What are the best drawing pencils? Drawing accessories: tools and materials

When performing graphic works, a variety of drawing accessories can be used. There are many types of such tools, as well as materials intended for the same purposes. Most often, people who, by the nature of their activities, are forced to carry out many drawings, use preparations. So called sets of drawing tools, packed in a special case. On the modern market, there are ready-made tools designed to perform a variety of graphic works, which differ in unequal configuration.

But, of course, if you wish, you can also purchase ordinary drawing tools in St. Petersburg, other cities of the country - you can buy these useful and popular tools everywhere. Further in the article we will deal in detail with what drawing tools and materials exist on the modern market.

Types of accessories used to perform graphic work

The drawings themselves are in most cases applied to paper. To perform graphic images of this type, its special varieties are used. In addition to paper, designers and engineers use such drawing tools and accessories as:

pencils with plain black lead;

rulers of different lengths;
squares;
protractors;
compasses of different types;

Drawing paper is often attached to special boards. These designs allow you to perform graphic work with maximum convenience.

What is paper

High quality white paper is usually chosen for drawings. This may be an option labeled "O" or "B". Paper "O" (plain) is available in two types: plain and improved. The latter option has a high density and is rigid. Premium quality "B" paper is best suited for making drawings. It has an absolutely white color, is smooth and does not “shaggy” when using an eraser. You can distinguish it from other varieties by looking at the light. On such paper, manufacturers apply In addition to white paper, tracing paper and graph paper can also be used to make drawings.

Special boards

Drawing materials and accessories can be used by engineers and designers, thus different. Boards when performing professional drawings are a mandatory attribute in most cases. This tool is made from soft wood (for example, from alder). It is intended primarily to facilitate the work of creating drawings. This device represents several dies assembled in one canvas, fastened with end strips. The length, width and thickness of the drawing board can be different.

Pencils

This is perhaps the main tool used in the performance of drawing work. There are three main types of pencils:

Solid. This option is marked with the letter "T" and is used, in fact, to complete the drawings.

Medium hardness. Instruments of this variety are usually marked with the letters "TM". Use them for stroke at the final stage of the drawing.

Soft. These pencils are for drawing only. They are marked with the letter "M".

In addition to pencils, ink can be used in some cases to make drawings. It is produced in bottles. Designers and engineers most often use black ink, although it can have different colors. In this case, special feathers are used as working tools.

erasers

Drawing accessories of this variety are used to remove incorrectly drawn or auxiliary lines. When making drawings, two types of erasers are mainly used: those designed to remove pencil lines and lines drawn with ink. The first option is soft and, when used, does not affect the paper layer, removing only the stylus. Ink erasers contain harsh additives and when erased

Rulers

This kind of drawing tools can be made from different materials. Most often it is wood, metal or plastic. The latter option is considered the most suitable for making drawings. Transparent short plastic rulers, like pencils, are the main working tool of an engineer or designer.

Before using a new ruler, it is mandatory to check for accuracy. To do this, they put it on a piece of paper and draw a line. Then turn the ruler over to the other side and draw another line. If the first and second lines on the paper match, then the ruler is accurate and can be used in the work.

There are such drawing accessories for the board and a slightly different variety - T-square. These instruments consist of three main parts: a ruler and two short bars. One of the bars is rigidly connected to the ruler, and the second can be rotated with respect to it at any angle. By fixing one of the crossbars at the end of the board, using a T-square, you can easily draw parallel horizontal or inclined lines.

compasses

Rulers are used for drawing straight lines. The compass is used to draw circles. There are several types of such tools:

Measuring circles. Both legs of such instruments end with needles. Compasses of this variety are used mainly for measuring segments.

Compasses "goat's leg". Such a tool has only one leg with a needle. On the second part there is a special wide ring for a pencil.

Graphic ordinary compasses. There is a needle on one leg of such instruments, and a graphite rod is inserted at the end of the other.

