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| Shorties are back in action, thanks to the Derwent pencil extender. |
You may recall my post about how I’ve used my shorty colored
pencils to help me choose a limited palette with the “calling the dog” method. Too short to carry easily in my Tran Portfolio Pencil Case (when they get pushed down
past the elastic, pencils are difficult to pull out quickly), the shorties aren’t
wasted, of course – I just retire them from my daily-carry bag and use them in
the studio.
Some of those shorties are now getting close to
the “Steinbeck stage” – too short to
be supported by the web between the thumb and forefinger, making them
uncomfortable and awkward to use. Although many pencil extenders for standard-size
pencils are readily available, none I tried would accommodate my favorite Caran d’Ache Museum Aquarelles and Derwent Drawing Pencils, both of which
have barrels that are slightly larger than standard. (These favorite
large-barreled pencils have also given me problems with sharpening, which I finally resolved.)
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| Derwent pencil extenders |
A Derwent pencil extender was recently brought to my
attention because it is designed to accommodate pencils up to 8mm in diameter,
so I gave it a try – and voila! It fits! Barely – I had to really jam the
Museum Aquarelle in – but that’s good enough for me. Packaged as a pair with a
second extender made for standard-size pencils (up to 7mm), it’s made of
lightweight aluminum, so it doesn’t add much weight to my bag.
The extender now makes the shorties long enough
to go back into my everyday-carry Tran Pencil Portfolio Case, where I can use them
fully and comfortably again.
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