Zestit has a neutral pencilblend as well. I am sensitive to smells. I can laugh my ass off when I see artists sniff their products bc for the life of me my nose is not ment for that sniffing. As for the powder : works best on pastelmat by clair fontaine and works for pastel pans as wel as colored pencils but panpastel do have a blender pan as well. thanx for indepth exploring, i have the ohuhu bender. Saves me the money,lol
How do I figure out the name of a color if I only know its hex code? I've been calling the colors, spiced cyan and sunrise pink. But I don't think that is there actual name. I'm writing a story and want to use the right name for the color. Now that I have a community page i can put up the colors so you can see them if it will help you tell me their name.
Another question, i know it irks some people, but I've no time for ablisim. My brain can't always piece together how to do something so I need to build muscle memory first. That being said, what's the best kind of physical paper to draw with that would allow for tracing over top of a tablet or phone. Of base models, you know the things that look like mannequins. Sometimes if I'm trying to draw a character in a specific pose like if their head is tilted up and to the side my brain literally can't figure out why it looks like that and therefore can't draw it I literally have to trace it multiple times to be able to do it freehand to build the muscle memory. Otherwise my brain literally will not be able to learn how to do it. And I'm trying to figure out what kind of paper would be best to do things like that. My instincts say every kind of paper because of the glow of a screen, but my instincts aren't usually right. My brain also says I probably shouldn't use something thick like construction paper😂. Thanks for the help if you end up helping
one thing about using a white pencil to blend: make sure it's a cheap one! they tend to have less pigment than a white prismacolor (for example) so there's not much of a white cast after blending. I usually use a white crayola pencil and that works well
Wow, Sarah! This is one of the most comprehensive and easy to understand guide to testing blending. You went over and above with the wax v oil based pencils, as well as the paper comparison!! So impressed - thank you for all your hard work and long hours putting this together!
You can also use the blending stump to dip it in the odorless mineral spirit and then use it in small circular motions on your painting. Thank you for your hard work! 🫶
By dissolving the pencils binder with solvent you "make space" for more layers than your paper would have been able to take. Wich is amazing if you want to achieve a higher saturation of pigment, or more complex texture. Amazing work you've achieve there.
Thanks for doing this; this was really helpful! I'm going to have to check into burnishing and blending pencils. Just a thought, but the people recommending the white pencil may have been talking more about cheap pencil sets than the nice pencils. In the cheaper sets, the white pencils don't really do much, so they can work more like a burnishing pencil. I use that for my highlight areas where I don't want to lay down any more pigment when I burnish. It adds only a little white, which doesn't hurt the highlights anyway.
Sarah you are a QUEEN! All those swatches to prepare... it would overwhelm me massively. Thank you so much for taking the time and effort to be so comprehensive, and as always the production quality & editing of your videos is second to none. As a video creator myself, I can totally appreciate how much work goes into your videos - in front of the camera but mostly behind the scenes. Thank goodness you have Shane to help! #dreamteam Genuinely think you’re on the way to being the best colouring channel on RUclips. Thank you for being someone to aspire to!
It is important to note that odorless mineral spirits are toxic. You need to have decent ventilation in your workspace to use it safely. By the way, the Strathmore Bristol Vellum you are using is the 300 series, which is made from wood pulp. I use the 500 series Strathmore Bristol Vellum which is 100% cotton and archival quality. There is a performance difference.
Hey! I just wanted to say thanks for giving us a shot in REAL TIME. Oh my goodness you have no idea how helpful that is for an unschooled new colorer. (See how I made up my own words) 😆 Anyway, when we (I) only see the speeded up version it still leaves me guessing as to pressure, form, direction and so on. So thank you for including that bit. I'd be very happy to see more REAL TIME examples. Be well, from PA, USA
My method was white pencil and or Prismacolor colourless blender pencil. I stopped using the white pencil because it changed my colors. I have Derwent blending pencils but don't find them as good as Prisma though it could be I just feel better with the tried and true. I do background blending almost entirely with just light layering of pencils, but sometimes the blending pencil for a smooth look and it always looks good. I mostly do coloring book pages but some drawing and sketch book stuff. I'm not s burn artist, but my coloring impresses even me, especially when I use a good tutorial. I really appreciate watching you show us these blending tools. I've been doing pencil work about 15 months and improving because of people like you. None of my friends or family care much about art even when I did watercolors that were vetted and hung at the local gallery. You're like an actual friend. Love Marcia in modesto
My main medium has been acrylics and watercolors, but I’ve always wanted to improve with colored pencils. They’ve always intimated me for some reason, but your videos have not only encouraged me, but helped me jump in and finally try it. Can’t thank you enough! :)
Sarah you are so awesome. I can't imagine the headache this project was but was perfect because I was curious about OMS products. Thank you for doing this for us! I can't believe your channel has been around just a year. You're my RUclips hero.
I would like to thank you for this video. You are providing us with so much helpful information to make decisions that otherwise will be hard to do. Thank you so much. It is highly appreciated.
Sarah, you are really amazing. The amount of time and work you put into this video is unbelievable!!!! Thank you so so much for this, as I’m just learning pencils and this is huge!!!!!!!
