STAEDTLER Watercolour Pencils Set of 12

A set of twelve watercolour pencils from STAEDTLER's Karat Aquarell range, made in Germany for artists who want one tool that works as both a dry colouring pencil and a wet watercolour medium. Each pencil carries a soft, highly pigmented 3 mm lead that lays down rich, even colour straight onto the page. Go over it with a wet brush and the pigment lifts and blends into smooth washes, letting you sketch a line drawing and turn it into a painting without changing tools.

The lead is break-resistant, so the colour core holds up to pressure and everyday handling rather than snapping inside the barrel, which matters if the pencils travel in a bag or get used often. The twelve shades are light-fast, meaning finished work keeps its colour over time instead of fading when exposed to light. The barrel itself is the classic STAEDTLER hexagonal shape, which sits comfortably in the hand during longer sessions and won't roll off a sloped desk or sketchbook.

The set comes packaged in a metal tin, a practical way to keep all twelve pencils together, protected, and easy to find in a kit or on a shelf. The wood is sourced from certified, sustainably managed forests, and the pencils meet ASTM D4326 safety standards, making them suitable for both professional illustrators and students or younger artists just starting out with watercolour.

Good to know:

• 12 pencils, assorted colours
• 3 mm soft, break-resistant lead
• Water-soluble: blend wet-on-dry or wet-on-wet for washes, or use dry like a standard colouring pencil
• Hexagonal barrel for a secure, comfortable grip
• Light-fast pigments resist fading
• Wood from certified, sustainably managed forests
• Supplied in a metal storage tin
• Suitable for artists, students, and anyone working on paper-based watercolour projects

How to use them 

• Sketch or shade directly onto watercolour paper as you would with any coloured pencil, then go over the marks with a damp brush to activate the pigment and blend it into a wash.
• Layering dry colour first and wetting it afterwards gives more control over where the paint settles, while wetting the pencil tip itself before drawing produces a bolder, more saturated line.
• They also work well combined with ink, graphite, or other dry media for mixed-media pieces.