HOW TO USE WATERCOLOR PENCILS: Beginner's Guide

Sketching and coloring with watercolor pencils is just the tip of the iceberg. You can do a lot more, easily, and this is what I'm going to show you in this video. Use my techniques in your artwork, whether you have a loose or a realistic style.
Skillshare class for beginners: skl.sh/43sGS1O
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Watch next (10 watercolor mistakes you must avoid): • Watercolor Pencils Tut...
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[@paintingandchocolate]

Paint this watercolor pencil leaf along on Patreon: patreon.com/francoiseblayac

[@tomtop82]

The leaf looks Soooo amazing 👌👍😊👏👏👏

[@paintingandchocolate]

Thank you, it was fun 🙂

[@aylan.6212]

I love all the little tips that I'd likely miss just experimenting on my own...like using the paper towel to make sure the brush isn't too wet, and activating the color with water section by section throughout the drawing/painting. The leaf looks like it's ready to blow off the page!

[@paintingandchocolate]

Thank you Ayla 🙂 I'm glad you enjoyed the video!

[@PaulaScardamalia]

Love this and how you are able to use all the different techniques for this leaf. So much depth and detail. So appreciate your exploration and sharing of all the ways to create with watercolor pencils.

[@paintingandchocolate]

You're welcome Paula, the leaves paintings were fun 🙂

[@kathyphifer7546]

I love the control and precision of colored pencil with the added speed and ease of water…dreamy😊

[@paintingandchocolate]

Yes,.so fast 🙂

[@Soapartisan875]

Absolutely beautiful leaf ❤

[@paintingandchocolate]

Thank you !

[@SuzanneLegault]

Many useful tips ! Thank you for posting such great content.

[@paintingandchocolate]

Thank you Suzanne for your encouraging words 🙂

[@elsaworth7975]

It’s great to see ways to use watercolor pencils, but I’d like to understand why you would use them instead of regular paints. What are the unique benefits of using pencils instead of paint?

[@paintingandchocolate]

I see what you mean. More control, more confidence before diving into watercolors when you come from dry mediums I think too. The last part about the special effects is also unique to WP.

[@WendiWells]

I enjoy using watercolor pencils because of their unique versatility! It's fun to quickly capture a scene while I'm out and about using the pencils dry without activating them and not having to wait for the paint to dry. Then later, at any time I choose, I can dissolve them and make a painting. I love their layering capabilities and the textures I can achieve. I enjoy sketching with dry watercolor pencils over wet, activated watercolor pencils (dry on wet) or over a layer of activated and dried WC pencils. WC pencils also play well with other colored pencils, markers, and neocolors. I also enjoy that they don't need a lot of water to achieve vibrant hues and contrasting values. WC pencils bridge the gap between drawing and painting. They are just so fun. But not all WC pencils are created equal Caran D’Ache Museum Aquarelle pretty much blow all the others out of the water. Faber Castell Albrecht Durer come in second, and Derwent Inktense are fun but behave a little differently because they are dried inks and not watercolor pigments.

[@barblallier9413]

I like using to experiment as they are less expensive then good paints also!

[@mereditha4363]

For me they are sooooo satisfying when apply the water over the pencil ❤

[@tracey4660]

Love your portraiture art, please continue to share more in upcoming videos. Thank you!

[@paintingandchocolate]

Thank you ! 🙏🙂

[@nestormairena_0331]

THANK YOU MA'AM FOR SHOWING US ALL YOUR PAINTING TECHNIQUES

[@paintingandchocolate]

You're welcome 🙂

[@annevickers3307]

This was very helpful. Thank you.

[@paintingandchocolate]

You're welcome 🙂

[@niahoward1920]

Woa, wow, amazing. I didn’t know. Thank you, new sub.

[@paintingandchocolate]

You're welcome 🙂

[@nataschapicart1948]

Maravellous!★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆

[@paintingandchocolate]

I'm glad you enjoyed it 🙂

[@patriciasheridan7]

Wonderful!

[@paintingandchocolate]

Thank you Patricia!

[@ivmara9987]

This is why I always start to paint the skin tone near the eyes before coloring the eye itself to avoid muddy effect.

[@paintingandchocolate]

Yes, light colors first works well you're right!

[@liloutriskell31000]

Hi! For Christmas I received Derwent Inktense & I do think they are better than the two others artists’ brands U re mentionning 🤗 Thanks for your video! Interesting👌 But please do not suggest to put the pencils in water! As they are very fragiles the wood won’t appreciate at all!! Have a nice end of the week!🌸🦄🌸

[@paintingandchocolate]

You're welcome! Only the lead in water, not the wood. Maybe I forgot to mention it here again, my bad. Thanks for pointing it out!

[@gigiartstudiowithartistvir3919]

That palette looks like a cutting board I have. Do you think the plastic cutting board would do the same thing? I have too many cutting boards for some reason haha.

[@paintingandchocolate]

You could try it and you will quickly see. If it's the right type of surface it could work.

[@user-du2of3lh1g]

You should try the Derwent inktence pencils the colors are amazing!!!!!

[@paintingandchocolate]

I have already there are several videos on the channel 🙂

[@karin7765]

I' ve become a member of 'Skill Share'..I work in a studio and was considering what I can do to allow me to grow in my art or as an artist..First impression?? I think I did the right thing and I can learn a lot there..!

[@paintingandchocolate]

It sounds like this year will be filled with learning new things, enjoy 🙂

[@karin7765]

@@paintingandchocolate I will let you know ..😉

[@paigeme886]

Thank you so much! Fantastic tips! I tried quite a few durer and they feel amazing. Tried some of the museum aquarelle and do they feel drier perhaps? Do I have some bad pencils?

[@paintingandchocolate]

Both of them are close in my experience, not sure why this would be, have you had them for many years perhaps?

