The Basics of Blending Materials for Drawing

[@amexjam55]

Thank you for demonstrating the difference between each blending material.

[@IBIS-3D]

I have just completed community class of drawing and no one showed me these things. thank you very much for your efforts and videos (y)

[@TylersArtShack]

No problem at all! Glad that you have a better idea of how to use some drawing materials.

[@deeman524]

I just purchased a couple of Blending Stumps today, they're the best for blending in my opinion

[@TylersArtShack]

I have heard that different brushes have different effects which does make sence. I have quite a lot of different brushes. I am used to using blending stumps for my blending needs. Thanks for the info and I am glad you enjoyed the video!

[@TylersArtShack]

Thanks a lot for the awesome comment Jacob! It is quite an accomplishment and I enjoy it quite a lot. I will do what I can to keep things going haha. Thanks again!

[@TehBlueLemon]

I draw with charcoal a lot, and I find paint brushes essential. Because charcoal is a much softer medium, it's easier to blend with a paint brush. The paint brush I use is a watercolor brush for scumbling. It makes so cool textures!

[@colinreid325]

Got to disagree with your conclusion about blending with a brush. I find it very effective.

[@Tolleren39clues]

I usually use an eraser, but it could be interesting to use one of these. I think I have a blending stump somewhere, and now I finally know what you use it for ... Thanks for showing.

[@akashmihir84]

I have also recently tried a sponge. Nice thing about it is, that it leave fine line to your blending. I blended night sky vertically and ocean water horizontally in a drawing. looks good.

[@TylersArtShack]

I just enjoy drawing is all. I am just happy that others enjoy it as well.

[@saketshandilya7280]

Hey sir why didn't u suggest tortillions ?? What the matter with it

[@shanidmuhammad4919]

@@saketshandilya7280 torllion is kneadable erraser?

[@saketshandilya7280]

@@shanidmuhammad4919 no it's similar to blending stumps ..

[@TylersArtShack]

There is always the right tool for the job. Many prefer kneaded erasers because of how they can form into almost any shape to erase in different patterns to create new textures or to clean up edges. I use them a lot for creating clouds and for softening up and cleaning up edges. There are a lot of uses for it. As you get more and more into drawing, you will know what tool you need for what you are doing.

[@kathybott2758]

i love your teaching skills. one of the first person that kept my attention and not go on forever,, and loose me..thank

[@llrnr]

Thanks for making this video. This is my first time ever that I got myself some blending stumps (blushes) and I found your video very useful. I do have a remark, however, on the paintbrush: if you use a paintbrush for acrylics, i.e. with many bristles which are very thin and soft, you can achieve some amazing spreading; it not only smudges a small area, but it carries on the graphite, as you say, for quite a distance (tested using a 2B lead).

[@TylersArtShack]

Blending stumps do work quite well for it. Try some cloth or a paper towel as well. You can also use fabric. Try different things out and see what results suit your needs best and go from there.

[@TheVeyron81]

All those suggesting blending with fingers; you should not really blend with skin, as your skin is oily which the paper absorbs, and you end up with dark patches all over your work which cannot be corrected once the graphite/charcoal has hit the oily parts of the paper.

[@michaylaabrahams1505]

True but the first time you use a new finger it will always be the most oily so if you remember that and use your fingers first in the dark areas and as the oils dry out move to the light areas I find it works well its more of something you have to get used to and it takes a little patients

[@scottgarrison4778]

Along with stumps I found a circular makeup cotton pad extremely useful. Snuck a few from my wife's makeup bag, they work great! Only 2 things I use honestly.

[@michaylaabrahams1505]

I took an entire 2 years if drawing using only a qtip or toilet paper and my fingers I thought they worked pretty well and to be honest I didn't known what a blending stump was until college

[@annapenkalski5751]

When you use a blending stump and Tortillon I find that it blends better when you move in one direction rather then circles. I don't know if it's just me but that's my opinion. But great video!

[@RunwayCats]

its true coz u can see the circles he created but u should blend softly he was just showing us for explanation

[@ritze8216]

+Covet Petrichor (TVA) doing it in a circular motion works better when blending two different shades together IMO.

[@TylersArtShack]

no problem at all! glad you enjoyed the video!

[@MsSaxoBeat257]

I used all the tools you demonstrated....and I have to agree the paint brush is probably my least favorite, it may work with charcoal like the previous comment said. I also used a lot of q-tips before I got my hand on a blending stump, but I had some problems since it has a round tip and all that. I may use a cloth for skin texture since it is very smooth. Anyway nice video, enjoyed it as always :)

[@alevan5714]

Enjoyed the lesson, and found your use of training aids very helpful.

[@Muhammad-Jacobs699]

I think I'll stick with my blending stump.. It never fails to amaze me.. Btw what about using your fingers?... and does Baby Oil work with blending graphite or just colored pencils..?

[@Torro1405]

Tyler, i suggest you to try a make-up-sponge and / or a leather cloth. There are good tools for blending greater areas.

[@callunas]

I use q-tips all the time for charcoal. It's good for getting the foggy look and blending areas of skin while keeping texture.

