Staedtler Premium Watercolor Pencils Review: Where Quality Matters

Staedtler is a well-established German brand that specializes in producing writing, artistic and engineering instruments and stationery. Their main mission is to inspire people to discover their creativity within, and to unleash it.

Their Karat Aquarell Premium Watercolor pencil line is wax-based, water-soluble and most importantly a high-end product. With their leadership in coloring pencils, this line is guaranteed to satisfy your professional artistic needs.

These pencils are made to last, from their creative design and packaging to the sturdiness and durability of the pencil itself. 

The artist-grade pencil provides users with smooth blending and better strokes, intense color pigment, and a plethora of colors to choose from. Let’s have a look at depth on these pencils.

Sale
Staedtler Karat Aquarell Premium Watercolor Pencils
  • Premium quality Karat Aquarell watercolor pencils for a wide range of creative effects
  • 24 brilliant light-fast colors
  • Excellent blending quality

Review of Staedtler Karat Aquarell Premium Watercolor Pencils

What we like

The Staedtler Aquarell Premium pencils come in a wider range of sets, from the affordable 12 pieces, 24 pieces set to the full set of 48 pieces, this means the artists have more options on choosing the set that suit their needs and budget. 

Environmentally Friendly

​These pencils are high-quality wooden pencils, that are FSC certified​. Why does FSC certified matter? ​FSC certified means, Staedtler sourced the material for the pencils from sustainably managed forests. are environmentally friendly,​

High Quality

The sleek design with the hexagonal shape makes it easy and comfortable to hold. The watercolor pencils are professionally made in Germany, with break-resistant lead.

The best thing about these pencils is that they are suitable for all skill levels. Meaning that you can casually buy them to experiment or if you’re a professional who is searching for a more compact set of watercolor pencils.

Color Vibrancy

When it comes to the vividness of the colors, Staedtler never fails to impress. These pencils can easily be mixed with water and the pop of color doesn’t fade. Since they are heavily pigmented, you can cover a large area while still ensuring color depth.

The softness of the wax cuts down on blending time and saves you great effort, even when you’re using them dry. This brings another point, these pencils are suited for both dry and wet techniques so they are quite versatile. But given that they are watercolor pencils, mixing them with water would be the best.

Durability

These pencils are made to last a very long time, even with consistent use and above average pressure. They show off easily and don’t require much force, due to the fact that the colors are vibrant. This also contributes to the longevity of the pencil. You know they’re high quality when they glide on the paper and are easily sharpened. The break-resistant lead offers users a hassle-free experience while sharpening, which cuts down on time. The standard diameter of the pencil makes it fit almost any sharpener.

Color

As previously mentioned, Staedtler’s products are known for color pay-off. The bright colors really stand out, because they don’t lose their vibrancy with water. The soft lead allows for buttery strokes and seamless blending while using them both wet and dry.

One of the major advantages of the pencils is that they can be used to sketch on canvas for acrylics. When wet, the acrylic paint blends perfectly with the watercolor pencils. It can also be used with shading as the wide variety of colors help with that.

Application Quality

The pencils are specifically designed with a softer core than other watercolor pencils to maximize their usability when dry. The formula can be easily blended, and perfectly works with layering colors even with other pencil brands. The soft lead comes in handy when you want to spread the color while maintaining its richness. It has been proven that they successfully hold the color without streaking.

Value for Price

The pencils are premium quality, therefore their pricing leans more towards the above average side. You have to keep in mind that you should be investing in a reputable brand when making your purchase decision because it’s safer and more reliable.

Although the price may be too much for some, it is quite affordable for others, especially compared to other brands. In the end, you always have to get what you pay for, that is why you can always buy the set of 12 pencils instead of the 60.

What we don’t like

​Some of watercolor pencil set comes with some brushes, this one does not. Not a big deal but it would be nice addition given the price. ​

We are really nitpicking here, but would really love to have the color names printed on the pencils. It does come with a color chart which some

All in all, there is not much to dislike about these pencils.

Sale
Staedtler Karat Aquarell Premium Watercolor Pencils
  • Premium quality Karat Aquarell watercolor pencils for a wide range of creative effects
  • 24 brilliant light-fast colors
  • Excellent blending quality

Video Review

​In conclusion

​We believe that the Staedtler watercolor pencils deliver their intended value and more at a somewhat affordable price. They are considered one of the best sets that you can find in the market today. I also believe that they are excellent if you’re a beginner or a person who likes to experiment. They’re also excellent if you’re an artist who is starting out with watercolor pencils, or if you’re experienced, but want more color variation.

If you need a product that will satisfy your need for color blending, vividness, and variation with a sturdy, comfortable shape, then this is for you. It is perfect for studio use, and will broaden your creativity. All in all, the pencils are produced by a reputable brand, they are high-quality, and have little drawbacks.

About the Author

Frank is a student in art and writing. He enjoys pencil sketching, particularly face and pattern sketching. He also loves Japanese anime and manga, he probably spends too much time on both.