Some of the best watercolor pencils

Last update:
Best Watercolor Pencils Review

This is a review of some of the best watercolor pencils money can buy.

After hours of scouring the internet, reading reviews, and some of my own personal experience I think you will agree that these sets of watercolor pencils are some of the most popular brands that will work for anyone from beginner to professional artists.

The watercolor pencil is unique in that it can be used wet or dry and can help to enhance your skills with colored pencils as well as watercolor.

This is a very fun pencil to work with and can be combined with other art mediums to give your work that extra pop. Probably one of the best uses for watercolor pencils is creating a base color wash then letting it dry before adding layers on top for a very realistic effect.

If you have landed on this page by accident and are looking for a regular colored pencil then check out some of my top picks for best-colored pencils.

Our Top Recommendation For Best Watercolor Pencils

This is a very large watercolor pencil set but you can get smaller sets to fit your budget. You can also get all your individual replacement pencils for this set at Blick Art Supply.

Faber Castell – Albrecht Durer Watercolor Pencils

Faber-Castell Albrecht Durer Watercolor Pencil Set - Set of 120, Wood Box

As I come across more watercolor pencil sets that are also popular choices among customers I will add more reviews to these at a later date so be sure to check back in.

See my How to Draw with Colored Pencils tutorial where I take you through each step used to create a life-like bluebird with colored pencils and watercolor pencils.

Let’s get to the reviews!

6 Best Watercolor Pencils Reviewed

Below you will find reviews on just a few of the best watercolor pencils on the market today from the most affordable to beginners to professionals.

Faber Castell – Albrecht Durer Watercolor Pencils

“Best Watercolor Pencil For Professionals”

Faber-Castell Albrecht Durer Watercolor Pencil Set - Set of 120, Wood Box
Replacement Pencils Can Be Bought At Blick
Pros:
  • Professional Grade watercolor pencils
  • Excellent Lightfast rating
  • Leads are designed to resist breaking
  • A Wet brush can remove all pencil strokes
  • Perform wet or dry
Cons:
  • Can be expensive

Faber Castell Albrecht Durer is my top pick for professional artists. This is a set of 120 in a nice tin and is one of their largest sets.

Though pricey these watercolor pencils will perform! The cores are 3.3 mm and SV bonded which means they will hold up well over time.

Although I do not have a set of these they are on my wish list.

If you are looking for good high-quality watercolor pencils then Faber Castell Albrecht Durer is probably your best choice if you can afford the price.

Faber Castell has excellent quality control and designs its pencils with the user in mind. The leads are glued to the wood casing to help insure against those nagging lead breakages which seem to occur more often in electric pencil sharpeners.


Castle Art Watercolor Pencils

“Best Watercolor Pencil For Beginners”

Castle Art Watercolor Pencils - tin - 72 count
Available At Amazon In Sets Only
Pros:
  • Decent Quality
  • Affordably Priced
  • Good warranty
  • Nice Metal Tin
Cons:
  • Harder Lead
  • Low Blending when dry
  • Student Grade Pencil
  • Not Light Fast

This is a set of 72 watercolor pencils that can be had at a reasonable price. Castle Art Supplies stands behind its product and appear to be honest and trustworthy.

Using water creates the most vibrant color while dry has some blending issues but that is true for most brands of watercolor pencils.

 I was unable to find information on the lightfastness of these watercolor pencils which leads me to believe they are not.

There were quite a bit more positive than negative reviews. This set of Faber Castell watercolor pencils comes with a white pencil.

These pencils sharpen up nicely without breaking. The color chart is recommended due to color variation when applied to paper and names are not on the pencil itself. They do have number coding though


 Prismacolor Premier Watercolor Pencils

“Best Watercolor Pencil for Students”

Prismacolor Watercolor Pencil Set - Assorted Colors, Set of 24
Replacement Pencils Can Be Bought At Blick.
Pros:
  • Good light-fast rating
  • Matches Prismacolor Palette
  • The pigment goes on smoothly
  • Works well wet or dry
Cons:
  • Hard to distinguish color 
  • Has possible wood cracking issue
  • Lead can break if not careful when sharpening

This is a set of 36 Prismacolor watercolor pencils and comes in a tin with plastic trays. These are probably a good choice for the serious beginner artist or student. Although they are a great choice for anyone. There are larger sets and higher grades available.

Though overall the watercolor pencils accomplish the desired effect, there are some quality issues that come up regularly while researching. I believe those issues have since been resolved.

