FROM CO-PILOT
Collections and Color Ranges
Collections and Color Ranges
- Individually sold
- Assortment of 12 colours: This was selected using the "double-primary" system (the 3 primary colours are all represented by two shades)
- Standard Box of 40 Colours
- Standard Box of 76 Colours
- Landscape Box of 20 Colours: Ideal for capturing the beauty of nature, this set focuses on greens, blues, and earthy shades.
- Marine Box of 20 Colours: Dive into the blues with this collection, featuring oceanic tones and aquatic inspiration.
- Wooden Box of 80 Colours: For the serious artist, this luxurious wooden box contains an extensive range of colors to fuel your creativity.
What are some tips for achieving smooth gradients with watercolor pencils?
SMOOTH GRADIENTS
Achieving smooth gradients with watercolor pencils is essential for creating beautiful transitions of color. Here are some tips to help you master this technique:
Can you recommend any specific exercises or drills to improve gradient techniques?
Copilot
Improving your gradient techniques with watercolor pencils involves practice and focused exercises. Here are some drills to help you master smooth transitions:
SMOOTH GRADIENTS
Achieving smooth gradients with watercolor pencils is essential for creating beautiful transitions of color. Here are some tips to help you master this technique:
- Layering and Blending:
- Layering: Build up layers of color by applying multiple coats of watercolor pencil. Start with light colors and gradually add darker shades to create depth and dimension.
- Blending: Use a wet brush to blend and soften the colors on your paper.
- Work Quickly:
- Watercolor dries quickly, so speed is crucial.
- Swiftly add each subsequent stroke before the previous one dries to maintain a smooth gradient.
- Choose the Right Paper:
- Use high-quality watercolor paper with a weight of at least 250 g/m².
- The paper’s texture affects how well the colors blend and transition.
- Control Water Usage:
- Gradual transitions require controlled water application.
- Experiment with the amount of water you use to achieve the desired effect.
- Practice Gradual Transitions:
- Start with a light color and gradually transition to a darker shade.
- Observe how the colors blend and adjust as needed.
Can you recommend any specific exercises or drills to improve gradient techniques?
Copilot
Improving your gradient techniques with watercolor pencils involves practice and focused exercises. Here are some drills to help you master smooth transitions:
- Flat Wash (Wet-on-Dry Technique):
- Wet the paper area you want to paint using a wet brush.
- Apply color to the wet area, maintaining the same water-to-pigment ratio.
- Achieve a solid, smooth swatch of color without splotches.
- Layering and Blending:
- Layer different colors to create depth.
- Blend colors using a wet brush for seamless transitions.
- Monochromatic Gradients:
- Choose a single color and create gradients from light to dark.
- Practice controlling water application for smooth transitions.
- Analogous Color Gradients:
- Select neighboring colors on the color wheel (e.g., blue to green).
- Experiment with blending these analogous colors.
- Complementary Color Gradients:
- Pair opposite colors (e.g., red and green).
- Observe how they interact and blend.
Caran d'Ache Museum Aquarelle
Vertical Divider
|
Derwent Inktense
|
PAPER AND STRETCHING
For watercolour effects, consider using a high-quality watercolour paper that is suitable for wet techniques. High-quality watercolour paper ensures better absorption, durability, and compatibility with wet techniques and the right paper will help to enhance your experience. Watercolour pencils are known to cause less buckling than traditional watercolours, however, if you expect to use a lot of water (e.g., activating the pencils with a brush), it may be beneficial to stretch your paper first. Using a heavier-weight watercolour paper (above 250 g/m²) can help to reduce the likelihood of buckling during water application. You don't only have to work with watercolour papers. Textured papers like Pastelmat and Colourfix are robust papers that work beautifully with watercolour pencils such as the Aquarelles, and will not require any stretching.
For watercolour effects, consider using a high-quality watercolour paper that is suitable for wet techniques. High-quality watercolour paper ensures better absorption, durability, and compatibility with wet techniques and the right paper will help to enhance your experience. Watercolour pencils are known to cause less buckling than traditional watercolours, however, if you expect to use a lot of water (e.g., activating the pencils with a brush), it may be beneficial to stretch your paper first. Using a heavier-weight watercolour paper (above 250 g/m²) can help to reduce the likelihood of buckling during water application. You don't only have to work with watercolour papers. Textured papers like Pastelmat and Colourfix are robust papers that work beautifully with watercolour pencils such as the Aquarelles, and will not require any stretching.
