Watercolor Pencils

Yes, you can do it. But you will have to coat it afterwards, or it will rub off. I don't think it matters what brand you use.

- Therese

 

Ditto twigling. I used watercolor pencil for the eyebrows on Io. I think they look "softer" than acrylics.

p.s. scarlet hands- If you get a Lishe sleeping head on a DD, I'd love to see it! I was wondering how that head mold would look on a DD body...

 

I used watercolor pencils and i love how you just swipe it with a wet QTip and it comes right off XP

Also, if you're afraid of them not being even- use Batchix's awesome 'brow stencils. I did and they saved me a lot of tears and frustration XD

-Annie

 

i bought a cheapo set of them today at joanns and lemme tell you they rock!! XD i started to do bottom lashes as well and it turned out marvelous and like they say if you mess up terrible bad it just comes right off XD they rock!! cant wait to see your pics!

 

I just did a faceup almost totally with Derwent watercolor pencils and chalk pastels. You have to put down a base coat of MSC or Testor's before you begin to make the pastels stick. The pencils seem to stain the MSC very easily, though, so it's best to keep them dry until you're sure you have the lines you want, and then lightly wet the pencil tip to accentuate the lines. Oh, and even a tiny bit of oil on your hands will totally screw up the pastels if it gets on the doll. Keep your hands dry with talc or wear gloves if you plan to do a lot of blushing, I guess...

 

Funnily enough, I was just wondering about this myself last night - I know someone who can snag a set of watercolours for me with far less hassle than I'd go through trying to get them myself, so I figure I'll take advantage of it. XD (Alas, they only have oil pastels where he works - but I can get pastels here, at least.)

Anyway, if you do a search for 'watercolor pencils', you'll pull up quite a few results. ^_^

 

I did my DES' face up completely with water colour pencils, they were great for the eye brows as i could do very wispy lines and with the bottom lashes a bit of pressure with a fine point got great results. and for the lips i used a damp brush to even out the colour (and dry pencil to line them and tidy up the lips

 

I use them too , pencils and pastels ,(especially great for the tiny BJDs )I can sharpen the pencil to an extra fine point

 

Pencils are easier to control, for sure, but I can say from experience that they are much less lasting than acrylics. I would rather bank on acrylics and have a face-up that lasts through months of handling, than rely on pencils that flake/rub off more easily. Mitchell has pencilled eyebrows right now, but they are not holding up well and are only a quick fix until I can get them properly painted.

 

I have decided i like pencils for eyebrows thats really it. Sadly it looks like my black watercolor pencil stains resin I have not had much sucess again and again, I don't know how you guys get such rich results mine just settles into her eye creases and stays there. Maybe it is the brand I am useing.

 

Hello all

Yes I know there are many threads on similar topics, and I read through most of them, but none of them gave a clear answer:

What watercolor-pencils can be used without fear of staining?

Some people said Prismacolors are waxbased and are fine while Faber-Castell, Derwent and others are oilbased and will stain.
Other people say Prisma colors will stain while Faber-Castell and Derwent won't, and again other people claim everything stains or nothing stains or..... you get the point. What's true here now? (I kind of can't imagine watercolor pencils (at least those i use for drawing - faber castell and derwent - ) to have oil in them. oil and water just dont work together, do they? wouldn't the color look all weird on paper? But especially faber-castell has very smooth results on paper)
I'm confused and kind of afraid. Which watercolor-pencils will stain and which won't? (sadly, the packages don't tell the ingredients.) It's obvious that a good MSC coat is needed at first, but apart from that, what colors to use to not have my poor doll be stained?

Please tell your watercolor-pencil experiences, hints, warning and tips here. Thank you

 

I use a cheap brand I picked up at Wal-Mart, "Kimberly."

It's a US manufactured brand, though . . . so I don't know how available it would be outside the states.