I still believe these are probably the best watercolor pencils for beginners. You can purchase just 1 pencil if needing to replace one of your most used colors.

These pencils are versatile enough to use on mixed media papers and drawing papers and can be bought as a set or individually.


Derwent Watercolor Pencils – Inktense

“Best Watercolor Pencil for Fabric”

Photo Derwent Inktense Watercolor Pencils 72 count in wood case
Replacement Pencils Can Be Bought At Blick.
Pros:
  • Super vibrant colors
  • Permanent 
  • Great for fabric
  • Easy sharpening
Cons:
  • Varies greatly from dry to wet
  • Light flaking can happen while coloring
  • Dries quickly

This is another premium artist product and Derwent Inktense watercolor pencils are highly recommended. Water-soluble ink color allows for super vibrant colors.

Packaged in a wooden box this set has 72 colors with a 4mm soft lead core.

These pencils are ink that is water-soluble and becomes permanent when dry.

Once the ink dries it becomes permanent. This allows for some really nice layering as the water on the second layer will not affect the colors underneath.

If you are looking to make your artwork pop then Derwent watercolor pencils are for you. Since the colors do vary from dry to wet I would recommend creating a color chart for each pencil


Fantasia Premium Watercolor Pencils

“Best Affordable Watercolor Pencil”

Fantasia Premium Watercolor Pencils 36 count
Available At Amazon In Sets Only
Pros:
  • High color concentration
  • Thicker lead
  • Works well on fabric
  • Blending with water removes pencil strokes
  • Affordable
  • Sharpens nicely
Cons:
  • Tip colors differ from lay down colors
  • Quite a few shipping related issues
  • Unable to find a light fast rating
  • Individual pencils unavailable

This is a 36 piece set and comes in a nice tin. Like the Derwent Inktense, these pencils lay down smooth and are permanent.

This brand of watercolor pencil appears to be middle of the board when coloring with a dry pencil.

I recommend a color chart with these pencils also. I was unable to locate any information on the lightfast rating.

Great for new and veteran artists alike. My research has shown that this set seems to have a lot of very similar colors and that perhaps a larger set would be a better option if you are looking for more variety.


Arteza Professional Watercolor Pencils

“Best Watercolor Pencil For Adult Coloring”

Arteza Watercolor Pencils Set of 72
Available At Amazon In Sets Only
Pros:
  • More affordable
  • Highly Pigmented
  • Good Labeling
  • Best For Colorist
  • Best for students
Cons:
  • Check for duplicate colors
  • Color Saturation not a high as other professional sets
  • Unable to find individual pencils
  • May not have a light fastness

A set of 72 quality watercolor pencils at a lower price makes this a good alternative.

I had plenty of customer reviews on these and they appear to be ranking up there with other artist-grade brands.

The lightfast rating is on the barrel of each pencil along with the color name and number. Comes in a tin case.

I did read some professional artist reviews of these watercolor pencils and some said they would basically get the job done but would not use them for their main art pieces.

I suspect these are more for adult coloring and enthusiasts making these a good set to buy for beginners to intermediates. Good stepping stone for students seeking a career in art.


Best Watercolor Pencils Buyer’s Guide

Close up of watercolor pencils

 If you are new and need a little guidance in choosing the best watercolor pencils then please feel free to read my short article before you make a buying decision.

I have compiled some of the top brands of watercolor pencils for the beginner all the way to the professional artist which can help you to better understand what you are buying.

Grinding through research and having some personal knowledge and experience about each product will give you as much relevant information as possible before making a buying decision.

Be sure to bookmark us as new content is updated frequently.

Understanding What Makes The Best Watercolor Pencils

 If you are used to drawing instead of painting like I am then watercolor pencils can allow you to paint while drawing which allows you to create rich and vibrant watercolor pencil art.

If you happen to see these pencils spelled like watercolour pencils instead of watercolor don’t worry because that is how it is spelled in Europe.

These types of pencils can be found at your local art supplies store and while you are there you might as well pick up some watercolor paper.

If you can use colored pencils then you can definitely use watercolor pencils. The ability to add water to your colored pencil drawings takes your blending to a whole other level while bringing your art to life and making it feel like a watercolor painting!

The pigment is very much like watercolor paint that allows you to do washes by using a wet or damp brush.

To get the desired effect from watercolor pencils you will need a medium-sized round tip brush and a fine liner brush, both are used for adding water to activate the colors on your paper.

