10 Best Watercolor Pencils 2025 in the United States

The Arteza Watercolor Colored Pencils set offers a wide range of 120 vibrant shades, making it an excellent choice for artists who want plenty of color options for blending, layering, and watercolor techniques. The pencils have soft cores with strong pigmentation, which means colors come out bright and rich. These cores are also lightfast, so your artwork should resist fading over time. The pencil hardness is classified as F (firm), which balances smooth coloring with good control. Users appreciate that the pencils glide easily but still allow precise details.

The Faber Castell Albrecht Durer 120 Watercolor Pencil Set is a strong choice for adults looking for professional-quality watercolor pencils. These pencils stand out due to their highly pigmented leads that dissolve completely when water is applied, allowing smooth and vibrant color blending. The 3.3mm leads are SV-bonded, which means they are less likely to break, making them durable and reliable. With 120 colors available, the set offers an extensive range that suits detailed and colorful artwork. The pencil hardness is rated as 'F' (firm), providing a good balance between softness for color laying and firmness for precision. Faber-Castell is a well-known and respected brand in art supplies, adding confidence to the product's quality.

Winsor & Newton Studio Collection Watercolour Pencils come in a large set of 48 vibrant colors, making them great for artists who want a wide palette to explore. These pencils use a wax-based core, which helps in smooth color application and coverage whether you use them dry or add water to create watercolor effects. Their solubility is a strong point, allowing easy blending and transformations when water is applied. The cores are designed to resist breakage, so they can handle pressure and occasional drops better than many other pencils.