The best watercolor pencils might assist you to create different attractive watercolor works of the art even without using any paints. You can draw with the pencils on your watercolor paper as well as thick papers which can hold water.
So, you could apply water by just spraying the drawing or by brushing this on. You might also layer the pencil colors as well as water for intensifying the watercolor effects. Just feel free to see which affects you like the most.
Comparison of Best watercolor Pencils 2021
Watercolor Pencils vs Colored Pencils
In case you are planning for the next adult coloring shopping then you may be actually wondering whether the colored pencils or the watercolor pencils must be purchased.
Here is an outline of some factors in order to consider while making some purchasing decisions.
Price & Color Selection
The colored pencils are easily available on the market at a price that points appropriate for the budget. There are so many people who actually choose to just start out with some student quality at first and afterward they upgrade to the artist quality.
The oil core pencils are usually preferred by several artists because the harder leads actually make them easy to sharp into the fine point and that is good for the intricate work.
Plus, in addition to more costly than the colored pencils, the watercolor pencils also have a quite limited range of it’s colors.
Paper Quality
The colored pencils will not bleed through a paper that means that they’re good for working along with the coloring books which are actually printed on each side. Also, the quality of a paper becomes important while working with watercolor pencils.
Review of Best Watercolor Pencils 2021
- Derwent Colored Pencils | Best Watercolor Pencil
- Arteza Watercolor Pencils, Triangular-shaped, Soft-Core
- Prismacolor Premier Water-Soluble Coloured Pencils, 36 Pack
- Derwent Watercolor Pencils – Best Watercolor Pencils Brand
- Prismacolor Watercolor Pencils
- Faber Castell Watercolor Pencils
- Lyra Aquacolor Crayons
- Caran d’ Ache Neocolor II
- Cretacolor AquaStics
1. Derwent Colored Pencils | Best Watercolor Pencil
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The Derwent Watercolor Pencils could be actually mixed with the water in order to create rare color flows and amazing watercolor effects. Derwent is the best watercolor pencil for graphite sheen projects.
They are simple to sharpen. These are break-resistant pencils that are perfect for the long time periods of use. Also, with a 3.4mm core as well as a hexagonal barrel, it is easy to get a good precision for your detailed drawings.
These also combine the beauty of watercolor with the control of your pencil. You need to use the wetted pencil tip in order to create textured and rich lines and you can also use the dampened paper for obtaining the bright colors along with smooth edges.
Its pigment does transfer to a paper quickly because of the soft formulation that makes it easy to blend & layer the colors. You can also create a large range of different effects that are from bold and vibrant colors to soft watercolor washes.
You can easily customize the colors by just adding some water. Though its pigment isn’t permanent so you might use the water for moving and adjusting different colors even if this has dried.
Yes, but you must ensure that you use a quality sharpener to keep the leads strong. This will in turn make sure that the quality remains good. Most professionals swear by it and we are no exception to this.
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2. Arteza Watercolor Pencils, Triangular-shaped, Soft-Core
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48 shades of stunning beauty are packaged in a durable eco-friendly tube that protects them from damage. Arteza is the best watercolor paint
While you open its pack, you’ll find that they are sharpened to the point. They are ready to assist the imagination soar.
Just go bananas with the set of these fun pencils. Color your world in accordance with the whims of fantasy!
These colors are made from the high-quality lightweight basswood for the durability as well as triangular shape for easy grip. The Arteza Color Pencils enrapture anyone’s attention.
The vibrant colors make this just perfect for blending and mixing different colors to the greater effect.
Bottom line is, these are an affordable set of watercolor pencils. These have made it to our list of the Best Watercolor Pencils because they bring value.
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3. Prismacolor Premier Water-Soluble Coloured Pencils, 36 Pack
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Prismacolor is the best watercolor pencils for children. You can soak the sketches in translucent and dreamy effects along with the Prismacolor Premier Water-Soluble Coloured Pencils.
In the box, you will find thirty-six watercolor pencils that feature leads with the much solubility that while paired with the brush, actually opens up the world of beautiful glassy surfaces & unique and shimmery textures.
The water-soluble pencils also feature the pigments of high quality which could be actually used even dry in order to match the wholePrismacolorkit. This also empowers you for effortlessly drawing this all from the lifelike liquid to some crisp details.
You can create shimmering and translucent effects along with the Prismacolour Premier Water-Soluble Pencils.
You will be just treated to thirty-six watercolor pencils along with the cores of great solubility which could be just paired with the brush for soaking sketches in the dreamy textures and glassy surfaces.
The Prismacolor coloring pencils have good-quality pigments which could be used even dry for matching the Prismacolorkit. Now you could easily transition between precise details and lifelike liquids.
