MECHANICAL WATERCOLOR PENCILS

Designed and manufactured by an independent pencil factory in Tokyo, these mechanical watercolor pencils combine bright, water-soluble color with the convenience of a lead holder. Urban sketchers and travel painters will particularly appreciate this portable kit, which contains 13 cedar lead holders, a refillable water brush, a sharpener, and a full set of replacement leads — all inside a sturdy plastic case with room to spare for small items.

The pencils are made from the same lovely incense cedar that's used in other Kitaboshi products, with a natural grain that makes each one a little different. The tip is a metal clutch; turn it one way to tighten its grip on the lead and the other way to loosen. Each pencil has a metal slider to help you adjust the position of the 3.3 mm watercolor leads.

The watercolor sticks that come with this set (13 colors, one in the body of a pencil and one in the refill pack) are firm enough to sharpen to a point, but soft enough to lay down a large amount of color in quick strokes. Try it on wet watercolor paper for loose, free-flowing strokes, or draw with the dry sticks and then blend with a wet brush.

Made in Japan.

ABOUT KITABOSHI PENCIL:

Manufacturing pencils in Tokyo since 1951, Kitaboshi is a fifth-generation company that celebrates the "charm and potential" of traditional wood-cased pencils.

Kitaboshi traces its roots to an early 20th century lumber processing company, which was the first supplier of domestically manufactured pencil slats. The family turned to manufacturing finished pencils during the midcentury boom in Japanese pencil production, and Kitaboshi Pencil has been making high-quality pencils ever since.