sharpened and fall somewhere between Prismacolors & Polychromos pencils. I like that they look different than my other colored pencils, sometimes it’s hard to remember which stick you have in your hand. This set doesn’t have as many earth tones as the more expensive brands but lots of great colors for most uses in your coloring books.

Click to Order US, UK or Canada

Crayola Colored Pencils

These are a fantastic option and for the price! You can’t beat it. You can invest in better pencils later and let the kids or your friends use these, but some colorists find they like the results they get from these as much as they do the expensive artist brands.

Buy all the options at Walmart – You can add things to your basket and do a curbside pickup at your nearest store. My favorite way to shop online. Gratification just a few hours later.

  • Amazon – Crayola Colored Pencils 100 pack
  • Amazon – Crayola Colored Pencils 50 pack
  • Amazon – Crayola Colored Pencils  36 Pack

Pros: Low Price, a large variety of colors, easy to sharpen, barrel of pencils is the color of the lead and the color name is clearly printed on the barrel.

Cons: Very waxy making them hard to layer, no tin.

If you really hate to sharpen pencils, you might give Crayola Twistables a try.

Prang Colored Pencils

  • Click to Order 50 Prang 3.3 Milliliter Colored Pencils Amazon US, U or Canada

Sudee Stile Colored Pencils

This set is the largest variety of colors in our list of cheaper colored pencils and gives you 150 colors. Some shades are close as is the case with all large sets of colored pencils, for instance, I find there are always too many shades of yellow that are virtually identical to one another. There is some talk about these pencils having a strong unpleasant smell. That smell seems to come from the case so when you get rid of that and use a pencil cup or a pencil wrap, the bad smell disappears.

Pros: LOTS of colors, low price

Cons: no color name on pencils, barrels aren’t the color of the lead.

Johanna Basford’s recommended colored pencils are the Staedtler’s.
This image was colored by me with Staedtlers plus a few gel pens for sparkle and tiny bits.

gingerbread Work in progress Johanna Basford

Staedtler Colored Pencils 

The Staedtler pencils hold a point nicely and are a firmer pencil than other’s.

Coleen Colored Pencils

This set of double-ended pencils are really fun to use, particularly for a travel set since twice as many colors fit into half as big of a spot. They lay down nicely and layer pretty well, particularly for the price.

This newer version includes a couple of neon colors too.

Black Window Colored Pencils

I’ve just started hearing great things about these pencils but haven’t tried them out myself yet. The advertising says they are easy to sharpen but reviewers say the opposite. They are difficult to sharpen and tend to be eaten up easily by the sharpener. They are similar to the Marcos in that they have a black barrel and no color numbers and only come in a set of 24 colors, really not enough to bother with and your money would be better spent on a set of 100 Crayolas. Reviewers also say they have hardly any pigment at all when using them in coloring books. They come with or without a tin with a price variation, really the best part about them is the cool tin with a cool picture of a scorpion or a Black Widow Spider! They are made in China. If you look on all the listings you will see lots of negative reviews however one of our readers was really upset that I gave them this review because she loves them. I’d love to hear from my readers about them if you have tried these spider-inspired pencils.
Original Black Widow Pencils

Black Widow Colored Pencil

Hopefully, Black Widow Manufacturers are listening to their audience and will improve the product.  You can check them out here.

I decided to purchase the two flesh-toned sets of Black Widow Pencils for both light and dark skin and was happy with the products. I loved that they added in greens and blues which all skin tones have in them.

Dark Skin Tone Colored Pencils for Adults

Light Skin Tones Black Widow Pencils

If you have any favorite cost-saving ideas for your coloring please let us know on social media or in the comments here. Click to Order Amazon US, UK or Canada

Blending Tools

There are a few special techniques to make your cheap pencils perform like artist quality and that’s blending tool. There are specific blending pencils that will take your coloring pages to the next level. Different blenders work with different paper and pencils, so I’d buy both and play with them.

