debbielouart1

Which coloured pencils should you buy? It's one of the questions I'm asked most. The answer might surprise you—you don't need an expensive 120-pencil set to create beautiful animal drawings. In this post, I'll explain why buying individual pencils can save you money, which brands I recommend for beginners, and how to build a palette that grows with your skills instead of gathering dust in a drawer.

Learning to draw animals in coloured pencils can feel overwhelming when you’re not sure where to start. In this June blog post, I share why animal art can feel confusing at first and how a gentle, step-by-step approach can help you build confidence. I’ll also introduce Pencil Paws Academy, reopening next week, where you can learn realistic animal art in your own time.

I didn’t start where I am now. The elephant was drawn in 2020, and the wolf in 2026. The difference wasn’t talent, it was learning what to focus on, how to build layers, and how to see values properly. That’s exactly what I now help artists with inside my membership. I’ll be opening the doors again soon, and I’d love you to be part of it. Join the waitlist to be the first to hear.