Derwent Coloured Pencils Reviewed

Derwent makes a wide family of pencils, and the names are easy to confuse. Coloursoft, Chromaflow, Drawing, Lightfast, Inktense and Sketching sit side by side on shelves but do very different jobs, and one of them is not a coloured pencil at all.

This review of Derwent’s coloured pencils (colored pencils in the US) explains what each range is for, who it suits and where it fits in a kit. Derwent pencils have a warm, expressive feel and are versatile and accessible enough for artists at every stage. For the wider picture, see our complete coloured pencil guide. Head to head, see Coloursoft vs Prismacolor Premier and Coloursoft vs Chromaflow, and for wet work the best watercolour pencils.

Derwent at a glance

Range	Type	Character	Best for
Coloursoft	Soft wax-based coloured	Velvety, rich	Soft blending, painterly effects
Chromaflow	Soft coloured	Vibrant, easy to blend	Beginners learning technique
Drawing	Coloured, muted tones	Earthy, atmospheric	Wildlife, nature, mood
Lightfast	Premium coloured	Creamy, highly lightfast	Professional realism
Inktense	Water-soluble ink	Vivid, permanent when dry	Washes, mixed media
Sketching	Graphite	Tonal, monochrome	Studies and shading

A wooden box of coloured pencils in trays, seen at an angle.

Derwent Coloursoft

Coloursoft is velvety and rich, and it is great for soft blending and painterly effects. It lays colour down generously, so large areas cover quickly and transitions feel smooth. It is a friendlier price point than the premium ranges, and it is the range Michael used for his colour-theory swatch card on grey paper.

The trade-off is that soft cores dull faster, so keep them sharp and press lightly at first to avoid filling the tooth. It is not the pencil for the finest hairline detail. See best coloured pencils for how it compares with professional favourites.

Michael’s Coloursoft swatch card on Canson grey: colour theory used to make colours look brighter.

Derwent Chromaflow

Chromaflow is vibrant, soft and beginner-friendly, and it is perfect for learning technique. The bold pigment gives quick, encouraging results, and it blends easily, so it teaches pressure control and layering well. It is a natural first set, and we include it in best coloured pencils for beginners.

It is a learning tool, not a substitute for artist-grade lightfastness, so check colour ratings if you plan to sell finished work.

Derwent Drawing

Drawing pencils are muted and earthy, ideal for wildlife, nature and atmospheric work. They lean towards natural tones rather than brilliant colour, which makes them a good companion to a brighter range. If you draw animals, landscapes or moody still life, the palette feels immediately useful. For fur technique, see how to draw animal fur.

Derwent Lightfast

Lightfast is the premium coloured range: creamy, smooth to layer and highly lightfast. It suits professional realism and is one of the three standards for serious work. Michael places it between Faber-Castell Polychromos and Caran d’Ache Luminance: smoother than the first, firmer than the second, with excellent burnishing and strong earth tones. It is the best choice for artists who want to sell or exhibit. See Polychromos vs Luminance vs Lightfast and best coloured pencils for portraits.

Derwent Inktense

Inktense is a water-soluble pencil. Used dry, it draws like a coloured pencil; touched with a wet brush, the pigment turns to vivid ink that is permanent once dry, so you can layer washes without lifting earlier ones. It is a mixed-media tool. Coloured pencil artists exploring water-soluble colour will find it bold, though it needs paper that can handle water. See using solvents with coloured pencils for related methods.

Derwent Sketching

Sketching pencils are graphite, not coloured pencils. They are for tonal drawing, studies and shading, and they belong in a graphite kit beside your coloured sets. If you use graphite, our graphite pencil grades explained and the pencil grade chart help you choose grades.

How the ranges fit together

Think of the Derwent family as a set of tools rather than a ladder. Chromaflow and Coloursoft are the soft, colourful end, where colour arrives quickly and blends easily. Drawing pencils are the quieter, earthier end, with muted tones for natural subjects. Lightfast is the premium option, with a creamy feel and strong lightfastness for professional work. Inktense sits apart as a water-soluble ink pencil, and Sketching sits apart again as graphite.

That means you are not obliged to climb from one range to the next. An artist might start with Chromaflow, add Drawing pencils for wildlife, and later collect Lightfast pencils for finished pieces. Many also combine Derwent with other brands, using a firm oil pencil such as Faber-Castell Polychromos for fine detail; see the Polychromos review.

Derwent versus the professional benchmarks

Derwent Lightfast is the only Derwent range among the three professional standards, alongside Polychromos and Luminance. Compared with them, it is smoother than Polychromos but firmer than Luminance, with clean burnishing and strong earth tones. The other Derwent ranges are best seen as accessible, versatile options rather than direct rivals to premium pencils. See best coloured pencils for the premium picks.

Practical advice for Derwent users

• Sharpen carefully. Soft cores such as Coloursoft can snap in a poor sharpener. See best pencil sharpeners for coloured pencils.
• Start with light pressure. Soft pencils fill the tooth of the paper quickly.
• Test on your paper. Colours look different on grey and white paper, so swatch first.
• Check ratings. For work you plan to sell, confirm lightfastness for the specific colours.
• Use tools sensibly. For lifting and cleaning colour, see best erasers for coloured pencils.

Who Derwent suits

Derwent tends to suit artists who enjoy a warm, expressive feel and want a range that grows with them. Beginners get an accessible entry through Chromaflow. Artists who love soft, velvety blending have Coloursoft. Nature and wildlife artists find a natural palette in the Drawing pencils, and those working at professional level can invest in Lightfast. Because the ranges share a brand, you can move between them without relearning everything, which makes Derwent a practical single-brand route through the medium.

It may be less suited to artists who want the firmest possible point for hairline detail. In that case a firm oil-based pencil is a better companion, and the wax versus oil-based guide explains why.

Which Derwent should you buy?

• Learning: Chromaflow.
• Soft, painterly blending: Coloursoft.
• Wildlife and natural tones: Drawing.
• Professional realism and exhibiting: Lightfast.
• Washes and mixed media: Inktense.
• Tonal studies: Sketching, alongside a coloured set.

Whatever you choose, paper matters. Heavy paper with tooth lets soft Derwent cores layer well; see the best paper for coloured pencils. Unsure whether to move up a tier? Read professional versus student coloured pencils.

Buying tips

Buy the smallest set that covers your subject and add open stock later, since single pencils are usually available. Compare set contents carefully, because tin sizes and colour lists vary and change over time. Read the range name on the box, not just the brand, and check the current lightfastness information for any colour you plan to use in work that will be sold or shown. If you are unsure, a small Chromaflow or Coloursoft set is an easy way to find out whether you enjoy soft, creamy pencils before spending more.

Using Derwent on different papers

Soft Derwent cores respond strongly to paper. On heavy grey paper with plenty of tooth, Coloursoft and Lightfast build many layers and highlights sit brightly, which suits glossy subjects such as the chocolate fondant above. On smoother white paper, the same pencils blend more seamlessly but fill the surface sooner, so lighter pressure is wise. Swatch each range on the paper you actually draw on before starting a large piece.

The short version

Derwent offers something for every stage: Chromaflow to learn, Coloursoft for soft richness, Drawing for earthy tones, Lightfast for professional work, Inktense for water-soluble colour, and Sketching for graphite. Match the range to the job, and remember only the first four are dry coloured pencils.