Best review I've seen yet on these pencils. Just ordered a set as a birthday present to myself. Will be making one of these charts you've demonstrated as a reference before I start using these pencils. Excited to start using this medium. Not worried about lightfastness as I'm just a beginner and not expecting to have my art last a hundred years ( or even 5 years!)
Hi Marty, thank you so much for sharing! I am considering purchasing these and this is one great review ^^ Guess I am off to the shop soon........... ;) All the love - Lineke
This video has some helpful comments and information. I bought these pencils awile back and just tried them on Coldpress paper. They didn't erase so well so knowing that Hotpress paper is better for these pencils. They are nice pencils and I plan on trying some of these exercises. Thanks for the information.
+Jackie Baker Hi Jackie - Once you liquify these, they become very difficult to erase, mostly because the color soaks into the fibers of the paper. It's tricky to get used to, but I try to be more loose with these and not worry so much about precise work at first. Good luck and thank you for the note. Happy New Year! - Marty
Just purchased them. Could you do a review of Spectrum Noir's tinted graphite. Also, I know of a graphite artist that uses Prismacolor Verithin to add a bit of colour to her drawings. Then again Derwent has colour drawing pencils. So many choices!
Thanks for this lovely video. I'm greatly appreciating my new 24 set, minus the wood quality that seems to be worse in the new set? But still, they're positively made for my European bleak fantasy art!! (And I'm scanning art so it doesn't matter that port and aubergine can't take sunlight, neither can I for that matter)
Hi! I discovered about this Derwent line a few days ago and I was very interested on them, although I do not know how to make drawings or schetches. Of course I came to your channel to see if you have tested them and wow....what a great surprise! Now I am much more in love with those pencils (hahahaha) and want to buy a set and give them a try! Your reviews are always soooo great, I really apreciate this. Thanks again for this nice review! Greetings from Riooooooooooo, Brazil! :)
+Cris Costa Thank you Cris. Just a note that these pencils are not very lightfast. The colors won't last long, especially in direct light. They are still fun to use though. Have a great day!
Thanks, I appreciate your comments, a lot! I want to have fun with those pencils anyway. I see your reviews and I feel like buying sooo many materials, hahahaha! I wish you have a GREAT day too! I´ll keep checking out your channel. Bye! :)
I think it is interesting what different properties each Derwent product has. Maybe a comparison Video on all the different Derwent Pencils would be great? I am currently looking for a new pencil set and I am very intrigued by all their different sets
Owings Art Only about watercolor Pencils. I watched a ton of UA-cam videos about each and every Derwent colored pencil, but it is hard to choose, when you have no side by side comparison. I ordered a few single Pencils now from different brands and hope I can find the one I am looking for 😉
Thank you, very helpful. And I would add - as far as lightfastness, I heard somewhere that for pencils with poor lightfastness, the artist can use some kind of spray on fixative. I dont know if that is true.
Question: How about if you use these as an underpainting and then try to add watercolor or watercolor pencil, or even colored pencil on top to bring out vibrancy? Since there are no true red or yellow, can you add red or yellow watercolor pencil for these colors?
Hi Elza Raven - Thanks for dropping by. I have used the Derwent drawing pencils, but I don't think I've reviewed them yet. The lightfastness on these Graphitints is not great according to other users. The quality of these is good though and I like using them despite the fact they might not be as lightfast. Hey thanks again for the note and I'll have to try those Derwent Drawing pencils sometime.
