Derwent Inktense Pencils User Guide

Derwent Inktense Pencils

INKTENSE USER GUIDE

Explore a vivid world of new possibilities with the unique and innovative Inktense range. Draw, paint, and create on a variety of surfaces.

GETTING STARTED

Inktense offers a range of highly versatile, water-soluble mediums that create vivid ink-like color when combined with water. The highly pigmented dry color transforms into a pure ink-like wash that is permanent once dry. Inktense Blocks are perfect for printing on fabric as well as paper.

PRODUCT USAGE

Start by gathering your equipment and experiment on a spare piece of watercolor paper. Practice different techniques for blending and mixing, with and without water. Try on both paper and fabric surfaces. Once you have a feel for the product, create a color chart to reference throughout your project. Using just twelve colors, you can build a map of many different tones and values. Across the top and down the left-hand side of your chart place pure colors. Then see what can be created by layering one color over the top of another.

PREPARING YOUR PALETTE

Inktense is water-soluble ink and should not be considered a straight “swap” for watercolors. While watercolors are “washable” across a broader page, Inktense creates bolder, more vibrant colors.

YOU WILL NEED

• Inktense Blocks
• Sharp craft knife or scalpel
• Watercolor paper and/or fabric surfaces
• Water

PREMIX WASHES

Using a sharp craft knife or scalpel, you can create your own bespoke color tints with fine shavings from dry Inktense Blocks. They are easily shaved while maintaining their shape due to the  high pigmentation. Do not overdo the amount of pigment you use! The Inktense range is so vibrant, and a little dab of color goes a long way!

LARGER WASHES
For larger scale work, the shaving technique is extremely  useful. By following the step above, add more water to the ratio of  Inktense pigment to achieve the desired tint. The more pigment, the  stronger the color. The more water, the finer and translucent the  tint.

STIRRING
For water media techniques on a grand scale, Inktense Blocks themselves can be stirred into wells of water and very quickly mix  together to create large scrumptious volumes of lovely premixed  color. Time to get those big brushes out!

KEEP DISCOVERING
Refer to the Inktense Facts section in the user guide for more information on this product.

We have heard from many artists who love working with Derwent Inktense range and it’s innovative formulation. With our brand ambassadors, we have put together easy to follow projects, which demonstrate the creative possibilities with Inktense in  whatever form. With these simple tips you can try new techniques to create stunning artworks on a variety of surfaces.

Inktense offers a range of highly versatile, water-soluble mediums which create vivid ink-like colour when combined with water. Start by gathering your equipment and experiment on a spare piece of watercolour paper. Practice different techniques for blending and mixing, with and without water. Try on both paper and fabric surfaces.

Once you have a feel for the product, create a colour chart to reference throughout your project. Using just twelve colours you can build a map of many different tones and values. Across the top and down the left hand side of your chart place pure colours. Then see what can be created by layering one colour over the top of another.

Colour chart created using 12 colours from the Inktense Paint Pan Set.Highly pigmented dry colour transforms into a pure ink-like wash which is permanent once dry. Inktense Blocks are perfect for printing on fabric as well as paper.

INKTENSE BLOCK WASHES

Robert Dutton
Robert Dutton has won numerous awards for his distinctive and expressive pastel paintings, and runs popular demonstrations, workshops and sell out art holidays throughout the UK. He contributed to Dorling Kindersley Artist’s Drawing Techniques featuring several Inktense paintings. He also teaches at ‘Paint Andalucia’ in Southern Spain. rdcreative.co.uk

“Inktense is water-soluble ink and should not be considered a straight ‘swap’ for watercolours. While watercolours are ‘washable’ across a broader page, Inktense creates bolder, more vibrant colours.”

YOU WILL NEED

• Inktense Blocks
• Craft Knife/Scalpel
• Paint Pallet/Mixer
• Paint Brushes

TECHNIQUES

Using Inktense Pencils, Paint and Blocks

• Inktense Blocks or Pencils can be used dry on paper and fabrics; just as they are, straight from the tin.
• Try using the side or edge of your Inktense Blocks to create sweeping colour and interesting textures.
• Activate with water to unlock vivid ink-like colour. Or apply dry to a wet surface for a bolder base colour.
• Mix and blend together using a variety of techniques such as cross hatching, layering and rubbing.
• Once dry, Inktense is permanent. You can layer on top without smudging or lifting previous layers.
• They dry quickly too -a huge advantage when travelling or storing your work.

