How to Buy a Drawing Pencil
Learn the pencil rating scale., Buy H-series pencils., Buy B-series pencils., Consider intermediate-grade pencils., Test out the pencils., Buy a wooden pencil., Buy a mechanical pencil., Try a clutch (leadholder) pencil., Start using charcoal...
Step-by-Step Guide
-
Step 1: Learn the pencil rating scale.
Pencils are assigned numbers or letters based on their lead, which is a mixture of graphite and a filler such as clay.
The graphite creates marks on paper while more filler makes the lead harder, leaving lighter marks due to having less graphite.Pencils are graded first on a scale from no number to nine.
The greater the number, the more the pencil mark skews towards lightness.
Pencils are then graded on a letter scale.
H stands for hardness, and B stands for blackness.American-made pencils have their own numeric system, more often associated with school than art.
A #2 pencil, for instance, is the equivalent of an HB pencil, dark enough to be legible but hard enough to not smear.Japanese pencils use the European scale of number followed by H or B, but due to the thin, dark lines required to make the characters in the Japanese language, the pencils leave darker marks than their equivalent European counterparts. -
Step 2: Buy H-series pencils.
H pencils have hard lead due to having more filler than graphite, so they leave light lines that don’t smudge and are easier to erase.
These are used for precision work, including delicate details and outlining areas to be filled in later.
For example, a 9H pencil puts down the smallest amount of graphite on paper, so it leaves the lightest mark. , B pencils have soft lead due to having more graphite than filler.
This means that they leave darker marks that are hard to erase and smudge more easily.
This is why they’re used for darker shading and finishing details.
A 9B pencil puts down the most graphite on paper, so it leaves a black mark.
These pencils wear down easily due to using more graphite with each stroke, so they need to be sharpened more often.
Art in dark shades is vulnerable to “graphite glare,” which results from the graphite forming a smooth surface that reflects light., In addition to an HB pencil, which falls right in the middle of the shade and hardness scales, you may encounter an F pencil.
F indicates that the pencil is sharpened to a fine point.
These are only slightly lighter and harder than HB pencils.H, B, HB, and F pencils are good for beginners who want to practice using a variety of different leads. , The only way to find a pencil that works for you is to put it in your hand and use it.
Art is subjective, so different people find comfort and results in different brands and types of pencils.
Choose a pencil that feels good in your hand, leaves the kind of mark you want, and provides the kind of effect you want.
Even though the pencil manufacturers follow the rating scale, they still have their own internal standards on lead quality.
A B5 pencil from one manufacturer may be darker than a B5 from another. , Regular pencils are familiar.
Many people have used them at school or around the house.
They're common and the use of different grades of lead allows you to learn about the rating scale and how the change in lead affects your style.
Beginners who want to start with a single pencil can experiment with an intermediate-grade lead pencil.
Buying specific lead grade pencils gives you the opportunity to specifically choose what you need to achieve the desired effect. , These pencils do come in a variety of lead grades, but not as many as regular pencils.
The reason for this is that the mechanical action can only handle thin, dark lead.
The ease of pushing a button to feed lead to the tip makes this a good choice for beginners.The pencil keeps one grade of lead at a time, which promotes learning consistency and control with that particular pencil.
These are the cheapest pencils available, found in art supply stores or online, along with lead packs to refill them.
They're durable and come in a variety of designs.
Mechanical pencils that use lead with a .5 millimeter diameter are very versatile.
Smaller thickness pencils are useful for detailed drawing, and larger thickness is good for rough sketches.
Due to only using one grade of lead, these pencils can leave you with less of a range in shades, making your work appear darker. , These are specialized pencils used by artists and are a combination of regular and mechanical pencils.
Compared to regular pencils, they have a larger variety of lead diameters, but also use the lead dispensing system of mechanical pencils.The most common lead diameter size is 2 mm and can be used for drafting.
Thicker lead is used for sketching and thinner lead is used for drafting.
Varieties of these pencils are hard to find at art supply shops.
Regular and mechanical pencils are more specialized and popular. , Pencils now come made in a wide variety of substances that can give the ambitious different results in drawing.
One of these, charcoal, is known for its dark color and popular for its versatility.
