Watercolor Pencils: How to Use Them, Step by Step

Watercolor pencils look and feel like ordinary colored pencils, but their color dissolves in water. Draw with them dry for crisp lines, then brush over with a damp brush and the color turns into a soft wash, like watercolor paint. They're a great step up from regular colored pencils for coloring pages, because you get the control of a pencil and the smooth blends of paint.

How watercolor pencils differ from colored pencils

You can use both together: watercolor pencils for backgrounds and soft areas, regular colored pencils on top for details once the paper is dry.

What you need

• A set of watercolor pencils (even 12 colors is enough to start)
• A soft round brush (or a water brush with a built-in water tank)
• A cup of clean water and a paper towel
• Paper that can handle water (see below)

Choosing paper

Ordinary printer paper buckles and tears when wet. For watercolor pencils:

• Watercolor paper or mixed-media paper works best.
• Heavy card stock handles light washes.
• If you're coloring a printable, print it on card stock or mixed-media paper that fits your printer. Our guide on how to print coloring pages covers paper choices.

Keep washes light on thinner paper and let each layer dry before adding more.

How to use watercolor pencils, step by step

1. Color lightly where you want the color to go. Leave a little white paper showing; water will spread the color.
2. Dip your brush in water and blot it on a paper towel so it's damp, not dripping.
3. Brush over the pencil marks with gentle strokes. The color will dissolve and spread.
4. Rinse the brush before moving to a different color.
5. Let it dry completely.
6. Add details with dry pencil on top: outlines, texture, shadows.

Five beginner techniques

1. Dry to wet. Color dry, then add water (the basic method above).

2. Wet paper. Brush clean water on the paper first, then draw into it with the pencil. Lines turn bold and fuzzy, which is great for skies and flowers.

3. Brush from the tip. Wet the brush and rub it on the pencil tip, then paint with it like watercolor paint. Good for small areas.

4. Blending two colors. Color yellow on one side and blue on the other, overlapping in the middle, then brush from light to dark. You'll get a smooth green blend in between (see what colors make green).

5. Dry details on top. After the wash dries, add crisp lines, fur or petal veins with dry pencil.

Tips for coloring pages

• Work in small sections, especially where lines are close together, so color doesn't spread across outlines.
• Use less water near the lines. A barely damp brush gives more control.
• Choose pages with larger open areas for washes. Our flower coloring pages and summer coloring pages are good starting points.
• Test on scrap paper first to see how strong each color becomes when wet; some get much darker.
• Let the page dry flat under a book if it curls.

Common mistakes

• Too much water, which makes puddles and tears thin paper.
• Not rinsing the brush, which muddies colors.
• Pressing too hard dry, which leaves pencil lines that don't dissolve completely.
• Adding water to an area that's still wet, which can cause blotches called blooms.

Are watercolor pencils good for kids?

Yes, with some supervision. They're less messy than paint, and kids enjoy seeing color "magically" spread with water. Start with a water brush, which controls the amount of water for them.

For other tools, see our guides to the best markers for coloring and how to color with colored pencils.