How I Learnt Derwent Inktense ✿ HONEST Sketchbook Tour

Take a tour through my development using Derwent Inktense - learning pretty much from scratch and then developing those skills further in a sketchbook. I'm honest about my learning in this video - failings included. Nothing polished - just hints and inspiration so you can learn Derwent Inktense too.

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☆ PAINTING NATURE IN DERWENT INKTENSE ☆

Do you want to learn how to paint with Derwent Inktense? The first of its kind, my "Painting Nature in Derwent Inktense" course explains the Inktense range, recommends which colours to buy, provides four painting exercises with all reference photos and templates included, and troubleshoots Inktense problems.

The course is also included as a part of the nature journaling circle membership and we often paint in the live sessions using Derwent Inktense. Find out about the membership here:

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☆ STUFF IN THE VIDEO ☆

○ Below are affiliate links. I receive a small commission on sales ○

Jacksons (UK). If you are a new Jacksons customer, you receive 10% off your first order.

Amazon links (International):

More materials via the materials and reading list on my website:

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☆ LINKS ☆

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[tinakoyama]

It looks like you are drawing mostly from life observations (as opposed to photos)? Bravo! I'm a huge fan of drawing from life on location. I appreciate your analysis and self-critique of each study. Your sketchbook is a true work book that documents your learnings. Thank you for sharing it!

[artbyashley]

Now that is a well worked sketchbook 😍 So lovely seeing you not only document your ideas & pallets but also the massive progression from start to finish 👏

[a.k.]

“The lines on the pens will disappear if you use enough water and sweep back and forth enough!” This is precisely the information missing from hundreds of Inktense videos on YouTube. Everyone resorts to blocks or large images to cover up this ignorance. Thank you for all the great research work over so many years. She answers real questions from Inktense pen users!

[mcdonaldfiona]

What a fantastic video Alex. It was so interesting to see your development. And it is so true that there is always something to be learnt every time you draw and paint. I write next to my drawings what I have learnt from my mistakes!! Sometimes I feel demotivated because a piece hasn’t turned out how I would like but realising what I have done wrong feels like a win in the end! Thank you for being so honest with your work - such an antidote in today’s picture perfect social media world.

[Angie-pluw]

Thank you so much for demonstrating the progression of learning a skill through determined practice. I am a beginner in watercolor, and I want to say 'presto, I’m there.' Thanks for reminding me that even the pros have a learning curve!

[valasafantastic]

You can also ‘pallet them’ this has been really helpful to me. As in get a surface (such as scuffed up duralar or the special caran’dache pallet made from plexiglass that has a rough and smooth side $12.50 on Amazon in the USA but not really available in Canada yet…) anyways you can use a rough scrubby pad on a sheet of smooth -plastic to rough up the surface and make a custom pallet. Then you can draw on it (as you would on the page) or place next to each other and pick up with a wet paintbrush. This allows you to paint in a watercolour style and get perfectly smooth washes, and easily get very pale tones.
I tend to use this in combination with the layered drawing and wetting to reveal the final colour. I typically let the pale wet washes completely dry before adding more.
I noticed the paper and the pencil tip can get more easily damaged working into the wet. It does create the darkest possible lines.
With inktense mixed media works also very well!
Consider palleted wet washes as a base that doesn’t reactivate or lift (very well) to layer typical watercolours or gouache)
Also try various brushes. I always recommend makeup brushes being added to your art supplies as they can help blend out for soft airbrush effects and gradients!
Try different mixed media, papers and subjects!
Work from life and, photos, artist studies and imagination!
Vibrant can be great but plenty of the inktense are very natural and not extremely vibrant. I have the full set of pencils.
Also my favourite pencil is Madder Brown. Palleted or pulled with a wet soft brush well it makes a pale Caucasian skin tone and is useful as part of all human skin tones, most bark, many rocks, tons of birds, etc.
Also try sketching with coloured pencil and using the inktense for painted washes and to ‘colour in then when dry go back on top with regular coloured pencils!
I can also recommend waterproof inks (such as India ink) lineart that you colour in with inktense. But even a ballpoint pen typically has waterproof ink so try that too! Very inexpensive, and extremely portable and instantly drying too!
I’ve been doing even more with my mixed media inktense lately and loving them. My other favourites are; red oxide, baked earth, saddle brown, bark, sepia ink, Chinese ink, charcoal grey, Payne’s grey, neutral grey, iris blue, green aquamarine, leaf green, Shiraz, hot red, and dark purple.
I invested in the full pencil set when it was a good price I think in 2017 or 2018 but didn’t use them that much until again I’ve been using them a ton since 2022.
I have been enjoying continuing experimenting.
I enjoyed watching your journey and hope you continue on!