[@FineArtTips]

Very good tips, thanks Tyler!

[@kel_19907]

This is exactly what I need as a beginner at pencil portrait! Thank you lots 😊

[@TylersArtShack]

Q tips are an interesting tool for blending but they get the job done quite nicely.

[@Lyssa519]

Thank you Tyler for doing this video. I am new to drawing and I have to say your tutorials are amazing. You have made me a better artist...well on my way anyways..lol. Just wanted to say thank you for sharing your talent.

[@colinreid325]

Got to disagree with what you say about blending with a brush. I find it very effective.

[@JennifersBox]

what kind of brush do you use?

[@sebcontreras344]

@@JennifersBox i use a make up brush

[@decalco1373]

Acrylic or taklon bristle will work.

[@jodiexc74]

I will often use a q-tip for graphite portraits. I feel it gives a softness to the skin.

[@TylersArtShack]

Great to know! Q tips work quite nicely for lots of things.

[@TylersArtShack]

It is good to know since the brush I was using wasn't really working too well. It was an oil brush and I think that the bristles may have been a tad too stiff for it to work correctly.

[@TylersArtShack]

no problem! glad that you were able to get a bit more info about drawing haha.

[@yumekoete5091]

I used to use Q-tips, and it's quite effective. They are very useful. I recently bought blending stumps, I'll try them soon. Thanks for the video! What do you recommand me to use fir very very smooth textures, like skin? I draw portraits, thanks!

[@TylersArtShack]

It does work quite well. Just be careful because the oils on your finger can yellow the paper over time.

[@TylersArtShack]

Very interesting haha. Never would have thought of using any of those.

[@DoodleToast-c4o]

Never thought of using a cutip. Thanks!

[@TylersArtShack]

I hear that as well but never used it as a blender before.

[@marcorodas1483]

i use the q-tip i feel like its very effective and thx man ur really good at drawing i just got the tk vario l and im trying to learn how to use it.

[@TylersArtShack]

I would use a Q-tip instead of the blending stump and a paper towel instead of the cloth. But you can also just use a piece of fabric as well.

[@TylersArtShack]

Charcoal is much softer than pencil and it works quite well for sure.

[@TylersArtShack]

The paint brush does have its uses. I don't exactly have the best brush for it though. Either way, it is just another tool that I have seen others use. Cotton balls work quite well also.

[@mwcshk113]

Im just a beginner but ive been doing quite a number of graphite drawings too. All i ever used is a QTip, at first i didnt reall saw whats the problem, until i got my skills developed and i found it really frustrating. Its blends, but unevenly and sometimes i hate the color and texture it gives off. So im switching to a blending stump

[@mslovelyshot]

I like to use Qtips to blend acrylics on canvas. It helps me get a good initial soaked layer on to the canvas

[@tonycollins2394]

I've always enjoyed drawing, lets take it to another level.

[@xionkale3688]

you can use Eraser as a Blending material if you want to carry the graphite more , just darken a side of it to absorb the graphite and apply lightly so it don't break away and Erase instead of blending

[@xionkale3688]

works same/ better that blending by finger

[@Tuungaful]

I have always just used the tip of my finger. It carries the graphite well, however, is not good to small areas. In small areas, I blend and then just touch up the area around it.

[@MichaelKeeter]

I like to use tortillions and toilet paper more than anything else for blending. However, I have used a Q-Tip several times, but dislike them. Q-Tips are hard to do blending in areas that come to fine edges. I actually have sharpened a tortillion with sand paper and blunted one down by pushing on it just to see how they worked. The sharpened one once cleaned up will let you get extremely fine edges and points when blending. The blunted one actually is my preferred one now.

[@greekveteran2715]

As others said, there are some paint brushes, that can provide better results than any other bending tool and do it faster too! You just have to be lucky, and find the proper one, because there are a ton of different types and brands, which makes things more complicated, however, it pays of to try and find one!

[@TylersArtShack]

I do it every now and then but I am very used to using a blending stump.

[@sunilmalhotra3519]

my favourite blending tool is a Q-tip

[@TylersArtShack]

I hear a lot of great things about them.

[@TylersArtShack]

Using a finger is a valid way of blending but I can't do it anymore myself. It leaves oil and residue on the paper which will ruin most of my drawings. You can clearly see the fingerprints after a year or so. The oils on your fingers that are transferred to the drawing will yellow and discolor different areas of the drawing. Keep this in mind for your own drawings.

[@TylersArtShack]

That is great to know! Thanks a lot!

[@chatfreak80]

a qtip is most useful as a remover for charcoal ..say for vine charcoal types.. for more permanent ones it will smudge locally.. but its a good tool to mark areas to be later worked on cos it holds an ever so slight amount of charcoal.

[@ocularisabyssus9628]

Excellent video! Thanks

[@queentroll1955]

thank you so much - i love your videos and they have been wonderful.. you do a great job

[@TylersArtShack]

It is good to improvise as well. Sometimes things can work out quite well.

[@paulahardesty]

Thank you Tyler - I learned so much!

[@altheamcnabb2829]

Thank you for showing us this.

[@chezkysteiner9063]

Have you considered your fingertips? If you don't want mind getting a bit messy, I find that the oil on the skin helps "carry" a blend quite far.

[@puffyduck7995]

Lol girlie when I used to draw big as hell thing I used to wear a glove for awhile build up some oil and smother but I can’t do that any more😒😒😒😒😒😒😒😒😞😞😞😞

[@BartolomeJacinto]

Inspired by your video, I've just tried some strange things. :D If someone is a smoker (or is with smoker) cigarette filters do work (something between cloth and q-tip). Wooden clothespin - rather rough and textured. Linocut linoleum - very poor. Colored pencil (just wooden casing, no color inside) - better then clothespin, but more invasive for paper. But the best blending was with champagne cork - stunningly smooth, practically no pencil stroke could be seen. :)

[@TylersArtShack]

What kind of paint brush are you using because I hope it had better results than mine haha.

[@TylersArtShack]

Thanks a lot Leonardo!

[@thesloth2994]

Hey Tyler, can you do a skyline drawing/tutorial? I want to draw some concept cities on my sci fi graphic novel!

[@TylersArtShack]

I am glad that you enjoyed the video. It was something that I figured would be useful to those that are new to blending and just wondering a little bit about them. There are also probably a lot more blending materials than I listed here. It all depends on what sorts of texture or blend you are looking for :) Thanks for the comment!

[@soprano1able]

Hey Tyler what would you use if the blending stump or cloth somewhat 'didn't exist' what would you recommend?

[@mayaalexandra5642]

Is it better to use a kneaded eraser? Why do people prefer using them when drawing? I've always wondered that but now that I'm getting into drawing, I want to know. Can you help me out? Please and thank you! (PS. I love your videos, they're really helpful XD)

[@TylersArtShack]

Eventually I would like to do something like this. I need a bit of practice though.

[@MichaelKeeter]

Ran out of space... I also use sticks with sponges on the end for blending, which work really good most of the time. If you have any old worn out jeans you can cut squares out of them to blend with, and you can clean your erasers and blending tools on them really easily.

[@akashmihir84]

Thank you very much. I most of the time use finger. It does blend very well. Only it make your hands dirty :P

[@ETFL13]

I'm not sure. I use a flat synthetic brush, a soft round brush, a sponge brush, and a small synthetic brush. The softer bristles work better for me. I use the small round brushes to lay down basic tone value and the brush and large synthetic brush to lay down the background and blend large areas.

[@montanaholley4776]

Super helpful! thank you!

[@TylersArtShack]

That is actually a good idea haha. Thanks!

[@Trianonn]

omg i love ur pencil where can i buy it ?

[@xxcsyannaxx]

Like using tortillon and blending stump. Once in a while q tips. Just finished drawing mad hatter.

[@CoupaTroupa]

The only time I use a paint brush is with charcoal not graphite but I love the q tip

[@felipumz]

I find using a camel hair brush works well. I use it all the time.

[@vortex4044]

I was checking this guy out, then I see that you watch his vid and i'm like *.* this guy must be good.

[@TylersArtShack]

Not sure exactly what you mean but I didn't use any paint at all for doing this.

[@TylersArtShack]

You can use a felt cloth but I just have a piece of chamois leather

[@albertrasch4793]

I just took up drawing, and not knowing much, I grabbed Q-tips. Just so you know, some are better than others...

[@wolfgangproductions7402]

Great video

[@TheEmergancyWard]

I've bought a few blending stumps (just the basic, Hobbycraft ones) and... well... they aren't working properly. I can't get it to blend properly (with pencil, coloured pencil or chalk pastels). any idea why this is? I can't imagine that its the brand, because I know that you can make them and they work fine

[@CAMBEA]

you'r very helpful for has beginners thank you

[@bbsmith1000]

thanks for the tip

[@mistermelo19]

Please tell me, where can you get kneaded erasers and whats the price range

[@josetrujillo4764]

I use the Q-Tip a lot on my drawings.

[@madonnacastlino6917]

so can you tell me which one's better? q-tip or blending stump?

[@Rikana]

Your finger leaves oil and other residue which contaminates the drawing. Its best to use another tool other than your fingers if you can.

[@strongindependentblackwoma1887]

I only use cloth for CHARCOAL....never for pencil, maybe i will use it once i start shading big "escenary" drawings with pencil specially the sky.

[@deadgirldelilahable]

What kind of pencils do you use?

[@theboos5852]

Faber Castell

[@TylersArtShack]

I can't use my fingers at all for drawing. Too many finger prints and the oils in your fingers will yellow the paper as well. Just something to keep in mind.

[@tashilmohan663]

I would use a blending stump

[@TylersArtShack]

Agreed

[@Yangmang]

I dont care what they say Qtips provide a very smooth effect, and its a different type of smoothness I find with the tortillion.

[@susanrose1567]

Very interesting, thank you :)

[@firstnamelastname1335]

He clearly really likes blending stumps

[@campbell2643]

I used q-tips for a long time before I bought a blending stump.