Best Watercolor Pencils for Beginners: 7 Picks for Wet-and-Dry Drawing

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Short answer: For most first-time buyers, Faber-Castell Goldfaber Aqua watercolor pencils are the easiest place to start because the line is positioned for students, hobby artists, and aspiring artists while supporting both dry drawing and wet activation. Choose Staedtler karat aquarell 125 if you want a traditional pencil feel, Albrecht Dürer if you already expect to pursue detailed illustration, Derwent Watercolour for subtle re-wettable washes, or Derwent Inktense for vivid color that becomes permanent after drying.

There is no single best watercolor pencil for every beginner. The important differences are how the core behaves dry, how readily it activates with water, whether dried color can be moved again, how broad the color range is, what lead and sharpener the pencil requires, and whether the manufacturer documents lightfastness. This guide compares those differences rather than treating every water-soluble pencil as interchangeable.

#	Preview	Product	Price
1		KALOUR 72 Watercolor Pencils Set, Water Soluble with 2 Brushes	$21.99	Buy on Amazon
2		KALOUR Watercolor Pencils with Brush, 36 Colors, Blendable Wet or Dry, Ideal for Coloring Books and...	$12.99	Buy on Amazon
3		KALOUR 72-Color Professional Watercolor Pencils Set with Brush and Water Brush Pen, Hexagonal Shape,...	$18.99	Buy on Amazon
4		Faber-Castell Watercolor Pencils (24 color) Premium Quality Art Supplies Originals	$8.90	Buy on Amazon
5		Castle Art Supplies 72 Watercolor Pencils for Adults - With Tin Case	$39.99	Buy on Amazon

Shopping note: Retail availability, sellers, prices, and pack sizes vary by country and date. Search for the exact line and set size before buying, especially when a retailer listing combines several variants.

Our beginner picks at a glance

The recommendations below are based on manufacturer-published specifications and intended positioning. No independent hands-on testing was performed for this guide, so descriptions such as professional, vibrant, soft, or lightfast are presented as documented manufacturer claims rather than laboratory rankings.

#1 Best Overall

KALOUR 72 Watercolor Pencils Set, Water Soluble with 2 Brushes

• WET and DRY: If you like drawing or coloring, this set of watercolor pencils will bring you unlimited possibilities. They can draw precise lines and beautiful colors like traditional colored pencils. When you lightly brush with a wet brush, vivid pigment will spread out, producing a magical watercolor effect.
• Vibrant Color:you get 72 pencils that span the entire color spectrum.Each pencil / color is named and numbered.watercolor pencils have soft, break-resistant cores made from Highly pigment.Very suitable for blending shading and layering.Perfect choice for artists and art lovers.
• Non-toxic and Environmentally Friendly: These pencils are designed with a hexagonal barrel, which is ergonomic and comfortable to hold. The pencils are made of premium wood and non-toxic pigments, and comply with all safety signs. Both adults and children can use it with confidence.
• Portable packaging: water colored pencils are placed in a beautiful tin box, and three plastic trays perfectly protect the pencils from damage. They are the perfect choice for you to create art while going out and traveling. Art is always pleasant.
• Perfect Gift:Conforms to ASTM D-4236 & EN71-3.non-toxic safe.If you have any issues with our products, please reach out and we’ll make it right.

$21.99

Buy on Amazon

The best watercolor pencils for beginners

1. Faber-Castell Goldfaber Aqua: best accessible starting point

Goldfaber Aqua is the clearest fit for someone buying a first set without wanting to make a large commitment. Faber-Castell positions the line for students, aspiring artists, and hobby artists, and describes the cores as fully water-soluble, highly pigmented, and suitable for both wet and dry techniques. The documented range extends to 48 colors.

That positioning matters more than a generic claim that the pencils are “good.” A beginner can use the pencil dry to learn pressure, hatching, layering, and edge control, then add water when ready to explore washes. The same line therefore supports the basic dry-to-wet workflow without requiring a separate colored-pencil set and watercolor set at the beginning.

Choose it if: You are a first-time buyer, student, casual sketcher, or hobby artist who wants to learn wet activation before investing in a professional range.

Consider something else if: You already know that you want to make detailed botanical, nature, or illustration work and would rather begin with an artist-grade line. In that case, a small Albrecht Dürer set may be a more deliberate long-term purchase.

