Burnishing with color pencil can create a beautiful rich glazed look. Burnishing is layering multiple colors and
then applying heavy pressure with a light color pencil or with a tool. The wax melds together and causes the drawing surface to become slick, filling up the entire tooth of the paper's surface.
For example, after layering colors, apply heavy pressure with Prismacolor Cloud Blue PC1023. Repeat the process again until
a polished or vivid effect is achieved. Burnishing is ideal for creating sparkling glass, polished surfaces, and metals.
Blending is the process of layering colors and blending the layers of color together with layering techniques and/or combination of blending tools.
As a result you get rich photo like works.
• Burnishing works best with a light colored pencil, such as cream, white, light grey or cloud blue, apply heavy pressure over layered colored area to be burnished.
• By burnishing with certain colors you can achieve certain affects, such as, burnishing with pale ochre you can give the illusion of an aged or antique look.
• Use the metal scoop part of a ceramic clean up tool (Duncan TL-401 USA 9), a spoon, or any other smooth metal device and apply heavy pressure in circular like motions to the colored layers to be burnished.
• Burnish your light areas first so that you do not drag any dark pigment where you don't want it.
• Prismacolor's blender pencil (PC 1077) and Lyra's
Rembrandt splender blender are very effective and valuable tools for burnishing and blending colors. They are great for finishing touches on detailed areas, overlay applications, blending finished layered colors, or use throughout the color
layering process. For example, layer colors, blend with blender, layer more colors and blend with blender. As a result a deep, rich and vivid color can be achieved.
• To blend or burnish colors try using a stump or tortillion. Tortillions come in 3 sizes: small, medium and large. Stumps are very similar to the tortillions but are much bigger. Blend the colors in a circular motion and apply heavy pressure to blend the colors. Make sure you keep the tips clean if you are using it to blend selective colors.
• A colorless marker/pen can be used to blend layers of color together. The marker/pen is great for making washes, or under-paintings in color pencil paintings.
• Layer various colors using crosshatch, horizontal, diagonal, vertical, or circular strokes. Start off with a light layer of a color, then keep adding different layers of color on top of one another, using light to medium pressure, until the desired results are achieved.
• Color Pencil Artist
Carlynne Hershberger has discovered a "new blending tool called the Crayon Eraser." It is similar to Prismas colorless blenders, however it does not change the saturation of the colors as the blending markers and pencils can do.
Stores it can be bought at:
Oriental Trading Company
J.Rousek Toy Company, Inc.
• Color Pencil Artist,
Linda Lucas Hardy, uses a drybrushing technique for blending her layers of color. She applies multiple layers of color pencil gradually, to a heavy pressure, and then takes a stiff bristle paint brush or pastel brush, no longer than 1/2 inch, and blends the colors together.
Copyright © Carol Moore, All Rights Reserved.
