From Coast to Coast Creations

• Use a soft paper towel  or your finger, to buff the pencil, (the poor persons blender!!).
• To sharpen a paper Blending Stump rub on very fine sandpaper.
• Dip a Q-tip in alchohol, which works as a solvent with the coloured pencil.  It will make the pencil look more “painted”. Blend pencils from light to dark. Using light pressure to start with, then building up as you go along. You can use a lighter colour on top at the end to highlight small areas.
• If you find that your colour is too heavy and you are not able to put another colour on top. Spray your work with a fixative (or even cheap hairspray) and you will be able to add more pencil to the top
• Blend colour into colour. Using a blending pencil (which is a colourless pencil), clear (neutral) shoe polish or a blending stump.
• Initial stage, light washes of pencil can be blended with Cement Thinners. Creating a almost watercolour like wash of colour. A base to work on.
• For light shading, use the side of you pencil. Hold it almost parallel to the paper and shade that way.
• Burnishing ~ is a technique where you use a lighter colour (pressing heavy) to blend your colours together. Usually done at a later stage. When there is already a great deal of colour saturation on your paper.
• For sealing your work, use a fixative, or some real cheap hairspray ~ (beware its not archival safe).  After using the fixative, leave your work out for a while in order that the smell may dissipate before you put your work into a folder or plastic envelope.
• Couple of links on burnishing and blending your pencils:
• Site for using prismacolor pencils.
• A link to the Prismacolor website where you will find tutorial and artist tips and techniques, as well as product demos.
• Coloured pencils can  get really amazing when you elaborate the colours by using a lot of light layers (10 is a minimum).
• Sharpen your pencils often and mix the colours.
• The paper used is also important. hot press can be easier as you don't have to fill in the little holes.
• A good exercise is to use only primary colours and white (Prismacolors primary colours are Raspberry, True Blue and Canary Yellow).
• A paper with a lot of tooth is best if you want rich saturated colour. Lots of light layers, also works best
• You can get a fine point on your pencils with a sharpener and sandpaper block, or if you are careful with the blade, your craft knife can get a wicked sharp point when needed.
• The blunted pencil lead is great for filling in larger areas.
• Coloured pencils will vary with the brand. PrismaColor come in so many colors that it is awe-inspiring. Because they are waxy, you can easily blend one colour into another to come up with a brand new hue.
• The blending pencil is pure wax, no colour.
• A blending pen (sold at most stamp shops) works well, too, and turns the color almost into a felt-pen effect.
• Some coloured pencils are just hard. They don't blend because they aren't waxy and soft enough.
• Try layering pencil over ink (Prismacolor over Sharpie!)...for a technique that can become addictive.
• Verythins as they are hard, break easily, and don't blend well. They are however, great for small or intricate detail and outlining.
• Bristol board is even smoother than cardstock and much sturdier. It allows you to get very smooth, dense colours.
• Its a matter of a sharp pencil, using light strokes and starting with the lightest colour working to your darkest.
  Perhaps start off with 3 shades of the same tone and work in 3rds. Lightest colour all over, second colour 2/3rds up and last (darkest) colour in the first 3rd. Then as you get used to that add in other shades and work on divisions again.
  
  

Not being anything like an experienced artist I would like to thank all the people who’ tips and suggestions I have saved over the years, I hope like me you will find them useful.