2. Staedtler karat aquarell 125: best conventional all-rounder

Staedtler karat aquarell 125 is a classic hexagonal watercolor pencil with a soft, water-soluble lead. Staedtler documents wet and dry use and lists 12-, 24-, 36-, 48-, and 60-pencil variants. Individual pencils are listed in up to 60 colors, although the exact assortment available to you can depend on the market.

The hexagonal shape will feel familiar to anyone who has used ordinary colored pencils or graphite pencils. That makes it a sensible choice for a beginner who primarily wants a pencil first and watercolor effects second. Staedtler also identifies FSC-certified wood and German manufacture as product details.

Choose it if: You want a manageable range of set sizes, a familiar barrel shape, and a line that can accompany more serious practice.

Keep expectations realistic: The official product information confirms the line’s water solubility and configurations, but it does not provide an independent, brand-to-brand comparison of softness, breakage, or finished wash quality. Those are precisely the characteristics that can vary with personal technique and paper.

3. Faber-Castell Albrecht Dürer: best artist-grade choice for committed beginners

Albrecht Dürer watercolor pencils are the better choice for a beginner who already has a clear reason to learn the medium—such as botanical drawing, nature illustration, or detailed watercolor-pencil work—and wants a professional line from the start. Faber-Castell describes the core as fully water-soluble and the pencils as suitable for drawing, shading, painting, and watercolor techniques.

The line has a documented 3.8 mm break-resistant lead and a 120-color assortment. Faber-Castell also emphasizes lightfastness in its product materials. That can be relevant if you plan to display finished artwork, but do not treat a brand-level lightfastness statement as proof that every color will have identical resistance to fading. Check the manufacturer’s information for individual colors when permanence matters.

Rank #2

KALOUR Watercolor Pencils with Brush, 36 Colors, Blendable Wet or Dry, Ideal for Coloring Books and Art

• KALOUR 36-Color Professional Watercolor Pencils Set with Brush and Water Brush Pen, Hexagonal Shape, Blendable Wet or Dry, Water-Soluble Colored Pencils for Artists and Beginners
• Complete Artist Set: This set includes not just 36 water-soluble colored pencils, but also a high-quality watercolor brush and a water brush pen. These tools are designed to enhance your artistic versatility, allowing you to blend and layer colors effortlessly for a variety of artistic
• Professional Quality: Each pencil is meticulously crafted with high-quality pigments and a durable core, ensuring consistent color application and longevity. The pencils are designed for artists who demand precision and quality in their work, making them ideal for detailed illustrations and expansive artworks.
• Convenient and Organized: The set comes in a stylish and sturdy cylindrical case, perfect for storage and portability. The pencils are neatly arranged and easily accessible, with each one labeled with its color name and number for quick identification and organization.
• Perfect Gift for Artists: Whether you're a seasoned artist or just starting out, this 36-color water-soluble colored pencil set is an excellent addition to your art supplies. It also makes a thoughtful and impressive gift for art enthusiasts, students, and professionals who appreciate high-quality art materials.

$12.99

Buy on Amazon

Best beginner purchase: Start with 12 or 24 colors rather than 120. A small artist-grade palette gives you the line’s intended characteristics while keeping the early learning process focused on mixing and value control.

Trade-off: Artist-grade positioning and a broad range can make the initial purchase more than an experimenter needs. If you are unsure whether you will enjoy activating pencil with water, Goldfaber Aqua is the less committed starting point.

4. Derwent Watercolour: best for subtle, re-wettable washes

Derwent Watercolour is designed to combine pencil control with traditional watercolor effects. Derwent describes the line as usable wet or dry, layerable, and re-wettable after drying. The range is documented at 72 colors.

The most important distinction is its forgiving behavior. If a dried passage can be reactivated, you have more opportunity to soften an edge, move color, blend a transition, or continue working on a passage later. Derwent positions Watercolour as softer and more subtle than its Inktense line, so this is the better Derwent choice for gentle washes and gradual blending.

Choose it if: You want to draw precise marks first and develop quiet, flexible washes rather than immediately producing the strongest possible color.

