The National Trust is a conservation charity in the U.K., committed to protecting and caring for all things nature. The Trust has created the “Riverlands” project to provide awareness surrounding the importance of maintaining the health of England’s rivers. These efforts include helping to slow the flow of water and alleviate flooding, repairing banks, creating new habitats and tackling the rise of invasive non-native species.
One of the key locations of the National Trust’s Riverlands project is the River Derwent in the Lake District, which is a region and national park in Cumbria in northwest England. The Derwent brand is deeply rooted in the Lake District. In fact, the brand name is derived from the river Derwent and Derwent Water; a picturesque lake located next to the original factory in Keswick, where Derwent started making pencils in 1832.
Given this history, Derwent welcomed the opportunity to partner with the National Trust and their Riverlands project to create the Derwent Riverlands Collection.
The sustainably sourced collection consists of five new sets of pencils, which are collectable, featuring illustrations by artist Claudine O’Sullivan. The product artworks were created with pencils from the collection, using each set’s distinctive colour palette. The illustrations are inspired by rivers and landscapes in the National Trust’s care and the species that call these places home, including otters, kingfishers and dragonflies.
Designed for drawing outside, as well as inside, all five sets are perfect for creating art at any of the 500 places the National Trust cares for, or at home. Compact and practical, the sets are the embodiment of art on the move, allowing individuals to explore and capture nature. Each set is an essential, high-quality toolkit for all, from professional artists to creatives who are just getting started.
The five new sets of pencils from the Derwent and National Trust Riverlands Collection are:
- The Sketching Wallet: Made for those who like to draw outdoors, with every tool an artist needs, including an extensive range of pencils, a sharpener, an eraser and a sketching pad.
- The Graphic Set: An essential and extensive toolkit for graphite drawings in all styles, including 12 professional Derwent Graphic pencils, from a crisp 9H to soft 9B.
- The Chromaflow Set: Twelve professional Derwent Chromaflow pencils, formulated with rich pigments to create vibrant colour with a smooth laydown.
- Ideal for creating subtle watercolour paintings with the control and convenience of a pencil, the Watercolour Set contains 12 professional Derwent Watercolour pencils.
- From Cerulean Blue to Venetian Red, the Pastel Set features 12 professional Derwent Pastel pencils, ideal to achieve a laydown of soft colour, to blend or create light washes.
Ten percent of each product sold (a minimum of £10,000) from the Derwent and National Trust Riverlands Collection will go to the River Derwent program, part of National Trust’s Riverland’s Project.
All five sets in the Derwent and National Trust Riverlands Collection will be available in select retailers across the U.K. and via derwentart.com beginning May 2022.