Caran d'Ache Museum Aquarelle pencils sit at the very top of the watercolour pencil world. Made in Switzerland to the exacting standards that Caran d'Ache has maintained since 1924, these are the pencils that professional watercolourists, botanical artists, and illustrators reach for when quality is non-negotiable. We stock them individually, so you can buy precisely the colours you need rather than settling for whatever comes in a set.
The colour pigmentation in Museum Aquarelle pencils is exceptionally high, producing intense, saturated colour both dry and when worked with water. The lead is soft enough to layer and blend easily on paper, but holds a point well enough for fine detail work — a balance that is genuinely difficult to achieve at this quality level. When a wet brush is applied, the pigment dissolves smoothly and evenly, behaving much like professional watercolour paint and allowing full control over washes, gradients, and wet-on-wet effects. The colour that lifts from the pencil is the same colour that appears on paper — there is no dull or chalky residue.
All colours in the Museum Aquarelle range are rated for lightfastness, making finished work genuinely archival in quality. The range includes both modern synthetic pigments and traditional artist-grade pigments, with a number of colours named for their actual pigment composition — Phthalocyanine Blue, Manganese Violet, Chromium Oxide Green, Genuine Cobalt Blue — giving experienced artists full transparency over what they are working with.
We stock an extensive selection of individual colours spanning the full spectrum, from warm yellows, oranges, and earthy ochres through the full range of reds, pinks, and violets, across the blues from Ice Blue and Periwinkle through to Dark Ultramarine and Prussian Blue, into the greens from Light Malachite through to Dark Phthalocyanine Green, and through the complete range of browns, greys, and neutrals to Ivory Black and Black. A full colour swatch is shown in the product images to help you choose.
What makes Museum Aquarelle different from other watercolour pencils? The pigment load, lightfastness, and dissolution quality place them firmly in the professional category. When wet, the colour behaves like high-quality watercolour paint rather than simply softening on the surface. They are significantly more pigmented and lightfast than student-grade watercolour pencils and compare directly with other professional ranges such as Faber-Castell Albrecht Dürer and Derwent Lightfast.
Can they be used dry as well as wet? Yes. Museum Aquarelle pencils work beautifully as dry coloured pencils for detailed drawing and layering, and can be worked wet selectively — allowing you to combine dry pencil detail with watercolour-style washes in the same piece.
Are they sold individually or in sets? We sell them individually, so you can choose exactly the colours you need, replace colours that run out, or build a custom palette suited to your subject matter without buying colours you will never use.
What paper works best with Museum Aquarelle pencils? For wet techniques, a watercolour paper of at least 300gsm is recommended — cold-pressed (NOT) gives a good balance of texture and smoothness. For dry work only, cartridge paper or illustration board is perfectly suitable.
Are the colours lightfast? Yes. Museum Aquarelle pencils are produced to professional archival standards, with lightfastness ratings across the range. They are suitable for finished artwork intended to last.
How many colours do you stock? We stock an extensive range of individual colours — use the colour selector on this page to browse the full selection available.
