Add some sparkle to your coloring books

When I first started coloring, I used nothing but colored pencils. Slowly I built up my collection of tools - watercolor pencils, ink pencils, pastels, gel pens etc. Thanks to all the artists I follow on Youtube, I've learned quite a bit about different art supplies and new techniques.

Today I want to talk about a few tools that can help you add some sparkle or shine to your coloring pages.

There are basically two ways to add shine to a picture - metallic paint (in a pen, marker or tubes) and glitter (glue, gel pen, brush style pen).

Metallic colors are shiny and reflect light when applied on a page. You can use craft paint in metallic colors or get some gel pens with whatever colors you want. I have the metallic gelly rolls by Sakura which come in a wide range of colors. This 16 color pack actually contains 2 gold and 2 silver pens along with 1 each of other colors. The silver and gold are handy for coloring metallic objects like jewelry, iron chains or buckles etc.

What about when you want to add a bit of sparkle to an existing color? Here's where clear glitter can help. You can get these in a variety of formats - from glitter glue and gel pens to brush markers. I first tried the Wink of Stella clear glitter brush pen but was very disappointed with the results. While you can see the glitter on a black background, it's not very visible on other colors. No matter how many times I apply the glitter, there's simply not enough.

Then I found out that Sakura gelly rolls also have a clear glitter pen. I promptly ordered a set (it comes in a 2 pack, very handy) since I absolutely love their metallic gel pens. These gel pens are the real deal - the glitter is clear so you can use it on top of any color.

It doesn't disturb the color underneath. So use it over colored pencils, watercolor, ink or any other medium. Best of all, there is plenty of glitter to go around! In fact, I had to use a small brush and push the glitter around since a little goes a long way with these pens.

Just remember that these supplies are for fun, none of them are archival or artist quality. The glitter will dry on the page but will come off if you rub it. I always put a piece of scrap paper in between the pages for a day or two to catch any excess pigment or glitter. After that, I find that the color and glitter don't move around too much. But if something like that bothers you, you might want to avoid glitter and pastels.

The best part about these pens is that they don't cost very much. The 2 pack was just about $4 on Amazon while the Wink of Stella cost me more than $5 at Michaels and that was after a coupon! Overall I'd say that the clear glitter gelly rolls are the best way to add some sparkle to your coloring pages. Use them on eyes, lips, water bubbles, gems or anything else you want to highlight. Happy coloring (or should I say sparkling?) everyone!