 

wax and oil-based colour pencils are not watercolour pencils. The reason being htat oil and wax are not soluble in water, so you could rub a wet brush on a drawing made with such pencils and you would at most end up with a slightly soggy drawing.

You should look for a set that explicitly mentions 'watercolour' on the box. I wouldn't think it matters which brand you choose.

 

well yes, that's what I mentioned above. ^^;;;
It's just that different people said very different things about the same brands of colors, and it'd be nice to know if some indeed are staining or if something went wrong etc.

 

Watercolor pencils should not have any oil or wax in them. As for staining, it will depend on the pigment. Unfortunately the pencils don't say, but tubes of water color pigments will usually have some type of indication as to their staining quality. Winsor & Newton tubes have a little "St."

If a manufacturer says the paint out the tube is a "staining color" then the equivalent watercolor pencil will be a staining color too.

 

Okay, first of all: Many brands will make both regular and watercolour pencils.

Regular Prismacolours are wax based.
Prismacolour _watercolour_pencils_ are not. (I'm assuming... ^^; )

I use a brand called "Gallery" that I got at my local Michaels about 5 years ago. It's a pack of 36 in a brown wood 'briefcase' type carry case, and of those 36 colours I use about 10 for faceups, the rest being too outlandish. I find they go on really solid and smooth, and blend very well.

... That Winsor/Newton pallet is really sexy. *licks* I want some.

 

Just to verify what zoi_no_miko said I have used Prismacolor watercolor pencils before and they are not wax based. And Prismacolor verithins and regulars (owning a set of each of my own) are wax based. Which is myalso choice of color pencils for my own color pencil projects.
Now that I think of it I think it would be easier for us if color pencil companys would just label on the back of their products if its a oil based or waxed based.

 

my derwent watercolours were lovely. I got really nice fine lines on jasper's lips with them.. and they were extremely easy to edit and paint over.

very nice to use. :grin:

 

I use standard prismacolor colored pencils, with about 2-3 good coats of Testors on beforehand. Even that GARISH purple that was on Varekai came off wonderfully, a little Windsor&Newton Brush Cleaner and a Mr. Clean Magic Eraser, and he's just like new...for five minutes before I start anew. lol

 

I use a brand called "Alex" watercolor pencils. I don't think it matters what brand of -watercolor- pencils you use, as they're all basically the same. What does matter is what brand of -colored pencils- you use, because those all use different mediums for the pigment (wax, oil, etc.)

 

We've been using Kimberly and Loew Cornell. We searched like crazy to make sure we got _watercolor_ pencils. These are cheapies, but they seem to do just fine.

 

I use Derwent watercolor pencils, because I've had good results with them, and because my local art supply store sells single pencils, so I can buy the colors I need.

 

Before you say "go look up a search"
..i've TRIED..and its not not working.

In fact i've been reading the entire search list bit by bit ...and now its on hiatus... because of you-know-what.


What do you guys think of the Winsdor and Newton range?
watercolour pencils
watercolor tubettes
acrylics (i' wasn't even aware they came in acrylics!)

Its just..liquitex don't come in sets...and i really like buying sets

That...and ...i've been using Winsdor and Newton for oils since... year 12 (hah last year!) and did my first oil painting which all the teachers seemed to love... I thought the way they blended really helped me out. (But of course..turps...oils... that's not for dolls)


And while we're at it.. "prisma color watercolour pencils..and faber castell water colours...even just the normal pencils..." ..what about those?

And if you use pencils do you just....smudge them..is it really that simple?

 

I know Leechy uses watercolour pencils, but I don't know what brand. However, she doesn't draw on the doll and then smudges, but rather 'paints' the tip of the pencil with a wet brush then uses the brush to paint on the doll.
You could try both methods and see what works better for you?

I can't find my own watercolours right now (most annoyingly) so I can't confirm whether they are Windsor and Newton range. I think they are though, and I like them. Student quality, I think. I bought individual tubes, the primary colours, black, violet and green. I don't really like sets, I like to choose my own range.

