How to Choose a Drawing Pencil (2024)

FAQs

How to Choose a Drawing Pencil? ›

For deep, dark shading use a grade from 3B upwards. For a very light mark – such as for when you are suggesting an outline for a watercolour – use a grade around the 2H mark. Use various grades in a drawing to give a range of mark-making to achieve depth and interest. It is also important to use an appropriate surface.

0.5 MM: Recommendable for those whose handwriting is small, as the stroke 0,5 mm leads create is finer. It is also indicated for artist that draw using little strain. 0.7 MM: Ideal to write numbers since this lead is soft but tougher.

All the ingredients of a graphite pencil play a part in its performance. Artist quality pencils use a high grade of pigment to give the pencil its hardness. The characteristic texture of a sketching pencil comes from a blend of wax and graphite.

Soft leads are graded using the letter 'B' to designate how 'black' the mark they make is. Numbers are then used to indicate the degree of softness – the higher the number the softer the lead and the blacker the mark. For example, a 2B lead is softer than a B lead and will produce a blacker mark.

4H-2H: These create a very light mark and are ideal for technical drawing, outlines, light sketches and guide lines. H, F, HB and B: A popular go-to for simple sketches and writing. HB is often used as a multi-purpose pencil because it's clear enough to write and draw but has minimal smudging.

Which is the best pencil for sketch 2B or 4B? The grading of pencil 'lead ' or graphite ranges from H (hard and lighter toned) through the middle grading HB, all the way down to B (soft graphite and black) So 2B is slightly less black and lighter in tone than 4B which is pretty dark.

The higher the number with the b mark the softer and darker the pencil. The softer pencils are easy to smudge and blend and are ideal for a wide range of shading techniques. In the cat drawing a 6b is used in the eye area and to build up darker layers of tone on the fur.

The best pencils for drawing and sketching are a HB, 2B, 6B and 9B. Far better than buying a whole set of pencils, most of which will never be used.

What lead size is best for drawing? ›

For writing, a 0.5mm lead is versatile and widely used. Sketching often benefits from a slightly thicker lead like 0.7mm for a balance between precision and durability. Technical drawing, which requires clear and precise lines, may call for 0.3mm or 0.2mm lead sizes.

The graphite that's used in regular pencils is the same graphite used in artist quality pencils. The only difference is the type and quantity of filler that's mixed with the graphite to create different degrees of hardness, and quality control.

Derwent Graphic Medium Graphite Drawing Pencils

One brand you're likely to hear time and time again when it comes to pencils is Derwent, so it's no surprise they've made it onto a list for beginners. Their set of 12 graphite pencils is definitely a good option for beginners, with a good variety ranging from 6B to 4H.

For simple sketching, the HB pencil is probably the most popular, with artists also favoring the H and the B pencils. For preliminary sketches that will be used as a guide for a painting or illustration, the lighter 2H–4H pencils are ideal.

Look closely for the artifacts around a line. Paper is rough, and pencil up close is granular. If the drawing is on paper, use a magnifying glass and look for dots. Dots means it is a print.

The 2B pencil has a higher blackness, and the marks drawn are relatively black, while the HB pencil has a lower blackness, and the color of the marks drawn is relatively light, which is very different. ... 2B pencil is darker in color and lower in hardness.