Materials and References
In addition to the right supplies, you need something to draw from. Whether it’s a photograph, still life setup, live model or a trip to the great outdoors for some plein air sketching (and maybe a little bug-slapping), the inspiration for your artwork can come in many different forms.
Your cheerful yellow No. 2 pencil usually contains an HB lead. It would perform just fine as a drawing pencil, but ask yourself, is it really cool? No, buying a sparkly version doesn’t make it better. You need stuff, remember? There are quite a few pencil choices to consider:
• Mechanical pencils come in a variety of colors and are easily found in most art stores. They usually consist of a plastic holder and a fine HB lead that advances by clicking on an end or side button. They create consistent lines of equal width.
• Lead holders are available in the drafting section of most office supply stores and come with an HB lead. Various grades of 2mm lead can be purchased and easily placed into the holder. The main difference between lead holders and mechanical pencils is that a mechanical pencil cannot be sharpened. Unlike a lead holder, its tip is very small and will break if you apply too much pressure.
• Graphite and charcoal pencils differ in several ways. Graphite pencils, often called lead pencils, consist of ground graphite mixed with clay and placed in a wooden holder. They are available in many grades, although there is a slight difference in the darkness among brands. They often create a shine in the drawing as light hits the surface. Charcoal pencils have more “drag” when you use them, may be more difficult to erase, and create a different appearance in your drawing. They often come in only three or four degrees of darkness.
• Carbon pencils combine the darkness of charcoal with the smoothness of graphite and may be combined with either graphite or charcoal in a single drawing.
• Ebony pencils are very dark, smooth graphite pencils. Many artists love these pencils, but they may limit your ability to build subtle tones.
• Wash pencils are water-soluble graphite pencils. They may be applied to wet or dry watercolor paper. You can also apply a wash of clean water for different effects.
There are about twenty grades of graphite available, ranging from the lightest and hardest at one end of the scale (9H), to the softest and darkest at the other end (9B). The HB lead in your yellow pencil is medium-grade, workable lead (or, technically, graphite). Your choice of pencil is determined by your drawing style and paper choice.
Psssssst!
We will be using only four types of graphite in this book: 2H, HB, 4B and 6B. Purchase several 6B pencils; they wear out fast.
Fancy Stuff
Drawing sets are very nice and make wonderful gifts, but they’re not necessary for drawing. If you purchase a kit, be sure it looks like you’ll try most of its supplies, because some contain pencils you may never use.
Get the Point
Compare the point on a lead holder with the point on a regular drawing pencil and a mechanical pencil.
HOW TO USE LEAD HOLDERS
Lead holders are our choice for drawing because they form a sharp point.
1. Expose the Correct Amount of Lead
The top of the lead pointer has two small holes. Release some of the lead from the holder and place it into one of the holes.
2. Correct Length
The size of the hole is the exact amount of lead you will need to sharpen. Slide the extra lead back into your pencil until the metal tip rests on the sharpener.
3. Ready to Go
You now have the exact amount of graphite exposed.
Product details
- ASIN : B08P1KLPQZ
- Publisher : Independently published (November 23, 2020)
- Language: : English
- Paperback : 62 pages
- ISBN-13 : 979-8570173781
- Item Weight : 6.1 ounces
- Dimensions : 7 x 0.16 x 10 inches