Although most people say that it is a good entry-level color palette, we disagree. Professionals and noobs can equally utilize them to reach that finesse.
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Review of Top 6 Watercolor Pencils Brand
1. Derwent Watercolor Pencils – Best Watercolor Pencils Brand
- They might be used dry or wet for painting and drawing.
- You can combine control of the pencil along with the subtle beauty of the watercolor medium.
- The wet paper is for sharp colors with smooth edges and you can also wet your pencil for rich and textured lines
- These pencils retain full intensity but you can use them.
- These twelve colors are actually set in the convenient and hinged metal tin.
It is perfect to use these pencils. You could simply mix them well with the water for creating some interesting color flows. They are not very much bright just like theInktensehence they are ideal in case you love to do some subtle paintings.
Definitely, you could use these colors dry because they’re such a smooth texture that you would find them simple to layer and blend.
This watercolor isn’t permanent just like Inktense hence once this color dries you might re-wet this and move this about again.
It contains Deep Ivory Black, Cadmium, Copper Beech, Orange Chrome, Golden Brown, Deep Vermilion, Grass Green, Crimson Lake, Mineral Green, Imperial Purple, Prussian Blue, and Spectrum Blue.
2. Prismacolor Watercolor Pencils
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These colors that you get are creamy and deep. They can be blended easily than other watercolor colored pencils available on the market.
These colors are somewhat lacking hence blending may be a bit more necessary as they are available in the sets of twelve to thirty-six.
But their prices are quite reasonable and offer you a great chance to just experience good-quality colored pencils brand. These also come in the round exterior.
3. Faber Castell Watercolor Pencils
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The Albrecht Dürer Traditional Colored Pencil are just superb premium offering. This is the best watercolor pencil for professional artists. Along with the sets that range from single to 120, about any color desired could be achieved.
The colors actually come in the beautiful thick and a bit chunky application. These colors are great with the water. You can experience fantastic blending.
Just like some other Faber-Castell lines, the colors come off at the premium but for people who want the best, then they could not just go wrong with them.
There is a thick oil-based core that is actually wrapped in the beautiful hexagonal wooden exterior.
Application of the Faber-Castell Watercolor Pencils could come off textured and thick but when some water is added to it, this becomes quite buttery. It permits you to experience the best.
These’re also expert-level watercolors too. But a novice can experiment easily and also come up with beautiful color presentations. The oil-based and thick core might handle some repeated use. It’s sharpening is not burdensome as well.
You’re able to have a really nice tip that could help in the detailed area or in case you do prefer, you’d also sharpen at some slight angle in order to allow for the larger strokes.
The hexagonal exterior also assists with the user control. It’s a feature that we actually love to see. Plus, blending is also adequate (specifically for the watercolor pencils) and a great joy for trying out.
There’snot any wrong way for using the Faber-Castell Watercolor Pencils. Its water-soluble lead actually seems to be quite forgiving than the most.
4. Lyra Aquacolor Crayons
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Lyra Aquacolor looks very similar to the wax crayons you probably used as a kid. They are about the same size and have a pointed end. Lyra is the best option for wax crayons.
They’ve got a bit creamy texture if you use these, but they’re not very soft like the oil pastels.
Plus, you could dip your crayons into the water and then use these that way in case you like. You might also layer several colors and blend them with the water.
Ideally, you will need to use the watercolor or a mixed media paper along with some weight for the work.
Relying on how much the texture your paper contains, you might want to rework a few areas I order to get some nice depth of the color.
5. Caran d’ Ache Neocolor II
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Include some luminous colors to the artwork with the help of the fifteen-piece assortment of the Neocolor II Artists’ Pastels from the Carand’Ache. Caran d ache Neocolor are the best watercolor pencils for use on mixed media type jobs.
They are higher-quality pastels that meet the exact needs of fine graphics teachers, graphic artists, artists, and illustrators. You can also use these smooth and water-soluble colors for creating the lovely watercolor effects.
Just make some sketch with the Neocolor II pastels and sprinkle this with the water. Now, let the colors dilute.
You might use one brush in order to pick up your favorite hues and then paint with these watercolors. You could draw on a dampened paper for the wash as well as a varnish effect.
The Neocolor II Pastels also have a good-quality pigment concentration which results in the bright and opaque colors that are appropriate for several techniques on the wet or dry paper.
The Neocolor II water-soluble wax colors are the product of famous Carand’Ache innovation.
These also combine expertise of the color specialist along with amazing ”Swiss Made” tradition. The Neocolor II wax colors are actually extraordinary, both for their quality as well as techniques that they actually make possible.
