How to Choose the Best Drawing Pencils for Your Art

How to Choose the Best Drawing Pencils for Your Art

Drawing pencils are among the materials every artist needs in order to produce qualitative and stylish works. The new beginner and the experience artist alike, it is important to know how each type of pencils contributes to their work. This article guides you through the process of choosing the best drawing pencils for your creative needs.

1 Familiarize Yourself with the Different Types of Pencils
There are also different forms of drawing pencils; each of the effects is suited to a particular application. The most basic forms are:

Graphite pencils are a more common and versatile drawing pencil. They come in a soft to hard grade, varying levels of shading and texture. Softer pencils are graded B - 2B, 4B, 6B, and you'll get darker lines with an opaque feel. The harder pencils are graded H and will be lighter and more precise-2H, 4H, 6H.

Charcoal Pencils Charcoal pencils draw thick, dark black lines. Best used when you want to draw something more expressive or dramatic. However, they do get messy easily, and fixative spray is required to prevent them from smudging.

Colored Pencils: Useful for adding color to your sketches, colored pencils can be found in a variety of colors and even textures. Wax-based colored pencils mix well, whereas oil-based colored pencils give a more solid, sharp finish.

Mechanical Pencils: If you work with detailed work or fine line detail work and need the flexibility to produce any length of lines without being concerned with sharpening, mechanical pencils are ideal.

2. Understand How Pencils Are Graded
A pencil grading is one utilized to classify the hardness or softness of the pencil lead. As noted within the earlier paragraphs, pencils are typically graduated on a scale from H to B. The H pencils are harder and are said to produce lighter lines; the B pencils are softer and thus may create darker lines. The number next to the letter denotes the degree of hardness or softness. A 4B pencil is softer than a 2B pencil and will produce darker, thicker strokes.

There may be a need to use an average pencil, like an HB or 2B, when sketching. Depth in shading is created with softer pencils, such as 4B or 6B. The harder pencils, like 2H or 4H are used for finer, detailed line work.

3. Identify Your Drawing Style
Undoubtedly, much depends on the type of pencil you are going to use, as again, these define what you are attempting to draw. If you are developing realistic detailed portraits, H grade pencils will give you the much-needed sharp lines. However, for more expression work and free-flowing art, B grade pencils will create bold strokes and rich texture.

Here, mixed-media artists may include the mixture of graphite, charcoal, or colored pencils to enrich and add interest to the composition.

4. Mix between Brands
All pencil brands come in different quality and have a feel and look to them. The best brands are: Faber-Castell, Derwent, Prismacolor, which make high-quality pencils. Try a few brands to find the most comfortable ones for you and to get the effect needed.

Conclusion
Choosing drawing pencils is all about your personal style, the kind of paper you are using, and the effects you desire. By understanding the various types of pencils and experimenting with them, you will soon discover which will best help bring your artistic vision to life. Whether in the realm of precision, depth, or vibrant colors, the right pencils will illuminate your creativity and your artwork.