Review: Derwent INKTENSE Watercolour Pencils

Introduction

As an emerging children's book illustrator, I'm always on the lookout for tools that can bring colour to my characters. Recently, I ventured into the world of Inktense watercolour pencils because I was curious about their vibrant hues and unique properties and I just had to try them for myself.

First Impressions

The pencil arrive in a sleek tin, each one labelled with its colour name and number which was a delightful touch for someone with more than just a touch of the ‘tism who loves organising things. Holding them felt comfortable, and the cores seemed robust, promising longevity.

Performance

I began as always by swatching these out. Dry, the pencils laid down rich, pigmented lines. But the magic truly unfolded when I added water. WOW! The pretty generic looking colours transformed into vibrant inks, flowing smoothly and blending seamlessly. Once dry, the colours became fairly permanent, allowing me to layer without disturbing the underlying hues too much which was a feature that I found particularly useful for adding depth and detail. But be warned, if you want to lift, lift when wet the first time, because it is much more difficult after that. This quick image of a bird was a quick play to see what the inktense pencils could do in 5 minutes using just the pencils and a few Meeden Watercolour Wands. (I'll review them separately).

Pros and Cons

Pros:

• Vibrant, ink-like colours when activated with water.

• Permanent once dry, enabling layering without smudging.

• Versatile (can be used dry for fine details or wet for bold washes).

• Portable and less messy than traditional watercolours.

• Can buy pencils separately which is a real bonus for customising your palette

• I love the ‘outliner’ pencil! It is so much better than a lead pencil and gives a nice finish on edges.

Cons:

• The permanence means mistakes are unforgiving, so planning is essential.

• Some colours may appear different when dry versus wet, requiring test swatches.

• Not ideal for traditional watercolour techniques like lifting or reworking areas.

• I bought the 24 colour set and some extra colours separately (but at the same time) and I kind of wish I’d tried just a couple of colours first and then I could have committed to buying a bigger set earlier. Now I want the bigger set to try more colours, so I have a bit of buyer’s remorse for going for the smaller set.

  
  

Final Thoughts

Inktense Watercolour Pencils have earned a cherished spot in my art toolkit. A little bit goes a long way with these pencils and I think their vibrant colours and unique properties will open up new creative avenues for me, especially for illustrating lively and colourful characters and interesting background scenes. While they definitely come with a learning curve and are harder to control that traditional watercolour pencils, I think the results are well worth the effort and I am more than just a bit disappointed I didn't get a bigger set.