Derwent has been crafting pencils and pencil crayons since 1832. Some of the worlds best pencil crayons are produced by Derwent for professional artists and those that like using quality pencils. I have been a fan of Derwent pencils for many years. And, I have a fairly large collection of their color pencil crayons that I love using.

I’m happy to add this set to my collection. As with all their other color pencils, the quality is high. The colors go down smoothly and the lead can keep their point without breaking easily. The pigment packed leads and high-quality wooden shafts make the pencils very sturdy, easy to sharpen and comfortable to hold. This set of 72 pencil crayons comes in a metal tin with the pencils stored into two, lift out, trays.

Each of the color pencils provides evidence of its high pigment levels when even the lightest of pressure shows the color vividly on your paper or support material. Applying more pressure with the pencil lead will show the color in an even richer tone.  I like the color selection in the full 72 set, though I’m a little disappointed that not all the pencils have equal levels of lightfastness. But, barring that, the pencils are wonderful to use and go down smoothly on paper.

The colors layer nicely and blend even better when used with Gamsol (an odorless solvent). This gives your drawing a seamless, blended finish. The pencil has a smooth, almost creamy feel when drawing. It almost feels like the pencil is gliding on the paper. Very similar in feel to the Caran d’Ache Luminance or Faber Castell Polychromos color pencils. If you are looking to add a quality color pencil to your collection, then I highly recommend the Derwent Procolor Pencil Crayons.