You can buy sets that have just a few of these or larger ones that have a complete range of lead hardnesses. Although they can be purchased separately, the best way to begin is to buy a set that includes the different grades. If you’re serious about taking your drawings to the next level, there are several ways to choose professional-grade pencils. While the softer B pencils (6B and up) are generally considered the best for shading, there's no reason to discount the harder H pencils, since everyone applies pressure to their pencils differently. For highly complex and realistic drawings, an artist will use pencils in all grades. The higher numbered B pencils can accomplish a range of dark values for adding shadows and contrast within a drawing. Very light pencils, such as 6H, are also preferred for making the preliminary sketches for watercolor painting as they won’t show through the paint. These pencils allow you to draw your initial composition and erase it if necessary without damage to your paper or canvas. For preliminary sketches that will be used as a guide for a painting or illustration, the lighter 2H–4H pencils are ideal. For simple sketching, the HB pencil is probably the most popular, with artists also favoring the H and the B pencils. The best way to discover which pencil is best for which situation is to experiment with them. Many artist love it for its ability to be smeared or smudged in a way that graphite can’t. Charcoal is substantially darker and flakier than graphite. ![]() The next pencil is a 2B, then 3B, 4B and so on, up to as high as 12B.Īlthough 12B is considered a very dark pencil, you can actually get a darker mark with charcoal pencils. The first pencil in this category is the one next to the HB, and is considered the number one B pencil. As the number increases, so too, does the softness of the lead, making each subsequent pencil darker and darker. This category proceeds from the center to the right, getting darker as the numbers progress. The next pencil is a 2H, then 3H, 4H and so on, up to 6H. It is considered the number one H pencil but is designated as simply H, without a number. The first pencil in this category is the one right next to the HB. Therefore, as the number increases, so too, does the density, making each subsequent pencil lighter and lighter. As the pencils proceed from the center, or HB, pencil to the left, they get lighter. Within both categories, you have numbers that designate their density. Left of center is where you’ll find the H category and right of center is where the B category starts. It is the closest thing to an equal mixture you’ll get. You can think of it as the “Goldilocks pencil” -not too hard, not too soft, but just right. To make it easier to understand, let’s start at the center of the scale. Within each category, the hardness or softness of the lead is determined by numbers on a scale.
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