Lesson 1 how can i blend my pencils?

 

Excellent question — yes 💫, professional artists often “dissolve” or blend their colored pencils to make them look smooth and creamy, almost like paint.
Here’s exactly how they do it (especially with pastel or soft-core pencils like Holbein, Prismacolor, or Faber-Castell):

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🎨 1. Layering (Capas suaves)

They don’t press hard at first — they build up many light layers, changing direction with each layer.
👉 That fills the paper’s texture gradually and keeps the tones even.

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🌈 2. Burnishing (Pulido)

When the colors are built up, they use a white or colorless pencil (called burnisher) to press and smooth the layers together.
👉 It melts the pigments into each other, giving that soft, waxy, painted finish.

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💧 3. Solvents (Disolventes)

Professionals sometimes use:

• Odorless mineral spirits (like Gamsol or Zest-It),
• Rubbing alcohol, or
• A blending marker (colorless blender marker).

They dip a small brush or cotton bud in it and lightly go over the pencil area.
👉 The solvent dissolves the binder (wax or oil) in the pencil, spreading the pigment smoothly like watercolor.

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🪶 4. Soft brushes or paper stumps

For pastel pencils (like your Holbein), they may use a soft brush or paper stump to blend gently without liquid — this keeps the powdery texture silky and matte.

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🌟 5. Final touch

After blending, they often add details or highlights on top with a sharp pencil or white pencil to bring definition back.

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what paper should i used?

That’s completely okay — it happens even to advanced artists! 💜 The trick isn’t just the method but the combination of paper, pressure, and pencil binder type. Let’s troubleshoot like a pro:

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🧾 1. Paper is the foundation

If it’s too smooth (like printer paper), it won’t hold enough pigment for blending.

If it’s too rough, it will look grainy and never even out.

✅ Best choices for smooth blending:

Bristol vellum or hot-press watercolor paper

Pastelmat (for pastel pencils — amazing surface)

Fabriano Artistico hot press

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✏️ 2. Holbein pastel pencils are dry and powdery

They’re pastel-based, not wax or oil-based, so they won’t dissolve like Prismacolor.

👉 You need a fixative or pastel blender, not a solvent.

Try:

PanPastel Colorless Blender (works beautifully)

Or blend gently with a soft brush, cotton pad, or tissue in small circles.

Avoid rubbing too hard — you’ll lift pigment instead of melting it.

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💧 3. If you want a smoother “painted” finish

You can layer Holbein pastel pencil under, and then add Polychromos or Prismacolor Premier pencils on top.

Those have wax or oil binders that can be burnished or dissolved.

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🪶 4. Professional tip: use fixative in layers

Spray a pastel fixative lightly between layers (e.g., Sennelier Delacroix Fixative).

When dry, you can add more pastel pencil smoothly — it builds depth and allows blending.

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🌟 5. Pressure control

Use gentle circular motions and build layers slowly. Pressing too soon seals the tooth of the paper and prevents blending later.

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