I am new to colored pencils, my go to medium is acrylics. My daughter gave a set of Parisimatic pencils for Christmas and I love them. However I am as yet not really good at blending so I tried coconut oil, it worked. I used it on a picture I created for my granddaughter, it seemed to work well, but I am glad I found this video. Thank you for all the work you do for us.
I have been meaning to try that, now I will thanks to your review. What strength alcohol do you use? And, do you think gin or vodka would work well at all? LOL
@@IFortuna2 LOL maybe gin and vodka would work too, worth a try 😂 but I’m pretty sure I used 70% rubbing alcohol and in the same way Sarah did in the video - wiping most of it off on a paper towel and just working carefully.
I appreciate your community doing these reviews. It's so important to see a professional give you a demonstration and opinion with explanation. Thanks again, this is what gets my subs. Those wonderful, heartfelt, and honest opinions on something as you experience it.
Wow what a fantastic informative video! Thank you so much Sarah! I can only imagine the hours you spent swatching and editing this! Thank you for your hard work 💕
Alcohol works?! I am amazed, thank you so much for testing these side by side so I can see how they compare. I've heard that the solvents still need to be used in well-ventilated areas despite being odorless, which means I can't use them in winter months in my super old house with no vents or air circulation unless I want to jack up my heating bill... but an alcohol blender (or, if it works as well, rubbing alcohol) would be such an accessible alternative for me. Thank you again!!
You are right to be cautious. Alcohol inks actually have a warning on the package not to use them without breathing protection. I don’t know if those use rubbing alcohol or some other kind, but I’d be very cautious with rubbing alcohol too. At least make sure there’s plenty of ventilation wherever you use it. I use an industrial mask designed specifically for fumes when I’m working with alcohol inks.
there is a reason for the orange smell, orange oil is naturally a great solvent for those things already.. I used that "knowledge" to make my own.. I used a few drops of pure orange oil in 95% cosmetic alcohol... to be used in a container for dipping with a brush or also into a watercolor water tank brush (I think it's just a bit harder to control the amount in those).. anyway, I still prefer burnishing as well but those are really good for backgrounds or light areas
When I started coloring about 4-1/2 years ago, I tried and used the Prisma blender for about the first 6 months. I never really cared for it though and hated how “scratchy” it is...so I learned (through videos) how to layer and blend with just my pencils and honestly, this is my favorite way to blend... I have discovered the Caran d’Ache Full Blender though and if I feel I need a little extra “help”, I will use that. As for solvents, I have stayed away from them, scared to use the “regular” solvents (like Gamsol) due to sensitivity to chemicals. Have used petroleum jelly at times with good results, but still-really prefer not to and you have to make sure to wipe your pencil off well to prevent them from continuing to “melt/soften”. I have been experimenting with rubbing alcohol for those times I want to sped up the process and so far, kind of liking it, but not for everything or every image. I did get a couple of colorless markers, but haven’t had a chance to really try them out yet.
Hello, I think you are such a lovely lady for going to all the trouble of swatching and then using all the blending mediums available to create this great informative video. You are so funny too which I love, the expressions on you face at times is so funny. I cannot wait until the next video to find out whether you actually did blend those pencils and which pencils they were. Keep the great videos coming. You are the best teacher on YT for helping use out when it comes to improving our colouring techniques etc. Thank you so much Ms. Clark. Best regards Helen
Monumental effort. I use odorless on watercolor paper with Faber Castellated and Prisma. The Bristol paper is so rough. But all of this really helped me.
I actually like using an alcohol blender marker. I usually use this because I prefer burnishing, and the alcohol marker disperses the color without mixing them together. It also adds a cover that I can work over to add more pigment if I choose to when it dries.
Art Spectrum (listed in this video as Artist's solvent) and Gamsol are both the same thing, just FYI to anyone wondering. Art Spectrum have the advantage of being an Aussie owned and made brand and they make some good stuff in case you are local and want to support an Australian business. :)
You're so smart and generous with your experienced advice. I love all the tips you share and how you show us the goof ups too. Btw inktense was half off today at the big merch delivery site.. not saying names. Anyhow, I really like watching your array of videos and hearing your cute accent. Best to you dear girl... Love Marcia in modesto
For quite some time, I’ve been using my ohuhu colorless blender on pencils. I didn’t have anything better to use besides markers other than those blending stubs (which are grey from all the led pencils I used to use). The solvents seem like something I’d like, though if I can, I may try many different methods for myself. Thanks for the blender analysis of sorts! This’ll make things a ton easier when deciding which route I’d like to go down!
The end of this video made me LOL. It reminded me of the Blend-Tec “Will It Blend?” Videos that used to be here on you tube. They were advertising how strong their blenders were, and did all sorts of crazy things, like a full turkey dinner (with and without the bones!) and my all-time favorite, a cell phone. EDIT: here’s a link to one they did blending markers: ruclips.net/video/R6WfSZzi4_Y/видео.html Enjoy! Thanks for your reviews. I’m a Certified Zentangle Teacher (though I haven’t taught yet!), and I haven’t done much with regular colored pencils. I now have an insane collection of Pigma Microns, and a whole lot of Gelly Rolls, in addition to things I got before my CZT course last year. I do have watercolor pencils from Arteza that I’ve really enjoyed using, and I may experiment with getting one of the colorless blenders or the clear burnishing pencils you showed, which seemed quite impressive for the cost, and wouldn’t take up a lot of space in my tiny room. Thank you for a very impressive and thorough video!
