Water-Soluble Colored Pencils

The emergence of water-soluble colored pencils has allowed artists to combine traditional colored-pencil drawing and blending techniques with watercolorlike washes. Formulated for fine artists, this relatively new medium has so far been most popular among mixed-media artists, who are accustomed to combining materials to create their artwork.

This article is information-oriented rather than technique-oriented since, unlike watercolor or oil, water-soluble colored pencil is a new artistic medium and there's no historical basis from which to study or teach the techniques. Hopefully, this column will not only reveal the methods some artists have used in tackling the medium but will give you the inspiration to try it yourself.

If you haven't yet tried water-soluble colored pencils, consider their advantages: In terms of style and handling, they offer artists great flexibility, in everything from quick sketches to final artwork.

First, they allow you to integrate drawing and painting into a single work of art without changing tools. This is convenient and also connects the spontaneity of drawing with the fluidity of painting, which is hard to achieve when you alternate between colored pencils and watercolors.

Second, with water-soluble colored pencils, pencil and wash effects of the identical color can be achieved, an extremely difficult feat when combining different brands of colored pencils and watercolors.

Third, outdoor sketchers and painters will appreciate the fact that a wide range of effects are possible with few supplies.

Once you try them, you'll discover that water-soluble colored pencils can't produce the same effects that either colored pencils or watercolors can deliver independently. However, you won't be disappointed: You'll get colored-pencillike and watercolorlike effects, plus all the wonderful surprises that result when two mediums--one dry and one liquid--are combined.

WHAT ARE WATER-SOLUBLE COLORED PENCILS?

Standard colored pencils are made of pigments in a methylcellulose gum binder. Wax and clay are added to give the pencil consistency. To make colored pencils water-soluble, manufacturers have replaced the methylcellulose gum binder with a blend of wetting agents that allow the pigmented system to be soluble in water.

I think you'll find the medium closer to colored pencils in its working characteristics than to watercolor. As with standard colored pencils, you can apply water-soluble colored pencils in thin veils of color. The similarities to watercolor are less evident. Regardless of the brand, washes created with water-soluble colored pencils simply won't have the smooth clarity typical of a standard watercolor wash.

There are two reasons for this difference:

First, unlike the pigments used in water-soluble colored pencils, those used in the manufacture of watercolors are ground to an extreme fineness that allows washes to dry in a smooth, nongrainy manner.

And second, water-soluble colored pencils contain wax and clay, which together offset the delicate pigment-to-binder ratio that characteristically occurs in watercolors. Still, you can obtain very appealing washes with water-soluble colored pencils as well as some unusual effects that incorporate the texture of pencil-drawn lines within wash areas.

WORKING METHODS

There are three basic methods you can use for applying water-soluble colored pencils, although they're rarely used exclusively: dry-on-dry with wet blending; dry-on-wet; and wet-on-dry or wet-on-wet. As a painting develops, the differences between these working methods become less distinguishable so you may find that in a single painting you're actually utilizing all of them.

With each method, you can control the look of drawn areas and washes simply by manipulating the amount of pressure applied to the pencil and the amount of water used for blending. The results will range from delicate to very bold. The greater the pressure applied in the presence of water, the stronger the color will be--as more pigment is imparted to the paper. You can also combine scraping, lifting, or other color-removal techniques commonly used in watercolor painting. By varying your technique, you can push a work done in this medium from a colored drawing with subtle wash effects to a full, vibrantly colored painting.

DRY-ON-DRY WITH WET BLENDING

Try drawing with the pencils on dry paper using layering, crosshatching, or other techniques. To achieve wash effects, blend with a wet brush. Areas can be reworked repeatedly with more pencil and blended again. The dry-on-dry method offers the most control and yields the most subtle effects. Delicately drawn areas can be manipulated with careful wet blending. If you like to work slowly and meticulously, you'll be most comfortable with this technique.

DRY-ON-WET

By dampening the paper before applying the colored pencil, you can obtain bolder color than with the other methods as well as a fuzzy, textural quality. A fair amount of control in drawing can still be maintained so long as you work on damp paper. If the paper gets too wet, however, the pencil tip eventually stays wet and then you're basically working wet-on-wet--and you've ceded some of your control. Mop up some of the excess water with a dry brush in order to soften or blend areas and maintain control.

