What shape is the pencil? Which simple pencils are better?

A pencil is a graphite rod in a wooden frame made of soft wood, such as cedar, approximately 18 cm long. Graphite pencils made from naturally occurring unprocessed graphite were first used in the early 17th century. Before this, lead or silver rods (known as a silver pencil) were used for drawing. Modern form lead or graphite pencil in a wooden frame came into use at the beginning of the 19th century.

Typically, a pencil “works” if you guide it or press the lead onto the paper, the surface of which serves as a kind of grater, splitting the lead into tiny particles. By applying pressure to the pencil, the lead particles penetrate the fiber of the paper, leaving a line, or mark.

Graphite, one of the modifications of carbon, along with coal and diamond, is the main component of pencil lead. The hardness of the lead depends on the amount of clay added to the graphite. The softest brands of pencils contain little or no clay. Artists and draftsmen work with a whole range of pencils, choosing them depending on the task at hand.

Once the lead in a pencil wears off, you can continue to use it by sharpening it with a special sharpener or razor. Sharpening a pencil is an important process that determines the type of lines the pencil produces. There are many ways to sharpen pencils, and each of them gives its own result. An artist should try to sharpen pencils in different ways in order to know which lines can be drawn with a particular pencil. in different ways sharpening.

You need to know well the advantages and disadvantages of a pencil, like every material you work with. Different brands of pencils are used for specific purposes. The next section discusses some types of drawings, indicating what brand of pencil or graphite material they were made with.

The examples given give an idea of ​​the strokes and lines made different pencils. While looking at them, take your pencils one by one and see what strokes you can get with one pencil or another. Not only will you want to try each pencil and discover new drawing possibilities, but you will suddenly find that your “pencil sense” has increased. As artists, we feel the material we use, and this influences the work.

Materials and examples of strokes and lines.

HARD PENCIL

With a hard pencil you can apply strokes that are almost the same from each other, except perhaps in length. Tone is usually created by cross-hatching. Hard pencils are designated by the letter H. Like soft ones, they have a gradation of hardness: HB, N, 2H, ZN, 4H, 5H, 6H, 7H, 8H and 9H (the hardest).

Hard pencils are commonly used by designers, architects, and professionals who create precise drawings where fine, neat lines are important, such as when creating perspective or other projection systems. Although the strokes made with a hard pencil differ little from each other, they can be very expressive. The tone, like a soft one, can be created with a hard pencil by shading with cross lines, although the result will be a thinner and more formal drawing.

PROJECTION SYSTEMS FOR HARD PENCIL

Hard pencils are ideal for creating drawings. As we have already said, such drawings are usually carried out by engineers, designers and architects. Finished drawings must be accurate, dimensions should be indicated on them so that performers, for example craftsmen, following the instructions, can create an object according to the project. Drawings can be made using different systems projections, starting with a plan on a plane and ending with perspective images.

STROKES WITH HARD PENCIL
I do not give examples of strokes applied with 7H - 9H pencils.

SOFT PENCIL

A soft pencil has greater possibilities for tinting and conveying texture than a hard pencil. Soft pencils are designated by the letter B. A pencil marked HB is a cross between hard and soft pencil and is the main medium between pencils with extreme properties. The range of soft pencils includes pencils НВ, В, 2В, ЗВ, 4В, 5В, bВ, 7В, 8В and 9В (the softest). Soft pencils allow the artist to express his ideas through shading, texture, shading, and even simple lines. The softest pencils can be used to tint a group of objects, although in general I find that in this case it is more convenient to use a graphite stick. It all depends on what surface you want to apply the tone to. If it is a small drawing, for example on AZ paper, then a soft pencil will probably be more suitable. But if you want to apply tone to a larger drawing, I would advise you to use a graphite stick.

The only soft pencil convenient for making drawings that require high precision - the palm, of course, behind a hard pencil - is a pencil with a clamped thin lead.

OTHER TYPES OF PENCIL

In addition to the pencils described above, there are other pencils that provide much more opportunities for experimentation and discovery in the field of drawing. You will find these pencils at any store that sells artist supplies.