There are also special types of compasses. For example, the teat is a small button and can be used to draw concentric circles. Sometimes engineers and technologists also use calipers. This tool is very convenient to draw circles of small diameter (0.5-8 mm).

squares

Drawing accessories of this type are most often used to build right angles. There are only two main types of squares used in the execution of drawings: 45:90:45 and 60:90:30. Like rulers, such tools can be made from different materials. The most convenient to use are considered transparent plastic.

Protractors

This is another essential tool for creating drawings. Protractors are used mainly as an add-on designed to facilitate work. With their use it is much easier to draw corners. Protractors are semicircular and round. When drawing up drawings, the first option is more often used. There are also special geodetic protractors. For compiling topographic maps, the TG-B version is usually used.

patterns

Sometimes it is impossible to make curved lines in drawings using only a compass. In this case, they are drawn by points by hand. To stroke the resulting curved lines, special tools are used - patterns. They may have different shapes. Drawing accessories of this type should be selected in such a way that their edge matches the shape of the lines to be drawn as much as possible.

cooking

As already mentioned, engineers and designers usually use ready-made kits in their work. What kind of set of drawing accessories the preparation includes, you can find out by its marking. Those who perform drawings at a professional level use universal sets. Such preparations are marked with the letter "U". In addition to the standard kit, consisting of a compass, ruler, pencil and protractor, they include ink and tools designed to work with it.

Simple preparations are usually purchased by schoolchildren for drawing lessons. Such sets are marked with the letter "SH". There are also such preparations: design ("K"), design small ("KM") and large ("KB").

Thus, we have found out what materials, accessories, drawing tools are used when making graphic images. Without compasses, rulers, pencils and erasers, creating accurate and complex drawings will not work. And therefore, such tools, of course, will always be in demand.

Pencils They differ mainly in the type and nature of the writing rod (which determine the writing properties of the pencil and its purpose), as well as in size, cross-sectional shape, color and type of wooden shell coating.

Since the 1950s, pencils have been produced in the USSR in accordance with GOST 6602-51. The quality was good. The current situation is rather sad. Let's talk about what happened before.

Pencils

Depending on the writing rod and its properties, the following main groups of pencils are distinguished: a) graphite - the writing rod is made of graphite and clay and impregnated with fats and waxes; when writing, they leave a line of gray-black color of varying intensity, depending mainly on the degree of hardness of the rod; b) colored - the writing rod is made of pigments and dyes, fillers, binders and sometimes fats; c) copiers - the writing rod is made from a mixture of water-soluble dyes and a binder with graphite or mineral fillers; when writing, they leave a gray or colored line, difficult to cut with an elastic band.

Stages of production of pencils from glued boards

Production of pencils consists of the following main processes: a) the manufacture of the writing core, b) the manufacture of the wood shell and c) the finishing of the finished pencil (coloring, marking, sorting and packaging). The composition of graphite rods includes: graphite, clay and adhesives. Graphite is very graded and leaves a gray or grey-black streak on paper. Clay is mixed into graphite to bond its particles, and adhesives are added to the graphite-clay mixture to impart plasticity. Screened graphite in vibratory mills is crushed to the smallest particles. Clay is soaked in water. Then these components are thoroughly mixed in special mixers, pressed and dried. The dried mass is mixed with adhesives, repeatedly pressed, turning into a homogeneous plastic mass suitable for molding writing rods. This mass is placed in a powerful press, which squeezes out thin elastic threads from the round holes of the matrix. Upon exiting the matrix, the threads are automatically cut into segments of the required length, which are the writing rods. The segments are then placed in rotating drums, where they are rolled out, straightened and dried. After drying, they are loaded into crucibles and fired in electric furnaces. As a result of drying and firing, the rods acquire hardness and strength. The cooled rods are sorted by straightness and sent for impregnation. This operation is intended to give the rods, which after firing have increased rigidity, softness and elasticity, i.e., the properties necessary for writing. For the impregnation of graphite rods, tallow, stearin, paraffin and various types of wax are used. For the manufacture of color and copy rods, other types of raw materials are used, the technological process is partially changed.

