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Our newsletter has dropped and we have three new articles now available. We like to cover a wide range of mediums and products in each article, so in this newsletter, we explore the Chromaflow coloured pencil range, the latest pencil produced by Derwent. Do we have a UK Prismacolor Premier pencil finally? Our second article covers the creamy oil pastels by Sennelier. Even if you don't work with oil pastels, you may find this article interesting, and you may even decide to try them yourself. Finally, we have the latest tutorial for soft pastel artists. If you haven't tried soft pastels before, we highly recommend you give this tutorial a go. It's so easy and you don't need any previous experience to make a brilliant piece of art. Click on any of the images below to visit the article and have a read. Why not grab a coffee, as we do throw lots of information into our articles, so we hope you enjoy them!  Derwents' new coloured pencil rangeThe Chromaflow pencil was released in June of 2021, initially in the USA and India and then the UK and the rest of the world, the following year. Derwent is a company, that has produced quality products for over a century and a half, so we would expect this new range to meet all the usual standards, but do they? In this article, we analyse the quality and application of the pencils. Did we find the same quality that we have come to expect from Derwent? We provide information from our own research, as well as reviews by other artists', found online. See how they compare to other brands, in particular with the highly popular Prismacolor Premier pencil, but with Derwents' other lines too.  Sennelier collaborated with Picasso to create this lightfast oil pastel rangeThe Sennelier (pronounced Sen-el-EE-A) oil pastel is creamy, with an extraordinarily high pigment content, providing vivid colour and excellent covering potential and brilliance, with a high degree of light stability. Oil pastels are comprised of pigment in a non-drying binder of oil and wax, which is formed into a compact stick. Like soft (dry) pastels, alternative brands offer diverse combinations of binder, oil and wax, which make them soft or hard. The Sennelier Oil Pastels use the same high quality pigments and high pigment loads as their other lines, combined with a pure, synthetic binding medium and mineral wax. In this article, we explore the possibilities of this compelling brand and the rich history of the company. We discuss best practices, delve into lightfast properties and provide recommendations on effective accessories. Finally, we share the feedback of other users and our own thoughts on this product. Even if you have never used oil pastels before, this article may inspire you to give them a go.  New tutorial - Poppy field on black base for soft pastel artistsThis is a tutorial created for the soft pastel artist. You may be a complete novice, unsure where to begin on your journey, or an intermediate looking for more knowledge. Pastels are a quick and easy medium, making them ideal for the absolute beginner. We provide a simple breakdown of how to create an eye catching landscape of these sun-kissed poppies. We show you how to build the foundations and offer practical techniques. By providing images and descriptions, we offer an easy to follow guide for every artist. You may just wish to pass the time with a box of pastel and a cuppa, simply because you like the composition. Wherever you are in the process, we encourage you to embellish as much as you want, or keep it as simple as we have. Why not give it a go?
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For anyone who uses the Caran d'Ache Luminance pencils, the company has released 24 new colours! You can buy individual pencils or purchase 20 of the colours in a box set called the 'Portrait assortment' These pencils have been available to 'pre-order' for a while, but online stores, are now receiving stock and getting them sent out to everyone. My set appeared on Saturday morning (18.07.20) and I have to admit to being very excited upon opening the box. For me, the Luminance pencils are THE best pencils I have used and I really appreciate that Caran d'Ache have extended the colour palette from 76 to 100. I suspect this was a reaction to Derwent releasing their first, fully lightfast pencil range last summer, which had 100 colours. For anyone interested, I have both ranges. The Luminance pencils are my regular 'go to' pencils as they are a little firmer than the Derwent Lightfast, and I am able to create finer details with them, but both ranges offer different colour palettes and having a larger choice is always a bonus.
The two darker tones, Indanthrone Blue and Dark Indigo will make a more natural replacement for the black pencil, but as the majority of my own work includes pets and portraits, having additional browns and pinks added to the palette is excellent. My current favourite colours are Burnt Ochre 10% and Burnt Sienna 10%, which I use on almost every portrait, so the introduction of the Herculanum Red, Violet Pink and Dark Flesh 40% are most welcome!  Above are the four new colours not included in the Portrait set. Personally, I think that Caran Dache should have created the Portrait set and include all 24 colours as they are just as important as all the other colours. I also wish they had included an extra grey for the 'eye colour selection', but as I use the greys more than most other colours, I could never have enough choice! Have you got yours yet? Do let me know what your favourite, or most used colours are, and which new colours you are most excited about!
You can view our Luminance article by clicking the link below. |
Karen M Berisford - The Tutor
AuthorKaren M Berisford Archives
March 2025
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