Keep in mind that you will need the type of paper that is best suited for watercolor paint as some types of paper will not absorb the water and bleeding through or wrinkling can occur on some thinner papers. I recommend a good watercolor paper that is thicker and can handle the excess water.

Making sure you have all the proper tools will ensure your art looks the best it can and saves you from having to make another trip to the art store.

Best Watercolor Pencils vs Colored Pencils

As you probably already know the difference between these 2 types of mediums is one is basically paint in pencil form and the other is dry color.

 I love standard colored pencils because of the ease of blending. Of course,  the brand of pencil plays a very important role in this.

But watercolor can add a whole new sense of vibrancy and depth to an artist’s work. One of the advantages of watercolor pencils is you can use them dry or wet. Gives you options where standard color pencils do not.

On the flip side, you have to use special paper that can hold up to water being applied to the surface.

Although I have noticed that the blending of watercolor pencils may lack some when using dry depending, once again, on the brand. Paper can also play a big role in this also which is a big factor if you are wanting to create a watercolor painting.

The binding agent of this pencil dissolves in water and creates a watercolor feel. The trick here is to give the core enough strength to allow for some pressure without breakage while coloring.

Pencil Quality

There are essentially just 2 different quality types.

  • Student Grade – This is the more affordable option for people just learning. The pigments are not as rich and generally have less pigment for moving with water. 
  • Artist or Professional Grade This type of pencil is specifically designed to lay down more pigment to paper which helps in more color saturation.

Longevity Of Vibrant Colors

The ability for paints and pigments to retain their life on paper or canvas can play a big role in a piece of art looking new and fresh. This ability is called the light-fast rating. This rating can help you determine the best watercolor pencil to buy.

A better rating usually means a higher price and is the choice you want to use when selling your artwork.

5 QuickTips For Using Watercolor Pencils

  1. One way of using these pencils is to treat them as if they are standard coloring pencils. Just apply the color or colors and blend and layer as usual.
  2. Lay in your base color starting with the lighter tones first. Working towards the darker tones for shadows and contrast. Apply water with a brush to blend your colors. After the paint is dry add more details with your dry pencils again. This particular technique is but one way to layer your colors.
  3. You can also wet your paper with a brush that has been dipped in water and then apply pigment for a bolder line which can give crisp defining lines and deeper looking shadow areas.
  4. Try not to use to much water on your brush when blending.
  5. Save the tip of watercolor pencils by keeping your pencil angled. By doing this you can keep a sharper tip for a longer period of time.

Watercolor Pencils Q&A

Below you will find some important facts from common questions on watercolor pencils that should help you to get the most out of your watercolor pencils.

1. What is the best way to use watercolor pencils?

The most common way of using watercolor pencils is to apply the color just as you would with a standard colored pencil.

Then you activate the color using a brush that has been dipped in water. Allow the paint to dry and repeat to layer the pigment.

This can really make your colors stand out.

2. What is Lifting?

With the water-soluble colored pencil instead of erasing you can use a sponge or Q-tip to remove pigment from the paper while it is still wet.

Try different things such as tissue or paper towel (anything that is absorbent) to see how many texture styles you can create.

Lifting is also used as a technique to create a lighter tint by dabbing your paper before the paint dries. This helps show your light source and provides contrast.

3. What Paper Is Best For Watercolor Pencils?

A 140lb weighted paper that is specifically designed for watercolors and has been cold-pressed seems to be the standard for most artists that use this medium.

There are many brands of paper from mixed media paper to high-quality paper designed specifically for watercolors.

The last one is without a doubt the best choice. I have always liked Strathmore Paper for all my projects and mediums.

Another good choice is Arches Watercolor Paper.

4. Do You Have To Use Water With Watercolor Pencils?

The answer is no you do not have to use water. Using watercolors dry is very similar to a standard colored pencil.

They are somewhat harder to layer but they should work. Adding the water makes your colors stand out more and are much more impressive than dry. 

My Conclusion On the best watercolor pencils

Hopefully, by now you have a pretty clear picture of which is the best watercolor pencil to suit your specific needs. When deciding which brand to recommend to people I try to provide a non-biased decision based on the facts posted and reviewed by artists and beginners.

I chose the Faber Castell Albrecht Durer watercolor pencils as my top pick due to the number of positive reviews and the light fastness of the brand.

You can’t go wrong with these pencils but they are not cheap. I recommend trying a smaller set if you are tight on funds.

Hoped this helped and thanks for reading!

Leave a Comment