What is graphite.

Graphite pencil You can do quick, heavy, dramatic sketches that use energetic lines, large areas of dark tones, or interesting textural touches. This method of drawing conveys the mood well, but is completely unsuitable for drawing. It's better to draw with graphite large drawings: The reasons for this are clear to everyone. Graphite is a universal medium, and before you start working with it, learn more about its properties and features. Since it does not have an outer frame, its sides can be fully used. We don't have this option when we draw with a pencil. You will be pleasantly surprised when you see what you can achieve when painting with graphite. Personally, if I draw in a free and dynamic manner, I always use graphite. If you also draw with graphite in this manner, you will undoubtedly achieve great success.

DRAWING WITH SOFT PENCILS AND GRAPHITE

Unlike a hard pencil, a soft pencil and graphite can make thicker strokes and create a wide range of tones - from deep black to white. A soft pencil and graphite allow you to do this quickly and efficiently. With a soft, sharp enough pencil you can convey the outline of an object, as well as its volume.

Drawings made with these means are more expressive. They are associated with our feelings, ideas, impressions and thoughts, for example, these can be sketches in a notebook, as a result of our first impressions of an object. They can be part of our visual observations and recordings. The drawings convey a change in tone during the process of observation, or due to creative imagination, or express the surface texture. These drawings can also arbitrarily explain or express expression - that is, they themselves can be works visual arts, and not preparations for future work.

The eraser enhances the effect of a soft pencil. A soft pencil and eraser allow you to achieve greater expressiveness in your drawing. The eraser, used in conjunction with a hard pencil, is most often used to correct mistakes, and as an addition to a soft pencil and charcoal, it is a means of creating an image.

What are erasers?

As a rule, we first get acquainted with the eraser when we need to correct a mistake. We want to erase the place where the mistake was made and continue drawing. Since the eraser is associated with correcting mistakes, we have a rather negative view of it and its functions. An eraser seems to be a necessary evil, and the more it wears down from constant use, the more we feel it doesn't meet our needs. It's time to reconsider the role of the eraser in our work. If you use an eraser skillfully, it can be the most useful tool when drawing. But first you need to give up the idea that mistakes are always bad, because you learn from mistakes.

While sketching, many artists think about the drawing process or decide what the drawing will look like. Sketches may be incorrect and need to be corrected as work progresses. This happened to every artist - even to such great masters as Leonardo da Vinci and Rembrandt. Revision of ideas is almost always part of creative process, it is noticeable in many works, especially in sketches, where artists develop their ideas and designs.

The desire to completely erase the errors in the work and start drawing again is one of the common mistakes of beginning artists. As a result, they do more more errors or repeat previous ones, which causes a feeling of dissatisfaction, leading to a feeling of failure. When you make corrections, do not erase the original lines until you are happy with the new drawing and feel that the lines are unnecessary. My advice: keep traces of the correction, do not destroy them completely, as they reflect the process of your thinking and refinement of the idea.

Another positive function of the eraser is to reproduce areas of light in a tonal drawing done in graphite, charcoal or ink. The eraser can be used to add expressiveness to strokes that emphasize texture - a prime example of this approach is the drawings of Frank Auerbach. In these, the "tonking" technique is an example of the use of an eraser to create a sense of atmosphere.

There are many types of erasers on the market that can be used to remove traces of all the substances an artist uses. Listed below are the types of erasers and their functions.

Soft eraser (“klyagka”). Typically used for charcoal and pastel drawings, it can also be used in pencil drawings. This eraser can be given any shape - this is its main advantage. It helps develop a positive approach to drawing because it is designed to bring new things into the drawing, and not destroy what has been done.

Artist's safety measures.

When working with materials, do not forget about safety measures. Handle scalpels and razor blades with care. Do not leave them open when not in use. Find out if the fluids you use are toxic or flammable. Thus, applying whitewash is a very convenient and cheap way to remove water-based ink, but whitewash is poisonous and must be used with caution.