Trade-off: “Subtle” describes a formulation and brand positioning, not an objective ranking. If you want saturated color that stays put once dry, Inktense is the more relevant option—but it behaves differently enough that it should not be treated as a routine substitute.

5. Derwent Inktense: best for vivid, permanent-after-drying effects

Derwent Inktense pencils are water-soluble, but they are not ordinary re-wettable watercolor pencils. Derwent states that Inktense color becomes permanent once dry. That can be useful when you want to layer without disturbing an earlier passage or create bold, staining-looking effects that remain fixed.

The same feature creates the main beginner warning. Traditional watercolor-pencil practice often relies on being able to re-wet or move dried color. With Inktense, you need to plan the order of layers more carefully because a dry passage does not remain equally open to later correction.

Choose it if: Your priority is vivid color, layered illustration, mixed-media work, or a permanent-after-drying behavior.

Choose ordinary watercolor pencils instead if: You are still learning basic washes, lifting, softening, and color movement and want the most forgiving practice surface. Inktense is a specialized choice, not automatically the best first watercolor pencil simply because its color is bold.

Rank #3

KALOUR 72-Color Professional Watercolor Pencils Set with Brush and Water Brush Pen, Hexagonal Shape, Blendable Wet or Dry, Water-Soluble Colored Pencils for Artists and Beginners

• Versatile Color Range: Our 72-color water-soluble colored pencil set offers a comprehensive range of vibrant and rich hues, perfect for professional artists and hobbyists alike. Each pencil is crafted to provide smooth and precise coloring, whether used dry or with water for stunning watercolor effects.
• Complete Artist Set: This set includes not just 72 water-soluble colored pencils, but also a high-quality watercolor brush and a water brush pen. These tools are designed to enhance your artistic versatility, allowing you to blend and layer colors effortlessly for a variety of artistic
• Professional Quality: Each pencil is meticulously crafted with high-quality pigments and a durable core, ensuring consistent color application and longevity. The pencils are designed for artists who demand precision and quality in their work, making them ideal for detailed illustrations and expansive artworks.
• Convenient and Organized: The set comes in a stylish and sturdy cylindrical case, perfect for storage and portability. The pencils are neatly arranged and easily accessible, with each one labeled with its color name and number for quick identification and organization.
• Perfect Gift for Artists: Whether you're a seasoned artist or just starting out, this 72-color water-soluble colored pencil set is an excellent addition to your art supplies. It also makes a thoughtful and impressive gift for art enthusiasts, students, and professionals who appreciate high-quality art materials.

$18.99

Buy on Amazon

6. Prismacolor Premier Water-Soluble: best for adult coloring and Prismacolor users

Prismacolor Premier Water-Soluble Colored Pencil Sets contain 36 pencils. Prismacolor says the cores can be used dry, blended with water, and paired with the familiar Prismacolor palette. The manufacturer describes the pigments as richly saturated and lightfast and explicitly includes adult coloring books among the intended uses.

This makes the line especially relevant to someone moving from conventional Prismacolor pencils into wet effects, or to an adult-coloring enthusiast who wants to soften, blend, and decorate selected areas with water. It is also a reasonable option when maintaining a familiar color ecosystem matters more than pursuing a traditional watercolor-paint workflow.

Important limitation: Do not assume that a product marketed for water blending and coloring is the ideal replacement for a full watercolor set. If your goal is transparent washes, extensive paint-like layering, and a traditional watercolor technique, compare its behavior with a line explicitly positioned around watercolor methods.

7. Caran d’Ache Museum Aquarelle: premium upgrade

Caran d’Ache Museum Aquarelle is a premium Swiss-made watercolor-pencil line. The manufacturer describes it as watercolor in pencil form, with a soft, strong, water-soluble 3.8 mm lead, high pigment concentration, and support for dry and wet techniques. The standard box is documented at 76 colors, alongside other configurations.

Caran d’Ache also provides lightfastness indications. As with any lightfastness information, check the individual color documentation if artwork is intended for long-term display rather than assuming that the complete range performs identically.

Choose it if: You are an experienced beginner, buying a substantial gift, or deliberately looking for a premium long-term set.

Trade-off: Premium materials and a broad standard assortment are not necessary to learn the fundamentals. A smaller Goldfaber Aqua, Staedtler, or Albrecht Dürer set can teach the same core workflow with less initial commitment.

