HISTORY
The Black Widow series were born in the Australian Company Medihealth 1, a company dedicated to health and care products since 2015 and ran by Albert, whose generosity has allowed me to test these pencils. Initially present in Australia, Medihealth 1 was later spreaded to Canada and Europe. Black Widow pencils were created minding the benefits of colouring in stressed people and people in pain. Black Widow series first launched a series of animals (the spider, the cobra and the scorpion) with unique and beautiful tones and later expanded the catalogue with two sets of skin tones, which are the topic of this review. There is more information on Black Widow in this article.
SPECIFICATIONS
The Black Widow skin tone series are hexagonal pencils easy to handle and light in weight, with an optimal gripping and 4 mm of a wax-based lead. Each pencil is produced in a beautiful black wood with an end painted on a colour matching the lead that helps choosing the pencil. On one side of the barrel there are engraved golden letters informing us about the line (skin), the colour number and the name. As can be seen above, these pencils have interesting and appealing names. The end of each pencil is closed, so we cannot see the lead. The pencils are manufactured in China.
PERFORMANCE
Black Widow skin tone series can be sharpened without problems, but the tips last a lot before having to do so. The colours can be blended and they don’t smudge when being pressed against the paper. Each colour works fine (even the palest ones) so no extra pressure has to be applied for the colour to come out. The tones are vivid and creamy.
For this picture I used two different pinks to check the blendability. The first sample shows the two colours alone, the second one has been blended with Derwent pencil blender and the third one with Derwent blender marker:
SETS AND PACKAGING
Skin tone series come in two different sets of 12 pencils each, one with light tones and the other with dark tones, the two of them a perfect acquisition that includes a full range of tones to virtually cover any human skin colour. The pencils come in beautiful tin boxes without hinges (which is always great as it saves space on the table) with a close-up picture of the palm of a hand on the cover and information about the set inside. The pencils come embedded in plastic trays that are prepared to resist better than average thanks to a secure cradle. These tins make a beautiful gift but careful is advised when transporting them as they can be dented. The pencils come pre-sharpened (with a squared tip) and arranged by colours.
COLOUR CHART AND DEMO
Here is the colour chart for the whole skin series:
And a drawing I produced using colours from both the light and the dark series:
CONCLUSION
Black Widow skin tone series are a serious bet in the field of skin tones. They are beautifully presented, the pencils are sturdy and the colours are vivid. As if all this wasn’t enough, the prices are fully competent.
WHERE TO BUY
Skin tone series and any Black Widow pencils set can be purchased in Amazon UK for around 12 pounds each set and for 13 euros in the European market.
Black Widow skin tones in Amazon UK | Sets in Amazon Spain
PROS, CONS AND RATING
The best: bright colours, professional appearance, great price.
The worst: I would have gathered all the skin tones together in a set of 24 pencils rather than in two different sets.
MORE INFORMATION
Learning to draw 