Pumice is used to remove marks that are difficult to erase. However, pumice should be used carefully as it can damage the paper. A razor blade (or scalpel) can scrape off marks that cannot be removed by other means. They can be used in case of emergency, because by removing unnecessary strokes, you can

Simple pencils for the artist

Any person who has ever written, drawn or drawn with a simple pencil is familiar with graphite.We are accustomed to considering simple pencils to be made of graphite, and do not think about what, but in realityThe lead of a graphite pencil is made from a mixture of graphite and clay, and is packaged in a body, most often wooden. Exactly toThe amount of clay determines the degree of hardness or softness of the pencil.

Graphite is a mineral that is a form of carbon. It is mined from various rocks, and its artificial analogues are also produced. The raw materials for this, for example, can be carbides, which are exposed to high temperatures, or cast iron, which, on the contrary, is gradually cooled to obtain artificial graphite.

The main line of dividing pencils by hardness is as follows: “H” pencils and “B” pencils.“H” pencils are hard, and the higher the number (it is placed next to letter designation, for example: 1H or 2H), the lighter the lines. TOA 6H pencil, for example, will be much easier to draw than a 2H pencil."B" pencils are soft and the higher the number, the darker the lines or strokes it will make. Which corresponds to the Russian markings “T” (hard) and “M” (soft).For drawing, pencils of softness “B” or “M” are usually used - if in our opinion.

Below diagramshows the full range of hardness graphite pencils, accepted in the West, which we also have to deal with constantly.“NV” means in Russian and corresponds in properties to the marking “TM” - hard-soft - and is the middle of the scale. The “F” marking corresponds to “TM”, it is just less common.

Hardness scale for imported pencils

The blackest (and most expensive) graphite still lacks the intensity of blackness; in addition, it, like graphite in general, is characterized by shine. A drawing made with graphite (especially hard) shines. Therefore, in some artistic works it is replaced by drawing, which gives an intense thick blackness and has no shine. That is why graphite is suitable exclusively for small, mainly landscape drawings, which are well preserved without (unless the graphite used for the drawing is too soft).

Other forms of artistic graphite

Two other forms of graphite that are commonly used in drawing are: woodless pencil And graphite bar(or sticks).

Wood-free graphite pencil. It is also known as “graphite in varnish”.

Bwood pencil(as you can guess) it is graphite without a wooden body. It is often sold under the name “graphite in varnish” or “graphite rods” (then they will not be varnished). Basically, the lead has a round shape. Woodless pencils need to be sharpened with a regular sharpener.They are made for drawing and painting and are usually on the soft side of the hardness scale, often in HB, 2B, 4B, 6B and 8B. Again, different manufacturers offer different degrees of hardness. With a wood-free pencil you can make both very thin and wide strokes, which are made with the beveled side of the writing tip.

Graphite bars (sticks)

Graphite drawing stones

Convenient for large images and for quickly covering large areas.They are also available in different degrees of hardness, and some manufacturers, such asCaran d'Ache(pictured above) make them in different sizes.

New disposable pencil with a wooden frame, the lead must be sharpened (sharpened) before first use. In addition to disposable pencils there are reusable mechanical pencils with replaceable leads in a permanent frame.

Pencilsdiffer in the hardness of the lead, which is usually indicated onpenciland is indicated by the lettersM(or B- from English blackness) - soft andT(or H- from English hardness) - hard. Standard (hard-soft) pencil in addition to combinationsTM And HBdenoted by the letterF(from English fine point). Softness levelpencilsdenoted by a letterM(soft) or 2M, ZMetc. Capital letter beforeMindicates greater softnesspencil. Solid pencilsdenoted by a letterT(solid). 2 T harder than T, ST harder than 2 T, etc.

Unlike Europe and Russia, in the USA a numerical scale is used to indicate hardness.

Hardness scale correspondence table

The hardest Average The softest

Usually they start pencilmedium soft -TM or M- and then move on to softer numbers" -2 M And ZM.

Choice pencilsdepends on quality and from creative task, which the artist sets for himself. For example, fast it's easier to make it softpencils, and when working on long time on like half-whatman, you can start with light ones pencils T or TM. On smooth fits better soft pencil, on rougher surfaces it is convenientpencilmedium soft -2 M.

