In fact, you probably, like most artists, use several different pencils depending on the effect you want to create.
Choosing the right pencils to bring your sketches and artwork to life can seem like a daunting task, but it all depends on your tastes. Once you choose a brand that you like, you can use different pencils and combine them. You'll see, a lot of what we offer are pencil sets that allow you to experiment with a wide variety of lines and shading, but each brand also sells pencils separately as soon as you need to refill the set.
How to choose the best drawing pencil
When choosing the perfect graphite pencil, the first thing to consider is your drawing style. For technical drawings and similar work with thin lines, those pencils that are used for darkening will not work. Do you use dark, thick lines in your sketches, or do you prefer lighter, thinner strokes? Your personal artistic style and needs will guide you in choosing a good drawing pencil.
Keep in mind that most artists use more than one type of pencil. In fact, many manufacturers produce different types of pencil sets. This will allow you to combine tools depending on the requirements of a particular drawing.
When you know what type of work you need a pencil for, you need to understand what kind of stiffness you need. Despite the fact that we often talk about the lead content in pencils, they actually do not have it. While colored pencils are made from wax and pigment, graphite pencils are made from clay and graphite. The combination of these two creates smooth strokes, but graphite pencils produce different lines depending on how much clay they contain. As a general rule, the more clay in a pencil, the harder the pencil will be and the lighter the shading will be.
The Russian scale for pencil hardness uses the TM scale, but the rest of the world uses a different scale. Most manufacturers use the HB scale, where "H" stands for hardness and "B" for softness and blackness.
The HB scale ranges from 9H, a hard pencil that creates thin, light lines, to 9B, a soft pencil that contains a lot of graphite and creates heavy, dark lines. While manufacturers give each pencil a scale designation, it's all relative within a given brand, so remember that one manufacturer's 6H pencil may differ slightly from another manufacturer's 6H pencil.
Once you understand what kind of lines your pencils create, you can easily combine them to create a graphite pencil set that suits your needs as an artist.
The best graphite pencils for drawing
Available in different sets, Derwent pencils are suitable for both beginners and professionals. You can choose from soft, medium, and hard pencil sets that people say are easy to sharpen. This allows for detailed work as well as shading. The hexagonal shape makes the pencil easy to grip.
The Prismacolor set is a good starter kit. It includes seven graphite pencils of different types, as well as four woodless pencils. They create beautiful, wide strokes and allow you to experiment. As an added bonus, the pencil set includes water-soluble graphite pencils that soften when in contact with water. Thus, this set is a great option for sketching.
Many artists draw with Staedtler pencils. The Mars Lumograph set is known for its strength and durability, making it a great kit for detailed work. Pencils also cleanly erase, so paper won't smudge. Staedtler's standard set includes 6B, 5B, 4B, 3B, 2B, B, HB, F, H, 2H, 3H, 4H pencils, making it extremely versatile. “I have been using the Staedtler Lumograph set professionally for over 30 years and in that time I have not found a better set,” says Mike Sibley, artist and art educator. “I even give them to my workshops.”
Excellent quality Lyra Art Design pencils. The graphite is hard enough that this set is suitable for technical drawing, and also does not create problems with shading thanks to 17 types of pencils in hardness. One critic writes: “The best pencils for drawing. High quality smooth graphite that blends easily. A great variety of rigidity for all your artwork needs."
Faber-Castell is a German brand known for their high quality art supplies and this pencil set is no exception. The brand produces sets of pencils with many types of hardness, which you can purchase separately. Strong and durable pencils are easy to sharpen. In addition, the handy packaging of Faber-Castell allows you to carry pencils with you. No wonder these are the favorite pencils of artists, regardless of style or skill level.
The Japanese manufacturer Tombow is known for their high strength pencils, which means they sharpen easily. The Mono pencil is known to be very dark and virtually indelible. Tombow Mono's dark lines almost mimic ink, making it an artist's favorite pencil for shading and tracing.
Woodless pencils are a little more expensive, but they usually last longer than regular wooden pencils. The Cretacolor set is ideal for shading, and the graphite in the pencils is water-soluble, so you can create soft shading. The Creatacolor kit also comes with an eraser and a sharpener, giving you all the tools you need in one package.
The 2H Prismacolor Ebony Pencil is the perfect choice for rich, velvety lines. Soft pencil, easy to blend, does not create greasy black lines. It often needs to be sharpened due to its softness, but many people use this pencil to darken.
Don't be afraid of the price. Caran D "ache is a kit for serious sketches. Being the only pencil manufacturer in Switzerland, the brand has conducted thorough research, creating pencils that many artists admire. The set contains 15 graphic and 3 water-soluble graphite pencils, as well as accessories. Some say that this the best drawing pencils and once you try them you will never go back to other pencils.
