Thanks to The Art Gear Guide who put out the video at (ua-cam.com/video/BwbQxx750SE/v-deo.html ), I have gone out and repurchased the Derwent 9B, Onyx Dark, and their Dark Wash 8B sketching pencil in order to RETEST. I'll make another video on all these together, and if the results are different than what I've seen before, that video will be used to show that you have to be careful about receiving junk. I have to admit, however, that it pains me to spend additional $$$ on something I've already purchased before and have grown to despise. But I believe in fairness, and do not wish to mislead viewers or defame a company for something that may or may not be out of their control.
Hi Rix mate, the thing is I dont think a single person who watches your videos could ever accuse you of being unfair or defaming a company, especially with the Derwent Sketching pencil demonstration you uploaded. That video was a clear as day that the pencil you had in your hand was terrible and the results had nothing at all to do with you. I think it was simply down to a defective pencil. When I made my video, I got a lot of people telling me that some people make copies of legitimate products, something I personally had no idea occurred. I hope you don't feel that the video I made was forcing you into repurchasing and making another video, because I promise you this was absolutely not my intention. As I have said, nobody at all can debate the terrible quality you demonstrated from the Derwent Watersoluble Sketching pencil you showed. All the very best Sir and I look forward to your next video, I am a huge fan of your videos.
I wonder if traveling has anything to do with this and let me explain. I live in the U.K. And I have that exact same Derwent 8B wash pencil you used in this video and mine is about the same as the Prisma 8B. I'll drop you some images if you like. Don't get me wrong I can see that the one you have is terrible, which is why I wonder if traveling has anything to do with the quality and I mean the temperature and humidity conditions when traveling. Here in the U.K., we have so many problems with Prismacolor but in the States you guys don't seem to have as much. It's the same with the Onyx, the one I have is much much darker than the one you used in the Onyx video. I'll try to send you an image of my Derwent 8B watercolour pencil and you will be able to see for yourself the massive difference.
In fact I'll do a video myself today and show you what I mean but I have a feeling, that the conditions on which pencils travel may have an impact on them when they reach their destination. I know it sounds crazy, but it is the only thing I can think of, as I've mentioned, I have both the Onyx and 8B watersoluble pencils you have reviewed and whilst I can clearly see in your video that they both perform terrible, the ones I have are much much much darker. Now although the Onyx I have is darker than yours, it was not as dark as I first expected it to be, but it is darker than my 9B Derwent Graphite pencil. Also, when I add water to the pencil, the wash is jet black. You know what, I really think a video is what I need to show you what I mean, but please don't think I am making this video to disprove what you are saying because it is clear in your video that what you are using is terrible. It's just to maybe prove my own theory that pencils don't travel well if they are not kept at the right temperature or humidity, it's the only thing I can think of. Give me a few hours and I'll have it up for you.
The Art Gear Guide Look foreword to seeing it. I have reviewed many pencils from overseas though and am baffled as to how bad my experience with Derwent has been. Yep, the videos don't lie. That dark wash was awful.
I think you need watercolor paper for that ! I have some water soluble graphite pencils ( not from derwent ) and on watercolor paper they work just fine ! Thanks for the video
Im from the UK and have used Derwent pencils and many other brands for many years now and I too find Derwent graphite pencils to be a bit hit and miss. I like the sketching range tbh and have never had any problems with them. I like the Matt finish on the wood and that they have a thick core and find them to be very soft and smooth (I haven’t tried the water soluble 8B though) but I find the graphic range to be very gritty and scratchy and that’s frustrating to me, the scratchy gritty nature of them is very off putting. I try different pencils all the time and try very expensive pencils too but I always find myself going back to Staedtler Mars Lumograph Pencils. It just feels like home when I use one if you know what I mean. Smooth and consistent.
I have the full set of Derwent water soluble pencils and my 8b is very dark, so dark I damn near ruined a watercolor I was working on. I think you got a bad pencil. This proves why quality control is so important. Put out a defective product and someone on UA-cam is going to review it unfavorably and your perfectly fine products will stop selling. You are not imagining this Rix, that is a horrible pencil and belongs in the trash where you put it.
i quit drawing before ordering online was invented. i didnt even know u get pencils softer than 6b. i decided to start drawing again during lockdown and was super excited about getting my derwent 8b, shipping took 2 weeks. First line i draw.........bummer. it is harder than a cheap faber castell 6b
I use watercolour regularly and I can spot two things that might be the real problem when you used the watercolour pencils: 1: you need a paper that is at least 250 gsm, preferably 100% cotton, 2: Your brush is absolutely not adapted to the wash your aiming for, it is too small and flat, you need a bigger round brush. I myself just acquired those watercolour pencils and they work just fin with the right tools.