History of pencils

Since the 13th century, artists have used thin paper for painting.silver wire, which was soldered to the handle or stored in a case. This type pencil called « silver pencil » . This tool required high level , since it is impossible to erase what he has written. His other characteristic feature it was that over time gray, applied silver pencil, turned brown.

There was also "lead pencil" , which left a discreet but clear mark and was often used for preparatory. For , completed silver and lead pencil, characterized by thin . For example, likepencilsused by Dürer.

Also known is the so-called"Italian pencil" , which appeared in the 14th century. It was a rod made of clayey black slate . Then they began to make it from burnt bone powder, fastened with vegetable . This tool made it possible to create intense and rich Interestingly, artists still sometimes use silver, lead anditalian pencilswhen they need to achieve a certain effect.

In the XV-XVI centuries. on parchment or painted with a silver or lead pin ( German Stiff - "base, tool"). A silver stylus is especially good for this purpose. It gives thin and clear and similar to a chisel. These are so dense almost do not wear off. Silver pin, or stylus , many people drew Italian artists as well as Northern Renaissance - R. van der Weyden, A. Dürer, H. Holbein (Holbein) Junior, J. fan Eyck.

In the era and XVI-XVII centuries artists preferred soft or liquid materials - , , , , . Since the end of the 14th century. began to use lightly burnt clay grayish slate ( "black chalk") or red-brown ("red chalk").

In the 17th century became widespread"Italian pencil" (French Crayon d'Italie). It was made from burnt bones , crushed into powder, with the addition of vegetable . " Italian pencil" (later -retouch) is capable of creating juicy black matte , and when rubbing - a wide scale transitions. This material was a favorite in creativity Venetian artists, for example Titian, it is convenient for them to make preparatory To . And " Italian pencil"artists painted - and romance of the late XVIII-XIX centuries.

known since the 16th century. First description pencilwas found in the 1564 writings on minerals of the Swiss naturalist Konrad Geisler. The discovery of the deposit dates back to the same time. in England, in Cumberland where sawed into pencil leads. English shepherds from the Cumberland area found a dark mass in the ground, which they used to mark their sheep. Because of, similar to 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 usually sold on the streets. Artists, to make it more convenient and the stick not to be so soft, clamped these « pencils "between pieces of wood or twigs, wrapped inpaper or tied them with twine.

The first document to mention woodenpencil, dated 1683. Production in Germany pencilsstarted in Nuremberg. Germans mixing with sulfur and , we received a different rod High Quality, but at a lower price. To hide this, manufacturerspencilsresorted to various tricks. In wooden casepencilat the beginning and at the end pieces of clean , in the middle there was a low-quality artificial rod. Sometimes the insidepenciland was completely empty. So-called "Nuremberg goods"did not have a good reputation.

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

At the end of the XVIII century, the Czech I. Hartmut began making pencil leads from a mixture and clay followed by firing. Appeared rods reminiscent of modern ones. By varying the amount of clay added, it was possible to obtain rods of varying hardness.

Modern pencil invented in 1794 by the talented French scientist and inventor Nicolas Jacques Conte.

IN late XVIII century, the English Parliament introduced a strict ban on the export of precious from Cumberland. For violating this prohibition, the punishment was very severe, including the death penalty. But despite this 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 mixing recipe 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 classificationpencils by hardness.

It is estimated that pencilwith a rod 18 cm long you can carry out 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).

Hexagonal body shape pencil suggested in late XIX century, Count Lothar von Fabercastle, noting that pencils round cross-section are often rolled off inclined writing surfaces.

Almost ²/ 3 material constituting a simplepencil, goes to waste when sharpening it. This prompted the American Alonso Townsend Cross to create in 1869metal pencil. the 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 mechanical pencil with a 2 mm lead, where the rod is held by metal clamps ( collets) - collet pencil. The collets open when you press the button on the end pencil, resulting in extension to a user-adjustable length pencil.

Modern mechanical pencilsmore perfect. Each time you press the button, a small section of lead is automatically fed. Suchpencilsno need to sharpen, they are equipped with a built-in (usually under the lead feed button) eraser and have different fixed thickness (0.3mm, 0.5mm, 0.7mm, 0.9mm, 1mm).

pencil have a grayish with a slight shine, they do not have intense blackness.

Famous French Emmanuel Poiret (1858-1909 ), born in Russia, came up with an aristocratic-sounding French-style pseudonymCaran d'Ache , with which he began 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 brandCARAN d'ACHE , based in Geneva pencilssharpened with fine-grained sandpaper), reminiscent italian pencil . Pencil « Retouch"There are four numbers: No. 1 - very soft, No. 2 - soft, No. 3 - medium-hard, No. 4 - hard. Rodspencil « Retouch» are made from finely ground birch charcoal, clay and a small amount of carbon black.Pencils « Retouch» give an intense, bold black feature , which shades well. , made in pencil "Retouch", may not be secured with a fixative. In addition to the black pencil "Retouch", another pencil is being produced "Painting» with marking 2 M- 4 M.

Pencil "Blueprint"

Except , in quality . Gives a blacker and more contrasting stroke, better perceived by various photocopiers. , produced for marking on wood, as well as"Carpentry". For this work " Carpentry» pencil Convenient due to its length and thick lead.

Italian pencil

Italian pencilis one of the types of freestyle pencils. Distinctive feature its a deep matte velvety black , easy to shade .

Italian pencilused when performing, and naked human body.
Italian pencilsknown since the 15th century. They come in hard, medium and soft.

WHAT A PENCIL CAN DO

graphic artist Stanislav Mikhailovich NIKIREEV

If we turn to painters, graphic artists, monumentalists and even sculptors with this question, then everyone would find in an ordinary simple pencil, in its artistic and technical capabilities, something of their own, beloved, and we would not hear a definite answer. But that's probably allwithThey say that the pencil was not invented in vain, and drawing begins with its help - in the form of sketches and sketches. A great many works of art were created pencil.

Pencildraw. But what isdrawing ? This question is not easy to answer briefly. Every significant artist makes his contribution to the art of drawing, although there is a general opinion about drawing as the basis, the backbone of fine art. I remember the words of the wonderful Soviet artist and teacher, academician E. A. Kibrik, with whom I was lucky enough to study. He said:

“It took more than a decade before I understood what drawing was.”

He had in mind the drawing of the highest, most difficult in its artistic style, realistic art, where line and stroke build objects, figures, landscapes in a volumetric, weighty, characteristic way.

Quite often I had to spend a long time working with pencils, plain and colored, and now I need to remember ( because it's mine creative path already at the age of three decades), what did I draw for them and how.

Drawing with a pencil with complete seriousness, devoting most of your creative time to this activity, is not easy. It is necessary to overcome the temptation of paints and colors and feel confident that you can express, along with clear constructiveness, a tonal and picturesque mood in a silver or black image. To decide on this means to win, the first, significant one. The second victory of extreme importance is when you are able to understand that an artist can create masterpieces not only with paints, but also with a pencil. Magnificent drawings will help you with this with the clearest clarity.

In the artist’s work, the pencil performs a great deal of auxiliary work, allowing one to make sketches, sketches, and quick sketches, which serve as a preparatory stage for works of easel and monumental painting, and prints. The work is responsible and extremely necessary. The maximum value of the qualities of a pencil is manifested in independent drawings, when the artist needs to express his ideas more fully and definitively. And the pencil will not let you down with its endless scale of elusive shades, delicate shadings and richly velvety spots, from the thinnest cobwebs to decisively tense, elastic lines. If we add to this the varying softness and degree of gray-black gradations, then the pencil’s abilities surpass any otherart material .

When working with pencils, I never feel annoyed that at some point they may be powerless to express my desires and intentions. Using a simple pencil, I studied casts, still lifes, portraits and figures of sitters during long sessions, diligently shaded and carefully worked out the details. But with a special desire I paint landscapes - grass, flowers, trees, earth, buildings. At the same time, I study not only their design, materiality,invoice , but I strive to convey different “moods” on paperlandscape .