I really appreciate the dedication in this video! From doing both oil based pencils and wax based pencils to testing different types of papers, this is really helpful! I really hope you reach your 1M-subscriber goal soon!
Amazing video. Thank you so much for doing this. One of the methods that I found that was a little better is to combine the odorless mineral spirits with an empty marker. This gives you a lot more control and precision. You are right, though. The odorless mineral spirits work best on lower layers because it's bringing back the tooth of the paper allowing you to add more pencil. Although helpful it is not a replacement for the overall blend. I love the Gamsol+empty marker method with the Inktense pencils because it's more controlled than water for me.
The powdered blender is also for oil based, not wax based pencils. They said that you can lightly gesso your paper, and let it dry thoroughly, but sanded paper is the best. I love using sans d paper, so I'm excited to try this for my portraits.
I am not able to watch the video right now. But a quick once over I wanted to lend a tip? I used an empty alcohol marker, to put Gamsol in. Its WONDERFUL! Look up a video here on RUclips, its very easy. Just be careful not to add too much Gamsol. It doesn't take much, and you can add more if needed. I
It's obvious you went to a lot of trouble. Thank you for posting this video. It confirmed what I had already suspected so I found it very useful and a time saver.
Ohh Bless Your Beautiful Artistic Heart..when you realized you did ALL that work and using one wax & one oil base.. ouch.. I Appreciate All you do.. Your Imagination I swear is Endless.. I will be going back and rewatch your videos.. I'm always learning more..Thanks!!🙏🤟❣
I use the Caran’de ache watercolor marker brush since it has a pointed nib and fill it with 125 neutral thin odorless clear thinner that doesn’t have any odor or give the Gamsol odorless headache. I put it in the brush and dab it on a paper towel. If it gets dirty it self cleans and rewets and I don’t have to deal with an open container. And it has a lid.
Thank you for taking the time to do this! I hope your hand has recovered. 😁 Are the blending stumps made of tightly wrapped paper and also known as tortillons? If so, I didn’t know they were used alone; I’ve always seen them used with solvents (the same way you used the cotton swab) and cleaned by rubbing them on sand paper to remove the paper stained with pigment. You can buy generic tortillons in different lengths and thicknesses, usually with a cleaning block made of several strips of sandpaper stapled to something that looks like a 6 inch (or so) thin, wooden ruler. You simply pull off a used strip for a fresh one for cleaning your stumps. There are videos on RUclips demonstrating how to make the tortillons if you have an excess of white paper and you’re really bored, but you can find sets for a good price in art supply stores or online.
I used the lip saver Carmex to blend the other day. I was too lazy to get the Vaseline from the bathroom. It worked very well, however, there is an oily, waxy residue left. Need to be careful after applying because it can transfer your desk brush, hands and other paper and smear. Although I liked the way it performed I may not use it again or use it sparingly. Using pencils like Holbein and Prismacolor, only a small amount of blending is needed depending on the paper used. I also have a lavender "odorless" solvent that I use for my oil painting and I will be trying it next. Jerry's Artarama carries it. And, Dick Blick carries Holbein ow in the U.S. if anyone is interested at about $3 a pencil. They also have open Stock Prismacolor at a little over $1 per pencil and if you buy 12+ they knock off about .20 cents per pencil. Good deals.
As an experiment i used Isopropyl Myristate or I.P.M. as a solvant. I had some on hand from my sculpture work with Monster Clay. The first test blended well with the oil based pencils but I used too much and there was an oily halo around the colors. The second experiment I used very little IPM almost nothing and it came our perfectly. IPM is non toxic and used in the theater for removing makeup.
I was able to purchase the AS Odourless and Archival Odourless online. While waiting for delivery I tried Isoproyl Alcohol from the hardware store. I seems to work but I will be trying the AS and Archival in the next few days. I am using commercially published colouring books about themes of interest (dinosaurs, ancient egypt, birds} but expect to move on to self-created work soon. After acrylics and oil paints, the pencils are so clean and easy to use.
Your poor nose! I can relate though. I've been around a great many fumes myself. Fresh air helps! PS: You're a trooper for doing all the long-winded tests for us. Thank you!
I used one of your techniques for blending tried it out then a coil pole of weeks later I created a piece of art I called it the Dimond flower I blended and crosshatched so much it turned to realism still not sure if it is though? 2:34
This was so helpful! Thanks!😁 I can't wait for your next video on this topic.🥳 And... omgosh! We're those prismacolors you blender blended?😱 Say it ain't so!😲
Zest does a scent-free blender as well I think! Neither seem to be available here in NZ without paying a stupid amount however :( I might have to give alcohol blending markers a go though... my work sells a three pack of colourless blenders for $6...