The best mechanical pencils for drawing
Rotring is the dominant brand in the mechanical pencil industry. A professional drawing pencil is durable, which means you'll spend less money buying new tools. With a retractable lead and non-slip metal body, this pencil is great for sketching.
This pencil won design awards for a reason. Rubber dots along the entire body make the tool extremely comfortable and easy to grip. This pencil also has an eraser.
So what kind of pencil is suitable for drawing - video
If you have to make drawings, then it is better to buy everything you need for this. Otherwise, the drawing process will become a real torment. The drawing set includes the following special tools: compasses, pencils, eraser. For a beginner, you need a preparation with a minimum number of items. Usually, in addition to the compass, one spare rod is included in the kit.
It looks like a special set for drawing
The following components are distinguished in the circuit:
- holder;
- two rods with fasteners;
- nozzles with needles for drawing or drawing.
In accordance with the age characteristics of consumers, compasses can be:
- teaching (for schools, as well as colleges and universities);
- professional.
More about the constituent parts of the compass and its dimensions
The length of the product depends on the age of those for whom the instrument is purchased:
- for models intended for training - no more than 12 cm;
- for products intended for middle-level students at school - 12-13 cm;
- for tools recommended for high school students - 13-15 cm;
- to create professional drawings, a suitable value is more than 14 cm.
Compasses and rod holder
The holder is made of plastic. 
Its shape and materials may vary. So that it does not slip out of your hand, it is better to choose holders with notches or from a soft material. A professional product is distinguished by the presence of special grooves designed for rods. A plastic case is put on top of the holder.
Barbells for children can be made of plastic. These compasses are bright and light. To complete the drawings, it is better to choose rods made of brass and its alloys. The classic model with solid steel parts is optimally accurate if the parts do not wobble. Modern models of compasses have special clamps for rods. These are levers with hinges or screw fastenings.
A high-quality compass can be easily identified if you test it when buying: its rods sit tightly in the grooves and do not wobble.
Needles and nozzles
Needles are also responsible for the accuracy of measurements.
Various compass designs If the compass is used for teaching purposes, the tip of the needle is not too sharp to prevent injury. Such a needle does not hold a reference point well. In professional models, the tips of the needles are sharp.
They have different lengths and mounting methods. For schoolchildren's compasses, the size of the needles varies from 3 mm to 5 mm, and for professional ones - within 7-9 mm.
If you are going to use the tool every day, choose a model with a replaceable needle, not a welded one. Special built-in covers allow you to protect your hands from contact with the needle. The advantage of replaceable or interchangeable needles is that it can be quickly changed if it becomes dull and even sharpened.
The compasses are the last important detail. They come in 3 types: With a mechanical pencil with a lead diameter of 0.5 mm; with universal holder; with lead 2 mm.
Leads for compasses The first variety is considered the most unpretentious. The second nozzle is called the "goat's leg": a pencil acts as a drawing tool. The third is professional. For students, it is not convenient. You have to additionally buy a "refueling" for the compass.
Characteristics of a professional drawing set
The builder uses a cooker with a large number of items:
- 3 types of compass - standard, large and with a falling needle;
- screwdriver;
- pencil holders;
- mechanical pencils;
- extension cords;
- containers with spare wheels, needles and leads;
- teat;
- needle with holder.
Professional drawing set The compass copes with various tasks. Without this tool, it is impossible to draw an arc or a circle. On one leg he has a needle, and on the second - a writing element. The compass is made of metal. The tool can be used for navigation: it helps to accurately measure the distance between two points or objects on a plan or map. At the measuring compass, needles are located at the ends of both metal legs.
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There are many offers on the market, but if you want to find a really high-quality set, you have to try. One of the well-known and reliable manufacturers can be considered, for example, Koh-I-Noor. By purchasing products from well-established brands, there are more chances to buy a quality compass.
Choosing the right pencils
Pencils designed for drawing are indispensable for any job. The artist uses this tool both to sketch the sketch and to complete the drawings. A pencil is needed when creating a plan for a future building or piece of furniture.
The tool has 17 degrees of hardness. If you choose a pencil for drawing for beginners, then you should give preference to the average TM.
These 2 letters in Russian marking designate (hard-soft). In the English version of medium hardness-softness, the designation HB corresponds. The fact is that the beginner is not yet used to working with a pencil and feels pressure. Therefore, when drawing, incorrectly drawn lines cannot be removed even by a high-quality eraser. Pencil marks can be erased, but a dented groove left by hard pressure cannot be removed.
