Thursday, March 15, 2007

Options for blending colored pencils

I finally made a comparison that I'd been wanting to make for some time. This has to do with blending colors that have been laid down with colored pencils, in this case, Prismacolors. I stamped the Stampendous Fluffles image three times on white cardstock using Archival black ink. I colored them all in similar fashion with my colored pencils.


Next, I pulled out my Prismacolor blending pencil and used it on the top image. I used the Lyra splender blender pencil on the second one. I used a blending stump and solvent on the bottom image. Here's how they turned out.


I really couldn't tell much of a difference between the results of the two blender pencils. Both did blend colors to a certain extent and deepened them. The blending stump with solvent (Sansodor, Gamsol, Mona Lisa, to name a few) produced better blending and more vivid colors. It looked more like a watercolor effect than coloring by the time I was finished, and it virtually eliminated all evidence of pencil strokes.

So, blender pencils work and they're a good option for people who don't like to use chemicals or who can't tolerate the odor. They're also easier to use in that you just color with them, rubbing off the tip on scrap paper between colors so that you don't carry them over. The blending stump and solvent, however, allow for better blending of colors and brighter colors as well. The drawback is the possible odor, having to use a blending stump, and having to either use a stump for each color family or in some way remove the color from the end of the stump when changing colors. The best choice will just be a matter of personal preference.

3 comments:

  1. Great comparison, Jay! I am partial to the pencil/solvent/stump methos myself. I like the vivid and stroke-free results that it provides over teh blenders.

    But isn't it grand that we all have a choice! LOL ;)

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  2. oh, what a wonderful comparison! I've been wondering what the blender pencils are like, but looks like I'll stick to my stumps!

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  3. i love this blog i have added it to my book marks so i can come and vist all the time to see how to do things when i have the time i love all the cards you do i was going to ask what pencils do you use to get the picturs so perfect they all look beautiful i am having problems finding the prismacolour pencils onna uk store are there any other that are just as good or would any one know where i could find the prismacolour i have seent hem on e-bay but i dont have a paypal account so i carnt get them thankyou for the blogs you do i think there amazing from sara c

    ReplyDelete

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