Derwent Inktense Blocks 72 Tin

These are so fun! I’ve never used anything like them. It’s an ink, in a crayon form, that acts like watercolor?!?! Yes! You can paint on fabric! I put some watercolor ground medium on an area of this zippered pouch I had, sanded it and taped it to create the perfect canvas for these ink blocks. I used them like I would watercolors, with a brush in light layers. I was able to achieve this abstracted lotus. Looking back, I should have drawn with a pencil my design but I just went for it. I can tell these will last a very long time as they’re pigmented and a little goes a long way.

Blends nicely

The product tests ok. As a traditional illustrator I have experience using a plethora of art supplies from Copix, Prismacolor, etc. As the price of the unit is unknown to me at the time of writing this, I am going to assume per unit, this is a cheaper alternative than Prismacolor (which is pricey, but quality!) I see Derwent as a cheaper alternative. Nothing too crazy in terms of quality, but it gets what you need done, done. I did notice while using the ink pastels a sort of wax coating? on the surface of the pastels.Having used illustrating charcoals in my past, I am aware that certain manufacturers do this to protect the product. However Just with the charcoals I drew with, I noticed it was difficult to get past the waxy surface with certain pieces of pastel. ... MoreThe product tests ok. As a traditional illustrator I have experience using a plethora of art supplies from Copix, Prismacolor, etc. As the price of the unit is unknown to me at the time of writing this, I am going to assume per unit, this is a cheaper alternative than Prismacolor (which is pricey, but quality!) I see Derwent as a cheaper alternative. Nothing too crazy in terms of quality, but it gets what you need done, done. I did notice while using the ink pastels a sort of wax coating? on the surface of the pastels.Having used illustrating charcoals in my past, I am aware that certain manufacturers do this to protect the product. However Just with the charcoals I drew with, I noticed it was difficult to get past the waxy surface with certain pieces of pastel. Again, nothing too detrimental, but noticeable. However the colors did seem to blend very nicely which I was mostly surprised about. Having never really used ink pastels before, I was unaware of how to "use" them, but they were a fun medium. While I did have fun with them, I don't think I was impressed either. Just seems like a very standard pastel set to me.Benefits to this product would easily have to be the vividness in colors with it being more affordable than some of the more big name brands of art supplies.I fancy myself a pencil illustrator primarily. So while I don't see myself really caring for all of the colors of the rainbow at my disposal. I think I would enjoy a monochromatic set for my own purpose.I would definitely recommend this product to some of my art friends. I believe it to be an alternative to the big name brands we are all too familiar with over paying for. So while one can very quickly recommend Prismacolor, can one afford it? Probably not. I see Derwent as that next step down.

For looseness and spontaneity try these

These were a (guilty) splurge to go with my set of 24 inktense that I have been using for plein aire sketching. But the blocks are so versatile, I use them more than the pencils now. Used like pan watercolors they are rich and smooth, but applied like pastels, then wetted they can give a rough, earthy texture. The colors are beautiful, and you can break and store a few extra sticks in the wells if you want additional colors.

I Dare to Make Art Fun---Through My Productivity

I aim for productivity I my Art. I require a great product to do as it was designed. And a product that allows for personal tweaking. Here you go...make something...Derwent Inktense Blocks.I like the "wow factor" whilst composing, doodling, and production of finished works. Derwent Inktense Blocks and pencils are fun and instrumental to learning new moves and are steadfast materials and tools in my creating activities.Blick are winners. Blick Customer Service corps are responsive and client centered. I know this is a competitive advantage. I am please you know it as well. Otherwise, you'd be just another e-commerce Arts supply wanna-be.Cheers!

I'm now using blocks, not pencils

The blocks always have a sharp point and a blunt point and a broad side, so they work as well as the pencils except when an extremely sharp point is needed, which for me is never. The blocks can be used as paint pans too. In other words, I would recommend the blocks over the pencils if one has to make a choice. The only drawback I can think of is that not all colors are available as blocks. Not yet anyway.

If they came out with different 12 pc. sets then yes.

Love these. Great control for placement and love the permanency of the color after dried. I couldn't afford the complete 72 count set. If I want any additional colors now, I will have to buy them open stock because of how they put the sets together. Also, how will I store the open stock blocks? No tin. They should break out the 72 colors into six different sets for when people can't buy them all at once.

So much fun!

I really love these Inktense blocks! The ONLY downsides to them is that after applying water to them I can still see the lines I drew with the block. They also don't mix very well. You have to be careful and make sure you rinse out your brush after each color because it's very easy to "muddy" up your colors if you don't. Otherwise, I literally love everything else about them. They have a nice waxy feel to them and don't leave any residue on my fingers like soft pastels do. I can do so much with them, wet and dry! You can also use them on any kind of paper, watercolor, mixed media, any paper that can take a little bit of water. I love how intense the colors are once water is added. I will def. be using these all of the time!

