Wet Colored Pencils--Watercolors' First Cousin

  Some colored pencils are made to be water solvent. This adds a very desirable fluidity, like water color painting, to this medium.

These water soluble pencils can be first used dry, made into a wash, left to dry, and have many more additional dry or wet layers and washes applied as desired.

  They can be blended with non-soluble pencils for additional color and textural effects. Thin leads place rich solid areas, tints, soft washes, and dark shadows wherever desired. Only the soluble areas react to the solvent, leaving the character of the regular colors intact.

  In water color painting, the brush is charged up with wet color and applied to a dry or a wet surface. With wet colored pencils, dry color is applied first and the water is added to liquify the pigments.

  Water Color Pencils are available from several manufacturers like Crayola, Karat, Portfolio, Prismacolor, Kimberly, etc.

Learning how to handle the medium.

Practice Sheet: 3¾X 3" sections

A. COLOR PATCHES DIRECTIONS

• 1. Make a loose layer of color Light to Dark. Add a 2nd color the same way. Apply the water quickly and lightly to the lightest area 1st, and then move toward the darker.

• 2. Apply a Dark to Light layer of 1 color. Add a lighter line design texture on top. Paint it.
• 3. Apply 2 light colors. Add a straight line texture in darker colors on top. Paint it.
• 4. Apply a light color. Add water and draw an outline into the water in a darker color.
• 5. Apply 2 light colors. Add water and spatter 1 or 2 darker colors into it. To spatter: Hold the pencil over the draing and flick the dampened brush DOWN over the tip several times.
• 6. Apply a 2 color layer light to dark. Brush with water and let dry. Add a tonal layer in 1 or 2 colors with Regular colored pencils.

Now let's do some "Putting It Together" Samples. Ready?