For colored rods, water-insoluble dyes and pigments are used as colorants, talc is used as fillers, and pectin glue and starch are used as binders. The mass, consisting of dyes, fillers and binders, is mixed in mixers, the firing operation falls out. The strength of the colored rod is given by the pressing mode and the regulation of the amount of binders introduced into the mass, and this, in turn, depends on the nature and amount of pigments and dyes. For copy rods, water-soluble aniline dyes are used as dyes, mainly methyl violet, which gives a violet color trait when moistened, methylene blue, which gives a greenish-blue color trait, brilliant green - a bright green color, etc.

The strength of the copy rods is regulated by the recipe, the amount of binder and the pressing mode. Finished rods are placed in a wood shell; wood should be soft, have low cutting resistance along and across the grain, have a smooth, shiny cut surface and even tone and color. The best material for the shell is the wood of the Siberian cedar and linden. Wooden boards are treated with ammonia vapor (to remove resinous substances), soaked in paraffin and stained. Then, on a special machine, “paths” are made on the boards, into which the rods are placed, the boards are glued and divided into individual pencils, while giving them a hexagonal or round shape. After that, the pencils are ground, primed and painted. Painting is done with fast-drying nitrocellulose paints and varnishes, which have a clean tone and bright color. After repeated coating of the shell with these varnishes, a strong varnish film is formed on it, giving the finished pencil a glossy, shiny surface and a beautiful look.

Classification of pencils

Depending on the source materials of the writing rod and the purpose, the following groups and types of pencils are distinguished.

1. Graphite: School, Stationery, Drawing, Drawing;

2. Color: School, Stationery, Drawing, Drawing;

3. Photocopiers: stationery

In addition, pencils differ in overall dimensions, in the hardness of the core, and in the finish of the shell. Dimensional indicators include: cross-sectional shape, length and thickness of the pencil. According to the shape of the cross section, pencils are round, faceted and oval. Some groups or types of pencils are assigned only one cross-sectional shape; for others, different ones are allowed. So, drawing pencils are produced only faceted - hexagonal, copying pencils - only round; stationery can have any of the indicated shapes, as well as a three-, four-, octahedral or oval cross-sectional shape. The pencils are 178, 160, 140 and 113 mm long (with a tolerance of ±2 mm for these dimensions). The main and most commonly used of these sizes is 178 mm, it is mandatory for graphite pencils - school, drawing and drawing; for color - drawing and drawing; for stationery colored pencils, a length of 220 mm is also allowed. The thickness of a pencil is determined by its diameter, and for faceted pencils, the diameter is measured along the inscribed circle; it ranges from 4.1 to 11 mm, the most common thickness is 7.9 and 7.1 mm.

According to the degree of hardness writing rod pencils are divided into 15 groups, designated by letters and numerical indices in sequential order: 6M, 5M, 4M, 3M, 2M, M, TM, ST, T, 2T, ZT, 4T, 5T, 6T, 7T. The letter "M" denotes the softness of the writing rod, the letter "T" - its hardness; the larger the digital index, the stronger this property is for a given writing rod. On school graphite pencils, the degree of hardness is indicated by the numbers No. 1 (soft), No. 2 (medium) and No. 3 (hard). On carbon pencils - in words: soft, medium hard, hard.

Abroad, the degree of hardness is indicated by the Latin letters "B" (soft) and "H" (hard).

Graphite school pencils were produced in medium hardness, drawing pencils - of all existing degrees of hardness, colored pencils of all types - usually soft.

Graphite drawing pencils "Designer"

The color of the wood shell coating is also different for different pencils; the shell of colored pencils, as a rule, was painted according to the color of the writing rod; for the shell of other pencils, each title was usually assigned one or more permanent colorings. The color of the shell was of several types: one-color or marbled, decorative, with ribs or edges painted in contrasting colors or covered with metal foil, etc. Some types of pencils were produced with a decorative head, which was painted in colors different from the color of the shell , with a plastic or metal head, etc. Pencils with plastic or metal tips, with an elastic band (only graphite), with a sharpening of the rod, etc. were also produced.

