How To: Blend colored pencils with a paintbrush

Watch this fine art video tutorial to learn how to blend colored pencils with a paintbrush.

"Today, I am going to demonstrate a new artistic technique. I am going to merge the best qualities of two artistic mediums; oil painting and color pencil. What you are now watching is a time lapse of me building up layers of illustration marker and color pencil over a pencil drawing.

In about a minute, I will slow the video down to show you that color pencils can be blended by using mineral spirits and a paint brush. I am doing this artwork on 110 lb. bond paper and please note that this method will not work as well on simple 20 lb. printer paper.

The best quality of oil painting is that you can

1.) Blend while the paint is wet and

2.) Add multiple layers of new paint after the previous layer dries.

The greatest nuance of color pencil drawing is the accuracy that is attained by using the very fine point at the tip of the pencil. I dip the paintbrush in to the mineral spirits and then dab it on a paper towel; then I drag the brush over my drawing. The mineral spirits quickly break down the thick cake of color pencil.

The soft tip of the paint brush allows me to move and blend the pigment from the color pencil in a manner that is similar to the process of painting. It takes only a few minutes for the mineral spirits and pencil to dry.

After the mineral spirits dry, you can add more layers of color pencil. I have actually finished an oil painting with color pencil and an oil paint medium called liquin before, but to save time, I built up the flesh tones today with markers and color pencil."

--Merrill Kazanjian