Derwent Onyx pencils - An artists review

​Feeling moody? Look no further, Derwent Onyx is our blackest graphite pencil, even darker than a 9B!
Great on its own for drawing really moody pictures or use it with other graphite media like Graphic or Sketching pencils to add dense shade and tone.
We have created two tones, medium and dark, but it is easy to build up darker shades if you need them by increasing the pressure. The wide strip can be easily sharpened and will hold a fine point, perfect for capturing the detail in drawings!

​Taken from the Derwent website - www.pencils.co.uk

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​These Onyx pencils were created by Derwent to add darker shades to their graphite pencil ranges. 
You don't need the full range of graphite pencils to create effective art, and this set, comprising only of a Medium & Dark grade would be ideal for those on the go, who like to sketch out in the field or those who prefer the minimal amount of art supplies (I'm sure there's some artist out there like that!?) 
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In this article, we explore the possibilities of these pencils and their characteristics.

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Derwent Graphic v's Derwent Onyx tonal chart

​We decided to research this product online and see what other artists are saying about these pencils, but found mixed reviews. Some noted the Dark grade was as black as Derwent suggests, but others said it was not. There is little information about these pencils on the Derwent site, but they do state that they are lightfast (rated 8 on the Blue Wool scale) and that both pencils contain animal fat in the wax blend. 

As you can purchase these pencils for under £2.00 each, we decided to buy them and try them out ourselves.
​We created a chart below, comparing the grades of the Derwent graphic range and the Derwent Onyx pencils. We include it here so you can see the difference for yourself. We applied the pencils as heavily as possible to ensure the darkest tones were replicated.

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Our findings

We have created a tutorial using the Onyx pencils, so people can examine for themselves what they can accomplish. It gives you a chance to learn how to draw facial features whilst trying the pencils too. Using other tools to blend and erase, will help you create highly effective drawings, without the constant need to change grades. For this reason, these pencils are ideal for sketches on the go and take up very little space in your bag. The medium pencil can create the finer lines and the Dark grade allows you to create shade, either heavy or light.​

Personally, we do not feel that the Dark grade is darker than the Graphic 9B, but what do you think?

Click the link below and try our graphite pencil tutorial. The Derwent Onyx pencils are used in this tutorial, but we do recommend two standard grades of graphite pencils in the place of the Onyx ones, should you wish to use those instead.

Try this tutorial out

​What are your personal experiences with these pencils?
​Do you use them exclusively or in conjunction with other brands?
Do you find them useful?

Let us know in the comments section below.