There are many different brands of
colored pencils, but, my favorite is Prismacolor ©. I like the large
collection of colors, and the fact that they are widely available and can be bought both individually and in sets. When you choose your pencils be
sure the pencil lead is centered in the wood. Off centered lead results in pencils that sharpen strangely.

My pencils are stored by color in small
jelly jars. This makes them easy to
use and keeps them from rolling off my desk. When pencils drop on to a hard surface, it can cause the lead to break along the length of the pencil. So...you sharpen your pencil and suddenly the point falls off. Broken lead! Always have extra pencils just in case.

A blender pencil is a pencil without color. Use it to smooth out the edge where one color overlaps another, or reduce the "streaking" that sometimes occurs. Try one and see if a blender pencil is for you. Be sure to clean off the blender tip before using, so you don't transfer a new color to your work.

I use an electric pencil sharpener in my studio and a battery operated sharpener when I teach. If you buy a sharpener try to find one with an auto-stop, it will save your pencils from over sharpening. After sharpening, your pencils can have specks of wood and colored lead on the tip. Be sure to wipe off this excess with a clean cloth to avoid bringing it to your work. Keep a small brush handy to sweep away specks of color that flake off as you are coloring. Avoid brushing these specks away with your hand, the warmth of your skin can cause a smudge.

The following is a list of my favorite Prismacolor © colored pencils.