Blending white charcoal pencils involves using various tools and techniques to soften lines, create smooth transitions, and layer colours or tones in your artwork.
Unlike processes in charcoal drawing where darker charcoal is used to apply value, even out tones across the paper, and cover white areas – as described in the reference snippet: "So just evens everything out and applies a nice value to the whole of the paper. And gets rid of all of the white. Areas" – blending white charcoal often focuses on adding highlights, softening edges, or mixing with other colours on toned paper.
Here's how you can effectively blend white charcoal:
Why Use White Charcoal?
White charcoal pencils are typically used for:
- Highlights: Adding bright areas to a drawing.
- Layering: Applying over other charcoal or colours to create muted tones or textures.
- Blending: Softening edges or mixing with existing layers, especially on toned paper.
Tools for Blending White Charcoal
Various tools can help you achieve different blending effects with white charcoal:
- Blending Stumps (Tortillons): Tightly rolled paper tools that allow for controlled blending and smudging.
- Cotton Swabs or Balls: Good for larger areas or softer blending.
- Soft Brushes: Can gently lift or spread the pigment for subtle blending, particularly useful for creating soft highlights.
- Fingers: A quick and easy method for broad blending, though can be less precise and transfer oils from skin.
- Kneaded Eraser: While primarily for lifting pigment, a clean kneaded eraser can be used for very subtle blending or shaping blended areas.
Blending Techniques
The technique you use depends on the desired effect:
- Layering and Blending: Apply white charcoal lightly over an area. Use a blending stump, brush, or cotton swab to gently rub and smooth the pigment into the paper or existing layers. Build up layers gradually for intensity.
- Softening Edges: Apply white charcoal where you want a highlight or soft transition. Use a small blending stump or brush to blend the edges outwards, diffusing the white pigment into the surrounding area.
- Blending on Toned Paper: White charcoal shows up vividly on toned paper. You can blend it directly on the paper or blend it into darker charcoal applied alongside it to create gradients.
- Mixing with Other Colours: Apply white charcoal and another colour (like a pastel or other charcoal colour) next to each other. Use a blending tool to mix them on the paper, creating a lighter tint of the other colour.
Experiment with different tools and pressures to find the blending method that works best for your specific drawing and the type of paper you are using.
