Derwent Chromaflow Brand New 72 Set
Hidden Issue With Derwent Chromaflow I Missed See If You Can Find It In This Review
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Hidden Issue With Derwent Chromaflow I Missed See If You Can Find It In This Review 〰️
Derwent Chromaflow Brand New 72 Set
I have to say, of all the pencils that I have reviewed, the Derwent Chromaflow are perhaps the most complicated pencil or review to get right and accurate. It is no secret how much I love Derwent as a company and the vast majority of their products, not all of them, but most of them. When Derwent launched the Chromaflow back about a year ago now from the time of writing this post, there was a few of us disagreed with the way in which Derwent launched the product.
Bottom line is I have no idea how complicated and complex launching a new product must be and I guess to a certain extent, who am I to critique a companies business format. On the other hand, as a consumer and lover of all things art supply related, I think on this occasion, it is okay to at least talk about what happened and let you the reader decide. From my perspective I feel it is so important to be an open book, transparent and completely honest with you guys. I couldn’t in good faith write what I feel about the Chromaflow in this review and simply gloss over the disgruntlements I expressed back when the Derwent Chromaflow were first launched.
About a year later Derwent launched the Derwent Chromaflow, however, for the first time ever, at least that I can remember, the Derwent Chromaflow were only released in the US. Reviewers in the US were sent the pencils to review and they all completed their reviews of the pencils. At the time I sat back and waited to see what was going to happen regarding the UK market, but I became swamped with emails from confused colored pencil artists in the UK, Canada and Australia as to why they couldn’t buy the pencils.
I contacted Derwent and was told that Derwent had spotted an area in the colored pencil market, especially here in the UK, were artists loved Prismacolor and found it difficult to obtain the pencils here in the UK. As a result of this, Derwent wanted to create a pencil of their own which would hopefully appease that market, hence the Chromaflow.
The two issues I had with this style of marketing were as follows, if the Chromaflow were to be a replacement or at least near as dam it replacement to the Prismacolor for UK based colored pencil artists, why release them first in the US, when they are supposed to fill a gap in the UK market? My second issue was, if you are going to try and fill in for a product that sports a palette of 150, surely releasing only sets of 12 and 24 is way off the mark.
So cards on the table, completely honest and open with you and my concerns when the Derwent Chromaflow first hit the shelves, both in the US and around the globe, so now onto my actual review of the pencil as I never issued a review when they were first released and my impression of the palette expansion as well as the palette choice.
Derwent Chromaflow Characteristics
The Derwent Chromaflow is a very attractive looking pencil, as far as pencils go of course, sporting a slimline 7.2mm barrel, encasing an absolutely gorgeous, well pigmented, 3.5mm buttery soft core. The print along the barrel is of a pale gold metallic colour and ordinarily metallic print is difficult to read and photograph in certain light, however this was not the case with the Derwent Chromaflow pencils.
Printed along the barrel we first have the “Made in Britain” that Derwent worked incredibly hard to achieve this status, before this it was made in England, but the made in Britain Code of Conduct is a huge feather in their cap. Further along we have printed “Derwent Chromaflow” obviously just indicating the type of pencil.
Toward the end of the pencil is printed the pigment name, followed by a number that is representivite of the pigment for purchasing open stock. Finally, as is the case with all Derwent pencils, the very end if the Chromaflow barrel sports that very Derwent-esq pigment identifier diagonal flash.
Way back when the Derwent Chromaflow was released in the UK, I was sent the 24 set to review and although I didn’t actually get round to publishing my review, I did complete all my normal testing and note taking. The thing I noticed about the Chromaflow back then and of course with the new 72 set I was sent was just how light the barrel felt. I know in the grand scheme of things, pencils are not heavy objects, but if you have used colored pencils long enough, you will know what I mean when I talk about some barrels being heavier than other and some lighter.
The next issue I had with the 24 set first sent to me was sharpening and the problems I encountered were less to do with the core and more to do with the wood used for the barrel. At first I put that down to perhaps that particular set being one of the first run out sets, but I experienced the same issue with the barrels in the 72 set.
I spoke to my contact at Derwent who is absolutely wonderful and always brings back incredibly accurate information for me, however, I asked the contact if the wood used for the Chromaflow was different to the wood used on any of the other pencils. The reason I asked this is because I have never experienced issues with the Derwent barrels when sharpening.
