Testing and Reviewing The Best Blender Pencils For Colored Pencils
Testing and Reviewing The Best Blender Pencils For Colored Pencils
I have wanted to create this test, slash, review of colourless blender pencils for quite some time now and I am so happy I have finally got round to it. If you have been a subscriber of The Art Gear Guide for a while now, I am sure you will have heard me say on my colored pencil reviews, that I prefer to use a colourless blender over OMS (Odourless Mineral Spirits).
Because I am aware of the fact that so many of you use OMS when creating your own artwork, I include an OMS test in the reviews, to show and demonstrate how the layers of that particular pencil are going to react when OMS has been applied. But my own preference has been the Caran d’Ache Full Blender and I always wanted to know if all blenders were the same or if there was a significant difference between them.
In this test I have selected 9 different blenders, well actually, not quite 9 blenders, in two of the packets there is also a burnisher. So I thought it would be a good idea to demonstrate and define the difference between a blender and a burnisher. In my YouTube video review of the demonstration, you will of course get to see each blender and burnisher in real time working.
Blender and Burnisher
In the video review, I wanted to create a demonstration that would show any difference between a blender and burnisher. The artists definition of a burnisher is that the core is harder than a blender and that the burnisher is supposed to be used toward the end of your work. Once you have applied all the layers you need, you would use the burnisher, the burnisher is supposed to create a polished, almost glossy look to your work. A good use of a burnisher would be if you drew a Cherry or perhaps a bunch of grapes, something that requires that glassy glossy appearance.
The blender on the other hand according to the artist definition is a much softer core and this softer core is used to mix and blend different colours. When you apply five or six layers of coloured pencil and you either wanted to blend two colours together or you just wanted to get rid of the white from the paper, the blender is the tool you would use.
Blender and Burnisher Differences
Before we get into the differences between each blender and burnisher I just want to talk a little about OMS Odourless Mineral Spirits. Essentially, OMS works in the same way a colourless blender works, however, there are a few obvious differences and one or two not so obvious.
The first thing is, if you are an artist who suffers with arthritis in your hands or wrists, stick to using OMS, with a colourless pencil blender, you have to apply pressure when applying the layer and this would aggravate pain in your already painful hands or wrists.
Before Applying The OMS
A huge benefit of using OMS is this, with the colourless blenders, because you need to apply a certain amount of pressure when using it, you inadvertently damage the tooth of the paper, this then creates issue should you need to apply additional layers. With the OMS, once you have applied it, the layers of coloured pencil liquifies, maintaining the tooth of the paper. This then allows you to apply more layers once the OMS has dried, providing the artist with the ability to create more depth and vibrancy.
For me personally, I just can’t get to grips with OMS and when I apply it to the layers of colored pencil, it just doesn’t look uniform, it generates streaks which always are visible regardless. Obviously we all have our own favourites and hopefully this test can show you which blender works the best and is also the best value for money.
The Testing Method
It’s always difficult trying to come up with a demonstrable test, that is as close to scientific as one human can get, when conducting these reviews. I always try my best to devise a test where I apply almost the same pressure, the same amount of layers, the same paper etc.
So for the blenders, I decided to use Strathmore Bristol Velum 300 Series paper, as this was a blending test, I used six different color, Prismacolor Premier colored pencils, almost like a rainbow. The plan was to mix each color as well as demonstrating how the layers of colored pencil looked both before and after blending.
I doen the same for the burnishers in each set, however I did create a separate test for the burnishers, hopefully demonstrating the different effects between a blender and burnisher. Finally, I applied the same sequence of colors using Prismacolor Premier pencils and blended with Odourless Mineral Spirits, just to provide balance and comparison between both blending methods.
On my YouTube Video review, I provide a realtime demonstration of all blender and burnisher pencils and so whilst I am able to provide images of each pencil, watching the video review will show you exactly how the process works.
