Not Quite Wordless Wednesday: Reviewing my Derwent Pencils

   My favorite brand of colored pencils these days is the Faber Castell Polychromos, but there's one thing the Prismacolors offer that Faber Castell doesn't: a fabulous color selection.
  So i find i am trying

to match favorites of mine in non-Faber Castell brands.
  Which led me to the various brands of Derwents.
  They are basically good pencils.  My first watercolor pencils are by them.  They have hundreds of years experience making these.
  Perhaps i should say here what i DO like in a colored pencil:  ability to sharpen to a very fine point, and to HOLD that point.  i slightly prefer the ones made with an oil rather than wax base, because they seem to keep that point better.  Also, thick diameters are difficult to point, so i like more typical diameter of lead.

Coloursoft

  So, the Derwent pencils.  Coloursoft was their main line of dry colored pencils a few years back.  i was able to find a few in their Artist or Studio line, but found them too hard, more like a Prismacolor Verithin.  And i like those for what they are, but not looking to get hugely into collecting them.
  So, the Coloursoft.  They are definitely soft, actually softer than i care for, but mainly i object to the thick lead diameter.  That may be what you want, but not me.

Recent work, and my regular-use pencil collection.  Or at least part of it: i've moved the yellows and browns to a smaller pouch, because this is kinda full.

   The Procolours 

are very nice, though they do have a thickish diameter.  But mostly they hold the point well, and there are several colors i've been looking for that have an adequate equivalent in this line.  Prismacolor's Mineral Orange is one i've had trouble matching, but Procolour's Autumn Leaf is just about right. i think Burnt Yellow Ochre is similar to Pumpkin Orange.
In-depth review and swatches: https://yvonneryvesart.wordpress.com/2017/09/10/derwent-procolour-review/

 Lightfast

  Recently Derwent brought out the Lightfast line.  Lightfastness is a huge issue among colored pencil artists.  It does not do to have your framed wall piece lose its colors after a few years!  That said, for a lot of us, who work mainly with sketchbooks, coloring books, and greeting cards, the issue is really overrated.  But i did buy a few Lightfast ones in pursuit of the desired colors.  Prisma's Black Grape matches the Nightshade.  Forest is a lovely dark green but the point kept breaking off.

Conclusion

  Faber Castell is still my favorite brand, but i will probably buy more of the Procolour.  The Lightfast is a nice pencil, but i think i need to stay away from them, as they are so expensive and are built around a feature i do not require.