Before the first stroke
Before you choose
Which Soucolor set suits a complete beginner?
For drawing, take one of the 73 or 76 piece kits: graphite from 2H to 8B, charcoal, colored and watercolor pencils, blending stumps and paper in one zip case. For coloring, the bundle of 72 soft-core pencils with a 9x12 sketchbook gives you color and a place to test it.
How many marker colors do I actually need?
Forty-eight or 80 is plenty for coloring books and study pages. From 168 upward you start getting the close neighbors of each hue, which is what makes shadows, skin and sky easier to shade.
Is there one pad that takes both pencil and light paint?
Yes, the 98 lb (160 gsm) mixed media sketchbook. Its fine-tooth sheet holds dry media and stands up to light washes. For heavy acrylic or gouache, move up to the 400 gsm hardcover pad.
Are your sketchbooks comfortable for left-handed artists?
They are built for it. The spiral sits along the top edge and the cover flips all the way round, so either hand rests on a flat page with no coil underneath.
Alcohol or water-based markers for lettering?
Water-based. Those pens carry a flexible brush tip and a 0.3 mm fineliner, and the ink is gentler on planner and journal paper. Keep alcohol markers for blended fills and illustration.
On the first day
Why does the ink look different from the cap?
A cap or barrel is molded plastic and can only hint at the color inside. Fill in the blank color card that comes with the set, on the paper you plan to use, and choose from those marks instead.
My dot marker leaves no color. Is it dry?
Almost certainly not. A new sponge tip has to be wetted first: press it on scrap paper a couple of times until color reaches the surface. After that, one press makes one dot.
Do the colored pencils need sharpening before use?
No. All 72 arrive pre-sharpened. When a point wears down, use a sharp blade and a light twist, since soft cores do not like force.
How do I keep alcohol markers from marking the next page of a coloring book?
Slip a spare sheet behind the page you are working on. The ink is thin and soaks through ordinary paper, which is also why it blends so well.
Months later
A gel pen has run out. What now?
Find its twin among the 60 refills in the case. Unscrew the barrel, swap the ink tube and carry on in the same color.
An alcohol marker has started to streak. Should I press harder?
No, it is asking for ink. Pressing harder only flattens the tip. Our 120, 168, 262 and 320 color sets are refillable, and each item page says so in its details.
How should dual-tip markers be stored?
Capped until they click, and lying flat or standing in the holder that comes with the set, so neither tip dries out before the other.
Will a drawing yellow if it stays in the pad?
Our drawing, marker, watercolor and mixed media papers are acid-free and pH-neutral, so the sheet does not yellow under your work while it waits in a drawer.
How do I look after the brushes?
Rinse them before the paint dries and let them dry lying flat. If you use both acrylic and watercolor, keep one pack for each and the points hold longer.
About the order
Where do I order Soucolor supplies?
Every item on our pages has a button that opens it at our partner store. You check out there, with the store's payment and delivery options.
Why is the price at the store different from the one I saw here?
The store sets the price and can change it at any hour. The figure at checkout is always the current one.
Something in my box is damaged or missing. Who do I tell?
The partner store, through the order page for that purchase. The store arranges the replacement or the refund.
A question we missed? Send it to contact@soucolor.org with two facts: the supply in your hand and the paper under it.