ScrawlrTips

Derwent Chromaflow Pencils

Featured In / April '22 ScrawlrBox

We realise you may have never seen or used products like this before so we have put together a few hints, tips and techniques to test out and get the best from these supplies.

These Derwent Chromaflow pencils guarantee bold, vibrant and saturated colour for any project. These pencils are wax based, offering a rich and creamy lay-down specially designed to layer and blend in a smooth and velvety finish. They are formulated with rich pigments that will show up not only on white papers but toned papers as well (even on black!) and the 3.5mm premium strength core ensures its durability during sharpening and during extensive use. During the manufacturing process, glue is applied to the entire length of the pencil slat, to make sure the core stays in place and to minimise any breakage that may interrupt your creative flow. These pencils are sure to provide an expressive colour range for all of your artistic endeavours.

Things To Try...


~ Chromaflow pencils are fantastic for blending and layering. As always, be sure to trial all the different blends and layers you can create.

~ When creating a colour gradient, place your first colour down tapering out the pigment towards where you would like to transition to a different colour. Then use your second colour over the top of your transition and blend into the second colour. You can continue to layer these colours until you have the desired effect and tones.

~ Layering these pencils will blend the pigment together so you can create a seamless blend, plus you can create a wider colour range with your selection of pencils.

~ These pencils are extremely smooth so they will lay down easily and with very little texture, however like most coloured pencils you may be able to see some line strokes. To avoid this, try building the colour up in layers, changing the direction of your pencil strokes in each layer. Alternatively, if you do not want too much pigment build up, try using the pencils in a circular motion to lay the colour seamlessly.

~ Burnishing is also a technique that will also help minimise any visible pencil strokes. You can do this by using a blending tool, a light-coloured pencil or even your finger to gently blend the colour on the page. 

~ More pigment will be transferred to paper when more pressure is applied, so experiment with using different pressures with your pencils.

~ Keep in mind that applying more pressure or adding more layers of the same colour will intensify the hue of the colour but it will not darken the colour – if you want to darken a colour you will need to layer a darker colour over it. You can also often lighten a colour by using a lighter coloured pencil over the top.

~ Chromaflow pencils are erasable, however you may not be able to lift the pigment completely if there is a lot on the page. When erasing, don’t rub as this can grind the colours into the page rather than removing them. Instead gently press and blot until the colour is lifted. This can also be a great technique for creating highlights and colour fades.

~ When shading or covering large areas, hold your pencil sideways to shade with the broadest edge of the pencil lead. This will help keep your layers light, smooth and controlled.

Artist Advice 

When I use colour pencils I like to first choose all the colours I’ll be using for the drawing, this will help me be more organised and I also recommend you to choose colours that go well with each other to create a harmonious work.

 When you start drawing, try pressing hard enough on the paper to not leave any blank spaces, don’t be afraid of using up your colour pencils, since I’ve been doing this, I have a 48 pencil tin that I’ve had since I was 15 and I continue having a lot of big colour pencils still. Be careful when you sharpen your pencils, if you do it too much, when you press hard on the paper the tip will probably break, try sharpening them little by little when required, not too much.

 One question people often ask is how do I make the colours look so very well blended together with each other, what I do is I press hard and do tiny circles between the colours I want to blend to get the combination I want, also a very good “tool” I use to blend the colours is the white-coloured pencil, if you use this colour on another colour it will make it look softer and brighter.

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