I'm seriously thinking of getting these, not really to use with water but because I want something that is similar to graphite and sketches like graphite and a races like graphite but has a little color to it. I've read some reviews that say they don't erase well or blind and smudge like graphite oh, so I just want to make sure before I buy them that is that true? Thank you for your considerations and great video
I have a question for you...back in the day...and I mean WAY BACK,,😂 when the "old masters" were creating their beautiful master pieces did they worry about "light fastness" of their paints? Did they even know about what that term meant? Were they bothered by that? I know NOTHING about art history so I was just wondering about that issue. So many people are so worried about this issue I just wondered if this was also a concern for the great artists of the past. Specifically say like 17th century and before. Not caveman drawings but.....you get the point. Thanks so much for this review............super helpful!❤️
Hi Debbie - Thanks for the great question. It’s funny because you sort of came to the right place, I went to college for history and have studied art for my entire life, you’d think I’d know more by now 😜. So I’m not an art historian by trade, but I can answer your question to some extent. Short answer, no. Longer answer, Artists in the 1600’s were more concerned about discovering techniques and colors. They surely thought about longevity, but paint was very hard to produce and expensive, and I think their focus was mostly on their work. I’d say every painting or fresco that’s more than a hundred years old has been restored or retouched, because paint isn’t made to last forever. Most of us will never be famous Artists and so thinking our work needs to last forever is probably not realistic. You’re asking a great question. Thanks for that. Others can weigh in as well. - Marty
I just watched a review about the Derwent Inktense art blocks that said they were terrible in the light fastness department. I have not found any evidence of how they came to that conclusion. I really have to wonder if its really such a big deal! If something of mine lasts 100 years from now...I'd be happy, but really, it doesn't concern me! How concerned should we really be about this?
Owings Art Thanks for answering this question, and to Debbie Lee for asking. I have always asked myself the very same question. As a newbie I am not concerned with my work lasting, but I am constantly seeing others very concerned about this. I wondered about the greats, were they asking about lightfastness when purchasing their paints, I didn’t think it was at the top of their list. Thanks you are a wealth of information!
I often have wondered the same thing. I own lots of art, and lots of it was created by some of our local artists in our state and town. The artwork pieces are originals and some are about 25-50 years old and some older, I'm sure. I myself notice no fading in the artwork, except one fabric batik I have framed on the wall, which has faded about 50%. It was not created by an artist, but an English teacher at a local high school from when I attended. The piece is about 40 years old. No other piece seems changed at all, from its original colors. I am hardly going to worrry about lightfast ratings in my paintings, after only a year, barely, of painting experience.
Hi, I love this set, I recently got them. I was wondering if you experienced any fading. Also if you had any knowledge about Derwent reformulating these. The very first set was said to be very fugitive. The newer ones are better
Hi there! I find myself coming back to your channel for product reviews very often. I find them concise and to the point, almost always addressing every question That I had in mind. So thank you :) I am itching to get my hands on these pencils and tend to jump the gun and buy. I am a mixed media artist at present who favors bolder and brighter pastels as well as products that may not be taken too seriously by a seasoned artist--any good quality medium that has been loaded with mica; but I started out as a sketch artist and worked with nothing but graphite and charcoal in various tones of dark. This product seems almost like it is made for me because I have abandoned using the graphites and charcoals in favor of all sorts of water soluble bright mediums and I miss the feel of using the old stuff, but seeing the video I have hesitations--and my question is simple. Do you see this product working well in mixed media art projects? Or will it incorporate with watercolor products at best?
Hi There - Thanks for the kind words about the channel. To answer your question, I think these could be used in both applications. They work well in mixed media and watercolor work. I like the graphite like properties with color tint in some of my more muted works, but if you favor brighter, bolder pastel colors, these may to be pronounced enough for you. Still worth a try I think. Hope that helps! ~Marty
Marty, which is better Graphitint or Inktense Pencils. I have abt 24 Inktense and am trying to decide whether the Graphitint would be a better addition instead of more Inktense. Help. Regards Aileen
Hi Aileen - Well, they are very different and for different applications I think. I found that the Graphitint have a sort of limited use in my palette or my work, but I do use the Inktense from time to time, especially for sketching. However, I know Artists who do great work with the Graphitints and they just love them. Sorry i couldn't be more help. ~Marty
I thought I bought these Derwent's several years ago and grabbed the wrong ones. LOL. The ones I got were not water soluble. I was bummed because I bought a handful.
