The Fude of Colored Pencils (Plus Shading Tips)

 

Three ways to use Derwent Drawing pencils (all examples in this post made in Stillman & Birn Zeta sketchbook)

Although I’ve exclaimed more than once recently that Derwent Drawing pencils are uniquely special, I’ve struggled with articulating what makes them so. Their extra-soft, creamy core combined with an unprecedented thickness is the physical manifestation that makes them unique colored pencils, but what’s the result of that on paper?

The gold pencil at right is the Uni Mitsubishi "brush pencil," which I cut into a chisel shape.

Years ago (holy crap, my blog now tells me it was nearly a decade ago!), I wrote a review of the Uni Mitsubishi “brush pencil.” Obsessed at the time with all things fude (the Japanese term for “brush”), I happened upon this graphite pencil that was intended to mimic the fluidity and expressiveness of a calligraphy brush. Recalling that pencil made me realize that it has that same remarkable combo of ultra softness with thickness of core as Derwent Drawing pencils. As well as any pencil possibly could, they all possess the ability to make a wide range of thick-and-thin expressive marks that are usually limited to a wet brush.

I will now declare it: Derwent Drawing is the fude of colored pencils.

A blog reader recently requested tips on shading using Derwent Drawing pencils. Now that I have a way to talk about their greatest attribute – variable line-width expressiveness – I think the best thing a new user of these pencils can do is to experiment and play with mark-making to see what a difference it makes for a pencil to be both soft and thick.

In the swatches I made at the top of the post, the first swatch labeled “side” is one way I use these pencils most: on the side of their cores instead of their points. This is where they express their most fude-likeness by being both pressure-sensitive and able to make a variety of line widths. It’s a method typically not used by traditional colored pencil artists.

Of course, these pencils can also be used to shade in a more traditional way: Using a sharp point to make multiple, lightly applied layers (labeled “tip [light]”). Traditional instructions will also advise against applying hard pressure from the get-go (labeled “tip [hard]”). A freshly sharpened hardcore colored pencil (for example, Faber-Castell Polychromos) applied that way would likely leave permanent indentations in the paper’s surface. In addition, slamming down a big wad of pigment will leave bits of white paper exposed that will be much harder to cover later. Applying many light layers enables more pigment to get into the paper’s tooth and cover the surface completely.

But who cares? I only very rarely draw with colored pencils in the recommended way. (That swatch showing how hard I’m pressing? Don’t tell real colored pencil artists who showed you that! 😉) I’m all about slamming the color down hard and getting out fast! That may sound aggressive, but it’s no less soothing and relaxing simply because these pencils feel so good to use.

Just for fun, I stopped at a couple of points while making the sketch below to show some of the different ways I hold and apply Derwent Drawing pencils. In Phase 1, I’m holding the pencil loosely and lightly and using mostly the sharp point to block in the main shapes. (Yes, I always start with the car because it gives me a scale reference point.)

Phase 1: blocking in, mostly with pencil point

In Phase 2, I start using the side of the core to find varying values within the foliage.

Phase 2: side of core

In the final phase, I continued using the side of the core to work on the foliage texture. To finish, I used the point again to fill in the darkest areas.

Finishing: more shading with side; darkest areas with point

I knew that I had made a sketch previously using the same reference photo (coincidentally using the same Ink Blue pencil – it’s one of my favorites for this type of monochrome sketch). In the one below from Feb. 2, I used the pencil sort of halfway between the point and the side to draw the foliage texture with more vertical scribbles. I don’t think I used the full side at all in this sketch. Derwent Drawing pencils are full of new marks to discover!

2/2/26 Halfway between point and side for vertical marks

Thank you, Cathy, for making the request that prompted this post, which was fun for me to think about!

(Incidentally, reading that old review about the Uni “brush pencil” and seeing that sketch example make me realize that I hadn’t yet developed my skills in using pencils back then. I haven’t used that Uni in years; I must get it out and play with it again!)

Ink Blue -- one of my favorites for this type of monochrome sketching.