[SnakeArtist]

I never liked watercolour pencils until I got hold of the Inktense pencils a few years back. Now I use them all the time. Love your journal, for me the best pages are the more high contrast pictures with some restful places for the eye (like sky & water). I like the way you have allowed yourself the freedom to experiment and explore the medium.

[foxykc]

This is brilliant -- using one medium til you get the desired results. I need to spend more time with my Inktense.

[carolspicker]

I am about to begin my journey in drawing with pen & inktense pencils. I bought inktense pencils of 36 colors.Your video is very informative & fun to watch. Thank you.

[debbiebruce]

Thank you for showing your artwork. I really enjoyed it and your work is amazing. I can’t wait to see another one of your sketchbooks!

[jekalambert]

Thank you for sharing your insights. As a long time watercolorist, I purchased Inktense pencils and blocks because after testing a small set on fabric with good results, I invested in full sets of blocks and pencils. Despite my successful tests before forking out the big bucks for both sets, I found that even when set following the manufacturers instructions, they do not hold up to laundering despite claims to the contrary. This dashed my hopes of creating custom textiles I could confidently sell. I mean really, who wants a garment or home decor piece that cannot be cleaned?

So as not to waste my investment after the failed textile debacle, I then attempted to use Inktense on paper. I found everything you've covered to be a challenge so this expensive supply now languishes unused. I don't have patience for the slow process of laying down a color and wetting it only to see uneven marks and garish colors. Why bother when I can get the desired results from my watercolor paints?

Thanks for the video and thanks for confirming that there's nothing about this product I don't already know. Seeing that it took you 3 years to master how to lay down the pencil marks to avoid streaks, and seeing the lack of subtly in the colors you've achieved confirmed for me how useless this product is for the type of art I do.

[sarahlucas]

Great video Alex. It's interesting to see the progression and really brings home the fact that constant practice and play is so valuable. I love your seascape pictures :)

[Makbabe]

Great video, love that you shared your struggles and growth. I loved the one with the deep blue sky!

[skywatcher]

I am at the beginning of becoming an artist. I quite enjoyed your presentation, your verbal skill describing and critiquing your work. I am learning to draw, and I want to begin to add a little color to my sketches. So far, I have just used colored pencils. I appreciate learning what my options are.

[nancysayers]

Alex, this is a charming video. I have only just got my first set of Inktense colour blocks, and have been working on some tree stumps, both in summer and also winter, ....lovely different shadings. It was fun to see you have had much the same experiences I have had. I have also played with painting with them, onto calico, for a friend to embroider over, and have just completed a pair of models of Little Owls in paper clay...Oh boy! that has proved to be marvellous. I am from the UK, but now live in Australia, so lovely to listen to your accent too. Best wishes

[teentb]

I've recently started using Derwent Intense pencils and blocks. Seeing your progress over the last few years gave me a vast amount of information on ways to use them and get the results I'm hoping to achieve. I really like how you did your colour swatches. Thank you Alex for sharing your sketchbooks. 👍

[juliasugarbaker]

Art has always been something I was good at without a lot of effort and most mediums I try, I take to like a duck to water. But what that means is I never really mastered any one medium. I have a whole set of inktense that I got for Christmas last year, I have used it maybe twice, because it didn’t come naturally. You have really inspired me to sit down and try to learn something. It sounds ridiculous, but it really never clicked in my head that I just need to practice. I was blaming the materials and it’s been me the whole time. Thank you. I’m going to check out your channel in hopes you have some inktense tutorials.

[irisreed]

Practice, practice and practice! Thank you!

[kookaburra]

Loved seeing the evolution of your use of this material, but also the context you provided with the narration. So informative - and enjoyable.

[maggie-bethrees]

You are such a pleasant, relatable person - this video is a delight - and you give me hope. Thank you.