When it comes to coloring, many people prefer using acrylics to get that paint-like vibe; however, there are also artists that like both to color with pencils and acrylic – which is why watercolor pencils are such a versatile solution.

These types of pencils can be used for many purposes. You may use them dry and get the typical colored crayon result – or you may take a damp blending brush to get the watercolor effect.

In this article, we will talk about the efficiency of the Derwent Inktense colored pencils and see how much they would suit the taste of both student and professional grade artists.

About The Product

The Derwent company has long since been established in the UK as one of the leading brands for creating colored pencils – and for good reasons. Their purpose is to create affordable colored pencils for colorists. 

The Inktense pencils, in particular, are a fairly convenient choice. Each pencil is formed from a round barrel that received a dark blue coating. They were made so that they do not create any discomfort when you hold them.

The lead within the pencil is also generously thick, meaning that it will have a much longer life. The core is also fairly creamy, which will offer a rich and intense color.

One particular advantage of this set of pencils is its versatility. Being water-soluble, you may use a damp brush to blend and create various watercolor effects. If you don’t have a brush, you may also dab the tip in water and color like normal.

This particular Inktense set comes with 72 pencils that were placed in a metal tin. This tin is highly compact and portable, and you may easily drop it into a purse or a backpack as you are running out. Here is a list of features that you will learn to appreciate with the Inktense:

• checkThese are watercolor-type colored pencils
• checkRound 8mm barrel with an 8mm core
• checkThey feature high pigment concentration for intense colors
• checkYou benefit from 72 choices of colors
• checkThey come in a durable tin case

As you can see, this is all you need as an artist if you are just starting out.

The Results

The Inktense pencils use a technique that is highly convenient for most artists – in the sense that they work with both paintings and coloring books. The colors are really vibrant and beautiful, and it is clear that they use a decent amount of pigments.

We chose the 72-color set, which gave us a lot of color options. Technically, if you are a master at blending, you wouldn’t even need these many colors. But for someone who is just starting out, they may be a better choice than trying to figure out the colors.

The white pencil was the most surprising of them all. It is opaquer than your average white pencil, and it also has better blending properties. It doesn’t even lose its color when you mix it with water – which is the case with most water-soluble pencils.

When using them as watercolors, the lead takes very little water to melt, which means that you will not have to flood your paper. Furthermore, not only that you can create many beautiful layers of ink, but you may also use them on fabric.

The quality of the casing is very high. We saw no splintering, but this will only be the case if you use a high-quality sharpener. No matter how good the wood may be, a bad sharpener will only cause the wood to decay and lose its shape.

The lead is fairly thick, which means that you will not have to necessarily sharpen them. This way, the color will last a fairly long time – which means you will not be spending a large amount of money on colored pencils.

Considering that this one is waterproof ink, you can create a lot of effects using layers. Furthermore, even when you apply them on fabric, the colors are bound to last a fairly long time.

What Others Say

Most people were also impressed by the opacity of these colors, and particularly by their vibrancy. Considering that these colors come at a fairly low price, they still have a very high quality.

Users also advised that if you want them to dry quickly, you can use paper instead of canvas. The Inktense are advertised as “colorfast,” but they seem to dry much quicker on paper.

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What We Liked

The beautiful vibrant colors were by far our favorite thing, but we also appreciated the fact that it did not take long for the lead to melt. This meant there are no watery streaks on the canvas, and the drawing will not look as if it was flooded with water.

What We Didn’t Like

We didn’t particularly like the fact that the blue coating would stain our fingers. Indeed, it washes up, but it is slightly annoying. Furthermore, the color palette could be a bit more generous, considering that there are a lot of blacks that we do not even need.

Buying Advice

Going right under $70, these colored pencils are inexpensive and represent the perfect choice for a beginner in the coloring arts. Furthermore, if you buy them from places such as Amazon, you have all the chances of getting a discount.

Source: derwentart.com

We got 16% bumped from the price when we purchased these, which means we paid a little under $60. Furthermore, if you want to offer them to someone as a gift, you could also have them gift-wrapped. Amazon provides this option. 

Final Thoughts

Overall, the Derwent colored pencils are a great option for those starting out, but also for artists who are drawing and coloring on a budget. The colors are so vibrant and versatile that it would be hard to hate these pencils – regardless of their flaws.

Our Rating

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