Smudging
Cotton balls, Cotton swabs, and Precision Tips blend charcoal, graphite, colored pencil, chalk, and oil pastel. Cotton blends without pushing the wax into the paper and softens the color. A paper towel can be used over large areas. Dabbing solvent with a cotton swab rather than rubbing creates a blended texture.
Paper stumps and tortillions are also used to blend charcoal, graphite, chalk, colored pencil and oil pastel. They lightly push the wax into the tooth of the paper.
Aluminum oxide (1200 grit) is used in the final stage of tumble polishing stones. Colored pencil artists use it to help blend colored pencil without a wax based blender pencil or solvent. It is sprinkled onto the paper before coloring and can be used over coloring with a sponge applicator. I prefer to coat my finger with Sort Kwik, pick up some powder and blend with my finger. Get it on eBay for $7.99/4 oz.
Eraser Method
The eraser method involves erasing the first layer with a technik or sand eraser until it is lighter. Apply a second layer of color over it for a soft blend.
The Factis Technik eraser removes colored pencil from smooth paper. If moistened, it removes India ink from polyester film.
The Tombow sand eraser removes colored pencil from rough paper. The Fabre Castell Perfection Eraser Pencil is good for erasing colored pencil in tiny areas.
Scraping Method
I use a craft knife for scraping. Scraping is my least favorite method of blending because it can irreparably damage the paper, but it creates a deeply saturated new color. Gently scrape off the wax and apply a second layer of color over it. I also use it to remove wax bloom.
Blending
A blender pencil enhances the blendability of colored pencils. Blending utilizes the same amount of pressure as layering. One layer requires a delicate touch in one direction. Two layers blend best with a circular motion. If you want blend two colors together, move one color towards the other. To fill all the white areas of the paper with color, move the pencil horizontally and then vertically, and finally in a circular motion. The color black blends with the slightest touch.
The Prismacolor blender contains pencil clay which provides enough grit to move the color around and fill in white spaces while flattening the tooth of the paper and coating it with wax. Clean with a textured paper towel or acetone.
The Lyra Rembrandt blender doesn't work with any pencil I've tried, not even the Lyra Rembrandt Polycolor pencils. The description on Blick Art says that it works best with oil based and liquid wax pencils. I've never heard of a liquid wax pencil. It sounds like an oxymoron.
Burnishing
Burnishing is intended to blend two or more colors together. It doesn't flatten the tooth so it also doesn't close white spaces very well with a single layer of light or normal pressure. It works best with multiple layers. The more wax there is on the paper, the better it blends.
The Caran d' Ache Full Blender Bright pencil is a clear burnisher. It is a hard wax stick with no pigment or clay. Hard pressure is required with this pencil. It blends the wax of the colored pencil while depositing more wax, leaving a creamy texture. It works best with three layers of wax or over white. Clean with a textured paper towel.
The Prismacolor white pencil is used for highlighting and blending with a soft focus effect. It really shows up on toned sketch or black paper. Blending with white is best done with light to normal pressure. Burnishing is done with firm to hard pressure. To lighten a color, leave a bit of color along the edge and deposit a layer of white in the center with circular strokes. Pale colors can be used as well. I prefer to use the Prismacolor Art Stix blender because it lasts longer. I reserve the pencils for small spaces and details. The stick is also pure white while the pencil is warm white. Clean with a textured paper towel.
White can show the undertone of a color and it can tell you if a color is lighter than another similar color. If you can't tell the difference between a warm red and a cool red or a blue based green versus a yellow based green, blending with white will show the pigment hue that dominates that color. If you have two reds that are almost identical like Crimson Red and Crimson Lake, white will tell you which color is brighter, deeper, or more blue than the other. White not only lightens a color, it also dulls the saturation because it adds a layer of opaque color on top of another color.
Solvent Blenders
Solvents intensify the saturation of a color or blend and leave a wet or dry paint look. They turn a colored pencil drawing into a colored pencil painting. Solvents dissolve wax allowing you to blend colors easily and apply a second layer of color over a blended layer.
I like to use a #6 soft Scrubber for the brush technique. It's available from Blick Art for $3.59. Dip a brush into the solvent and scrape off the excess. Dot on a paper towel. You'll have enough solvent in the brush to blend a 1/2" square area. Apply with a gentle scrubbing motion. Optionally, you may apply a second layer of color. For creating gradients, I apply it to the pigment and use a cotton swab to blend the colors together. A blender pencil can also be dipped into the solvent to prevent wax bloom.