As you can see from the images provided, there were a few serious issues with barrels whilst sharpening. Again being completely 100% honest, on some pencils I would use my M&R hand held sharpener which is razor sharp and if I experienced issues using the handheld, I would use my Caran d’Ache hand crank sharpener and most of the times this would smooth out the issue.
The reply from the contact when I asked about the different wood was
We use different woods in the manufacture of our pencils and sometimes the wood may change during the lifetime of a pencil range. Chromaflow is made using fine grade pine which is perfect for the slightly slimmer barrel of the Chromaflow pencils.
This actually made perfect sense to me and on occasions when I was sharpening and encountered an issue, it felt like the wood was damp and fibrous, its important you note that it only felt like this, the wood was not in fact damp. The best way I can describe it is if you have ever stripped the bark of a dead pine and under the wood feels wet from sap and moisture and looks like it is in fibres; this is the best way I can describe it.
One or two cores did break on sharpening but again, if it didn’t sharpen with the M&R hand held I would use the Caran d’Ache Hand Crank and this would help matters. Incase you are wondering, the reason I don’t use the hand crank in the first place is because the point that the hand held M&R creates is exceptional.
Derwent Chromaflow Palette
In my opinion, when Derwent increased the range from 24 to 72, this was such a crucial move to help make them attractive to those artists more inclined to use and attracted to Prismacolor. Of course the condition of the core is important in this decision making, which we will take a close look at further into the review.
Although a palette of 72 is still a long way of 150, it is still significantly better than a 24 set, speaking for myself, I feel that the Chromaflow when offering only the 24 palette, placed the range in a kind of limbo. Regardless, Derwent did expand the range and the color selection for the 72 set is absolutely to die for.
Derwent never let us down when it comes to botanical palettes, which I am sure is connected to the fact that the home of the company is Keswick, arguably the most beautiful, idyllic landscape in the UK, The Lake District. With beautiful colours of nature surrounding the company, it is not surprise really that Derwent provide simply amazing earth tones, greens and botanical pinks, lavenders etc.
There is also a really nice selection of colors suitable for Fan Art or adult colouring book illustrations and again we will talk about the core of the Derwent Chromaflow in the next section, highlighting the performance of the pencil and who might want to use the Chromaflow.
Derwent Chromaflow Performance
Now we get to the exciting, yet bitter sweet part of the Derwent Chromaflow, if you cast you mind back to the beginning of this review I mentioned that part of the reason Derwent decided to create the Chromaflow was due to the love of the softer cored colored pencil, such as Prismacolor.
Derwent themselves already have a beautiful soft cored colored pencil in their range, the Derwent Coloursoft, however, this is a different type of core to the likes of the Prismacolor and so I can understand why Derwent tried to tap into this market, especially here in the UK. Our wonderful colored pencil artists brothers and sisters in the US are spoilt for choice regarding Prismacolor, but not so much here in the UK, Australia, Europe, Africa etc.
So I guess the most pressing question would be just how close to the Prismacolor core are the Derwent Chromaflow. I completed a lot of extensive tests using both a Prismacolor Pencil and a Derwent Chromaflow pencil. I wanted to test them side by side, feel them in my hand and on different papers, I wanted to make sure I got a good understanding of both pencils.
I created a chart quite a while ago in my head with regards to rating hard and soft cored colored pencils. About a month or so ago I created a visual guide for this chart so that you guys could see what I am referring to. On the scale I created with Prismacolor being the softest core pencils at 01 and Derwent Artist weighing in at 10 on the scale, I would place the Derwent Chromaflow on 2 or 3
Derwent have done a tremendous job in creating a really soft core colored pencil, but as I have previously stated, in order to achieve that incredibly soft core, the consumer is going to experience some issues such as sharpening. It is simply part and parcel of really soft cored pencils that creating a sharp point and holding it for a period of time is.
In the section above regarding the palette, you can see an image of the full 72 range and this was completed on Bristol Velum paper, I wanted to try this type of soft core on a paper that has very little texture, simply due to the fact Prismacolor work works beautifully on such paper. As you can see from the swatch image, the pigment in the Derwent Chromaflow is super vibrant and this is exactly what Derwent aimed for.
Next I completed a series of tests, layering, the use of odourless mineral spirits and blending. First, with the layering test. I complete this test all the time, holding the pencil at the very end of the barrel and allowing the weight of the pencil to layer, this test helps to shoe pigment strength and the pencils ability to layer.
