Coloured Pencil Blender Review & Comparison

Hello! Apologies that this video is up a day or so later than usual- I've been very busy with work, but wanted to make sure I uploaded a quality video for you guys.
In this week's video I'll review, demo and compare a range of blending products designed for Coloured Pencil. Amongst these products we have:
Caran d'Ache Full Blenders (Bright)
Prismacolor Colourless Blending Pencils
Derwent Blender Pencil
Koh-I-Noor Hardtmuth/Polycolor Blending Pencil
Derwent Blender Pens
Odourless Mineral Spirits (Beckers)
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Frequently Asked Questions: claudiasketche...
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KEY TIMES:
Overview of packaging: 0:30
Test Chart: 3:40
"Field test": 5:38
Results and summary: 6:40
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Materials:
Polychromos coloured pencils
Prismacolor coloured pencils
Caran d'ache Luminance (white)
Arches Fine Grain/Cold pressed watercolour paper (chart)
Canson Montval watercolour paper (egg test)
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Music:
Yard Sale- Silent Partner
Runaways- Silent Partner
The Creek- Topher Mohr and Alex Elena
Reasons to Smile- Topher Mohr and Alex Elena
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[@ClaudiaSketches]

Hi friends! I've been noticing a lot of comments on my older videos where people tell me to turn off the background music! Thanks for the feedback- the advice was heeded a while back (November 2017-ish, around the time I was able to upgrade my audio quality), so be sure to check out some of my newer videos. 😊 PS: I plan on revisiting this topic some time eventually- I've purchased lots more blending materials since and would love to investigate them more for you!

[@lizziedae91]

When you review blenders again please mention if they have any odors, almost nobody does but it is so helpful when deciding what to purchase.

[@inkypunk]

The Derwent pens are streaky but I like them for taking the shine out of heavy graphite shading

[@ClaudiaSketches]

Ooh! Thanks for the tip! I haven't tried them with graphite yet but I'll have to now. The shine is one of the most problematic things for me, it makes it exceptionally difficult to film and photograph.

[@MKLGRMFineArt]

it is awesome how much time you spent into testing these products out and how you show it to the folks. Thanks so so much!! Very well done video!!!!

[@ClaudiaSketches]

Thank you very much! I love being thorough :D

[@laitae]

Awesome video, but the music was a bit too loud:( I've only used the Prismacolor blender pencil and this info will help me deciding which pencil to choose next, thank you!

[@ClaudiaSketches]

Hi! I'm pleased the video was helpful :) This video is a little older now, and I think since this was uploaded I've gotten the hang of my new mic set up. However, I'd love to know where in the video you found that the music was too loud- that will help me make sure to more careful balance that music track in future videos :)

[@laitae]

I think the first two minutes especially, then it gets a bit more quiet. The content was great though, keep up the good work:)

[@ClaudiaSketches]

Thank you so much for your feedback! :)

[@devanshij9226]

I love you detailed and thorough your reviews are. I bought Polychromos box (they are expensive) and the Koh-i-noor blenders is the cheapest one I could find in a shop nearby so its great that I could see how they compare before getting an expensive one. Surprisingly though the Polycolor (Koh-i-Noor) Colored pencils don't blend well with the polychromos and aren't pigmented enough.

[@nilapatel8242]

Awesome. Can you please make a video on what kind of paper is good for pencil color art??

[@claritzairosario68]

Very helpful video! Love this!

[@valerieokeefe3331]

Thank you for all your focus and detail....perfect!

[@ClaudiaSketches]

Glad I could help! Thanks for watching and commenting :)

[@MaZEEZaM]

Great review, only thing you perhaps forgot that would have been a great comparison was the good old tortilion? Paper stump or blending stick, whichever name you go by? They tend to be great for blending colours and don’t contribute any colour of their own like the hard sticks suggest on the black paper.