Charcoal is good for new artists because it provides the ability to make different types of lines with minimal effort.Charcoal pencils follow the European scale, but the lead is soft.
Charcoal pencils range from lead grades H and HB to 6B.The pencils can be bought individually and in sets for minimal cost.
Besides the traditional black color, you can find sepia tones and white. , These are a mixture of clay, black pigment, and charcoal or graphite, allowing them to have the darkness of charcoal and the smoothness of pencils.
This means they make soft black lines smoothly and consistently.Carbon pencils are soft and therefore come in a range of lead grade B to 6B., Also called Conté crayons, are mixtures of pigments, clay, and graphite.
Because they have pigments, they come in a range of earthen colors and are used for sketching or finished art pieces.
These are harder than charcoal, so they can produce finer lines while also being used for shading.Conté pencils are firm, yet waxy.
They are similar to pastel sticks except harder and less oily., Colored pencils are similar to graphite pencils, except they include wax and pigmentation.
Their versatility, ease of use, and resistance to smudging makes them popular with animators.Artist-grade colored pencils contain more pigment and better resist light and water.
Lower-grade colored pencils, in addition to being available and inexpensive in sets, leave behind no mess, so they’re ideal for children. , Getting a whole set is a bit more of an investment, but you’ll have the whole range of leads to use to experiment.
This allows you to experience a range of shading and to better accustom yourself to the lead grade scale, should you need to buy individual pencils.
Pencil sets are handy for those who are already serious about drawing, too.In many art supply stores or online shops, a beginning set of pencils can cost little more than a single mechanical pencil.
You’ll need to sharpen and replace these pencils over time, all the while keeping the ones you do have encased, if drawing on the go, due to their fragility.
You’ll also need to be mindful of the lead grade of each pencil you pick up, which can be a distraction.
The amount of options and the freedom to experiment can be too much for a beginner, so consider simplifying the process by buying a single, versatile implement such as a .5 mm mechanical pencil. , The chemical makeup of the kind of pencil you choose determines how well it works on different types of paper and board.
Your ability to experiment is unlimited, but keep in mind that using a combination is difficult and changes the effects of your drawings.
For colored pencils, for instance, it’s helpful to choose a surface that isn’t too smooth so that the lead sticks evenly.
Examples include Stonehenge paper, illustration board, and suede board.Smooth bristol paper or pads can be used for graphite drawings.
Charcoal works with plain paper but can be held and smudged better with newsprint or charcoal paper. , A part of the drawing process is being able to fix mistakes.
With pencils, this means you get more of an opportunity through erasing.
Again, different erasers have properties that affect how they behave and the effect they have on the type of pencil you use.
Rubber erasers are the most obvious choice due to their use in school with HB pencils.
They come in pink wedges that last long but can tear paper if used too vigorously.
Gum erasers are similar to their rubber counterparts, except they are softer, don’t last as long, crumble to pick up graphite, and aren’t as hard on paper.Kneaded erasers are essential for charcoal, but also useful for other substances.
They are flexible, so they can be shaped in your hands to attack small details.
Vinyl erasers are the hardest kind.
At the cost of wear and tear on paper, they combat most substances.
Some even come shaped like pencils so you can sharpen them for detail work. , A good sharpener helps keep you drawing by giving your pencil the proper point without wearing away too much of its substance.
There are many different models that take you towards the same goal.
The kind of sharpener that feels right is up to you.Consider the size of the pencil.
Sharpeners come in different sizes, so you wouldn’t want to choose one too small for your pencil.
Consider the shape of the pencil, too.
Chances are the sharpener can work with any shape, but some are better for specific tips such as hexagonal or circular.
Sharpeners sharpen pencil tips to different angles.
A sharpener that takes off more of the pencil’s wood leaves more lead exposed at the risk of breakage.
How much of a lead point do you need? A sharpener that leaves a pointed tip, naturally, allows you to create more intricate details with the pencil. -
Step 3: Buy B-series pencils.
-
Step 4: Consider intermediate-grade pencils.
-
Step 5: Test out the pencils.
-
Step 6: Buy a wooden pencil.
-
Step 7: Buy a mechanical pencil.
