How to Paint With Watercolor Pencils: A Complete Guide to Techniques

What Are Watercolor Pencils and How Do They Work?

Watercolor pencils are a versatile tool that combines the precision of a traditional pencil with the expressiveness of watercolor paints. Their core contains pigments bound with a water-soluble binder, allowing artists to create layers that turn into a painting when they come into contact with water.

When working with them, we recommend choosing trusted brands such as Koh-i-Noor, known for the high quality of their pigments. These pencils are ideal for illustrators, urban sketchers, and beginners who want to avoid the mess associated with traditional watercolor paints in pans.

Choosing the right paper is essential. Paper with a weight of at least 200 g/m² is best for watercolor pencils. Fabriano is an ideal choice. It handles moisture without buckling and allows the pigment to spread beautifully.

Basic Techniques: From Dry Drawing to a Wet Effect

The first technique is classic dry drawing, where you use the pencils like regular colored pencils. The advantage is that you can layer colors and create fine details. Then comes the magic: go over the drawing with a wet brush, and the pigment immediately turns into watercolor.

Another popular method is applying pigment directly from the pencil tip. Pick up color directly from the pencil tip with a damp brush and apply it to the paper as you would from a traditional watercolor palette. This technique is great for fine details and retouching.

For dramatic effects, you can wet the paper with clean water first, then draw on it with a pencil. The color immediately spreads around, creating soft, dreamy transitions ideal for backgrounds or skies.

How to Achieve Professional Results and Gradients

To create smooth gradients, remember to blend the colors. You can blend colors directly on the paper by drawing two adjacent areas in different shades and then joining them with clean water. For maximum control, we recommend soft-haired brushes, such as those from Royal Talens.

Experiment with layering, too. Apply lighter shades first, then gradually add darker layers. Watercolor pencils also allow you to use the “dry brush” technique. Add more details with a pencil to a painting that has already dried to give the artwork depth and texture.

Don't forget about protection, either. Although watercolor does not need fixative like pastels, if you want to protect your work from moisture and UV radiation over the long term, we recommend using a quality finishing varnish from Schmincke to preserve the vibrancy of the colors.

Supplies Every Artist Needs

In addition to the pencils themselves, it’s important to have quality accessories. A good pencil sharpener is essential because soft watercolor pencil leads can break if sharpened improperly. Investing in brands like Pebeo will pay off with longer-lasting pencils.

Brushes are another key element. Round brushes with good absorbency are ideal for watercolor pencils. If you travel often, try practical water brushes with a water reservoir built into the handle, which will save space in your sketchbook.

At ARTMiE, you’ll find a wide selection of supplies from brands like Lukas and Lefranc & Bourgeois to help take your work further. With the right tools, creating comes easily, whether you’re just starting out with watercolor pencils or are an experienced artist.

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