Streaky, chalky, doesn't dissolve well

I was excited to try these Inktense blocks, having seen other artists using them in various ways. I like the idea of painting with water soluble color that doesn't lift after drying, so that you can more easily work in layers. However, after swatching the Inktense blocks, I must say I am very disappointed. I used a wet brush to pick up color directly from the sticks. The paint is streaky and chalky. It seems that either the pigment is gritty or the binder doesn't dissolve well. I couldn't get a smooth wash no matter how much I tried. Most of the colors seem to show some granulation, and the paint doesn't flow at all, so wherever your brush touches the paper, that's where the pigment stays, and you can see every stroke of your brush. Honestly, they look like cheap, ... MoreI was excited to try these Inktense blocks, having seen other artists using them in various ways. I like the idea of painting with water soluble color that doesn't lift after drying, so that you can more easily work in layers. However, after swatching the Inktense blocks, I must say I am very disappointed. I used a wet brush to pick up color directly from the sticks. The paint is streaky and chalky. It seems that either the pigment is gritty or the binder doesn't dissolve well. I couldn't get a smooth wash no matter how much I tried. Most of the colors seem to show some granulation, and the paint doesn't flow at all, so wherever your brush touches the paper, that's where the pigment stays, and you can see every stroke of your brush. Honestly, they look like cheap, student-grade watercolors. In the 72 set, there are only two colors with a lightfast rating below 6, so that is one good thing about them (you do have to go to the Derwent website to find the color chart and ratings, as this information is not included with the product). I am not sure if I will be able to find a use for this product, so I will most likely be returning it.

They were Ok

Derwent Inktense Blocks make for a great transition for anyone wanting to move from chalk, pastel, or charcoal to watercolor. They make for a great complement for any using watercolor or gouache paint. Great for adding some texture. Or you can use them very much like color pastels or similar mediums. They very much possess the characteristics of those mediums.I'm honestly disappointed due to how messy they are. But that's a personal issue. I don't enjoy dusty mediums. So I'm less likely to purchase any more Intense Blocks or pencils. My assumption was that they were going to behave more like Derwent's wax-based Artbars [Amazon]. (And you know what they say about assumption?)The 12 block tin is a good starter set for anyone who wants to try them out. Your basic ... MoreDerwent Inktense Blocks make for a great transition for anyone wanting to move from chalk, pastel, or charcoal to watercolor. They make for a great complement for any using watercolor or gouache paint. Great for adding some texture. Or you can use them very much like color pastels or similar mediums. They very much possess the characteristics of those mediums.I'm honestly disappointed due to how messy they are. But that's a personal issue. I don't enjoy dusty mediums. So I'm less likely to purchase any more Intense Blocks or pencils. My assumption was that they were going to behave more like Derwent's wax-based Artbars [Amazon]. (And you know what they say about assumption?)The 12 block tin is a good starter set for anyone who wants to try them out. Your basic colors are there. And if you need something different, you can always purchase them in singles online. The tin is great if you travel. And it's great if you need to do some watercolor and/or quick sketching outdoors.

Versatile inktense blocks

I upcycled/recycled a new black zippered pouch with an eyesore of a logo ironed on. I thought the Derwent Inktense Blocks sample would help me elevate this pouch to something I'd actually use!I used blue painters tape, 2 inch, around the perimeter of the square, and sanded the image till rough. I then brushed on/used a watercolor ground medium. After drying, I sanded the area and had a perfect area prepped for these Derwent Inktense Blocks.I've never used anything like these intense blocks before. I used them as if they were pans of color, and applied them in light layers with a brush. The colors are so vibrant and layer nicely, just as the package describes. They dry quickly, and really I didn't make a mess at all. These I can see will last a very long time as ... MoreI upcycled/recycled a new black zippered pouch with an eyesore of a logo ironed on. I thought the Derwent Inktense Blocks sample would help me elevate this pouch to something I'd actually use!I used blue painters tape, 2 inch, around the perimeter of the square, and sanded the image till rough. I then brushed on/used a watercolor ground medium. After drying, I sanded the area and had a perfect area prepped for these Derwent Inktense Blocks.I've never used anything like these intense blocks before. I used them as if they were pans of color, and applied them in light layers with a brush. The colors are so vibrant and layer nicely, just as the package describes. They dry quickly, and really I didn't make a mess at all. These I can see will last a very long time as a little goes a long way- the colors are definitely INTENSE!! I will absolutely continue to use these on fabric, and have an eco friendly reusable bag that I will dress up with designs and colors using these blocks. I will be using these next as a crayon and can see you can get so many different line weights depending on how you use the block. I love that this dries permanently!This is a beautiful set for any artist and I would absolutely recommend them. I had never used any type of product like this before and I had a fabulous time!