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US Art Supply Watercolor Pencils Review

US Art Supply Watercolor Pencils Review

I love coloring in my adult coloring books while my daughter and son color in their own notebooks and coloring books. While I often use markers and crayons, colored pencils are more useful for coloring smaller designs. My daughter has some well-loved colored pencils that her grandfather bought her from a thrift shop, but I did not have any of my own. Thus, when recently offered the chance to review the 36-count US Art Supply watercolor pencils in exchange for my honest opinion, I eagerly accepted the opportunity to add to my craft supplies. We have so many arts and craft ideas, so I’m thrilled to get these watercolor pencils. It couldn’t have come at a better time. A while back, we were also thinking about getting watercolor paper and were checking out this comparison of watercolor and gouache, but decided we would make that decision at a later date.

Price

The 36-count of watercolor pencils from US Art Supply currently retails for $39.99 with a sale price of $13.96 on Amazon. Other 36-count packs of colored pencils cost roughly the same and have similar sale prices. I therefore rate the price of the watercolor pencils from US Art Supply positively.

US Art Supply Watercolor Pencils 1 US Art Supply Watercolor Pencils 2

US Art Supply Watercolor Pencils 3

Design

Produced with carefully selected high-quality pigments, the watercolor pencils from US Art Supply can create soft, delicate qualities or bold, crisp sharpness. The set comes with 36 pencils, all with color coordinate barrels matching each color. Artists and crafters can use these pencils wet or dry, and the colors can be blended together to produce a wide range of tones and shades. The set of pencils additionally comes with a bonus reusable plastic carrying case.

US Art Supply Watercolor Pencils 4 US Art Supply Watercolor Pencils 5

Performance

Although the US Art Supply watercolor pencils can be used wet or dry, I prefer to use mine dry in my adult coloring books. I had not really gotten into colored pencils because I am not a huge fan of the cheaper ones that my daughter uses, which are made more specifically for children. I usually find myself pushing hard as I color, which I do not like. The watercolor pencils from US Art Supply are the exact opposite. The color comes across brightly even without pushing hard. I can color for a long time without my hand getting tired. If I do push hard, I get an even brighter, bolder color, but using regular pressure yields the results that I want: clear and bright.

Coloring with the US Art Supply Watercolor Pencils 1 Coloring with the US Art Supply Watercolor Pencils 2

Another positive of the US Art Supply watercolor pencils that may have me coloring with pencils more often is the ease-of-sharpening. I hate sharpening colored pencils for my daughter. The wood tends to splinter in my manual pencil sharpener, and the tips like to snap off. I do not have that problem at all with my colored pencils from US Art Supply. The wood shears away smoothly and without ripping or tearing in my little pencil sharpener. The tips become sharp but not brittle. I would buy this set again for myself and my children just so that I do not have to attempt to sharper cheap colored pencils made for kids.

Sharpening the US Art Supply Watercolor Pencils Sharpened US Art Supply Watercolor Pencils

I did try using my US Art Supply watercolor pencils with water, but I do prefer using the colors dry. Adding water rendered a watercolor effect, and I could blend the colors together, but, if I wanted to watercolor, I would probably choose watercolor paint. Plus, I like this set of pencils so much as pencils that I do not want to waste the tips by attempting to “paint” with the watercolor pigment. If you are into wet mediums, I do recommend checking out this set. I honestly had never heard of wet/dry watercolor pencils before.

Picture Colored with US Art Supply Watercolor Pencils 1 Picture Colored with US Art Supply Watercolor Pencils 2

As for the colors in this set of 36 pencils, I am not left wanting. The colors are pretty much the same as I have found in other sets. I even compared the colors with the pencils that my daughter uses, and I could not find a color that she had that I did not. As I am coloring in my adult coloring books, I have found all the colors that I need in my set of 36. The free reusable carrying case is also a nice bonus feature. I am able to keep my watercolor pencils from US Art Supply away from my daughter, who has tried to “borrow” mine a few times already. Once I use up my pencils, I will probably give the case to her to refill.

Using the US Art Supply Watercolor Pencils Wet

Final Verdict

As a fan of adult coloring books, I enjoy trying different coloring mediums. I typically stick to crayons or markers because I am not fond of colored pencils made for children, but the 36-count set of US Art Supply watercolor pencils has swayed my opinion completely. The set comes with 36 pencils, all with color coordinate barrels matching each color. You can use these pencils wet or dry, and the colors can be blended together to produce a wide range of tones and shades. I prefer to use mine dry in my adult coloring books. The color comes across brightly even without pushing hard. The wood shears away smoothly and without ripping or tearing in my little pencil sharpener, so I rate this set extremely high in terms of ease-of-sharpening. If you like colored pencils, I highly recommend the 36-count set of US Art Supply watercolor pencils!

Purchase the US Art Supply watercolor pencils on Amazon via my affiliate link.

Image Credits

US Art Supply Watercolor Pencils Review 2016 Heather Johnson
US Art Supply Watercolor Pencils 1 2016 Heather Johnson
US Art Supply Watercolor Pencils 2 2016 Heather Johnson
US Art Supply Watercolor Pencils 3 2016 Heather Johnson
US Art Supply Watercolor Pencils 4 2016 Heather Johnson
US Art Supply Watercolor Pencils 5 2016 Heather Johnson
Coloring with the US Art Supply Watercolor Pencils 1 2016 Heather Johnson
Coloring with the US Art Supply Watercolor Pencils 2 2016 Heather Johnson
Sharpening the US Art Supply Watercolor Pencils 2016 Heather Johnson
Sharpened US Art Supply Watercolor Pencils 2016 Heather Johnson
Picture Colored with US Art Supply Watercolor Pencils 1 2016 Heather Johnson
Picture Colored with US Art Supply Watercolor Pencils 2 2016 Heather Johnson
Using the US Art Supply Watercolor Pencils Wet 2016 Heather Johnson

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