-
Step 8: Try a clutch (leadholder) pencil.
-
Step 9: Start using charcoal pencils.
-
Step 10: Try out carbon pencils.
-
Step 11: Use Conté pencils.
-
Step 12: Give colored pencils a try.
-
Step 13: Buy a set of pencils.
-
Step 14: Choose an appropriate surface.
-
Step 15: Keep an appropriate eraser.
-
Step 16: Purchase a sharpener.
Detailed Guide
Pencils are assigned numbers or letters based on their lead, which is a mixture of graphite and a filler such as clay.
The graphite creates marks on paper while more filler makes the lead harder, leaving lighter marks due to having less graphite.Pencils are graded first on a scale from no number to nine.
The greater the number, the more the pencil mark skews towards lightness.
Pencils are then graded on a letter scale.
H stands for hardness, and B stands for blackness.American-made pencils have their own numeric system, more often associated with school than art.
A #2 pencil, for instance, is the equivalent of an HB pencil, dark enough to be legible but hard enough to not smear.Japanese pencils use the European scale of number followed by H or B, but due to the thin, dark lines required to make the characters in the Japanese language, the pencils leave darker marks than their equivalent European counterparts.
H pencils have hard lead due to having more filler than graphite, so they leave light lines that don’t smudge and are easier to erase.
These are used for precision work, including delicate details and outlining areas to be filled in later.
For example, a 9H pencil puts down the smallest amount of graphite on paper, so it leaves the lightest mark. , B pencils have soft lead due to having more graphite than filler.
This means that they leave darker marks that are hard to erase and smudge more easily.
This is why they’re used for darker shading and finishing details.
A 9B pencil puts down the most graphite on paper, so it leaves a black mark.
These pencils wear down easily due to using more graphite with each stroke, so they need to be sharpened more often.
Art in dark shades is vulnerable to “graphite glare,” which results from the graphite forming a smooth surface that reflects light., In addition to an HB pencil, which falls right in the middle of the shade and hardness scales, you may encounter an F pencil.
F indicates that the pencil is sharpened to a fine point.
These are only slightly lighter and harder than HB pencils.H, B, HB, and F pencils are good for beginners who want to practice using a variety of different leads. , The only way to find a pencil that works for you is to put it in your hand and use it.
Art is subjective, so different people find comfort and results in different brands and types of pencils.
Choose a pencil that feels good in your hand, leaves the kind of mark you want, and provides the kind of effect you want.
Even though the pencil manufacturers follow the rating scale, they still have their own internal standards on lead quality.
A B5 pencil from one manufacturer may be darker than a B5 from another. , Regular pencils are familiar.
Many people have used them at school or around the house.
They're common and the use of different grades of lead allows you to learn about the rating scale and how the change in lead affects your style.
Beginners who want to start with a single pencil can experiment with an intermediate-grade lead pencil.
Buying specific lead grade pencils gives you the opportunity to specifically choose what you need to achieve the desired effect. , These pencils do come in a variety of lead grades, but not as many as regular pencils.
The reason for this is that the mechanical action can only handle thin, dark lead.
The ease of pushing a button to feed lead to the tip makes this a good choice for beginners.The pencil keeps one grade of lead at a time, which promotes learning consistency and control with that particular pencil.
These are the cheapest pencils available, found in art supply stores or online, along with lead packs to refill them.
They're durable and come in a variety of designs.
Mechanical pencils that use lead with a .5 millimeter diameter are very versatile.
Smaller thickness pencils are useful for detailed drawing, and larger thickness is good for rough sketches.
Due to only using one grade of lead, these pencils can leave you with less of a range in shades, making your work appear darker. , These are specialized pencils used by artists and are a combination of regular and mechanical pencils.
Compared to regular pencils, they have a larger variety of lead diameters, but also use the lead dispensing system of mechanical pencils.The most common lead diameter size is 2 mm and can be used for drafting.
Thicker lead is used for sketching and thinner lead is used for drafting.
Varieties of these pencils are hard to find at art supply shops.
Regular and mechanical pencils are more specialized and popular. , Pencils now come made in a wide variety of substances that can give the ambitious different results in drawing.
