Welcome to the Watercolour Pencils Hub

Have you ever been using your coloured pencils — loving the control — but wishing you could add a splash of painterly flow without the full watercolour setup?

Watercolour pencils are that perfect bridge: the familiar feel of a pencil, with the magic of water when you want it. This hub is your starting point for learning watercolour pencil techniques with confidence, including ways to combine them with ordinary coloured pencils.

Start with the complete beginner guide, then explore materials, creative tips, and step-by-step tutorials to build your skills one project at a time.

Good to know before you start

Use watercolour paper (HP/hot-pressed is lovely for pencil); normal drawing paper buckles.
Expect brand differences — some pencils go super strong (Inktense-style), others stay subtle.
Think “hybrid,” not watercolour — it behaves differently from pans/tubes, so try a few techniques and see what clicks.

Your Learning Pathway

Here are the resources to guide you. If you’re brand new, start at the top and work down — or jump straight into a tutorial if you learn best by doing.

Suggested starting point

Watercolour Pencils: A Beginner’s Primer — A complete introduction to what watercolour pencils are, how they behave, and what to expect as you begin.

Learn the Fundamentals

Essential Watercolour Pencil Techniques – The core skills you’ll use in every piece: flat and graded washes, lifting colour, edges, and adding dry detail back on top.

Choosing Brushes for Watercolour Pencils – The best brush shapes and fibres for smooth activation, soft blends, and crisp details (without overworking your paper).

How to Stretch Watercolour Paper – A simple prep method to reduce buckling when you’re using heavier washes or working larger.

Quick skill-builder (15 minutes)

Mini-Tutorial: Simple Scribble Tree — A fun, fast exercise for blending greens and creating convincing tree texture with a scribble stroke.

Try these tutorials

Beginner Tutorial: A Pair of Pears — The perfect first project to practise “draw → activate → refine” on a simple subject.

a pair of pears painted with watercolour pencils

Line and Wash Harbour Scene — Build confidence combining drawing and painting in a guided scene with a satisfying finished result.

Challenge Yourself with a Full Landscape:

Tutorial: Scottish Hills Landscape – Take your skills further with layering and colour choices that create distance and atmosphere.

Tutorial: The Yorkshire Bridge Scene – A more complex subject that brings multiple techniques together into one finished painting.

Tutorial: A Coventry Canal Scene - Realistic trees and lush foliage, plus soft reflections in calm water.

Tutorial: Italian Street Scene – A big, satisfying challenge: perspective, architecture, and a lively street atmosphere.

Advanced Applications & Mixed Media

Tutorial: WCP Underpainting for a Country Lane – Use watercolour pencils for a vibrant underpainting, then build richer dry coloured pencil layers on top.

Is this medium right for your current goals?

Watercolour pencils are a great fit if you want to…

Add soft washes and painterly effects to your pencil drawings.
Create vibrant underpaintings for ordinary coloured pencil work.
Cover larger background areas faster (then refine with dry pencil).
Enjoy a flexible medium that sits between drawing and painting.

Stick to dry coloured pencils for now if you…

Are still building confidence with basic layering and blending.
Want maximum control for photorealism and ultra-fine detail.
Prefer mastering one medium first before mixing water into your process.

Either way, you’ll be fine — if you’re curious, start with the Beginner’s Primer and try one small exercise before you commit to a full piece.

Common pitfalls (and how to avoid them)

A little preparation saves a lot of frustration. Here are the three mistakes I see most often:

Mistake 1: "My colour went wildly dark when I added water."

Fix: Start with very light dry layers. Water intensifies pigment fast — you can always add more once it’s dry.

Mistake 2: “My paper buckled / pilled / tore.”

Fix: Use watercolour paper. Around 300gsm / 140lb handles water well (often without stretching for lighter work).

Mistake 3: “Everything looks muddy.”

Fix: Use two water jars: one for rinsing, one kept clean for activating lighter areas.

Essential Supplies

Watercolour Pencils: A small set is plenty to begin. If you’d like help choosing, see my guides to Faber-Castell (Albrecht Durer info is on my Faber-Castell page), Derwent Watercolour, Derwent Inktense, and Staedtler.

Watercolour paper: Hot-pressed (HP) if you like a smoother pencil feel; around 300gsm / 140lb is a solid all-round choice.

Brush: One small round brush (nylon/synthetic is absolutely fine) to start.

Ready to Make a Start?

Watercolour pencils are a brilliant way to bring a painterly feel to pencil work — so don’t be afraid to experiment.

Next step: choose one link from the Learning Pathway above. If you want a clear route, start with the Beginner’s Primer. If you’d rather learn by doing, jump straight into A Pair of Pears.