Derwent Inktense Pencils

Derwent Inktense Pencils are high-quality watercolor pencils that boast vibrant colors. They can be used as dry pencils or be mixed with water to turn into fluid ink. Once the ink is dry again and you’re done brushing, it gets fixed and you can work over it as many times as needed. This makes them great for using on cotton or silk fabrics. However, these watercolor pencils can also be used on watercolor paper, cards, etc.

Derwent markets this pencils in sets of 6, 12, 24, 36, 48, and 72, in tin or in wooden boxes. The various colors have different lightfastness ratings, so be careful to check this detail first according to your work requirements and needs. The colors in these pencils are non-toxic and safe to use by children.

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Product Pros & Cons

Artist Likes

  • Bright and bold colors that remain the same when solved with water
  • Coherent results when used in mixed-media
  • Once dry, they are permanent
  • Opacity possibilities are endless
  • Soft enough to be easy to blend
  • Fantastic quality for the price
  • Great results on Yupo papers and good results on Canson watercolor paper
  • Unmatched shading performance on fabric

Artist Dislikes

  • May need a little experimentation to get the desired results
  • Some find that the 72-piece set still lacks some soft colors
  • Some find the color range to be very uneven
  • May be a bit complicated to dry and fix on thick fabric

Most people complain about the poor color range and bad hue selection, especially in the greens and blues. This is evident by reports from artists who bought the 72-piece set and still didn’t get what they needed. Other than that though, the pencils perform great, they are easy to work with, they provide good results both on fabric and on paper, and they are quite cheap for their quality.

Final Considerations

Like in every artist medium, these pencils will either be a great or bad addition to your collection depending on what you need them for. The focus of your attention before buying them though should be the color range. There are many different sets offered by Derwent but you may find that even the richest lacks of the hues you’ll need. All in all, this is a great product for people who want easy permanent coloring on fabric. If you’re one of these people, start by giving the small sets a try and see how it works out for you.