I got a set of twelve inktense pencils for Christmas that I’ve had lots of fun experimenting with. I figured I would share my thoughts on them with you.

These are watersoluble pencils. But rather than the more common watercolor, this is ink. They are supposed to dry permanently, which means you can layer colors without disturbing the previous layers. That did not always work out though. At times, the colour could be lifted of with way to much ease. Maybe I should have allowed it to dry for a bit longer.

In addition to the pencils, there are also inktense blocks made from the same material as the pencil core. Has anyone tried those?

I found the colours to be brilliant and very intense, especially when they are used with water. But they also worked well dry. I would actually rate them among my favorite pencils when it comes to using them dry. They had a very nice softness to them. I’m concerned about the lightfastness however. Most of the colours in my set have decent ratings. But there can be a difference between what the rating says and how they actually perform. When we get a little more sunlight over here, i might test their lightfastness myself.

The flower is mostly made using heavy washes of ink, with some dry pencil on top. A little goes a long way with these if they are used with water, and i applied to much in places.

Overall, I enjoyed these pencils a lot. Has anyone of you tried them? What did you think?