Depending on these indicators (properties of the writing rod, cross-sectional shape, overall dimensions, type of finish and design), different names were assigned to each type of pencils and sets.

Graphite drawing pencils "Polytechnic"

Assortment of pencils

Pencils are divided into three main groups: graphite, colored, copying; in addition, there is a special group of special pencils.

Graphite pencils by purpose are divided into school, stationery, drawing And drawing.

School pencils - for school writing and drawing classes; three degrees of hardness were produced - soft, medium and hard - designated respectively by numbers: No. 1, No. 2, No. 3.

Pencil No. 1 - soft - gave a line of thick black and was used for school drawing.

Pencil No. 2 - medium hardness - gave a clear black line; used for writing and drawing.

Pencil No. 3 - hard - gave a pale grayish-black streak: it was intended for drawing and initial drawing work at school.

School pencils included pencils that had a metal nipple in which a rubber band was fixed to erase notes made with a pencil.

Stationery pencils - for writing; produced mainly soft and medium hardness.

Drawing pencils - for graphic works; produced according to the degree of hardness of the writing rod from 6M to 7T. Hardness determined the purpose of the pencils. So, 6M, 5M and 4M are very soft; ZM and 2M - soft; M, TM, ST, T - medium hardness; ST and 4T - very hard; 5T, 6T and 7T - very hard, for special graphic works.

Drawing pencils - for drawing, shading sketches and other graphic works: available only soft, different degrees of hardness.

Assortment of graphite pencils

colored pencils according to purpose are divided into school, stationery, drawing, drawing.

School pencils - for primary children's drawing and drawing work of elementary school students; were produced in round shape, in sets of 6-12 colors.

Stationery pencils - for signature, proofreading, etc., 5 colors were produced, sometimes two-color - for example, red-blue, mainly hexagonal, except for Svetlana pencils, which had a round shape.

Drawing pencils - for drawing and topographic work; produced mainly in sets of 6 or 10 colors; hexagon shape; coating color - according to the color of the rod.

Drawing pencils - for graphic works; several types were produced, differing from school ones in length and in the number of colors in sets, from 12 to 48, mostly round, except for drawing No. 1 and No. 2, which had a hexagonal shape. All sets had 6 primary colors, additional shades of these colors and usually white pencils.

All pencils produced in sets were packaged in artistically designed cardboard boxes with multi-colored labels.

Assortment of colored pencils

Copying pencils two types were produced: graphite, that is, containing graphite as a filler, and colored, the writing rod of which contained talc instead of graphite. Copying pencils were produced in three degrees of hardness: soft, medium hard and hard. Copying pencils were produced, as a rule, in a round shape.

Assortment of copying pencils

Specialty pencils - pencils with special properties of the writing rod or special purpose; produced graphite and non-ferrous. The group of special graphite pencils included "Carpenter", "Retouch" and briefcase pencils (for notebooks).

Carpenter's pencil was intended for marks on a tree when performing carpentry and joinery work. It had an oval-shaped shell and sometimes a rectangular section of the writing rod.

Pencil "Retouch"- for retouching photos, shading, applying shadows. The writing rod contained finely ground birch charcoal, as a result of which it gave a thick line of thick black color.

Four numbers were produced, differing in hardness: No. 1 - very soft, No. 2 - soft, No. 3 - medium hardness, No. 4 - hard.

Special colored pencils included "Glassographer" And "Traffic light".

Pencil "Glassographer" had a soft core, giving a fat and thick line; used for marks on glass, metal, porcelain, celluloid, for laboratory work, etc. 6 colors were produced: red, blue, green, yellow, brown and black.

Pencil "Traffic light" It was a type of colored pencils, had a longitudinally composite rod, consisting of two or three colors, which made it possible to get a line of several colors when writing with one pencil. Pencils were designated by numbers corresponding to the number of colors that the rod wrote with.

