The question I hear most often from Bible journaling newbies has always been, “Which colored pencils should I use?” That’s a good question. I know when I first started Bible journaling I didn’t have a clue. I hadn’t joined the adult coloring craze and the only colored pencils I owned were from high school. Needless to say, they were worthless when I pulled them out and I knew I needed to purchase some new ones.
I didn’t do a lot of research at first and wound up wasting a lot of money on pencils that weren’t the quality I needed for those thin, delicate pages in my Bible. I’m here to today to help save you some money by sharing my favorite colored pencils, my go-to colored pencils for not only Bible journaling, but sketching in my art journal as well. So sit back, relax and check out the best colored pencils for Bible journaling. This post contains some affiliate links. Click here to read my full disclosure policy.
Crayola Twistables Colored Pencils
Crayola Twistables Colored Pencils are very affordable and still remain one of my favorite sets. I love the coverage they give and it’s a big plus that you never have to sharpen them. When the lead gets low, just twist the pencil and you’re good to go! They downside to these colored pencils is that they aren’t very blendable, so if you like to do a lot of blending when you color these won’t be a good choice for you.
Prismacolor Premier Colored Pencils
Prismacolor Premier Colored Pencils are often considered the cream of the crop. These colored pencils have a soft core and color so smooth and creamy. They are also easy to sharpen, but do require sharpening a lot when you use them. The colors are vibrant and super pigmented and look beautiful on paper. They are also super blendable and perfect for shading. The only thing I don’t like about these is sometimes the lead smears because it’s so creamy. Be sure to work left to right if you’re right-handed like me!
Jane Davenport Magic Wand Colored Pencils
Jane Davenport Magic Wand Colored Pencils are simply beautiful. I really like the range of colors in this collection, which includes three colors for skin tones. These were designed for use in mixed media projects so they are a perfect choice for using with other mediums like ink or paint. These will work beautifully on top of acrylic paint! These colored pencils are soft and similar to the Prismacolor Premier Colored Pencils, but not quite as creamy and vibrant when coloring on paper. Still, I just LOVE these colors and use them A LOT!
Prismacolor Premier Water-Soluble Colored Pencils
Prismacolor Premier Water-Soluble Colored Pencils are watercolor pencils. They are very similar to the Prismacolor Premier Colored Pencils, but a touch of water makes them look like watercolors. How awesome is that??? I usually color in my Bible with these and then use a watercolor brush to smooth out the color like I want. You can really have fun playing with these!
Derwent Inktense Ink Colored Pencils
Derwent Inktense Ink Colored Pencils are another highly coveted set of colored pencils. Like watercolor pencils, you color with these and add water or you can use a brush to grab color from the pencil and paint. It’s your choice! What sets these apart from other sets is that they are actually made with INK instead of lead. This makes them permanent once dry so they are perfect for mixed media journaling. The colors are so vibrant and beautiful, they really are worth the splurge. Trust me, you’ll notice the difference when using these in your Bible!
There you have it…the best colored pencils for Bible journaling from yours truly. I hope you’ll like these as much as I do!!
Doesn’t adding water to the colored pencils pucker or even softer the tissue-like pages?
I haven’t had any trouble with the pages of my Bible. I use a small amount of water and don’t mind it if the pages get a little crinkly.