Pencils are an amazing tool that is used for drawing and drawing work. For the job to be successful, it is important to know everything about the characteristics of this tool. It is necessary to understand what they are, what the hardness of a pencil lead is, and what effects can be obtained when using tools with different characteristics.

Types of pencils

Pencils are divided into two large groups: colored and graphite (simple). They, in turn, are divided into varieties. Let's look at each of them in more detail.

Classification of colored instruments:

• Colored. These are the most common tools that everyone probably used to draw in school. There are hard, soft, soft-hard.
• Watercolor. After painting, they are washed out with water to obtain a watercolor effect.
• Pastel. These are pastel crayons in a wooden frame. They are very soft. They are convenient because they do not stain your hands, are protected from frequent breaking of crayons, and also have a standard size.

Classification of tools with graphite rod:

• Simple. They are most often used in graphics (drawing with pencils). They have many different markings, we’ll talk more about them later.
• Coal. They are pressed charcoal for drawing in a wooden frame. The advantages are the same as pastels.
• Conte. They are almost the same as pastels, but have a different color palette: they come in black, gray, brown and other shades. White is also included in the color scheme.

How to determine the hardness of pencils

Now let's take a closer look at the graphite type. They can depict anything, and very realistically. The works turn out “alive” thanks to shading, correct application of tone, and the right pressure on the instrument. Therefore, the entire drawing or drawing as a whole depends on its quality and number.

The circuit is great for determining the hardness of pencils. A table will also work. To visualize and determine the density, you can use a table of pencil softness, and also determine the hardness using a special scale. By the way, you can draw such a scale yourself. To do this, you need to take all the tools that you have and alternately shade small areas of paper with them: from the darkest to the lightest or vice versa, in the middle there will be a marking H. B. Thanks to this scheme, you can easily navigate and remember the type of tool.

Markings and their meaning

First of all, you can see both English and Russian designations for the hardness of pencils. Let's look at both types:

Often, in addition to letters, markings contain numbers that indicate the strength of hardness or softness and tone. For example, there are pencils 2B, 3B, 4B, 5B, 6B, 8B. 2B is the lightest, 8B is the darkest and softest. The digital marking of hard pencils looks similar.

Applying tone to a drawing

Rules for applying tone are very important when drawing. This especially applies to graphics, because in it the work is created exclusively in one color scheme: black or gray colors in combination with white additions.

Graphite pencils , which exist to this day, were invented by a French scientist Nicola Conti in 1794. Typically, a graphite pencil is called a “simple” pencil, in contrast to colored pencils. Graphite pencils can be divided into two main types: soft And solid. The type is determined by the softness or hardness of the lead located inside the body of the pencil. The type of pencil can be determined by looking at the letters and numbers written on it. The letter “M” means the pencil is soft, and the “T” means it’s hard. There is also a type of TM - hard-soft. The degree of hardness or softness of a pencil can be determined by the numbers written in front of the letter. For example, 2M is twice as soft as M, and 3T is three times harder than T. In many countries abroad, for example, in England and the USA, the letters H or B are written. H means hard, B - respectively soft, and HB is hard-soft.

A striking example for comparing pencils can be seen in the figure:

The choice of pencil depends on the type of paper, on the work being performed and, also, on the personal preferences of the artist. For example, I prefer HB pencils from Faber Castell. It is more convenient to sharpen pencils with stationery knives. Historically, knives for sharpening stationery (pen) were called “penknives”. It is very important to protect pencils from falling. The impact may cause the lead to break into small pieces. It is also important to protect pencils from excessive moisture. When dampened and then dried, the pencil jacket may become deformed, which will lead to a violation of the integrity of the lead. There is also another type of graphite pencil called a “mechanical pencil”. They are convenient because they do not require sharpening. These pencils have a movable lead. Its length can be adjusted using a button. Mechanical pencils come with very thin leads (from 0.1 mm). There are also mechanical pencils with intermediate lead thicknesses. The thickest mechanical pencil lead I've ever gotten my hands on is 5mm. Professional artists often like to draw with such pencils.

Marking pencils by hardness

Pencils vary in lead hardness, which is usually indicated on the pencil.

In Russia, graphite drawing pencils are produced in several degrees of hardness, which is indicated by letters, as well as numbers in front of the letters.

In the USA, pencils are marked with numbers, and in Europe and Russia with a mnemonic combination of letters or simply with one letter.

The letter M stands for a soft pencil. In Europe, they use the letter B for this, which is actually short for blackness (something like blackness, so to speak). In the USA they use number 1.