 

Oh i was a little ambiguous with that it seems =n.n;; i meant with normal pencils in that case...how would it work...

(I use water color pencils and am familiar with technique..i was just wondering about ..smudging with normal ones.

I love sets because i know what colours i end up using the most and what colours i could probably be thankful i have one day....as they'll always be there..and i KNOW i'll have them for whatever kind of thing i plan for. ..or i'll know i can make that colour..OR i'll know what i have to choose from and start from there..

I don't know..i like the spectrum it makes.

But T.T Its just i've worked with winsdor and newtone oils and i love them to death. I chose colours out of course because they were nice and expensive.. (5 shades of red and brown + silver, black and white ... because i was lazy to mix too much) But before that in ORDER to get those colours i used cheap watercolors and came out with the palette funnily enough..$2.50 of water colours paints...to get $100+ worth of oils... i'm an idiot)

 

Just got 20+ faber castell's for 2 bucks I searched, but sitll don't know if they'll stain or not. Can anyone help?

 

by now I can say that Faber Castell's and Rexell Derwent's watercolor-pencils both work wonderfully, neither of them stains if you put a normal coat on the resin first :3

 

I asked about faber castells a while ago and got no answers...
so tested them myself..
O.o wiped it with water and GONE!


.... it was.... ... .. unbelievably soluble.
I couldn't believe how easy it was... chalk pastels stayed... eyebrows... came clean in one stroke.

crazy stuff!

 

i apologize if this is a dumb question... is it possible to do face-ups with watercolor pencils? i have never been very good at painting, my medium of choice has always been colored pencil. i've been told that body art can be done in watercolor pencil, can faceups be done that way as well? o.o please advise. thank you!

 

yes, you can do face-ups with watercolor pencils ^_^

 

I did a search, hopefully I didn't miss anything too obvious (that's what the person always says right? XD; but I was wondering if anyone had tried using SWISS watercolor pencils for faceups before? I'm sure they'd probably work fine, but just in case anyone wouldn't recommend that brand specifically or would recommend them ^_^ I've had a set for years and love them.

 

I use Prismacolor watercolor pencils, but I've given up on them since I can not get them to sharpen to a fine enough point. Everytime I try to sharpen, the "lead" breaks. Several pencil sharpers and knives later, I always get the same result. Is there a trick or a company that makes a much easier watercolor pencil to sharpen?

(this sounds so lame, but it's so true. *sigh*)

 

I wonder why nobody ever mentioned this brand before, but has anybody tried Caran d'Ache , Swiss made, "supracolour" pencils? Apprently they are also watercolour pencils, but then it seems that nobody in these forums ever used them?

 

If no one has any feedback about the Swiss watercolrs, you could try them yourself. If you seal the inside of your headcap, you can test products there. Any staining won't show and you'll have your answer.

 

So if I use water colored pencils, without any kind of sealer, would it stain? Does anyone know from experience? Then how would I get it off?

 

i don't know from experience, but it probably would come off easily and wouldn't last long, that is, if you used soft colors. the darker the color the easier it would stain.

 

I've tried Derwent and some really old Faber-Castell watercolor pencils - both stain in black, wet or dry (I think it's just the MSC that they're staining, but you'll need either a Mr. Clean sponge or some very fine sandpaper to clean up if you make a mistake.) I also tried sort of a burnt sienna from Derwent and it stains slightly when used wet. I just brush the tip of the pencil across a wet paper towel to dampen it. I think maybe the Faber-Castells held their sharpness slightly longer, but not much longer. I've also used regular color pencils with no ill effects (haha they all look the same when you reach for them) - basically any strong color pigment (like black or red) will stain, whether it's watercolor, acrylic, or normal pencil, but lighter colors wipe off pretty easily. Watercolor pencils do give a very nice, natural effect on eyebrows though.