Set of pencils and leads for drawing After the hand gets used to working with the tool, you can switch to softer models. As for drawing, hard pencils are the best choice. It is important that their sharpening is technically correct. You need to learn how to properly hold a pencil in your hand.
A solid drafting tool leaves traces of a light gray color behind it. For the drawing, it is important that there is more darkness in the shadow. It will take longer to draw with TM. Using a soft pencil allows you to hatch in one layer. Automatic products buy 2 types:
- for drawing extension lines - a pencil with a lead of 0.2 mm;
- for the main lines - with a rod diameter of 0.5 mm.
Automatic pencils need refills. They are convenient to use: there is no need for sharpening.
Drawing pencils
There is a special series of pencils "Designer".
These are some of the best pencils for sketching and drawing projects. Each pencil has its own special marking. And this is no accident. Different lines are applied with pencils of varying degrees of softness and hardness. You probably noticed letters and numbers on pencils: 2T, T, TM, M, 2M, 3M and even 5M? What do they stand for?
This is the softness of the pencil lead. T - hard, TM - hard-soft, M - soft. The numbers indicate the degree of hardness or softness.
Let's say you want to shade a part with thin gray lines. For this purpose, a pencil marked 2T is suitable. And if you need to draw a bold frame, then take a 3M pencil. It will allow you to apply a wide line in one pass. You can't make such a line with a hard pencil. Foreign pencils are marked with the letters H and B. H - hard, HB - hard-soft, B - soft or bold. 
Rulers and erasers
For drawing, it is better to arm yourself with 3 types of rulers:
- long - from 50 to 100 cm;
- medium - 30 cm;
- short - from 10 to 20 cm.
This set allows you to make any drawings. If you want to draw a line 50 cm long, it is more convenient to use a long ruler. And, conversely, for a segment of 2 cm, there is no need to mess around with a meter-sized ruler. Buy plastic and metal products. Wooden ones can deteriorate quickly. Dents on the ribs will not allow you to draw straight lines. To build curved lines, a pattern is required. This drawing tool is available with constant or variable curvature.
Products are made from the following materials:
- plastics;
- tree;
- metal.
For the manufacture of patterns with variable curvature, steel is used. Choose a tool with a presentable look. Then he can serve you for a long time.
Rulers for drawing A drawing square is useful for drawing vertical and oblique lines. It is made from wood or plastic. The tool helps to build angles of 90, 30 or 45 degrees. It is convenient to have 2 squares: one with angles of 90-45-45 degrees and 90-30-60 degrees. Any angles can be built using a protractor.
Ruler
The second main tool of a draftsman is a ruler. Rulers are also divided by purpose. Ordinary wooden rulers work great paired with a simple pencil. Mascara requires special rulers. Previously, wooden rulers with plastic inserts were produced. To draw a metal blank, you need a metal ruler.
Reisshina Have you seen the ruler on wheels? There is such an invention, and it is called - reyshina. With the help of such a ruler, parallel lines are drawn. Various triangles are used to draw angles. Next come the protractors, the template - funny figures that look like a treble clef.
The line has another great feature. It can limit the length of the line. Perhaps this is the main difference between a draftsman and an artist.
The easiest drawing kit The flight of thought of a draftsman can always be measured and limited.
Sterka
But back to the pencil. This tool has a wonderful property. It is for this property that creative people love him. A line drawn with a pencil can be corrected using another wonderful tool - an eraser, in a simple way, an eraser.
At the heart of the pencil is a core based on graphite and various binding additives. It was graphite that turned out to be the most convenient and inexpensive material for writing and drawing. Graphite particles cling to the unevenness of paper, wood, cardboard, and create lines of different intensities and shades of gray. Simple pencils are used by children in schools, draftsmen, craftsmen in production, professional artists - for sketches, sketches, sketches and creating full-scale canvases.
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Types of black lead pencils Modern black lead pencils vary in shape, body material, lead hardness, and brightness. |
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In most cases, the body of a pencil is hard, but some brands make flexible pencils. The classic pencil body is made from various types of wood, but in the last century, manufacturers began to produce more modern and environmentally friendly pencils in hollow plastic bodies (pencils with replaceable cores, such as Koh-i-Noor), as well as bodies made of special types of foamed plastics. For professional artists, bodyless rods are produced - sticks of various thicknesses, entirely consisting of graphite mass or coal. The artist will not be afraid to get his hands dirty with a rod without a case, but he will be delighted with the wider opportunities for creativity that a large-diameter stylus gives. Sets of charcoal and graphite rods are often included with paint kits.