Names and main indicators of special pencils

Pencil quality

The quality of the pencils was determined by the conformity of the core, shell, finish and packaging to the requirements set by the standard. The most important indicator of the quality of pencils were: for graphite - fracture strength, hardness, intensity of the line and slip; for color - the same indicators and (color compliance with approved standards; for copiers - the same is the copying ability of the rod. All these indicators were checked with special instruments and in laboratory conditions. In practice, to determine the quality of pencils, the following requirements should be followed. The writing rod should have be glued into a wooden shell firmly and as accurately as possible in its center; the non-centricity of the rod was determined by the smallest, i.e., the thinnest part of the shell, the dimensions of which were established by the standard for pencils of the 1st and 2nd grades; the writing rod should not come out freely from the shell when sharpening a pencil or when pressing on it from the end; should be whole and uniform along its entire length, should not contain foreign impurities and inclusions that scratch the paper when writing, should not have any obvious or hidden cracks, should not should have crumbled during sharpening and writing.When sharpening a pencil, with vertical pressure on the sharpened tip of the rod, the latter should not give chips, i.e., arbitrary breaking off or chipping of the particles of the rod. The cross-sectional area of the rod at the ends of the pencil had to be even, smooth, without damage and chips. For colored rods, a line of the same color and intensity was required when writing along the entire length of the rod.

The shell of the pencils was made of good quality wood, without knots, cracks and other defects; should have low cutting resistance, i.e., it should be easily and softly repaired with a sharply sharpened knife, not break during sharpening and have a smooth cut surface. The ends of the pencils had to be cut evenly, smoothly and strictly perpendicular to the axis of the pencil. The pencil should be straight and even along its entire length, without deformation. The surface had to be smooth, shiny, without scratches, dents, cracks and varnish runs. The varnish coating should not crack, crumble and stick when wet.

According to defects in appearance, pencils were divided into two grades: 1st and 2nd; moreover, the writing properties for pencils of both varieties should have been the same. The 2nd grade included pencils in which the deflection along the length was not more than 0.8 mm, the chipping of wood or varnish film from the end of the pencil was not more than 1.5 mm, the chipping of the rod at the ends was not more than half the cross-sectional area of the rod - to a depth not more than 1.0 mm, the non-centricity of the rod is not more than 0.33 D—d (D is the diameter of the pencil shell along the inscribed circle, d is the diameter of the rod in mm), as well as scratches, dents, roughness and sags (width and depth not more than 0.4 mm) no more than 3 over the entire surface of the pencil, with a total length of up to 6 mm and a width of up to 2 mm.

Pencils were marked with bronze or aluminum foil on one or more faces. The marking had to contain the name of the manufacturer, the name of the pencils, the degree of hardness (usually in letters) and the year of issue (usually the last two digits of the corresponding year (for example, "55" means the release of 1955). On copying pencils, the marking contained the abbreviated word "Copy" On pencils of the 2nd grade, in addition, there should have been the designation “2 s.” The marking had to stick firmly to the surface of the pencil, be clear, legible, all lines and signs should be solid and not merge.

Pencils: Ruslan, Rogdai, Ratmir (factory named after Krasin)

Pencils were packed in cardboard boxes, mainly in 50 and 100 pieces of the same name and grade. Colored pencils for school and drawing were packed in sets of different colors of 6, 12, 18, 24, 36 and 48 colors in one set. Graphite drawing pencils, colored drawing pencils and some other types of pencils were also produced in sets of different contents. Boxes with pencils of 50 and 100 pieces and sets of all kinds were issued with a multi-color art label sticker. Boxes with sets and pencils of 10 and 25 pieces were placed in cardboard cases or packed in packs of thick wrapping paper and tied with twine or braid. Boxes with pencils of 50 and 100 pieces were tied with twine or braid or pasted over with a paper parcel. Boxes with sets of colored pencils were pasted over with multi-color labels, usually with art reproductions.

