While all types of pencils look quite the same – a lead inside the wooden casing (and sometimes no casing at all) – their functions and abilities can be quite different.

There are various kinds of leads, depending on what they are made of and their ability to be dissolved by water or other liquids.

But for people who aren’t too familiar with the world of pencils, it can be pretty tricky to figure this out.

No matter if they are practicing artists who only worked with other materials before or the absolute beginners, it can be quite easy to make a mistake while choosing a set of pencils.

But today we are taking a look at the two of them:

• Regular colored pencils and watercolor pencils.

We’ll explain what both of them are capable of and used for, and what makes them different. And you’ll choose, which of them is best for you, based on your style and needs.

Or, actually, you might end up owning and using both types. They are, after all, quite useful art supplies!

What are colored pencils?

The most common and familiar types of pencils are, of course, “regular” color pencils. They are the ones that come to mind first when you think of pencils in general.

They are the ones that are bought for kids’ school needs. And they also come in handy if an adult, who isn’t an artist, wants to try coloring books – for relaxation purposes or just for fun.

Basically, what makes them so versatile and easy to use is that they are a completely dry medium.

In most colored mediums there’s a binder that is used to hold their pigment together and help it to be applied on paper or any other surface. Eventually, the type of binder is what defines what methods and approaches artists should take while working with said mediums.

In the case of regular colored pencils, this binder is either oil- or wax- based, and wax is a much more common binder type. Which makes the colored pencils the way they are. Their composition and the binder properties allow them to be easily layered and also mixed right on the drawing surface.

What are watercolor pencils?

Watercolor pencils are usually a more expensive type of pencils that can be used in both dry and wet techniques.

Their pigments are held together by a water-soluble binder, which means it disperses the pigment on the surface when you add some water.

You can use watercolor just as regular pencil, dry on dry paper, even though the colors can be less bright and less intense than the wax- or oil-based pencils can offer.

But if you use water to activate the medium, either by drawing on wet paper or adding the moist later, your drawings would look very much like paintings made with watercolor.

If you activate the binder with water, it can actually intensify your colors and make them brighter. You can also wet the lead or dip it straight up into water (but don’t soak it in there for a long time!), and it will help you achieve rich, vibrant color in your lines.

It’s also very easy to make certain parts of your drawings lighter. You can take a little bit of sponge or just a regular Q-tip and soak a bit of pigmented water up from the surface.

What are they capable of?

As we already mentioned before, different binders call for different using techniques and different capabilities of these two pencil types. Let’s take a look at what we can use each one of them for.

One of the best things about regular colored pencils is that they allow the color to be burnished. Burnishing means that you can put layers and layers of pigment and blending them until absolutely no paper bits and its tooth shows through these layers.

You can actually use more than one method to burnish colors. You can do it by applying a solvent (like alcohol), using a special colorless blender pencil or layering a lighter pencil (for example, white) over your existing layers. Oil-based pencils will go better with alcohol, while wax-based ones will give a better result with a blender pencil.

While regular pencils are difficult to use to cover big areas, watercolor pencils are actually perfectly capable of that. Their pigment can cover up quite large areas when you add just a little amount of water.

If you want big parts of your drawing to be covered with a certain color, you can easily do it with watercolor pencils. A single watercolor pencil is, in general, capable of covering more space than one regular pencil, due to its ability to resemble watercolor paint.

One doesn’t have to be a chemistry major to figure out that oil or wax and water don’t really go together very well. Or, fair to say, don’t go together at all. They have different properties and will not form a homogeneous liquid.

So, it’s absolutely okay to use both regular and watercolor pencils together in one drawing if you want to. But please remember that it’s best to use watercolor pencils (if activated with water) first, as a bottom layer, and add regular pencils over them. Unless their resistance is actually the effect you’re going for.

Some artists actually use wash made with watercolor pencils to cover up the whiteness of the paper. Or whatever color you are using, even though in case of wet watercolor pencils lightly-colored paper will surely work best. And then, after the whiteness is covered, they use regular pencils and start layering them and creating juicy colors.

Pros and cons of Each

Regular colored pencils

Pros:

• Blend very well;
• Usually have more vibrant colors;
• Don’t require any special techniques;
• Can be used on any type of paper, even the thin one, and on both sides of it;
• Allow you to apply many layers and make your drawings really bright.

Cons:

• They might be difficult to use when you try to cover large areas;
• You can’t lighten their colors so easily, and the more layers you put on the surface, the harder it is to remove them;
• Their oily/waxy binders may cause issues if you try to use them with other mediums, especially wet ones.

Watercolor pencils

Pros:

• Create a look similar to watercolor paintings;
• Are capable of covering more surface with one pencil;
• They make it easy to lighten up the colors if needed;
• Are much easier to use than actual watercolors and are perfect for plein air painting;
• Go together with other mediums, wet or dry, really well.

Cons:

• Their colors are less intense when they’re dry;
• Usually their color range is more limited;
• Require special heavier watercolor paper to work well and not buckle it.

Now that we’ve covered all of that, this information might give you an idea of what exactly you want your drawings to be. Which means – now you know what kind of pencils will help you achieve what you want!