Takeout from Kona Kitchen

 

A Brief Quad Hanami

 

3/26/26 University of Washington Quad

On a jam-packed day, I barely had an hour to squeeze in at the University of Washington Quad, but how could I miss sketching peak cherry blossoms with USk Seattle? Arriving an hour-and-a-half late, I quickly singled out one tree so that I’d have a sketch to throw down (above). Of course, it was magnificently much wider than I allowed room for on the page.

After the throwdown, I went back into the throng for one more quick one: A gnarled, moss-covered branch as thick as an entire tree trunk itself and happy hanami participants enjoying the sunny (but cold) day.

Obligatory sakura selfie

More Happy Hours

11/5/25 Steve

1/8/26 Nick

Everyone in memory care enjoys Happy Hour, including visitors like me. Every Thursday, a musical performer comes in to entertain the residents, who also get to enjoy refreshments. The life enrichment staff do a great job of bringing in a variety of musicians. Several rotate in regularly, and it’s fun to sketch their familiar faces. Even the residents who spend most of their time dozing in their chairs become alert and engaged during happy hour.

1/15/26 Lindy Moo

2/15/26 Lisa & Frank

2/19/26 I didn't catch this performer's name,
but they performed in a "burlesque" style and 
talked about the tradition of drag performances.

3/5/26 Do

Randomly, this post also includes a couple of others who work hard in different ways to make the residents happy. Catharine, a life enrichment staff member, leads many hands-on activities with residents, including baking cookies. Gary is maintenance manager Aaron’s dog. Although Gary doesn’t do much but lie around, the residents like him, and I can’t resist sketching him.

1/6/26 Gary (left and above)

11/29/25 Catharine baking cookies

The Daily Sketch Journal Process

 

2/24/26 Alexa's Cafe, Bothell

I’ve already mentioned two animal portrait workshops I’ll be offering at ArtSpot this spring (one with brush pen and the second with colored pencils). I’m also teaching one this summer called Keeping a Daily Sketch Journal. After years of sporadic sketch journaling attempts that eventually lapsed, I finally figured out a process that “stuck,” and I’m excited to share it.

2/25/26

As I began pulling together a variety of sketch journal pages to show in the class handout, I started thinking about which types of pages might make the best examples. Developing a sketch journaling process is very personal; I don’t know which of my pages, if any, would resonate with others.

3/4/26 Cloudy Cafe, Ballard neighborhood

The main message I want to convey is simply this: What I’m showing here is just the way I do it – not the way it should be done. The only thing matters is finding one’s own way of doing it, and that only happens by trying different things.

3/20/26 documenting new glasses

9/28/25 photo reference

Not Yet Prime Time on Sunset Hill, Either

3/22/26 Sunset Hill neighborhood

Sunset Hill is my all-time favorite petal-peeping spot. Although certainly the University of Washington Quad is the city’s biggest, grandest Sakura show, and I enjoy the spectacular hanami experience of the throngs, this single block in the Sunset Hill neighborhood is more my vibe. Even at peak, these blossoms seem known only to residents who jog or walk their dogs there. It’s such a quiet residential street that I always walk slowly down the middle of it, hardly needing to step aside for cars.

Look at that shape!

Each tree’s unique shape is as familiar as a friend. As we both admired one tree in particular (which I’ve drawn many times), another woman and I declared in unison, “It’s my favorite,” then beamed at each other.

Like their sisters on Crown Hill and Capitol Hill, these beauties hadn’t yet hit their peak, but they were close. I’m planning to be back again next week with USk Seattle when it’s full-on party time, so I chose a smaller tree this time that I hadn’t sketched before. It’s just a warm-up for the main event.

Not yet prime time, but close.

Dibble on Crown Hill

3/22/26 Crown Hill neighborhood

When Sunday afternoon turned out dry and even partly sunny, it was a good opportunity to check out a couple more of my favorite pink streets. Although Dibble Northwest on Crown Hill is a narrow, quiet and somewhat messy residential street (a broken-down basketball hoop has had a prominent spot on the block for years), every spring it turns into a pink fairyland. Not the grand fairyland of Sunset Hill (see tomorrow’s post), but more like the fairy who insists on wearing dirty jeans with her tiara. No matter – the trees are still lovely.

Like the cherries on Capitol Hill, these were not yet at their peak, but they were lazily working up to it. I think the party begins this weekend.