One of these, charcoal, is known for its dark color and popular for its versatility.
Charcoal is good for new artists because it provides the ability to make different types of lines with minimal effort.Charcoal pencils follow the European scale, but the lead is soft.
Charcoal pencils range from lead grades H and HB to 6B.The pencils can be bought individually and in sets for minimal cost.
Besides the traditional black color, you can find sepia tones and white. , These are a mixture of clay, black pigment, and charcoal or graphite, allowing them to have the darkness of charcoal and the smoothness of pencils.
This means they make soft black lines smoothly and consistently.Carbon pencils are soft and therefore come in a range of lead grade B to 6B., Also called Conté crayons, are mixtures of pigments, clay, and graphite.
Because they have pigments, they come in a range of earthen colors and are used for sketching or finished art pieces.
These are harder than charcoal, so they can produce finer lines while also being used for shading.Conté pencils are firm, yet waxy.
They are similar to pastel sticks except harder and less oily., Colored pencils are similar to graphite pencils, except they include wax and pigmentation.
Their versatility, ease of use, and resistance to smudging makes them popular with animators.Artist-grade colored pencils contain more pigment and better resist light and water.
Lower-grade colored pencils, in addition to being available and inexpensive in sets, leave behind no mess, so they’re ideal for children. , Getting a whole set is a bit more of an investment, but you’ll have the whole range of leads to use to experiment.
This allows you to experience a range of shading and to better accustom yourself to the lead grade scale, should you need to buy individual pencils.
Pencil sets are handy for those who are already serious about drawing, too.In many art supply stores or online shops, a beginning set of pencils can cost little more than a single mechanical pencil.
You’ll need to sharpen and replace these pencils over time, all the while keeping the ones you do have encased, if drawing on the go, due to their fragility.
You’ll also need to be mindful of the lead grade of each pencil you pick up, which can be a distraction.
The amount of options and the freedom to experiment can be too much for a beginner, so consider simplifying the process by buying a single, versatile implement such as a .5 mm mechanical pencil. , The chemical makeup of the kind of pencil you choose determines how well it works on different types of paper and board.
Your ability to experiment is unlimited, but keep in mind that using a combination is difficult and changes the effects of your drawings.
For colored pencils, for instance, it’s helpful to choose a surface that isn’t too smooth so that the lead sticks evenly.
Examples include Stonehenge paper, illustration board, and suede board.Smooth bristol paper or pads can be used for graphite drawings.
Charcoal works with plain paper but can be held and smudged better with newsprint or charcoal paper. , A part of the drawing process is being able to fix mistakes.
With pencils, this means you get more of an opportunity through erasing.
Again, different erasers have properties that affect how they behave and the effect they have on the type of pencil you use.
Rubber erasers are the most obvious choice due to their use in school with HB pencils.
They come in pink wedges that last long but can tear paper if used too vigorously.
Gum erasers are similar to their rubber counterparts, except they are softer, don’t last as long, crumble to pick up graphite, and aren’t as hard on paper.Kneaded erasers are essential for charcoal, but also useful for other substances.
They are flexible, so they can be shaped in your hands to attack small details.
Vinyl erasers are the hardest kind.
At the cost of wear and tear on paper, they combat most substances.
Some even come shaped like pencils so you can sharpen them for detail work. , A good sharpener helps keep you drawing by giving your pencil the proper point without wearing away too much of its substance.
There are many different models that take you towards the same goal.
The kind of sharpener that feels right is up to you.Consider the size of the pencil.
Sharpeners come in different sizes, so you wouldn’t want to choose one too small for your pencil.
Consider the shape of the pencil, too.
Chances are the sharpener can work with any shape, but some are better for specific tips such as hexagonal or circular.
Sharpeners sharpen pencil tips to different angles.
A sharpener that takes off more of the pencil’s wood leaves more lead exposed at the risk of breakage.
How much of a lead point do you need? A sharpener that leaves a pointed tip, naturally, allows you to create more intricate details with the pencil.
About the Author
Richard Robinson
Enthusiastic about teaching practical skills techniques through clear, step-by-step guides.
Rate This Guide
How helpful was this guide? Click to rate: