Friday 28 November 2008

Onyx Pencils

I've just been given a couple of the new Onyx dark graphite pencils made by Derwent Pencils to review. They have been developed as a one-size-fits-all type of pencil, that is each one can be used to make the lightest of marks and also the darkest of shades. The jet black tones they create are even darker than can be made with a soft 9B.

Because you can make light and also very dark marks with the same pencil, you just need to take the one pencil out with you when sketching, instead of a small selection of 2H, HB, 2B and 6B. This obviously makes life a lot easier! Also, because they are made of a hard graphite, they don't wear down very much and they keep a sharp point for much longer than a softer dark pencil. It is therefore easy to make thin dark marks with these onyx pencils, unlike with say a 6B pencil that wears down very fast and looses its point.

So why not give them a go. You can get them from Derwent Pencils, or from your local art store.

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