How to use Derwent Inktense! Tips & ideas for Inktense blocks & pencils

Hi all! Today I’m sharing a video all about using Derwent Inktense. I love using these in my sketchbook to create texture and as a medium it really encourages me to play! I painted this beautiful, bright sketchbook spread inspired by photos I took when visiting the Palm House in Vienna. Hope you enjoy watching it come to life and see how I use Derwent Inktense! Katie x
This is not a sponsored video, but the Inktense blocks and pencils were ad gifted for an earlier campaign I did with Derwent during the summer 💛
🧡 M A T E R I A L S
(Derwent Inktense products were gifted)
Derwent Inktense XL blocks * : tidd.ly/4cqxfVR
Derwent Inktense blocks * : tidd.ly/3RAGaMh
21x30cm Royal Talens Sketchbook * : tidd.ly/3Rx0dvm
Derwent Inktense pencils * : tidd.ly/3VtRU4B
The above starred (*) links are affiliate links. I'll get a small commission if you buy using these links but at no extra cost to you. Thank you so much for your help supporting my channel!
💛 L I N K S
Patreon: / katiemoody
Instagram: / katie_moody
Facebook: / katiemoodyart
Etsy: www.etsy.com/uk/shop/KatieMoo...
Newsletter: www.katiemoody.co.uk/newsletter
Blog: www.katiemoody.co.uk/blog
💙 M U S I C
YT Audio Library

[@gjschlink664]

From A 74 YR OLD NEWBIE, Fantastic , totally Inspiringly delightful incentive. Thank you very much! I started using the Derwent Intense pencils around 2014 when I was making quilts. But! I didn’t try the pencils until early 2023, after watching tutorials and KZbin videos such as yours! 😊. Since this earlier time, I have become a newbie Colorist with a growing stash of various makers of various coloring pencils, water coloring supplies and whatever else I find a new interest in trying! Today happened to be my ‘find more tips and inspiration’ before I work on my current project. You were the final one for the time I set to watch KZbin and you have really Lit My Fire. Thank you very much for sharing and posting. Best of wishes and Happy Holidays to you as we approach the New Year of 2024. Bless you and those who have discovered your channel! 👍🏻

[@KatieMoody]

Oh this has made me so happy! So lovely to hear about your creative endeavours! Thank you for your kind words and comment, wishing you a wonderful festive season and creative new year also! 😊💜

[@sheilacym]

Loved reading your comment here and can relate to it very much, as am also fairly new to discovering the exciting world of discovering so many wonderful art mediums. I will be 71 next week in early January and feel the same inspiration about having just found Katie’s channel on YT. All the best to you with your art adventures in 2024 ! 🤩🤗🥳🎉

[@susananielsen8911]

Am74 and discovered this video about Inktense materials…. Er inspiring Thank you …got more ideas how to use them.

[@cindyfromsydney7693]

This is not only beautiful but must be, to me, the most useful review of the inktense products that I have seen ❤

[@KatieMoody]

Oh that is so wonderful to hear, thank you! So glad it was helpful 😊

[@sheilacym]

Agreed Cindy !! 🤗🤗

[@lesleyegbert4807]

Thank you so much for using the Inktense pencil products as intended, and for placing that section right up front in the video! Most of the time when I search KZbin for Inktense pencil tutorials, the pencils make a cameo, while the Inktense pan paints get most of the screen time. That, or they'll draw on a palette and paint with the pencils that way the entire time. Watching you push through that first piece was instructive for me and I'm really impressed how it turned out.

[@KatieMoody]

Thank you so much, Lesley! I find that is the most exciting way to use them because it's a bit of a surprise what happens and what the art can turn into! Thank you for your comment and kind words 🥰

[@judyhammond3181]

I really enjoy dipping the pencils in water also. Applying the pencils dry and then spraying lightly with water creates some interesting bleeds.

[@KatieMoody]

Oooh that sounds so good - thanks for sharing that idea! 😄

[@KerryAA7130]

I have 49 inktense pencils , 24 inktense blocks , 24 pan set of paints , love them all , they are all versatile and colours are vibrant . I can recommend them all , I don’t own the XL blocks . The peices of art you produced using the inktense art materials is really good , beautiful detail .

[@KatieMoody]

Thank you so much! Wow what a great collection! I have a 12 pan set of paints that I've used on location though I don't reach for them much in the studio! I do love how versatile the whole range is 😊

[@sarakatharina2928]

Finally a helpful inktense tutorial. Thank you very much!!

