Blending - Coloured Pencil know-how

The best way to think of blending is as an important smoothing and squashing (smoo-shing) layer within your colouring process. The technique is relatively simple; you use a light colour pencil (most use white) and with a scumbling or circling motion, at a slightly increased pressure (like a level 4) you gently squash and smooth all the pigments below, combining all the different applications of colours into, essentially, one merged layer. It needs to be done early in the layering process, while you map the shapes, but not so early that you barely have any pigment down. Most blending troubles are because of this mistake. You should start in a light area before moving into any dark sections or you risk smudging the colour-blocks together. Realism is all about colour shapes, so it's important to keep those visible.

When should I blend?

Knowing when to blend is just as important as knowing how. The key element is having enough layers down before you try. Any blending method will be most effective when there is plenty of pigment on the page to squash and merge. Too little, and the result can be pale and streaky and difficult to fix in later layers. Too much, and you risk filling the tooth before you’re ready. Aim to blend when you have good even coverage with some texture of the page remaining. You should also have plenty of tooth remaining after the first blend too, so don’t press hard.

Before the First blend - the two petals on the left have plenty of pigment down, whereas those on the right do not.

What pencils should I use?

The pencil brand you use can also influence the blended appearance. Pencil blending, or ‘smooshing’ on smoother paper works best with a slightly softer core. A softer core is more successful at blurring and blending rogue colouring lines. Something like the waxy Derwent Coloursoft may be a little too soft, and wax bloom can be an issue, especially if pressing hard. My go-to blending pencil on smooth paper is the Derwent Lightfast, which has a dense creamy texture that I love. On Pastelmat, which has more tooth, I prefer the harder but still creamy Caran D’Ache Pablo, which glides effortlessly over the surface without clogging up the tooth.

What colour should I use?

Most people use white or a very pale grey pencil, and these work really well, but such light colours can sometimes desaturate the area more than necessary, especially when blending on top of darks. To minimise this, blend instead with a really pale version of the local colour. For example, when drawing a fiery orange flower, choose a buttery or creamy yellow perhaps. Changing the blending colour can have wonderful effects on the final drawing and there are so many great combinations. Try a pale blue over black to give it dimension and, if it’s fur, some element of shine. 

Remember though, colour pencils are transluscent and not every colour will blend well with every colour. You do need a little colour theory to avoid creating browns. Generally, stick to colours that are the same or nearby to enhance or gently shift the final blended colour. It’s best to experiment and see what colours you enjoy. This does mean you’ll need a variety of pencis, but the payoff is much brighter, luminous colours.

After the initial blend. The bottom left petal has been blended with Pablo White, whereas the rest were blended with a light grey.

What Technique should I use?

Blending Techniques are similar to basic layering, just with a little extra pressure – scumbling; small overlapping circles or ovals, is the most effective at combining the lower layers giving the most even result. Back and Forth motion works, but I prefer long ovals, especially if there is some measure of directionality to the surface I am drawing. Crosshatching isn’t used much for blending since the pigment only gets ‘pushed’ or ‘pulled’ in one direction. The result can be a little patchy.

How hard should I press?

Your first blending layer should be relatively early in the colouring process, so don’t limit your ability to add more layers afterwards by pressing so hard you fill the tooth before you’ve finished adding colour, shading and details. Really hard blending is called burnishing, which squashes the tooth almost entirely and is more of a finishing layer. It is not always needed or liked, even, by some artists as it can increase the likelihood of a milky sheen appearing on the surface, called ‘wax bloom’. Blend using a pressure only slightly more than the layers below.

After the final blend - The bottom left petal has been blended a second time with a bright yellow, whereas the rest were blended again with grey.

Pressure Map

TOP TIP – Avoid blending across in-focus edges. There should always be a well-defined edge to things in front of another thing in order to discern the two elements. If you blend and soften that edge, it can look out of focus and you risk the two items merging into a single shape.

Edge Blending - The front two petals appear more in-focus because their edge has remained sharp, whereas those on the right have begin to merge and soften.

Other ways to blend.

There are some excellent blending tools to help you work the pigments into the nooks and crannies. Here’s a quick rundown.

Selection of blending tools

Solvent/Odourless Mineral Spirits – A liquid that chemically changes the properties of the binder so that the pigments become slightly movable on the page. Used with a paintbrush, you gently scrub an area to blend. Super for larger areas. Products are known for being quite noxious, so you should open a window when you use them. Zest-it Pencil Blend is widely available and has a more agreeable citrus smell, but it’s best to work in a well-ventilated room.

Blender Pens – Solvent in a felt-tip. These are portable and great for smaller areas.

Colourless Blender Pencil – Think of a pencil with no colour and you have the colourless blender. None seem to be quite as successful as a light colour pencil, but you use it in the same way.

Blending stump/Cotton Bud – These work best when there is a lot of pigment down but there is a lot of colour transfer. They’re less good at the ‘smooshing’ element and the results can be quite patchy.

TOP TIP – Don’t over-blend your main subject as this will flatten the appearance and de-saturate your drawing, eliminating much of the colour and form you added in the lower layers and giving it all a fuzzy out of focus look.

Try these blending techniques and see how you get on. Remember to have a good  few layers down before you begin.