PAINTXDRAW

Drawing Pencil Frequntly Asked Questions:

The leads of drawing pencils are made with ground graphite and a filler and the ratio of one to the other determines what grade of hardness a pencil is. The type of filler used depends on the brand. The "harder" grades (F - 9H) contain more filler, and the "softer" grades (HB - 9B) contain less. While the correct ratio of filler to graphite for each hardness grade is well known, I've never found two brands of drawing pencils that use the same formula, and one brand's 2H pencil can be the same as another's 4H. I've even found huge variations in consistency between different lots of the same brand, so it's a good idea to test each new pencil.

Drawing Pencil Grades Extremely Hard - 9H to 7H Very Hard - 6H to 5H Hard - 4H to 3H Medium Hard - 2H to H Medium - F to HB Medium Soft - B to 2B Soft - 3B to 4B Very Soft - 5B to 6B Extremely Soft - 7B to 9B The following table shows a comparison of some of the most common drawing pencils available in the US. I've judged them by the quality of the filler used and by how each grade looks on paper. I've listed approximate prices, too, but a good pencil saves you a ton of frustration and that's worth quite a bit! Some brands don't make the full range of grades, so you may have to mix and match if you want a full range to draw with. For example, I currently use Staedtler Drawing Leads in a mechanical holder and use Derwent Graphic Pencils to complete the range.

Pencil Brand and Quality Comparison The pencil links below take you to the Dick Blick Art Store. Brand Range Quality Price Best Fine Art Choice Best Sketching Choice Derwent Graphic Pencils 9B - 9H Excellent High X . Cretacolor Fine Art Graphite Pencils 2H - 9B Average Avg. . . Cretacolor Monolith Woodless Pencil HB - 9B Average High . . Palomino 2B - 2H Excellent Avg. . X General's Kimberly Drawing Pencils 6B - 9H Poor Low . . Sanford Design Drawing Pencils 6B - 6H Average Avg. . . Sanford Turquoise Leads - 2mm 6B - 6H Average Low . . Staedtler Mars Lumograph Drawing Set 6B - 2H Excellent Avg. X   Staedtler Lumograph Leads 4B - 4H Excellent Avg. X . High - $1.26 to $1.50 each Average - $0.86 to $1.25 Low - $0.55 to $0.85 each Excellent - Clearly defined, consistent grades, filler is mixed well, sharpen well. Avg. - May be some inconsistency between grades of pencils but filler is usually mixed well, usually sharpen well. Poor - Grades are not consistent, sharp bits in filler can tear paper, leads break often while sharpening.

Drawing Pencil FAQ Do I need a pencil in each hardness? Not at first. A good range for a beginner is 4B, 2B, B, 2H, 4H. If you're more experienced and are moving into fine art drawing, though, you'll need a full range of leads to create different effects. What do you think about the ultra small (.5 mm) leads for mechanical pencils? I don't use them. They don't come in the full range of hardness and, more importantly, I use very sharp leads to create many of the textures in my drawings and these small leads are too blunt for that, and they're too fragile to sharpen. Graphite is shiny. Is there anyway to avoid that? No, but there are a couple of things you can do to make it less of a problem. After a drawing is finished, spray it with a matte fixative. That cuts down on the shininess considerably and keeps the work from being inadvertently smeared. Any shininess left after fixing is usually only visible at certain angles so, if the drawing is hung on a wall, shininess is usually not visible at all. For the best possible presentation, fix your drawing, have it matted, and hang it out of direct sunlight. (That's the best way to care for any artwork.)