Review: Derwent Inktense Pencils

I started drawing using primarily alcohol markers but when I found out that alcohol markers are generally not lightfast (meaning will fade over time), I thought I should find a lightfast alternative, especially since I was going to sell my work. I wasn't sure what would be a plausible option until I hit on Derwent's Inktense pencils.

 

These are water-soluble coloured pencils, so in a sense they work somewhat like watercolour pencils (of which I did a review of the Faber Castell Albrecht Durer v the Derwent watercolour pencils) - you colour in the picture, add water and the pigment disolves, looking like paint. But there are a few big differences between Inktense and watercolour pencils:  

1) Watercolour pencils are supposed to mimic the watercolour effect when wet, hence the colours appear more vibrant dry than wet (although the Albrecht Durers are very bright even when wet). The pigment of the Inktense pencils are like ink (hence the name). Once you activate it with water, the colour becomes MORE pigmented than when used dry. 

2) Watercolour pencils can be wet and re-wet, meaning once you put water over the same spot, the pigment can be shifted around again. The Inktense pencils, on the other hand, work like ink. The pigment can only be wet once, after which they become permanent. You can work other colours on top when dry but that bottom layer remains as it is.

A lightbulb went off in my head: if these give an ink effect, perhaps they could be a good alternative to markers? So I bought a 12-pencil set to try out. I've since used them on a few pieces and here are my thoughts:

Texture-wise, they remind me very much of the Faber-Castell Albrecht Durer pencils. They have a gummy feel and go on almost like wax crayons, so you can't draw thin lines with them. As for pigment, holy cow, these are vibrant! I don't know if you can see see the difference among the Faber Castell Albrecht Durer, the Derwent watercolour pencils and the Derwent Inktense in the swatches I did below. The Inktense remains equally, if not more vibrant when wet (right half of swatch) than dry (left half of swatch).

I was pretty excited by the possibilities. Here's a street scene that I would typically have done in markers, but I did using primarily the Inktense (with some markers for the ground). Just look at the vibrancy of that yellow and magenta!

Compare the sharpness I could achieve vs an earlier piece I did below, using the Faber Castell Albrecht Durer and Derwent watercolour pencils. Even though I tried my darndest to make it crisp, it still had that fuzzy effect

So would I say that the Derwent Inktense is a good substitute for markers? Yes and no. The original intent was to find a lightfast alternative and Derwent Inktense pencils are generally very good (you can check out the lightfast charts for all Derwent pencils). Colour-wise, the Derwent Inktense pencils are pretty vibrant. But somehow wielding a paintbrush (and I use a very small one), I still can't get the same level of control I can get with a fine-tip marker. See the Greek street scene I drew using pen and alcohol markers below.

 

Ensuring the colour stays within the lines is a challenge and once the Inktense smudges, you can't wipe it off. Shadows are especially tricky. With markers, I can use a grey one and draw the shadows on. With Inktense, sometimes the colour comes out too dark and then I'm frantically trying to control where the water goes so that the ink doesn't leave a stark garish patch.

It's an interesting concept and certainly good for getting different types of looks. Sometimes I use the Inktense in on part of the picture where I want the focus on a really bright object, so it's great for mixing and matching. But as a substitute for markers? I think I'll have to keep looking.

You can buy Derwent Inktense pencils from Art Friend. A 12-pencil tin set is only about S$20 and you can buy the pencils individually. As mentioned previously, Art Friend has the best price for Derwent products that I know of, even cheaper than buying from the UK which is where Derwent is made.

I've written a comprehensive overview of Derwent coloured pencils, if you're interested in the brand.