How to choose the right watercolor pencils

Decide whether you want reactivation or permanence

This is the most consequential choice. For a forgiving learning process, choose a conventional watercolor-pencil line whose manufacturer explicitly documents re-wetting after drying, such as Derwent Watercolour. You can dry the area, inspect it, and return with a damp brush to soften or redistribute it.

Choose Inktense when permanence after drying is the requirement. Once dry, its color is intended to remain fixed rather than behave like an ordinary re-wettable watercolor pencil. Neither behavior is universally superior; they solve different painting problems.

Choose the set size by learning goal

• 12 or 24 colors: Best for learning activation, blending, value, and color mixing. A limited palette also makes it easier to understand which colors are doing the work.
• 36 to 48 colors: A useful middle ground for botanical subjects, landscapes, portraits, adult coloring, or anyone who wants more ready-made hues.
• 60 to 72 colors: Appropriate when you already know you enjoy the medium and want fewer gaps in a working palette. Staedtler documents up to 60 colors and Derwent Watercolour 72.
• 120 colors: A production-oriented range for someone already committed to the medium. Faber-Castell documents 120 colors for Albrecht Dürer. It is rarely the best first purchase solely for learning.

These are buying recommendations, not manufacturer rules. A disciplined 12-color set can teach more about mixing than a 120-color case used without a plan.

Rank #4

Faber-Castell Watercolor Pencils (24 color) Premium Quality Art Supplies Originals

• 24 Watercolor pencils with Free brush
• Non-toxic, acid free!!!
• Recommended for age of 5+
• Premium Quality Pencils specially for for kids
• Heavy Discounts Hurry!!!!

$8.90

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Think about dry-pencil performance

Watercolor pencils are not merely paint pans in pencil form. Before adding water, you need a core that can make the marks you want: light construction lines, layered hatching, crisp details, or broad coverage. If you intend to use the pencils dry for much of the time, prioritize the line whose ordinary pencil feel matches your hand.

Manufacturer descriptions can help, but they do not replace personal preference. The dossier contains no independent comparison that establishes which line is smoothest, least breakable, or best value. Treat those claims as specifications or positioning, not universal test results.

Check lead size and sharpener compatibility

Albrecht Dürer and Museum Aquarelle both document relatively thick 3.8 mm leads. A standard school pencil sharpener may not accept that barrel. Staedtler recommends particular double-hole or tub sharpeners for karat aquarell. Before ordering a sharpener, confirm both the pencil’s barrel diameter and the sharpener’s supported hole size.

A break-resistant lead specification, such as the one Faber-Castell documents for Albrecht Dürer, is useful information, but it is not evidence that one brand is categorically impossible to break. Watercolor cores can still be damaged by dropping, excessive pressure, or an unsuitable sharpener.

Consider lightfastness only when the artwork needs it

For practice sheets, sketchbooks, classroom exercises, and temporary coloring, lightfastness may not be your first priority. For work intended to be displayed or sold, look for individual-color lightfastness information. Faber-Castell emphasizes lightfastness for Albrecht Dürer, Prismacolor describes its Premier Water-Soluble pigments as lightfast, and Caran d’Ache provides lightfastness indications for Museum Aquarelle.

Do not assume that an entire product family has identical permanence across every pigment. Read the manufacturer’s color chart and retain the product information with artwork when archival performance matters.

What you need besides the pencils

A beginner kit does not need to be large. Start with:

• Watercolor paper for beginners: Use paper designed to tolerate water. Regular printer paper can buckle, pill, or become fragile when repeatedly brushed. Staedtler’s technique guidance specifically recommends watercolor paper for brighter effects and advises allowing adjacent areas to dry to limit unwanted color movement.
• A small round watercolor brush: One or two round brushes are enough to activate marks, blend small passages, and add controlled washes. You do not need a complete brush collection for the first exercises.
• A compatible sharpener: Check whether your pencils use a standard barrel or a thicker artist lead before buying. A double-hole or artist-pencil sharpener may be appropriate, but compatibility must be confirmed for the specific pencil.
• Water and paper towel: Use a clean water container and blot excess moisture from the brush. Too much water can spread pigment beyond the area you intended.
• A test sheet: Keep a piece of the same paper beside your drawing. It lets you test pressure, water amount, layering, and color movement before touching the finished work.

