The first drawing is always exactly like the first pancake! Perfect analogy haha.(In my experience though….. Your first drawing are better than my 3rds!)
I was so happy to discover your channel today, and even more delighted to see this video. I have been using Blackwings for a few years now, but I was worried they would be difficult to erase (I’ve only been drawing for three years, so I need all the help I can get when erasing!). But I have also found the Derwents unpleasantly scratchy, and they were difficult to erase despite being a “harder” lead. I’m sticking with my Blackwings!
welcome! 😄 pretty universal dislike of Derwent pencils in the comments 😅 makes me a bit sad it’s the default offering to kids and artists here in the uk when there are similarly priced pencils that are infinitely nicer
I was under the impression that the pencils go natural, white, then black, light,medium and dark tones. I’ve found it much harder to get good values from one pencil, especially the darkest one.
Thank you, a pleasure to watch. A friend sent me a couple of Blackwings ages ago and I really didn't like them: they're clearly nice pencils but the great big heavy eraser assembly was annoying. Fortunately it comes off easily. The Derwent scratchiness is well known (yuk) so I've tended to use the blue Staedtlers because they're easy to find. However, if you fancy a bit of low risk retail therapy, the Indian Apsara Absolute is worth trying at about £4 for a box of ten with a good sharpener and rubber thrown in. They're surprisingly similar to Blackwing and other Japanese brands.
@@GenWivern2 😂 I’m not really either but I’ve got a whole pile of stubby ones I need to make the most of. Although I spotted black wing sells boxes of stubby pencils so maybe I can pass them off to someone else as those 😂
Avez vous deja testé les crayons mars lumograph black ??? Ils sont super , ils ne brillent pas comme le graphite normal , et les noirs sont vraiment intense ! Egalement les crayons conté pierre noire utilisés par les grands maitres pour obtenir des contrastes incroyable , je vous conseille de les tester :) vous ne serez pas déçu (J'espère que le traducteur fera bien son travail , je suis francais et ne parle pas complètement anglais).
Ooh no I’ve not - I’ll take a look! I have tried conte Pierre noire - those + smooth newsprint are a perfect combo - I’ve not tried them with the moleskine sketchbook though - maybe I should dig them out! Thanks for the rec 😃👍🏻
Both are charming drawings :) It is always interesting how we all find a tool that just seems right for us and even when differences are almost indistinguishable and hard to explain, we just know! Have you tried the Japanese Uni Mitsubishi Hi-Uni Pencils? They are my favorite to draw with, I like the softer leads because I enjoy blending. I have tried Blackwing but still prefer the Mitsubishi pencils. Our favorite choice of paper also makes a difference in what we prefer as well I guess.
Definitely! I’m being tempted by so many different pencil suggestions when I already have one I love 😄 I love a soft/creamy pencil though so will definitely have to give this one a whirl!
@ it’s nice to have a wishlist :) mine is ever growing, but I think in this past year I’m finally settling with the tools I’m happy with. Hope you enjoy the holidays and have a great 2025 👍🏼👏🏼
Is it not true that a somewhat loose set up for a drawing that results in a good or very good drawing is a finer thing than a terrific drawing that is started with a painstaking and highly mechanical / precise set up?
hmm good question - I find the highly mechanical set up doesn’t lend well to drawing from life and can result in rather rigid,lifeless drawings. but that’s just in my work - other artists really make it work for them. and I suspect all artists probably need to work through doing rigid mechanical phase on most of their drawings for a year or two before they can gain a more instinctual understanding of the face that allows being a bit more loosey goosey with the start. that’s just in my experience though - I’m sure everyone is different 😄
@@katiemaeveart That is interesting. When I use a proportion divider my drawings of a face or figure are so much better vs using just a pencil to measure. I was wondering about what you mentioned, eventually getting a better eye for distances from a repeated "mechanical" method. Thank you for your reply. Dave
Ooh interesting. I’ve never had a problem with smudginess - some slight transfer but it’s not to bad. There’s got to be something with the way different people use pencils in different ways with different paper. I think I tend toward the softer/messier pencils for sure. It feels like there should be some cosmo like online quiz with a bunch of questions to help you find your perfect pencil 😄 I will try the 602 though thankyou!
Once you know Blackwing Matte it is difficult to use another pencil. They move effortlessly on paper like a butter... it's sooo good! ❤
100% !
The first drawing is always exactly like the first pancake! Perfect analogy haha.(In my experience though….. Your first drawing are better than my 3rds!)
