A Beginner's Guide to Coloring With Watercolor Pencils
Watercolor pencils offer something no other coloring tool quite matches: the control of a pencil combined with the soft blending of paint. For beginners, they're a wonderful introduction to watercolor techniques without needing a full paint set.
Why Watercolor Pencils Are Worth Trying
Watercolor pencils let you color exactly like a normal colored pencil first, then use a wet brush to transform that dry color into a soft, blended wash. This two-step process makes them far less intimidating than loose watercolor paint, since the coloring stage feels familiar and easy to control.
How to Use Them Well
Start by coloring an area normally, with either light or firm pressure depending on how vivid you want the final color to be. Then, using a small, slightly damp brush, gently brush over the colored area to activate the pigment and blend it into a smooth wash. Less water is easier to control than more, so it helps to start with a nearly dry brush and add moisture gradually.
Simple Ways to Practice
- Color a simple shape, then activate just half of it with water to compare the dry and wet effects side by side.
- Try layering two colors dry before wetting them, similar to the approach in our guide to layering colors, to see how they blend once activated.
- Use thicker, watercolor-friendly paper, as described in our guide to choosing paper for coloring, since regular paper can buckle or tear when wet.
- Let each wet section dry fully before coloring a neighboring area to avoid colors bleeding into each other.
Tips for Parents and Teachers
- Keep a small cup of water and a paper towel nearby to control how much moisture goes onto the brush.
- Practice on scrap paper first, since the wet effect can look quite different from the dry color.
- Tape the paper down on all sides if it's thin, to help prevent buckling as it dries.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I have to add water, or can I use them like regular pencils?
Watercolor pencils work perfectly well dry, just like standard colored pencils. Water is optional and simply adds a different blended effect.
How much water should I use?
Very little to start. A barely damp brush is easier to control than a fully soaked one, and more water can always be added afterward.
Why did my paper wrinkle after adding water?
Thin paper absorbs water unevenly and buckles as a result. Thicker, textured paper designed for watercolor holds up much better.
Conclusion
Watercolor pencils give beginners an easy bridge into blended, painterly color without the mess of loose paint. Start dry, add water gradually, and enjoy watching the color transform.