I use Prismacolor wax-based pencils and prefer the burnishing for details and top layers, and alcohol pens for backgrounds. I have a pen meant specifically for wax pencils, that's definitely a solvent, but I think there's something in there besides alcohol, going from the smell. The colorless alcohol maker is a good fallback though.
when i don't mind losing some of the color, but want a really good blend ,this sounds odd ,but the magic clean scrubbers do a good job ,you have to have a light hand or it can erase some things, like the occasional dark streak i sometimes get with my older pencils. you can even use it on dry water color to lighten areas (wear a mask it makes the watercolor into a fine powder)
also why didnt you use a paint brush for the liquids wouldn't it have been easier? i ask because i look for alternatives my wrists wouldn't be able to handle even 2 of those pages,
I have Zest-It but, thankfully, without a orange-smell. I bet the strong smell gave you a headache 😢 The zest-it doesn’t do much with the polychromos. I think it gives the color a dull look. Same goes for the blenderpencils. I don’t know, but it gives the color a bit of a ‘milky’ look? Or do I use these pencils wrong? In an art store I was allowed to experiment with pencils, paper and solvents. I can spend hours in a place like that 😂 I didn’t find ány material that would blend the Polychromos in nice way. I’ve tried zest-it, Gamsol, blendingpencils. So I am still looking for a good medium for the polychromos.
Hi Sarah, I was hoping to ask you advice on blending coloured pencils in general. When you overlap the colours do you colour in a particular way (eg small circle instead of back and forth) or does that not matter? Also do you do lighter layers where the two colours meet? Also did you take the purple (middle colour) all the way into the blue and red in this video? It looked like you did but I thought you just overlap them a bit. Thank you
Honestly, if you’re just starting out, you don’t need any of these. Just stick to the layering and burnishing method I’ve linked to in the description!
By Van Goghs’ ear 😂😂😂 I have tried a blender pencil but didn’t realize until this video it was a blender not a burnisher. I was using it as a burnisher... I have also tried a alcohol blender marker. I’m using my ohuhu markers for a under painting and I haven’t made my mind up on the new pastel set. Any thoughts?
I haven’t tried the new pastel set, but I know the original set did lack a lot of lighter colors, which is what prompted them to release it. So it depends on whether you find the current set lacks the colors you need.
![Blox Fruits Dragon Rework Update [Full Stream]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/EqDAp8udhm0/mqdefault.jpg)
Want to see those pencils BLEND? Check out the next video here: ruclips.net/video/tBU1X1_u_9o/видео.html
Zestit has a neutral pencilblend as well. I am sensitive to smells. I can laugh my ass off when I see artists sniff their products bc for the life of me my nose is not ment for that sniffing. As for the powder : works best on pastelmat by clair fontaine and works for pastel pans as wel as colored pencils but panpastel do have a blender pan as well. thanx for indepth exploring, i have the ohuhu bender. Saves me the money,lol
How do I figure out the name of a color if I only know its hex code?
I've been calling the colors, spiced cyan and sunrise pink.
But I don't think that is there actual name.
I'm writing a story and want to use the right name for the color. Now that I have a community page i can put up the colors so you can see them if it will help you tell me their name.
Another question, i know it irks some people, but I've no time for ablisim.
My brain can't always piece together how to do something so I need to build muscle memory first.
That being said, what's the best kind of physical paper to draw with that would allow for tracing over top of a tablet or phone.
Of base models, you know the things that look like mannequins.
Sometimes if I'm trying to draw a character in a specific pose like if their head is tilted up and to the side my brain literally can't figure out why it looks like that and therefore can't draw it I literally have to trace it multiple times to be able to do it freehand to build the muscle memory.
Otherwise my brain literally will not be able to learn how to do it.
And I'm trying to figure out what kind of paper would be best to do things like that.
My instincts say every kind of paper because of the glow of a screen, but my instincts aren't usually right.
My brain also says I probably shouldn't use something thick like construction paper😂.
Thanks for the help if you end up helping
one thing about using a white pencil to blend: make sure it's a cheap one! they tend to have less pigment than a white prismacolor (for example) so there's not much of a white cast after blending. I usually use a white crayola pencil and that works well
I use solvents for blending. Repetitive strain injury is a real issue and the heavy pressure necessary for non-solvent blending promotes that injury.
Wow, Sarah! This is one of the most comprehensive and easy to understand guide to testing blending. You went over and above with the wax v oil based pencils, as well as the paper comparison!! So impressed - thank you for all your hard work and long hours putting this together!
Thank you!
I DO AGREE!! Thanks for this amazing vidéo !🙏🌸🦄🌸
You can also use the blending stump to dip it in the odorless mineral spirit and then use it in small circular motions on your painting. Thank you for your hard work! 🫶
By dissolving the pencils binder with solvent you "make space" for more layers than your paper would have been able to take. Wich is amazing if you want to achieve a higher saturation of pigment, or more complex texture. Amazing work you've achieve there.
I have art studio envy...your work space is beautiful.
Greener grass. Greener grass! (Her backdrop is gorgeous, but what's behind the camera?)
Thanks for doing this; this was really helpful! I'm going to have to check into burnishing and blending pencils.
Just a thought, but the people recommending the white pencil may have been talking more about cheap pencil sets than the nice pencils. In the cheaper sets, the white pencils don't really do much, so they can work more like a burnishing pencil. I use that for my highlight areas where I don't want to lay down any more pigment when I burnish. It adds only a little white, which doesn't hurt the highlights anyway.
*Yes, I pushed the button!* Watch the next video (coming Friday) to see what survived.
Sarah you are a QUEEN! All those swatches to prepare... it would overwhelm me massively. Thank you so much for taking the time and effort to be so comprehensive, and as always the production quality & editing of your videos is second to none. As a video creator myself, I can totally appreciate how much work goes into your videos - in front of the camera but mostly behind the scenes. Thank goodness you have Shane to help! #dreamteam Genuinely think you’re on the way to being the best colouring channel on RUclips. Thank you for being someone to aspire to!
Thank you so much! ❤️
Thank you this was soooo usefull and informative. You are brilliant.
It is important to note that odorless mineral spirits are toxic. You need to have decent ventilation in your workspace to use it safely. By the way, the Strathmore Bristol Vellum you are using is the 300 series, which is made from wood pulp. I use the 500 series Strathmore Bristol Vellum which is 100% cotton and archival quality. There is a performance difference.
Ooh thanks for the paper advice! I didn’t realize the 300 and 500 were so different.
@@SarahRenaeClark hi Sarah
Your the best Sarah ❤️♥️😀
Hey! I just wanted to say thanks for giving us a shot in REAL TIME. Oh my goodness you have no idea how helpful that is for an unschooled new colorer. (See how I made up my own words) 😆
Anyway, when we (I) only see the speeded up version it still leaves me guessing as to pressure, form, direction and so on. So thank you for including that bit. I'd be very happy to see more REAL TIME examples.
Be well, from PA, USA
My method was white pencil and or Prismacolor colourless blender pencil. I stopped using the white pencil because it changed my colors. I have Derwent blending pencils but don't find them as good as Prisma though it could be I just feel better with the tried and true. I do background blending almost entirely with just light layering of pencils, but sometimes the blending pencil for a smooth look and it always looks good. I mostly do coloring book pages but some drawing and sketch book stuff. I'm not s burn artist, but my coloring impresses even me, especially when I use a good tutorial. I really appreciate watching you show us these blending tools. I've been doing pencil work about 15 months and improving because of people like you.
None of my friends or family care much about art even when I did watercolors that were vetted and hung at the local gallery. You're like an actual friend. Love Marcia in modesto
a HUGE thank you for testing these various blenders
😍 The effect of that blending powder! Awesome. 😎
My main medium has been acrylics and watercolors, but I’ve always wanted to improve with colored pencils. They’ve always intimated me for some reason, but your videos have not only encouraged me, but helped me jump in and finally try it. Can’t thank you enough! :)
That’s wonderful!
I do want to say how much I appreciate that you have done all these comparisons. Thank you.❤
Sarah you are so awesome. I can't imagine the headache this project was but was perfect because I was curious about OMS products. Thank you for doing this for us! I can't believe your channel has been around just a year. You're my RUclips hero.
Thank you! Such a compliment! ❤️
Thank you for the tremendous amount of work you put into this video.
I would like to thank you for this video. You are providing us with so much helpful information to make decisions that otherwise will be hard to do. Thank you so much. It is highly appreciated.
What a patience and dedication! Congratulations,!,, And à big thank you, thank you very much, blessing.
Sarah, you are really amazing. The amount of time and work you put into this video is unbelievable!!!! Thank you so so much for this, as I’m just learning pencils and this is huge!!!!!!!
I am new to colored pencils, my go to medium is acrylics. My daughter gave a set of Parisimatic pencils for Christmas and I love them. However I am as yet not really good at blending so I tried coconut oil, it worked. I used it on a picture I created for my granddaughter, it seemed to work well, but I am glad I found this video. Thank you for all the work you do for us.
I use rubbing alcohol on a cotton bud so it makes sense that the alcohol blenders work well, too! What a great video :)
I have been meaning to try that, now I will thanks to your review. What strength alcohol do you use? And, do you think gin or vodka would work well at all? LOL
@@IFortuna2 LOL maybe gin and vodka would work too, worth a try 😂 but I’m pretty sure I used 70% rubbing alcohol and in the same way Sarah did in the video - wiping most of it off on a paper towel and just working carefully.
Who can count how many times I complained about oranges? 🍊🤷♀️😬
yet you wore an orange cardy!
You can get Zest it without the orange smell it's odourless. And in a sponge form. I love using it. Makes adding lots of layers super easy.
I appreciate your community doing these reviews.
It's so important to see a professional give you a demonstration and opinion with explanation.
Thanks again, this is what gets my subs.
Those wonderful, heartfelt, and honest opinions on something as you experience it.
It's not the fun side of art but your doing it.
Wow what a fantastic informative video! Thank you so much Sarah! I can only imagine the hours you spent swatching and editing this! Thank you for your hard work 💕
Alcohol works?! I am amazed, thank you so much for testing these side by side so I can see how they compare.
I've heard that the solvents still need to be used in well-ventilated areas despite being odorless, which means I can't use them in winter months in my super old house with no vents or air circulation unless I want to jack up my heating bill... but an alcohol blender (or, if it works as well, rubbing alcohol) would be such an accessible alternative for me. Thank you again!!
