Derwent Lightfast Colored Pencils Review
Hey artists! Today, I’m diving into the Derwent Lightfast colored pencils – the oil-based champs designed for pros who want their work to last for 100 years under museum conditions. Let’s break down the key features of these professional colored pencils in this quick art supplies review.
This article is not sponsored by the manufacturer. Being a full-time artist, I often do honest product reviews of major art brands. I appreciate your support if you buy one of my books on Amazon and review it!
Derwent Lightfast Colored Pencils Characteristics:
- Softness: very soft
- Brightness/color saturation: saturated
- Breakage: 4.5/5
- Price: expensive
- Colors: a range of beautiful colors
- Lightfastness: 100% lightfast according to the manufacturer. (I didn’t test the actual lightfastness of these colored pencils).
#1 First up, softness: These pencils have a creamy, oil-based core that’s smooth as butter. They glide effortlessly on paper, making blending and layering a dream. They are a very close competitor to Luminance in terms of softness and how they feel in my hand. Not as waxy-soft as some competitors, but they hold a sharp point well for detailed work – though watch out, the cores can be prone to breakage if you’re heavy-handed or drop them by accident.
#2 Saturation? Absolutely top-notch. The pigments are rich and vibrant, delivering bold, opaque colors right from the first stroke. Whether you’re building up layers or going for that punchy pop, Derwent Lightfast colored pencils rival other professional brands like Polychromos or Luminance.
#3 On breakage: While they’re durable for normal use, I had one colored pencil breaking right from the start. It would continue breaking during sharpening or under pressure. It’s not a deal-breaker, but handle with care – especially since they’re expensive.
#4 Lightfastness is where they shine – literally! Rated 100% lightfast under museum conditions (ASTM D6901 standard), these pencils resist fading for up to 100 years. Perfect for archival art that you want to sell or display without worry. Made from the finest raw materials and the purest pigments in Great Britain, all colors are lightfast according to standard tests ( I didn’t do my own).
What is permanence in art?
Lightfastness is different from Permanence, however. There are several factors that affect the permanence of art on paper or canvas. These factors include high humidity, room temperature fluctuations, air pollution, mixed media chemical reactions, and paper.
You can download the lightfastness charts of professional colored pencils here: Lightfastness Charts of all major professional colored pencil brands.
#5 Current price range: Depending on the set, you’re looking at $40-$60 for a 12-pack, $100-$150 for 36, up to $250-$300 for the full 100-color set. It’s worth it for serious artists, but man, budget accordingly. I suggest buying a few colors as open-stock to test them in your art first.
Overall, Derwent Lightfast are a great investment for vibrant, long-lasting art. Thumbs up if color, softness, and longevity is your priority!
Like and subscribe for more reviews on my channel – what’s your go-to pencil? Drop it in the comments. Check out my other reviews of the best colored pencils, including Luminance, Pablo’s, Polychromos, and Prismacolor Premier!
4 Extra Tips:
- Layering: Overlap your colors to create ‘tight’ shading with no gaps
- Mixing: Mix with other, less expensive soft colored pencils
- Blending: Blend by shading using crosshatching. Try not to use solvents. Use Bristol Vellum paper.
- Pressure: Control the pressure of your pencil to apply either light or heavy strokes.
What’s your favorite brand?
Other Professional Colored Pencils Brands Worth Your Money:
I also reviewed other best professional colored pencil brands, such as Luminance, Pablos, Prismacolors and more on my Youtube Channel: