pastel pencils - are these the right things?

so, so sorry to ask more questions but I bought today some Daler-Rowney artists pastel pencils (there was £10 off). I asked the shop assistant if I needed anything to blend them and tried to describe what I wanted to do i.e. colour from the edges and blend towards the middle and she said just use my finger. But that will smudge. I told her that I would be trying to colour small images (Magnolias). I bought a nib thingy (can't remember what they're called). I can take them back unused if they are not the right thing. I don't want to open them in case they're wrong. I thought someone said to use some kind of oil. But I've read so much now I can't remember! LOl.

If anyone can advise I will be truly grateful.

Thank you.x

Hi there, I colour with pastel pencils, but I do blend them with paper stumps. Haven't managed to find any around my way so order them from the auction site as do a lot of people on here looking for them. I also blend the pastels with sansador, it is an odourless spirit, there are several others, but sansador apparently smells the least, and I have found that in my local shops, even W H Smiths sell it. The paper stumps are like pencils but are made of paper, you dip them in the oil and spread the colour of the pastels around the part you are colouring. They have a point like pencils so you can get into smaller areas, you can also buy them in different sizes depending on the area you are colouring, if you are doing a big expanse, then it would be easier to use a thicker stump, but little areas, I use the small ones!! Hope this helps.

Thanks Gadget Monkey - yes it's a paper stump I bought. So I got that right. The pencils are a bit chalky, is that right?
I love your blog by the way and I can't believe how many children you have!!!

Thanks again.

x

ive used watercolour pencils on my stamps !!!!

TBH I went for watercolour pencils - I've used them but only have a set of 15 and there's just not enough colours. But I thought these were a bargain £29.14 for 36. LOL I might go and get some watercolours next pay day!

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Originally Posted by Bevsie

Thanks Gadget Monkey - yes it's a paper stump I bought. So I got that right. The pencils are a bit chalky, is that right?
I love your blog by the way and I can't believe how many children you have!!!

Thanks again.

x

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Thank you.
You may find you need more than one paper stump, I have around 10 of them and use each for a different colour, once you have finished your colouring you just wait for them to dry and can lightly sand the colours off and make them into a point again. Thats what I do anyway....

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Bevsie

TBH I went for watercolour pencils - I've used them but only have a set of 15 and there's just not enough colours. But I thought these were a bargain £29.14 for 36. LOL I might go and get some watercolours next pay day!

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... but couldn't help wondering that you find 15 colours are not enough - I use a set of waterc. pencils with 12 colours but find I get a lot of shades from them depending on how much water I add.

LOL at Charlie DK. Hmmm I hadn't thought about it that way! Ok, I'll try to persevere with my 15.

hmmm...I may have the wrong end of the stick here (it often happens lol) but it sounds like you have bought chalk pastels rather than oil pastels. The waxy oil ones blend with mineral spirits or sansodor (just two examples) so you can colour the edges then draw the colour into the middle with a stump/tortillon

Hi greyparot - that's what's concerning me. They just say pastel pencils - the oil pastels were in blocks - IYKWIM - these are more like pencils. The assistant told me they were chalky. So can you get oil pastel pencils then?

Thank you
x

you can- they aren't as waxy as the block oil pastels (I think) Loads of people use the prisma brand, I have some by caran d'ache but they are like wax crayons to look at although smoother to use

I think I'd better take them back and try again. Thanks for all of your help.
x

Quote:

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Originally Posted by greyparrot

hmmm...I may have the wrong end of the stick here (it often happens lol) but it sounds like you have bought chalk pastels rather than oil pastels. The waxy oil ones blend with mineral spirits or sansodor (just two examples) so you can colour the edges then draw the colour into the middle with a stump/tortillon

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I have watercolour pencils, prismacolour pencils and Derwent pastel pencils. I blend both the prismacolour pencils and the pastel pencils with sansador. I actually think the pastel pencils colour better than the prisma colour pencils. Here are a few of my cards using the Pastel Colours and sansador and blended with paper stumps... Click on the pictures to see the colouring in more detail.

cards are lovely