  • Prismacolor Blending Pencil
  • Derwent Blending Pencil

Many people love to use baby oil for blending. You apply a VERY small amount with a paper blending stump and blend it. Put a piece of paper underneath and leave the book open for the oil to evaporate. You can also dip your pencil in the oil or in Vaseline. I would play with this on a book where the pages are removable just to see what you think. There are expensive blending mediums and mineral oils but they are toxic so why not use something you may already have in your house.

Cheapest Background Coloring Materials

If you want a nice easy and inexpensive background idea, head to your dollar store and find some eyeshadows and blush colors or use your own old makeup. You can use either a makeup applicator, a cotton bud or a makeup applicator which you can also purchase at the dollar store if you don’t have some at home to use.

These are quite nice too!

  • Adult Coloring – How to Get Started
  • Best Colored Pencils for Coloring Books
  • Lets Color! Coloring Books for Grown-Ups
  • Stocking Stuffers for Adult Coloring Book Addicts
  • Coloring Supplies for Seniors or Colorists with Physical Limitations

Filed Under: Coloring Supplies Tagged With: colored pencils

Shop Dick Blick

www.dickblick.com

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Norma Lee says

    August 27, 2017 at 4:38 pm

    To say the Black Widow Pencils are the worst when you haven’t even tried them or sharpened them is so unfair.
    Who does a review on a product based solely on other comments? Who does a credible review statement unless you HAVE ACTUALLY USED THE PRODUCT! I have both the first set of the Black Widow Pencils and the followup second set of Scorpion Pencils and they are fantastic. Knowing many people don’t know the proper way to sharpen a pencil could be the problem. There are many other variables as well. You should be ashamed of yourselves for making a statement based on other opinions and not actually using this product. YOU OWE MediHealth1 an apology for your review and you owe us Colorists truthful credible reviews. I can no longer call you a CREDIBLE SOURCE!

    Reply
  2. Peasant Veteran 🌻 (@Aine) says

    August 31, 2017 at 9:05 am

    Rubbing alcohol works for blending and it won’t leave a greasy/oily residue on your paper. It evaporates quickly too. I haven’t tried it yet, but I thought about filling a waterbrush with alcohol & using that to blend with… it gives some control over amount applied.

    Reply
    • Addicted Colorist says

      September 2, 2017 at 2:21 pm

      Interesting! I’ve never heard that

      Reply
  3. Ruby Wiens says

    October 20, 2017 at 8:21 pm

    I have many different brands of “economy” pencils. I agree that Prangs are good and I also like Lelix which you did not mention. I think I ordered them from Amazon.

    Reply
    • Addicted Colorist says

      October 22, 2017 at 6:56 am

      I’ve not heard of Lelix? Have you tried the Marco Raffines?

      Reply
      • Ruby Wiens says

        October 23, 2017 at 12:24 pm

        Yes, I also have a set of Marco Raffines 🙂

        Reply
  4. Riam says

    December 25, 2017 at 7:32 am

    What about derwent academy color pencils?

    Reply
    • Addicted Colorist says

      December 26, 2017 at 10:36 am

      I haven’t used them, I have the more expensive Coloursoft’s from Derwent. Do you recommend the Academy?

      Reply
  5. Mary Collins says

    August 12, 2018 at 1:25 pm

    I’m looking for a regular Adult Coloring Book w/pictures that have the “pencil numbers ” printed inside the pictures lines…so that the senior patients DO NOT have to decide what color to use.
    They can use numbered pencils included along with the coloring book ( or purchased seperately) . Any Suggestions !!

