Even though drawing with color pencils can turn out to be a really exciting experience, blending the same is a bit tricky task. There have been a lot of controversies about color pencils as an art form.

Whilst some folks consider color pencils limited to drawing, others don\'t mind calling the artwork carved out using this specific sort of colors as paint. No matter what the verdict is, color pencils contribute to one of the most accurate, detailed, and clear forms of drawing medium that is super versatile to be utilized with watercolors.

Not only do these pencils are economical to use (as it doesn't entail any other sort of drawing tools) but they are portable and could be carried anywhere you want. In addition to this, the colored pencil doesn't need a lot of space neither do they contain strong chemicals (apart from the glue that you might need once you are done with the drawing).

What's more? Unlike watercolors and other drawing tools that are vulnerable to smear easily, pencil colors are safe and need no time to dry. Now that you learned about what exactly the pencil colors are and how can they enhance your drawing, let’s head to the details about its blending. Here we go:

When blending is required?

There is no doubt to say that using colored pencils on drawing sheet can be a fun-time activity. However, if your purpose of drawing with such splendid medium isn't limited to just pass your spare time and you really wish to create a paper that would look fantastic and marvelous, you should definitely give a try on blending the colored pencils.

The process isn't a hard nut to crack, in fact, it's super easy provided that you have proper knowledge of the technique you're using to blending your colors and whether this particular approach would work on the material you\'re drawing upon.

Note that, the sheet you have chosen could make a major difference especially if you’re choosing layering technique to blend your colors. As pulp-based papers tend to get torn easily, you should aim at buying designer and high-quality sheets.

Fortunately, there have been a lot of established online stores dealing with the best papers for professional artists. Let’s have a look at some common ways to blend your colored pencils.





The Eye by Suchismita Bar

Tips for Blending Color Pencils



You can choose from a few different techniques to get your colored pencils blended. Whilst some might need additional supplies, others are super easy to do and don’t entail any extra stuff.

Regardless of which technique you’re trying your hands on, it is advisable to blend the colored pencils on a rough sheet rather than directly jumping on to your designer paper. Here are tips to blending your pencil colors:

1. Layering pencils

One of the best possible and clear-cut approaches to blending pencil colors is to utilize pencils without any additional stuff. All that you got to do is evenly spread the layers of different colors over the surface.

Make sure to keep the layers as light as possible when you start drawing and then gradually, you could overlap the colors to give it a finishing touch. If you're using colorless blending pencils, draw a light layer of the colorless blender and slowly integrate light colors on it.

2. Use water to blend the colors

Watercolor pencils are widely used by professional artists since it helps them create a beautiful piece of artwork without needing to utilize paints. And, this blending process isn’t that tricky unless you’re doing it for the first time.

To blend your colored pencils with watercolor, the first step is to spread water onto your drawing paper filled with colored pencils. Allow sufficient time for the first layer to get dry before brushing the water to the next layer.

3. Smudging

If using colored pencil alone doesn't make your drawing look perfect or simply you couldn't blend pencil colors with layering, it\'s time for you to switch to smudging process that needs nothing but a paper product to blend your colors.

What's interesting is; you don't have to buy a designer paper here to blend your colors rather a plain paper, paper towel, soft tissue, and even a toilet paper would work. You can also use blending stumps to smudge your colored pencils properly.

The tortillons, though mainly utilized for charcoal, leaves your drawing paper with a fine blending and can also turn out to be a major addition to your color pencil kit. In order to smudge pencil colors, start with a dark pencil layer to boost the effect.

4. Blend colored pencils with solvents

Another special method to maximize your blending effect is the use of solvents. These solvents typically have to be rubbed over the top of your pencil and shouldn’t be used in a delicate paper.

In order to know if your paper could resist the application of solvent, it is advisable to test the treatment on it by applying a small amount of solvent and checking if there is any damage caused to the sheet.

The utilization of solvents with your colored pencils seems like as if you’ve drawn the picture using watercolor pencils. If you’re using solvent, try to apply it a bit gently using a cotton swab or a paintbrush.

5. Use baby oil for blending colored pencils

Do you know that baby oil can blend your pencil colors, enhancing the overall visual appeal of your drawing paper? That\'s true! And just like the above-listed blending approaches, it isn't difficult at all. All you need to have is baby oil, pencil colors, and some cotton swabs to dab the oil over the colored pencils and give it a finishing touch.

So looking out for best-colored pencils for professional artists to create an amazing piece of painting? Fret not! There come a plethora of pencil colors for drawing enthusiasts out there. Yes, that's true.

From Prisma colored pencils to Crayola colored pencils, you get a wide variety of options to choose from. So get the right colored pencils and use any of the above-mentioned techniques to blend your colors effectively.





Painting by Manikraj Bhambure

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