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Hard and soft pencils The most important thing that professional artists pay attention to when choosing black lead pencils is the degree of lead hardness and brightness. Manufacturers indicate these important indicators directly on the case using special symbols. T (hard), TM (hard-soft) and M (soft) - these designations are found on ordinary pencils of Russian brands. Accepted international designations are the letters H (hardness - hardness), B (blackness - degree of softness / brightness), HB (hard-soft). The numbers indicate the degree of brightness of the line that the pencil gives. Usually, the softer the lead of a simple pencil, the darker, brighter and richer the line it draws. |
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Pencils made in the USA have hardness-softness markings ranging from #1 (softest) to #4 (hardest). Some brands (for example, Faber-Castell in the Grip 2001 series of pencils) use their own markings - there are always indications of this on the packaging and manufacturers' websites. Modern lines of black lead pencils contain leads with different characteristics - dry and hard, water-soluble (for example, the Graphitone and Sketching series from Derwent), as well as super-soft pencils with large diameter pencils for sketching, the lines of which blend well with charcoal and pastel drawings.
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Sets of black lead pencils Ordinary simple pencils are sold by the piece in any stationery department. Often, for convenience, a small eraser is attached to the end of the pencil for corrections. Koh-i-Noor oval technical (construction and carpentry) marking pencils are also sold individually and have a bright body color so that the pencil does not get lost in the workshop. Simple drawing and drafting pencils are usually sold in sets containing pencils of most types of hardness and brightness. These are sets of 3-5 pencils (the basic line is hard, hard-soft and soft), and sets of 6-12 pencils (an extended line of all types of hardness and brightness). Sets often contain sharpeners and erasers so that the search for tools does not distract the artist from the creative process. |
Thus, anyone who is somehow connected with drawing and drafting can easily choose black lead pencils to suit their requirements, and a competent choice of tool will help not only achieve excellent results, but also enjoy the process of creating a work.
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Simple pencils are always marked by hardness, this is necessary in order to be able to choose the right ones for different purposes. Which simple pencils are better to take for drawing, and which ones for drawing, which ones are more suitable for school lessons. They are called simple pencils because they all have a graphite lead. And only the softness of the lead determines the purpose of a simple pencil. Simple pencils are very practical and convenient. For many, simple pencils are often stored in the bedside table (http://mebeline.com.ua/catalog/prikrovatnye-tumbochki) for solving crossword puzzles before going to bed. What simple pencils are better to buy for what purposes - this will be discussed.
Which simple pencils are better in terms of rigidity
The stiffness of a simple pencil is always indicated on it with letters and numbers. In the CIS countries, a simple marking has been adopted:
- M - soft;
- T - solid;
- TM - hard-soft.
It is usually best to choose different types of simple pencils if you draw with them, and TM is great for school.
In Europe, a different marking of ordinary pencils has been adopted:
- B - soft;
- H - solid;
- F - medium hardness;
- HB - hard-soft pencil.
If you do not know which simple pencil is better from the last two categories, then take HB for drawing, and F for drawing.
The American system for naming the hardness and softness of pencil leads is more extensive. But in our market, either domestic or pencils with the European designation system are most often sold, so we will not give the American one as an example.
What are the best pencils for drawing
A well-known professor at the St. Petersburg Academy of Arts at the beginning of the 20th century advised everyone who wants to learn how to draw to start with simple pencils. And only a year later, having mastered this tool of the artist, proceed to paints.
The human eye distinguishes more than 150 (!) shades of gray, so real artists have at least half the palette of colored pencils.
For hatching and drawing choose pencils of different hardness. This is necessary so that in drawing you do not constantly sharpen soft pencils to get thin lines, but use only hard ones to draw individual details.
Soft simple pencils better draw the finished drawing, giving it volume. And it is better to draw the base with harder pencils, which can give the base of the drawing. If you do, good simple pencils will definitely come in handy for drawing a sketch.
What could be easier than a pencil? This simple tool, familiar to everyone since childhood, is not as primitive as it seems at first glance. Any artist must be able to draw with a pencil. And, more importantly, understand them.
Article structure:
Graphite ("simple") pencils are pretty different from each other. By the way, "pencil" comes from two Turkic words - "kara" and "dash" (black stone).
The pen's nib is set in a frame made of wood or plastic, and may be made of graphite, charcoal, or other materials. The most common type - graphite pencils - differ in the degree of rigidity.
Pavel Chistyakov, professor at the St. Petersburg Academy of Arts of the 19th-early 20th century, advised to start by putting paint aside and practicing drawing “with a pencil for at least a year.” The great artist Ilya Repin never parted with pencils. Pencil drawing is the basis of any painting.
