- Ellie Taylor
ScrawlrBox for April 2018
The ScrawlrBox for April had a really neat item in it that I have been wanting to try out: Derwent Graphitint pencils! For those of you who want to try these supplies for yourselves, I have included my Amazon Affiliate links down below.
When you open the box this is what you see. Just what I wanted: a Cutie Boots! Not really, ha ha! Cutie Boots was trying to get in the box and so I forgot to get a picture of the box contents. Instead I got a picture of him.
So the first actual item I received was an Artline pencil case. This case is made out of a silicone material that makes the case more sturdy but still flexible. This case is available on the UK site of https://www.cultpens.com/ They have worldwide shipping and the case is approximately $9.00. Amazon has some similar silicone cases for around $6.85.
Next there was a pack of 6 Derwent Graphitint pencils with grey, blue, purple, white, green, and black colors. These are graphite pencils with a tint of color in them and they are water soluble. These pencils retail for around $15.99 on Amazon.com. They come in sets of 6, 12, and 24.
Third there was a white Maped XPert eraser. These erasers are supposed to have less crumbs. You can find this brand of eraser on Amazon in a pack of 3 for around $9.99.
Lastly there were three 5X7 inch sheets of Norfolk Cartridge 150 gsm paper. You can find this paper on Amazon UK for around £46.80 or $62.19 per 100 sheets. This paper is also available at https://www.jacksonsart.com/
Then there was the supplies list, a ScrawlrBox sticker, a print by the artist of the month, Lisa Clough, and a flavored Chupa Chups Cherry Stix. The candy was like Sour Punch Straws, but with the sour crystals in the center instead of the outside. Lisa Clough has a great YouTube channel. Check it out at https://www.youtube.com/user/Lachri
Doodlin' Time!
There were 6 colors of Graphitint pencils, but they were very muted. They dissolved well with the water and their texture is sort of like a cross between colored pencils and a regular pencil, sort of like oil based colored pencils.The Maped eraser seemed to work as well as any other eraser (it still had crumbs though) and the pencil case was really nice for storing these Graphitint pencils. There was also a handheld Derwent pencil sharpener, but I can't find it anywhere! I asked Cutie Boots if he had something to do with the disappearance, but he says he doesn't know anything about it. Hmmm.... Anyway, the Norfolk Cartridge paper works very well for quick sketches with these pencils.
'Smokey in the Window'
by Ellie Taylor
I did a quick sketch of Smokey (one of my other cats) sitting on my bookcase. He loves to watch birds outside the window. I used some water to create a very light wash and drew some sketchy details on Smokey and the bookcase. If you want stronger color, you can use more water than I did. The effect that can be gotten with a color wash is good for creating shadows.
'Mask Sketch'
by Ellie Taylor
I also tried out these pencils on toned paper. I didn't use any water this time. Instead I used these pencils with a colored pencil technique. I used the white pencil with grey and blue to create a colored pencil blending effect on the white mask. It really does work and you can layer these pencils too.
So what do I think of these Derwent Graphitint pencils? I like them. They are good for quick sketchy washes or for making a muted tone picture in the style of colored pencils. The leads are soft unlike Conte crayons and I like that because it doesn't tear thinner types of paper.
This was an awesome box this month! I really had been thinking about getting these pencils and thanks to this box, I got to test them out. And of course, I can always use another pencil case!
Check out the ScrawlrBox at http://scrawlrbox.uk/ They start at £15 a month with free shipping in the UK. Everyone else pays shipping costs. For the US, the total cost is roughly $25 to $30 including the shipping cost.