How do you clean paper blending stumps?
You can peel a layer of paper off, this won't ruin it's ability to be used, but will make it look a little messier than when it was new. You can use abrasions, by rubbing it against sand paper or a nail file, again this will rough it up a bit, but it should leave the tip relatively sharp and undamaged. Or you could use a very hard, slightly abrasive eraser, the kind you'd use to remove ballpoint pen. I'm not sure if you can wash them, personally I wouldn't be tempted to do this as it might turn the paper into pulp.
How to sharpen a blending stump?
My blending stump is..well..stumpy, it's no longer pointy (I don't think I use it correctly haha), is there a special sharpener? Or how do I sharpen it? It's a very thick stump, maybe a little thicker than an index finger. Thanks!
Erasing and blending oil pastels?
the best way to remove oil pastel is to use an exacto knife or painter knife and scratch it off and work over it. You could also wait a day or so and work over the place you want to erase with another color. Doing this at the same time would create a muddy effect though.
How do I sharpen my blending stumps?
unwrap some of the paper, like you do with a charcoal pencil. you don't need to buy them, silly. take paper towel get it very slightly damp, roll it very tightly and let dry. or just roll a piece of paper and use. or spin the end of a cotton swab between your fingers to tighten the fibers together and use. remember artists use to ALWAYS make their own materials, there is a cheaper way to make/finagle your any of your art supplies.
What are some of the easiest techniques to blend pencil portraits?
Please don't use your fingers! Yes I would start by saying this, loud and clear. When you're blending with your finger, you're transferring oils from your finger on to the paper which doesn't give a finished look. Trust me, you don't want to do that.So now coming to the things you CAN DO, there are a lot of techniques for blending. Since you haven't mentioned whether it's for graphite pencils or colored pencils, I'm gonna discuss graphite here and this is the link for colored pencils (Dimple Gudivada's answer to How do I blend the colours of the colour pencils? )Q-tips : They're probably the easiest to get your hands on and work wonders. They're really good for getting into small spaces and you can get a really smooth finish using them. Plus they're handy.Blending stumps : You might've heard of them, it's nothing but paper rolled tightly to form a stump which come in various sizes depending on your preference. They're good for details and textures.Brushes: Makeup brushes are a godsend as they give you the really smooth finish and can really transform the portrait from a good one to a great one. You can use normal painting brushes too if you don't have makeup brushes. They're really good for blending skin and literally work wonders!Tissues : They're really good for blending large areas and provide a smooth look. Face tissues are softer and work better.Hope this helped. Good luck!
How do you peel a blending tortillions?
I think she may have given you a trick question. tortillions or blending stumps are made by rolling paper into tight rolls that can be used for blending or smudging. The thing is though, you don't generally unpeel them when you need to re-use them. The best way to clean them is to use a sanding pad or block. This gently buffs off the old graphite and gives you a new clean surface to blend with. Sanding pads can usually be purchased at the same art stores that you buy the tortillions. Hope this is helpful.
What does a pencil artist need sandpaper for?
To sharpen and shape the pencil point for the exact need of the artist. A mechanical pencil shaprener, for example, can only sharpen to a degree. The sandpaper paddle is used to finish the lead to a very fine point, extremely useful for drawing VERY thin lines. On can also use the sandpaper to shave the lead to have a broad, flat side, best for shading areas, giving the drawing greater depth. A draftman's pencil sharpene will actually NOT produce a point, but merely shave the wood, leaving a bare, intact cylindar of lead, leaving the final shape to be made by the artist and the sandpaper paddle.
How to blend fine details of graphite drawings without a drawing stump?
I prefer not to use a blending stump, as blending graphite tends to give the picture an artificially smooth feel. Drawing needs texture. I create gradients with overlapping lines, which I find helps with understanding values much better. You have to work harder to get a full range of values, and the end result is a deeper, stronger picture than a glassy smudged one.