Pencils part 2

In the first article about pencils, I showed a set of drawing pencils with a range of shades from 6H to 8B, all from the same manufacturer. This is desirable as it maintains consistency in all shades of gray that the pencils can generate. As I said before, a 4B graphite pencil from one manufacturer is probably different from a 4B pencil from another manufacturer. So it's a way manufacturers have to probably make you use only pencils of one manufacturer in a given pencil set. On the other hand if you can't get a full set of pencils from one source, you may try to make one yourself, trying different pencils from different manufacturers until you get a set you like.

 The Hard pencils

This picture is from one set i have made. I use it to draw outside. It is made from several manufacturers, those are the ones i could manage to find in local art stores.

These are the Hard (H) pencils, most of them from only one manufacturer.  They range from 9H to F.

Be careful with the high H range of pencils, specially the 9H is extremely hard and when sharpened, it is like a needle, it will hurt you if you don't take care when drawing with it

From top to bottom: 

• CARAN D'ACHE TECHNOGRAPH 777 9H
• CARAN D'ACHE TECHNOGRAPH 777 8H
• CARAN D'ACHE TECHNOGRAPH 777 7H
• CARAN D'ACHE TECHNOGRAPH 777 6H
• CARAN D'ACHE TECHNOGRAPH 777 5H
• CARAN D'ACHE TECHNOGRAPH 777 4H
• CARAN D'ACHE TECHNOGRAPH 777 3H
• STAEDTLER Mars Lumograph 2H
• Faber-Castell  Castell 9000 H
• CARAN D'ACHE TECHNOGRAPH 777 F

The Soft pencils

  These are the soft pencils of my own made set.

 
Again many of them comes from one manufacturer. As they are a lot of pencils for one picture, i have included a detail picture of them.

From left to right:

• STAEDTLER Mars Lumograph 8B
• Faber-Castell  Castell 9000 8B
• Faber-Castell  Castell 9000 7B
• Faber-Castell  Castell 9000 6B
• Faber-Castell  Castell 9000 6B
• Faber-Castell  Castell 9000 5B
• CRETACOLOR 150 5B
• CRETACOLOR 150 5B
• Faber-Castell  Castell 9000 4B
• Faber-Castell  Castell 9000 3B
• Faber-Castell  Castell 9000 2B
• Faber-Castell  Castell 9000 2B   
• NOMBRE DON DIN 2B
• Faber-Castell  Castell 9000 B
• CARAN D'ACHE TECHNOGRAPH 777 B
• Unmarked pencil B
• Unmarked pencil HB
• STAEDTLER Noris HB
• 4OFFICE 4120 HB 
• Scholine - PROFESSIONAL DRAWING 2300 HB

The lead of the STAEDTLER 8B  is bigger than any other pencil in this set, even the Faber-Castell  Castell 9000 8B is not so big.

These soft pencils are fragile, so be careful with them, The lead may fracture inside the pencil if they drop on the floor and when sharpened the pencil tip may break easily and drop so you have to sharp it again.

As you can see, you can make any set of drawing pencils with all kinds of pencils you can find in local art stores. After some trial and error you will be able to define a set of drawing pencils that you like.

In a following article we will focus on another type of pencils, the mechanical ones and the lead holders.


Until then enjoy drawing

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