i dont feel they are not any good as stand alone pencils as they are too light but with wet media any way like watercolour when you add areas of dark you need to be very light with it so the light feel of this 8b pencil work well and in a very subtle way to tone or add pencil line work. You can make a mess of the watercolours transparency feel if you go in too dark. thank for the review Rix
Man, I think you got a bad pencil with that 8b. Maybe old or defective stock? I use those pencils all the time, and my experience with them isn't even close to what happened here! Should be fairly soft and dark, and dissolve evenly.
Very strange, I have the same 8B wash pencil and its much softer than yours by the look of it and blends out really well on good cartridge paper or HP watercolour paper. Soft drawing papers blend out less as the graphite just gets absorbed into the fibre. I buy the Fabriano Academia 200gsm cartridge paper 10m roll and this works great for pencil work and handles under painting and washes really well. I do admit that the 8B rating is a bit misleading when comparing to a non water soluble 8B graphite like the Derwent Graphic 8B or a Stadtler Lumograph 8B but the latter is an unfair comparison as its 8B is a carbon/graphite mix.
After watching the video made by The Art Gear Guide ua-cam.com/video/BwbQxx750SE/v-deo.html I decided to buy the pencil again. I'm going to buy it from another source.
A retest of these pencils can be found here: ua-cam.com/video/DCFegXmuw3g/v-deo.html
The moment you pulled out the wet paint brush, I was reminded of what not to do with graphite. Beyond that, thank you for the demonstrations.
Thanks to The Art Gear Guide who put out the video at (ua-cam.com/video/BwbQxx750SE/v-deo.html ), I have gone out and repurchased the Derwent 9B, Onyx Dark, and their Dark Wash 8B sketching pencil in order to RETEST.
I'll make another video on all these together, and if the results are different than what I've seen before, that video will be used to show that you have to be careful about receiving junk.
I have to admit, however, that it pains me to spend additional $$$ on something I've already purchased before and have grown to despise. But I believe in fairness, and do not wish to mislead viewers or defame a company for something that may or may not be out of their control.
Hi Rix mate, the thing is I dont think a single person who watches your videos could ever accuse you of being unfair or defaming a company, especially with the Derwent Sketching pencil demonstration you uploaded. That video was a clear as day that the pencil you had in your hand was terrible and the results had nothing at all to do with you. I think it was simply down to a defective pencil.
When I made my video, I got a lot of people telling me that some people make copies of legitimate products, something I personally had no idea occurred. I hope you don't feel that the video I made was forcing you into repurchasing and making another video, because I promise you this was absolutely not my intention. As I have said, nobody at all can debate the terrible quality you demonstrated from the Derwent Watersoluble Sketching pencil you showed.
All the very best Sir and I look forward to your next video, I am a huge fan of your videos.
I have the Derwent water soluble set. My 8B comes out a lot darker than the one you reviewed. I have not tried Prismacolor so far.
I don't know how you do it but every video is informative & entertaining!!!
Thanks!
I wonder if traveling has anything to do with this and let me explain. I live in the U.K. And I have that exact same Derwent 8B wash pencil you used in this video and mine is about the same as the Prisma 8B. I'll drop you some images if you like. Don't get me wrong I can see that the one you have is terrible, which is why I wonder if traveling has anything to do with the quality and I mean the temperature and humidity conditions when traveling.
Here in the U.K., we have so many problems with Prismacolor but in the States you guys don't seem to have as much.
It's the same with the Onyx, the one I have is much much darker than the one you used in the Onyx video. I'll try to send you an image of my Derwent 8B watercolour pencil and you will be able to see for yourself the massive difference.
In fact I'll do a video myself today and show you what I mean but I have a feeling, that the conditions on which pencils travel may have an impact on them when they reach their destination. I know it sounds crazy, but it is the only thing I can think of, as I've mentioned, I have both the Onyx and 8B watersoluble pencils you have reviewed and whilst I can clearly see in your video that they both perform terrible, the ones I have are much much much darker. Now although the Onyx I have is darker than yours, it was not as dark as I first expected it to be, but it is darker than my 9B Derwent Graphite pencil.
