Pencil Art

Pencil Art:

Before we get into the art of drawing our four main subjects. It is important that you understand your specific medium of materials that you will be using for the pencil.

Here we will be looking into the into the world of the pencil. We have used it for many things over the years. When artists showed what the humble pencil could do in its own right when it came to pencil work. The pencil took on a whole new dimension.

Inside a Pencil:

Pencils have cores made from powdered graphite, (not lead as it was once believed) fired with clay, varying in hardness. The type of graphite used in pencils is relatively soft and malleable. Graphite leaves a small,smooth particles on the surface of the paper that has a slight sheen to it. Depending on the pressure you put on the pencil in the pencil you are using, more particles are left on the paper, giving a darker finish in pencil art.

Pencil Quality Varies

Pencils can vary widely in quality, as with many things. Irregularities in substandard or poorly processed graphite, can lead to an unpredictable tonal range for pencil art, and can even leave scratches in the paper, mix this with the sheen you get with a pencil, the scratches will become more visible. Uncentered cores of graphite pencil tends to break on sharpening, and this becomes annoying, as I am sure you already know. High quality artist's pencils for pencil art, deliver reliable, even tone to your drawings, and carefully graded harnesses, and are less prone to breakage.

Wood-Cased Artist's Pencils

The familiar 'graylead' pencil has a graphite/clay core encased in cedar wood. These range in hardness from around 9b (being very soft) up to 9H (which is very hard indeed) depending on the brand. Most artists starting out will find that a selection of 2H, HB, 2B, 4B and 6B is more than adequate in pencil art to start with. If you are interested in doing extremely fine, realist tonal work, you might want to include all the pencils from 4H to 6B, or even buy a boxed set.

Clutch and Mechanical Pencils

In pencil art many artists swear by clutch pencils. Timber-cased pencils change their size, weight and balance as they are sharpened, which can be a problem for artists who draw a great deal. Clutch pencils have a constant weight and size and though initially expensive, the refills are competitive. I prefer the 2mm diameter leads - the .5mm ones break too easily.

Progresso Pencils,Graphite Sticks and Graphite Crayons

Progresso Pencils are thick graphite pencils with no wood casing, only a layer of lacquer to facilitate clean handling. Useful for broad, expressive work and shading over incised detail. Graphite sticks or crayons are chunky, crayon-like pencils suitable for large, vigorous pencil art work. They can be messy to use, though are great for tactile, involved mark making in large-scale works and life drawing.

Powdered Graphite

Powdered Graphite is really what it says, it is a hands-on drawing medium, applied to the paper with your fingers or a rag. It can be used in drawing for soft, loose mark making, or to prepare a toned drawing surface.

Carbon Blends

Carbon pencils are made from lampblack (derived from burning oil), delivering a smooth, dark black line. Variations available include blends of carbon, charcoal and graphite. The particle size varies depending on the source, soot providing a fine even particle, charcoal often being rather coarse. Carbon and Compressed Charcoal pencils can be useful for obtaining a true black which is not really possible with graphite. Testing for compatibility before applying to your drawings is a good idea, as you know- black can be overpowering.

"I have learned that what I have not drawn I have never really seen, and that when I start drawing an ordinary thing, I realize how extraordinary it is, sheer miracle. " ~Frederick Franck, The Zen of Seeing.

Which pencil should I use for line drawing?

The most popular 'general use' pencil is a Number 2,used mainly in writing. In drawing pencils, its the HB. Though the HB is a bit hard for drawing pencil art - its fine for very light sketching, such as when you are lightly sketching out your composition of your work.
When you want more of a variation or a firmer line, a B is much better. It is soft enough to give you a good line without pressing too hard, yet hard enough to keep its point quite well. This might vary depending on the paper that you use, and how much pressure you are going to apply in pencil art.
For larger, expressive drawings, you can use a softer pencil, such as a 2B. The look of the pencil line will vary according to how hard you press, how sharp the pencil is (you should be using a sharp pencil for most drawing, unless you choose a blunter tip for some effect), and the texture of the paper you are using.
A softer pencil again, is a 6B pencil grade, used for a large, vigorous, expressive drawing can look very strong and effective. Experimentation is the best approach.

What do the H and B and numbers mean on a pencil?

H means hard and B means black.

H pencils, because they are harder and more condensed, leave less graphite on the paper, so are lighter.
B pencils are softer, so leave more graphite on the paper, and so are darker.
F means Fine Point, and it is quite a hard pencil - easy to keep sharp, but generally a bit too hard for general drawing.

The more Hs, the harder it is (so a 4 H is harder than a 2H) - HB is kind of in the middle, though for drawing, its still reasonably hard - and the more Bs it has, the softer it is - so the 7B is the softest. HB is equivalent to the standard American Number 2 pencil, B is Number 1. I like to use the 2H myself for all round drawing. it is easier to rub off, and to sketch out an outline of your subject, you use free sweeping movements lightly. So when it comes to rubbing away a mistake. This can be done without leaving an indentation in the paper. Where as a harder pencil, where you would have to put more pressure on the surface, because of the hardness of the HB. Is bound to leave a line, when rubbed out.

Pencil can also be smudged with your finger to create effects or with a proper smugger, with really is a condensed looking pencil shaped of paper.

You can buy different types of pencils that come individually or in a pack. I am sure you have seen in tin cases with select pencils ranging from hard to soft.

These are a good idea, or you can buy them separately. I am going to look into and add different pencil supplies, and what would be most suitable for you. So keep coming back here as I add them.

Lets go back from Pencil Art to Drawing Techniques

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