 

Hi, just about now, a friend of mine told me that face-ups can be done with water color pencils too instead of acryliks!!!I really didn't know that and maybe they will suit me better for doing the eyebrows and lashes!!!

Can you please tell me how do you use them on the head? Do you use them like a normal pencil or do you use water as well?

Can you show me any pics of face-ups that you used water color pencils to do them?

I would really apreciate it if you gave me some advise about it , I need to learn a lot!!!

Thank you!

 

Well, I have to say that one thing that really helps me, is that I sharpen my pencils to a very sharp point, then I do little fine lines for my eyebrows with them,( if I make a mistake, I just use a white eraser and dab to get rid of the mistakes).This gives me a great guideline to then add acrylic over the top...


So although I don't just use watercolour pencils, they do start me off, and are great as guidelines....
Hope this helps..( I'm not a pro by any means, as these are my first face ups,but these are things that helped me get the confidence to 'have a go' LOL!)

 

I think both of your attempts are really really good , how can you do the eye brows look so real and hairy, I never made it like that, my DD's eyebrows are much thinner but I have seen other people's DDs with thin eye brows like my DD's to have these lines within them...It's so difficult...

I tried using water color pencils to paint my DD's face earlier today, and they helped me a lot indeed allthough it doesn't look that professional and well made, I guess I have a lot to learn still!

 

Hmmnn, well my boy is going to be Harry Potter at some point and Dan Radcliffe has very hairy brows LOL...BUT as I say the sharper pointed you can get your pencils the easier it is I think, then use a really fine brush to paint acrylic strokes ontop of the pencil lines, so it adds depth and hairs...

 

Hi

I sometime use watercolour pencils.. depends on look im doing.... I never use water with them... if useing for eyeliner I MSC couple of times.. then run it round eyesocket.. blowing away any excess as I go... when have look msc again.... I also have used them for eyelashes.. i sharpen then run on paper on 2 sides so have a sharp line edge... then gently use to make bottom lashes... I usually use 2 colours to give depth nd make them different lengths.. same as eyebrows.. make a very light line so know the shape... use a tiny bit of blush matcing colour (pastel) for shade then draw the individual eyebrow hairs on...

I also sometimes use for lip definition.. use pastels to make up the lip coliur then MSC then when dry I use a white watercolour pencil and draw thin lines and then use matching lip colour to pastel and draw few lines on then gloss...





these 3 had alot of water colour pencils used on them..

hope thats helps... any other info pls ask...

 

I use colored pencils (regular and watercolor) for eyebrows on my faceups. If you check my sig, I have a link to my sales thread.

I use a light color to block out where I want the eyebrows to go, and then layer on the eybrow color, erasing it a bit and using pastels to soften them.

I don't think that they would be good for eyelashes, as you can't get a whispy look with them.

 

Oh I forgot, can I ask you one more thing whitebread,how can you make those shadows in that spot, I mean that line up the eye doesn't look that nice when I draw it in my DD's face, how can I mak it look so deep and pale, this smoky eyes look? I never made it like that....All yor face-ups are amazing...

 

Patience, pastels, and lots of layering with MSC.

Thank you

 

So. I think everyone here agrees that ABJDs look much better with a faceup so---

I have these wonderful watercolour crayons, which I love to bits and pieces (literally) because I can't hold a brush for my life. DESPITE the fact that I'll be old, gray, and shriveled before I manage to save up/convince my parents to let me get a BJD, would those work on the resin? I've lurked here for several days and am terrified at the thought of ruining a doll. SO. Are they okay? Are they totally "OMG!@&*! DON'T USE IT!!11"?

They don't have oil as far as I'm aware, (oil + water...?). I don't know for sure .

 

I am an art teacher and fairly familiar with artists mediums. Can you elaborate on the make of your "watercolor crayons"?
If indeed they are waterbased, similar to watercolor pencils, can you manage to get a form a point on an end for detail work? If the ends are blunt and big it will be difficult to do the linear work on the eyes and brows.