But one question stays open: what brands of pencils to choose?

Best brands for regular pencils

Derwent Coloursoft Pencils

Derwent offers you a wide range of bright and vibrant colors in their pencil sets. Their products always have high quality and will not disappoint you.

The soft, but very break-resistant cores of the pencils will smoothly and easily glide over the paper (or any other surface of your choice). They will produce richly colored lines and allow you to build up color very quickly. Despite the leads being soft to work with, you can sharpen them all the way to the finest point and they will not break.

If you want to blend the pencils’ colors and layer them, they are perfectly capable of that and will perform brilliantly. It’s possible to create a wide range of shades with the subtlest differences. You can use them for any art style you want.

The pencils are packed into a very convenient tin box, protecting them from breaking when they are being carried or stored.

Prismacolor Premier

A wonderful example of artist grade pencils that combine affordability with high quality. The high quality is exactly what makes the brand famous all around the world.

The pencils act incredibly smooth and soft when applied to the surface. You can intertwine the colors easily and beautifully, layering them, and they will produce a rich and vibrant result that is also easy to blend. Their leads are very pigmented, lay color evenly, feel good to work with and don’t feel too dry on paper at all.

Another great thing about the pencil cores is that they’re break-resistant, don’t crack when the pressure is applied and can be sharpened to a very fine point. It guarantees you perfect control over every detail on your drawings.

The variety of shades that Prismacolor offers you is enough to make every artistic idea come to life exactly how you imagined it. You can also combine colors and experiment endlessly.

Faber-Castell Polychromos

Being a worldwide famous brand, Faber-Castell does not disappoint with any of their products, and their colored pencils are no exception. Artists of various experience levels value these pencils because of their quality and the amazing results they help anyone to achieve. These amazingly lightfast pigments will definitely leave you satisfied.

Their pencil cores allow you to produce buttery smooth lines, laying them on the surface evenly and softly. They can be very easily blended, creating beautiful effects and transitions. Oil-based binders are used in these pencils, so you will avoid the waxy bloom when applying and blending them.

Even if they can be easily blended, it doesn’t mean they smudge easily. In fact, they are quite smudge-resistant, and waterproof as well. Your drawings will remain clean and safe. The fact that the leads are break-resistant also guarantees that the drawings will stay clean and neat.

Best brands for watercolor pencils

Cretacolor 72 Aqua Monolith

Cretacolor’s brilliant woodless watercolor pencils are not just remarkably designed, being watercolor cylinders covered in thin lacquer. They are totally changing the perception of what watercolor pencils are and what they are capable of.

They are able to both be finely sharpened and, with their full tips, allow a breathtaking variety of creative approaches from pastel-like thick strokes to the tiniest lines. It provides a perfect option for all drawing and sketching styles.

The high-quality materials of these woodless pencils make them stand out among many others. Their colors are visibly bright and juicy, the leads are soft enough to produce the nicest outcome, and their binder dissolves in water cleanly. All of these things will help you achieve amazing creative results.

And not only are they good when used with water – but you can also use them dry, and they will not disappoint you with their colors either.

Caran D’ache Supracolor

Just like every good high-quality pencil brand, Caran D’ache doesn’t tend to disappoint. Their watercolor pencils produce extremely vibrant colors even when they’re used dry. But with water applied, you can create true magic!

The binder of these pencils dissolves completely and causes no clumping, which will really give your drawings the look of watercolor paintings. They have exceptional covering abilities and will be your companions for a long time. Also, the lightfastness of the colors is outstanding.

While not being the cheapest option you can go for, they have a professional quality and can satisfy even the most demanding artists. Apply them with pressure, sharpen them, make fast strokes – they will not break and leave you with unwanted marks on your paper.

You can easily use them together with other mediums, even the wet ones. But if you want your drawing to be clean, please be sure to apply other mediums after the layers of watercolor pencils have dried.

Faber-Castell Albrecht Durer

Versatile and high-quality, these pencils are everything an artist can dream of.  You can use them for every need: drawing, shading, and painting watercolor-like pictures. And you will get a perfect result in any case.

The pigments in these pencils are very vivid and bright, allowing you to create stunning drawings. It doesn’t matter what your preferred artistic style or theme is – they can always help you. After applying water, the binder will dissolve completely, and the result will look just like regular watercolor paint.

Even when you use them on a daily basis and apply some pressure to them while working, they will not break. You can sharpen them from the beginning to the very end of their use without any cracks or lead breaking. Which also allows you to work on the smallest details of your drawings with a very sharp pencil.

There is nothing not to love about both of these types of pencils.

Some are best for one kind of work; others are best for another. And now that you know exactly what they do, your choice wouldn’t be random.

Depending on your preferred style and the result you want to achieve, you might need something to blend and burnish easily or something to look like watercolor. Or maybe even both of them, if you are looking for diversity or if your style requires both of these things.

But no matter which ones you will eventually choose, please don’t forget to use them with love <3 .

Hanna is an artist, poet and musician who lives in Minsk, Belarus. She loves food, cats, gigs and esoteric stuff.

Author: Hanna Martsynkevich

Artist and Writer