I would like to mention and perhaps provide a test in the future to this effect, each manufactures blender, be it Caran d’Ache, Derwent etc, is most likely more effective when used along side their colored pencils. The Caran d’Ache Full Blender is amazing along side the Luminance colored pencils and so this might a test for the future. Nevertheless I wanted to make sure eI mentioned this as a side note.
Caran d’Ache Full Blender and Pencil Blender
For the longest time, the Caran d’Ache full blender has been my goto blender of choice, however, there are some blenders in this test that I have yet to try and so who knows, by the end of the review I might have a new goto blender.
The Caran d’Ache Full Blender can be purchased separately, however on this particular occasion, the set I have provides a Caran d’Ache Full Blender and Pencil Blender. The full blender is simply all blender, there is no wood or plastic barrel surrounding it, whereas the pencil blender is just the same ingredient as the full blender only with the traditional wood barrel. I expect the results to be exactly the same but I tested both regardless.
Before Using The Blenders
After Using The Blenders
As you can see for the results of before and after, the Caran d’Ache Blender did a good job of blending the colors as well as getting rid of the white paper under the layers. The full blender allows the artist the ability to blender larger areas faster than just a traditional pencil blender, but the full blender can also be sharpened into a fine pencil point, which I demonstrate on the video review.
Derwent Blender and Burnisher
I have used the Derwent blender in the past, when I first started out with colored pencils, however I had no idea what its proper use was and so now with a much better understanding, I was looking forward to testing both the Derwent Blender and Burnisher.
In this particular set from Derwent you get two blenders, two burnishers, an eraser and a sharpener. You can if you prefer buy the blender or burnisher separately, however I feel this is a fantastic value for money set from Derwent.
First up was the Derwent Blender and as you can see from the image, the soft core of the blender allowed for the colors to mix well together. There was a small amount of crumbling, but given the fact by the very nature of a blender, pressure is applied to a relatively soft core, slight crumbling is to be expected.
Derwent Before Using Blenders
The core of the Derwent Burnisher was significantly harder than the blender and this is to help provide that gloss or glassy appearance. It is the softer and slightly gritty nature of the blender that aids in the movement of pigment to blend, but with the burnisher, the harder, yet smoother nature of its core does more to embed the pigment into the flattened tooth of the paper, helping to create the glossy appearance.
Prismacolor Blender
In this particular set from Prismacolor, two blenders are provided and going back to the original query regarding the companies blender working best on their colored pencils, for the Prismacolor Blender, we should expect to see fantastic results given we have used Prismacolor colored pencils.
Looking at the results thus far, in my opinion, the Kalour blender provided much better results. The Prismacolor blender is very soft and crumbles quite a bit, at least it did on me, however, although I feel the Kalour provided a better result, I was still very happy with the Prismacolor blender performance.
Kalour Blender and Burnisher
In the Kalour set, you are provided with five blenders and one burnisher, this is obviously due to the softer nature of the blender and the likely hood of the blender being used more. Until this test I had never tried the Kalour blender or burnisher and so I was not expecting big things, however I couldn’t have been more wrong.
Before Using Blender and Burnisher
After using the Kalour Blender, it performed amazingly, I was so incredibly surprised with just how well the Kalour blender performed, so much so I fully intend to use them again. With the burnisher, as was the case for the Derwent Burnisher, it was clear to feel the difference in hardness and softness in the cores. Obviously the hard core of the kalour burnisher is what helps to provide that glossy look to your work. Overall I was really happy with the performance from both the blender and burnisher.
Staedtler Design Journey Blender
So far this year, (2024) I have reviewed quite a few of the Staedtler Design Journey range products and I have been very very impressed with everything I have tested so far. So when I discovered there was a Staedtler Blender I knew I just had to try it out.
I felt the core of the Staedtler was slightly harder than all the other blenders in this test, that being said, the overall performance and results from the Staedtler Design Journey Blender was impressive to say the least. Staedtler seem to be making huge strives to tantalise the art community with their Design Journey range, I would say this particular range is more focused toward student grade artists, but the products I have tested thus far better than a lot of student grade supplies from other companies.
