Drawing Basics: The Best Pencil?

re: Drawing Basics: The Best Pencil?

srobertson398 — Mon, 18 Jun 2012 20:28:15 GMT

I am glad you found a pencil that you really like. For me, it is one with enough shaft to grip and a enough "lead" to make marks. I drew for years with nothing more than an old No. 2.

re: Drawing: The Best Pencil?

EpicDrawingAreEpic — Sat, 24 Jul 2010 16:47:51 GMT

Yeah. I fall head over heels for "Academix" anything.

They make the best pencils, sharpeners, and erasers. :3 The only thing wrong with their pencils is that they're so easy to sharpen to death.

I don't particularly care for oil-based. Too waxy for me. I prefer good 'ol graphite.

re: Drawing: The Best Pencil?

Starrpoint — Thu, 28 May 2009 23:26:29 GMT

I have not tryied these, although I would love to.

I have tried the new graphtint by derwent, and they are something else. Tinted graphite. I am learning to use them and draw out the best in them.

re: Drawing: The Best Pencil?

Lori Woodward — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 19:12:54 GMT

Gosh, I've been using a pentel mechanical pencil #2 out in the field and for tracing because it needs no sharpening. Lazy..... !!

It works well for drawing lines on watercolor paper.

I don't use the eraser that comes on mechanical pencils coz they leave a red mark. Like kneaded erasers best.

re: Drawing: The Best Pencil?

Bill5 — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 18:34:16 GMT

I tried the Pitt Sanguine oil based pencil and also the Terra Cotta. I found them nice to work with and I sharpened them on my regular Panasonic sharpener as I do my Prismacolor. Thanks for the tip

re: Drawing: The Best Pencil?

Bob Bahr — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 13:45:59 GMT

BB, I enjoy seeing the artist's lines, too. I guess it depends on the purpose or intention of the piece.

I know some artists who feel that showing the lines draws too much attention to the process and by extension the artist. I argue with them, but it's an interesting point.

I like your idea of a darker, waxier pencil over the lighter HB. I'm going to try that. I usually stick with one pencil throughout a drawing, although sometimes I start with a carpenter's pencil and then once I'm happy with the comp and with the proportions, I pick up a 6B.

Last night at figure drawing someone borrowed my carpenter's pencil and loved the tonal qualities and sharp lines it allowed, and I had to fight to get it back! Stocking stuffers...

re: Drawing: The Best Pencil?

Carolyn Reed Barritt — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 13:24:24 GMT

Derwent Graphic is my choice for drawing pencils. I find they have very little "grit" in them and provide a nice, consistently smooth line. I also use Faber-Castell 2 mm leads in holders. When I'm working in charcoal I like to use General's charcoal pencils as well as their carbon pencils and their very black carbon sketch pencil. I've found General's white charcoal pencil to be pretty good, but I too would like to hear if anyone knows of any better.

I am curious to try the Pitt pencil you mention, Bob. I'll have to order some.

I too love pencils and am glad there are others out there who feel the same!

re: Drawing: The Best Pencil?

Blackbird_61 — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 05:14:45 GMT

Actually two ...

I lay down almost all my original line work with a .5 MM Pentel, using HB Leads, is comes up nicesly with a Kneaded Erasure if botch the job; when I am more happy with the work, I then go over those lines with a Design Ebony, very nice deep waxy line this gives. Really jumps off the page, but I dont oblitherate the HB lines, left in place in the right areas it lends a element of shading, although I am more drawn to pure line and a tonal drawing sort of look. For me a completed drawing still looks quite drawn, I respect (and am amazed at times) by some of the tonal drawings I see in American Artist, but I have also seen (in other venues) Tonal drawings that look like renderings of Wax figures. I like the immediacy of a more Lined look... any thoughts

Blessings, BB.

re: Drawing: The Best Pencil?

MonicaB3 — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 21:49:01 GMT

I admit to being a pencil geek too! I think my favorite for all around sketching is the plain old Ebony -- you can get such a range of values from it and it holds a point a long time.

re: Drawing: The Best Pencil?

nsdeitz — Sun, 07 Dec 2008 05:22:33 GMT

Well, my favorite -- the Ritmo charcoal pencils of yore -- are no longer made in the formula that I like, with enough clay or whatever component was mixed in to make it black as charcoal yet compatible with graphite. They came in three or four degrees of hardness. Now they are more like conventional charcoal pencils. If anyone has an old cache I'd love to know about it! Lacking those wonderful agents, I've been casting around for substitutes -- the Pierre Noire line is not bad but hard to lift off, and I draw a lot by subtraction. For graphite I've been enjoying the Tombow Homograph Mono line -- so smooth and blendable -- and the newer Cretacolor line, smoother than their others.

re: Drawing: The Best Pencil?

Bob Bahr — Thu, 04 Dec 2008 13:52:20 GMT

redrose, I sharpen mine with a razor blade because I like a long point that I don't have to fuss with for a while -- maximum drawing time instead of having to stop to sharpen it again. Sometimes I use a pocketknife because I always have that handy. Those little hand sharpeners sold in art stores make a sharp but short point, in my opinion.

a friend has a super turbo electric sharpener that looks like a small howitzer, and it makes a nice long point but seems eager to devour as much of my pencil as it can. it has the appetite of a wood chipper!

re: Drawing: The Best Pencil?

redrose3 — Thu, 04 Dec 2008 00:20:03 GMT

I have worked with Prismacolor Colored Pencils for 15 years and use an electric Panasonic Auto-stop sharpener, which still works well after 15 years. I would like to try the Pitt oil-based sanguine pencils, but don't know what kind of sharpener would work best. Any helpful comments would be appreciated. Thank you!

re: Drawing: The Best Pencil?

edwardsgke — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 22:21:29 GMT

From my first Jon Gnagy art kit, till now, and I have a New Yankee workshop type environment for woodworking, I've never thought to use my Carpenter's pencil for drawing. I have to try this......thanks maggie40. I also use a KOH-I-NOOR for sketching.

re: Drawing: The Best Pencil?

JamesBD — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 19:40:13 GMT

I don't mind the Generals titanium sticks and their white pencil

re: Drawing: The Best Pencil?

Bob Bahr — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 14:37:08 GMT

Dallyn, I use that turquoise pencil in the field, too, when I'm sketching on the canvas before painting. Sometimes I use a green colored pencil instead--I can't remember the mfgr.

Anybody have a suggestion for a white pencil, when working on toned paper? I'm using a white Conté, but I'm not completely satisfied.