HAND LETTERING

WITH THE INKTENSE PAINT PAN TRAVEL SET
With Shayda Campbell: Shayda Campbell teaches ‘perfectly imperfect’ watercolour painting, illustration and bullet journaling on YouTube at youtube.com/shaydacampbell
A floral piece like this one is a wonderful project for the beginner watercolour artist. The forms of flowers and leaves are so common that you can abstract them as much or as little as you like and they will remain recognisable to your viewer.

YOU WILL NEED

• Inktense Paint Pan Set (includes waterbrush)
• Watercolour Paper

“The Inktense Paint Pan Set is easy to use and it’s compact enough to put in your pocket and pull out whenever creativity strikes and you just have to get your paint on!”

STEP 1: Begin by mixing up a lovely dark green to paint some leaves on the page. The Inktense Paint Pan Set comes with a palette in the lid as well as a waterbrush so you really do have everything you need at your fingertips. Go for larger, basic leaf shapes first. As you paint leaves and vines, think about the pressure that you apply to the paper. In one moment you use only the lightest touch; just the delicate fine point of the brush, in another moment you smoosh the belly of the brush across the page forming large leaves and petals.

STEP 2: After you have created a perimeter of greenery, mix up a deep violet and begin to add some floral shapes. Keep in mind that the shape of a flower is a very vague thing. A flower rarely looks like the four or five petal icon that we see so often. A good swoosh of your waterbrush across the paper will produce an organic shape that will almost certainly look more like a real flower than that familiar set of petals. Adding the details of a stamen and/or a stem will help your organic flower to come to life.

STEP 3: Finally, use black paint and the waterbrush to write ‘Bloom’ in a brush script in the centre of the piece. The waterbrush is a great lettering tool. You can easily add pressure for a thicker stroke or lighten your pressure to get those thin, delicate up-strokes. The waterbrush also makes it easy to attain that pretty watery translucent look in each letter. Try making your letters opaque at the top and lighter towards the bottom. Having water inside the brush makes it easy to add the right amount to the form of each letter.

URBAN SKETCHING

INKTENSE PAINT PAN STEP BY STEP With Jedidiah Dore

STEP 1: Make a simple, light contour drawing of the major shapes of the buildings, and tugboat. Drawing just the outline will give you a guide to where to place the colours and also a good composition.

STEP 2: Using the Inktense Paint Pan Studio Set, apply the lightest colour values first, followed by painting from medium to darkest, and most intense colours last.

STEP 3: Using a choice of light colours to represent equal values, paint this first layer with a wash, using a little more water to lighten the colours.
Light colours: Sun Yellow, Natural Brown, Ultramarine, Bright Blue

STEP 4 :Now for the colours representing the next layer of medium values, paint the colours below to begin building up the values and tones to add depth.
Medium colours: Turquoise, Red Oxide, Mango, Navy Blue.

The final layer of colours are the darkest values. Use these colours sparingly, adding them to where the darkest tones and intensity of colours are located. Use hot colours such as Poppy Red to add final touch of vibrancy. Dark/Intense Colours: Payne’s Grey, Poppy Red

STEP 5: For the final step using the line maker pens, use the thicker .8 pen to draw a simple contour line around all the edges of the drawing you want emphasized to show shape and volume. Go over the same lines to thicken the line and create line variation. Finish detailing the drawing with the finer .5 pen to include the rest of the details of the drawing. Details and marks can be applied as much as you wish to highlight the tugboat and surrounding environment.

YOU WILL NEED

• Derwent Inktense Paper
• Inktense Paint Pan Studio Set
• Line maker pens (.8 and .5)

VIBRANT LANDSCAPES

LAYERING TECHNIQUES With Robert Dutton: Highly versatile and easily layered, Robert shows us how to create vibrant and expressive landscapes using Inktense Blocks and Pencils. rdcreative.co.uk

YOU WILL NEED

• Inktense Blocks
• Inktense Pencils
• Permanent White Gouache
• Watercolour Paper
• Waterbrush

“It was really exciting to see how easily the colours fl owed from both Inktense Pencils and Inktense Blocks when further drawing techniques and structural elements were desired especially when applied into wet passages of paint”

STEP 1: Using lots of wet in wet techniques with Inktense helps create the first and most important foundation stage on to which to build this expressive, colourful river scene. Using different pressured strokes the colours just melt onto the sheet or delicately compliment the surface texture of the paper; further extending creative expression for finer details. Due to it’s permanence Inktense can be worked over once dry without affecting previous layers of vivid colour.