As you can see from the Chromaflow, right from the get go, the very first light layer, the pigment strength is tremendous. I always apply 5 layers as it is generally considered a good idea to apply at least 5 layers before using Odourless Mineral Spirits. The final column is a single heavy and the paper used for this test was the Hahnemühle Agave Watercolor paper, this paper has a nice texture to it, 70% Agave and 30% Cotton.
There was no resistance at all from the Derwent Chromoflow, by the 5th layer. I did a little bit of layering on Bristol Smooth paper and again very little to no resistance at the fifth layer point. The next test was blending and all this displays is the ability to create a third color.
As you can see from the image, again due to the softness of the Chromaflow core, blending or mixing the yellow and blue together has created a clear green. Mixing and blending colored pencils is much more difficult that doing the same with paint, be it oils, acrylics or watercolor and this is because those mediums are much more malleable than the solid core of a colored pencil. Hence the reason the softer cored pencils seem to generate much more seamless blends.
Next is the test using Odourless Mineral Spirits, this is something I personally don’t use, for no other reason than I prefer to use other methods, nevertheless, I always add this test as it shows exactly how the product will perform. To best see this in action check out my video review of the Derwent Chromaflow by simply clicking the link.
My final test is to show the pencil on black paper, ordinarily when I am reviewing a product I make that review completely about said product, I do comparisons on separate reviews, however on this occasion I have added Prismacolor samples. The reason I have added Prismacolor on this occasion is simply due to the direct comparison or recognition of this pencil in the UK market from Derwent.
Testing any product on dark paper doesn’t define how good or bad the product is but simply displays how opaque or translucent the product may be. As you can clearly see from the images provided, the Derwent Chromaflow sit beautifully strong on the black paper, all colors applied are quite opaque and the same goes for the Prismacolor pencils used. I think this test also displays just how similar the Chromaflow and Prismacolor are in this area.
I also completed some artwork using the Derwent Chromaflow, if you would like to know more about the artwork you can check out the speed drawing or still images. I actually completed the art on Derwent Lightfast Paper which is my favourite paper at the minute, however given just how gorgeously soft the Chromaflow core is, I wish I had of used a Bristol Velum Paper or Bristol Smooth.
Derwent Chromaflow Lightfast Information.
As the Chromaflow is a new product and still not available in certain countries, with regards the lightfast information I went straight to the amazing individual I talk to from Derwent about products, I say amazing due to the fact anything I ask for regarding details of products, accurate information is always supplied which is such a refreshing thing for a reviewer.
As of yet not all of the Chromaflow pencils have been tested for lightfastness, however, tests that have been conducted in labs have resulted in an overall lightfast rating of 60%. To clarify, 60% of the 72 colors have tested 6, 7 or 8 on the Blue Wool scale. Derwent test all of their products on the Blue Wool scale with the exception of the Derwent Lightfast pencil which is ASTM.
I think it is important to note that Derwent did not create the Chromaflow to be highly lightfast and aimed at professional colored pencil artists, if you are looking for a highly lightfast product from Derwent there are plenty of other pencils in their range that will cater to your needs. One of the things I think Derwent excel at is providing pencils for certain groups, every group from young artists, crafters, adult colouring book artists, Professional Colored Pencils artists and many more are all catered for under the one banner.
The Derwent Chromaflow are one such pencil that are aimed toward those of use who just love drawing, adult colouring book artists, crafters, people like myself who love to use colored pencils and then slip the work into a wallet never to see the light of day again.
Derwent Chromaflow Price
Its important that you understand the prices I am listing here are prices put forward before Derwent have even officially announced the Derwent Chromaflow 36, 48 and 72. The reason I am highlighting this is because traditionally, when new products are released the prices shortly reduce.
I must confess, when I first heard about the Chromaflow colored pencils last year, I assumed they would be a much more affordable products, purely based on the fact that the pencils are not a professional pencil in so much as the lightfast ratings are not up there with the likes of the Derwent Lightfast Pencils. As and when prices settle I will of course update but it also important to note that as I write this article, prices of food, energy, fuel, cloths etc are all higher than they have ever been to the extent people are struggling to heat their homes and feed themselves.
