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"Our Pencil Blend is non-toxic and non-flammable which many Pencil Artists value for use with their pencils and studio environment. It has been thoroughly tested with many makes of Coloured Pencil for its excellent blending qualities. It leaves no residue in or on the paper once dry, is economical in use as a small amount goes a long way, many prefer the safer aspects of the solvent than odourless mineral spirit or similar solvents" |
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Advantages* Acid free and archival
* Non toxic and non flammable * Available in numerous sizes as well as a sponge version * Helps create smooth transitions and leaves no residue * Nice citrus scent |
Disadvantages* Over saturating the pencil pigment may result in the removal of layers which you may then need to reapply
* Too many applications and you may struggle to overlay the pencil - this was an issue when using the Pastelbord (seen below) * The strong citrus smell may be too much for some (they sell a 'citrus free version too if you find the scent too overwhelming) |
How to use the product to create tonal backgrounds
This example uses a mixture of Derwent Lightfast and Caran d'Ache Luminance coloured pencils on the Ampersand Pastelbord surface. I began this piece by laying down loosely all the tones to be included in my background, applying them using circular motions to ensure the grain of the board was covered and that the pigments penetrated the surface evenly. Once all the colours were laid down, I dip a cotton bud into the Zest-it solution and absorbed any excess onto a sheet of kitchen towel before blending the pigments. As cotton buds are not really ideal, size wise and environmentally, you can use a paint brush or a tortillion/paper stump dipped into the Zest-it liquid instead, remove any excess liquid on a paper towel also before applying on to your paper/support and when blending the colours together, do so in a circular motion to ensure even applications. The solution softens the pigment slightly before it starts to blend the tones together, creating a smoother transition that you may struggle to achieve with pencils alone and it also helps to soften harsh pencil lines too. If you are working on a darker surface, you may find you need to apply 2 or 3 layers to achieve full coverage. Ensure each layer has dried before applying another to avoid lifting previous layers and avoid over saturating the colours as this can remove the pigment.
Before the application of Zest-it pencil blend
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The 2nd application of zest-it
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Using a selection of colours to create a balanced tonal background, I applied each colour using circular movements and the Pastelbord requires little pressure from the pencil before it grabs the pigment. Once all the colours were applied, I then went on to blend with the Zest-it on the tip of a cotton bud at first, blending in circular motions too. Due to the grey board, I needed to repeat the layering process 2 - 3 times before I achieved the balance seen in the second image above.
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I decided to pour a little of the Zest it solvent into a water pen allowing it to flow through the brush fibres onto the surface, this was easier to use than a cotton bud as the brush stayed loaded. It is important to wipe the tip of the brush often as it will pick up the pigment which can muddy other areas if residue is left. To blend the area I had recently saturated, I used a paintbrush - this will also require constant cleaning and some brushes may become permanently dyed from the pencil pigment so I recommend the use of cheap brushes. Dependant on the size of your canvas, larger brushes and a larger water pen may be better suited.
The finished product (well, nearly finished!)
The base tones of the Sunbird were blended with the solvent before the fine details were applied to finalise. There were some adherence issues when trying to apply pencil over this base as I had already used the solvent a couple of times before and so I would recommend that only one layer of the pencil blend is used when working on the Pastelbord surface. I suspect it is caused by the hard surface as it was not a problem when working on the Strathmore paper (see images below)
Related articles that may be of interest
Hints & tips on working with Coloured pencils on a textured surfaces
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Ampersand Pastelbord surface is ideal for pencils, paints & pastels
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Read a review on the Derwent Lightfast pencils
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Try out one of our mini Art tutorials in Pencils, Pastels & Acrylics
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Coloured pencils with Zest-it pencil blend on Strathmore Bristol 500 paper
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I wanted to see how well the pencil blend worked with Coloured pencils on paper and so trialled the Derwent Lightfast Coloured pencils on Strathmore bristol 500 vellum surface as it has a slight tooth which seems to aid the blending process. As the Lightfast pencils are quite soft, the tooth of this paper grabs the pigment immediately and you do not need to apply much pressure. This paper accepts light washes and is suitable for solvents like the Pencil blend which softens pencil layers immediately and leaves a matt finish which gives the appearance of soft pastels. You can continue to apply more layers over the top once the last layer has fully dried. It mixes much better when there is more than one colour to blend and also deepens the colours which can be a bonus.
Zest-it on abrasive surfaces
Clairfontaine Pastelmat
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Can you use Zest-it pencil blend on Clairfontaine Pastelmat paper?
You can, but there are negative outcomes, which makes it better to avoid. The solvent breaks down the pigment extremely well, but it turns any tonal gradations into one solid colour, which is not ideal. As Pastelmat is water-resistant, the Zest-it solvent, simply sits on the surface of the paper, leaving a greasy layer behind, allowing the pigment to be smudged.
HINT: Search for abrasive papers which have a watercolour surface. Papers like Canson Mi-tientes 'Touch' and Art Spectrum Colourfix, are good examples.
You can, but there are negative outcomes, which makes it better to avoid. The solvent breaks down the pigment extremely well, but it turns any tonal gradations into one solid colour, which is not ideal. As Pastelmat is water-resistant, the Zest-it solvent, simply sits on the surface of the paper, leaving a greasy layer behind, allowing the pigment to be smudged.
HINT: Search for abrasive papers which have a watercolour surface. Papers like Canson Mi-tientes 'Touch' and Art Spectrum Colourfix, are good examples.
PET 1 REUSABLE LOW VOC PRODUCT BIODEGRADABLE PRODUCT OZONE FRIENDLY NO CFC'S NOT TESTED ON ANIMALS
Written: December 2019
