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Ever wanted to learn how to use watercolor pencils? I am here to show you! I have been using watercolor pencils for some time and absolutely love them! I believe it is the easiest way to do watercolor art. I think anyone can make watercolor art with these tools. Note that some links in this post may be affiliate links which means a portion of your purchase will go to support this site.
How to Use Watercolor Pencils
Start with a pack of watercolor pencils (I think any brand will work). You will also need an image to color. My friend Dawn Nicole asked me to review her book Words to Live By and this was the perfect opportunity to give it a test drive. I used one of the pages in the book as my example. If you think this book would be a fabulous addition to your home, be sure to read to the bottom of this post where I am giving one away!
To really teach you how to use watercolor pencils, I needed to show you! So I did a brief video with my techniques for using them. You can watch the video below.
I use a few techniques that are demonstrated in the video:
- Apply pencil to the outside edges of a shape then fill in with a wet paint brush.
- Apply water to an area then color in with a pencil. This results in darker colors.
- Apply pencil lightly over very large areas and use the wet paint brush to fill it in.
Overall using watercolor pencils is extremely easy. Play around with the above mentioned techniques and you will be an expert in no time.
A few more important notes about using watercolor pencils is to make sure that you have a really thick piece of paper to start. Regular paper just will not work as it will get too wet. Also if you use a page printed from your printer you have to be extremely careful that the ink does not bleed when you get it wet. That is why the pages in the Words to Live By book are perfect for practicing your watercolor pencil skills. They are thick and the ink will not bleed when wet. What else will you find in the book? Words to Live By is a unique combination of inspirational quotes, hand-lettering tips and techniques, and fun coloring pages. You can learn to hand letter and get 24 coloring pages all in the same book! It really is a gorgeous book that is perfect for those that either want to hand letter or are loving the adult coloring trend.
You can actually click here if you would like to download this camper coloring page for free and print at home. Or you can click here to buy the entire book from Amazon. Feeling lucky? You can enter to win your own copy in the widget below. Must be 18 years or older and live in the US to enter. Void where prohibited. Winner will be announced in the widget below when the contest ends. Winner has 48 hours to supply shipping information before another winner is chosen. Good luck!
I hope y’all enjoyed learned how to use watercolor pencils. I know that they will be in your “must have” list of craft supplies in no time at all! Pick up the book Words to Live By from Dawn Nicole as well. The quality of this book alone for the price will make you smile! Bonus….you get 24 pages of cuteness to practice your watercolor pencil skills!
Jillian says
Beautiful tutorial! I would love to win the book so I can practice this with my 14 year old daughter who loves being creative. We are always looking for new ways to be creative.
Dawn says
You are the sweetest, Angie! Thank you SO much for doing this for me!! xo, Dawn
Mary Tatman says
Great tutorial and timely for me too. I just purchased some Anna Griffin watercolor pencils and didn’t have a clue on how to properly use them. And I love the idea behind your friends book. But I do have another question about the watercolor pencils. Is there any special care you should use to get the most use and /or quality out of them? Also how much control do you have over the water to keep your colors from bleeding into another area? I noticed in your video you dabbed at your sheet with your finger, I’m assuming something smudged. Do you let one area dry before moving on to the next to keep the colors from bleeding over? I’m a scrapbooker so I wanted to incorporate this in using stamps. So I’m totally new to watercolor pencils….p.s. I really enjoy your blog and have been subscribed for awhile now. I can’t remember who’s project or blog led me to you to give them credit. But I’m glad they did! Mary
Angie Holden says
I usually do one area then move to the next and come back so they do not bleed over. And yes if you have some bleed over or an oops moment taking your finger and getting rid of it really quick usually works! If you are doing small areas, wring most of the water out of your brush with your fingers before starting. Large areas will be okay without the extra step. I am unaware of anything special you need to do for care. Hope that helps!
Emma says
I’m so glad I gave colored pencils a try. I’m so hooked on them now!
Sue Klingseis says
Thank you for the opportunity to win this inspiring book.
kid can doodle says
They’re great for travelling with, and work well with one of those brushes with a water reservoir that you fill.
Mother of 3 says
How fun! My boys had I have just started using watercolor pencils and we’re having fun playing around with them. They offer so much more control than regular watercolors. I had not thought of travelling with them though: what a great idea, Kid Can Doodle!
Lori says
So much fun! I have some watercolor pencils, but have never used them like this. I’m going to try it! 🙂 Thanks for sharing at Dishing It & Digging It!