STEP 2: Continuing with the layering process, after the initial foundation structure is dry, mix a little Permanent White Gouache into the Inktense colour to give a heavier body and more intensity to the opaque mixes. Use Inktense Pencils to build up the details at this stage too.

STEP 3: Bring the whole painting together using Inktense Blocks on their side; one over the other, to highlight textures in the foliage. Use dry Inktense Pencils (no water) to add the final linear details – especially in the foreground grasses.

Hot Tips

• You can layer Inktense without smudging or lifting previous layers. Start with the lighter colours at the bottom before adding the darker colours over the top.
• You can also add detail by running a wet waterbrush over an Inktense Block or Pencil.

STEP BY STEP

PUMPKINS STEP BY STEP

With Milly England

STEP 1: Practice the shapes and outlines on paper until you’re happy with your design, then use one of the Inktense pencils to sketch each motif directly onto your ceramic blank. Start with a paler shade and work with a light hand. Any mistakes can be ignored – these additional pencil crayon marks will add to the fluidity of your final pumpkin.

STEP 2: Use water and a fine paintbrush to loosen the ink of the Inktense pencils. There’s no need to colour in the motifs with solid colour before you add water. The colour is so intense it’s fine to use ‘scribbles’’dashes’ of colour which, with  water, will fill your outlines beautifully. Leave some white areas to capture the light landing on the berries.

STEP 3: For the sloes berries use Iron Blue 0840 and Bright Blue 1000. Take care not to merge all the Iron Blue into the Bright Blue – it’s important for the darker shade not to dominate the lighter shade. Make the most of the different hues.

• For the rose hips, use Willow 1900 for the outline. Fill with Cherry 0510 and a tiny flash of Sun Yellow 0200.
• For the Autumn leaves, use a tan or light brown shade Mustard 1700 and Baked Earth 1800 for the outlines. Use a darker shade with red undertones such as Bark 2000 and Shiraz 0600 for the stem and the veins.
• Work different areas of the leaves with different shades, keeping lines fluid and loose and ‘scribbly’. Don’t be afraid to use some bright, light tones such as: Sun Yellow 0200, Sherbet Lemon 0100 and Sienna Gold 0240.
• It’s possible to add some more texture after the water has dried, be careful not to do this whilst the surface is still very wet as the colour will bleed.

STEP 4: Build up colour on the pumpkin stem in browns and tans – highlight any texture or indents with darker tones.

YOU WILL NEED

• Inktense Set of 36 Pencils
• Blank ceramic pumpkin
• Water and a fine paint brush (size 1, 2 or 3)
• Gloss artists varnish

Top Tips

• To stop the risk of smudging, try to finish each motif before you start the next one.
• Select warm tones that merge beautifully.
• Keep your lines fluid and loose – have fun with it!
• Make sure you keep some white areas within the leaves and berries to give the impression of light catching the surface
• There’s no need to agitate all the pencil – keep some of the pencil lines dry to maintain the texture.
• Use an artist gloss varnish to seal your work – keep it safe from accidental splashes

XLINKTENSE BLOCKS

With Jake Spice r: Artist Jake Spicer shows us the step-by-step breakdown he used to create a drawing of an eye using the versatile XL Inktense blocks.
www.jakespicerart.co.uk

YOU WILL NEED

• XL Inktense blocks
• Hot press 300gsm watercolour paper
• Derwent waterbrush
• Paper towel

STEP 1: To add a little colour to the white of paper I started off with a wash of colour taken directly from the XL block. Using my waterbrush to liquify the top of the block as it were a watercolour pan I flicked, dropped and painted a layer of colour over the page, establishing the shape of the eye in brush marks of yellow and red.

STEP 2: The texture and colour of XL blocks express themselves differently on  wet and dry  paper. For this stage I wanted to bring out the  texture of the paper so I let both the paper and XL blocks dry before adding more marks to ensure that they remained consistent. Using the board edge of the block I made bold strokes in red and yellow accross the page.

STEP 3: Using the strokes on the page as a reservoir of colour I added clean water to the paper with my waterbrush, turning the textured marks to liquid paint and moving them around while, sprinkling powdered XL block onto the paper to increase the intensity of the colour. While paint was wet I used the block to press further marks on to the page for the eyebrow.

STEP 4: Once the page was fully dry I used the narrow edge of the block to make a broad, blue, horizontal stroke from the corner of the eye. If you’re trying this yourself you might find it helpful to practice your strokes on a separate sheet of a paper, wearing down the edge of the block to allow for a more consistent mark.

