How to Make a Blending Stump

Learn how to make a homemade blending tool, aka blending stump using materials you already have around the house. This tool helps you smudge/blend graphite, charcoal, pastel and more!

✅ RELATED TUTORIALS

✏️❤️ TOOLS I USED
- Tape
- Scissors
- Razor

⏰ SKIP TO TIMESTAMP ⏰
Intro - 0:00
What is a blending stump - 0:07
Tools - 0:31
How to make a blending stump - 0:51
Test it out - 5:02
How to customize yours - 6:51

🧰 MY CAMERA EQUIPMENT
Camera (Sony a 5000):
Portrait Lens:
Macro (Closeup) Lens:
Lights:
Light Bulbs:
Microphone:

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DISCLAIMER
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[RapidFireArt]

TOOLS I USED ⬇️
- Tape
- Scissors
- Razor

[yvonnevanderhilst]

I am 70 years old, since I was 15 years I paint. Also is making a drawing my favorite. I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart for your explanation and examples how to draw. With so much patience, I understand every word you say. Thanks again, you make my life so colorful.

[strangealienart]

I used a medium grit nail file to smooth it out - worked great if you don’t have sandpaper laying around!

[jebapriyajohn]

Ur the only one who didnt use tons of paper to make one stump

[RapidFireArt]

🔥🔥 SKIP TO...
What is a blending stump - 0:07
Tools - 0:31
How to make a blending stump - 0:51
Test it out - 5:02
How to customize yours - 6:51

[taataestataarmy]

Wow that eye makes my own eye look fake...

[realmrjangoon]

Normal tape won't do guys, use flex tape!

[savilan]

Definitely the best tutorial for making blending stumps on YouTube. Literally any other one out here feels as if it was made in hurry and isn’t such intuitive as this one.

[coffeeandrainbar]

I used my pumice stone instead of the sandpaper and then white glue instead of the cello tape, the stamp came out excellent!! thanks for sharing

[oofitycheezity]

I had 1 of these for the 1st time and I thought the paper was covering up like a pencil and I kept tearing at it to get the “pencil” and then I realized...it’s only paper when I had already tore it almost all the way thru.. 🤦‍♀️

[strawberrybluu]

When your art teacher thinks blending is “cheating”

[Hyichari]

I really find your tutorials helpful and I wanna say thank you!

[aleilei]

My finger: are you really gonna replace me

[xanzusx]

Great tutorial!! I like using lollipop paper sticks as small blenders, i just cut the top to make it sharp

[cynthian]

here my experience with rolling joints comes in handy lmaooo

[MrSurfferchik]

My daughter will love this!🥰 Now we know why we got sand paper in her art kit 😄 👍🏻

[madhushreemishra]

I love the fact that your videos are so detailed and useful! I love them! ♡

[thlostwnderer]

**insert me who use my baby finger to blend it**

[VirtualSuperSoldier]

I use a flat synthetic bristle paint brush, about a quarter inch wide. Think about it, graphite is just dark dust lightly ground into a surface. The brush acts like a broom, pushing the dust around. I lightly push into the graphite with small circular motions. If you do it right, the blend is so smooth it looks like you airbrushed it. As you use the brush you build up graphite in the brush that you can use to brush onto an area where you want just the barest hint of shading. The best part is that unlike a blending stump, there's no chance that you'll grind the graphite into the paper making it impossible to erase out and leaving behind a nasty ghost image. Make it a good brush though, I think mine is a Robert Simmons White Sable 760B. Doing this will ruin it for painting, but it will also ruin blending stumps for you!

[Danielson]

Thank you very much. I haven't made one of these since I was a child. All I remembered was rolled paper. This was very well explained, and now I only have myself to blame if I mess anything up. Fingers crossed, because I have some important projects. Now only if I could find all my old pencil sets, lol.