Caran d'Ache Museum Aquarelle: Are These the Best Water-Soluble Pencils?
Introduction
Caran d’Ache Museum Aquarelle pencils sit at the top end of the watercolour pencil world and are designed for artists who want the flexibility of watercolour without giving up the precision of a pencil. They are known for their soft cores, strong pigmentation and unusually clean solubility, which allows the colour to open up smoothly when activated with water.
The range appeared in the early 2010s and has since become a familiar choice among artists working in realism, botanical illustration and mixed media. Their formulation is built around pigment strength and water response, giving them a character that is closer to traditional watercolour than many other water‑soluble pencils.
The range appeared in the early 2010s and has since become a familiar choice among artists working in realism, botanical illustration and mixed media. Their formulation is built around pigment strength and water response, giving them a character that is closer to traditional watercolour than many other water‑soluble pencils.
A Brief History of the Range
Caran d’Ache has been producing artist materials in Geneva since 1915, but the Museum Aquarelle range represents a more modern chapter in their development. Earlier water‑soluble pencils from the brand were aimed at general use, but professional artists wanted something with the same pigment purity and permanence found in high quality watercolour paints. The Museum Aquarelle line was created to meet that need. The formulation was adjusted to increase pigment load, soften the core and improve solubility, and over time the range settled into its current 76 colour palette, which is curated rather than excessive and designed to behave predictably whether used dry or wet.
What Makes Museum Aquarelle Distinct?
The softness of the core is the first thing most artists notice. It allows for generous colour laydown with very little pressure, which is helpful when you want to build up colour quickly or create expressive marks. Once water is added, the pigment dissolves smoothly and produces washes that look closer to paint than pencil. This behaviour is not universal across watercolour pencils, so it is worth testing a few colours before committing to a technique. The pencils are capable of subtle glazing, bold washes and everything in between, but they reward a light touch and a bit of patience. This clean solubility is one of the reasons the range is so popular with artists who want to combine drawing and painting techniques without switching tools.
Vibrant pigments
How They Perform in Practice
Dry, the pencils feel velvety and responsive. They can be used for soft transitions, broad shading or quick tonal sketches. When activated with a brush, the colour opens up and becomes far more intense. This makes them useful for underpainting, especially if you want to establish the main shapes and tones before refining with dry coloured pencils. Many artists use them to block in fur, skin or foliage, then switch to firmer pencils for the final detail. The pencils behave predictably on good quality watercolour paper, particularly hot pressed surfaces where the pigment can be moved cleanly without catching on the texture
How to Use Museum Aquarelle Pencils
Wet-on-Dry Technique: Apply the pencils to dry paper, then use a wet brush to blend and dissolve the pigments. This technique is great for controlled areas and fine lines.
Wet-on-Wet Technique: Wet the paper first (with a brush or sponge), then apply the pencils. The pigments will spread and blend spontaneously. Ideal for soft backgrounds and loose washes.
Layering with Water: Apply a layer of colour, then add water to create gradients or blend adjacent colours. Experiment with layering and transparency.
Lifting Colour: If you’ve applied too much colour, gently lift it off with a damp brush or paper towel.
- Sketching: Use them dry for precise sketching and line work. Their fine tips allow for intricate details.
- Watercolour Painting: Add water to your strokes to create soft washes, gradients, and blended effects. The solubility of these pencils makes them perfect for on-the-go watercolor painting.
- Mixed Media: Combine them with other mediums like ink, pastels, or colored pencils for mixed media artworks.
Wet-on-Dry Technique: Apply the pencils to dry paper, then use a wet brush to blend and dissolve the pigments. This technique is great for controlled areas and fine lines.
Wet-on-Wet Technique: Wet the paper first (with a brush or sponge), then apply the pencils. The pigments will spread and blend spontaneously. Ideal for soft backgrounds and loose washes.
Layering with Water: Apply a layer of colour, then add water to create gradients or blend adjacent colours. Experiment with layering and transparency.
Lifting Colour: If you’ve applied too much colour, gently lift it off with a damp brush or paper towel.
How They Perform in Practice
How do they compare to Faber-Castell Albrecht Dürer watercolor pencils?
What is the difference between Museum Aquarelle and Caran d'Ache Supracolor Soft II?
What is the white pencil used for?
Can they be used dry, or only with water?
How lightfast are these pencils?
Are they the best watercolour pencils available?
How do they perform in terms of solubility and pigment?