The pencil is light and easy to make corrections, which is especially important when working in wildlife, and is almost indispensable on trips where you meet a lot of interesting moments, which I would like to capture, while it is impossible to use other artistic materials due to limited time.Line Andspot , which the pencil provides, help to easily and quickly record exciting moments and necessary details in the artist’s travel album.

It is difficult to imagine the life around us, so to speak, in black and white, without color. It turned out that I parted with watercolors and oils a long time ago, devoting all my time and energy to graphics, but I acquired a reliable assistant -color pencil, which fully satisfies my needs to work in color. The opinion has become stronger that colored pencil is poor and limited in color range. Is it worth demanding, however, from him complexity and wealth?oil painting ? But we must strive to use its capabilities to the fullest.

Sometimes drawing comes down to either imitating children's drawings, or admiring mannerisms: the sweep of a stroke, line, spot, pure
formal compositional solutions. Many professional artists sometimes paint as if on a break, while taking a break from painting or other activities. Hence the frivolous approach to pencil, the lightweight drawings that you often see at exhibitions.

When I first tried to work seriously with a colored pencil, as a student, I admired the unusual elasticity and texture of the lines and strokes.

I wanted to see the motif in sweeping and sometimes random lines and in no case allow shading. The paper breathed and the lines were really beautiful. But if the goals of art were reduced to solving such problems, then artists would, as they say, be a dime a dozen. Thinking about what I draw and why made me look at working with a pencil differently. Gradually, a different charm began to be revealed, other virtues, less flashy, but noble and necessary for the expression of ideas. The amazing ability of the pencil to convey the smallest objects and details with extraordinary clarity of form was revealed, while simultaneously enveloping these forms with the finest fluffiness of a stroke or coloring them with a rich, sonorous spot. This technique corresponded to my understanding of the world, and I could not achieve this in other artistic materials. It turned out that the color possibilities of a pencil are much wider and deeper when you try to convey the mood and state of a landscape. At the same time, a purely pictorial technique is used - scraping, when it is not possible to immediately guess the color, texture, and tone of objects. It would seem that the drawing is dry, in places it is careless due to scraping, but the completeness of the sheet, dictated by the content, and not by formal aspects, acquires true meaning and beauty.

In such work, many times he went so far from drawing with strokes and lines into purely shading spots that the sheet took on the appearance that artists casually call “oilcloth.” But if this technique is warmed by great, genuine love and passion for what was shaded so imperceptibly under the “oilcloth”, then, I assure you, the success of this discreet sheet is ensured with a greater guarantee than a “tasty” solution. This revealed the ability of a colored pencil to work in multiple sessions, starting a drawing easily and bringing it to a meaningful conclusion.

With each drawing I learn about new possibilities of the pencil. You just need to look carefully and sensitively at the small stylus in a wooden frame, and it will give you great joy and success.

I love a pencil because you can draw with it. I love him jealously, because he is capable of much more - drawing, writing. I love it for its amazing accessibility and simplicity, because I drew my first work from life with a simple pencil, and then the dream of becoming an artist arose in me.

What could be simpler than a pencil? This simple instrument, familiar to everyone since childhood, is not as primitive as it seems at first glance. It allows you not only to draw, write and draw, but also to create a variety of artistic effects, sketches, paintings! Any artist must be able to draw with a pencil. And, just as important, understand them.

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

The writing core of a pencil is inserted into a frame made of wood or plastic and can be made of graphite, coal or other materials. The most common type - graphite pencils - vary in degree of hardness.

The human eye can distinguish 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). This 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) mark the hardness of pencils differently.

Hardness designation

In Russia, the hardness scale looks like this:

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

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

B - soft, from blackness (blackness); H - hard, from hardness (hardness); F - this 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:

Corresponds to B - soft; - corresponds to HB - hard-soft; - corresponds to F - average between hard-soft and hard; - corresponds to H - hard; - 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.

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 thicker, you can rotate the pencil around its axis.

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

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

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 when sharpened, making the pencil unusable.

And a little about pencils, whose companies you may have known for a long time.

