Blending stumps.

I got a new commission. This means a few preparatory sketches are in order and back to drawing more.

While getting all my stuff together, I noticed I need to stock up on my favourite pencils. I also noticed I am completely out of blending stumps.

The former has to wait until I can get to the store, the latter can be taken care if right in house.

A few scrap papers and a bit of patience and I have 5 new blending stumps.

Simply take a paper rectangle, cut one corner off, to make rolling a bit easier, and start rolling from the shorter edge straight across to the other side. A bit of glue and presto! Done.

If you run the paper over the edge of a table, or across a knitting needle/closed edge of your scissors it will curl a bit and make rolling a bit easier. You know. The way you would curl a ribbon for on top of presents?

You have to roll this super tight. You do not want a hole in the center.

Once it is all rolled up, take some sandpaper and sharpen your new stump to a point.

Depending on how long your rectangle is, your stump will come out skinny or fatter, depending on how tall you made it will result in a long stump, or a... stumpy one lol.

I try to roll evenly across, but it never goes even. The important part is what will be the tip. You have to make sure that is tight! The back can be trimmed down a little later.

When you get to the end, put a bit of glue all the way across the end short edge and fi ish rolling it up. That will make it stay closed. I like to use glue sticks for that bit.

Either way, it's easy and fast and a great use for scrap paper.

Try it out!

Xo,❤

B. 🐝