Your first watercolor-pencil exercise

Use this short exercise before attempting a finished painting. It teaches you what your chosen pencils actually do on your chosen paper.

1. Make dry swatches. Draw a rectangle for each color. Fill one lightly, one with medium pressure, and one with heavier layered marks. Label the colors.
2. Activate only part of each swatch. With a damp, not dripping, round brush, pull water across half of each rectangle. Leave the other half dry so you can compare the pencil mark with the wash.
3. Let the paper dry. Do not judge reactivation or layering while the first wash is still wet. Drying also prevents you from accidentally moving neighboring colors into one another.
4. Test a second layer. Add a dry mark over the dried wash, then activate a small portion. This reveals how the pencil behaves when layered over existing color.
5. Test re-wetting. On a separate part of the swatch, use a clean damp brush after the color has dried. Compare how easily the color moves. If you are using Inktense, expect the dried color to behave as a permanent passage according to Derwent’s product description.
6. Try direct brush pickup. Make a concentrated pencil area, then pick up some of that color with a wet brush and paint a separate stroke. Compare this with drawing directly on the paper and brushing over the marks.

The point is not to produce a finished image. It is to build a personal color-and-water reference. Different papers, brush moisture, pressure, and drying times can change the result, so your test sheet is more useful than a generic online color chart alone.

A simple workflow for a first painting

1. Plan light areas first. Watercolor pencil is easier to build up than to remove completely. Leave highlights as clean paper whenever possible.
2. Block in dry color lightly. Use pale layers to establish shapes and values. Heavy pressure at the beginning can make later blending less flexible.
3. Activate small areas. Work from lighter passages toward darker ones and clean the brush between colors. Let neighboring sections dry when you need a firm boundary.
4. Layer after drying. Add another dry pencil layer for texture or depth, then activate selectively. For re-wettable lines, this process remains adjustable; with Inktense, plan the order more carefully because dry passages are intended to become permanent.
5. Restore detail at the end. Use the pencil dry for edges, veins, hair, texture, or other small marks that would be difficult to control with a wet brush.

Common beginner problems and fixes

Which set should you actually buy?

• Buy Goldfaber Aqua for the safest general introduction to the wet-and-dry workflow.
• Buy Staedtler karat aquarell 125 if the familiar hexagonal pencil shape and a choice of moderate set sizes appeal to you.
• Buy Albrecht Dürer in a 12- or 24-color set if you are a committed beginner focused on illustration and want an artist-grade line.
• Buy Derwent Watercolour if re-wettable, understated washes are more important than maximum intensity.
• Buy Inktense if the defining feature you want is vivid color that becomes permanent after drying. Do not buy it expecting ordinary watercolor-pencil reactivation.
• Buy Prismacolor Premier Water-Soluble if you primarily color, want water-blended decorative effects, or already use the Prismacolor palette.
• Buy Museum Aquarelle if you want a premium gift or long-term upgrade and are comfortable paying for a broader, artist-oriented range.

Frequently asked questions

Are watercolor pencils suitable for a complete beginner?

Yes. They offer the control of a pencil before water is introduced, so you can practice drawing and shading without immediately managing a fully wet brush. Start with a 12- or 24-color set, watercolor paper, and a small round brush.

Best Value

Castle Art Supplies 72 Watercolor Pencils for Adults - With Tin Case

• MADE TO MAKE IT EASY Ultimate watercolor pencil set, named, numbered and color-coded for unerring selection: just flip up your choice of pencil from the three layers of the strong, handsome presentation tin.
• TOTALLY ALL YOU NEED Arranged in vibrant color families, the intensely pigmented, break-resistant leads hold their point and make their mark just like colored pencils when used dry.
• A JOY TO USE Activated with a little water and a paintbrush, your pencil lines melt, blend and dissolve beautifully - making what you’ve drawn look like a painting. Suddenly you’re a watercolor artist.
• BUILD YOUR SKILLS Unique fold-out tutorial enables you refine your watercolor pencil skills by re-creating the knight on horseback image on the lid.
• MADE FOR ALL SKILL LEVELS These watercolor pencils for adults suit every artist, from first-time painters to experienced illustrators, giving you the control of a pencil with the freedom of watercolor. They're a simple way to start painting without tubes or pans.