Pencils "Cosmetics" (Slavic State Pencil Factory MMP Ukrainian SSR)

Graphite pencils "Painting", "Youth", "Colored"

Set of colored pencils "Youth" - art. 139 out of 6 pencils. The price is 77 kopecks.

Set of colored pencils "Color" - art. 127 and 128 from 6 and 12 pencils. The price of one pencil is 8 kopecks and 17 kopecks, respectively.

Set of colored pencils "Painting" - art. 135 out of 18 pencils. The price is 80 kopecks.

Colored graphite pencils "Painting", "Art"

Set of colored pencils "Painting" - art. 133 out of 6 pencils. The price is 23 kopecks.

Set of colored pencils "Art" - art. 113 out of 18 pencils. The price is 69 kopecks.

Set of colored pencils "Art" - art. 116 out of 24 pencils. The price is 1 ruble 20 kopecks.

Depending on the material of the stylus pencils are divided into black (graphite), color and copy (ink). By purpose, pencils are divided into drawing, stationery, school, drawing, etc.

Drawing pencils are widely used in cartographic drawing: for auxiliary drawings, for enhancing a pale image on blue copies before drawing with ink, for field topographic surveys, etc. According to their drawing properties, drawing pencils are divided into hard and soft. Hard pencils are marked with the letter T, soft - M. According to the degree of hardness in ascending order, they are marked with a number: 6M, 5M, 4M, ZM, 2M, TM, T, 2T, ZT, 4T, 5T, 6T, 7T (pencils of foreign brands instead of the letter T have the letter H, instead of M- IN).

The quality of drawing to a certain extent depends on the correct choice of pencil. Too hard graphite leaves a hollow on the paper, too soft - it stains the paper. Pencils are used for cartographic work from 2M to 6T: 2M-2T - when drawing in wet and cold weather, on photographic paper and paper of lower quality, ZT-6T - on drawing paper of the highest quality and when working, in dry, hot weather, 2M-TM - for simple notes , sketches, shading.

On the right side of each pencil there is a marking consisting of the name of the manufacturer, the name of the pencil, the designation of the degree of hardness and the year of manufacture
From domestic brands, drawing pencils "Designer", "Architect" can be distinguished, from foreign ones - "K0N-1-NOOR" (Czechoslovakia).

Sharpening a pencil should be performed from the end opposite the marking (see Fig. 13). To do this, use various sharpeners, scalpels. First, the tree is cut by 30 mm, exposing graphite by 8-10 mm, then a graphite rod is sharpened on fine-grained sandpaper or a bar. The final polishing is done on drawing paper. A sharpened pencil should be in the shape of a cone.

Grinding graphite does not happen so quickly if you sharpen it with a spatula. This is usually done if there are many long lines drawn in the drawing. You need to work with a pencil with such a sharpening so that the sides of the sharpening are parallel to the ruler. Otherwise, the lines will be thick and of different thicknesses. When sharpening, keep the work area clean. Since pencils dull quickly, it is convenient to have 3-4 sharpened pencils when working. It is a good idea to have protective caps for pencils that protect the graphites from breaking when dropped or during transportation.

Recently, mechanical pencils with collet holders and a retractable lead have become widespread. However, not all of them can be used in drawing. It depends on the design of the holder, the availability of the necessary leads.

To erase pencil lines and clean dirty areas of the drawing, use erasers(erasers). They can be soft (pencil) and hard (ink). The composition of the latter includes abrasive substances. With a hard rubber band, weak traces of ink or paint are usually removed from the drawing. In topographic drawing, soft rubber bands are more often used. Erasing with an elastic band should be done carefully and in one direction, as strong pressure and multidirectional movements damage the surface of the paper. This is especially noticeable on low quality paper. With rapid erasing, the temperature of the gum and paper rises, as a result of which the graphite is smeared and rubbed into the paper - a hard-to-remove stain is formed. Therefore, rubber bands should only be used when absolutely necessary.

To remove small parts in the drawing, an elastic band with a sharp edge is used, for which a rectangular gum bar is cut diagonally. Contaminated gum is either trimmed or rubbed off on clean white paper. Over time, the gum becomes covered with a hard crust, which is also cut off. To soften the gum is sometimes placed in kerosene, but after that it must be kept in hot water to remove fat. It is recommended to store the gum in a case.

In production and in educational institutions is done in most cases. Therefore, it is important to remember a few general rules for working with it:
- sharpen the pencil from the end free from the inscription in order to preserve its marking. If you follow this rule, then all your pencils will be marked and this will help you in your work;
- drawing pencils have different lead hardness, which is indicated on the side surface near the end of the non-sharpening one:
- T, 2T and 3T (HB, H and 2H) - hard, the larger the number, the harder the pencil;
- M, 2M and 3M (HB, B and 2B) - soft, the larger the number, the softer the pencil.
- selection of the hardness of the pencil lead with the appropriate grade of paper ensures the drawing of lines, excluding the indentation of the pencil into the paper. This makes it possible, if necessary, to erase the line without leaving traces (ruts);
- at drawing with a pencil the correctness of its sharpening in the presence of a given grade of paper should ensure that lines are clear, clearly visible, of the required thickness. Drawing lines that are poorly visible, pale, gray leads to fatigue of the draftsman's vision. It is necessary to constantly monitor the preservation of sharpness and length of the lead, constantly undermine it. Planted sharpening leads to thickening of the lines. After the next sharpening of the stylus with sandpaper or a needle file, final finishing is done on some rough paper;
- when drawing lines with a pencil along a ruler, T-square or square, the pencil should be located in a plane perpendicular to the plane of the drawing or slightly inclined away from itself;
- when drawing lines with a pencil along a ruler, T-square or square, all lines should be drawn from left to right or from top to bottom. At the same time, the line is not brought to the end a little and it is already finished from right to left (from bottom to top). Thus, the best clarity of the line from beginning to end is achieved;
Initially drawing with a pencil it is customary to do in thin lines for this, pencils with a hard lead are used - T, 2T and 3T (HB, H and 2H). After approval by the teacher, outline it using soft lead pencils - M, 2M and 3M (HB, B and 2B) - with drawing with a pencil, the lines drawn must be in the light, they should not be covered from the light by a ruler, or a square, or the draftsman himself;
- when drawing lines and deleting lines, the draftsman's hands do not touch the surface of the sheet, only the working tool pencil, eraser and brush for removing debris touches it, so you can keep the surface of the sheet white.

What could be easier than a pencil? This simple tool, familiar to everyone since childhood, is not as primitive as it seems at first glance. Any artist must be able to draw with a pencil. And, more importantly, understand them.

Article structure:

Graphite ("simple") pencils are quite different from each other. By the way, "pencil" comes from two Turkic words - "kara" and "dash" (black stone).

The pen's nib is set in a frame made of wood or plastic, and may be made of graphite, charcoal, or other materials. The most common type - graphite pencils - differ in the degree of rigidity.

Pavel Chistyakov, professor at the St. Petersburg Academy of Arts of the 19th-early 20th century, advised to start by putting paint aside and practicing drawing “with a pencil for at least a year.” The great artist Ilya Repin never parted with pencils. Pencil drawing is the basis of any painting.

The human eye distinguishes about 150 shades of gray. An artist who draws with graphite pencils has three colors at his disposal. White (paper color), black and gray (color of graphite pencils of different hardness). These are achromatic colors. Drawing only with a pencil, only in shades of gray allows you to create images that convey the volume of objects, the play of shadows and glare of light.

Lead hardness

The hardness of the lead is indicated on the pencil with letters and numbers. Manufacturers from different countries (Europe, USA and Russia) have different markings for the hardness of pencils.