Can't believe you mentioned how well they erased without giving a demonstration. Why go to the effort of getting the pencils out and filming a video if you aren't going to demonstrate this stuff?
I love these pencils. I got the 24 set a while back. I also enjoy using these for my morbid works. I can't find the lightfastness chart ever since Derwent changed their site, but I do know a few of the pencils are fugitive. The colors that are below a 6 on the blue wool scale are Port, Juniper, Aubergine, Dark Indigo and Storm, but for all I know, they changed their formula because I got these pencils in like 2010 or something like that. However, I am missing the Cloud Gray pencil. Instead of getting cloud grey like I was suppose to, the pack gave me 2 Midnight Black pencils in my set. ._.
ArtOfRavenD Thanks for checking out the video and for the great comments. A person I sketch with has a great blog and posted about the lightfastness of Graphitint recently and I'll provide a link below. Unfortunately, the Graphitint don't hold up very well because they are dye based. That's probably why it's hard to find info about the lightfastness over at the Derwent site. I still give them credit though for trying to innovate. Perhaps it was a marketing effort to drive sales or create a gimmick, either way I think they're fun to use. I wouldn't use them for serious work, but for some light sketching they seem to be okay. Thanks again and here's the link to Roz's blog: rozwoundup.typepad.com/roz_wound_up/2013/07/derwent-graphitints-redux.html
Derwent used to have the lightfastness chart for the pencils but now I can't find it anymore, but sometimes I wonder if these charts are accurate especially after that link you showed me. Thanks for linking that to me and know I am never going to sell any works done with these pencils. I mean, you can still scan and make prints of them after you're done (one for yourself, and maybe more if you want to sell prints), but still, that's a little disappointing that it's pretty much most of the pencils. once again, thanks for linking that. People must see this.
ArtOfRavenD I think this lightfastness issue is mostly the Graphitint and the Inktense line of Derwent pencils. I've had good luck with their other pencils and overall I find the quality to be good. I agree with you that it's disappointing about these, but like you mentioned you're not creating items for sale with these and I'm not either. Let me know if you find anything else about the other Derwent pencils. Thanks again! :-)
Derwent have been my choice for 40 years in Artist and Studio pencils, but now i must get these! Thank you.
Thank you for the swatching…it’s good to see how they behave….love your presentation style….interesting video 😮😅😊
You’re welcome 😊
Best review I've seen yet on these pencils. Just ordered a set as a birthday present to myself. Will be making one of these charts you've demonstrated as a reference before I start using these pencils. Excited to start using this medium. Not worried about lightfastness as I'm just a beginner and not expecting to have my art last a hundred years ( or even 5 years!)
Hi Gloria - I think you are going to enjoy these, especially considering your expectations aren't out of line. :-)
Don't count yourself out Gloria! Once you start painting, you may find that your art appeals to everyone, and it sells right away! Good luck to you!
Birthday present?? Hold my beer!!! My father too give me this as a present of my birthday today...
Thanks for the good description of these Derwent Graphitint pencils
These color pencils are so beautiful! I love the colors thank you
Great test tutorial. Thank you for posting. I have been wanting to try those. Thanks!
Glad it was helpful!
I've been on the fence with these pencils for quite some time. This helps in my decision. Thank you
I hope you'll give them a try Kim.
Oh! that's wonderful pencils! Thank you for your video!
Thank you!
Hi Marty, I actually really like these pencils. As you say, they'll be great for sketching, to add some color. Thank you for the review :)
beautiful vibrance ang great quality
They look great
Thanks. I'd like to try them.
Good review. Thanks 👍
Thanks for the comment and for watching.
Hi Marty, thank you so much for sharing! I am considering purchasing these and this is one great review ^^
Guess I am off to the shop soon........... ;)
All the love - Lineke
This video has some helpful comments and information. I bought these pencils awile back and just tried them on Coldpress paper. They didn't erase so well so knowing that Hotpress paper is better for these pencils. They are nice pencils and I plan on trying some of these exercises. Thanks for the information.