[@ClaudiaSketches]

I didn't own any tortillons at the time which is why they weren't included. But if I do an updated version of this review with Zest- It, powder blender and some other alternatives (such as rubbing alcohol and colourless alcohol based markers) I'll definitely include them! :D

[@sheyshannow2065]

Thank you very much Claudia. Very clearly spoken, very thorough and informative. Excellent video!

[@ClaudiaSketches]

Glad you found it helpful! Thank you very much for watching and commenting :)

[@Mulberry2000]

This is a brilliant video I was looking for blender pencils and all amazon came up with was the really expensive Derwent pencil pack. Thanks for this.

[@magnuskarlsson8655]

This was very informative, thank you. I have a question: If I want to draw on a cotton canvas and make the colors blend into something as close as possible to an oil painting effect, what blender would you recommend? From your test results, it looks like OMS would create the most smudgy effect and thus closest to oil paint effect, but I'm interested in hearing your opinion.

[@crystallp6274]

I am a recent subscriber to your channel. Your videos are very thorough. You answered most of my blending questions. Thank you!!!

[@ClaudiaSketches]

I'm glad you think they're thorough! That's really what I strive for, as a "consumer" of art videos myself the most frustrating thing is watching multiple videos and never getting the answers you want! However, I do plan on making a new version of this video in the future- there are some blending mediums that I've since bought that I'd love to show and compare alongside these :)

[@greekveteran2715]

Caran d'Ache Blender or Derwent Blender pencils, which works better for Polychromos please??

[@catsontherise4300]

Very thorough, awesome reviews. Thanks!

[@ClaudiaSketches]

Thank you very much, I'm pleased you liked it :)

[@MMM-cf4md]

Hi! Greetings from Australia🇦🇺 Im new to your channel and I'm impressed at the thoroughness of your blending review 🤓 I enjoyed watching and i look forward to watching more .. (and ... i sub!) Thanks for sharing 💓

[@ramonad3593]

Very thorough and helpful video. Thank you. Perhaps the blender pen could be refilled with rubbing alcohol when it runs out if it is alcohol based.

[@ClaudiaSketches]

Yup- I've seen people refill them with OMS or Zest-It, too. I don't think the plastic reacts with these two solvents either. It's possible to make your own from scratch using water brushes- something I might give a go if I get my hands on some cheap ones :) Thank you very much! :D

[@emilyerdbeere9210]

Very useful test! Thank you so much 👍🏻😀 Unfortunately I can’t see two things because of reflections: Which of the three colour pencils brightens the toned paper at least? Which of the three colour pencils (Derwent, Prismacolor, CaranDache) brightens the dark shades at least? This information would be very interesting for me because I am working with toned paper...

[@henriette9969]

Thanks for your time and effort but what a pity that you have not taken baby oil in this test, it may be a good substitude for the mineral spirit.

[@ClaudiaSketches]

This is a video I plan on remaking to include a variety of other blending tools and mediums- baby oil and vaseline will be included in this next one, amongst others. However, I do want to mention that baby oil and vaseline should never be used on artworks that you want to last, or that you want to sell or display- it's fine for practice though. Baby oil and vaseline haven't been designed to be used as art supplies, and can react to the coloured pencil and paper you're using- so won't be archival. It's common for paper that's been exposed to baby oil and vaseline to become yellow or brittle over time, along with a greasy residue remaining on the paper surface.

[@Serendipitous247]

@@ClaudiaSketches thanks for your advice regarding baby oil, I learned a lot from your videos. You’re just Awesome ❤️

[@emilyerdbeere9210]

@@Serendipitous247 hello, I replaced my babyoil with walnut oil, it is archival. It works with paper like UART and Pastelmat. Drytime is long on these papers, but it’s worthwhile. And completely nontoxic

[@knightr40]

Very helpful video for beginners like me. Thank you.