[@KatieMoody]

So glad you found it helpful, thank you so much for watching! 😊

[@impish22]

My favorite artist on youtube !! thanks for posting Katie !!

[@KatieMoody]

Oh you are so kind!! Thank you so much for always commenting and supporting 🥰❤️

[@EmmaDurrans]

What a beautiful spread! It’s so vibrant. It was fun learning about all the different ways you can use the Derwent Inktense Blocks too 😊

[@KatieMoody]

Thank you so much Emma 🥰

[@Julie-vy3oz]

Fun to see you use this medium. Thanks for sharing! Lovely project.

[@KatieMoody]

Thank you so much 😊💜

[@liz-anna2365]

Great inspiration! I bought a flexible white plastic cutting pad from the dollar store. It has a finely textured side that works beautifully as a palette to rub the Inktense on and then add water to make the liquid colour.

[@liz-anna2365]

A cutting board except thin and flexible.

[@KatieMoody]

Ooh what a good tip, thanks so much for sharing! I think Caran d'Ache do a similar textured board for neocolors but I love the idea of a cutting board as that's much more affordable!

[@jessicastrideart]

These paintings are so gorgeous Katie! A few years ago I was very lucky to be given a big box of the Inktense pencils and I’ve rarely used them but you inspired me to get them out again and have a play! Thankyou for a lovely inspiration video. x

[@KatieMoody]

Thank you so much Jessica 🥰 Oh that's amazing - so you are ready to go! 😄 I'm so glad to have inspired you and hope you enjoy playing and creating with them! 🧡

[@jlm517rocks]

really beautiful spread, smart tips, helpful demos. Been considering using shavings in waterbrushes for plein aire...ty...

[@KatieMoody]

You're welcome! Thanks so much for watching and commenting, so glad it was helpful 😊

[@nelsonlip]

I enjoyed watching this so much! Thank you for sharing and I can't wait to try it out!

[@KatieMoody]

Thank you so much, so glad it's encouraged you to give it a try! 😊

[@jana_4_klu]

Oh wonderful! ❤

[@KatieMoody]

Thank you! 😊

[@lookingup4505]

They are beautiful, it looked like a lot of fun!

[@KatieMoody]

Thank you so much, it really was! 😄

[@jaclynbaerart]

These are so fun and playful! Great job!

[@KatieMoody]

Thanks so much Jaclyn! 🧡

[@AngelicscalliwagsArt]

I really enjoy hearing your thoughts and experimentation going along 🧡 Thank you for sharing so many ways to use one medium!

[@KatieMoody]

Thank you so much! It was a pleasure to paint and share 🥰

[@user-tt6vx6gr9u]

I don’t know how I missed this video Katie but I’m glad I watched it tonight. I still don’t understand how you start with such a bunch of scribbles (yes, I’ve said this before 😍) and end up with a beautiful piece of art! I can’t wrap my brain around your intuitive process. I enjoyed watching it go from what seemed like just a lot of wiggly lines to the finished product. I always have faith in you though and know that I won’t be disappointed. This piece was very tropical, colorful and perfect for these materials. Just missing a parrot or two, thank goodness no room for 🐠 😅❤

[@KatieMoody]

Thank you, Kathy! 🥰 Thank you for having faith that the squiggles and wiggles will become art eventually - it took me a long time to trust that messy beginning (and middle 😂) before seeing it come together! Definitely no room for fish in this one 🤣

[@user-tt6vx6gr9u]

@@KatieMoody …. You make me laugh! Too bad there wasn’t room for a fish or two 👏🏻😂. I would never know you have an ouch of struggle when your start working on a page, never, never, never!!

[@lenorebreen3394]

Beautiful work! I love how you used the bright colors.

[@KatieMoody]

Thanks so much 😊

[@PunjabiHumanitarian]

Beautiful and again you make it look effortless! ❤

[@KatieMoody]

Aah that is so kind, thank you so much 🥰

[@ChantelleArts]

Wow! this spread is gorgeous 😍😍 I'd love to try these out but I feel like I'd struggle to make it look cute messy rather than messy messy haha 😂

[@KatieMoody]

Thank you Chantelle! Hahah there is always such a fine line between messy and cute messy, right?! 🤣 But extra layers and details always help to neaten it up!