When you use the crayons on paper, will the color marks completely dissolve when water is brushed on?

 

Oh good, I was thinking that I would have to do a little test on the underside of their feet and hope that it would work.

This is what it says on the box; Artists' Colours (NeoColor 2 - Aquarelle) Caran D'Ache.

The crayons can easily make tiny lines, even when they're blunt. On watercolour paper they turn out an even color easily, no lines. Regular fax paper is a different story, it takes a bit of effort to spread out the color cleanly. And only if there's a good amount of crayon on the paper, a thin line of color will spread just a little and the mark is obvious.

Bah. =D

 

Here is a link to your watercolor crayons. http://www.dickblick.com/zz200/42/

It states that these crayons are water soluble, so you know now they are not oil based. I say give them a try. (You are familiar with spraying a coating of MSC or Testor's on first right?).

Is your set large with a big variety of colors?

Let us know how it works out!

 

Okay, for my next doll (currently in planning) I would be interested in doing him a non-permanent tattoo, and I've heard that watercolour pencils are quite good for this. I know someone who used these to give her doll a tatto, and it came out great. However, I'm a total n00b when it comes to stuff like this, so I have two questions:

1. Would the watercolour pencils be safe to use on an uncoated doll, or one that came as it was straight from the store?

2. Would the tatto be easy to remove, and if so, how?

Many thanks! Haha, I'm just not good at this kind of thing, and I'd hate to do something that would stain the resin or such.

 

well, you always want to coat your doll before putting anything on it. Watercolor pencils are a great way to do tats, Artemis and Athena have one. i removed one from hunter recently, and he was coated with msc, and i just removed it with some non-acetone nail polish remover and a Mr. magic clean sponge with no staining at all. you can also use rubbing alcohol to remove it.

 

I use water colour pencils for the eyebrows on my dolls. Definitely coat your doll first. Anything can possibly stain your doll, since the resin is porous, if you don't coat it first. As for removing it, I've used a cotton swab dipped in alcohol to remove eyebrows, even those coated with Testor's.

 

i've seen this faber castell watercolor at leeke world:

they are the same?:
http://www.amazon.com/Faber%2dCaste.../002-4519278-1079214?ie=UTF8&s=toys-and-games

have someone tested the pastel from faber castell? have someone pics from body blush with them?

 

I have used Faber Castell Chalk Pastels for blushing. I can't really say they are better than any others.. because I mix them....? They have wonderful vibrant colors and are smooth compared to the cheaper brands.

 

They are the same. The ones from Amazon are newly designed to have a better grip so you dont lose hold when colouring.
I have a set of 36 in a cardboard box, double layered so it's smaller in size.. I used them directly on my Lucien's face for his eyebrows and eye lashes.
They have a pretty good colour and you dont need to press hard to use them.

 

Faber castell is awesome!
My sister Helene used that for her faceup commision. Both the watercolour pencil and the pastel one ^^ Oh but on side note, choose the higher quality ones not the red ones (that's for children ^^) Faber castell has strong pigments.

 

this one? http://www.amazon.de/Faber-Castel-1...ef=sr_1_26/302-2737368-4233644?ie=UTF8&s=toys

 

My grandparents gave me a massively massive set of watercolor pencils for Christmas a few years ago. They're marked as being "Gallery" brand with a logo on the case of an easel with a "G" on the canvas.

They seem chalky--not waxy--in a couple of ad hoc tests, and i'm fairly sure that they are watercolor pencils and not ordinary colored pencils--there are brushes and a water bottle included in this set.

So, has anyone heard of "Gallery" brand watercolor pencils?
More importantly, is it safe to use for faceups?

Also, just as an aside, are ordinary Faber-Castell, Crayola, and their ilk brand watercolor pencils safe for faceups?--just checking.

Thanks for your help!