Lyra Rembrandt Splender Blender
If you have been following The Art Gear Guide for a while now, you will know just how much I love the Lyra Rembrandt Colored Pencils and so many of the other Lyra affiliated products. The Lyra Rembrandt Splender Blender can be purchased individually and when you purchase the 72 set of the Polycolor or their luxury wood box set, you are provided with a blender.
Before Using Blender
After Using Blender
The Lyra blender is very a slightly harder core, similar to that of the Staedtler, with the softer cored blenders, such as the Kalour and Derwent blenders, there is a grittier feel to the blending, but with the Lyra blender, the blending feels cleaner and more controlled than the softer cored blenders. I know this may not make a lot of sense but unfortunately it is the only way I know of describing what I feel when using them.
Koh-I-Noor Polycolor Blender
For me personally, and I have conducted many testes regarding this very thing, but I find the Lyra Rembrandt Polycolor and the Koh-I-Noor Polycolor Colored Pencils, to be some of the finest coloured pencils around, considering their price. Both pencils are similar in many ways and if you would like to know more about them I have a comparison review on The Art Gear Guide, but the same cannot be said about the blenders.
The Koh-I-Noor blender, like the Lyra is sold individually and also comes in the larger sets, but the Koh-I-Noor blender is quite a bit softer than the Lyra. The Koh-I-Noor blender also has that gritty feel to it when blending. The results as you can see are pretty good as well and the pencil performed well throughout.
Full Swatch After Blender
Blender Set Price
I have laid out the price guidelines below, each set side by side to help you easier compare value for money, unfortunately this is not a part of the review I can assist with as cost is a very personal thing, what I find reasonable, you may not.
Amazon UK Prices - For the Derwent Blenderset, two blenders, two burnishers, eraser and sharpener, you can expect to pay £11.50. For the Prismacolor Blender set you can expect to pay £6.99. For the Staedtler Blender you can expect to pay £4.99, For the Kalour set, five blenders and one burnisher, you can expect to pay £12.99; For an individual Koh-I-Noor Blender you can expect to pay £2.99; for the individual Lyra Rembrandt Splender Blender you can expect to pay £4.02 and finally for the Caran d’Ache Full Blender and Blender Pencil set you can expect to pay £6.99
Amazon US Prices - For the Derwent Blender set, two blenders, two burnishers, eraser and sharpener, you can expect to pay $12.99. For the Prismacolor Blender set you can expect to pay $4.99. For the Staedtler Blender you can expect to pay $7.40, For the Kalour set, five blenders and one burnisher, you can expect to pay $7.99; For an individual Koh-I-Noor Blender you can expect to pay $3.99; for the individual Lyra Rembrandt Splender Blender you can expect to pay $4.50 and finally for the Caran d’Ache Full Blender and Blender Pencil set you can expect to pay$13.00
Hello, World!
Blender Conclusion
There are similarities in some of the blenders, it is a hard thing. to pin down as there is no pigment in the core to compare and the only thing you can compare is the end result. The feel and performance of the blenders is also difficult to articulate and so I have done my very best to help you decide.
What I will say is, never judge a book by its cover, most of us consider the Kalour brand to be a cheap foreign brand and whilst there is an element of truth to this, it doesn’t define the products performance in my opinion. I was not expecting the Kalour blender to perform anywhere near the level of the Caran d’Ache Full Blender, but if you place the end results side by side, you will see that they are very very close if not the Kalour just having the edge.
For me personally, I still love my Caran d’Ache Full Blender, along with the Kalour, however, I do think, in order to provide a full and thorough review of the blenders, I am going to have to test each blender with the colored pencils from the same company. So use the Lyra blender on the Lyra Rembrandt Polycolor Colored Pencils, so keep an eye out for this review if you are interested in finding a blender.
