Watercolor pencils are fun and easy to use to create beautiful sketches. Because watercolor pencils are water soluble, they are ideal for creating gradated shadings and subtle blended effects that give depth and shadow to your artwork. Watercolors are versatile and offer the best of painting and sketching mediums. With a few simple techniques, you'll soon find yourself creating masterpieces you'll be proud to frame and hang on your wall.
Supplies
A set of watercolor pencils is all you really need to create watercolor pencil sketches. There are numerous watercolor pencil sets available. Look for a large set of basic colors to get started, and later on consider purchasing sets based on shades of the same color. The quality of watercolor pencils does vary, so you will want to experiment until you find a brand that works for you. In addition to watercolor pencils, you might want to purchase uncolored embossed designs to work with. Watercolor pencil artists use watercolor paper, available at craft and hobby shops, to avoid buckling when moisture is applied.
Working with Embossed Designs
Many watercolor artists use embossed designs as the basis for their art. Embossed designs allow you to focus on the coloring process and are particularly useful if you don't have any drawing skills. Coloring an embossed image with watercolor pencils, then dipping your finger into water and blending the colors can create dazzling multi-color and shade gradations that bring out the effect of the embossed design.
Application Techniques
There are numerous techniques for gaining color effects with watercolor pencils. One such technique is to layer colors without dampening, building up a dense color, then applying small drops of water after the layering process to blend the colors. Apply the water with the tip of a brush, in small amounts, to avoid removing too much pigment.
Working with Sketches
Use light lead pencils to create a sketch before applying watercolor pencils. You also can create an image using only the watercolor pencils, creating the harder lines by dipping the tip of your watercolor pencil into water and applying it directly onto your paper. Use a small paintbrush dipped into water to add swirl or gradated effects to your finished drawing.
