How to Blend Colored Pencils: Marker vs. Blending Stick Test

Blending colored pencils creates smoother, richer art. I've been exploring new ways to blend, and these tools give some exciting effects.

In this article, I'll show you how I use a marker blender and a blending stick — and how they work on different papers.

You'll see clear details about their features, blending tests, and when they work best. Let's dive in and get blending.

Understanding the Blending Tools

Before I get into testing, let me show you the tools I'm working with. Knowing what they do helps set clear expectations.

Prismacolor Premier Marker Blender Features

Let's start with the marker blender. This one is the Prismacolor Premier alcohol-based colorless blender. It's like a regular marker but without color, designed just for blending.

What I like is that it has two tips:

• A slender tip, perfect for blending in small areas

• A broad tip, great for covering large spaces quickly

Both ends make it versatile for any drawing size. The caps are snug but easy to remove — no struggle at all.

I bought mine on Amazon for about $6, which is a pretty fair price. Now, let's move on to the next tool.

Caran d’Ache Full Blender Stick Features

This blending stick is from Caran d'Ache. Its design stands out. It's hexagonal, so I can grip it easily while blending, much like holding a pencil.

What makes this cool is that the entire stick is the blending material itself. It feels like a regular wooden pencil. To use it, I sharpen it with a pencil sharpener until I get the point sharpness I want.

I grabbed these blending sticks from Amazon as well for about $7. Now that you know both tools, let's test them in action.

Testing on Bristol Vellum Paper (Smooth Surface)

I always like to see how blending tools behave on different surfaces. That's why I start by testing on Bristol vellum paper — a smooth surface that many colored pencil artists use.

Let's walk through the steps so you can see what I discovered.

Step 1: Preparing the Paper with a Colored Pencil Gradient

Before I blend anything, I fill in a gradient on the Bristol vellum paper. I apply a medium layer of colored pencil across the area. This gives me a nice base to see how both blending tools perform.

Step 2: Using the Marker Blender — First Layer Blending

Now that I have the gradient ready, I start testing with the marker blender first. I take the marker blender and lightly go over the colored pencil. I try two motions as I blend:

• Small circular motions
• Back-and-forth strokes

Right away, I see that small circular motions work much better. It reminds me of how I blend with solvent and a paintbrush. The color blends into the paper more evenly when I use tiny circles.

I also notice something interesting. The marker works better in areas where I've applied more colored pencils.

The blending doesn't look as smooth in the lighter blue area, where my layer is thinner. But the mixing turns out much nicer in the darker blue and purple areas.

As I blend, the colored pencil stains the tip of the marker. But I just wipe the tip off on a scrap paper beside me.

Even though the marker tip stays stained, it doesn't transfer any unwanted color onto my drawing. That's a relief and makes it easier to keep going.

Step 3: Using the Caran d'Ache Blending Stick — First Layer Blending

After testing the marker, I move on to the Caran d'Ache blending stick. I want to see how this tool compares on the same paper and the same first layer.

I'm surprised at how smooth it feels when I blend it with the stick. I don't have to press hard to get a nice blend.

At first, I push harder than needed, but later, I hold it lighter and graze it over the paper. Even with gentle pressure, it blends beautifully. The color smooths out and brightens a lot.

But there's one thing I have to watch. The blending stick leaves small crumbly bits as I work. If I'm not careful and accidentally press those crumbs into the paper with my finger, they transfer some color where I don't want it.

To avoid this, I use a soft brush to sweep the bits away gently. This works well and stops any extra marks from showing up.

But the few times I forget and press with my finger, I see a little transfer onto the paper.

There's something else cool about this blending stick. It adds a glossy finish and UV protection to my artwork.

That's handy if I want to protect a drawing without spraying it. I like the idea of blending and safeguarding at the same time.

Step 4: Adding a Second Layer of Colored Pencil

Now, I want to see how well both blending methods let me apply another layer of colored pencil. This helps me understand whether I can build up colors using these tools.

Applying the Second Layer Over the Marker Blender Area

I grab a darker color so you can see it clearly over the lighter parts of my gradient.

I start with the area I blended using the marker blender. When I draw over it, it feels very similar to how solvent-blended areas handle.

The pencil goes on smoothly, like when I use odorless mineral spirits and a brush.

I don't add much to the lighter section, but the new darker color layers easily over the blue area. This shows me that the marker blender still lets me build multiple layers nicely.

Applying the Second Layer Over the Blending Stick Area

Now, I move over to the part where I used the Caran d'Ache blending stick. Right away, I notice something different. It doesn't accept the second layer as easily as the marker-blended area did.

The pencil doesn't grab onto the paper as well here. This is one drawback of the blending stick on smooth paper. As I said earlier, it works great if I do one or maybe two layers, not five or six.

Even though the area stays smooth and the pencil glides over it, it doesn't hold a lot of new colors.

It's clear to me that this stick is better for drawings that don't need heavy layering or lots of added details later.