To designate a hard pencil, the letter T is used in Russia. In Europe, the corresponding letter is H, which can be deciphered as hardness.

A hard-soft pencil is designated as TM. For Europe it will be HB.

In addition to combinations in Europe, a standard hard-soft pencil can be designated by the letter F.

To navigate these international issues, it is convenient to use the scale hardness correspondence table given below.

History of pencils

Beginning in the 13th century, artists used thin silver wire for drawing, which was soldered to a pen or stored in a case. This type of pencil was called a “silver pencil.” This tool required high level mastery, since it is impossible to erase what he has written. His other characteristic feature was that over time, the gray strokes made with a silver pencil turned brown.

There was also a “lead pencil”, which left a discreet but clear mark and was often used for preparatory sketches of portraits. Drawings made with silver and lead pencil are characterized by a fine line style. For example, Durer used similar pencils.

The so-called “Italian pencil”, which appeared in the 14th century, is also known. It was a rod of clayey black shale. Then they began to make it from burnt bone powder, held together with vegetable glue. This tool allowed you to create an intense and rich line. Interestingly, artists even now sometimes use silver, lead and Italian pencils when they need to achieve a certain effect.

Graphite pencils have been known since the 16th century. The first description of a graphite pencil was found in the 1564 writings on minerals of the Swiss naturalist Konrad Geisler. The discovery of a graphite deposit in England, in Cumberland, where graphite was sawn into pencil leads, dates back to the same time. English shepherds from the Cumberland area found a dark mass in the ground, which they used to mark their sheep. Due to its color similar to that of lead, the deposit was mistaken for deposits of this metal. But, having determined the unsuitability of the new material for making bullets, they began to produce thin sticks pointed at the end from it and used them for drawing. These sticks were soft, stained your hands, and were only suitable for drawing, not writing.

In the 17th century, graphite was usually sold on the streets. To make it more convenient and the stick not to be so soft, artists clamped these graphite “pencils” between pieces of wood or twigs, wrapped them in paper or tied them with twine.

The first document mentioning a wooden pencil dates back to 1683. In Germany, the production of graphite pencils began in Nuremberg. The Germans, mixing graphite with sulfur and glue, obtained a rod that was not of such high quality, but at a lower price. To hide this, pencil manufacturers resorted to various tricks. Pieces of pure graphite were inserted into the wooden body of the pencil at the beginning and at the end, and in the middle there was a low-quality artificial rod. Sometimes the inside of the pencil was completely empty. The so-called “Nuremberg product” did not enjoy a good reputation.

It was not until 1761 that Caspar Faber developed a method of strengthening graphite by mixing ground graphite powder with resin and antimony, resulting in a thick mass suitable for casting stronger and more uniform graphite rods.

IN late XVIII century, the Czech I. Hartmut began making pencil leads from a mixture of graphite and clay, followed by firing. Graphite rods appeared, reminiscent of modern ones. By varying the amount of clay added, it was possible to obtain rods of varying hardness. The modern pencil was invented in 1794 by the talented French scientist and inventor Nicolas Jacques Conte. At the end of the 18th century, the English Parliament introduced a strict ban on the export of precious graphite from Cumberland. For violation of this prohibition the punishment was very severe, up to death penalty. But despite this, graphite continued to be smuggled into continental Europe, which led to a sharp increase in its price.

On instructions from the French Convention, Conte developed a recipe for mixing graphite with clay and producing high-quality rods from these materials. By processing at high temperatures, high strength was achieved, but even more important was the fact that changing the proportion of the mixture made it possible to make rods of different hardness, which served as the basis for the modern classification of pencils by hardness. It is estimated that with a pencil with a lead 18 cm long you can draw a line 55 km or write 45,000 words! Modern leads use polymers, which make it possible to achieve the desired combination of strength and elasticity, making it possible to produce very thin leads for mechanical pencils (up to 0.3 mm).

The hexagonal shape of the pencil body was proposed at the end of the 19th century by Count Lothar von Fabercastle, who noticed that round pencils often rolled off inclined writing surfaces. Almost ²/3 of the material that makes up a simple pencil goes to waste when sharpening it. This prompted the American Alonso Townsend Cross to create in 1869 metal pencil. The graphite rod was placed in a metal tube and could be extended to the appropriate length as needed. This invention influenced the development of a whole group of products that are used everywhere today. The simplest design is a mechanical pencil with a 2 mm lead, where the rod is held by metal clamps (collets) - a collet pencil. The collets open when a button on the end of the pencil is pressed, resulting in extension to a length adjustable by the user of the pencil.