You are right to be cautious. Alcohol inks actually have a warning on the package not to use them without breathing protection. I don’t know if those use rubbing alcohol or some other kind, but I’d be very cautious with rubbing alcohol too. At least make sure there’s plenty of ventilation wherever you use it. I use an industrial mask designed specifically for fumes when I’m working with alcohol inks.
Can also get an air purifier for your room to help a bit more.
This was EXCELLENT video! Thank you for this effort and time. Very informative!
This video was a lot of work. Thank you for doing this for all of us ❤️.
there is a reason for the orange smell, orange oil is naturally a great solvent for those things already.. I used that "knowledge" to make my own.. I used a few drops of pure orange oil in 95% cosmetic alcohol... to be used in a container for dipping with a brush or also into a watercolor water tank brush (I think it's just a bit harder to control the amount in those).. anyway, I still prefer burnishing as well but those are really good for backgrounds or light areas
I use the blending stump with my solvent when I use it. Those 🕑 work very well together.
When I started coloring about 4-1/2 years ago, I tried and used the Prisma blender for about the first 6 months. I never really cared for it though and hated how “scratchy” it is...so I learned (through videos) how to layer and blend with just my pencils and honestly, this is my favorite way to blend... I have discovered the Caran d’Ache Full Blender though and if I feel I need a little extra “help”, I will use that. As for solvents, I have stayed away from them, scared to use the “regular” solvents (like Gamsol) due to sensitivity to chemicals. Have used petroleum jelly at times with good results, but still-really prefer not to and you have to make sure to wipe your pencil off well to prevent them from continuing to “melt/soften”. I have been experimenting with rubbing alcohol for those times I want to sped up the process and so far, kind of liking it, but not for everything or every image. I did get a couple of colorless markers, but haven’t had a chance to really try them out yet.
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Hello, I think you are such a lovely lady for going to all the trouble of swatching and then using all the blending mediums available to create this great informative video. You are so funny too which I love, the expressions on you face at times is so funny. I cannot wait until the next video to find out whether you actually did blend those pencils and which pencils they were. Keep the great videos coming. You are the best teacher on YT for helping use out when it comes to improving our colouring techniques etc. Thank you so much Ms. Clark. Best regards Helen
The video is here now! ruclips.net/video/tBU1X1_u_9o/видео.html
I have used Prismacolor blending pencils and blending pens. This video is a great learning tool.
Monumental effort. I use odorless on watercolor paper with Faber Castellated and Prisma. The Bristol paper is so rough. But all of this really helped me.
I actually like using an alcohol blender marker. I usually use this because I prefer burnishing, and the alcohol marker disperses the color without mixing them together. It also adds a cover that I can work over to add more pigment if I choose to when it dries.
Art Spectrum (listed in this video as Artist's solvent) and Gamsol are both the same thing, just FYI to anyone wondering. Art Spectrum have the advantage of being an Aussie owned and made brand and they make some good stuff in case you are local and want to support an Australian business. :)
Putting in the work! We appreciate your time, thank you
You're so smart and generous with your experienced advice. I love all the tips you share and how you show us the goof ups too. Btw inktense was half off today at the big merch delivery site.. not saying names. Anyhow, I really like watching your array of videos and hearing your cute accent. Best to you dear girl... Love Marcia in modesto
For quite some time, I’ve been using my ohuhu colorless blender on pencils. I didn’t have anything better to use besides markers other than those blending stubs (which are grey from all the led pencils I used to use).
The solvents seem like something I’d like, though if I can, I may try many different methods for myself.
Thanks for the blender analysis of sorts! This’ll make things a ton easier when deciding which route I’d like to go down!
That powder blender is so cool!!
That was a great video, thanks!! And under such personal sacrifices! 🍊😅 I do hope no pencils were hurt in the final blending process... 😂
"What are you doing?" "Pretending I'm 3!" 🤣🤣🤣😍😍😍 Ahh! The sweet importance of making memories!
The Derwent burnisher and blender pencils are my favorite because they're so portable but now it seems I may have to look into some solvents!
I have now filled a waterbrush with isopropyl alcohol (or you could use another sovlent) so it is just as portable!
Really appreciate you doing this, thank you so much for dedicating your time for us. Using the white pencil is great when doing skin tones
The end of this video made me LOL. It reminded me of the Blend-Tec “Will It Blend?” Videos that used to be here on you tube. They were advertising how strong their blenders were, and did all sorts of crazy things, like a full turkey dinner (with and without the bones!) and my all-time favorite, a cell phone.
EDIT: here’s a link to one they did blending markers:
ruclips.net/video/R6WfSZzi4_Y/видео.html
Enjoy!
Thanks for your reviews. I’m a Certified Zentangle Teacher (though I haven’t taught yet!), and I haven’t done much with regular colored pencils. I now have an insane collection of Pigma Microns, and a whole lot of Gelly Rolls, in addition to things I got before my CZT course last year. I do have watercolor pencils from Arteza that I’ve really enjoyed using, and I may experiment with getting one of the colorless blenders or the clear burnishing pencils you showed, which seemed quite impressive for the cost, and wouldn’t take up a lot of space in my tiny room.
Thank you for a very impressive and thorough video!
