Comments about Derwent Aquatone Woodless Watercolor Sticks:

They might seem a bit pricey, BUT the rewards make these a watercolor medium that is impossible to beat. They are pure color, no wood casing, & this is the real magic of these sticks! The consistency is somewhere between a soft pencil and crayon-type medium which only lays down the amount of color you want, depending on the pressure you use, which I find VERY controllable, unlike watercolor paint which goes everywhere and is hard to control. I have used every kind of watercolor pencils, but I have never been able to find the ability to get different types of coverage I want from very light to very dark with just a pencil tip. I can be a messy artist and heavy-handed when I really want color, which always breaks the tips of every pencil I've ever tried, not to mention making heavy lines that do not wash evenly or completely when trying to blend. Not the effect I want.

I love adding watercolor washes to my inked or penciled drawings. This is how I use these sticks: the first thing I did when I opened them is cut off the tips just below the bar code. I then broke these tips into two different size pieces so I can use the SIDES of them for gorgeous sweeping color. I then sharpened the remaining sticks (still a substantial length!) so I now have "pencil" sticks as well as smaller pieces for LOTS of color over large areas. This is impossible to accomplish with regular pencils! The colors are beautiful and these sticks make watercolor art SO much more controllable for me. I will never use another watercolor medium now that I've found these sticks of pure color. They travel well and with a couple of waterbrushes, a pencil and some india ink pens I can go anywhere and create beautiful art with a very small number of easily transported supplies.

If you love the look of watercolor washes but haven't found a controllable way to add color to your drawings, try these. I struggled with pencils and paints for years until finding these gems. Now I will never use any other watercolor medium!

Comments about Derwent Aquatone Woodless Watercolor Sticks:

What it does: water soluble pencil that can be used as a drawing or wash medium. This is great when you want to keep supplies to a minimum, as in travel sketching.

How I use it: Wet and/or dry on 100 or 140 LB watercolor paper. Also in art journals and sketchbooks. I use these for line drawings where the line is emphasized and the washes are used to create shadows and value changes.
I've been testing various water soluble drawing products,such as neocolor II and Lyra crayons, Cretacolor water soluble oil pastels, watercolor pencils, etc. Compared to the crayons, these do not dissolve as quickly and smoothly, but that is an advantage when you want to preserve the lines of your drawing, while also disolving some of the color for blending or a wash effect.
What I like: The colors blend well with each other, and with other water media. Color is concentrated, so sticks last a long time. Dry colors aren't spectacular, but become richer when used with water. The pencils can hold a very fine point for detail drawing, but you can use the sides to apply larger areas of color very quickly. The dry drawings look very like hard pastel, but don't smear or create dust. NO WOOD TO SHARPEN! These are sold in open stock, so you can replace your favorites.

What I don't like: Nothing really. The range of colors isn't huge, but these are easy to blend so it's not a big deal.

Bottom line: Versatile product that's easy to use and gives you loads of color for the money.

Comments about Derwent Aquatone Woodless Watercolor Sticks:

I apply the Golden Fabric Medium to fabric and then color in with these wonderful pencils. Fantastic colors. After heat setting the colors are washable. I also look for easy projects for my special needs granddaughter and there is a minimum of clean up, doing fabric painting in this fashion.

Comments about Derwent Aquatone Woodless Watercolor Sticks:

After purchasing these pencils, I will never buy another type of watercolor pencil again. The colors are the most vibrant, and there is no waste since the shavings can be saved to create liquid color. Wood-less is a much better value, and the quality of these Derwent pencils is astounding!

Comments about Derwent Aquatone Woodless Watercolor Sticks:

After purchasing my first set of Derwent Aquatone pencils, I wished that these were the only pencils I'd ever purchased or owne. Any other style pales in comparison in terms of richness of color and value. There is no waste with these pencils, because you can save the shavings to make paints. I LOVE THESE PENCILS!!!! Don't waste your money buying wood-cased pencils. Wood-less is the only way to color!

Comments about Derwent Aquatone Woodless Watercolor Sticks:

tried others this gives more product for the price