$39.99

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Can watercolor pencils replace watercolor paint?

They can create washes, blends, and paint-like effects, but they do not make every watercolor workflow identical. Pencil marks are useful for precision and texture; a traditional watercolor set may be more efficient for large, uninterrupted washes. Prismacolor’s water-soluble line, in particular, is positioned strongly toward adult coloring and liquid effects rather than as a universal watercolor-paint replacement.

Can dried watercolor pencil be reactivated?

Many conventional watercolor-pencil techniques allow some reactivation, but you should follow the specific line’s documentation and test it on your paper. Derwent explicitly documents re-wetting for its Watercolour line. Derwent Inktense is the important exception in this shortlist: its color is intended to become permanent once dry.

Is watercolor paper necessary?

It is strongly recommended. Paper made for watercolor is better suited to wet activation and repeated layers than ordinary copy paper. A test sheet also helps you determine how much water your chosen paper can handle before the final painting.

How many watercolor pencils should a beginner buy?

Choose 12 or 24 colors to learn mixing and activation. Move to 36 or 48 when you want more ready-made hues, and consider 60 or more only after you know the medium suits you or need a broad working palette.

Evidence and buying note

The product details in this guide are based on manufacturer information from Faber-Castell, Staedtler, Derwent, Prismacolor, and Caran d’Ache. Manufacturer classifications such as student, professional, vibrant, high-quality, and lightfast should be read as stated product positioning or specifications—not as independent test results. Confirm current set contents, individual-pencil availability, pricing, seller, and stock immediately before publication or purchase.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are watercolor pencils suitable for a complete beginner?

Yes. They provide pencil control for drawing and shading before water is introduced. A 12- or 24-color set, watercolor paper, and a small round brush are enough to learn the basic workflow.

Can watercolor pencils replace watercolor paint?

They can produce washes and blended effects, but they do not make every watercolor workflow identical. Watercolor pencils are especially useful for precision, texture, and controlled color placement, while paint is often more efficient for large washes.

Can dried watercolor pencil be reactivated?

Many conventional watercolor-pencil lines allow some reactivation, but verify the specific product and test it on your paper. Derwent Watercolour explicitly supports re-wetting after drying. Derwent Inktense is different: its color is intended to become permanent once dry.

Is watercolor paper necessary for watercolor pencils?

It is strongly recommended because paper designed for watercolor tolerates wet activation and layering better than ordinary copy paper. Use a test sheet to find the right amount of water for your paper.

How many watercolor pencils should a beginner buy?

Start with 12 or 24 colors to learn mixing, pressure, and activation. Choose 36 to 48 colors for more ready-made hues, and consider 60 or more only after you know the medium suits you or need a broad production palette.

The Bottom Line

Bottom line: Start with Faber-Castell Goldfaber Aqua for the most straightforward introduction, or Staedtler karat aquarell 125 if you prefer a classic pencil feel. Choose Albrecht Dürer or Museum Aquarelle as deliberate artist-grade upgrades, Derwent Watercolour for subtle re-wettable washes, and Inktense only when permanent-after-drying color is the feature you specifically need. A small set on proper watercolor paper will teach more than a large collection used without a test sheet or a plan.

Quick Recap

Bestseller No. 1

KALOUR 72 Watercolor Pencils Set, Water Soluble with 2 Brushes

$21.99

Bestseller No. 2

KALOUR Watercolor Pencils with Brush, 36 Colors, Blendable Wet or Dry, Ideal for Coloring Books and Art

$12.99

Bestseller No. 3

KALOUR 72-Color Professional Watercolor Pencils Set with Brush and Water Brush Pen, Hexagonal Shape, Blendable Wet or Dry, Water-Soluble Colored Pencils for Artists and Beginners

$18.99

Bestseller No. 4

Faber-Castell Watercolor Pencils (24 color) Premium Quality Art Supplies Originals

24 Watercolor pencils with Free brush; Non-toxic, acid free!!!; Recommended for age of 5+; Premium Quality Pencils specially for for kids

$8.90

Bestseller No. 5

Castle Art Supplies 72 Watercolor Pencils for Adults - With Tin Case

$39.99

ThatPainter Team