    Reply
    • Addicted Colorist says

      August 13, 2018 at 6:40 am

      Interesting idea, I get what you mean… like a color by number set where the paint comes with the picture. I haven’t seen anything like that unfortunately in the coloring book realm. You could affix a number to a set of pencils that correlate to the colors in the color by number books here. https://coloringbookaddict.com/color-by-number-adult-coloring-books/ and also check out my list of books for seniors here. https://coloringbookaddict.com/coloring-books-for-seniors/

      Reply
  6. Carson says

    December 28, 2020 at 2:14 pm

    I have used the light skin set of Black Widow pencils along with the Faber Castell Pitt Pens skin tone set after a lot of frustration with messed up grayscale portraits from colors being too orange, too muddy, or too pink. Black Widow is still coming out with new colors. A 48 piece set was just released priced at less than $10 more than one of their 24 piece sets. The light skin set is amazing in my opinion. I’m planning on buying more of their pencils, if not the entirety of their collection. It takes little effort to apply color and it lays down beautifully. You’re able to get into detailed areas and there are several hair colors contained in the set as well as lip and skin colors. Sherbet is my favorite color for lips. It’s a nice coral color. The biggest plus for me is that I don’t lose so much of the pencil like I do with my Prismacolors when sharpening and they are comfortable to hold with my poor hand function.

    Reply
  7. Shane says

    July 16, 2023 at 1:54 pm

    I don’t quite agree in scolding you over the Black Widow pencils, but you should try them. At this point, if you buy each tin, you end up with, like, 180 different colors. They ARE “manufactured” in China—like MOST pens & pencils are, with obvious exceptions, like the German, Swiss, British, & Italian pencils historically used by fine artists—but as noted one man, a German Australian, I believe, created the line—not some copycat trying to make a cheap buck. He is a fine gentleman from my personal experience, having needed a replacement set due to a missing color, which he handled per gratis. The wood is actually a very hard Asian or South Pacific wood of which I can’t recall. But it is quite hard and they seem to be the EASIEST pencils I have to sharpen. The pigments are beautiful! They are wax but hard like Verithins. The color goes on at least as good as the Tombow. Another “Chinese” manufactured set often immediately put down w/out testing are the Castle Arts brand. They’re created by a wonderful small British firm that makes fine products for artists and hobbyists alike. They’re just mass produced in China for costs reasons. They’re also great pencils. They have a gorgeous set of pastel tint pencils I adore! Not everything seemingly “Chinese” is a knockoff or cheapies too budget for any real use.

    Reply
    • Adult Colorist says

      July 17, 2023 at 6:08 am

      I appreciate your thoughts on this!! I have ordered and used the two skin tone sets and while I did like the idea and the color selection,I just didn’t enjoy using them. As you say they are similar to verities which I only use for specific applications. I find the black widows too hard to blend with.

      I am guilty of throwing Castle Arts into the “why bother” category and you are probably right! I assumed they were just another cheap poorly made pencil. You’ve made me want to check them out Shane. Thank you! I hope you have a fabulous coloring project happening now.

      Chrissy*

      Reply
      • Anonymous says

        July 1, 2024 at 2:59 pm

        I’m glad you tried them. They were created specifically for those with bad hand function so they could still enjoy coloring with quality products. I have poor hand function due to chronic pain and you may want to add them to the senior drawing supplies list for their history. Their non-skin tone sets have a ton of pigment and my only con is several sets have different whites and blacks with different names that are nearly exact in color shade.

        Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Before Footer

Shop at Blick’s

https://www.dickblick.com

Shop Michaels Online – Pickup at Store

CLICK.BUY. CREATE. Shop Michaels.com today!

Shop Scrapbook.com

New Products at Scrapbook.com!

Dover Coloring Books

Adult Coloring Book

AMAZON AFFILIATE DISCLOSURE

We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

Hurricane Holly – Singer Songwriter

Hurricane Holly Music
Singer / Songwriter / Daughter
Listen on Spotify

Shop Joggles for Mixed Media Art Supplies

Joggles.com, Inc

Want us to review your coloring book or supplies?

We are happy to do that to support new artists and merchants helping us with our coloring in addiction please click here to get more information. Coloring Book Reviews

Footer

  • Coloring Book Artists – Publishers
  • Blog
  • Disclosures
  • Where to Start

Copyright © 2025

Coloring Book Addict - Coloring Books for Adults, Art Supplies, Art Classes, Creative Things to Do, + Colored Pencil Tutorials