Trying the Derwent Graphitint pencils

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A few years ago I purchased a tin of Derwent Graphitint pencils being a fan of graphite pencils I thought it was such a great concept to add a hint of colour to my graphite drawings using these pencils. However, after briefly trying them out I found that they are not at all like graphite pencils. You cannot blend them or completely erase them, and I think these only work best when mixed with water, very much like the Derwent Inktense pencils. The colours are not vibrant like the Inktense ones but each colour has a graphite undertone hence the 'Graphitint' title. They don't offer the same silvery sheen as graphite pencils do and they feel heavier in application. They are however, rather fun to play with especially with the right paper. 

​I decided to choose a suitable subject and give them a trial - ​See how I got on below......

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Image Copyright Karen M Berisford

What better subject to use than this stunning 'Blue Morpho' Butterfly. Minimal colours but chosen for it's 'graphite sheen' - perfect for the Graphitint pencils!

For this exercise I am using the Light Grey Clairfontaine Pastelmat which ​is a fantastic support for these (and I suspect many other) watercolour pencils. The paper is heavyweight and water resistant meaning the pencil grabs the paper and does not buckle when water is applied. 

Read more about PASTELMAT paper here

1.  Colour chart & application

It is extremely important to have a colour chart to hand when using pencils like these as the 'leads' of these pencils are quite dark and it can be difficult to differentiate between colours. The leads are darker dry than when they are wet and creating a home made colour chart showing both dry and wet colour tones is a huge help. The first thing I noticed is that the Pastelmat paper grabbed the colour immediately, I did not need to apply a heavy application of colour however although this will vary if using other types of paper. I attempted to erase some of the blue colour to see how well I could remove it but was never able to fully erase the tinge. I used the 'Ocean Blue' and 'Mountain grey' with a thin application of 'Midnight Black' to the veins.

Colour application on Pastelmat paper which goes on easily.

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Applying water

I used a No.3 size brush for the application of water and ensured I applied water carefully and followed the direction of the lines and shape of the butterfly to avoid leaving any unnecessary marks. I'm no watercolourist and have minimal knowledge on how best to work watercolour pencils so followed the same concept as I do with acrylics. I decided to apply clean water to each colour individually to avoid over blending or bleeding and found the colours dried lighter than the application was applied. I also found it was best to let the colours completely dry before applying another layer over the top as the hardness of the pencil can scrape the underlayers away.

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Lifting out colour - creating highlights

As you can see with the dark tips of the wings that being too heavy handed with water application can cause excessive 'bleeding' leaving harsh edges between colours so it is best to keep your brush clean whilst softening the transition to avoid muddying the colours. With a wet brush, I was also able to pull out highlights in areas - the longer you leave the wet brush over an area, the more the colour can be lifted and the brighter the highlight. I was able to continue pulling out highlights the next day too. I applied 2 other colours: Cool Brown and Cool grey to continue to darken the wing tips.

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Pencil work and stippling application

After the colours had fully dried, I began applying fine details with the Ocean Blue pencil to create the 'stipple' effect on the wings. Then with a wet paintbrush, I continued the same stippling movement so as not to blend or drag the detail. I went over the veins of the wings with the Midnight black and applied fine highlights using the white pencil, ensuring I kept the points sharp for finer lines.To soften these lines I used a thinner bristled paintbrush to carefully wipe over the lines but avoided over-saturation so as not to lighten the colours to much. A second stipple of the Midnight black pencil was applied to darken certain areas.

Working up details and colours

The midnight black pencil is not a strong black tone especially when it is blended with water. Once dry it turns into a dark grey and it may be best to apply the black pencil dry to keep it's strength. The same goes for the white pencil but always ensure the painting is fully dry before applying dry pencil applications to avoid scratching the surface as already mentioned. Other colours were added to the edges of the wings creating a layering process of wet/dry applications until I got the right amount of detail and colour strength.  To soften edges/transitions apply a damp brush to the area so as not to over saturate and drag too much pigment around which can muddy the effect.  

Protecting your portrait upon completion can be achieved by using a fixative spray and I may do a window test with this painting to check the lightfastness of the colours. These details will be added to this page if and when available. 

The Importance of lightfast ratings

The Graphitint colour chart shows the dry colour (L) and the wash (R) next to each colour block with the pencil number and name followed by a single number below the initials 'LF' this stands for 'Lightfast' and is based on the 'Blue Wool scale' that Derwent uses for all their products. A rating between 0 - 8 is given to each colour with 0 being extremely poor lightfast and 8 being the most lightfast. Be aware that this lightfast chart has been provided by Derwent for the lightfast qualities of the dry application and NOT mixed with water. As everyone will mix different amounts of water when using these pencils, it would be impossible to give an exact lightfast rating. The more water applied to each colour, the less lightfast it becomes - be careful around colours such as pinks and purples that have low lightfast numbers as these will fade far quicker than stronger colours. Protect your artwork with a UV fixative or frame your artwork using UV protection glass which can filter out up to 99.9% UV radiation.
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Always check the lightfast ratings of any art product/colour range before spending your money.
​Poor lightfast ratings may see your artwork fade within a few years"
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Colour options

​With only 24 colours in the range, it is difficult to find the right one especially for this stunning Red-legged Honeycreeper as there is only the Ocean blue colour in the set that comes close to the blues on this bird and that was quite a muted tone. There are no yellows in the set but a loose wash of the light green can offer something close to. if you are a big fan of these pencils, I assume you will have adapted to the opportunities by now - if you are thinking of buying some, do note that these are probably best used alongside other watercolour pencils so you have a larger palette, particularly if you like vibrancy in your work, as you may find these tones quite muted.

​I wonder if Derwent will extend the colour range of these pencils in the future?

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