Much like regular colored pencils in that they come in pencil form and feature the same vibrant colors, blending qualities, covering power, and lightfastness, watercolor pencils (or aquarelle pencils, as they are sometimes called) can be used both wet and dry. Used dry, they're great for creating both fine lines and wide swaths of color. Used wet, they allow artists to create a variety of watercolor effects, much like watercolor paints. They can be applied dry and then blended or washed over with a wet brush, dipped into water and applied directly for more intense colors, or combined with other media such as water-soluble graphite pencils to create subtle tones and other effects.
