The Derwent inktense pencils are fabulous and fun to use. There are now 100 colors. I had the set of 72 and this is the 28 new colors. Two out of the 28 I had an issue with but Derwent is an outstanding pencil producer so I would not be discouraged from ordering one of their other types of pencils. I already have three different sets but I'm looking at ordering another as they all have different qualities for different types of paper and artwork

When I placed my order it said the pencils would be in a roll-up case. It showed picture of it. When I received my order the pencils were in a small plastic bubble wrapped bag inside a mailing bag and shipped to me from England to USA. You could feel them moving around inside the package when I got them out of the mailbox. No real protection. A few had chipped tips so I hope that is all the damage done to them in shipping them this way. This was the first time I ordered from Cult Pens. With the packaging and the missing bag that was shown with the pencils I will think twice before ordering from them again.

A staple in my materials...

The color and versatility of these is fantastic, even if there's a little bit of a learning curve. They don't blend quite as well as normal watercolor pencils or traditional watercolors, but they are so much better for images incorporating text and are extremely versatile. If I could make one criticism, it would be that several of the colors are so close together as to be nearly indistinguishable from each other, while there are broader gaps between others than there maybe should be, which could have been filled by some of the better Derwent regular watercolor colors. Still, I use these constantly, and they've been a game-changer for me.

Fantastic for drawing and painting

Because of my tendency to be fussy, I like sketching with indelible pencils. They can't be erased, so you need to really commit to a line, live with mistakes and learn to work with them. For a long time, I used a pile of Eberhard Faber Blu-Black ink pencils for this purpose. The line they make is beautiful, and you can wet them down to make them permanent. However, when it came time to replace my pencils, I discovered they were no longer made, and the ones you can find on auction sites go for a premium (people collect pencils, go figure). I cast about for a replacement for my beloved Blu-Blacks, and someone suggested Inktense.While these pencils do not produce the beautiful silky line of my old pencils, they are amazing in their own right. Soft and responsive to ... MoreBecause of my tendency to be fussy, I like sketching with indelible pencils. They can't be erased, so you need to really commit to a line, live with mistakes and learn to work with them. For a long time, I used a pile of Eberhard Faber Blu-Black ink pencils for this purpose. The line they make is beautiful, and you can wet them down to make them permanent. However, when it came time to replace my pencils, I discovered they were no longer made, and the ones you can find on auction sites go for a premium (people collect pencils, go figure). I cast about for a replacement for my beloved Blu-Blacks, and someone suggested Inktense.While these pencils do not produce the beautiful silky line of my old pencils, they are amazing in their own right. Soft and responsive to pressure, they provide a good range of values when sketching. And they make lovely permanent washes and crisp lines when used with water.I'm now addicted to Inktense. I have a good assortment of colors now, using them for color studies and quick paintings in my sketchbook. I'm terrible with watercolors but love the look of watercolor paintings, and I love layering and glazing; Inktense pencils seem to have been made for people like me. Since the pigment becomes permanent once the water dries, you can glaze and layer colors to your heart's content. The pencils give you a measure of control over your lines and saturation that I (terrible artist that I am) don't get with brushes when using water media.One caveat: check the lightfastness ratings on Derwent's site if you intend to make pieces for display. The pencils especially are all over the map when it comes to permanence, and most unfortunately the beautiful reds suffer most from this issue. You might be able to find the same color with better lightfastness in Derwent's Inktense blocks or paint sets. I'm told this is due to different binders and manufacturing processes for each product.A solid product from a solid company.

Fun alternative to colored pencils

I bought the 12 pack awhile back, used them a few times and put them away. Recently I rediscovered them, and I'm really happy I gave them another chance. A few things I learned. They are nothinglike a watercolor pencil and will not act like one. If you plan on working over them or adding another layer, make sure the area is completely dry first, bone dry. This might be obvious, but use a light hand/layer before you activate with water if you want more of a wash effect. Do not use your wet brush and grab pigment straight from the tip of the pencil, it will ruin the pencil. I don't claim to know everything, these are just some things I learned. Don't be intimidated by them like I was at first!

High Quality Special Use Watercolor Pencils

These Inktense pencils apply easily and spread beautifully when activated. The colors were quite true to what I saw on the website, and I ordered individual pencils to expand the set of colors from a set of another brand that I already owned. I did not fully realize however, that the color becomes permanent after the first activation with water and drying step. This is an advantage if you realize it since you can then layer and activate other colors without disturbing the original layer. But it also means you cannot go back and modify the spread or intensity once it has dried by re-wetting. As long as this difference is understood, this characteristic gives the opportunity to use it for new techniques and can enhance your artworks. The website does mention this, but ... MoreThese Inktense pencils apply easily and spread beautifully when activated. The colors were quite true to what I saw on the website, and I ordered individual pencils to expand the set of colors from a set of another brand that I already owned. I did not fully realize however, that the color becomes permanent after the first activation with water and drying step. This is an advantage if you realize it since you can then layer and activate other colors without disturbing the original layer. But it also means you cannot go back and modify the spread or intensity once it has dried by re-wetting. As long as this difference is understood, this characteristic gives the opportunity to use it for new techniques and can enhance your artworks. The website does mention this, but it is not really emphasized and I did not initially take notice of it. I will buy these pencils again, they were thick, had lots of pigment and are a dream to use. Highly recommended, worth the price, and enable a whole new technique with the permanent-after-first-dry aspect.

I would definitely buy this product again.

Love the bold color after applying water. Watercolors dry lighter but these for the most part remain the color shown when wet. I have been able to apply several layers both wet and dry to create the effects I wanted. They do erase fairly well but be cautious because a heavy handed mark will not. I very much enjoy them and look forward to practicing them on future projects.

I would recommend any artist to give these a shot!

I didn't know much about water soluble art media. So I gave these a shot since many people in the art community have said good things about it. Let me tell you that when actually working with these pencils I was blown away by the amount of pigment and the blending these are capable of! Even better than watercolor pencils I've tried or you can couple the two and they do work well together. I am so happy I made the decision to buy these. The art ideas are endless with these and color mixing is too. The grain of the pencil disappears when you add water and they are smooth & amazing! If Derwent makes more colors, I'm first in line to buy them!

Lots of Possibilities

These pencils are a fun, unique way to make art. It takes a second to get used to, but there's so many different ways to use these pencils that just experimenting with them is really rewarding! The ability to layer these pencils without washing out the lower layers is what really sets them apart from regular watercolor pencils. The ink allows you to achieve really cool and unique effects. The pencils are also relatively blend-able when dry, which I liked.

Love using these

I use these with my pen and ink drawings, sometimes in combo with Inktense pan paints. I like the versatility of leaving the colors as "pencil" or awakening the intensity with water (using a water brush). Often I use the pencils dry on areas where I added water (after the paper has dried). I love the choice and vibrancy of the colors! And love the effects I can get with them. They layer well. The dark colors can become very intense when activated by water, so I'm learning to adjust how much dark color I add (the more pigment you color in, the more intense the color, of course). I've used them on several of my Inktober drawings this year. These are becoming my favorite medium to use with pen & ink.