Can they be used with other media like paints or inks?
What paper or surfaces work best with them
When looking at Derwent Coloursoft pencils, you'll note that the core is noticeably soft, which means colour transfers to the paper with very little effort. You don’t have to push or persuade the pigment to appear, it simply glides on, creating a surface that feels closer to a soft pastel than a traditional coloured pencil. This softness gives the marks a matte, velvety quality, especially when you build up a couple of light layers. Because the pigment releases so readily, the pencils respond well to gentle pressure. A light touch is often enough, and this can make longer drawing sessions more comfortable, both physically and creatively. The barrel itself is slightly wider than some other ranges, which adds to that sense of ease in the hand.
Within Derwent’s broader family of pencils, Coloursoft sits at the more accessible, user‑friendly end of the spectrum. They don’t demand a highly technical approach, and they don’t require the kind of meticulous layering that firmer pencils often need. Instead, they lend themselves to a relaxed, expressive way of working, ideal if you enjoy soft transitions, broad areas of colour, or sketchbook studies where the focus is on exploring ideas rather than refining tiny details.
They’re not designed for crisp architectural lines or intricate rendering, but for artists who prefer a gentler, more fluid drawing experience, their behaviour is consistent, predictable, and pleasantly
Within Derwent’s broader family of pencils, Coloursoft sits at the more accessible, user‑friendly end of the spectrum. They don’t demand a highly technical approach, and they don’t require the kind of meticulous layering that firmer pencils often need. Instead, they lend themselves to a relaxed, expressive way of working, ideal if you enjoy soft transitions, broad areas of colour, or sketchbook studies where the focus is on exploring ideas rather than refining tiny details.
They’re not designed for crisp architectural lines or intricate rendering, but for artists who prefer a gentler, more fluid drawing experience, their behaviour is consistent, predictable, and pleasantly
Caran d'Ache Museum Aquarelle Colour Range & Available Sets
Caran d’Ache has focused on pigments that behave predictably when activated with water. The range includes a strong selection of earth tones, which are essential for portraits, wildlife and natural subjects. There are clean primaries for mixing, muted neutrals for subtle transitions and a thoughtful spread of greens and blues for landscapes. The brighter colours are used sparingly, which keeps the palette balanced and avoids overwhelming the artist with unnecessary choices.
The earth colours are particularly well chosen. They mix cleanly, layer well and hold their character even when activated repeatedly. The blues and greens offer both atmospheric and naturalistic options without drifting into artificial territory. This makes the palette practical for artists who want reliable, mixable colours rather than dozens of near‑duplicates.
The earth colours are particularly well chosen. They mix cleanly, layer well and hold their character even when activated repeatedly. The blues and greens offer both atmospheric and naturalistic options without drifting into artificial territory. This makes the palette practical for artists who want reliable, mixable colours rather than dozens of near‑duplicates.
Caran d'Ache Museum Aquarelle: Are These the Best Water-Soluble Pencils?
Vertical Divider
|
DETAILS OF THE PENCIL
TECHNIQUES FOR USE
|
CHARACTERISTICS
COLOURS:
|
BASE:
|
HARD OR SOFT LEAD:
|
LIGHTFAST RATING:
|
The wooden box has 80 pencils which includes the following:
76 Watercolour pencils
3 Technalo water soluble graphite pencils (HB, B, 3B)
1 Grafwood graphite pencil (2B)
76 Watercolour pencils
3 Technalo water soluble graphite pencils (HB, B, 3B)
1 Grafwood graphite pencil (2B)
|
ADVANTAGES
* Ultra high pigment concentration * Highly lightfast for a water based pencil range * Some of the colours match the Luminance colour range * Hexagonal barrel stops the pencil rolling off surfaces * Made of premium FSC certified cedar wood |
DISADVANTAGES
* Only 76 colours * Some colours are not very lightfast (see colour chart below) |
Using the Aquarelle as a base for coloured pencil portraits
These pencils are ideal when working on larger portraits because they cover the paper much faster than using dry pencils. There are 48 colours found in the Aquarelle range that are found in the Luminance pencil range too. There are an additional 28 colours that complement the Luminance range. These pencils can be used with other brands and are one of the most lightfast, waterbased pencils on the market.
Related articles that may be of interest
Pastelmat paper - suitable paper for many different mediums
|
Comparing the Museum Aquarelle pencils against other brands
|
Subscribe to our kofi community page for free and premium content
|
Lightfastness:
Article written: April 2020
