Best Drawing Pencils: The Truth Behind the Hype
Whether you’re an art professional or just a beginner pencil drawings can spark your creative side. It is possible to create intricate, eye-catching fine art and modern design projects using the top pencils for drawing.
The top pencils for artists have premium wood casings to ensure that cores remain in place and aren’t prone to breaking easily. Graphite is typically graded B or H and can be found in a variety of hardnesses.
Softness a really good pencil for drawing
The the softness of a pencil may affect the drawing process. Drawing with pencils that are more soft produces lighter marks and allow for smoother transitions in tone and value. The more graphite that a pencil leaves behind, the more softer it will be.
The more robust pencils are appropriate for drawing or writing. If you use them too often, however, they can cause grooves in the paper that are difficult to erase or cover up with the use of a thinner graphite application.
The HB grade is a good option for those who are just starting out because it offers a balanced mix of hardness and softness. This is useful when making preliminary drawings, as it does not leave an excessive amount of graphite, which could ruin any watercolours you paint over it.
Hardness
It doesn’t matter if you’re a novice or an experienced artist how you draw with pencils is crucial to your success. Pencils that are of poor quality and have rough edges are likely to result in frustration and discourage people from continuing a new art or design interest.
Pencils with a soft lead are more flexible and permit you to draw intricate detail with less pressure. They also blend very well and don’t leave too much graphite on paper surfaces. The heavier pencils require a lot more pressure and can leave visible indentation marks. You can damage the surface of a hard pencil applying too much pressure. It can also be harder to erase your marks.
HB pencils have a moderate hardness and work well for drawing light sketches, technical drawings, and outlines. They are not prone to streaks of smudges, and can produce sharp lines. They also are great for artists who draw left-handed.
Erasability
If a pencil doesn’t make it easy to erase, it’s likely to be difficult to make your drawings clean and to make adjustments. It can be frustrating and lead to beginners giving up on their drawings.
For instance, the Uni Arterase pencils have a slide-in lead sleeve which protects against lead breakage and allows you to easily remove the pigment, without leaving any remnants. The lead is also sturdy yet smooth and blends well.
Another great option is Staedtler Mars Lumograph pencils, that are covered in wood with carbon-based cores that are both soft and easy to sharpen. They also feel like colored crayons as you drag over your paper. This could enhance your drawing experience.
You could also consider
What works for one artist may not be the same for another. However, it is important to find a professional brand of graphite pencil that is made with quality materials that are less prone to cracking inside the case of wood and sharpening quickly.
It’s also a great option to stick with one brand of pencils, if you can, because this helps maintain the consistency. For instance, the Mars Lumograph pencils by Staedtler, for example, are highly regarded due to the fact that they provide a smooth surface when under pressure and are able to withstand much pressure.
It is also worth searching for a pencil that has strong points that need less frequent sharpening since this will reduce time and cost in the longer term. The best sets will have many grades that cover different aspects of drawing. This provides you with many options to experiment with. There are sets that were designed specifically for certain types of drawing. This is an excellent option if your goal is to become a specialist in your field.