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by Ellie Jakeman May 20, 2024
What are Derwent Chromaflow Pencils?
What Derwent say;
“Derwent Chromaflow pencils have been formulated with high quality pigments, for striking vibrancy that stands out, even on dark paper. The soft core delivers rapid and smooth laydown, covering the page with vivid colour. The artist quality, slimline core handles pressure, allowing for easy layering and shading. Transform the ordinary into the exciting with this fun and expressive pencil range.”
Derwent Chromaflow pencils are a type of coloured pencil manufactured by Derwent, a well-known brand for high-quality art supplies. These pencils are specifically designed to offer vibrant, intense colours with a smooth application. These pencils have a wax base and a smooth texture. They are Vegan and 60% of their colours are lightfast. (* Colours remain the same for 100 years under museum condition).
A beginners guide
Blending: If you have a limited palette, you will need to know how to mix and blend your Chromaflow pencils so you can create a range of hues. A good exercise to do is to create a colour wheel. Always start your fist layer with a very light touch, try not to press too hard as you need some of the tooth of the paper exposed which will enable you to build up layers of colour.
Start your colour chart with yellow, we used Sun Yellow, then cover a third of the circle with a very light touch. Cover the second third of the colour wheel with Magenta, again with a very light touch. Lastly, cover the final third of the colour wheel with a Blue Chromoflow pencil, we used Blue Orchid.
When you have three designated areas of colour, Red, Blue and Yellow, using the Sun Yellow create an orange by creating a second layer of colour over some of the Magenta. Taking the Sun Yellow Chromaflow pencil then create a second layer over the blue to make green.
To create a purple colour, take your Magenta Chromaflow pencil and work a second layer over some of the Orchid Blue section. You can apply more pressure to these second layers and fill in the tooth of the paper a little bit more but not completely. We used 250gsm Bristol paper for our investigations. You may need to go over the areas a few times with each of the primary colours to create the required secondary colours.
Creating Tints: If you need a lighter colour, you can apply a White Chromaflow pencil over the top of a darker colour. We used Midnight Purple and blended White Chromaflow over the top to create a tint or sometimes called a pastel shade of the original colour.
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Creating Shades: to darken a colour, you can actually use a black pencil sparingly or if you would like to create a softer shade you can use their complimentary colour. Lay your colours down lightly starting with the colour you want to darken first. Lay its complimentary colour on top lightly then go back to your original colour for the top layer. Keep your pressure light, if the colour you have created isn’t dark enough then repeat the process.
You can also darken a colour by adding a darker version of the colour if you have one for example if you have a Pure Red 0510 Chromaflow pencil you can darken it with Sangria 0620 pencil working in layers to create a seamless transition from dark to light or light to dark.
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Creating Gradients:
One colour Gradient technique; always start with more pigment at the top or bottom of the gradient, depending on how you want the gradient to look. You can start with using more pressure on the Chromaflow pencil which will leave more pigment on the paper or work your gradient up by adding light layers of pigment on the paper.
Two colour Gradient technique; You can choose two similar colours for your gradient or two different colours, as a guide remember the colour wheel, where you can create a third colour from two primary colours. Start with a light even tone working down the paper, then change pencils and work another light layer working up from the bottom. Let the two colours overlap in the middle. Work layers of colour from one side to the other until you are happy with the results. Light layers can build up some really beautiful transitions of colour.
Three colour Gradient technique; if you are drawing a contained shape and would like to introduce some 3 dimensional qualities to your image, you can choose 3 colours in the same family such as Sun Yellow, Amber Gold and Mango to create a seamless gradient. All Yellow based colours. The key is to begin very lightly and build up the layers.
Starting with the lightest colour, fill in the area lightly, use a little bit more pressure where your lightest colour will be, then take the mid range colour which should be a little darker and overlap some of our lightest colour but start mid way and work down to the bottom. Next take your darkest colour and work up from the bottom to just cover a portion of the mid range colour. Lastly take your lightest colour and blend over all the colours to create a seamless gradient. You may need to repeat this a few times until your gradient looks right. You can work your pencil side to side, or in small circular motions, or up and down or all three when you are working up your layer. If you can see a few drawn lines you could try using the blending pen or pencil to smooth them out.
To create a three colour gradient for a sunset or seascape, the same principle applies, take a light colour, a mid colour and a dark colour and start covering the surface with the light colour, then work down with the mid colour and work your way up with the dark colour, overlapping slightly and finishing off with applying the lightest colour all over the surface to create a smooth, seamless, transition of colour.
Some tips you should know before you start.
Correcting errors when using Derwent Chromaflow pencils is really easy, however it does require a careful approach to avoid damaging your artwork. Here are some methods you can try to erase or correct mistakes made with Chromaflow pencils:
Eraser: Use a soft art eraser, such as a kneaded eraser or a vinyl eraser, to gently remove the unwanted pigment. Lightly dab or knead the eraser over the area you want to correct to lift off the colour. Avoid pressing too hard to prevent damaging the paper or smudging the surrounding colours.Derwent Specialist Artist Erasers Pack of 2 orDerwent Battery Operated Eraser.
Sandpaper or Emery Board: For more stubborn mistakes or areas with heavy pigment, you can lightly sand the surface of the paper using fine-grit sandpaper or an emery board. Be cautious and use a gentle touch to avoid damaging the paper's surface.
Colourless Blender Pencil: A colourless blender pencil can help blend and lift off some of the colour, making it easier to correct mistakes or smooth out uneven areas. Use the blender pencil to gently blend and lighten the problematic area without adding additional colour.Derwent Burnisher Pencil
White Coloured Pencil: If the mistake is minor and on a lighter area of your artwork, you can use a white coloured pencil such asChromaflow or Coloursoft, to cover and correct the error. Apply the white pencil lightly and gradually build up the colour to match the surrounding area.
Overworking and Layering: If the mistake is due to overworking an area or layering too many colours, you can try using a colourless blender pencil to soften and blend the colours together, creating a more cohesive look. Derwent 2 Blender Pens
Prevention: To minimise the need for corrections, work slowly and carefully, building up your layers gradually. Test colours and techniques on a scrap piece of paper before applying them to your actual artwork to avoid potential mistakes.
Remember, it's essential to approach corrections with a gentle touch to preserve the integrity of your artwork and the paper's surface. Always test any correction method on a small, inconspicuous area of your artwork first to ensure it yields the desired results without causing damage or altering the surrounding colours.
Overall, Derwent Chromaflow pencils are versatile and user-friendly, making them suitable for artists of all skill levels. Whether you're a beginner or an experienced artist, you can create stunning artwork with these vibrant coloured pencils.
I have had a strong interest in the visual and creative arts since a very early age. After completing an Art and Design Degree and Post graduate studies I have taught Art and Design, Fashion and Textiles, Textile design , Fine Art print and Illustration for over 20 years. Before teaching I was a freelance artist and illustrator and decided 4 years ago I would return to freelance and commissioned work. I have created many domestic and commercial murals for hospitals and hospices. I work part time for ARTdiscount as a content creator and product tester.
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