How to Use Watercolor Pencils: The Ultimate Beginner's Guide
Love the control of drawing but want the look of painting?
Watercolor pencils are the ultimate compromise tool. Sketch with the precision of colored pencils. Add water. Watch your drawing turn into a painting.
No messy palette setup. No figuring out brush techniques before you've even started. Just draw, wet it, done.
They're the bridge between "I can't paint" and "wait, I just painted something." And honestly? They're how a lot of traditional watercolorists started before graduating to actual paints.
We're covering three main techniques: dry sketching that activates with water, the palette method (treating pencils like portable paint), and wet-on-dry application. Plus how to avoid the harsh lines beginners always complain about.
Time to paint something.
What Are Watercolor Pencils & How Do They Work?
Look like colored pencils. Act like magic.
Standard colored pencils? Wax or oil holds the pigment together. That's why your kindergarten artwork never dissolved into a painting when you accidentally got it wet. The binder just doesn't break down.
Watercolor pencils use a water-soluble gum binder instead. Same pigment cores. Different chemistry holding it all together.
The science part: Water hits that gum. It dissolves. Pigment separates and flows like liquid paint. You're not brushing over pencil strokes - you're converting the pencil into actual fluid watercolor.
Dry, they behave exactly like regular colored pencils. Sharp lines. Controlled shading. Precise detail work.
Add water? Fluid washes. Soft edges. Paint-like blends.
The catch: Not all watercolor pencils dissolve equally. Cheap sets from craft stores sometimes leave behind waxy residue even after you add water. Student-grade brands (Derwent, Prismacolor) dissolve better. Professional ones like Caran d'Ache Supracolor basically liquefy on contact.
You get what you pay for. But even cheap ones work for learning the techniques.
One trick most people miss: skip drawing on paper entirely. Wet your brush, swipe it across the pencil tip, paint straight onto your work. Zero pencil marks. Pure pigment. We'll walk through that method soon.
Bottom line? Watercolor pencils are just paint packaged in pencil form. Super portable. Perfect for outdoor sketching, travel, anywhere you'd rather not haul a full palette.
Essential Supplies: Paper, Brushes & Water
Bad news: Printer paper will sabotage you immediately.
Regular copy paper buckles the second water touches it. Warps like a potato chip. Your beautiful sketch turns into a topographic map of disappointment.
You need actual watercolor paper. It's heavier—thickness gets measured in GSM (grams per square meter). The surface is treated to control how water absorbs. It doesn't disintegrate when wet.
Minimum specs:
300gsm weight (anything lighter warps) Cold press texture (slight tooth helps grab pigment) 100% cotton if you can afford it (wood pulp works but pills faster)
Hot press (smooth) paper works too—gives you crisper pencil lines. Cold press hides mistakes better. Your call.
Brushes:
Synthetic rounds. Size 2 for details, size 6 for medium areas, size 12 if you're covering large washes.
You're activating small sections of pencil work, not laying down huge washes like with tube paint. Smaller brushes = better control.
Water brushes look convenient (built-in reservoir handles) but the bristles feel stiff and you can't predict when water's going to flood out. I'd skip them unless you're genuinely traveling somewhere without access to a cup.
The shortcut:
Here's the thing—if you're buying watercolor pencils, paper, brushes, and a palette separately, you're spending €60+ and still piecing together a system.
Tobio's watercolor kit throws everything together: synthetic brushes, cotton paper, actual watercolor paints. One box. €35.95.
Sure, it's paint not pencils. But if the goal is learning watercolor techniques, real paints teach you better control over how transparent or intense your colors look. Pencils work great for portability. Paint teaches better.
Just saying. Option's there.
3 Best Techniques: How to Use Watercolor Pencils for Beginners
Master these three and you're an artist. Everything else is just variations.
1. Draw & Wash (Standard Method)
The classic approach. Draw first, paint later.
How it works:
- Sketch your subject with dry pencils on dry paper
- Keep your pressure light (this is critical)
- Wet your brush with clean water
- Paint over the pencil marks following the contours of your subject
- Watch the lines dissolve into washes
The pressure thing matters. Press too hard and those pencil lines stay visible even after you add water. Everyone asks "how do I avoid harsh lines?" This is how. Light pressure. Gentle strokes.
Like you're almost not touching the paper. You can build up darkness through layering later. Can't lighten something once you've mashed pigment into the fibers.
Best for: Detailed work. Botanical illustrations. Anything where you want precise control over placement before committing to color.
2. The Palette Method (Scribble & Lift)
Treat your pencils like portable paint pans.
How it works:
- Grab scrap watercolor paper
- Scribble heavily with your pencil to create a dense color patch
- Wet your brush
- Lift pigment directly from that scribble
- Paint on your actual artwork like you're using a palette
Zero pencil marks on your final piece. Just pure, painterly washes.
This is how you get smooth color without linear strokes showing through. The pencil becomes a pigment supply, not a drawing instrument.
Best for: Backgrounds. Big washes. Times when you want watercolor effects but not that sketchy pencil look.
3. Wet-on-Dry (Dip & Draw)
Intense, marker-like application.
How it works:
- Dip the sharpened pencil tip in water (just the tip, couple seconds)
- Draw directly on dry paper
- The wet pencil lays down concentrated pigment immediately
- No activation needed—it's already "painted"
Creates bold, saturated lines. Almost like using a brush pen.