I was so happy to discover your channel today, and even more delighted to see this video. I have been using Blackwings for a few years now, but I was worried they would be difficult to erase (I’ve only been drawing for three years, so I need all the help I can get when erasing!). But I have also found the Derwents unpleasantly scratchy, and they were difficult to erase despite being a “harder” lead. I’m sticking with my Blackwings!
welcome! 😄 pretty universal dislike of Derwent pencils in the comments 😅 makes me a bit sad it’s the default offering to kids and artists here in the uk when there are similarly priced pencils that are infinitely nicer
I was under the impression that the pencils go natural, white, then black, light,medium and dark tones. I’ve found it much harder to get good values from one pencil, especially the darkest one.
Thank you, a pleasure to watch. A friend sent me a couple of Blackwings ages ago and I really didn't like them: they're clearly nice pencils but the great big heavy eraser assembly was annoying. Fortunately it comes off easily. The Derwent scratchiness is well known (yuk) so I've tended to use the blue Staedtlers because they're easy to find. However, if you fancy a bit of low risk retail therapy, the Indian Apsara Absolute is worth trying at about £4 for a box of ten with a good sharpener and rubber thrown in. They're surprisingly similar to Blackwing and other Japanese brands.
ooh top tip I’ll give them a try - thankyou! 😄 the eraser is a little annoying id agree - it seems like it traps you into using their own extender 😅
@@katiemaeveart Extenders! I'm really not on good terms with any of those infernal contraptions. 🙂
@@GenWivern2 😂 I’m not really either but I’ve got a whole pile of stubby ones I need to make the most of. Although I spotted black wing sells boxes of stubby pencils so maybe I can pass them off to someone else as those 😂
@@katiemaeveart Last minute stocking fillers. 😁
Avez vous deja testé les crayons mars lumograph black ??? Ils sont super , ils ne brillent pas comme le graphite normal , et les noirs sont vraiment intense ! Egalement les crayons conté pierre noire utilisés par les grands maitres pour obtenir des contrastes incroyable , je vous conseille de les tester :) vous ne serez pas déçu
(J'espère que le traducteur fera bien son travail , je suis francais et ne parle pas complètement anglais).
Ooh no I’ve not - I’ll take a look! I have tried conte Pierre noire - those + smooth newsprint are a perfect combo - I’ve not tried them with the moleskine sketchbook though - maybe I should dig them out! Thanks for the rec 😃👍🏻
Both are charming drawings :) It is always interesting how we all find a tool that just seems right for us and even when differences are almost indistinguishable and hard to explain, we just know! Have you tried the Japanese Uni Mitsubishi Hi-Uni Pencils? They are my favorite to draw with, I like the softer leads because I enjoy blending. I have tried Blackwing but still prefer the Mitsubishi pencils. Our favorite choice of paper also makes a difference in what we prefer as well I guess.
Definitely! I’m being tempted by so many different pencil suggestions when I already have one I love 😄 I love a soft/creamy pencil though so will definitely have to give this one a whirl!
@ it’s nice to have a wishlist :) mine is ever growing, but I think in this past year I’m finally settling with the tools I’m happy with.
Hope you enjoy the holidays and have a great 2025 👍🏼👏🏼
Is it not true that a somewhat loose set up for a drawing that results in a good or very good drawing is a finer thing than a terrific drawing that is started with a painstaking and highly mechanical / precise set up?
hmm good question - I find the highly mechanical set up doesn’t lend well to drawing from life and can result in rather rigid,lifeless drawings. but that’s just in my work - other artists really make it work for them.
and I suspect all artists probably need to work through doing rigid mechanical phase on most of their drawings for a year or two before they can gain a more instinctual understanding of the face that allows being a bit more loosey goosey with the start. that’s just in my experience though - I’m sure everyone is different 😄
@@katiemaeveart That is interesting. When I use a proportion divider my drawings of a face or figure are so much better vs using just a pencil to measure. I was wondering about what you mentioned, eventually getting a better eye for distances from a repeated "mechanical" method. Thank you for your reply. Dave
The BW 602 is far more versatile IMO, even the Pearl as a 2nd choice. The Matte is just so smudgey and I can never put down a fine line.
Ooh interesting. I’ve never had a problem with smudginess - some slight transfer but it’s not to bad. There’s got to be something with the way different people use pencils in different ways with different paper. I think I tend toward the softer/messier pencils for sure. It feels like there should be some cosmo like online quiz with a bunch of questions to help you find your perfect pencil 😄 I will try the 602 though thankyou!
Me with a spongebob pencil: Hmmmm Interesting... 😮😮😮
⚘️✨️🫰
Love the Blackwing but the rubbers are useless….. leave a nasty smudge….. never use it