[@ClaudiaSketches]

Thanks for watching and commenting! Pleased you enjoyed it :)

[@clearwater7000]

Same experience! Tnx 💓🌞

[@RachelDickison]

Great video Claudia! Very helpful for you to go through these tests for us out here not keen to buy them all! Have suscribed :D

[@ClaudiaSketches]

(I thought I hit reply, but I guess I didn't- oops!) Thank you very much, I'm glad you found it helpful! I plan on revisiting this video soon with some other popular blending products- and some unconventional ones too! This past year I've been using Zest-It instead of the OMS you see in this video- and I prefer it a lot! The smell of the paint thinners was quite nauseating and triggered a few migraines and headaches. I'm pleased to say that the Zest-It is much more pleasant to use, and personally since using it have had fewer headaches :)

[@RachelDickison]

Claudia Sketches yeah awesome will look out for that when you make it! Yes zest it seems to be the one, I’ve seen a lot of artists recommend it so I’ll be tying it soon!

[@vanessamcdowall2564]

Thanks for the video. It was very good it was just the background noise that I struggled with

[@fv3503]

Hi Claudia . Would you be so kind to give me your personal opinion on which blender I should get ? I am totally new to coloring ? I already have prismacolor blender , copic blender , tombow blender and touchfive blender . Should I still get dervent blender ?

[@ClaudiaSketches]

If you're talking about alcohol based marker blenders, there is essentially no difference between them apart from variation in nib shape. They all contain high percentage alcohol and work just the same. :)

[@ginasartcorner5686]

NIce review and comparisson! They seem pretty good :)

[@ClaudiaSketches]

Shiroichi Art Thank you very much :D

[@AB-vb2mm]

Very nice and clear.

[@ClaudiaSketches]

Thank you :)

[@ss45247]

Thank you so much. Very useful

[@almightyarts]

Steadtler colours are wax based or oil based plz help me

[@enikokadar1969]

Szia! Úgy látom, sok ceruzát kipróbáltál. Szerinted melyik típusú színes ceruzát válasszam tájképhez? Tetszenek a videók, köszönöm! (hungarian)

[@BabySquirrelBeading]

Thank you for this. I am new to pencils and I'm currently using a store brand odourless solvent and it's working well. My question is about the brush I should use and how to clean it. I've gone through a few brushes trying to find a firmer one. I'm guessing I should keep a designated brush so I won't contaminate my paints.

[@ClaudiaSketches]

I recommend a filbert (flat with a curved edge), with synthetic bristles. The ones I use I picked up from a bargain shop and they were like half a dollar a piece- so certainly nothing special. The brushes are fairly soft. I've found that over time (and especially when working on abrasive surfaces), the bristles will start to wear down, which is why I recommend using something cheap and replaceable. That way you can also have a few designated brushes for use with solvents. As for cleaning, I don't actually wash my brushes out with water. I keep a small amount of solvents in jar at a time, for immediate use. (This is just to make sure I can keep the solvents contained in a small space and reduces wastage). If I need to clean my brush out, I'll just dip my brush in to the solvents a little (without agitating the bristles, or else pigment from the brush will loosen into the solvents), and then wipe the brush onto a rag or some kitchen towel. I do that a couple of times until there's no more pigment that comes out of the brush.

[@BabySquirrelBeading]

Thank you so much.

[@MalamikArt]

Really well done vid.

[@ClaudiaSketches]

Thank you very much! Glad you like it :D

[@franparkus2652]

do you have a link to your zest it review that you mentioned in this video?

[@ClaudiaSketches]

Hi! I don't have a Zest-It review yet- in this video I mentioned that I might make another review with other blending materials... and although I do now own and use Zest-It, I haven't reviewed it yet. However I will include it in the cards (or description) once I've made another one of these videos with other methods. :)

[@elakzlrmak1862]

Lyra splender?

[@ClaudiaSketches]

Yağız Kızılırmak I haven't tried this one, unfortunately. I did quite a thorough search of blending pencils on Amazon, but this one never showed up, so I didn't realise it existed until more recently.