[@greggtransky9080]

Fabulous demo, Katie! Thanks so much for all of this information and for sharing your amazing ideas. Grateful. Sondra Borrie

[@KatieMoody]

Thank you so much, Sondra, I really appreciate it! And a huge thank you for joining my Patreon too 🥰

[@BunNessa_Art]

I also enjoy dipping the inktense pencils in the water and smudging the inktense blocks with my finger (when it's wet on the paper or dipping my finger in the water and spreading the color that way). Watching this makes me want to do some playful studies! 😀 🥰

[@KatieMoody]

It's such a fun way to use them isn't it! I think it's because it reminds me of being a child again and finger painting (though perhaps a bit more refined 😆) Thank you for watching!

[@BunNessa_Art]

@@KatieMoody it really is! There's just something so satisfying about it! 😀 and you're very welcome! 🥰

[@monikaazariah9237]

Stunning art ❤

[@KatieMoody]

Thank you so much 😊

[@jaimeo2312]

I thoroughly enjoyed this video, thank you for showing us how you use inktense. I'm really inspired now!

[@KatieMoody]

Thank you so much Jaime 🥰 So happy to have inspired you! 🧡

[@sheilacym]

This is such a brilliant video, Katie, and I am so pleased to have come across your YT Channel today for the very first time. I am also going to enjoy watching your previous videos and can honestly say, having watched hundreds, if not thousands of videos on YT this past year or so, that this video /demonstration with the Derwent Inktense products is absolutely the very best that I have ever seen ! Congratulations. 🤩🤩🥳💕 I have subscribed and would like to wish you every happiness and success for the coming New Year , 2024.

[@KatieMoody]

Oh what an amazing comment, thank you so very much! So happy to have you here! I'm really glad you enjoyed this one and found it helpful - when I first started with Inktense I was a little lost with how to apply them so I just got experimenting! I love sharing my process and I'm so pleased it's useful to others 🥰 Have a wonderful 2024!

[@deeh9563]

OMG!!! I think I do have some Inktense pencils around here somewhere- definitely going to give this approach a try. Thanks!!!

[@KatieMoody]

Oooh how exciting! Hope you can find them and then enjoy having a play! 😄

[@handyandhoney7418]

Thank you so much for this great video!! Very helpful!! I have the pencils, some blocks and the bigger watercolor set. I have struggled on how to use them together. This video helped a TON!! Fabulous video!! ❤️

[@KatieMoody]

Oh that's so great to hear, thank you so much! So pleased you found it helpful 🥰🧡

[@luciabertinat274]

I love it you inspired me to try new ways to use my inktense

[@KatieMoody]

So happy to hear that! 🥰

[@EveAshford]

Oh my. This spread is gorgeous Katie, really inspiring. I actually ordered some inktense blocks in November (used your code in Patreon) and can’t wait to try them out! 😍

[@KatieMoody]

Thank you so much, that is so lovely to hear! I hope you love them as much as I do! 🥰

[@vwood2]

Thank you for this fabulous tutorial. By far the best I’ve seen. And it’s very refreshing to see all your wonderful texture and line work! It adds so much life and excitement to your piece. So often people dissolve all the marks, which sort of defeats the purpose of drawing media, vs just using paint.

[@KatieMoody]

Oh thank you so much, that's so wonderful to hear! I think the texture and marks are the best part too - I think it adds so much to the piece if those marks can still be seen! As you say, it defeats the purpose otherwise!

[@miiaproductions]

Love how colorful and vibrant the spread turned out 😄💖 really need to play more with my inktense pencils, would love to try the blocks someday. I really love how your pieces turn out and how you make them look so good even though they are loose. I try to get better at doing more loose pieces, but find it hard to get it to look good in the end. But it sure is fun to play around and not be so serious about my art all the time 😊

[@KatieMoody]

Thank you! 🥰 For sure, getting a balance of looseness can be so tricky! I find that working quickly helps me and I try not to spend too long working in to it. Definitely agree that it's fun to just play! I love it when I don't know where my art will take me 😄

[@annaharris2870]

Love your cute sketches ❤❤

[@KatieMoody]

Thank you so much 🤗

[@herbalannie7707]

Wow! Lots of good info on techniques. I have the pencils and i just don't use them enough.

