Faber-Castell Watercolor Pencils Review (2020)

Faber-Castell is a world-known German brand that produces art materials. Founded in 1761, the company has a huge experience in manufacturing high-grade drawing and coloring tools. In the first place, it is famous to any art professional and hobbyist for premium-quality colored pencils.

This Faber-Castell watercolor pencils review describes other coloring media of this brand. Read on if you adore watercolor painting and want to learn how to achieve stunning watercolor effects using pencils.

Best Faber-Castell Watercolor Pencils

Review	Name	Price
	Faber-Castell® Albrecht Dürer® Artists' Watercolor Pencils, Tin of 120	Check Here
	Faber-Castell® Albrecht Dürer® Magnus Watercolor Pencils, Set of 72	Check Here
	Faber-Castell® Albrecht Dürer® Artists' Watercolor Pencils, Tin of 60	Check Here
	Faber-Castell® Albrecht Dürer® Artists' Watercolor Pencils, Wood Case of 48	Check Here
	Faber-Castell® Goldfaber Aqua Watercolor Pencils, Tin of 48	Check Here
	Faber-Castell® Albrecht Dürer® Artists' Watercolor Pencils - Gift Box of 36	Check Here
	Faber-Castell® Albrecht Dürer® Artists' Watercolor Pencils, Tin of 36	Check Here
	Faber-Castell® 24 Grip Watercolor Eco Pencils	Check Here
	Faber-Castell® Albrecht Dürer® Magnus Watercolor Pencils Gift Set of 12	Check Here
	Faber-Castell® Goldfaber Aqua Watercolor Pencils, Tin of 12	Check Here
	Faber-Castell® Goldfaber Aqua Gift Pencil Set of 12	Check Here
	Faber-Castell® Art Grip® Aquarelle, Pencil Set of 9	Check Here

The Faber-Castell water-soluble pencils are internationally valued by all artists and art enthusiasts for their exceptional properties. This list features the most popular sets of pencils that have high selling ratings and multiple positive reviews. Even an experienced artist cannot resist the beauty of the collections and colors offered below.

Features of Faber-Castell Watercolor Pencils

The Faber-Castell watercolor pencils come in 3 primary lines that slightly differ from each other. The most famous one is the Albrecht Dürer series.

The media from the Albrecht Dürer Artists’ collection are made of high-quality materials and considered as premium-class coloring instruments. They contain a highly pigmented core, which is 3.8 mm wide. The lead is break-resistant, and its pigments fully dissolve in water.

When colored dry, the media provide fine lines and show great point retention. The application is very smooth. After adding water, the coloring transforms and reveals fantastic watercolor effects. When the color becomes permanent, it guarantees awesome lightfastness.

The pencils have a hexagonal shape, and the color of a wooden barrel matches the lead color. They can be used for wet painting, dry drawing, and shading.

The tools from the Albrecht Dürer Magnus line include a thicker lead – 5.3 mm. They are very soft and mainly used for large-scale drawings when artists need to cover large areas.

Its core is oil-based and wrapped in a hexagonal wooden exterior that feels comfortable in hand. Even during extended writing sessions, the pencils ensure fatigue-free performance.

They feature the superior color intensity, and a small amount of pigment is required to cover a large surface. More complex color variations can be achieved by layering various colors.

The drawing tools are extremely lightfast and can stand the test of time. Like in the previous collection, the barrel color in the Magnus pencils is similar to its core color. These media are also developed for professional artists.

The Goldfaber Aqua water-soluble pencils are a new product line designed for hobby artists and students. They contain a 3.3 mm lead that easily adapts to the drawing techniques of artists and their ability levels.

These pencils include an excellent pigment that offers a soft color laydown and good lightfastness. Due to a special manufacturing technology, its lead is break-resistant: the entire length of the lead is glued to the wooden barrel. This makes sharpening easier so that a pencil can last longer.

The tools have a hexagonal shape and a gray barrel. Its color-dipped ends help to identify the shades easily.

The Grip Watercolor Eco and the Art Grip Aquarelle pencils feature a dotted grip zone that ensures comfortable and tireless writing. This is a patented technology of Faber-Castell. The instruments have a triangular shape for more control over the tool during writing.

This series is also famous for its pigmented leads and assorted colors. When colored dry, the pencils produce no powdery residue. They completely dissolve in water and ensure smooth blending. These instruments are acid-free, non-toxic, and made from reforested wood. They are even recommended for kids over 5 years old.

Color Chart

The brand offers various sets that include 12, 24, 36, 48, 60, and 72 items. The largest available collection contains 120 pencils. The colors are vivid and come in a plethora of deep and intense shades.

Most sets have color charts on the backside of the box for quick color identification. Due to their impressive blending capacities, you can easily get the shade you need even if you don’t have it in the set. You can mix colors and establish new hue combinations. If you add water, you will be able to explore endless combinations with 120 pencils at hand.

Design of Packaging

The smaller sets are typically packaged in boxes made of thick cardboard.

Larger collections come in nice metal tins. They include plastic trays that are slotted and accommodate each pencil individually. This type of packaging protects the instruments and allows users to see all hues at a time.

If you want something extravagant, or you are buying a gift, consider larger sets that are packaged in wooden boxes. They look stylish and luxurious. These cases are very functional and make the pencils easily accessible, especially when working at big art projects. These boxes serve as good storage and help keep everything in order.

If you use particular colors more often and run out of them, the manufacturer offers the option of purchasing individual pencils without investing in the whole set.

Some gift collections come with useful bonus accessories. You may get a free sharpener, a paintbrush, an eraser, a water cup, or a graphite pencil.

The company releases breathtaking graphic collections that contain various art products including watercolor pencils.

Quality of Drawing and Durability

The coloring tools can be used in both dry and wet formats. Their application is soft and textured. The pigment becomes buttery after you activate it with water.

Since the pencils contain an oil-based lead, they can withstand repeated use. You can easily sharpen them with a regular sharpener and get a fine tip for detailed drawings or a slight angle for large strokes.

Thanks to their hexagonal and triangular exteriors, the instruments are comfortable to hold and don’t roll off from a flat surface.

The outstanding lightfast rating is a hallmark of this brand. This is a very important feature, especially if you are painting for a commission. The lightfast index is marked by “a star” on each barrel. It shows if a painting retains its colors when exposed to light. In Faber-Castell, it ranges from 1 to 3 stars. The higher the index, the better the lightfastness. Most Faber-Castell water-soluble media have high ratings, and these colors don’t fade with time.

Pros and Cons

These are professional-grade pencils, but they can also be used by hobbyists and novices. With thousands of positive reviews from customers, let’s see if these pencils have any downsides along with numerous advantages.

There can be more reasons why artists love these pencils, and these are their basic upsides.

Best Place to Buy Faber-Castell Watercolor Pencils

The official Faber-Castell website is the best place to purchase these pencils. As a rule, the manufacturer has all sets in stock available for sale. Aside from this vendor, the collections are offered by numerous online stores that sell art supplies like Hobby Lobby, Michaels, and Dick Blick. Try such online retailers like eBay and Amazon.

Sum Up

The verdict is clear: these pencils are a must-have for all artists who value quality and lightfast coloring media. They offer awesome drawing performance, have an amazing color palette, and come in attractive cases so that the most demanding expert can hardly find fault with them. A higher price tag is a justified cost for the supreme quality. You will never go wrong with Faber-Castell!

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