WET-ON-DRY OR WET-ON-WET

Although in some literature you'll see wet-on-dry and wet-on-wet methods mentioned separately, I find the two indistinguishable: Once you wet your pencil tips and start drawing, you can't really keep the paper dry--in the end, you're essentially working wet-on-wet in either case.

A great deal of pigment is imparted when you wet the pencils, so you'll obtain the boldest results by working in this fashion. There will also be some surprises. In fact, I think working wet personifies the true spirit of the water-soluble colored-pencil medium--garnering the best of drawing and painting.

You can begin by dipping your pencil in water and drawing on dry paper, or you can dampen the paper before working. Either way, you'll have the most control if you use the least amount of water. You'll find that a small puddle of water tends to accumulate around the tip of the pencil as you draw, which can then be distributed with a small brush or lifted with a tissue.

Of course, you shouldn't limit yourself to the methods described here. Any technique that delivers appealing results--no matter how unorthodox--can be adopted and used with this new medium.

LIGHTFASTNESS

Lightfastness refers to the ability of a color to resist fading or other color changes under extreme exposure to light. If you're concerned with the durability and permanence of your work, lightfastness should be considered when making color selections.

The American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM), the organization that sets lightfastness standards for manufacturers of artists' materials, is considering adopting a standard for colored pencils. Until such a standard is derived, artists who use water-soluble colored pencils can use lightfastness ratings provided by the manufacturer when they're available (see the chart at the end of the article).

Most manufacturers have their colors tested in independently operated labs that are specially equipped to determine accurate lightfastness. Although you can't test a color with the same degree of accuracy in your studio, here's a simple test you can conduct at home to determine relative lightfastness.

Take a sheet of neutral-pH watercolor paper and cut it into 1"-X-4" strips--one for each color you want to test. Cover the strip with a consistent coating of pencil and blend it with a wet brush. Be sure to leave white around the edges for labeling. Cut each strip in half, leaving two 1"-X-2" pieces. Label each one with the brand, color name, and date.

Place one set of the colors in a drawer to keep it out of the light. Adhere the other set to a backing board and expose it to full sunlight in a south-facing window (west is the next best choice). After a few months, compare the exposed samples with the ones stored in the drawer, preferably under natural daylight. Any perceptible change indicates that the color in question isn't lightfast.

PAPERS

Any paper that will take a wash without pilling or buckling is suitable for water-soluble colored pencils. Some artists might find that lighter-weight papers--under 300-pound--will produce better results when stretched. Since the range of techniques is so great with this medium, whether or not you stretch the paper will also depend on how much water you use in the painting process.

Texture is another factor to consider. Paper with at least some tooth--it can be earmarked for watercolor, drawing, or printmaking--is adaptable to both pencil and wash effects.

Don't overlook color. Heavy pastel papers (Fabriano Ingres Cover, Canson Mi-Tientes, Strathmore Cover) come in a wide range of subtle shades and can withstand light washes without buckling. Bockingford, a watercolor paper from the St. Cuthbert's Mill in England, has recently been introduced in four tinted shades of 140-pound cold-pressed ("Not") paper--cream (pinkish), eggshell (greenish), gray, and oatmeal (yellowish). These sheets were developed in conjunction with Daler-Rowney USA and are now being distributed by the company. They offer great possibilities for obtaining unique color effects with water-soluble colored pencils.

As with any other medium, you'll find the best papers for water-soluble colored pencils through experimentation. Try smooth hot-pressed watercolor papers, rough cold-pressed watercolor papers, vellum bristols, heavy pastel papers, and any of the printmaking papers recommended for etching or lithography. If the longevity of your work is a consideration, select papers made from cotton, linen, or pure sulfite fibers, which are also acid-free.

COMPARING BRANDS

Availability may be the most critical factor in determining which brand or brands of water-soluble colored pencils you try. See what your local art stores, as well as the various mail-order-catalog companies, have to offer. Experimenting with more than one brand will definitely expand your experience with this medium since some brands exhibit slightly different working characteristics and may suit your particular style better than others.

One characteristic that seems consistent, however, is wetting ability. I tried six brands of water-soluble colored pencils and couldn't distinguish any significant differences from one to another in this regard. Each brand wetted readily when brushed with water.

Most retail stores have displays with pencils you can try before purchasing. And if they don't, suggest they set one up. Try every brand you can find. Open the biggest set and look over the range of colors. Don't rule out the possibility of crossing brands to obtain the colors and effects you want. The six brands I've listed below are all professional-quality materials--made with the fine artist in mind.







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