# New to watercolor - start with pencils or not?



## Randwulf83

Hi, all:

I'm looking to start learning watercolor painting - purely for my own enjoyment, as I'm not a professional artist by any means - and was recommended to start with watercolor pencils instead of traditional painting. What are the pros and cons for starting with one or the other, and can anyone offer me an educated recommendation based on experience/expertise? 

Thanks!


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## Jenny alm

Randwulf83 said:


> Hi, all:
> 
> I'm looking to start learning watercolor painting - purely for my own enjoyment, as I'm not a professional artist by any means - and was recommended to start with watercolor pencils instead of traditional painting. What are the pros and cons for starting with one or the other, and can anyone offer me an educated recommendation based on experience/expertise?
> 
> Thanks!


 from my humble experience every piece of art is better to start with pencils


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## LizaPaizisCreations

Hello!

That is so exciting that you're exploring watercolours as a medium for painting.
I began using watercolour paints (not pencils) when I was 16 years old, and learned different techniques on my own by experimentation / play. To me, this is the best way to really discover the wonders of any medium in creating art, or sculpture , or any creative endeavour!
I did read a few books dedicated to watercolour painting, and this was really helpful, but nowdays you can easily access tutorials online with Youtube, artist's websites etc which I would strongly recommend. It helps so much to actually see how layering works with these delicate, beautifully transparent paints, how to do wet on wet or wet on dry techniques amongst others.
I do use watercolour pencils as an enhancement to my watercolour paints, but I personally would explore the paints first as this will give you a solid grounding on the nature of the medium and how to mix the colours themselves using a palette and water.
Good Luck, and most of all - have fun, enjoy and play with your Creativity!
You can check out some of my watercolour paintings process on my Blog:
https://lizapaizis.wordpress.com/category/watercolor/page/2/


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## billk20

*watercolours*

Hi, I've been teaching art and design subjects to adults in the UK for 20 years and watercolour painting in particular for the last 7 years at the Highgate Literary and Scientific Institution in north London. I strongly suggest ( as the previous person in the thread suggested) that you concentrate on using watercolour paints. I would also suggest that you use a 300 gms rough paper so that you do not have to bother stretching it and you can enjoy the way colours intermingle, granulate and settle down into the texture of the paper. I teach a Zoom class on Monday afternoons and you can see my work at: http://artworks-writings-mwkelly.blogspot.com/p/watercolours.html


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## ShutterBug

They both have pros and cons. I like the WC pencils as you can take your time, you do have to go slow!! Too much pigment at the start and that’s it! While my favorite is the Albrecht Dürer pencils, the Derwent Inktense are great too!! Please keep in mind to never use anything less the 140# paper!! Learned that the hard way....

I always keep my mini pans with me though. Windsor and Newton has a cute little pan. It comes with 12 colors in it. When they are empty, you can buy the refills, or squirt some from the tube!

When I work with WC, I use both, but tend to rough in with the pencils. Have fun!


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## zeldaella

I think you still should start with watercolor and brushes. And learn some watercolor techniques for beginners. That would be better than using watercolor pencils


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## noah

*DIY by Maddie Rae Refillable Brush Pen*

It’s really more of a basic set of brush pens, ideal for beginners or those looking for practice pens that they can use easily and will not break the bank. It has nylon hair brush tips that occasionally frays but can be trimmed easily.
These brushes are easy to use. I did not have difficulties refilling it with ink. You can even add just a little bit of water if you like a watercolor effect. It saves time because you no longer have to dip it in paper.


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## noah

*DIY by Maddie Rae Refillable Brush Pen*



noah said:


> It’s really more of a basic set of brush pens, ideal for beginners or those looking for practice pens that they can use easily and will not break the bank. It has nylon hair brush tips that occasionally frays but can be trimmed easily.
> These brushes are easy to use. I did not have difficulties refilling it with ink. You can even add just a little bit of water if you like a watercolor effect. It saves time because you no longer have to dip it in paper.


more detail: https://artltdmag.com/best-refillable-brush-pens/


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## Rosalie Galvez

Hi, I found this online. Water color paints are:

Advantages
1) Easy to mix and clean with water

2) If the paint on the tube or the pallet has dried up, it can be reused by mixing some water.

3) Paint can be removed off the surface by re-wetting it.

Disadvantages
1) It can be hard to hide or correct any mistakes with them being so transparent.

2) The colors appear much lighter when dried up than what they were originally while you were painting.

3) There is no choice of adding white paint in watercolors, except for leaving the space blank on a white paper.

https://5amily.com/painting/blog/best-paints-for-canvas-painting


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## maria_tanish

Actually, from my perspective you should start with watercolor markers instead of pencils or traditional watercolor paints. Depending on my own experience, by using watercolor markers you'll get the actual watercolor effect that a traditional paint gives you. So, if you start using these types of markers then you'll get a vivid idea on how the watercolor works and the blending feature. There are so many brands recommended by choosemarker.com like *Arteza, Tombow, Ohuhu* and many more. You can pick any set according to your need and start working. Hope you'll have great fun while working with watercolor marker sets.


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## noah

If you love working with mixed media or trying to develop your skills and techniques with watercolors, then you should treat yourself with a set of watercolor pencils because they are worth it.
They are incredibly versatile, allowing you to unleash your creative freedom whether as wet or dry coloring pencils. Moreover, these pencils are an excellent starting point for those having a hard time controlling and making precise applications with watercolor brushes.


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