[@yashodharasikarwar3266]

Amazing ♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️, I wanted to ask how much days these derwent pens will work? and also we have 150 shades of Prismacolors, which paper is good, in cheap price

[@ClaudiaSketches]

Hi! I've only just received these pens so I'm not sure how long they'll last... though for certain they'll last longer if you only use one pen on similar colours (so you don't have to keep scribbling and wasting "ink" to clean off the nib!) As for reasonably priced paper for coloured pencils, I recommend any hot pressed watercolour paper (I quite like Canson Montval). What is cheap and available for you might be different to what I can find here! Canson Mi Teintes paper is another paper that I like to use. I'd check out what samples your local art store can offer you to try, or buy a few loose sheets and see what you prefer working on. To keep my paper costs down, I work small- I'll buy larger paper and cut it down to size :)

[@yashodharasikarwar3266]

Claudia Sketches thank you so much , are you on Instagram or somewhere, where you share​ your artworks ♥️♥️

[@ClaudiaSketches]

I'm on Facebook and Instagram- Claudia Sketches on Facebook and claudia.sketches on Instagram. :) If you're on a computer, the links to my social media are on the bottom right of my channel header here on KZbin :)

[@alexalexyoo2175]

what blender will be better for Faber Castell polychromos?

[@ClaudiaSketches]

I use Polychromos in this video. :) The decision is purely personal- how you like to work and what effects you want to achieve. I don't think there can really be an objective measure to what is "better" as a number of different methods all do an excellent job of blending. Personally, I like using Zest-It (works similarly to the OMS shown in this video, just without so much of the nasty smell). But others don't like working with liquid solvents for a number of reasons.

[@alexalexyoo2175]

Claudia Sketches thanks 😁

[@chaii_latte]

I use the solvent very nicely with polychromos... Works great

[@iverray13]

Is there a blender for Faber Castel Classic color pencil?

[@ClaudiaSketches]

No idea, I'm sure you could find out by googling though- if there are no exact results then I imagine it doesn't exist. Other blending pencils should work perfectly fine though- they're all more or less the same composition.

[@yellowRose806]

There's an eraser pencil, but I'm not sure if it's the same thing.

[@EphygeniA]

very useful! thank you ^^

[@ClaudiaSketches]

You're welcome- I'm pleased you found it helpful :)

[@tuhina9353]

Can we use prismacolor blender with normal colour pencils?

[@ClaudiaSketches]

I'm not sure what you mean with normal colour pencils, but I use the prismacolor blending pencils with both Prismacolor and Polychromos in this video :)

[@tuhina9353]

Claudia Sketches by normal I meant the classic faber castle colour pencils or the watercolor ones. Thanks for replying 😊😊

[@ClaudiaSketches]

Blending pencils should work on all wax or oil based pencils providing you have enough layers/pigment down on the paper :)

[@tuhina9353]

Claudia Sketches olay thank you so much for replying. It helped me a lot 😊😊

[@aliencreation8744]

ive heard derwent coloursoft dont blend properly with oms and blending pens, do you know if thats true?

[@ClaudiaSketches]

I don't own any Coloursoft so can't test it out for myself. I don't recall hearing this, but I have heard that Coloursoft don't layer the way that other pencils do- Lachri Fine Art did a review on them a while back which seemed to be pretty thorough. :)

[@debasishbain2803]

3:40

[@shadowartist8892]

Helpful but the music is waaayyyy too loud and distracting I'd rather just hear you. I totally lost track.of what you were saying. Cut the music out completely and that wont happen. :)

[@ClaudiaSketches]

Check the pinned comment ;)

[@anuragsutra7593]

I think blender pen work better

[@ClaudiaSketches]

Definitely is a personal choice! Lots to consider- what techniques you use, which types of pencils you use and what paper you're working on. I now use Zest-It Pencil Blend and have found so far it works best with my technique and paper choices. :)

[@zanzibarbob7]

Your dialog is great. Turn off the music!

[@ClaudiaSketches]

Thank you very much for watching and commenting :) Check out my more recent videos! It's been a long time since I've used music under my dialogue. When I first began it was a necessity because of the quality of my microphone.