Using Watercolor Pencils On Ceramics

Use smooth strokes as you use the brush to spread the pigment from the watercolor pencils.

Using watercolor pencils on ceramics.

Use watercolor pencils as portable paints. This will feel the most like watercolor painting except that instead of dipping your brush into watercolor paint you re using water to spread pigment already on the paper. The main difference is that the glazed bisque surface absorbs the color and water mixture more quickly. Typically water is applied with a brush but sponges and other tools can be used as well.

I love water brushes as they are perfect to have for when you are on the go and inspiration strikes you. When using watercolor pencils you will need for sure some brushes. But once you get used to that you can create beautiful watercolor like surfaces. Apply water to an area then color in with a pencil.

Watercolor underglazes work best on bisque fired pieces since a great deal of water is needed to apply them. This allows the colors to spread like watercolor paint when painted over with water but it also makes them more difficult to blend without the use of water. Watercolor pencils are similar to colored pencils but use water soluble binders to hold their components together rather than non water soluble wax or oil. This results in darker colors.

The colors blend seamlessly providing more dimension in pieces. This process is called activation. Apply pencil to the outside edges of a shape then fill in with a wet paint brush. Using this type of underglaze can achieve painterly effects.

Ceramic stains and underglazes mixed with water painted on unfired white glazed bisque is pretty similar to watercolor painting on paper. As you apply the water mimic the shape and direction of the pencil strokes. Marks made with graphite pencils on ceramic surfaces will burn out in the firing which can be very convenient as the firing erases the guidelines or grids used for painting or drawing on patterns and designs in ceramic pigments. Much more so than paint sets.

The image above shows arteza s water brush pens. Guidelines also can be painted on with vermilion watercolor paint which also burns away. Apply pencil lightly over very large areas and use the wet paint brush to fill it in. Pencil sets are compact and easy to carry.

Just create your desired colors on the page first and mix in water to get your paint. For example although you cannot apply actual watercolor paints onto ceramic clay pottery you can apply ceramic glazes onto the unfinished pottery work to look like it was painted with watercolor paint. Watercolor pencils are designed to be used with water which can be applied with a soft brush after making marks with the pencil. Once the material has been activated it behaves like watercolor.