Shading with the pencil without any blending –On this very smooth paper, the drawn lines are very visible. When blending with Pencil Blend (CF) and a brush (1 layer) vs blending with Pencil Blend (CF) and a paper stump (1 layer)– When I first applied Pencil Blend to the shaded square with a brush, the drawn lines did not instantly dissolve. I worked the liquid into the shading with the brush and although some of the colour clearly broke down to soften the shading, it was far from the extent of dissolving you would expect when applying a wet brush over a watercolour pencil. If anything these was less effect using a paper stump dipped in Pencil Blend, which is surprising as in the past the greater degree of pressure you can apply with the paper stump meant that drawn lines had a tendency to break down further than when PB is applied with a brush, The area can be left to dry or further Coloured Pencil can be added to the area whilst the paper is still damp, each will give a different look. One thing to avoid - using too much liquid! When blending with Pencil Blend (CF) and a brush (1 layer) vs blending with Pencil Blend (CF) and a paper stump (1 layer)– You can still see the drawn lines but it does soften a blend a little when using a brush. With the paper stump, as with the Stonehenge paper, the colour appears warmer and the drawn lines are smoothed almost completely. The amount of pressure and the length of time on the sponge gives you more control over the amount you use.

When blending with Pencil Blend (CF) and a brush (1 layer) vs blending with Pencil Blend (CF) and a paper stump (1 layer)– The PB with a brush did not break down the drawn pencil lines as much as I would have expected – only very slightly. Using the paper stump was more effective but I think that was wholly because of the pressure I was applying with the paper stump. When blending with Pencil Blend (CF) and a brush (3 layers) vs blending with Pencil Blend (CF) and a paper stump (3 layers) –The colour does look significantly more saturated after 3 layers have been applied with the Lyra, so the paper is able to take more colour. The gradation is maintained more successfully in the square where the PB has been applied with a brush. However with the Pablo it was a struggle to even put the second layer of colour on – the paper didn’t seem to have any more capacity for holding colour. I did find that I needed to change my brush technique when blending to get the best result. If I move the brush in a circular motion on the surface it helps the solvent work into the drawn lines and soften them. I have learned that the build up of friction is necessary in dissolving the pencil, you can’t just expect one brush stroke to smooth the lines. With both the Lyra and Pablo pencils it was very difficult to maintain the gradation from dark – light when blending with a paper stump dipped in PB, but it was successful in softening out the drawn lines to make solid squares of colour. When blending with Pencil Blend (CF) and a brush (3 layers) vs blending with Pencil Blend (CF) and a paper stump (3 layers)– The colour appears markedly more vibrant and strong after 3 layers of application – the paper can hold a lot of colour. Again it was easier to maintain the gradation from dark – light when using the brush rather than the paper stump.

When I burnished with a dry paper stump – Dry paper stump does a good job of blending as it is. Lines are softened and the burnishing brings out a warmth in the colour. When blending with Pencil Blend (CF) and a brush (1 layer) vs blending with Pencil Blend (CF) and a paper stump (1 layer)– Pencil Blend has more of an effect on this surface, with the majority of the drawn lines softened completely when it is applied with a brush and the shading taking on a more painterly quality. When applying the Pencil Blend with a paper stump the shading kept more of its pastel like texture. When blending with Pencil Blend (CF) and a brush (3 layers) vs blending with Pencil Blend (CF) and a paper stump (3 layers)– Drawn lines are dissolved with the brush and the gradation is maintained. With the paper stump the gradation is harder to control, and gets a bit lost. But the square looks very blended and smooth. When I burnished with a dry paper stump– This buffed up the shading and gave it a glossy surface, as well as softening the drawn lines in the lighter corner away completely. It was not possible to completely burnish away the lines in the darker corner. When blending with Pencil Blend (CF) and a brush (1 layer) vs blending with Pencil Blend (CF) and a paper stump (1 layer) –The Pencil Blend broke down the colour a little when blended with a brush, but not all the drawn lines were softened by the Pencil Blend.

When blending with Pencil Blend (CF) and a brush (3 layers) vs blending with Pencil Blend (CF) and a paper stump (3 layers)– The paper struggled to take 3 layers of shading, as result the 3-layer squares are only marginally darker than the 1 layer squares. Bottom left: I burnished the colour with a dry paper stump, to see how much softening I could achieve without Pencil Blend. When I burnished with a dry paper stump – Blending with a dry stump works really well, so there is an argument for not using any PB at all. The result is a soft powdery, smoky blend.When blending with Pencil Blend (CF) and a brush (3 layers) vs blending with Pencil Blend (CF) and a paper stump (3 layers)– There is such a difference between the 2, 3-layer squares! The brush blended square has a much greater tonal range and you can see traces of the brush marks – it has taken on a painterly quality. The paper stump square looks completely smooth but is almost a completely different colour. It is much more yellow than red. When blending with Pencil Blend (CF) and a brush (3 layers) When I applied 3 layers of pencil with PB I found that I could start to manipulate the colour a bit and move it around on the surface of the paper, to make an even gradation. I could achieve a really dark intense area in the darkest corner. When I burnished with a dry paper stump – There is a slight softening of the drawn lines where blending with a dry paper stump. This is most apparent in the dark corner of the square. When I burnished with a dry paper stump– The paper stump has able to soften the lightest drawn lines, but in the darker corner the lines would not soften. When blending with Pencil Blend (CF) and a paper stump (3 layers) Again, I felt the surface was smoother than when I worked with a brush, but I couldn’t get the dark corner to be as dark as the corner I made in the square using a brush to apply the pencil blend. The lightest corner appeared smoother than in the square with the brush + PB.

Shading with the pencil without any blending– Very similar results to applying on Stonehenge, slightly more textured as a result of the texture on the surface on the paper. When I burnished with a dry paper stump– The paper stump lifts the graphite away quite easily from the dark corner, and softens the drawn lines with ease. Using lots of fluid is just a waste and swamps the pencil that has been laid, this 'washes' the pigment into the paper surface. It leaves no residue of itself once dry, it is economical in use as a small amount goes a long way. You can 'top-up' the Blending Sponge 10 times with a 50 ml bottle! When blending with Pencil Blend (CF) and a brush (3 layers) vs blending with Pencil Blend (CF) and a paper stump (3 layers) – Both squares were softened out completely, although the gradation of tone was maintained more with the brush. The paper stump made most of the square tonally uniform, and also lightened the value of the colour overall because a lot of the colour was lifted from the paper by the stump.

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When blending with Pencil Blend (CF) and a brush (1 layer) vs blending with Pencil Blend (CF) and a paper stump (1 layer) – A slight softening of both squares occurred, but no more than the results found on Stonehenge. Consequently the tonal range of the squares from dark – light narrowed slightly. In the square burnished with the wet paper stump it was difficult to control and so the tonal range of the whole square became almost uniform. Shading with the pencil without any blending – The pencil itself has a soft creamy consistency and so it’s easy to lay colour on in a blended way without the aid of Pencil Blend but it will be interesting to see what happens when I use it anyway. In the first square you could see a slight trace of the drawn lines. When I burnished with a dry paper stump– only had a little effect and the drawn lines were still quite visible.