The human eye distinguishes about 150 shades of gray. An artist who draws with graphite pencils has three colors at his disposal. White (paper color), black and gray (color of graphite pencils of different hardness). These are achromatic colors. Drawing only with a pencil, only in shades of gray allows you to create images that convey the volume of objects, the play of shadows and glare of light.
Lead hardness
The hardness of the lead is indicated on the pencil with letters and numbers. Manufacturers from different countries (Europe, USA and Russia) have different markings for the hardness of pencils.
Rigidity designation
In Russia hardness scale looks like this:
- M - soft;
- T - solid;
- TM - hard-soft;
European scale somewhat wider (marking F does not have a Russian equivalent):
- B - soft, from blackness (blackness);
- H - hard, from hardness (hardness);
- F is the middle tone between HB and H (from the English fine point - subtlety)
- HB - hard-soft (Hardness Blackness - hardness-blackness);
IN THE USA a number scale is used to indicate the stiffness of a pencil:
- #1 - corresponds to B - soft;
- #2 - corresponds to HB - hard-soft;
- #2½ - corresponds to F - medium between hard-soft and hard;
- #3 - corresponds to H - hard;
- #4 - corresponds to 2H - very hard.
Pencil pencil strife. Depending on the manufacturer, the tone of the line drawn with a pencil of the same marking may differ.
In Russian and European marking of pencils, the number before the letter indicates the degree of softness or hardness. For example, 2B is twice as soft as B and 2H is twice as hard as H. Pencils are commercially available and are labeled 9H (hardest) to 9B (softest).
soft pencils
Start from B before 9B.
The most commonly used pencil when creating a drawing is HB. However, this is the most common pencil. With this pencil draw the basis, the shape of the picture. HB handy for drawing, creating tonal spots, it is not too hard, not too soft. Draw dark places, highlight them and place accents, a soft pencil will help to make a clear line in the picture. 2B.
Hard pencils
Start from H before 9H.
H- a hard pencil, hence - thin, light, "dry" lines. With a hard pencil, draw solid objects with a clear outline (stone, metal). With such a hard pencil, according to the finished drawing, over the shaded or shaded fragments, thin lines are drawn, for example, strands are drawn in the hair.
The line drawn with a soft pencil has a slightly loose outline. A soft lead will allow you to reliably draw representatives of the fauna - birds, hares, cats, dogs.
If it is necessary to choose between a hard or soft pencil, artists take a pencil with a soft lead. An image drawn with such a pencil is easy to shade with a piece of thin paper, a finger or an eraser. If necessary, you can finely sharpen the graphite core of a soft pencil and draw a thin line similar to the line from a hard pencil.
The figure below shows more clearly the hatching of different pencils:
Hatching and drawing
Strokes on paper are drawn with a pencil inclined at an angle of about 45 ° to the plane of the sheet. To make the line bolder, you can rotate the pencil around the axis.
Light areas are shaded with a hard pencil. Dark areas are correspondingly soft.
It is inconvenient to hatch with a very soft pencil, as the stylus quickly becomes dull and the fineness of the line is lost. The way out is to either sharpen the point very often, or use a harder pencil.
When drawing, they gradually move from light to dark areas, since it is much easier to darken a part of the drawing with a pencil than to make a dark place lighter.
Please note that the pencil must be sharpened not with a simple sharpener, but with a knife. The lead should be 5-7mm long, which allows you to tilt the pencil and achieve the desired effect.
Graphite pencil lead is a fragile material. Despite the protection of the wooden shell, the pencil requires careful handling. When dropped, the lead inside the pencil breaks into pieces and then crumbles during sharpening, making the pencil unusable.
Nuances to know when working with pencils
For hatching at the very beginning, you should use a hard pencil. Those. the driest lines are made with a hard pencil.
The finished drawing is drawn with a soft pencil to give it richness and expressiveness. Soft pencil leaves dark lines.
The more you tilt the pencil, the wider its mark will be. However, with the advent of pencils with a thick lead, this need is no longer necessary.
If you do not know how the final drawing will look like, it is recommended to start with a hard pencil. With a hard pencil, you can gradually dial the desired tone. At the very beginning, I myself made the following mistake: I took too soft a pencil, which made the drawing dark and incomprehensible.
Pencil frames
Of course, the classic version is a lead in a wooden frame. But now there are also plastic, varnished and even paper frames. The lead on these pencils is thick. On the one hand, this is good, but on the other hand, such pencils are easy to break if put in a pocket or dropped unsuccessfully.
Although there are special cases for carrying pencils (for example, I have a set of KOH-I-NOOR Progresso black lead pencils - good, solid packaging, like a pencil case).
Video: choosing pencils