[@paigeme886]

@@paintingandchocolate can they go bad? Other people said they should stay fine?

[@paintingandchocolate]

I wouldn't think they would go bad in fact, but then I can't explain why they feel this way. Maybe you didn't use them on the same paper?

[@frederikdebondt6548]

Hello, thank you very much for your beautiful tutorials!! ❤️ Can I ask what watercolor brushes I should buy? Are Princeton Neptune’s ok? What numbers should I buy? Thank you!!

[@paintingandchocolate]

Thank you, I think so for such subjects to paint. If you want to paint backgrounds, a brush with natural hair will be easier. For sizes it changes depending on the brand so it is hard to say. I have a size 2 neptune and it is small (small details).

[@linnetkazemi7616]

Hi, thank you for another great video! I really find all your videos to be very informative. I do have a quick question for you. If you could only buy 1 item, would you go for Inktense or Albrecht Durer. I realize that they are different mediums, but both are a wet medium, so am just wondering if I wanted to limit the supplies that I own, which would make me more likely to get use out of them, which you'd choose. I think, after watching your comparison video, that I know your answer, but I could be wrong. . Also, if your answer is the Inktense, and you were just now buying a set, would you opt to get the new 100 pencil set or stick with the 72 colors? The price of the 100 pencil set has actually come down since June, so it's enticing. However, your answer may be the Albrecht Durer, in which case, disregard the previous question. Thank you so much for your question and for putting such quality content out there!

[@paintingandchocolate]

Hi! You are right I would say inktense, mostly because I own watercolors and Faber Castell Albrecht Dürer look like these more. Inktense is more unique. But that is only my point of view based on my situation. If I sold my art I might trust the Albrecht Dürer more for example. As to which set to get, it's hard to say. Honestly I feel like all the big sets are too much, I always use the same colors. But if I must choose between the two, there is such a small gap between the 2 already big sets I might go for the 100 (i'm also biased because it's one I totally want to review for the channel).

[@linnetkazemi7616]

@@paintingandchocolate Thank you for your response! And thank you for saying that you feel like the big sets are too much (for those non-you tube reviewers of us). I love the idea of a thoughtfully curated customized set of colors! I don't want art supplies that I won't love and use! Any favorite colors that you feel are a must have??? I have my fingers crossed that Derwent surprises you with a 100 pencil set!!!!!!!!!

[@paintingandchocolate]

No favorite colors, but lately I have found that the primaries, a dark grey or black, and white, are enough. If i were to just paint at home without teaching or making videos, I could be satisfied with 12 color sets or less 🙂 and yes I would love for Derwent to send me the large set, not sure they watch the channel though 😁😁😁

[@linnetkazemi7616]

@@paintingandchocolate Perfect! Thank you very much!!!

[@Krisp.food23]

Thank you for the tips. I'm curious, is there a reason for using watercolor pencils in the first method instead of normal watercolor paints? Or is this method for those who don't have watercolor paints available?

[@paintingandchocolate]

People transitioning from pencil to paint, also all those who have a box and want to know what possibilities there are.

[@deniseanne3501]

I'm curious, what is the lite fatness of the WC pencils? If you are selling your work, this would be mixed media, but will it last like the WC?

[@paintingandchocolate]

Like watercolor, some colors are more lightfast than others, generally the FABER Castell Albrecht Dürer and Caran d'Ache Museum Aquarelle are pretty good overall.

[@ivmara9987]

I think the only problem that I have for using watercolor pencils is that the paper don't stretch straightly even if I let it dry before removing the tape after the painting.

[@paintingandchocolate]

I find that drying it with a heat gun really helps stretch it back into shape for me, only if it is taped when i do it.

[@canhdoantrung477]

Do Use can on Bitol Paper?

[@paintingandchocolate]

Bristol? Might be a bit too smooth to grasp onto the pigment, but I haven't tried other than Strathmore bristol 500 and that one was fine.

[@canhdoantrung477]

Thank you@@paintingandchocolate

[@ivmara9987]

3:22 You broke the lead instead of just using the shredded pigments from the sharpener🤦🏻.

[@paintingandchocolate]

You could do that too. The broken lead is so much more common (and annoying🙂 with all the waste)

[@annielaplante4126]

She didn't say she broke she lead in order to use it; she said she used a broken lead. When the lead breaks by accidently dropping a pencil or sometimes when sharpening it, keep the bigger broken pieces for later use. As for using the shredded pieces of lead from the sharpener, don't you find that too many tiny bits of woods get mixed in?

[@bridgetdowell3060]

Exactly. ​@@annielaplante4126

[@user-xj7ht3eq9i]

This is too fast. I'm a beginner. I don't know what you're talking about and I can't understand how you're achieving what you're doing. Please if this is for beginners, slow waaaaay down. Thanks

[@a.scotth.9955]

The sound is bad.....too hard to understand this nice lady. There's a " talking in a barrel" sound making it hard to understand everything she says.

[@paintingandchocolate]

I think I have an echoey room no matter what. I found my audio to sound great on my cell phone, but on my laptop, I noticed the echo. Trying to find a solution since I can't have another room 😬 I've been using an echo remover software in recent videos...

[@vixia3]

I don't think you're using WC pencils as they are intended. You're using them more like WC sticks. They should be used on "damp" paper an used as a crayon/pencil.

[@paintingandchocolate]

I'll go for what gives me the desired result, and yes they can be used on damp too as you wrote. I like this technique best for sharp opaque details, but there are so many others to use if we want to.

[@garywetzel8240]

I didn't know that there were directions on the package of pencils on what you could use these on. I will have to pay more attention to the directions on the package next time..😂😂😂😂😅

[@bridgetdowell3060]

​@@garywetzel8240😂 my thoughts exactly!