Warning: This eats through your pencils faster. The wet core is softer and deposits way more pigment per stroke. Use it strategically for emphasis, not entire drawings.
Best for: Final details. Dark accents. Anywhere you need a punch of intense color.
The combination approach:
Real artists mix all three. Nobody religiously sticks to just one method. You might lightly sketch your outline (method 1), wet it down, add background washes using the palette technique (method 2), then punch up final details by dipping the pencil (method 3).
All three in one piece. That's when watercolor pencils actually shine.
Blending & Layering: Avoiding the "Mud"
Two colors next to each other? Beautiful. Three colors mixed together? Brown.
Same color theory as regular paint. Mix colors from opposite sides of the color wheel and you get neutral mud.
Clean blending rules:
Blend analogous colors only. Colors next to each other on the wheel (yellow into orange, blue into purple) blend beautifully. Opposites (blue and orange) create gray-brown sludge.
Heavy to light pressure for gradients. Start with firm pressure, gradually lighten up as you move across the paper, then activate with water. The gradient is built in before you even add moisture.
Don't overwork wet paper. Once you've activated the pigment and moved it around, stop. Keep brushing and the paper surface starts to pill (little fiber balls appear). It's ruined. You can't fix it.
Layer in stages. Let the first layer dry completely. Add another layer. Activate again. Build depth through multiple thin layers, not one thick muddy mess.
The transparency problem:
Here's where pencils hit their limit. Even using the palette method, watercolor pencil pigment can't match the transparency you get with real watercolor paint.
Pencils are great for control. Paint is better for luminous, layered washes where light passes through multiple transparent glazes.
When you start taking watercolor seriously, proper pans (like in Tobio's kit) let you control exactly how transparent or saturated you want. Just change your water ratio. With pencils you're stuck at "this is as light as this pencil gets."
Paint lets you dial it in exactly.
From Pencils to Paint: The Natural Progression
Pro watercolor artists mainly use pencils for one thing: preliminary sketches that vanish.
They'll lightly draw a flower outline with watercolor pencil, then paint over it using actual watercolor. The pencil sketch melts into the paint and completely disappears. No graphite lines showing through the finished work.
That's the professional approach. Pencils for structure. Paint for color.
If you're enjoying watercolor pencils, you're ready for actual watercolor. The techniques transfer directly:
Painting on damp paper (adds paint to wet surface for soft blends) Painting on dry paper (creates crisp, controlled edges) Layering transparent glazes Lifting pigment while wet
Same concepts. Just more control and better color vibrancy.
Ready to ditch the training wheels?
Tobio's Beginners Workbook walks you through 30 pre-sketched illustrations. You're not staring at blank pages wondering what to paint. Just open it, follow the lines, add color, watch your confidence build.
After a few painting you begin to understand how it works rather than copying.
Pair the watercolor kit with it. You get structured practice, proper supplies, and a clear path to make some very nice art pieces.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the difference between watercolor pencils and regular colored pencils?
What is the difference between watercolor pencils and regular colored pencils?
What holds the pigment. Standard pencils? Wax or oil binders that stay put when wet. Watercolor pencils? Water-soluble gum that turns liquid when you add water.
Do you need special paper for watercolor pencils?
Do you need special paper for watercolor pencils?
Yeah, 300gsm watercolor paper at minimum. Anything lighter warps into waves when water touches it. Cold press texture works best for beginners.
Can you dip watercolor pencils in water?
Can you dip watercolor pencils in water?
Just the tip for bold wet lines. Soak the whole thing and the wood swells—barrel cracks right open.
Are watercolor pencils permanent when dry?
Are watercolor pencils permanent when dry?
Water-resistant after drying but not locked in. Add water again and you can still adjust or blend the colors.
How do you sharpen watercolor pencils without breaking them?
How do you sharpen watercolor pencils without breaking them?
Good handheld sharpener with a blade that's actually sharp. Dull ones just mash the soft core. Skip the needle-sharp point too - slightly blunt tips work better for most techniques.
Can I use watercolor pencils with watercolor paint?
Can I use watercolor pencils with watercolor paint?
Absolutely. Draw outlines with pencils, paint over with watercolor. Or do backgrounds in paint, details in pencil. Mix them however you want. (Kit here.)
Why are my watercolor pencils leaving harsh lines?
Why are my watercolor pencils leaving harsh lines?
Pressing too hard. Go lighter, or skip the on-paper drawing completely—just drag a wet brush across the pencil and paint directly.
What is the best way to store watercolor pencils?
What is the best way to store watercolor pencils?
Flat in a case or standing tip-up. Keep them away from heat (softens the cores). Store dry. Stored right they last years.
Ready to Create? Start Your Journey Here
Pencils start the spark. Paints create the fire.
Watercolor pencils teach control, color mixing theory, and how water activation works. Great introduction to watercolor.
But they're training wheels.
When you want full creative control - true transparency, vibrant color mixing, professional washes - you need real watercolor paints.
Get the complete experience: Tobio's Watercolor Kit has brushes, cotton paper, 12 professional colors. Everything you need. Nothing extra. €35.95.
Need guidance? Tobio's Beginners Workbook gives you 30 pre-sketched illustrations so you're never staring at a blank page. Just open, paint, progress. €11.95.
Stop researching. Start painting.
