(Originally posted 12/1/14)
I don’t know who came up with the brilliant idea of combining watercolor paints and colored pencils, but it’s an excellent one ranking just behind lemon bars in my mind. Back when I still new to watercolor and endlessly frustrated with it, I was ecstatic at finding watercolor pencils to mimic the effects I wanted. I was using student grade pencils for a while, and I was slightly peeved at the severe lack of intense color.
But luckily for me, I came across the Faber-Castell Albrecht Durers while researching better options. They’re very versatile tools and quite a joy to use. I was amazed at how easily they dissolved into very rich paint with just a few wet brushstrokes. The color that comes out is extremely lush, and I sometimes have to resist the temptation to use them wet only so that I can witness this marvelous occurrence. I also very much appreciate that these pencils are very sturdy and often survive my clumsy accidents of knocking them onto the floor. Pair them with a water brush, and maybe a pan set, and you’re good to go for some cheap and easy sketching.
The portraits above were experiments of mine with the pencils. For the left, I did a light Indigo under painting to act as a base for skin colors used dry. I feel like I’ve seen Old Master drawings in museums that use that technique, though I can’t recall any specific names (so much for my Art History minor).
The portrait on the right was a bit more complex. For this I layered washes of orange, pink, and blue to mold the face. Then I used the pencils dry for hatching effects on the skin and hair. I also wanted the person to stick out more, so I dissolved the pencil marks on the shirt and background. The background was the same orange as the skin to bring about some visual unity.
One thing I’ve noticed while using them dry is that they don’t give off a shine like regular colored pencils. Wax based pencils usually have a “bloom,” and oil based pencils have a less noticeable shine. While I definitely won’t rule out using regular colored pencils on top of watercolor, the watercolor pencils seemed to layer a bit more naturally on top.
I bought the 24 count set along with a few skin tones and extra colors I like. I’ve found that it’s all I really need at the end of the day, though I wouldn’t mind a larger set sometime in the future. I would recommend these pencils for people who were as intimidated as I was by watercolor for less of a jump into the medium. Or for people who like to mix media, these are great in combination with other water based paints. I have also heard that some people enjoy using them with gesso, though I haven’t tried that. But I have used them dry with wet gouache, and the two worked together surprisingly well.
Even though I’m comfortable enough with regular watercolors now, these are still very enjoyable for me to use. In fact, I find them so satisfactory that I don’t really feel an urge to try other brands (though in all honesty I’ll probably cave in one day).