How to Blend Colored Pencils: Simple Methods for Beginners

The simplest way to blend coloured pencils is layering: lay down several light, even coats, overlap the colours where they meet, and increase pressure slowly. For a smoother finish, burnish with firm pressure using a light pencil or a colourless blender pencil, or, for older colourists with adult supervision, dissolve the pigment slightly with a little odourless mineral spirits in a well-ventilated room.

By ColoringPark · Updated October 29, 2026

What is the easiest way to blend coloured pencils?

Layering. It needs nothing but your pencils and works with any brand.

Pick two or three colours that sit close together, such as yellow, orange and red, or light blue, blue and violet.
With a sharp pencil and very light pressure, colour the lightest shade over the whole shape in small circles or short strokes going one way.
Add the middle colour from one side, easing off the pressure as you move towards the centre so it fades out.
Add the darkest colour at the edge only, again fading it out.
Go back over each join with the lighter colour to soften it.
Repeat the layers, pressing a little harder each time, until there are no visible steps.

Paper has a slight texture, called tooth, that grabs pigment. Light layers keep that tooth open for more colour. Press hard too early and you fill it, so later layers slide off and the area looks shiny and patchy.

What is burnishing and when should you do it?

Burnishing means colouring a final layer with heavy pressure. It presses the layers into the paper and fills the remaining tooth, giving a smooth, almost painted finish with no paper speckles showing through.

Do it last, because the paper won't take much more colour afterwards. You can burnish with:

The lightest colour in the area, which blends without changing the colour much.
A white pencil, which smooths and lightens at the same time.
A colourless blender pencil, which smooths without adding colour.

On thin copy paper, heavy pressure can dent or tear the sheet. Colour on a hard, smooth surface and press firmly rather than as hard as you can.

How do you use a colourless blender pencil?

A colourless blender is a pencil made of the binder used in coloured pencils, without pigment. Rubbed over layered colour with firm pressure, it pushes the colours together and fills the paper's tooth.

Work from the light area towards the dark one, so you don't drag dark pigment into the highlights, and wipe the tip on scrap paper between colours. Use it after you have built up several layers; over a single thin layer it has little to blend.

Can you blend coloured pencils with a tissue or cotton swab?

Yes, for a soft, hazy look. Gently rub light layers with a folded tissue or kitchen paper, or use a cotton swab or a paper blending stump for small spaces. This works best with soft pencils and light pressure; hard pencils and heavy layers barely move.

Use a clean part of the tissue for each colour, and lay scrap paper over nearby spaces so you don't smudge colour where you don't want it. Expect the colour to look a little lighter afterwards, and add another layer if needed.

How do you blend coloured pencils with solvent safely?

Solvent blending is for teens and adults, or children with an adult doing the solvent part. A small amount of odourless mineral spirits, or rubbing alcohol, partly dissolves the binder in wax- or oil-based pencils so the colours melt together. Watercolour pencils are different: they blend with water and a brush.

Work in a well-ventilated room, away from any flame or heat, and read the safety label on the bottle.
Pour a little into a small jar with a lid, and close it when you finish.
Dip a cotton swab or an old brush, dab off the excess and stroke it over the colour, light areas first.
Use cardstock or heavy paper; thin copy paper buckles when damp.
Test on a spare print first, as some solvents can smear inkjet lines.
Let the page dry completely before adding more pencil, and keep the solvent out of children's reach.

What paper is best for blending coloured pencils?

Heavier paper takes more layers before it fills up. Ordinary copy paper handles a few light layers, which is enough to practise. For lots of layering or burnishing, print on heavier paper, and use cardstock for solvent blending, as long as your printer can feed it. The best paper for coloring pages guide lists weights and printer settings.

Which coloring pages are good for practising blending?

Detailed pages, made for ages 8 and up, have the right mix of small and medium spaces. Flower petals, leaves, feathers and the rings of a mandala are ideal for colour that fades from light to dark. Try flower coloring pages for adults, mandala coloring pages or the wider adult coloring pages.

Print two copies of the same page: one to test colours and methods, one to keep.

Questions

Why won't my coloured pencils blend?

The usual cause is pressing hard too early, which fills the paper's tooth before the layers can mix. Start again with lighter pressure, or finish the area by burnishing with a light colour or a blender pencil.

Do I need expensive pencils to blend?

No. Layering and burnishing work with any coloured pencils. Softer pencils blend more easily, so if a set feels scratchy, use lighter pressure and more layers.

What is the white haze on my colouring?

With wax-based pencils, heavy layers can develop a cloudy film called wax bloom. Wipe it gently with a soft tissue.

Can you blend crayons the same way?

Only a little. Crayon wax fills the paper fast, so you get one or two layers before colours stop mixing. Coloured pencils give far more control.