I really appreciate the dedication in this video! From doing both oil based pencils and wax based pencils to testing different types of papers, this is really helpful!
I really hope you reach your 1M-subscriber goal soon!
That was a lot of work great job, I lost count would that be 12 plus the electric blender. Love your humor.
Congratulations Sarah for bring us ALL these informations só good
Amazing video. Thank you so much for doing this. One of the methods that I found that was a little better is to combine the odorless mineral spirits with an empty marker. This gives you a lot more control and precision. You are right, though. The odorless mineral spirits work best on lower layers because it's bringing back the tooth of the paper allowing you to add more pencil. Although helpful it is not a replacement for the overall blend. I love the Gamsol+empty marker method with the Inktense pencils because it's more controlled than water for me.
I’m using a similar method in the video coming out tomorrow!
What a dear you are for doing this! Love all of your videos.
Thanks for your pencil colour tips as I was not very good at it. They really helped and your videos are great
The powdered blender is also for oil based, not wax based pencils. They said that you can lightly gesso your paper, and let it dry thoroughly, but sanded paper is the best. I love using sans d paper, so I'm excited to try this for my portraits.
Thank you god i found this video...Sarah, just thanks!!
I am not able to watch the video right now. But a quick once over I wanted to lend a tip? I used an empty alcohol marker, to put Gamsol in. Its WONDERFUL! Look up a video here on RUclips, its very easy. Just be careful not to add too much Gamsol. It doesn't take much, and you can add more if needed. I
Thanks for the suggestion!
It's obvious you went to a lot of trouble. Thank you for posting this video. It confirmed what I had already suspected so I found it very useful and a time saver.
Wonderfully useful video. Thank you for all your hard work in making it!
Sorry, commenting as I watch...felt the pain when you used the wrong pencil. This is commitment above and beyond...thank you.
New to coloring & new to the channel it’s been super helpful! Thank you! 🤩. I know she was SICK of those colors after this test 😅
Ohh Bless Your Beautiful Artistic Heart..when you realized you did ALL that work and using one wax & one oil base.. ouch.. I Appreciate All you do.. Your Imagination I swear is Endless.. I will be going back and rewatch your videos.. I'm always learning more..Thanks!!🙏🤟❣
this need more views, this was so helpful!! thank you!! :D
I use the Caran’de ache watercolor marker brush since it has a pointed nib and fill it with 125 neutral thin odorless clear thinner that doesn’t have any odor or give the Gamsol odorless headache. I put it in the brush and dab it on a paper towel. If it gets dirty it self cleans and rewets and I don’t have to deal with an open container. And it has a lid.
i dip my paper stumps into oms and use that for blending, works a treat
What’s an oms? 🤔
@@MinistrywithMeme odourless mineral spirits
Easy to understand guide. Thanks
This is very good informative video and very useful tutorials. Thank you so much Sarrah for your wonderful technique that may help a lot to me.
Thank you for taking the time to do this! I hope your hand has recovered. 😁 Are the blending stumps made of tightly wrapped paper and also known as tortillons? If so, I didn’t know they were used alone; I’ve always seen them used with solvents (the same way you used the cotton swab) and cleaned by rubbing them on sand paper to remove the paper stained with pigment. You can buy generic tortillons in different lengths and thicknesses, usually with a cleaning block made of several strips of sandpaper stapled to something that looks like a 6 inch (or so) thin, wooden ruler. You simply pull off a used strip for a fresh one for cleaning your stumps. There are videos on RUclips demonstrating how to make the tortillons if you have an excess of white paper and you’re really bored, but you can find sets for a good price in art supply stores or online.
They are slightly different (blending stumps are made from paper pulp) but essentially the same concept and purpose.
Thanks for doing this for us all 🙏
Such a good video!! You made this easily digestible 🙂 thank you for the valuable content
I used the lip saver Carmex to blend the other day. I was too lazy to get the Vaseline from the bathroom. It worked very well, however, there is an oily, waxy residue left. Need to be careful after applying because it can transfer your desk brush, hands and other paper and smear. Although I liked the way it performed I may not use it again or use it sparingly. Using pencils like Holbein and Prismacolor, only a small amount of blending is needed depending on the paper used. I also have a lavender "odorless" solvent that I use for my oil painting and I will be trying it next. Jerry's Artarama carries it. And, Dick Blick carries Holbein ow in the U.S. if anyone is interested at about $3 a pencil. They also have open Stock Prismacolor at a little over $1 per pencil and if you buy 12+ they knock off about .20 cents per pencil. Good deals.
As an experiment i used Isopropyl Myristate or I.P.M. as a solvant. I had some on hand from my sculpture work with Monster Clay. The first test blended well with the oil based pencils
but I used too much and there was an oily halo around the colors. The second experiment I used very little IPM almost nothing and it came our perfectly. IPM is non toxic and used in the theater for removing makeup.
Excellent channel Sarah! Thanks for all you help and work you do to bring these videos to us. : )
I was able to purchase the AS Odourless and Archival Odourless online. While waiting for delivery I tried Isoproyl Alcohol from the hardware store. I seems to work but I will be trying the AS and Archival in the next few days. I am using commercially published colouring books about themes of interest (dinosaurs, ancient egypt, birds} but expect to move on to self-created work soon. After acrylics and oil paints, the pencils are so clean and easy to use.