Also, when I add water to the pencil, the wash is jet black. You know what, I really think a video is what I need to show you what I mean, but please don't think I am making this video to disprove what you are saying because it is clear in your video that what you are using is terrible. It's just to maybe prove my own theory that pencils don't travel well if they are not kept at the right temperature or humidity, it's the only thing I can think of. Give me a few hours and I'll have it up for you.
The Art Gear Guide Look foreword to seeing it. I have reviewed many pencils from overseas though and am baffled as to how bad my experience with Derwent has been. Yep, the videos don't lie. That dark wash was awful.
I think you need watercolor paper for that ! I have some water soluble graphite pencils ( not from derwent ) and on watercolor paper they work just fine ! Thanks for the video
Preferred no doubt. However, note that I was able to use the Prismacolor pencils on the same paper without issue.
Im from the UK and have used Derwent pencils and many other brands for many years now and I too find Derwent graphite pencils to be a bit hit and miss. I like the sketching range tbh and have never had any problems with them. I like the Matt finish on the wood and that they have a thick core and find them to be very soft and smooth (I haven’t tried the water soluble 8B though) but I find the graphic range to be very gritty and scratchy and that’s frustrating to me, the scratchy gritty nature of them is very off putting. I try different pencils all the time and try very expensive pencils too but I always find myself going back to Staedtler Mars Lumograph Pencils. It just feels like home when I use one if you know what I mean. Smooth and consistent.
Oh yes. I know exactly what you mean. :-)
I have the full set of Derwent water soluble pencils and my 8b is very dark, so dark I damn near ruined a watercolor I was working on. I think you got a bad pencil. This proves why quality control is so important. Put out a defective product and someone on UA-cam is going to review it unfavorably and your perfectly fine products will stop selling. You are not imagining this Rix, that is a horrible pencil and belongs in the trash where you put it.
i quit drawing before ordering online was invented. i didnt even know u get pencils softer than 6b. i decided to start drawing again during lockdown and was super excited about getting my derwent 8b, shipping took 2 weeks. First line i draw.........bummer. it is harder than a cheap faber castell 6b
Sorry your return to drawing met with a disappointing pencil.
I use watercolour regularly and I can spot two things that might be the real problem when you used the watercolour pencils: 1: you need a paper that is at least 250 gsm, preferably 100% cotton, 2: Your brush is absolutely not adapted to the wash your aiming for, it is too small and flat, you need a bigger round brush. I myself just acquired those watercolour pencils and they work just fin with the right tools.
Thanks for pointing that out. :-)
i dont feel they are not any good as stand alone pencils as they are too light but with wet media any way like watercolour when you add areas of dark you need to be very light with it so the light feel of this 8b pencil work well and in a very subtle way to tone or add pencil line work. You can make a mess of the watercolours transparency feel if you go in too dark. thank for the review Rix
Can I use water on all 8 b pencils regardless of the brand?
I wouldn't use water for regular 8b pencils, just the ones made as a graphite wash.
Huh my 8B wash is pretty dark. Maybe it's the wrong core?
QueenWaspGo From other comments, it would seem I got a bad one. Wow.
Man, I think you got a bad pencil with that 8b. Maybe old or defective stock? I use those pencils all the time, and my experience with them isn't even close to what happened here! Should be fairly soft and dark, and dissolve evenly.
the thumbnail was golden
Is your paper is too absorbent?
Very strange, I have the same 8B wash pencil and its much softer than yours by the look of it and blends out really well on good cartridge paper or HP watercolour paper. Soft drawing papers blend out less as the graphite just gets absorbed into the fibre. I buy the Fabriano Academia 200gsm cartridge paper 10m roll and this works great for pencil work and handles under painting and washes really well. I do admit that the 8B rating is a bit misleading when comparing to a non water soluble 8B graphite like the Derwent Graphic 8B or a Stadtler Lumograph 8B but the latter is an unfair comparison as its 8B is a carbon/graphite mix.
There is a follow-up video to this where I ordered another 8B wash and tested it. Do a search on my playlist on that.
Is it possible that you have unintentionally got a pack of fake derwents? I have the same set and they certainly don't look like that, results wise.
Anything is possible. I'll be buying it again from another source that should not be selling fakes.
Yeah is true
i want it
I think you got a bad set of pencils.
After watching the video made by The Art Gear Guide ua-cam.com/video/BwbQxx750SE/v-deo.html I decided to buy the pencil again. I'm going to buy it from another source.