STEP 5: I used the corner of the block to draw a narrow stroke across the eyelashes, around the iris and around the pupil. Returning to my waterbrush to wet the marks I careful painted colour across the eye, leaving the highlight white. Finally, I made a playful, agile mark beneath the eye in red – make sure you practice your marks before hand to get a feel for how earlier layers of colour can resist later marks.

Hints & Tips

• Speed up your drying times by using a hair dryer – practice beforehand to avoid blowing paint across your work
• Safely use a craft knife to sharpen the blocks and save the shavings to mix with water

CUSHION DESIGN

APPLYING INKTENSE TO FABRICS
With Suvi Kyyrönen: Konsta Shop are a favourite stockist of Derwent products in Finland; providing high quality art supplies to professionals, hobbyists, families and schools alike. Suvi and the rest of
the testing team, Heli and Lida, are always looking for new ways of using artist products, and have featured the application of Inktense on paper and fabric in their online blog.
@konstashop konstashop.fi You can use Inktense Pencils and Blocks like fabric colours. Soak the fabric and draw, or paint on a dry cloth with a wet brush. Decorate fabric bags, essentials and pillowcases, or make a piece of art on canvas!

YOU WILL NEED

• Inktense Blocks
• Intense Pencils
• Fabric of your choice!
• Paint Brushes
• Spritzer Bottle
• Craft Knife
• Stamps

DRY TO DRY
Draw and colour with Inktense Pencils as usual. Even though the glow of the colours is most pronounced wet, these strong, gemstone colours are still striking when dry. When used dry you can also add subtle details to your work. If you are using Inktense Blocks, colour large areas on the sides and draw details with corner and tip.

DRY TO WET
Moisten the surface first and then see how the colour dissolves in water and spreads smoothly. You can design the whole work with smooth colours and follow how they intertwine and mix with each other. Or you can also let each application set and then work with a dry pencil or block to create layers. An interesting contrast is created between these smooth and accurate shapes.

SPRAY EFFECTS
If you have a spritzer, you can easily make your own spray inks with Inktense Blocks. Scratch the pigment onto paper, pour into the bottle, add water and shake. You can use one or more colours to create your own colour blends. Spray impressive effects on your work or use with stencils.

SPLASHES
Create splashes by wetting part of your surface with a brush. Then scratch the Inktense Block or Pencil with a craft knife to apply the colour over the area you have moistened. Pigments dissolve in water and absorb into the surface. For larger splashes, take some colour from your Inktense Blocks to a wet brush and then tap the brush over your finger so that the splashes hit the paper.

STAMPS
Moisten a rubber stamp lightly with a brush, swipe the colour over the stamp side, and then press the image onto your surface. When the pattern is still wet, you can continue working by moving the colours with a wet brush, gently from the edges of the pattern to the centre areas. Alternatively, you can wait for the stamped pattern to dry, and then continue working with either ordinary colouring pencils or with Inktense Pencils.

QUILTING

USING INKTENSE PENCILS With Ana Buzzalino
Ana Buzzalino is a textile artist living in Calgary, Alberta, Canada who has spent the last 30+ years experimenting with and teaching a variety of surface design and quilting techniques. Nowadays she works mainly on art quilts that incorporate mixed media techniques. Her art has been shown in national and international shows and has won numerous awards.

User Guide

• Inktense Pencils
• Pre-washed fabric of your choice
• Wadding
• Backing fabric
• Thread
• Paint brushes
• Textile medium
• A container with water
• A few paper towels
• A sewing machine with a free-motion quilting foot

anabuzzalino.com

GETTING STARTED: Trace your design on a piece of fabric before layering it with wadding and a backing fabric. Using thread in a charcoal colour, to resemble the look of a pencil line on a sketchbook, free-motion quilt the design on the fabric until all of the trace lines are covered. Backstitch on some of them to make them thicker and darker, as you would when you sketch.

TO PAINT ON DRY
Apply the dry colour as desired, going from light to dark, blending as you go. With a small brush, take a small amount of textile medium and begin applying to the coloured area; blend the colours carefully. Start at the center of the area you coloured and work your way outwards, so by the time you reach the edges there will be almost no medium left on the brush, and it won’t bleed beyond your lines. Repeat as necessary. Let it dry and adjust the colours, if you’d like, by adding thin layers.

