Blending Colour Pencil - Scrubber brush technique

I often get asked about the 'scrubber brush' technique for smoothing out colour pencil pigment on a piece. So, here I am sharing part of a bigger tutorial where I work with the scrubber brush on the initial underlayers of pigment on this corgi portrait. I will use the brush again later on but you will see from this video more on the brush itself and how I use it.
For early access to more of my videos or to gain exclusive access to my in depth tutorial videos, including this one, please join me on Patreon where we also have monthly DrawAlong, live chats and critiques aswell as being able to join the friendliest most supportive community on Facebook.
/ lisaannwatkins
Or follow me on social media
/ animalartbylaw
/ animalartbylaw

[@Schatzie301]

What a neat tip. Pastelmat is my favorite surface so I will use this a lot. Thanks very much.

[@Art_by_Nicole]

I have bought that kind of brush a few years ago. I don’t know why, but some called it a ‘bananabrush’. It sounds so silly, I know, but that’s how I found it back then. It worked lovely for me as a graphite-artist. I think it also works well for pastel.
Recently I’ve found the same kind of brush. It was officially sold as ‘brush for miniature figures’, I think. The brush-hairs are made from goat fur. Works amazing for blending.

[@rhiannonlewis6391]

I often struggle with filling the tooth of canvas, do you think this would work for that?

[@helloshiny8475]

just as you start applying the scrub brush you said, you do this before using the pencils. so what's down on the Pastelmat here?
pastels? or your Derwent drawing pencils? or both.

[@AnimalArtbyLAW]

It's because this is just one segment of a full tutorial so the previous segment shows me laying down the Derwent Drawing. Next I will come in with my Pablos which are my main pencils to be used for texture and details

[@KikkiF]

Could you achieve the same effect with a stomp? (Or will it take away/push the colour? Thinking about how I use a regular drawing pencil.)

[@SabineLeppanen_Art]

I find a stomp can easily put too much pressure on the “hills” of the Pastelmat, with the danger of flattening them, whereas a scrubber will more gently push the pigment into the “valleys”. That way you can get more layers in.

[@catkin54]

What was the brush called please, and do you have an Amazon link? Amazing softness achieved

[@AnimalArtbyLAW]

I created this one a couple of years ago and it is a modellers stippling brush but you can create your own using a really stiff bristled brush and cutting it down to about 3mm in length

[@susanreinersuedahl]

I wonder if that brush would work for pastels?

[@SabineLeppanen_Art]

Pastel will move with a much softer brush. A scrubber would be overkill.

[@helenteal1566]

Where did you get the stipple brush please?

[@jcepri]

Use a stump. Works much better.