When dealing with color, there are many choices. Cheaper materials are apparent by their pigment qualities; mid-grade and good quality materials are suggested.

Pencils
Colored pencils come in two choices: Traditional Wood and Woodless. Both have inherent coloring properties; Traditional Wood can be sharpened easily to precise points, and Woodless can have an entire long side be used to color a large area. The following are a few brands which are mid-grade to good quality.
# Crayola Portfolio Series Colored Pencils
# Derwent Colored Pencils
# Prismacolor Colored Pencils
# Prismacolor Art Stix
# Prismacolor Watercolor Pencils

Markers, Pens and Inks
There are various types of markers, some with an alcohol base, some which are water based. Alcohol based markers are better quality and used by professionals, however water based ones can be used as well. Inks used in Rapidograph or dip pens are also very useful for maximum coverage and rich colors. The following are a variety of brands that are suggested.
# Pantone Tria Markers
# Prismacolor Markers
# Itoya Dual Shader Markers
# Nexus Colored Pens
# Koh-I-Noor Waterproof Drawing Inks
# Koh-I-Noor Rapidograph Inks
# Daler-Rowney Inks
# Winsor & Newton Calligraphy Inks
# Dr. P. H. Martin’s Concentrated Watercolor Inks


Chalk Pastels
Chalk pastels, otherwise just known as Pastels or soft pastels, are similar in feel to regular sidewalk chalk, however their pigment concentration is high and pure. As there are many different brands of Pastels, the more expensive brands are the ones with the best pigments, however there are some affordable alternatives. There are also pencil versions of pastels, similar to Conté. The following brands are recommended.
# Prismacolor NuPastels
# Rembrandt Soft Pastels
# Sennelier Soft Pastels
# Schminke Soft and Iridescent Pastels
# Unison Soft Pastels
# Cretâcolor Pastel Pencils
# Derwent Pastel Pencils
# Conté Pastel Pencils


Oil Pastels
Oil pastels are similar in feel to a crayon, however they are much smoother and mix easier. When using Oil Pastels, be careful as the paint is just like oil paint, and won’t get out of clothing or carpet without turpentine. There are a few brands who offer Water Soluble pastels, so they can be cleaned with water. Oil Pastel grades are various and the cheaper versions are actually comparable to mid-grade. More expensive oil pastels are better in quality and pigment, however they tend to be harder to find. For larger artwork, Shiva Paint Sticks are suggested, as they are like an Oil Pastel, but larger and smoother. The following are a few brands to look for in Oil Pastels.
# Niji
# Cray-pas
# Holbein
# Sennelier
# Grumbacher
# Crayola Portfolio Series Water Soluble Oil Pastels
# Caran D'Ache Crayons, water soluble and non-soluble (technically not oil, but similar laydown)

Sharpeners
All pencil encased materials require sharpening. Fully metal sharpeners do the best job in this, as plastic sharpeners with metal blades tend to shatter or break the pencil. These sharpeners are relatively inexpensive, though usually lack the convenience of a shavings container. For Stumps, Chalk Pastels, Woodless Colored Pencils and others, the use of a sanding block or a piece of sand paper will sharpen the points fairly well.

Paper
There are many different types of paper for various media. Finding a type of paper you like is suggested. Below are a few types and what they are typically used with.
# Bristol (vellum and smooth)- Pencils, Chalk and Oil Pastels, Inks and Markers
# Layout Paper- Ink and Markers
# Vellum- Ink, Markers and Pencils
# Wallis Sanded Paper- Chalk Pastels
# Sennelier Pastel Paper- Chalk and Oil Pastels
# Canson Mi-Tientes- Chalk and Oil Pastels
# Heavy Weight Sketch Paper- Pencils, Oil Pastels, Inks and Markers
# Light Weight Sketch Paper- Pencils, Chalk Pastels
# Archival Museum Board- Pencils, Markers and Inks

Blending Tools
Each medium has its own version of a blending tool, since each has different bases. The following are common blending tools for mediums.
# Colorless Alcohol Blenders- alcohol based markers
# Colorless Wax Blenders- colored pencils
# Stumps/Tortillions- chalk pastels
# Turpentine/Linseed Oil- oil pastels


Erasers
Most color mediums cannot be erased; instead you have to layer over the area with the color you wish to be there instead. With Chalk Pastels and some colored pencils (provided they haven’t been laid too heavily), a kneaded eraser can pick up some of the color, letting you overlap the correct color heavily until the under color is no longer shown. In the case of Alcohol Based Markers, you can cover the ink with the blender until it erases, however the paper will become soaked, and will be prone to tearing and warping/wrinkling.

Finishing Tools
As with all pictures, certain steps to ensure that the picture is protected is always a good idea. Notice all fixatives for Chalk Pastels will make the artwork darker.
# Sennelier Pastel Fixative- Chalk Pastel Protectant
# Kamar / Damar Spray Varnish- Oil Pastel Protectant
# Workable Fixative- Pencil and Chalk Pastel Protectant
# Finishing Spray- Pencil, Chalk Pastel, Oil Pastel, Marker and Ink Protectant