[@KatieMoody]

Thank you, hope it's helpful! I don't reach for these pencils all the time but when I do I always have a lot of fun with them! 😄

[@lorih620]

Great description of your materials & process! You’ve got yourself a new subscriber 😊

[@KatieMoody]

Aah that’s wonderful to hear, thank you so much! ☺️

[@diannedupuis2960]

Excellent video!

[@KatieMoody]

Thank you for watching! 🥰

[@IngunnWanderer]

These pages were gorgeous! Thanks for the inspiration. I got an almost unused tin of Inktense pencils from someone in my family earlier this year, and I've been wondering how to use them

[@KatieMoody]

Thank you so much, so glad you enjoyed watching! And hopefully it's inspired you to use the pencils too 🥰

[@annithegiantoctopus]

Thanks for posting this, Katie - I'm particularly interested because these can't be re-wetted when dry. There's a pack of 12 in the mail and I can't wait to try them!

[@KatieMoody]

Thank you for watching! Ooh how exciting - hope you have fun playing and creating when they arrive! 😄

[@EvetteW]

Fabulous artwork Katie. I absolutely love derwent inktense, I’ve literally got everything in the inktense range 😂🙈

[@KatieMoody]

Thank you so much! Oh wow!!! That's amazing, I'm eyeing up some more colours of the smaller Inktense blocks to build my collection! 🤩

[@EvetteW]

@@KatieMoody I love the small inktense blocks, so nice for putting down colour. I did a class with Jake spicer online with derwent and I think it was cult pens where we used them, so much fun. I definitely want to ask Santa for the XL blocks 😁

[@hamerray]

When the color dries you get this chalky look to it but with the pencils the colors are more bright and vibrant.

[@KatieMoody]

Yes that's a good point - it dries much more matte when using the blocks!

[@hollybennett4149]

I love these spreads Katie, they have such an energy to them! I still need to properly play around with my inktense pencils, but I did add a block in a teal shade to my Christmas wish list to try! What shade block did you use for the ferns and the pink pencil at the end on the second spread?

[@KatieMoody]

Thank you so much Holly, I'm so pleased with the energy of it too! Oooh a teal one sounds lovely! For the ferns I used 1520 Hookers Green (it's such a lovely dark olive colour!) and much more my type of green than the brighter ones. The pink pencil at the end is shade 0405 Pink Flamingo 😄

[@trcha2719]

Hi Katie. Can you tell us about yourself by making a video? For example, did u go to art school? How did you start? What do you like? Tell us more about yourself and your artist life

[@KatieMoody]

Hello! Thank you for the idea, I'll add to my videos list. I always worry that many people wouldn't be interested but I do think it's important to share my journey too - thanks! 😊

[@ToniClifton-gr5ug]

I’m million percent interested to know more about your journey too! ❤️

[@KittehNow]

😮😮😊😊😊❤❤❤

[@KatieMoody]

Thank you so much 🥰💜

[@annmayer8251]

It would be nice to see a few examples of how the Derwent Outliner pencil is used. Thanks, Ann.

[@KatieMoody]

Oooh what a great suggestion, thanks Ann! I hadn't heard of this pencil before but I've just looked it up and it sounds interesting!

[@riverAmazonNZ]

You may have just convinced me on the inktense blocks. I have the pencils that I use mostly for fabric.

[@KatieMoody]

So glad to hear! And what a great idea - I've not tried them on fabric!!

[@riverAmazonNZ]

@@KatieMoody they spread into the fabric like watercolour if you use water. If you want more control, use an alcohol based aloe vera gel. I’ve heard you can use a colourless alcohol marker too.

[@riverAmazonNZ]

@@KatieMoody btw I bought a 24 set of the blocks.

[@KatieMoody]

@@riverAmazonNZ Oh that's so good to know, thanks for sharing your technique! And hope you enjoy the blocks 🤩

[@JudithPowers-pc1tm]

Derwent Precision pencil

[@Skinnychelle48]

Ur using the Royal Talens Sketchbook here?

[@KatieMoody]

Yes, the Royal Talens Art Creations sketchbook in the 21x30cm size 🤗

[@veystone2580]

But you can wet the tip of the pencil avoiding the wooden area.

[@umagupta9411]

Hi is this a watercolor medium

[@KatieMoody]

Yes, all the supplies are water soluble 😊

[@dianneleon2522]

What kind of paper is your sketchbook?

[@KatieMoody]

@@dianneleon2522 It's 140gsm acid free paper 😊