Finesse blender pens are designed for blending colored pencil, but I don't know what's in them. Molotow markers or squeeze brushes filled with solvents would be the same thing. I prefer the 5mm chisel tip marker because it's stiff and versatile. I can cover a broad area or use the tip for small areas. An aluminum marker is necessary for solvents that melt plastic. If you purchase a solvent that is sold in a metal can or glass bottle, it cannot be used in a plastic marker. Also keep in mind that not all plastics are the same. If a solvent is sold in a plastic bottle, it may be different that the type of plastic used to make the marker.
Alcohol Based Solvents
Lacquer Thinner is designed to dissolve resin and wax. It is a blend of acetone and allyl esters in a low VOC formula. It is most often used in the auto paint industry. You will need an aluminum marker for this one.
Lighter Fluid is methanol or wood alcohol. It is made from the steam distillation of shredded pine trees and was once labeled as turpentine. It is used as a fuel additive. It burns forming carbon dioxide and water (condensation). It will corrode aluminum and other metals in high concentrations. It was used as antifreeze in the early 1900s. It is added as a denaturant to ethanol to discourage consumption.
Industrial Gum Spirits of Turpentine is made from distilling the resin (gum rosin) of the Ponderosa Pine (Pinus ponderosa). This variety is only used for industrial applications. You will need an aluminum marker for this one. Emits vapors!
Bestine Rubber Cement Solvent and Thinner is heptane, which is an alcohol extracted from Jeffrey Pine turpentine. It is used as an octane additive in gasoline. It is also used as an adhesive remover that is popular with stamp collectors. You will need an aluminum marker for this one. Emits vapors!
The Jeffrey Pine (Pinus jefferyi) that only grows in eastern California is used for heptane. The Ponderosa Pine (Pinus ponderosa) that is used for turpentine has a wider distribution. The Jeffery and Ponderosa Pines are responsible for the mass wildfires on the west coast because they have a natural fire cycle and they explode the same as eastern red cedar when they get hot or when too much resin gets built up in the wood and it spontaneously ignites. The resin is harvested without killing the tree and since the trees have an industrial application, they aren’t regulated by forest management.
Oil Based Solvents
Liquid and 92 degree solid coconut oil soften wax without damaging the paper and make the color more intense. Standard coconut oil melts at room temperature. I prefer the harder oil that melts at 92 degrees. I get it on eBay for $8.50/4 oz.
Vaseline will absorb into the paper so it should be reserved as a final method. Baby oil does the same thing, but it bleeds badly. Apply it sparingly. It never fully dries and leaves a smooth, slightly smudgable finish.
I like to rub baby oil over a coloring page with a cotton ball before coloring to make wax pencils behave like oil pencils. Place 2-3 sheets of clean printer paper under the coloring page. Put a few drops of baby oil on a cotton ball. Wipe over page. It will saturate and bleed through, but that's okay. You want the page to be thoroughly saturated, but not oily. Wipe off excess oil with a dry cotton ball on both sides.
This technique is best used when one color is applied at a time. Start in the center and work outward because the color smears so easily. Blend each area lightly with a cotton swab. Another light layer of color can be applied after blending to create a new color. Do not use a cotton swab on the second layer; it will remove it. This technique produces light saturated color with little waste and no wax bloom. It saves my blender pencil, burnishing white and solvents for art paper.
Propylene glycol is a food grade solvent used to dilute oil in artificial food flavoring and dilutes vegetable glycerin in electronic cigarette juice. It is also used for the "smoke" in fog machines. It dries quickly without leaving a residue. Works with both oil and wax formulas. Propylene glycol is available from eBay for $6.95/4 oz.
Wax Softeners
Cocoa Butter is basically a hard oil that works better for blending without wax bloom. My favorite way to blend with cocoa butter is with my finger.
Sort Kwik is a soft wax blend that burnishes with a smooth texture while preventing wax bloom. You can buy it from any office supply store. It blends best with a cotton swab.
Terpene Based Oil Solvents
If you want to use orange, opt for pure D-Limonene. This is the same as Eco House Orange Terpene. Get it on eBay for $7.99/4 oz. Goo Gone or CitriSolv can be used, but the dye may affect the color. You will need an aluminum marker for this one. Warning: It will degrade polycarbonate plastic. E-juice manufacturers use it in citrus flavors.
Triethyl citrate is a triester of ethyl alcohol and citric acid derived from lemons. It is an odorless and colorless food additive used to increase foaming when whipping egg whites and prevents oxidation in fruit. It's an emulsifying solvent that dilutes essential oils and allows them to mix with ethyl alcohol or water, thereby retaining the oils scent or flavor. It is commonly used as an extender by the perfume industry. It is a natural deodorant and plasticizer that can replace phthalates. It evaporates slowly and completely dries, leaving behind an intense matte finish. It works best with oil based pencils and oil pastel. Get it from Perfumer's Apprentice for $10.00/30 ml. You will need an aluminum marker for this one. Warning: It will degrade polycarbonate plastic. E-juice manufacturers use it in citrus flavors.
