My essentials: Pencils ✏️

The hypothetical question that no artist wants to imagine… If you could only have a few pencils, what would you choose?

Some people call this their core pencil list - so here’s mine! I’ll try to give a little explanation as to why I choose these ones too. I’ve tried to really compact this list to the absolute essentials, so if you’re just starting your pencil journey, it won’t be too overwhelming.

This core list is based on picking out pencils from each range and using them all together as a ‘set’. I try to highlight the positive in each range, and figure out how they can be used together.

Derwent Lightfast

My favourite brand of pencil, so this is a chonky list. They all have excellent lightfast rating, which means I don’t have to cross reference when using for commissions. They blend beautifully, and work really well on every surface. I’ve tried to include a range of lights, darks, and a way to mix a variety of colours.

Lightfast pencils have a great range of colours, so I’ve tried to cover all bases.

Caran D’Ache Luminance

A brilliant alternative to the Lightfast range, which can also work well on a variety of surfaces, and blend really well. They have some excellent deep blues and purples, which are great for creating different tones in areas.

The luminance range shines in their purples, blues and pinks, which are fab at cooling down, or warming up areas of drawing.

Derwent Chromaflow

A lovely pencil, although, not all colours have the best lightfast rating. Chromaflow pencils shine with their bright, vibrant colours, and their lovely blending ability.

Bold and punchy colours are the real magic of the Chromaflow pencils.

Faber Castell Polychromo

Not a range I use particularly often, but I do love their grey and black selection.

The grey range is excellent, and a great way to build base layers for a cool or warm area.

So there we have it! I’ve tried to keep the list compact, and compared to my collection of pencils, I guess it is! 🤣

Happy drawing x