Derwent Chromaflow UK Prices
Here in the UK artists looking to purchase a set of the Derwent Chromaflow can expect to pay the following prices. Derwent Chromaflow 12 Set £8.79, Derwent Chromaflow 24 Set £22.99, Derwent Chromaflow 36 Set £59.99, Derwent Chromaflow 48 Set £79.99 and for the largest set of Derwent Chromaflow 72 you can expect to pay £119.99
Derwent Chromaflow US Prices
As of yet, the extended sets of the Derwent Chromaflow are not fully available yet in the US, however Derwent are pushing to make sure that the full range is available by mid to end of April. For the mean time however if artists in the US would like to try these wonderfully soft pencils out you can expect to pay the following. Derwent Chromaflow 12 Set $14.99, Derwent Chromaflow 24 Set $36.67, Derwent Chromaflow 36 Set $66.53, Derwent Chromaflow 48 Set $101.72 and Derwent Chromaflow 72 Set $146.76.
Derwent Chromaflow EU Prices
As is the case for artists in the US, Derwent are working hard to make sure that artists in the EU can purchase the extended sets by mid to late April, certain the plan is to make sure they are available before the end of April. For artists in the EU you can currently purchase the smaller sets and if this is something you would be interested in, here are the prices. Derwent Chromaflow 12 Set €14.99 and Derwent Chromaflow 24 Set €30.22
Derwent Hidden Issue
This is a very small issue, but an issue none the less that I discovered toward the end of my artwork, by which time I had a lot of the other elements of the reviews completed. With use of the Derwent Chromaflow Colored Pencils in the artwork, I started to run lox on certain colors and as I did, I need to use a pencil extender.
I immediately reached for my trusty Derwent Black Pencil Extender as this is the smaller extender of the Black and Silver ones. I soon discovered that the Derwent Chromaflow barrel is so slimline, the black Derwent Pencil Extender can’t tighten around it as it is too slim. Like I say it is not a huge issue, there are loads of other pencil extenders out there, but I am specifically talking about Derwent own extenders not working on the Chromaflow.
Derwent Chromaflow Conclusion
With regards to the plan or vision that Derwent first expressed to me regarding the Derwent Chromaflow, now that the range has been extended to 72 everything makes perfect sense. The manufacturing of the core to appease colored pencil artists who enjoy Prismacolor has most certainly been accomplished as far as I can tell.
I don’t think there is any issues that Derwent are over looking regarding quality control and the issues I encountered whilst sharpening, please let me explain this. If the Derwent Chromaflow were badly off centre, or the wood barrels were of just absolutely terribly quality all the way through, I would suggest Derwent are slacking regarding quality control. However this is not what is happening, this leads me to look at all the slimline soft cored colored pencils that I have reviewed over the years and the all, and I mean they all, exhibit sharpening issues. In my opinion this is not a coincidence and so I can only assume this is part and parcel of using a colored pencil with an exceptionally soft core and slimline barrel.
Sharpening issues aside and as I pointed out this only occurred in two or three of the 72 pencils I used, I have really enjoyed using the Derwent Chromaflow and now the range has been extended can see the Derwent Chromaflow being a real hit for Derwent. Don’t get me wrong, I still stand by my initial assessment and think that had Derwent of remained at 24 in the Chromaflow range, I only feel it would have frustrated people.
The market that Derwent are creating the Chromaflow pencil for I feel will really become attached to this pencil and I feel Derwent are placing the pencil in the right hands. Adult Colouring Book Artists, Crafters, Card Makers, Colored Pencil enthusiasts, these groups of people will all get maximum benefit from the Chromaflow. Although Derwent have made it clear that the Chromaflow are not a profession grade pencil, whilst I agree with them, I would suggest the Chromaflow is a Professional Artist quality pencil.
Let me briefly explain the difference and this is only my categorisation, this is not something accepted by colored pencil artists as standard. An Artists Grade Colored Pencil is one that falls under high levels of Blue Wool or ASTM lightfast ratings, a pencil that can be used by a colored pencil artist to sell their original work. An Artist Quality Colored Pencil is a colored pencil that in the hands of an artists or art enthusiast or adult colouring book artist, will create beautiful works of art, strong pigment levels, good laying abilities and blending abilities, however they may not always have the highest lightfast ratings. Just because a product is not the highest lightfast rating, does not mean that product won’t still create beautiful work. There are many Artist Quality pencils on the market but very few Artist Graded pencils and unless selling original pieces, we mustn’t ignore these other wonderful pencils with mid to high lightfast ratings.
Don’t forget; please take a look at my YouTube Video review of the Derwent Chromaflow, here you will get to see some additional bits over the written review that will help build up the full picture. I have also added a speed drawing YouTube video of the artwork using the Derwent Chromaflow and finally images of the artwork at various stages of completion. Just simply select the link for the relevant part of the review you would like to, watch, view or read next. Thank you all so much for your wonderful support.