Modern mechanical pencils are more advanced. Each time you press the button, a small section of lead is automatically fed. Such pencils do not need to be sharpened, they are equipped with a built-in eraser (usually under the lead feed button) and have different fixed line thicknesses (0.3 mm, 0.5 mm, 0.7 mm, 0.9 mm, 1 mm).

Graphite pencil drawings have a grayish tone with a slight shine; they do not have intense blackness. The famous French caricaturist Emmanuel Poiret (1858-1909), born in Russia, came up with the aristocratic-sounding French-style pseudonym Caran d’Ache, which he used to sign his works. Later, this version of the French transcription of the Russian word “pencil” was chosen as the name and logo of the Swiss trademark CARAN d’ACHE, founded in Geneva in 1924, producing exclusive writing instruments and accessories.

Pencils 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, shape cross section, color and type of coating of the wooden shell.

In the USSR, since the fifties, pencils were produced according to GOST 6602-51. The quality was good. The current situation is quite 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) copying - the writing rod is made of a mixture of water-soluble dyes and a binder with graphite or mineral fillers; When writing, they leave a gray or colored line, which is difficult to erase with an eraser.

Stages of production of pencils from glued boards

Pencil production consists of the following main processes: a) production of the writing rod, b) production of the wood casing and c) finishing of the finished pencil (coloring, marking, sorting and packaging). The composition of graphite rods includes: graphite, clay and adhesives. Graphite is very easily soiled and leaves a gray or gray-black streak on the paper. Clay is mixed into graphite to bind its particles, and adhesives are added to the mixture of graphite and clay to impart plasticity. Screened graphite is crushed into the smallest particles in vibration mills. The clay is soaked in water. Then these components are thoroughly mixed in special mixers, pressed and dried. The dried mass is mixed with adhesives and pressed many times, 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 pieces of the required length, which are writing rods. The pieces are then placed into rotating drums, where they are rolled out, straightened and dried. Upon completion of 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 aims to give the rods, which have increased rigidity after firing, softness and elasticity, i.e., the properties necessary for writing. To impregnate graphite rods, lard, stearin, paraffin and different types wax. For the production of color and copying 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 dyes, 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, and the firing operation is eliminated. The strength of the colored rod is imparted by the pressing mode and regulation of the amount of binders introduced into the mass, and this, in turn, depends on the nature and quantity of pigments and dyes. For copying rods, water-soluble aniline dyes are used as coloring agents, mainly methyl violet, which gives a streak when moistened. purple, methylene blue, which gives a streak of greenish-blue color, brilliant green - a bright green color, etc.

The strength of copy rods is regulated by the recipe, the amount of binder and the pressing mode. The finished rods are placed in a wood shell; The wood must be soft, have low cutting resistance along and across the grain, have a smooth, shiny cut surface and an even, uniform tone and color. The best material The shell is made from Siberian cedar and linden wood. Wooden planks are treated with ammonia vapor (to remove resinous substances), impregnated with paraffin and painted. 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, at the same time giving them a hexagonal or round shape. After this, the pencils are sanded, primed and painted. Painting is done with quick-drying nitrocellulose paints and varnishes that have a pure tone and bright color. After repeatedly coating the shell with these varnishes, a durable varnish film is formed on it, giving finished pencil glossy, shiny surface and beautiful appearance.

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. Colored: School, Stationery, Drawing, Drawing;

3. Copiers: 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 cross-sectional shape, 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. Thus, drawing pencils are produced only faceted - hexagonal, copying pencils - only round; stationery can have any of the above shapes, as well as a three-, four-, octagonal or oval cross-sectional shape. The pencils are available in lengths of 178, 160, 140 and 113 mm (with a tolerance of ±2 mm for these dimensions). The main and most frequently used of these sizes is 178 mm, it is required 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 ones, the diameter is measured along the inscribed circle; it ranges from 4.1 to 11 mm, the most common thickness being 7.9 and 7.1 mm.

By degree of hardness writing rod, pencils are divided into 15 groups, designated by letters and numerical indices in sequential order: 6M, 5M, 4M, ZM, 2M, M, TM, ST, T, 2T, ZT, 4T, 5T, 6T, 7T. The letter “M” indicates the softness of the writing rod, the letter “T” indicates 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 numbers No. 1 (soft), No. 2 (medium) and No. 3 (hard). On copying 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 with medium degrees of hardness, drawing pencils were produced in all existing degrees of hardness, and colored pencils of all types were usually soft.

