Pencils
Information about drawing and sketching pencils.
Pencils seem so ordinary that you might not have thought about them very much. You probably have a few scattered around you right now. The same graphite that's used in "normal" pencils is the same graphite used in artist quality pencils. The only difference in pencils is the type and quantity of filler that's mixed with the graphite to create different grades of hardness. The softest grade of pencil is a 9b and the hardest is a 9h. The most common pencil, the type you probably have setting in a mug or stuck in a drawer, is usually a HB (in the middle of the scale.)
All artist's pencils are not the same. Some companies don't do a very good job at mixing in the filler and this leaves hard grains of the stuff mixed in with the softer graphite. It's possible to actually tear the surface of your paper with one of these poorly made pencils because the invisible filler grains are hard and sharp and you never know where one is going to pop out.
I've used many brand of pencils over the years and I'm sorry to say that the quality of them all comes and goes! I'm currently using Straedtler 2mm Drawing Leads held in a mechanical pencil holder and Derwent wooden pencils.
Fortunately, pencils aren't expensive and they last for quite a while. I suggest that you buy a range of grades (4b, 2b, b, 2h, 4h) in a few different brands. If you come across one that's "grainy," sharpen past that spot to see if the rest of the pencil's lead is usable. If not, throw it away.
Here are the grades of pencils:
Extremely hard - 7H to 9H
Very hard - 4H to 6H
Hard - 3H to 4H
Medium hard - H to 2H
Medium - HB to F
Medium Soft - B to 2B
Soft - 3B to 4B
Very soft - 4B to 6B
Extremely soft - 7B to 9B
Erasers
Common erasers and tips on using them.
Kneaded eraser - A very soft eraser than you can form into shapes with your fingers. You can roll this eraser into a point, pinch it into a wedge, roll it into a ball, or make it into any shape you need. I use this type of eraser most of all and I use it for so many things that I don't know where to start. Maybe it would be easier to talk about what it's not good for! This sort of eraser is not good for completely erasing an area because it removes graphite very gently and gradually. In areas where I need to erase completely (that have a lot of dark graphite applied to them) I use a kneaded eraser first to lift as much graphite as I can before I use a stiffer eraser to finish erasing completely. I do this because you can actually push very dark graphite further into the paper by trying to erase it quickly and with a lot of pressure. When that happens, it's impossible to completely remove the graphite from the grain of the paper. To avoid that, I always lift all the graphite I can with a kneaded eraser first.
Stick eraser - These erasers are made of a plastic or vinyl type of material. They usually come in a plastic holder and you can expose more eraser by clicking the top of the holder. This type of eraser can be cut into different shapes very easily. A wedge shape can be used to erase thin lines if you draw it across your paper along the long edge of the wedge shape. A pointed shape can be used to create delicate detail and erase tiny highlights.
Battery powered eraser - A small nib of eraser fits in the end of the eraser body and it spins when you press a button. You can spin the tip of the nib on an emery board and sharpen it down to an extremely fine point. All sorts of details can be made with this type of eraser. You can even use it to "draw" into a thick layer of graphite to create interesting effects.
Typewriter eraser - A hard eraser in a wooden pencil type of case with a nylon brush on top. You can sharpen these in a hand held pencil sharpener to a fine point. You can also easily shape the tip with a razor blade. This eraser acts a little differently than the other type of stick eraser. The eraser material is more porous and fills with graphite quickly. This can be used to your advantage in circumstances where you want lift out subtle details in dark areas. The brush on top is handy to use for flicking the eraser crumbs off your drawing. (These erasers are getting very hard to find!)
Blenders
Blending tools, how to use them and tips about how to make them work better.
Stump - A double pointed paper stick made of paper pulp. They come in many sizes. You can use them to blend graphite. The pointed end gets a little fuzzy as you use it and that helps to blend the graphite. You can also use an emery board to sharpen the point or make it any shape you want. You can use a clean stump to lift graphite in a very precise way. As the stump gets dirty, you can swirl the tip in a kneaded eraser to clean it well enough to lift graphite again.
Tortillon - A pointed blender shaped like a stump but made of rolled paper. Because they are made of rolled paper, they have a harder surface and don't blend graphite as well and stumps do.
Brushes - All sizes are useful. Generally, the small flat straight or angled type work best for delicate blending. They can be made even more useful if you trim the bristles back to about an eight of an inch long. That makes the bristles a little more stiff and easier to control. A large flat brush is very good for blending larger areas.
Specialty brushes - You can find round brushes with short thick bristles made specifically for blending pastels. These are really great for blending graphite too. They rub the graphite into the paper evenly and quickly. You can find a similar brush that is made for stenciling. The bristles are a little stiffer and longer but they come in a full range of sizes and are much cheaper than the pastel blender brushes.
Colour Shaper - A shaped rubber tip on a long handle. You can find these in hard and soft varieties and I think that "hard" type works better for manipulating graphite. They also come in different shapes but I find the pointed kind the easiest to use in delicate places. I use them to blend graphite in places where I need a light touch and a subtle tone like flower petals or any very light area. If you clean the tip very well on an eraser you can also use the tip to erase graphite in a very delicate way.
Chamois Cloth - A very thin and soft suede-like piece of leather. You can use this to blend large areas of graphite. You can also use it to lift graphite out of an area of that has become too dark. To get more control over the cloth when you are lifting graphite, you can fold it and use the point of a corner to lightly dab or stroke the area until it lightens.
