A simple pencil is something so familiar that in childhood they drew on wallpaper, at school they made notes in textbooks and drew triangles on geometry. Most people know that this is just a "gray" pencil, those who had drawing at school know a little more about it, artists and representatives of several other professions who use pencils in their work know its real beauty.
A little about simple pencils.
In the usual sense, a simple pencil is graphite in a wooden shell. But everything is not so simple. After all, a "gray pencil" can have different shades, depending on the degree of softness of the lead. The lead consists of graphite with clay: the more graphite, the softer the tone, the more clay, the harder.
The pencils themselves are also different: in a typical wooden shell, collet and solid graphite.
Let's start with wood.
I will describe pencils and other materials that I have and use regularly. Not all of them look like from a shop window, but to understand that this is quite real =)
So, a set of pencils "Koh-i-Noor", 12 pcs. The company is familiar to everyone, these pencils are in any stationery store and you can buy them both in boxes and by the piece. Their price is quite democratic and affordable.
Pencils are good, but by the piece you can also buy a fake with a bad tree and lead.
This set seems to be for artists from 8V to 2H, but there is also the same one for drawing, it is dominated by hard pencils.
Pencil set "DERWENT", 24 pcs. Tones from 9V to 9H, some of 2 pieces of the same type (below I will write why it is convenient). In fact, I practically don’t use pencils that are softer than 4B and harder than 4H, since DERWENT pencils are already much softer than the same Koh-i-Noor, so I don’t even know what to draw, for example, with a 7B pencil, if it so soft that it leaves behind a graphite crumb.
Pencils are of high quality, sharpen well, do not break, however, at first you need to get used to their, hmm, smell. However, it fades after two weeks.
Pencil set "DALER ROWNEY", 12 pcs. Very soft pencils from 2H to 9V (see below for a comparison of markings) in a compact pencil case.
Pencils lie in two rows, so while drawing, you need to remove the top row
And, of course, "Faber Castell". There are no complaints about these pencils, but the increased softness is not inferior to "DERWENT".
We do not have boxed options for sale, there are only two series of piece.
Cheaper Series
And recently a slightly more expensive, but very stylish series has appeared. The "pimples" are quite voluminous and thanks to them and the triangular shape of the pencil it is very pleasant to hold and draw with them.
The softness of a pencil can be seen not only by marking, but also by the color of the head, which matches the tone of the stylus.
In addition to these manufacturers, there are many others (such as "Marco", "Designer", others) that for some reason do not suit me personally, but this is not a reason to ignore them, so you can try everything.
In addition to the sets, I buy the most used pencils of the same brand and the same brand as in the box.
I always have two pencils 2B, B, HB, F, H and 2H. This is necessary because when drawing, a sharply sharpened pencil is not always needed, so one pencil, for example, 2H, I have a sharp one, and the second one has a blunt rounded tip. A "blunt tip" is needed when you need to pick up the tone, while not leaving a clear trace of the stroke. This was not taught in the art school, but, as practice shows, it is very convenient and many artists, masters of a simple pencil, do this.
Collet pencils. They have already been written about a little earlier. I repeat again that they are good in any field conditions or on the road, and in the workplace it is better to draw with wood.
An indisputable plus of collet pencils is the thickness of the rod, more precisely, the variety of this thickness.
Pencils are available under the rod from 0.5 mm (07, 1.5, etc.)
And up to a very impressive thickness of the rods of soft techniques
Solid lead pencils. Entirely and completely composed of graphite in a thin shell, so as not to get your hands dirty.
Here I have "Koh-i-Noor" pencils, I don't see any others for sale. In principle, I use them even less often than collet ones, because they are not very convenient to sharpen and in few places there is a need to draw with the entire thickness of the rod. Another significant disadvantage is that they fight ...
A little about labelling.
Let's start with the fact that each company has its own. That is, the marking is, as it were, standard from 9V to 9H, but, as you can see in the figure below, HB "DALER ROWNEY" and HB "Koh-i-Noor" are two different HBs. That is why, if you need pencils of varying degrees of softness, you need to take them all from the same company, it is better in a set.
"Faber Castell No. 1" - the series is the one that is cheaper.
"Faber Castell No. 2" - with "pimples" (in fact, I don't have "F" of them, it would just be somewhere like that).
Actually, about the softness and hardness of pencils.
Hard pencils are H-9H. The higher the number, the harder/lighter the pencil.
Soft pencils - B-9B. The higher the number, the softer/darker the pencil.
Hard-soft pencils - HB and F. C HB is clear - this is the middle between H and B, but F is a very mysterious marking, this is the middle tone between HB and N. Toli, due to its unusualness, or because of the tone, but I use this pencil most often (only "DERWENT" or "FC", in "Koh-i-Noor" it is very light).
There is also a Russian marking "T" - hard, "M" - soft, but I don't have such pencils.
Well, just to compare
Bottom line - DALER ROWNEY, the darkest pencils.
The penultimate line is Loki's "DERWENT-sketch", it's slightly different from mine (upper DW).
Third from the bottom - a few "Marco" pencils. They have the most alternative labeling because 6V is darker than 8V and 7V is lighter than HB. That's why I don't have them.
As an example of use - my drawing "Curious Fox"
The lightest tone is snow, it is drawn with an 8H pencil (DW)
Light fur - 4Н (Koh-i-Noor) and 2Н (FC №1)
Midtones - F (DW and FC#1), H (DW and FC#1), HB (DW), B (FC#1 and FC#2)
Dark (paws, nose, eye and ear contours) - 2B (FC#1 and FC#2), 3B (FC#1), 4B (Koh-i-Noor)
Eraser review -
Today I will talk about the marking of simple pencils, about the most famous companies for their production, as well as how to choose them.
Pencils are completely different - wax, graphite, colored, charcoal, pastel, mechanical and even watercolor. Since childhood, we have been attracted to these art supplies, but over time, many people have a question - how to choose pencils.
Marking simple pencils by hardness
Ordinary graphite pencils have a marking that allows you to determine the degree of hardness (well, or softness). Bold(abbreviated B) - means fat, that is, soft. Hard(abbreviated H) - hard, hard. The marking of the pencil is directly indicated by letters on the wooden part. A coefficient is placed before the letter of the stiffness designation - the larger it is, the softer or harder the pencil. In Russia, stiffness is denoted by letters T and M.
Pencils range from very hard to very soft. There are also HB pencils - the transition of hardness H to B. There is also a transitional form from H to HB, which is indicated by the letter F.
Colour pencils
The name speaks for itself - these pencils have a wide range of colors, with which you can create colorful drawings. The core of watercolor pencils is made of pressed watercolor paint, so when you blur the drawing with water, you get interesting transitions, just like when painting with watercolors. Pastel pencils, like watercolors, consist of pastels in a wooden shell, that is, they are no different from pastels, except that you can work out the smallest details in the drawing with their help.Best Pencil Companies
The most famous company for the production of graphite pencils is the Czech company Koh-I-Noor. Indeed, these pencils are of very high quality, have a wide range of hardness, high-quality wood is used for their manufacture. Pencils Derwent softer than Koh-I-Noor, but, in my opinion, they are not inferior to them in quality. The real luxury for the artist can be called brand pencils Faber Castell.How to choose a pencil
When it comes time to go to the store for new graphite pencils, we should pay attention to the fact that it is best to buy pencils in a package, and not by the piece, since with such a purchase the risk of running into a fake is reduced. Be sure to open the package, check each pencil to ensure that the lead is not brittle, and the wood is solid without nicks. Remember that real Faber Castell brand pencils have very good paint adhesion. If you notice flaws or cracks, then this is most likely a fake.Application of pencils
In order to outline the drawing, you need a hard pencil, for example, 2H (Russian 2T). For hatching, a 2B pencil (Russian 2M) is suitable for you. To hatch the darkest part of our drawing, we will need a very soft pencil, for example 8B or 12B. In the section on the question Who understands the marking of pencils - 2B, B, HB, given by the author Alexander Chumakov the best answer is
Pencils differ in the hardness of the lead, which is usually indicated on the pencil and indicated by the corresponding letters. Pencil hardness markings vary from country to country. On the pencil, you can see the letters T, MT and M. If the pencil is made abroad, then the letters will be H, HB, B, respectively. Before the letters, a number is indicated, which is an indicator of the degree of hardness of the pencil.
Pencil hardness markings:
US: #1, #2, #2½, #3, #4.
Europe: B, HB, F, H, 2H.
Russia: M, TM, T, 2T.
Hardest: 7H,8H,9H.
Hard: 2H,3H,4H,5H,6H.
Medium: H,F,HB,B.
Soft: 2B,3B,4B,5B,6B.
Softest: 7B,8B,9B.
Answer from Alexander Kobzev[guru]
artists))) and draftsmen))
Answer from Sedoy[guru]
H - hard, M or B - soft and softness levels
Answer from Tiger[guru]
Pencils differ in the hardness of the lead, which is usually indicated on the pencil and is indicated by the letters M (or B) - soft and T (or H) - hard. A standard (hard-soft) pencil, in addition to combinations of TM and HB, is denoted by the letter F.
Answer from Galchenok ......[active]
2B - hard lead. B - medium hardness. HB - soft
Answer from Sergey[newbie]
B means soft lead, 2B is a very soft pencil and is good for shading, B is a soft lead pencil, H is a hard lead pencil, and HB is a hard-soft pencil. Depending on the softness or hardness, lines of different thicknesses are drawn. Well, in my opinion, NV is suitable for all cases. Well, randomly in drawing they use pencils of different softness.
Koh-i-Noor Hardtmuth on Wikipedia
See the wikipedia article for Koh-i-Noor Hardtmuth
Decide what you need pencils for.
- What are you going to do with the pencil? Will you write a lot? Or do homework? How about solving crossword puzzles? Or do sketches and draw full-fledged paintings?
- How much pressure do you use on the pencil when writing or drawing?
- Do you prefer a thin line or a thick one?
- Do you tend to regularly lose pencils, give them to others, chew them or spoil them, or do you try to save pencils and keep them exclusively in a pencil case?
- Do you carry pencils in your pocket, at the risk of injuring yourself with the tip of the lead?
- Do you try to keep the eraser on your pencil, or does it tend to get lost? Do you rarely use an eraser and it just dries out?
Pay attention to what you like or dislike about the pencils you use. Perhaps some are very comfortable to hold in your hand, while others, on the contrary, are difficult to move across a sheet of paper.
Think what you like best: mechanical pencil or traditional.
- Mechanical pencils do not need to be sharpened, but they do require replacement of the correct lead thickness. As a rule, when about 1 centimeter remains from the stylus, it can no longer be used.
- Mechanical pencils allow fine, even lines to be drawn, which may be advantageous when creating technical drawings or small drawings.
- The length of a mechanical pencil does not change over time.
- Mechanical pencils are usually more expensive than traditional ones, especially high-quality ones designed for long-term use. Most often, in mechanical pencils, it is possible to replace the lead and eraser, which allows you to use it for a very long time.
- Regular pencils are usually cheap. The thickness of the line may vary depending on the angle of inclination and the degree of dullness of the lead.
- The advantages of conventional pencils are their low cost, availability and ease of use. Many also like the feel of using a regular pencil.
Decide on the thickness of the lead when choosing a mechanical pencil.
- If you're a bit clumsy and used to pushing hard on a pencil, try a 0.9mm thick lead. Pencils with 0.9mm lead tend to be darker than others because their lead is almost twice as thick as normal.
- The 0.5mm thick lead is designed for those who prefer easy movements. Such pencils allow you to make even very small drawings neat and detailed.
- The thickness of 0.7mm is the average option.
- Artists and draftsmen may be interested in other lead sizes, but be aware that thick leads require sharpening, even if they are mechanical pencil leads, and thin leads can be very fragile.
- Generally speaking, a thick lead is a flexible solution, since it is possible to achieve the desired thickness by sharpening.
Write comfortably. Use pencils with a comfortable body. Some constructions can prevent seizures, which is useful when writing long texts.
Select lead hardness. Understanding hardness grades can be difficult because there are two different scales of measurement, which, moreover, are not very well standardized. It is possible, however, to understand the basic division of pencils according to the hardness of the lead.
Determine what other parameters your pencil should have.
- Should there be a built-in eraser? Do you need a cap?
- What is the most convenient way for you to move the lead in a mechanical pencil? By pressing from above or from the side? By rotating a certain part of the pencil?
- How strong should the pencil construction be?
- Is it comfortable to hold in your hand?
- How much does a pencil cost?
Use crayons for coloring, underlining, and more, all the way to coloring books.
- If you are drawing professionally, you should visit a specialty store and purchase colored pencils for artists. Although they are more expensive, the variety of colors is greater, and the quality is higher.
- An underline pencil is a type of colored pencil. Although it has been superseded by the marker, it can still be found in a good stationery store.
Pencil is a very simple drawing material with which artists start their creative journey. Even any kid makes his first lines with a pencil before moving on to more complex material. But not such a pencil and primitive, if you study in more detail. He is able to help the artist create sketches, various illustrations, drawings and paintings. Pencils have their own types and it is important for any artist to be able to choose the right material for their work so that the illustration has a presentable appearance. So let's figure it out how to choose a pencil for drawing?
The principle of the pencil
When a person presses down on a pencil, the rod slides over the paper, and the graphite particles break down into small particles and linger in the paper fiber. Thus, a line is obtained. In the process of drawing, the graphite rod is erased, so it is sharpened. The most familiar way is a special sharpener, you can also use a regular blade. It is important to understand that this method requires special care and preparation in order to avoid cuts. But thanks to the blade, you can make the desired thickness and shape of graphite.
Types of a simple pencil
The basic definition of a pencil is a graphite rod framed in a wood or plastic frame. A simple graphite pencil comes in various types. They differ in their degree of hardness.
Human eyes can distinguish a large number of shades of gray, and to be precise - 150 tones. Despite this, the artist must have at least three types of simple pencil in his arsenal - hard, medium soft and soft. With their help, you can create a three-dimensional drawing. Different degrees of rigidity will be able to convey the contrast, you just need to skillfully handle them.
You can determine the degree of softness of graphite using the symbols (letters and numbers) that are printed on the frame of the pencil. The scale of hardness and softness are different. We will consider three types of notation:
Russia
- T- solid.
- M- soft.
- TM- medium softness.
Europe
- H- solid.
- B- soft.
- HB- medium softness.
- F- middle tone, which is determined between H and HB.
- #1 (B)- soft.
- #2 (HB)- medium softness.
- #2½ (F) Medium between hard and medium soft.
- #3 (H)- solid.
- #4 (2H)- very hard.
It is impossible not to take into account such a moment as the manufacturer. Sometimes, even the same softness of pencils from different manufacturers will differ significantly from each other due to their quality.
A palette of shades of a simple pencil
It is worth noting that the softness of pencils can vary significantly. In other words, softness and hardness are further divided into tonality. The H designation is considered the hardest, while B is the softest. It's not surprising if there are whole sets in the store from 9H (hardest) to 9B (softest).
The most common and popular is the HB pencil. It has moderate softness and hardness, making it easy to sketch. With it, you can enhance dark places, thanks to its light softness.
To enhance the contrast of the picture, it is worth purchasing 2B. Artists rarely use very hard pencils, but this is a matter of taste. This type of pencil is more suitable for drawing schemes or building perspectives for landscapes, because it is almost invisible in the image. It is impossible not to take into account that the high hardness of the pencil allows you to make a smooth transition on the hair or add a barely noticeable tone without fear of darkening.
At the beginning of work, it is worth using a hard pencil, especially if you are not sure about the result of the illustration. A soft pencil is designed to work out the shadows and highlight the desired lines.
Hatching and shading
Regardless of the softness, one must always remember that the pencil must be sharpened sharply. Strokes and lines are best obtained with a hard pencil due to the fact that the lead does not dull quickly, but remains in its pointed shape for a long time. Shading is preferred for a soft pencil, but it is better to draw with the side of the stylus so that the material is applied evenly.
Features of working with a pencil
Do not forget that the pencil lead is a rather fragile thing. Every time a pencil falls to the floor or is hit, its core is damaged or even broken. As a result, it will be inconvenient to draw, because the stylus will crumble or fall out of its wooden frame.
Outcome. The information worth knowing is quite voluminous for a novice artist. But it is very useful, because it will help in creating future masterpieces. Over time, knowledge will automatically suggest which simple pencil is needed in a given situation. Most importantly, don't be afraid to experiment.
