Using Watercolor Pencils On Ceramics

Once the pottery piece is fired in a kiln it will look like it was painted using watercolor paints.

Using watercolor pencils on ceramics.

The image above shows arteza s water brush pens. Ceramic stains and underglazes mixed with water painted on unfired white glazed bisque is pretty similar to watercolor painting on paper. The colors blend seamlessly providing more dimension in pieces. On the test tile above you can see the difference one coat of clear glaze makes to the watercolor surface.

Guidelines also can be painted on with vermilion watercolor paint which also burns away. I love water brushes as they are perfect to have for when you are on the go and inspiration strikes you. The main difference is that the glazed bisque surface absorbs the color and water mixture more quickly. 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.

Apply pencil lightly over very large areas and use the wet paint brush to fill it in. This results in darker colors. Typically water is applied with a brush but sponges and other tools can be used as well. 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.

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. Apply water to an area then color in with a pencil. Use smooth strokes as you use the brush to spread the pigment from the watercolor pencils. Okay this isn t really a technique but one really nice benefit of watercolor pencils is that you can use them as on the go paints.

Pencil sets are compact and easy to carry. Much more so than paint sets. This process is called activation. When using watercolor pencils you will need for sure some brushes.

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. As you apply the water mimic the shape and direction of the pencil strokes. Once the material has been activated it behaves like watercolor. 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.

Use watercolor pencils as portable paints. Using this type of underglaze can achieve painterly effects. Watercolor pencils are designed to be used with water which can be applied with a soft brush after making marks with the pencil. Apply pencil to the outside edges of a shape then fill in with a wet paint brush.