Graphite drawing pencils "Constructor"

The color of the wood cladding coating also varies depending on different pencils; the shell of colored pencils, as a rule, was painted according to the color of the writing rod; for the shells of other pencils, each name was usually assigned one or more permanent colors. There were several types of shell coloring: single-color or marbled, decorative, with ribs or with 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 eraser (graphite only), with a sharpened rod, etc. were also produced.

Depending on these indicators (the properties of the writing rod, cross-sectional shape, overall dimensions, type of finish and design), each type of pencil and set was assigned different names.

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 are divided into: school, stationery, drawing And drawing.

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

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

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

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

School pencils included a metal nipple in which a rubber band was attached for erasing notes made with a pencil.

Stationery pencils - for writing; Mostly soft and medium hard were produced.

Drawing pencils - for graphic works ; were produced according to the degree of hardness of the writing rod from 6M to 7T. Hardness determined the intended purpose of pencils. So, 6M, 5M and 4M are very soft; ZM and 2M - soft; M, TM, ST, T - medium hardness; 3T and 4T - very hard; 5T, 6T and 7T - very hard, for special graphic work.

Drawing pencils - for drawing, shading sketches and other graphic works: only soft ones are produced, various degrees hardness

Assortment of graphite pencils

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

School pencils - for beginners children's drawing and drawing works of schoolchildren junior classes ; were produced in a round shape, in sets of 6-12 colors.

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

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

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

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

Assortment of colored pencils

Copying pencils They were produced in two types: graphite, i.e., containing graphite as a filler, and colored, the writing rod of which contained talc instead of graphite. Copying pencils were made 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

Special pencils - pencils with special properties of a writing rod or special purpose; graphite and non-ferrous ones were produced. The group of special graphite pencils included “Joiner”, “Retouch” and briefcase pencils (for notebooks).

Pencil "Carpenter" intended for marks on wood when performing carpentry and joinery work. It had an oval shell and sometimes a rectangular cross-section of the writing rod.

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

Issued four rooms, differing in hardness: No. 1 - very soft, No. 2 - soft, No. 3 - medium hard, No. 4 - hard.

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

Pencil "Steklograf" had a soft shaft, giving a fat and thick line; used for marks on glass, metal, porcelain, celluloid, for laboratory studies, etc. Available in 6 colors: red, blue, green, yellow, brown and black.

Pencil "Traffic Light" was a type of colored pencils, had a longitudinally composite rod consisting of two or three colors, which made it possible to write with one pencil in several colors. Pencils were designated by numbers corresponding to the number of colors with which the rod was written.

Names and main indicators of special pencils

Pencil quality

The quality of pencils was determined by the compliance of the searching core, casing, finishing and packaging with the requirements established by the standard. The most important indicators of the quality of pencils were: for graphite pencils - breaking strength, hardness, line intensity and glide; for color - the same indicators and (color compliance with approved standards; for copying - the same is the copying ability of the rod. All these indicators were tested with special instruments and in laboratory conditions. In practice, to determine the quality of pencils, one should be guided by the following requirements. The writing rod should be glued into a wooden shell firmly and as accurately as possible in its center; the eccentricity of the rod was determined by the smallest, i.e., 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; must be intact and uniform along its entire length, must not contain foreign impurities and inclusions that scratch the paper when writing, must not have any obvious or hidden cracks, 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 have chipped, i.e., arbitrarily breaking off or chipping off particles of the rod. The cross-sectional area of ​​the rod at the ends of the pencil had to be even, smooth, without damage or chips. For colored rods, writing strokes of the same color and intensity were required along the entire length of the rod.

The shell of the pencils was made of good quality wood, without knots, cracks or other defects; should have low cutting resistance, i.e., be easily and softly repaired with a sharpened knife, not break when sharpened, 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 or varnish sagging. The varnish coating should not crack, crumble or stick when wet.

Based on defects in appearance, pencils were divided into two grades: 1st and 2nd; Moreover, the writing properties for both types of pencils had to be the same. The 2nd grade included pencils in which the arrow of deflection along the length is no more than 0.8 mm, the chip of wood or varnish film from the end of the pencil is no more than 1.5 mm, the chip of the rod at the ends is no more than half the cross-sectional area of ​​the rod - to the depth no more than 1.0 mm, eccentricity of the rod no 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 sagging (width and depth no more than 0.4 mm) no more than 3 over the entire surface of the pencil, total length up to 6 mm and width up to 2 mm.

