How to Start Coloring: A Complete Beginner’s Guide to Tools, Pages, and First Steps

Have you been meaning to try coloring for a while but kept putting it off? Maybe you weren’t sure what supplies to get, or what kind of page to start with. Maybe it just never felt like the right moment. If any of that sounds familiar, you’re not alone — a surprising number of people have “try coloring” sitting quietly on their mental to-do list.

Here’s the thing: coloring is almost embarrassingly easy to start. You need two things. Two. And one of them you might already have at home. By the end of this guide, there’ll be no reason not to begin today.

Yuki

I’ve been wanting to try coloring for a while, but I have no idea what I need to get started. Where do I even begin?

Shio

Good news — you really only need two things! It’s so simple you might not believe it at first. Let me show you!

The Only Two Things You Need

Let’s get this out of the way immediately:

• A line drawing to color (called a coloring page)
• Something to color with (colored pencils or crayons)

That’s it. No sketchbook. No special paper. No art training. If you have a set of colored pencils from years ago — even cheap ones, even a short set — those will work. Start with what you have. Don’t let “getting the right supplies” become a reason to delay.

On Colored Pencils: Start Simple

If you do need to buy pencils, a 12- or 24-color set is more than enough to begin. You can find perfectly usable sets at drug stores, stationery shops, and online for very little. Premium brands like Faber-Castell or Prismacolor have wonderful pencils — smooth, rich, vibrant — but they’re not necessary until you know you want to invest in the hobby.

A good rule of thumb: start cheap, upgrade when you feel the urge to. That urge usually arrives naturally after a few pages, when you notice what a slightly better pencil can do. Until then, any set will do the job.

Yuki

Okay, I’ve got my pencils sorted. But where do I actually find pages to color?

Shio

There are three great ways! You can buy a coloring book, download free pages online, or use AI to generate your very own custom design. Each one has its perks!

Where to Find Coloring Pages

There are three main sources, each with its own advantages:

• Coloring books from a bookstore or online: Dozens of themes and styles are available — flowers, animals, landscapes, geometric patterns, mandalas. A single book typically contains 30 to 60 pages and costs very little. This is the easiest option if you want something curated and ready to go
• Free printable pages online: Search “free coloring pages printable” and you’ll find thousands of options. Print on regular A4 or letter paper and you’re ready. The quality varies, but there are genuinely excellent free options available
• AI-generated pages: Describe an image and an AI creates a unique line drawing for you in about 30 seconds. This is the most flexible option — you’re not limited to what someone else designed. More on this below

Choosing Your First Page

For your very first coloring session, look for a page with these qualities:

• Larger shapes: Areas smaller than a coin are harder to color neatly. Look for pages where the spaces are generous
• Clear, bold lines: Thin, faint outlines are harder to work within. Bold outlines give you clear guidance
• A subject you actually like: This matters more than any technical consideration. A page you’re drawn to will hold your attention; a page you chose because it seemed “appropriate” probably won’t

Don’t overthink this. Look at a few options, pick the one that makes you think “I’d like to color that” — and start with that one.

Your First Session: What to Expect

Open the page. Choose a color — probably your favorite, or whatever you feel like right now — and start somewhere that appeals to you. There’s no correct order. You don’t have to start at the top left corner. You don’t have to finish the whole page in one sitting.

You’ll notice fairly quickly that the act of coloring requires just enough attention to quiet the noise in your head. That’s the mindfulness effect, and it happens naturally — you don’t have to think about it.

When you’re done — whether that’s 10 minutes or an hour later — look at what you’ve made. Even partially finished, it’s yours. You made it.

How to Build a Coloring Habit

The easiest habit is one that doesn’t require willpower. A few practical tips:

• Keep your supplies visible: If coloring materials are tucked away in a drawer, you’ll never reach for them spontaneously. Leave them on the table, on a shelf — somewhere you’ll see them
• Don’t commit to every day: “I’ll color every day” quickly becomes pressure. Two or three times a week, whenever the mood strikes, builds a more durable habit than a strict schedule
• Display what you finish: Stick a completed page on the fridge. Put one in a simple frame. Seeing your own work in your environment is quietly motivating — and it makes the next session feel worth it

Yuki

Wow, coloring is so much easier to start than I thought! I just finished my first page and already want to try another one!

Shio

That’s the coloring magic! And with IROTSUNA, you can create any design you imagine and share your finished work with a whole community of coloring fans. Give it a try!

IROTSUNA: Your Theme, Ready in 30 Seconds

One of the most common reasons people abandon coloring is running out of pages they want to color. The book they bought doesn’t have quite the right theme, or they’ve worked through everything they liked. This is where AI changes the game.

IROTSUNA generates a custom coloring page from any description, in about 30 seconds. “A cozy cottage in autumn.” “Koi fish in a garden pond.” “A field of wildflowers in the wind.” Whatever you imagine, you can color. And when you’re done, share your finished page in the app’s community gallery to connect with other colorists. Download free on the App Store and start with a page that’s exactly yours.