Colouring pens and markers are an amazing choice for colourists of all levels! They can offer amazing pigmentation and bright, bold colours that are sure to bring some magic to your colouring. Discover more about the benefits of using adult colouring pens in our guide to pens and markers.
Pens and markers are a popular choice with both young and adult colourists. Offering quick and highly pigmented colouring for kids, and a wealth of exciting opportunities for adults, pens and markers can be really versatile colouring tools!
There are many kinds of pens and markers to choose from – but which pens and markers are best for colouring?
Whether you’re looking for a fine liner, water-based pens, alcohol-based pens or pens of different shapes and sizes, we’ve got you covered in our guide to the top 10 best colouring pens and markers!
Don’t miss our free Beginner’s Guide to Colouring PDF – full of tips and tricks for new colourists, and 12 beginner friendly colouring pages to get you started!
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Before we dive into the 10 best colouring pens and markers for kids and adults, we need a quick dislciamer!
Pens and markers can, and do, bleed through even the highest quality of paper, so we always recommend popping a few sheets of card beneath the design you are working on, especially if you are colouring in an issue of Colouring Heaven as it will protect the pages below.
We cover more tips, advice and techniques in our guide to pens and markers.
Ohuhu markers are a fantastic option for all kinds of colourists. They are an alcohol-based marker with a dual tip which is amazing for creating lines of all sizes. These are an excellent choice as they are highly pigmented and perfect for creating bold colours and also dry quickly which is an added bonus. There are a few downfalls to these markers including occasional bleeding through pages (we always recommend placing a few sheets of card behind the design you’re colouring when using any markers to avoid spoiling any designs behind) but they are extremely affordable and perfect for anyone on a budget.
These are perhaps the most most professional and premium choice of alcohol pens on the market in our opinion! Copic markers are incredible, with their great ability to blend, wide selection of colours to choose from and the fact that they are refillable. All of these amazing benefits do come at a cost though, with these pens at a high price point. They would be great for an experienced colourist looking to up their colouring game!
The BIC Conte colouring pens are another great budget option for a colourist looking for a simple yet effective option. They are a water based marker with a bullet nib which can be extremely useful for precision and small details. The colours are bold and bright and they are a great choice for laying down flat colour!
Another pricey but high quality option are the Spectrum Noir markers. These are an alcohol based, dual nib marker and are a very reliable choice of pen. They are extremely high quality, refillable and even offer replacement nibs. These pens come in a variety of different themed sets and we would absolutely say they are worth the price tag.
The docrafts Artiste Dual-Tip pens are another great option! These pens have a dual tip with both a bullet nib and a brush nib. The brush nib is very thin which is great for letting you get into the small nooks and crannies of colouring pages. They come in at a middle range price point but they are a solid option for colourists looking for a watercolour pen!
Chameleon are a unique marker because the pens have their own mixing chamber which allows you to mix different shades. These adult colouring pens can take some getting used to as they work differently to other brands but once you get to grips with them you may never go back! They are on the pricier end but the inks within the pens are refillable so when they run out you won’t have to buy a full new set of markers. These are great for an experimental colourist who wants to try something new!
The Tombow Dual Brushpens are the most expensive water based pen on this list, but there’s a reason for that! These pens are fantastic at blending for a water based marker and in general they are a versatile marker that could be used on a range of projects. They are a great choice for a colourist who likes to blend but prefers a water based marker to an alcohol based marker!
Fine liner pens are another great option for adding detail to your colouring. The small nib size is perfect for adding those intricate lines into your colouring and our favourites are the STAEDTLER fine liner pens. They have an ergonomic triangle shape for comfort during use, come in a wide range of colours and are affordable for the quality and range you get!
We spoke very highly of this pen over on our top 10 must have colouring supplies article and we love it so much we have to include it here too. A white marker pen is one of the simplest yet most effective ways to add highlights to a piece of colouring and the white Posca marker is our favourite.
If you’re looking for professional adult colouring pens then the Winsor and Newton Promarkers are absolutely the right choice for you! They are another alcohol based marker and due to that the colours are vibrant with an incredible tonal range. Their blending capabilities are second to none and with these markers you don’t just have to stick to paper as they work well on glass, wood or even plastic! They are a reliable and versatile choice!
Enjoyed this round-up of the top 10 best adult colouring pens and markers? You’ll love our guide to the top 10 best colouring pencils!
Coloured a beautiful page and want to share it with your friends and family? Take a look at this article about how to photograph colouring pages.
Don’t miss our free Beginner’s Guide to Colouring PDF – full of tips and tricks for new colourists, and 12 beginner friendly colouring pages to get you started!
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