Rigidity designation

In Russia hardness scale looks like this:

M - soft;
T - solid;
TM - hard-soft;

European scale somewhat wider (marking F does not have a Russian equivalent):

B - soft, from blackness (blackness);
H - hard, from hardness (hardness);
F is the middle tone between HB and H (from the English fine point - subtlety)
HB - hard-soft (Hardness Blackness - hardness-blackness);

IN THE USA a number scale is used to indicate the stiffness of a pencil:

#1 - corresponds to B - soft;
#2 - corresponds to HB - hard-soft;
#2½ - corresponds to F - medium between hard-soft and hard;
#3 - corresponds to H - hard;
#4 - corresponds to 2H - very hard.

Pencil pencil strife. Depending on the manufacturer, the tone of the line drawn with a pencil of the same marking may differ.

In Russian and European marking of pencils, the number before the letter indicates the degree of softness or hardness. For example, 2B is twice as soft as B and 2H is twice as hard as H. Pencils are commercially available and are labeled 9H (hardest) to 9B (softest).

soft pencils

Start from B before 9B.

The most commonly used pencil when creating a drawing is HB. However, this is the most common pencil. With this pencil draw the basis, the shape of the picture. HB handy for drawing, creating tonal spots, it is not too hard, not too soft. Draw dark places, highlight them and place accents, a soft pencil will help to make a clear line in the picture. 2B.

Hard pencils

Start from H before 9H.

H- a hard pencil, hence - thin, light, "dry" lines. With a hard pencil, draw solid objects with a clear outline (stone, metal). With such a hard pencil, according to the finished drawing, over the shaded or shaded fragments, thin lines are drawn, for example, strands are drawn in the hair.

The line drawn with a soft pencil has a slightly loose contour. A soft lead will allow you to reliably draw representatives of the fauna - birds, hares, cats, dogs.

If it is necessary to choose between a hard or soft pencil, artists take a pencil with a soft lead. An image drawn with such a pencil is easy to shade with a piece of thin paper, a finger or an eraser. If necessary, you can finely sharpen the graphite lead of a soft pencil and draw a thin line similar to the line from a hard pencil.

The figure below shows more clearly the hatching of different pencils:

Hatching and drawing

Strokes on paper are drawn with a pencil inclined at an angle of about 45 ° to the plane of the sheet. To make the line bolder, you can rotate the pencil around the axis.

Light areas are shaded with a hard pencil. Dark areas are correspondingly soft.

It is inconvenient to hatch with a very soft pencil, as the stylus quickly becomes dull and the fineness of the line is lost. The way out is to either sharpen the point very often, or use a harder pencil.

When drawing, they gradually move from light areas to dark ones, since it is much easier to darken a part of the drawing with a pencil than to make a dark place lighter.

Please note that the pencil must be sharpened not with a simple sharpener, but with a knife. The lead should be 5-7mm long, which allows you to tilt the pencil and achieve the desired effect.

Graphite pencil lead is a fragile material. Despite the protection of the wooden shell, the pencil requires careful handling. When dropped, the lead inside the pencil breaks into pieces and then crumbles during sharpening, making the pencil unusable.

Nuances to know when working with pencils

For hatching at the very beginning, you should use a hard pencil. Those. the driest lines are made with a hard pencil.

The finished drawing is drawn with a soft pencil to give it richness and expressiveness. Soft pencil leaves dark lines.

The more you tilt the pencil, the wider its mark will be. However, with the advent of pencils with a thick lead, this need is no longer necessary.

If you do not know how the final drawing will look like, it is recommended to start with a hard pencil. With a hard pencil, you can gradually dial the desired tone. At the very beginning, I myself made the following mistake: I took too soft a pencil, which made the drawing dark and incomprehensible.

Pencil frames

Of course, the classic version is a lead in a wooden frame. But now there are also plastic, varnished and even paper frames. The lead on these pencils is thick. On the one hand, this is good, but on the other hand, such pencils are easy to break if put in a pocket or dropped unsuccessfully.

Although there are special cases for carrying pencils (for example, I have a set of KOH-I-NOOR Progresso black lead pencils - good, solid packaging, like a pencil case).