Derwent Charcoal Pencils

These are interesting tools for sketchers. I said yesterday that the Bruynzeel sketch pencils are a boon to have and they indeed are.

But for those who solely concentrate on sketching, particularly portraits and other mono-works, these are interesting too. They have been here for a long time, Derwent's.

I bought three for outdoor charcoal sketching - light, medium and dark. These three tones are suited for distant, middle ground and forground sketching. They are fat and quite easy to hold. Only problem is to shave them once the charcoal runs blunt. I prefer to use pen-knives and shave them into a wedge, gives the tips some consistency.

I will also sketch using these and will show you the work soon.

Bruynzeel Sketch Pencils - New Kids On The Block

I was browsing at the art store for sketching pencils when I was introduced to this at Nanyang (Kuala Lumpur). According to the proprietor, the pencils (from Holland) have just been introduced to the Malaysian market.

What makes them good is that, I was told, there are no air bubbles in the lead which gives you a consistent tone. That means when you are sketching, the lead doesn't break off in bits and pieces to give you a consistent shade - something sketchers value very much.

These pencils come in various hardness. I purchased 2B, 4B and 8B which sort of cover all the needs for sketchwork. The 2B for distant (low tonal value), 4B for mid-tones and the 8B for the high tones. I have tried them and I believe they are what the art shop chap said they were.

I hope to post some of my sketches here in the next few days.