+Jackie Baker Hi Jackie - Once you liquify these, they become very difficult to erase, mostly because the color soaks into the fibers of the paper. It's tricky to get used to, but I try to be more loose with these and not worry so much about precise work at first. Good luck and thank you for the note. Happy New Year! - Marty
Just purchased them. Could you do a review of Spectrum Noir's tinted graphite. Also, I know of a graphite artist that uses Prismacolor Verithin to add a bit of colour to her drawings. Then again Derwent has colour drawing pencils. So many choices!
been meaning to get some of these for a while now i will wait til the weekend
They are great Andy. Hope you like them. ~Marty
Parece fácil It seems so easy
Thanks for this lovely video. I'm greatly appreciating my new 24 set, minus the wood quality that seems to be worse in the new set? But still, they're positively made for my European bleak fantasy art!! (And I'm scanning art so it doesn't matter that port and aubergine can't take sunlight, neither can I for that matter)
I wanted to buy them and had them in my cart and your video convinced me!!
Thank you for the note Yolita. I hope they work out for you. ~Marty
thanks for the review I like them cos you can get them open stock in most art shops here in the UK
That is definitely a great feature of Derwent's. :-)
Hi! I discovered about this Derwent line a few days ago and I was very interested on them, although I do not know how to make drawings or schetches. Of course I came to your channel to see if you have tested them and wow....what a great surprise! Now I am much more in love with those pencils (hahahaha) and want to buy a set and give them a try! Your reviews are always soooo great, I really apreciate this. Thanks again for this nice review! Greetings from Riooooooooooo, Brazil! :)
+Cris Costa Thank you Cris. Just a note that these pencils are not very lightfast. The colors won't last long, especially in direct light. They are still fun to use though. Have a great day!
Thanks, I appreciate your comments, a lot! I want to have fun with those pencils anyway. I see your reviews and I feel like buying sooo many materials, hahahaha! I wish you have a GREAT day too! I´ll keep checking out your channel. Bye! :)
Cris Costa Awesome!
I love to watch your videos as well I like your voice 🥰
Thank you very much. Sorry I missed this kind comment.
Thank you
Good demo... Thanks.
I think it is interesting what different properties each Derwent product has. Maybe a comparison Video on all the different Derwent Pencils would be great? I am currently looking for a new pencil set and I am very intrigued by all their different sets
Hi Jessy - I wonder if that video hasn't already been done by someone. Derwent has a great variety and is a solid brand.
Owings Art Only about watercolor Pencils. I watched a ton of UA-cam videos about each and every Derwent colored pencil, but it is hard to choose, when you have no side by side comparison. I ordered a few single Pencils now from different brands and hope I can find the one I am looking for 😉
Jessy - Have you tried Faber-Castell or Caran d'Ache? They both make outstanding products in my opinion.
Owings Art i ordered a few Luminance Pencils just now and Derwent drawings. I have the Polychromos and like them very much 😊 Thanks for the advice!
Thank you, very helpful. And I would add - as far as lightfastness, I heard somewhere that for pencils with poor lightfastness, the artist can use some kind of spray on fixative. I dont know if that is true.
Yes, the spray can help, but if they are in a sketchbook or drawing pad and unexposed to sunlight, it would not be an issue. Good luck. ~Marty
Question: How about if you use these as an underpainting and then try to add watercolor or watercolor pencil, or even colored pencil on top to bring out vibrancy? Since there are no true red or yellow, can you add red or yellow watercolor pencil for these colors?
Mary Cage sure. I think you could try all the things you mention.
Have you tried derwent's tinted charcoal...also some really nice subtle effects
Shannon Sand I haven't tried them Shannon. Are they pretty good?
Owings Art yeah they are really nice and subtle
Shannon Sand I may have to give them a try.
Definitely I really enjoy your reviews
Shannon Sand Well, thank you, very much.