The Neocoloralso provides an inspiration and an opportunity for the professional as well as amateur artists in order to completely express their imagination and talent. The set is nicely packaged in the metal tin.
6. Cretacolor AquaStics
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The AquaStics water-soluble oil colors have extra-ordinary water solubility along with high pigmentation. Creatacolor are also the best watercolor pencils for professional artists.
Because of the softness, they’re especially appropriate for various drawing techniques that include blending as well as sgraffito.
You can use them on different surfaces that include canvas, glass, wood, and many more. They are much lightfast and also blend nicely.
Select assorted Cretacolor Metallic AquaStics or color AquaStics which have same properties just like regular AquaSticsalong with shimmering gloss-metallic finishing.
How To Choose Watercolor Pencils?
This completely depends on you, as in what exactly is it that you want to do with them. What we do, is simply follow our quest along these lines to find an answer:
Experience
No don’t be disheartened, this doesn’t mean you have to be a pro at it. We mean, you can be a home artist or a medical artist, you have different needs. Right? So, figure out what it is your level of expertise and then invest in a quality watercolor pencil set.
Type Of Color
Since, we are talking about watercolor pencils only that doesn’t mean you have to be constraint within these limits as well. You get oil-based, wax-based, and water-soluble color pencils.
Yes, but if you are in for watercolor pencils because they are easy to handle, affordable, and can be used without water, then you have reached the right place.
Hard Or Soft Pencils
Okay, artists opt for soft pencils, while students and hobbyists may find hard colors to be perfect. Again, what kind of texture you want to add to your art is something that only you can decide. Hence, we leave it up to you, but you must pick something that has quality.
Technique
You know there is a simple technique and then there is an advanced way of doing things. The same applies to drawing and coloring as well.
You may be using it for back and forth, coloring, like the way we teach our children to color. Then there is hatching, scraping, blending, burnishing, and cross-hatching to be used. Choose your colors wisely.
Lightfastness
Make sure that your hard work should not fade away that easily. You will find artist-grade colors to have longevity and they do not fade. So, we suggest that you look for international standards before procuring your colors.
How to Use the Watercolor Pencils
A proper manner in which the watercolor pencils are basically used is up to an artist.
But, there are a few things which might be useful for keeping in your mind. The following are a few helpful suggestions in order to draw with the watercolor pencils.
Step 1: Draw with the Watercolor Pencils
The watercolor pencils could be typically applied as the colored pencils, though they would behave quite differently on a surface. It is because of the binder.
Step 2: Activate the Watercolor Pencils with Water
The watercolor pencils are quite different from the colored pencils with an ability to activate with the addition of water. This is also advised to build up slow applications and then activate these in different layers hence the value, as well as the intensity of that color, could be completely controlled.
Step 3: Layering Application of the Watercolor Pencils
When the layers dry, further application of the watercolor pencils could be just drawn over the layers underneath. It also allows an artist to handle the color perfectly and then adjust painting gradually.
The areas that don’t have to be fully dry, the pencils could be easily applied when the areas are wet that produce interesting effects.
Step 4: Erasing or “Lifting” Watercolor Pencils
Areas could be easily “lifted” or erased by using traditional watercolor techniques.
And, water could be just applied to the areas that are desired to be actually removed and the brush or cotton swab might be used for pulling the color up.
Though this might be tough to remove a color entirely, areas could make a bit lighter with the help of this technique.
FAQ: People Also Ask on Google
What is the best brand of watercolor pencils?
Ans. This is something that we think is a personal choice. We consider Derwent Studio Colored Pencils and Faber-Castell Polychromos to be the best because they serve our purpose. We have told you all, now you decide or trust us and choose one from the above mentioned sets.
Which is better Faber Castell or Derwent?
Ans. To be honest, Derwent is for professionals, and Faber-Castell is for hobbyists. Faber-Castell is also for someone that is on a shoestring budget. Need we say more?
What is the difference between Derwent watercolor pencils and Inktense?
Ans. Inktense, as the name suggests is an intensive color with a harder core.
It has a waxier texture, while Watercolor is softer and can be easily transferred on paper.
Can you use watercolor pencils as normal pencils?
Ans. Of course, you can. Watercolor pencils can be used as regular pencil colors with an added advantage.
You can use them as watercolor too! Isn’t that amazing?
What brand of colored pencils do artists use?
Ans. This question has many parts to answer. For example, we need to know whether the artist is a professional or an enthusiast.
Their budget will have a lot more to do with investing in a color set. Like a home user may be satisfied with Faber Castell Polychromos Colour Pencils. Whereas, a graphic artist may need high-end colors Prismacolor or Derwent.