The pencils were marked with bronze or aluminum foil on one or more edges. The marking had to contain the name of the manufacturer, the name of the pencils, the degree of hardness (usually in letter designations) and the year of manufacture (usually the last two digits of the corresponding year (for example, “55” means 1955). On copying pencils, the marking contained the abbreviated word “Copier” On grade 2 pencils, in addition, there had to be the designation “2 s.” The marking had to stick firmly to the surface of the pencil, be clear, clear, and easy to read, all lines and signs had to be solid and not merge.

Pencils: Ruslan, Rogdai, Ratmir (Krasin factory)

Pencils were packed in cardboard boxes, mainly 50 and 100 pieces of the same name and type. Colored school and drawing pencils were packaged 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 of pencils of 50 and 100 pieces and sets of all types were decorated with a multi-color artistic label. 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 covered with a paper parcel. Boxes with sets of colored pencils were covered with multicolor labels, usually with art reproductions.

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

Graphite pencils "Painting", "Youth", "Color"

Set of colored pencils "Youth" - art. 139 out of 6 pencils. Price 77 kopecks.

Set of colored pencils "Colored" - 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 of 18 pencils. Price 80 kopecks.

Graphite colored pencils "Painting", "Art"

Set of colored pencils "Painting" - art. 133 of 6 pencils. Price 23 kopecks.

Set of colored pencils "Art" - art. 113 out of 18 pencils. Price 69 kopecks.

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

This soft material is great for drawing voluminous and large works. Charcoal adds tenderness and softness to the picture, so these pencils display well the translucency of shades and the brightness of tones. They are easy to use, but in the future they need to be coated with a fixing aerosol.

Well, it is clear that these are the most popular pencils in the world, and they are incomparable. But for such art you will need medium-textured paper, since on very soft paper the pencil will crumble, and on rough paper it will be difficult to draw.

Pastels, both in crayons and pencil forms, are very popular as they are an excellent medium for creating fine details and outlines in a drawing. In addition, they make excellent backgrounds (with crayons). Very easy to use.

These pencils are still used to create incredible masterpieces. Many beginning artists start drawing with watercolor pencils (soluble), although there is also a dry type. It is with dry watercolor pencils that you can achieve expressive clarity and impressiveness of the drawing. To achieve maximum brightness, it is enough to draw with this pencil in thick layers.
Tip: A sharp pencil and wet paper are incompatible things. It is not recommended to do this - you will ruin everything!

This material is almost similar to coal. Its most important difference is its stability on rough paper, cardboard and canvas. The color of sanguine has red-brown tones, making each design colorful and warm.

The most ordinary and at the same time one of the most popular pencils, with the help of which great works are created, although this is not an easy task. They vary in hardness, soft ones perfectly depict dark and clear lines, and hard ones depict thin lines. But the master of his craft has long known that a soft pencil is the best pencil, because when it is well sharpened, it can perform the tasks of a hard pencil without much difficulty.
With this pencil you can depict as clearly as possible small parts and give volume to the subject. And some natural artists can even depict the structure and material itself.

Graphite pencils, in turn, vary in degree of hardness.

Lead hardness

The hardness of the lead is indicated on the pencil with letters and numbers. From manufacturers from different countries(Europe, USA and Russia) the marking of pencil hardness is different.

In Russia The hardness scale looks like this:

• M - soft;
• T - hard;
• TM - hard-soft;

European the scale is slightly wider (marking F does not have Russian correspondence):

• 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 hardness of a pencil:

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

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

In Russian and European pencil markings, 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. You can find pencils on sale ranging from 9H (hardest) to 9B (softest).

Soft pencils

Start from B to 9B.

The most commonly used pencil when creating a drawing is HB. However, this is the most common pencil. Use this pencil to draw the base and shape of the drawing. HB is comfortable for drawing, creating tonal spots, it is not too hard, not too soft. A soft 2B pencil will help you draw dark areas, highlight them and place accents, and make a clear line in the drawing.

Hard pencils

Start from H to 9H.
H is a hard pencil, hence the thin, light, “dry” lines. Use a hard pencil to draw solid objects with a clear outline (stone, metal). With such a hard pencil, thin lines are drawn over the finished drawing, on top of the shaded or shaded fragments, for example, strands in the hair.
The line drawn with a soft pencil has a slightly loose outline. A soft stylus will allow you to reliably draw representatives of the fauna - birds, hares, cats, dogs.
If you need to choose between a hard or soft pencil, artists take a pencil with a soft lead. An image drawn with such a pencil can be easily shaded with a piece of thin paper, a finger or an eraser. If necessary, the graphite rod can be finely sharpened soft pencil and draw a thin line similar to the line from a hard pencil.