Have you ever tried Derwent Drawing Pencils? They come in natural colors, but I've heard the lightfastness is supposed to be extremely good.
Hi Elza Raven - Thanks for dropping by. I have used the Derwent drawing pencils, but I don't think I've reviewed them yet. The lightfastness on these Graphitints is not great according to other users. The quality of these is good though and I like using them despite the fact they might not be as lightfast. Hey thanks again for the note and I'll have to try those Derwent Drawing pencils sometime.
Thank you for the video. It looks like you might have done a lightfast test. They fade quickly?
They aren't too bad, but yes they will fade over time.
I'm seriously thinking of getting these, not really to use with water but because I want something that is similar to graphite and sketches like graphite and a races like graphite but has a little color to it. I've read some reviews that say they don't erase well or blind and smudge like graphite oh, so I just want to make sure before I buy them that is that true? Thank you for your considerations and great video
creative solutions it’s been a while since I used these, but yes you can erase them somewhat when dry.
I have a question for you...back in the day...and I mean WAY BACK,,😂 when the "old masters" were creating their beautiful master pieces did they worry about "light fastness" of their paints? Did they even know about what that term meant? Were they bothered by that? I know NOTHING about art history so I was just wondering about that issue. So many people are so worried about this issue I just wondered if this was also a concern for the great artists of the past. Specifically say like 17th century and before. Not caveman drawings but.....you get the point. Thanks so much for this review............super helpful!❤️
Hi Debbie - Thanks for the great question. It’s funny because you sort of came to the right place, I went to college for history and have studied art for my entire life, you’d think I’d know more by now 😜. So I’m not an art historian by trade, but I can answer your question to some extent. Short answer, no. Longer answer, Artists in the 1600’s were more concerned about discovering techniques and colors. They surely thought about longevity, but paint was very hard to produce and expensive, and I think their focus was mostly on their work. I’d say every painting or fresco that’s more than a hundred years old has been restored or retouched, because paint isn’t made to last forever. Most of us will never be famous Artists and so thinking our work needs to last forever is probably not realistic. You’re asking a great question. Thanks for that. Others can weigh in as well. - Marty
I just watched a review about the Derwent Inktense art blocks that said they were terrible in the light fastness department. I have not found any evidence of how they came to that conclusion. I really have to wonder if its really such a big deal! If something of mine lasts 100 years from now...I'd be happy, but really, it doesn't concern me! How concerned should we really be about this?
Owings Art Thanks for answering this question, and to Debbie Lee for asking. I have always asked myself the very same question. As a newbie I am not concerned with my work lasting, but I am constantly seeing others very concerned about this. I wondered about the greats, were they asking about lightfastness when purchasing their paints, I didn’t think it was at the top of their list. Thanks you are a wealth of information!
I often have wondered the same thing. I own lots of art, and lots of it was created by some of our local artists in our state and town. The artwork pieces are originals and some are about 25-50 years old and some older, I'm sure. I myself notice no fading in the artwork, except one fabric batik I have framed on the wall, which has faded about 50%. It was not created by an artist, but an English teacher at a local high school from when I attended. The piece is about 40 years old. No other piece seems changed at all, from its original colors. I am hardly going to worrry about lightfast ratings in my paintings, after only a year, barely, of painting experience.
Hi, I love this set, I recently got them. I was wondering if you experienced any fading. Also if you had any knowledge about Derwent reformulating these. The very first set was said to be very fugitive. The newer ones are better
Hi there! I find myself coming back to your channel for product reviews very often. I find them concise and to the point, almost always addressing every question That I had in mind. So thank you :) I am itching to get my hands on these pencils and tend to jump the gun and buy. I am a mixed media artist at present who favors bolder and brighter pastels as well as products that may not be taken too seriously by a seasoned artist--any good quality medium that has been loaded with mica; but I started out as a sketch artist and worked with nothing but graphite and charcoal in various tones of dark. This product seems almost like it is made for me because I have abandoned using the graphites and charcoals in favor of all sorts of water soluble bright mediums and I miss the feel of using the old stuff, but seeing the video I have hesitations--and my question is simple. Do you see this product working well in mixed media art projects? Or will it incorporate with watercolor products at best?
