Drawing Notes - Materials - Pencils

The pencil is probably the implement that most people associate with the term ‘drawing’ – and not unreasonably, as it is a clean, easily accessible implement that can be found easily anywhere.

Pencils are divided into two categories, H (hard) and B (soft), which are then further divided by number – 9B being extremely soft and 2B being fairly soft. Artists rarely have much use for H-grade pencils.

Combining Marks

Pencils are particularly useful for creating softly shaded shapes that also require line drawing on top to create detail.

Try It Yourself

Draw the outline of an egg using a B pencil. Then, using the edge of a 2B pencil, shade the egg, easing off the pressure towards the centre, where it will appear lighter.

Step by Step Exercise

1. To make the line drawing of the basic shapes of a group of objects, use the sharpened tip of a B pencil.
2. Next, add the main tones by drawing onto the shapes using the edge of a 4B pencil, working in a circular motion.
3. Complete the final pencil drawing by adding the deepest and darkest shadows with a very soft 6B pencil.