With simple pencils everything is not as simple as it seems.
I very much love simple pencils and, sometimes it seems to me that this love is mutual. No, I do not talk to them and I do not recognize each pencil "by sight", at least, so far. But when I with concentration work on the drawing or the sketch, I do not think of how to draw a simple pencil - it is organic continuation of my hand and carries out implicitly everything that will only be wished. Of course, the years of practice are paying off now, and the pencil from my brain sends the message directly through the hand, but the pencil itself has all its means, all the possibilities of tone and shading, and the lines depend on the quality of the instrument and on its softness. . And, yes, I am quite pedantic about the choice of pencils, their quality, sharpening and storage. My pencils are easily recognizable in the photo. I think that a pencil prepared for work, like a parachute, should always be beautiful, neat and brought to combat readiness.And my husband, Arthur, is joking that I reviewed adventure costume films and reread books about midshipmen, musketeers, pirates and knights, so my pencils resemble cold weapons. But the point is not always the right sharpening and the optimal ratio: price-quality. There are plenty of nuances that must be understood and taken into account when drawing with a pencil. So, for a good picture you will need the following knowledge.
1) Marking: hardness softness on a wooden shirt at the edge on the right.
Usually it is the letters H and B, F and figures sometimes meets.
H (hard) is hardness
B (blackness) is a black (softness)
Respectively, a pencil with the letters HB - average hardness, it is firm - soft.
F (fine point) is a subtlety; average tone between HB and H.
Figures designate degree of softness and hardness, respectively, in different sets they different. The it is more than a figure, the pencil is firmer or softer. 3B - threefold degree of softness, 10H - the tenth degree of hardness.
2) For drawing training usually use pencils of medium softness: from 2H to 5B.
They give enough shades of gray for a realistic drawing of a portrait, still life, interior, human figure. Impact of individual preferences, and especially the drawing style of the artist: piercers, for example, too much black in the picture, so I advise them to take a pencil becomes hard, and the young schoolgirl, accustomed to strict discipline, on the contrary, draw faint lines and afraid to hatch in full force - more appropriate for them the softer pencils - 2B-3B
3) Different brands (manufacturers) = different softness.
If you compare pencils of the same softness (for example: only HB) of different manufacturers: Koh-i-Noor, Faber-Castell, Hatber - they will all be of different degrees of softness. Each manufacturer has its own quality and marking, so you should try different pencils, determine the range of softness that suits you, and only then buy a large batch of pencils or a solid set.
4) A different degree of softness of the pencil also applies to solving various problems.
There are also nuances here. For example, under watercolor painting they take graphite of medium softness or not very hard, so as not to scratch delicate paper and, at the same time, not to leave on it greasy black marks (H-HB in the Koh-i-Noor line). For architectural design or drawing, hard pencils (3H - H) are chosen so that the lines are equally thin, sharp, even, with equal pressure and blackness and smooth even edges. But for free, energetic drawings it is better to take softer graphite pencils (from 2B and higher as needed) - they will make the line diverse in pressure, thickness, add expression and textures to spots and strokes.
5) The quality of drawing in combination with pencils of different softness is also influenced by paper.
For example, the classic paper with a smooth flat surface and a density of 180-200 g/m, with a sufficient content of glue in the composition, tolerates almost the entire range of softness of graphite, which cannot be said about other types of paper. Poluvatman (90-100 g/m) - more rough on the surface, with a small amount of glue and a small density - just torn with solid leads. For drawings on it, as well as on pastel paper and Ikea roll paper (by the way, I really like it), soft pencils (B-3B) are better suited. Paper for sketching, such as craft, requires even more bold, soft graphite. Then the drawings will be especially expressive and beautiful, and drawing lessons will bring joy and pleasure.
6) There is a share of individual preferences in the whole study, of course.
Many people like to draw with a simple pencil on writing paper, copy paper, even on wallpaper, not thinking that there is a difference between marks and markings, and someone, on the contrary, is very, very sensitive about choosing tools for creativity and choosing softness and the quality of pencils to your taste. I also prefer to buy pencils by the piece for this reason. As they say, tastes do not argue.
7) Sketches.
I will separately tell about what will do fast drawings more conveniently by soft, very soft pencils that lines flowed one in another, and the artist even had not to tear off a hand from a leaf once again. Besides, easy lines of soft graphite are easily erased by an eraser and do not leave on paper streaks and excess litter and dirt.
As you can see, nuances weight. Finally, I will advise to buy pencils for drawing only in specialized shops, and it is better to try to draw before purchase a new pencil on a trial leaflet of paper to understand whether it suits you. Now there are a lot of different manufacturing companies with wide spacing in the price quality. For a start it is possible to take 1-2 pencils of the main brands and already in the course of drawing to make the choice for one or several. Quality materials - a good prerequisite to successful work therefore pay them due attention. I wish you talented drawings and pleasant process, nothing so caresses the artist's ear as rustling of a pencil according to the sheet of paper.
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