ChiPigments Underglaze Pencils - 12-Pack (Full Color Set) Ceramic Decorating Tools for Pottery, Bisqueware, Kiln-Fired Review (2026)

Who these pencils are for

This set is aimed at potters who want the control of drawing rather than painting when decorating pottery, since a pencil tip allows outlining, cross-hatching, text and fine shading that is harder to achieve with a loaded brush. It suits illustrators moving into ceramics, potters adding linework over painted underglaze fields, and anyone decorating bisqueware where a mistake with a pencil is easier to correct than a brushed line. It works on pottery, hand-built ceramics, leather-hard greenware, and even tack-fused glass, which broadens its use beyond a single stage of the process. Potters who mainly want to fill large color fields quickly will still want liquid underglaze and a brush, since pencils are inherently a detail tool rather than a bulk coverage one.

What is included in the set

The 12-pack includes pencils in red, yellow, light green, light blue, orange, brown, dark green, gray, dark blue, black, with pink and purple included as part of the full color set. Also included are a sanding pad, a pointer file and a sharpener, which matters because underglaze pencil cores are softer and more brittle than a typical graphite pencil and need frequent, careful sharpening to keep a usable point. ChiPigments markets the line as lead-free and non-toxic, positioning the product as the original trusted underglaze pencil rather than a generic import, which is a claim potters can weigh against the price compared with cheaper alternatives on the market.

Drawing, blending and firing

Draw directly onto bisqueware or leather-hard clay the way you would sketch on paper, applying more pressure for darker, saturated lines and lighter pressure for subtle shading. Colors can be softened and blended using a damp brush, sponge or blending stump, which smooths harsh pencil lines into gradients similar to watercolor pencil technique. Because the pigment is not yet vitrified, colors typically look flat or muted on unfired bisque and only reach their true brightness after firing, so do not judge the final look until a test piece comes out of the kiln. Applying a clear glaze over the fired pencil work is common practice to protect the linework and add depth or shine.

How it compares with other underglaze pencils

Against the Dunzoom 12-color set, which bundles a pencil case, eraser and sharpener into the box, ChiPigments includes similar accessories with a sanding pad and pointer file instead of an eraser, reflecting that underglaze pencil marks are not truly erasable the way graphite is. A single black pencil like the Amaco 11420F suits potters who only need outlining in one color, while a smaller ChiPigments Shadows 5-pack focuses on dark tones for shading rather than a full spectrum. For potters who want one full-range set to handle both bright color work and shading in a single purchase, this 12-pack covers the most ground.

Bottom line

This set delivers genuine drawing control for ceramic surface decoration, letting potters add fine linework, text and shading that liquid underglaze and a brush cannot easily replicate. The included sharpener and sanding pad are a practical touch given how quickly these softer pencil cores dull. The main adjustment for new users is patience: colors look underwhelming pre-fire and only show their real vibrancy after a kiln firing, ideally under a clear glaze. For detail-focused decorating, it is a strong, versatile pick that earns a place next to a regular brush and liquid underglaze.

Frequently asked questions