Through research and interviews with experts, we found that quality, brand reputation, and the pigment characteristics of a set are pivotal to finding the perfect pencils for you. We chose Caran d’Ache Neocolor II Artist’s Crayons as our top pick due to their vibrancy, blend-ability, and versatility with various mediums. Here are the top seven watercolor pencils you can buy today: Unlike some brands, every Caran d’Ache watercolor pencil lead is the same color as the body, allowing the artist to easily find the one they need. Soft with a rich pigmentation to work with, these pencils are said to glide like butter across the paper. Both breakage and highly fade-resistant, Supracolor pencils provide a 3.7 mm core inside a popular hexagonal shape. The crayons are extremely soft which aids in blending, but can often lead to them breaking easily—be sure to use minimal to medium pressure on the paper and not turn into water-soluble crayons. Dimensions: 5 x 1 x 1 inches | Material: FSC Certified Cedar Wood | Unit Count: 18 Water-soluble with a 2.9 mm color core and a 5mm point size, this set of 24 assorted colors is highly pigmented and well-equipped to create nearly any style of work intended. Easy for beginners or new art students to grasp with their triangular barrel, they’re also sturdy and resistant to breaking. Dimensions: 0.5 x 7.5 x 8 inches | Material: Wood from sustainably managed forests | Unit Count: 24 These are also fade-resistant, ensuring your colors remain vibrant over time. Made in Germany, it is beautifully encased in a sturdy wenge wood case with a handle. This set of 120 pencils would also make a lovely gift or travel set. Note: If you’re unable to afford this set, you can find each color individually available for purchase on the Faber-Castell website. Dimensions: 16.54 x 26.97 x 2.76 inches | Material: Wood | Unit Count: 120 Made in Germany, Faber-Castell is known as a premium quality brand, offering a range of pencils in different size tins. Twelve colors give just enough variation to work with while keeping the price reasonable, allowing for blending new color pencils too. Dimensions: 0.5 x 4 x 7.13 inches | Material: Wood | Unit Count: 12 Their hexagonal barrel allows for a steady grip, and their soft leads gives a smooth and highly pigmented color transfer to your page. These are sturdy, break-resistant pencils with a 3.4mm core and can be easily combined with other Derwent products for optimal results. With 36 colors to choose from, you’ll surely end up with a vibrant and vivid piece to admire. Dimensions: 25.69 x 0.55 x 7.8 inches | Material: Wood, Tin container | Unit Count: 12-72 Good on paper as well as numerous other surfaces, these pencils have a variety of uses. From drawing makeup on doll faces to designs on tote bags, they’re superb for beginning artists of many types who fix mistakes in watercolor. Dimensions: 8.39 x 7.64 x 0.67 inches | Material: Wood, Cardboard box | Unit Count: 24 These pencils are designed to work with other Derwent products as desired. While particularly useful in coloring books, this set can also be used on various fabrics and other surfaces. If you’re unsure, consider trying them out with a coloring book made by Derwent, like Unwind in the Wilds, which is made with thick pages and welcoming of watercolor pencils. Dimensions: 9.3 x 0.55 x 7.8 inches | Material: Wood, Metal tin | Unit Count: 12-72
Brand Reputation
Working with a reputable brand makes all the difference when it comes to great watercolor pencils. California-based artist Howard advises, “Choose a reputable brand such as Derwent, Faber Castell, or Caran d’Ache. As with most art supplies, you get what you pay for; if they’re dirt cheap, you’re probably going to be very unhappy with the results you get.”
Pigment Characteristics
Since watercolor paints (and pencils) are essentially made up of pigments connected by a water-soluble binder and solvent, pigment quality is quite important. Powdered pigments give the paint and pencil its color, so the proportion of pigments in the mixture should be as high as possible (up to 50 percent of ingredients included). “Ideally you want the pigment to dissolve instantly and completely, and the color to stay the same as it dries," says Howard, perfect when learning to use a waterbrush.
Why Trust the Spruce Crafts?
KJ Callihan created this roundup for The Spruce, and has written similar guides for sites like AAA Northeast magazine, Knoji, CNET, Oh My Veggies and more. When she isn’t compiling shopping, dining, and activity guides, she enjoys writing about animals, health, and parenting, as well as doing product reviews. Margitich and Howard say to always go with a high quality paper. “You want to always use hot-pressed watercolor paper rather than cold-pressed, because you’re going to be using much less water, and you don’t want the toothiness of cold-pressed paper to interfere with trying to get a smooth result,” says Howard. She notes that many professional artists prefer Fabriano Artistico hot-pressed paper. Justin Margitich is a Post War and Contemporary Artist who works in mixed media including watercolor, acrylic, and colored pencil. His portfolio, CV, and contact info can be found on his site, justinmargitich.com. Denise Howard is a California-based artist who specializes in fine art with colored pencils and graphite. Her gallery, biography, contact info and more can be viewed on her site, www.DeniseJHowardArt.com.