Eucalyptus (Eucalyptus globulus) oil contains 78% cineol, terpenes, pinenes, linalol, phenol and limonene. Get it on eBay for $9.99/4 oz. You will need an aluminum marker for this one. Emits vapors! This one gave me a headache.
Spike lavender (Lavandula latifolia) oil contains 60% cineol (eucalyptol), linalol and camphene. It was used by oil artists for hundreds of years to dilute oil paint. It has resurfaced as a safe alternative to turpentine or petroleum distillates. It's also a skin-safe alternative for those allergic to orange or pine oil. Other lavender oils are not the same and should not be substituted. Get it on eBay for $19.97/50 ml. You will need an aluminum marker for this one. Emits vapors!
Scotch Pine or Pine Needle (Pinus sylvestrus) oil contains terpeniol. It is miscible in denatured or grain alcohol. Get it on eBay for $11.81/50 ml. You will need an aluminum marker for this one. Emits vapors!
Natural Pine Terpenoid is made from steam distilling the resin (gum rosin) of the Ponderosa Pine (Pinus ponderosa). It retains some of the natural oil.
Medicinal Gum Spirits of Turpentine is made from distilling the liquid sap of the Slash Pine (Pinus elliottii) that grows in Georgia. It is marketed for medicinal applications as a controversial treatment for intestinal parasites.
Gum Spirit of Turpentine Essential Oil is made from distilling the sap of the Long Leaf Pine (Pinus palustris) that also contains terpeniol. It is used for topical medicinal applications for the treatment of sore muscles and joints, and for nerve pain. It may also be used as a food and beverage flavoring. Another turpentine EO (shown on the right) is made from the Cluster Pine (Pinus pinaster) that grows in Spain and the Mediterranean. A dietary supplement called Pycnogenol is made from the bark.
Petroleum Based Solvents
Isododecane is a petroleum hydrocarbon solvent that is gentle to the skin yet powerful enough to dissolve resin. It is flammable, but does not emit fumes. It's a safe alternative to terpene and mineral spirits. Isododecane dries quickly. Place only 1 drop on a brush. It will evaporate if left in a dish and evaporates quickly in a market nib. Works best with wax crayons. Get it from TKB for $1.50/0.5 oz.
Klean Strip Green Odorless Mineral Spirits Substitute is a white liquid that dissolves oil and varnish. It contains 15-40% of an unnamed hydrotreated light petroleum distillate. It has low odor and 65% less VOC fumes than OMS.
Dipropylene glycol (DPG) is a colorless, low odor, alcohol soluble solvent used by the perfume industry to extend or dilute oils to make them skin safe or suitable for potpourri, burners, reed diffusers and for making incense. Get it on eBay for $6.99/8 oz. Warning: Emits odorless vapors! Some people are allergic to it.
Use the following in a well-ventilated area, preferably outdoors. Odorless doesn't mean harmless!
Gamsol OMS is a mineral terpenoid paint thinner that has had the aromatic hydrocarbons removed. It is a favorite brush cleaner among oil artists and has been used as a colored pencil solvent for many years. It has an exposure limit rating of 300. You will need an aluminum marker for this one. Emits odorless vapors!
Weber Odorless Terpenoid is the same as Gamsol but with a higher exposure limit rating of 500 making it safer. You will need an aluminum marker for this one. Emits odorless vapors!
Silicone Brush Cleaner is marketed as an odorless, non-caustic brush cleaner enhanced with silicone oil that will not harm sable and bristle brushes. As a brush cleaner, it only works on fresh paint. The silicoil brand has been discontinued, but the Weber brand is still available. Emits odorless vapors!
B-12 Chemtool is ethylbenzene, a naturally occurring chemical in coal tar and petroleum. It is used as fuel system additive to dissolve carbon deposits. It is also used in chemical extraction or fracking by the oil industry. Injection wells contain ethylbenzene. You will need an aluminum marker for this one. Warning: Wear safety glasses to remove the seal. I had some splash into my eyes once and was temporarily blinded. It is not corrosive, but it will dry out your skin. Emits vapors!
Mineral Turpentine is made from distilling petroleum and is very different chemically from natural turpentine. It’s usually labeled as simply turpentine or paint thinner. You will need an aluminum marker for this one. Emits vapors!
Goof Off Pro Strength Remover is a blend of ethylbenzene and methanol. It’s the most harmful solvent I’ve used. I don’t recommend using it indoors even with good ventilation. Use a box fan to blow the vapors away from you and an exhaust fan mounted in a window if you have to use it indoors. You will need an aluminum marker for this one. Warning: Emits very strong vapors! This stuff put me in bed for a couple of days.
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