TO PAINT ON WET
With a small brush, paint the area to be coloured with textile medium. The work needs to be quite damp, but not sodden. Start adding colour with the Inktense Pencils directly onto the wet area. This allows the colour to flow freely from the pencil. Once the colour is applied to one area, go back  over it with a brush and textile medium to blend the colours in. It is possible to also dip the end of the pencil into the textile medium directly and apply to your work for fine lines, dots and detailed work.

HEAT SETTING
Let the piece dry for 24 hours to ensure it is completely dry. Heat set with an iron on wool setting using a piece of muslin between the iron and your work to protect the quilt/fabric. Press each area moving the iron slowly to avoid scorching the fabric. Once the piece is heat set, it can be washed to remove excess fabric medium.

Hot Tips

• You can work on a single piece of fabric and quilt afterwards if you so desire. In that case, place a double layer of muslin underneath to catch excess fabric medium and colour that may bleed through.
• If you don’t like the first application of colour, let it dry. Once dry, the colour is permanent, so you can add layers of colour on top without moving the colour underneath.
• Don’t forget to wipe your brush clean when working with different colours, to keep the colours from becoming muddy.

ACCESSORIES

There is a huge range of accessories available to compliment the Inktense range.

Specialist Artist Erasers
Two high performance erasers with strong absorption quality. The Technique Eraser within this set is the most effective eraser for Inktense, the highly pigmented formula requires a strong and hard eraser to cut through the rich laydown to lift off the colour. It is most effective on Inktense Pencils, XL blocks and small blocks.

Paper
Superior quality heavy weight 300gsm paper, made from 100% cotton with a textured, cold pressed surface. The water absorption performance delivers outstanding layering capability, able to withstand multiple layers for buildable colour intensity, without compromise to surface quality. The texture of the surface allows for a smooth and consistent wash, capturing bold pigment for instant, and buildable vibrancy. Available in three sizes, 7×10», 9×12», 12×16.

Spritzer
Adds a new creative dimension to your water based work. Spray water directly over water-soluble drawings to create interesting textures, colour runs and dribble effects. You can dissolve Inktense colour pigment by filing the Spritzer with Inktense watercolour or grated block power and spraying colour straight onto your artwork.

Blender: Create a subtle blend of colours by mixing and smoothing using the Blender pencil. It’s soft, colourless pencil made from the binder used for coloured pencils, it allows you to blend two or more colours together to create a new colour.

Twin Hole Sharpener A dual size metal sharpener with high quality, long lasting blades to create a consistently smooth and sharp point. The two hole sizes can both be used for Inktense pencils, the small 8.25mm hole creates a standard point length and is the best for fine details, the 11.5mm can also be used to create a shorter point length.

Burnisher
A hard colourless pencil which when used over layers of pigment provides a rich polished finish. Burnishing pushes the pigment into the paper and leaves a well blended, photo like finish and makes the colours appear brighter .

Pushbutton Waterbrushes
Assorted waterbrushes with a large water barrel with leak proof design, push button for easy control water release and durable nylon tips that continue to hold their shape over time. Each brush features a different shape or size tip, from Fine point to Chisel tip, allowing you to create a range of strokes.

TAKE CARE WHEN LOOKING AFTER YOUR CRAFT PROJECTS
Inktense products are permanent once dry, and can be safely washed by hand at a cold temperature (max 30°). We recommend you use water only, and avoid harsh detergents.

MADE IN BRITAIN

With a heritage dating back to 1832, Derwent’s innovation comes from a deep understanding of the needs and requirements of artists. Perfecting the art of pencil manufacturing in the Lake District for generations, our wide range of pencils is synonymous with quality and craftsmanship. Artistry is threaded through the core of every Derwent product to deliver world class artists materials at every stage of the creative journey. Inktense can be used with a wide range of Derwent products for a mixed media approach.

Share your Inktense creations
@derwentartoffi cial #ColourReinvented www.DerwentArt.com
Please visit www.DerwentArt.com for our most up- to-date colour charts on all our ranges.

KEEP DISCOVERING

All products and accessories are available at www.DerwentArt.com

• ACCO Brands Europe: Derwent
• Oxford House: Derwent House
• Oxford Road: Jubilee Road, Lillyhall Business Park,
• Aylesbury, Bucks.:  Workington, Cumbria
• HP21 8SZ England: CA14 4HS, England

SCAN ME

Documents / Resources

| Derwent Inktense Pencils [pdf] User Guide
Inktense Pencils, Inktense, Pencils
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References

• Ana Buzzalino - News and Musings from my Studio
• Konsta Shop - Askartelu- ja taidetarvikkeet
• RD Creative
• Derwent | Derwent
• jakespicer - Artwork

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