Everything you Need to Know About Ceramic Pencils (2025)

I love the process of making pottery—I love the comforting rhythm of syncing up with the wheel and the satisfying nature of trimming up a pot to perfection. I even find beauty in the waiting process. Letting my pieces dry teaches me patience, and waiting for pots to come out of the kiln feels like waiting to open your presents on Christmas morning. What I don’t love, however, is the glazing process. 

When the time comes around to glaze yet another piece, I find myself dreading studio time. I have a litany of things I don’t enjoy, from waxing the bottoms to sponging off excess glaze. I often hurry through the ritual just for the sake of being done, and I’m never really thrilled with the outcome. So, I’ve been wanting to become more intentional with glazing—I want to do a better job of taking the time to do an underglaze design or a unique glaze application. I don’t fancy myself a painter, however, so the learning curve feels daunting to say the least. 

That is, until I found ceramic pencils. Queue up the choir of ceramics angels singing! With the precision and control that an underglaze pencil permits me, I can doodle on pots and leave poorly painted designs in the past. But what are ceramic pencils? How do you use them? Where do you find ceramic pencils? We’re answering all these questions and more so you can doodle the day away. 

What are ceramic pencils?

Ceramic pencils, or underglaze pencils, are special tools that draw on bisque ware. Once fired with a glaze overtop, they leave behind cute, doodle-like designs. 

They come in your classic Crayola colors, thought we recommend sticking to darker colors to ensure they show up post-fire. The end result looks much like graphite would on a textured surface—your lines will wobble ever so slightly, and have that charming sketchbook-like quality. 

If you’re looking for something textured, whimsical, or an instrument for shading, ceramic pencils are right up your alley. If you’re looking for solid precise lines, we recommend you look at tools like designer liner. 

How do you use ceramic pencils?

We’ll answer your question with a question: how would you typically use colored pencils? Ceramic pencils are honestly identical to your traditional pencils—use them to sketch, shade, add color—whatever your imagination desires! 

To wield the full potential of your pencils, make sure they’re sharped, and you can slightly wet them for more opaque and saturated color. 

Where can I find ceramic pencils?

If I’m loyal to any ceramics brand, it’s Amaco. From their underglazes to their texture rollers, it’s a tried and true pottery brand. So, I’m very partial to their ceramic pencils. You can pick up a black pencil here from Blick! 

For other colors of the rainbow, we recommend you check out Bailey Ceramic Supplies.  They even have underglaze crayons you can try out for size! 

Extra Tips for Ceramic Pencils 

Beware Light Colored Pencils 

When you have a vision, it can be so disappointing when it doesn’t come to fruition. If you’re imagining a doodled mug with reds, orange, and yellows, we hate to break it to you, but it’s probably not showing up post-kiln. Lighter colors can melt and smudge, and may even completely disappear. So, if you want to stay in the “safe zone” stick to darker colors! 

Commit to the Color 

When I first started using ceramic pencils, I assumed they worked similar to underglaze. If I didn’t like my doodle, I could just sponge it off, right? Turns out, I was wrong. While the design slightly disappeared, I could still see remnants of my failed attempt at a design post-fire. So, plan out your design before you commit with the pencil! 

Wrapping Up

I could sing the praises of underglaze pencils all day—they’ve been such a fun way to experiment with surface decoration! From drawing floral designs to fun characters, I find it an incredibly helpful tool to create unique designs on pieces that would otherwise end up as a solid color. Whether you consider yourself a drawer or just want to experiment with a new way to decorate, we encourage you to pick up a pencil. Be sure to let us know how you like it!