My Final Thoughts on Blending on Bristol Vellum

After testing both tools on smooth Bristol vellum, here's what I see:

Marker Blender

• Blends best with small circular motions
• Handles multiple layers well
• Similar feel to solvent blending
• Works best with heavier pencil layers

Caran d’Ache Blending Stick

• Blends smoothly with light pressure
• Leaves small crumbs — brush them away
• Adds gloss and UV protection
• Best for smaller projects or few-layer drawings

Testing on Colored Pencil Paper (Medium Texture)

Now, it's time to move on to colored pencil paper with a medium texture. I am curious how the blending tools would behave here compared to the smoother Bristol vellum.

Let's go step-by-step so you can see exactly what happened.

Step 1: Starting with the Marker Blender on Medium Paper

I begin with the marker blender again. This time, I start by using the smaller point. I'm curious how that tip works on a more textured paper.

After a few strokes, I switch over to the larger end of the marker. With the little bit of experience I gained from blending on Bristol vellum, I decide to focus more on circular motions right from the start.

I alternate between small circles and back-and-forth strokes to see what gives me the best result. Immediately, I notice something exciting—the blending looks nice.

In fact, I feel like it's blending even better on the medium-textured paper than it did on the smoother vellum.

I think the extra texture in the paper is helping. On smoother paper, the colored pencil tends to smear around more instead of blending deep into the surface. 

But here, with the extra tooth, the pigment seems to sink into the paper more easily. And best of all, I don't need to go back and forth as much.

I don't have to apply extra pressure either. I'm using the same gentle technique I used earlier, but the results are smoother and faster.

It also helps that I'm working in small sections—blending one spot thoroughly before moving to the next. That makes the blending more controlled.

Step 2: Using the Caran d'Ache Blending Stick on Medium Paper

Next, I move on to the Caran d'Ache blending stick. I want to see how it handles this paper's extra texture.

Right away, it blends out pretty nicely here, too. It does take a bit more work, though. I must go back and forth slightly more than I did on the Bristol vellum.

That's because I want to ensure I fill in all those tiny crevices with a medium-textured surface.

The good news is I don't have to press hard at all. Even with the extra motion, it's easy on my hand, and it doesn't take long to get the entire area blended out evenly.

Step 3: Adding a Second Layer of Colored Pencil

Now comes the part I'm always curious about—how well can I layer more colored pencils after blending?

Applying a Second Layer Over the Marker Blender Area

I go back to the area where I blended with the marker first. When I draw over it, the pencil goes on smoothly.

That's what I expected because the medium texture gives the paper more tooth to grab the colored pencil.

Since I know from my earlier test on Bristol vellum that the marker blender behaves similarly to odorless mineral spirits, I expect it to let me build thicker layers here as well.

Sure enough, it works great. The medium-textured paper allows me to lay down plenty of color on top of the blended section.

Applying a Second Layer Over the Blending Stick Area

Now, I draw over the part I blended with the Caran d'Ache stick. I'm pleasantly surprised. I can add a good amount of colored pencils over it, too.

This is a significant improvement compared to how it worked on the smoother Bristol vellum.

Because the medium-textured paper still has some tooth left—even after blending—it grabs the colored pencil better when I add that second layer.

On the vellum, the blending stick filled in the paper so much that there wasn't much texture left to grab more pencils. But here, it works out just fine.

Both blending tools show me how vital paper texture is when layering colored pencils after blending.

Step 4: Blending the Second Layer of the Marker Blender

Since the marker blender lets me layer easily, I decide to go ahead and blend the second layer I just applied over the marker-blended area.

As I mentioned before, it behaves a lot like odorless mineral spirits. That's something I like because, when I use solvent, I often blend two, three, or even four different layers over the top of previous blends.

I love that solvent lets me build up my drawing slowly and carefully, giving me more control over the colors. The marker blender gives me nearly the same effect.

The only difference I notice is that the marker blender feels a little streakier than the solvent and the brush.

With a paintbrush, the flexible bristles make softer contact with the paper, which helps smear pigments around more gently.

Back to the marker blender on the Bristol vellum paper. I have to apply firmer contact with the marker to get it to work.

That creates a slightly more smeared effect when blending second layers. I can see this will take a little practice to master.

Still, I'm interested in seeing what other effects I can get using this blending marker. It might open up new ways of drawing that are different from what I do with odorless mineral spirits.

My Final Thoughts on Blending on Medium-Textured Paper

After testing both tools on medium-textured colored pencil paper, here's what I notice:

Marker Blender

• Blends beautifully with circular motions
• Works better than on smooth vellum
• Allows thick second layers easily
• Slightly streakier than solvent and brush

Caran d’Ache Blending Stick

• Blends smoothly but needs more back-and-forth motion
• No hard pressure required—easy on the hand
• Accepts a good second layer thanks to the paper texture
• Better results here than on smooth vellum

In A Nutshell

I think both tools have a place in my colored pencil work. The marker blender gives me more layering ability, while the Caran d'Ache stick is perfect for quick, smooth blends with a glossy finish. Which one will you try first in your drawings? I'd love to hear how they work for you!