Wow! So informative! Appreciate your video so much!
Thanks so much for all the hard work to give us all the info. Your hands have to be hurting. :( LOL! Loved the blender part at the very end. LOL!
Your poor nose! I can relate though. I've been around a great many fumes myself. Fresh air helps! PS: You're a trooper for doing all the long-winded tests for us. Thank you!
I used one of your techniques for blending tried it out then a coil pole of weeks later I created a piece of art I called it the Dimond flower I blended and crosshatched so much it turned to realism still not sure if it is though? 2:34
Woah! That was a lot of effort!! Thanks much
WoW!!! These tips of yours are really helpful 😀💖.
😂 awww I felt so bad for you when you accidentally used the wrong pencils but I had to laugh 😅 Thank you for sharing your talent ♡
Thank you for your work on this. So informative.
Hey! Have you tried using colourless brush marker from tombow? I love the hack of using alcohol marker. It’s my go to for quick sketching
This was so helpful! Thanks!😁 I can't wait for your next video on this topic.🥳 And... omgosh! We're those prismacolors you blender blended?😱 Say it ain't so!😲
More about the blender in the next video 😉
This is awesome. Thank you so much for making this video.
Looking for Gamsol or blending stuff... should have known to just come straight to your channel rather than searching Google... cos here it is!
Great information! TFS 🌸 You are fun to watch!
Awesome blending I loved this
Zest does a scent-free blender as well I think! Neither seem to be available here in NZ without paying a stupid amount however :( I might have to give alcohol blending markers a go though... my work sells a three pack of colourless blenders for $6...
I think I need that one!
I use Prismacolor wax-based pencils and prefer the burnishing for details and top layers, and alcohol pens for backgrounds. I have a pen meant specifically for wax pencils, that's definitely a solvent, but I think there's something in there besides alcohol, going from the smell. The colorless alcohol maker is a good fallback though.
Great video! A question... what about using a cheaper pencil and blender for the base then using a better pencil on top?
Worth a try!
when i don't mind losing some of the color, but want a really good blend ,this sounds odd ,but the magic clean scrubbers do a good job ,you have to have a light hand or it can erase some things, like the occasional dark streak i sometimes get with my older pencils. you can even use it on dry water color to lighten areas (wear a mask it makes the watercolor into a fine powder)
also why didnt you use a paint brush for the liquids wouldn't it have been easier? i ask because i look for alternatives my wrists wouldn't be able to handle even 2 of those pages,
I didn’t think of it! I’ve seen some people use a brush
@@SarahRenaeClark ah ok i do that myself get it done full steam ,esp when its that big of a project, good to know , thanks for the reply
I have Zest-It but, thankfully, without a orange-smell. I bet the strong smell gave you a headache 😢 The zest-it doesn’t do much with the polychromos. I think it gives the color a dull look. Same goes for the blenderpencils. I don’t know, but it gives the color a bit of a ‘milky’ look? Or do I use these pencils wrong?
In an art store I was allowed to experiment with pencils, paper and solvents. I can spend hours in a place like that 😂 I didn’t find ány material that would blend the Polychromos in nice way. I’ve tried zest-it, Gamsol, blendingpencils. So I am still looking for a good medium for the polychromos.
Wow! Thank you so much for your efforts! (new subscriber)
Very useful!! Thanks!!
Have you tried Meltz from Holbein? It's really interesting looking and I'd love to see how it compares to these methods
I’ve been using a paper stumps and I’m also using a colorless Blender pencil but what should I use besides that
Hi Sarah, I was hoping to ask you advice on blending coloured pencils in general. When you overlap the colours do you colour in a particular way (eg small circle instead of back and forth) or does that not matter? Also do you do lighter layers where the two colours meet? Also did you take the purple (middle colour) all the way into the blue and red in this video? It looked like you did but I thought you just overlap them a bit. Thank you
I have a few other videos that answer all these questions! I generally recommend circles, but it’s more about light layers than direction.
@@SarahRenaeClark thank you
My favourite Technic is brushing
Just started using pencils. I don't have a preference yet. Still learning about highlights blending and shadowing. All seems a bit overwhelming.
Honestly, if you’re just starting out, you don’t need any of these. Just stick to the layering and burnishing method I’ve linked to in the description!
@@SarahRenaeClark ok. I was coloring last night, and found that using a silver metallic over the light red i was using gave me a cool red/purple.
Mam can we use solvent for portrait drawings?
Yes, you can use it for any drawings. Best on the lower layers.
@@SarahRenaeClark thank you mam
By Van Goghs’ ear 😂😂😂 I have tried a blender pencil but didn’t realize until this video it was a blender not a burnisher. I was using it as a burnisher... I have also tried a alcohol blender marker. I’m using my ohuhu markers for a under painting and I haven’t made my mind up on the new pastel set. Any thoughts?
I think I will be using a blender pencil more than a burnisher pencil, even for burnishing. So keep doing that!
I haven’t tried the new pastel set, but I know the original set did lack a lot of lighter colors, which is what prompted them to release it. So it depends on whether you find the current set lacks the colors you need.