How to Create Pastel Colours with Watercolour Inks

9 July 2026

Pastel colours bring softness, luminosity and delicacy to an illustration. The good news is that you do not need to have a full range of pastel shades to achieve this effect. With Éclats watercolour inks, just a few drops of water are enough to turn an intense colour into a lighter shade.

Discover this simple technique for lightening your colours and creating beautiful gradients.

For this technique, you will need:

• one or more Éclats watercolour inks;
• a paintbrush;
• watercolour paper;
• a palette, or simply a plate;
• a container of water.

Step 1: Place a Few Drops of Ink on Your Palette

Using the pipette built into the bottle, take a few drops of ink and place them directly onto your palette. This allows you to control the amount used easily, without wasting any product.

Step 2: Create Your First Colour

Using your paintbrush, apply the undiluted ink to your watercolour paper by painting a first circle, or any shape of your choice. This first application represents the most intense version of your colour.

Step 3: Simply Add Water

Without picking up any more ink, dip only your brush into the water. There is no need to swirl it around in the container: the aim is simply to load the brush lightly with water while keeping some of the ink already present in the bristles.

Step 4: Create a Lighter Shade

Paint a second circle next to the first one. You will immediately notice that the colour is lighter. By adding water, the pigments are naturally diluted, allowing you to obtain a softer shade.

Step 5: Repeat the Process

Continue moistening your brush, then apply the colour as many times as you like. With each application, the shade will gradually become lighter until you achieve a beautiful pastel tone.

This method is ideal for creating colour charts, working on shadows and highlights, or producing subtle gradients.

Why Use This Technique?

Watercolour inks are particularly appreciated for their ability to be diluted with water. By varying the amount of water, you can create an infinite range of shades from a single colour.

This technique allows you to:

• easily obtain pastel colours;
• create harmonious gradients;
• add depth to your illustrations;
• vary colour intensity without changing shade.

Feel free to experiment with several Éclats shades to create your own pastel palettes and bring a new dimension to your artwork.