Hi There - Thanks for the kind words about the channel. To answer your question, I think these could be used in both applications. They work well in mixed media and watercolor work. I like the graphite like properties with color tint in some of my more muted works, but if you favor brighter, bolder pastel colors, these may to be pronounced enough for you. Still worth a try I think. Hope that helps! ~Marty
Hello old bean im british but ive never heard anyone in england call it a tub only call it a Tin, Jolly good revue though, buzzin demo bro.
Are they like watercolor or inktense?
More like watercolor.
Marty, which is better Graphitint or Inktense Pencils. I have abt 24 Inktense and am trying to decide whether the Graphitint would be a better addition instead of more Inktense. Help. Regards Aileen
Hi Aileen - Well, they are very different and for different applications I think. I found that the Graphitint have a sort of limited use in my palette or my work, but I do use the Inktense from time to time, especially for sketching. However, I know Artists who do great work with the Graphitints and they just love them. Sorry i couldn't be more help. ~Marty
Thanks Marty. I think I will stay with the Inktense.
:-)
To many 'UMS' and 'ERS'.......yunno !
Have a favorite sharpener for these pencils?
I use a Mobius & Rupert hand sharpener.
I thought I bought these Derwent's several years ago and grabbed the wrong ones. LOL. The ones I got were not water soluble. I was bummed because I bought a handful.
OSSUM.....sorry... AWESOME
Can't believe you mentioned how well they erased without giving a demonstration. Why go to the effort of getting the pencils out and filming a video if you aren't going to demonstrate this stuff?
Thanks for the note. Appreciate the feedback.
@@owingsart You are very welcome.
I love these pencils. I got the 24 set a while back. I also enjoy using these for my morbid works.
I can't find the lightfastness chart ever since Derwent changed their site, but I do know a few of the pencils are fugitive. The colors that are below a 6 on the blue wool scale are Port, Juniper, Aubergine, Dark Indigo and Storm, but for all I know, they changed their formula because I got these pencils in like 2010 or something like that.
However, I am missing the Cloud Gray pencil. Instead of getting cloud grey like I was suppose to, the pack gave me 2 Midnight Black pencils in my set. ._.
ArtOfRavenD Thanks for checking out the video and for the great comments. A person I sketch with has a great blog and posted about the lightfastness of Graphitint recently and I'll provide a link below.
Unfortunately, the Graphitint don't hold up very well because they are dye based. That's probably why it's hard to find info about the lightfastness over at the Derwent site. I still give them credit though for trying to innovate. Perhaps it was a marketing effort to drive sales or create a gimmick, either way I think they're fun to use. I wouldn't use them for serious work, but for some light sketching they seem to be okay. Thanks again and here's the link to Roz's blog:
rozwoundup.typepad.com/roz_wound_up/2013/07/derwent-graphitints-redux.html
Derwent used to have the lightfastness chart for the pencils but now I can't find it anymore, but sometimes I wonder if these charts are accurate especially after that link you showed me. Thanks for linking that to me and know I am never going to sell any works done with these pencils. I mean, you can still scan and make prints of them after you're done (one for yourself, and maybe more if you want to sell prints), but still, that's a little disappointing that it's pretty much most of the pencils. once again, thanks for linking that. People must see this.
ArtOfRavenD I think this lightfastness issue is mostly the Graphitint and the Inktense line of Derwent pencils. I've had good luck with their other pencils and overall I find the quality to be good. I agree with you that it's disappointing about these, but like you mentioned you're not creating items for sale with these and I'm not either. Let me know if you find anything else about the other Derwent pencils. Thanks again! :-)
Owings Art fixative won't stop them from fading? /:
yarden2611 nope. not much. it might help a little, but not enough.