"Constructor"

Well-proven inexpensive pencils, made of high-quality wood, the lead does not break and is easy to sharpen. Environmentally friendly, easy to hold in the hand, the marking of the hardness of the lead always corresponds to the letters indicated on the pencil (the last two parameters are very obvious, but users of various forums for artists often note them in their descriptions).

Quite good, high-quality pencils; they are a favorite model for many artists. Sold in sets of 24 pieces. They have a strong body and sharpen well. The features of these pencils are their persistent and rather specific smell, as well as, pardon the tautology, the softness of soft pencils. They are really much softer than similar model numbers from other companies; the softest ones even crumble and smear a little. But overall this is great option Even for a pro, these are very comfortable and high-quality pencils.

“Koh-i-noor”

High-quality, excellent sharpening, these pencils are easy to erase and do not break at all, even after repeated falls on the floor.

They are sold both individually and in stylish metal boxes - in general, they are a pleasure to use. The only drawback is the price; they are often one of the most expensive in the assortment of a single store. By the way, they got their name in honor of the large Kohinoor diamond, one of the most famous precious stones in the world.

If you have your own favorite brand of pencils, then you can tell us about it in the comments.

Thank you for your attention!

Practical tasks on engineering graphics

Drawing lines and fonts

Graphic work No. 1

Graphic work № 1 , recommended for students of engineering graphics, is aimed at mastering the skills of drawing drawing lines, fonts and inscriptions, as well as familiarizing themselves with the basics of working with a compass.
In the process of performing the work, the student must complete the drawing frame, the main lines provided ESKD, drawing font letters and circles represented by various drawing lines.

The work is performed on drawing paper of the format A3 (420×297 mm).
To complete the work you will need hard pencils TM ,T , 2T , ruler at least 300 mm long, protractor, compass, square (to perform auxiliary parallel lines) , eraser, pencil sharpener.
The ruler and square should be wooden or plastic (metal ones strongly “cut” the pencil lead, leaving dirt on the drawing).

To perform high-quality graphic work, you must have a set of pencils, which must include a pencil medium hard (TM ), solid ( T ) and very hard ( 2T ). Wherein hard pencils are used for drawing thin lines in a drawing and for preliminary sketching the outline of an image, which is subsequently outlined with a medium-hard pencil.
Pencil markings adopted in different countries, is described below.

Designation of pencil hardness

In different countries, the hardness of pencils is marked with different symbols.
In Russia, pencils are marked with lettersM (soft) andT (solid) or combinations of these letters with numbers and with each other. The numbers before the letter indicate the degree of hardness or softness of the pencil. At the same time, it is intuitively clear that2M – very soft,M - soft pencil,TM – a pencil of medium hardness (hard-soft),T - hard and2T - a very hard pencil.

There are often imported pencils on sale, for which European or American markings are used.
In the USA, pencils are marked with numbers from 1 to 9 (fractional numbers are also used, for example: 2.5), and the number is usually preceded by a # sign (hash):#1 , #2 , #2,5 , #3 , #4 etc. The larger the number (digit) in the marking, the harder the pencil.

European markings for pencils are based on the letters of the Latin alphabet:

· B (short for blackness - blackness) - corresponds to the Russian marking under the letterM (soft);

· H (from hardness - rigidity) - corresponds to the Russian hardness markingT (solid);

· F (from fine point - subtlety, tenderness) - a pencil of medium hardness, approximately corresponds toTM . However, the combination of lettersN AndIN – NV also mean the average hardness of the pencil.

European markings provide a combination of lettersIN AndN with numbers (from 2 to 9), while, as in Russian markings, than higher figure, the higher the pencil property (softness or hardness) corresponding to the letter. Pencils of medium hardness according to the European marking have the designationN , F , NV orIN .
If there is a letter on a pencilIN with numbers from 2 to 9 (for example:4B , 9V etc.), then you are dealing with a soft or very soft pencil.
LetterN with a number from 2 to 9 on a pencil indicates its increased hardness (for example,2H , 7N and so on.).

Graphic work assignment №1 and a sample of the completed work are presented in the figure below.
Sample of work performed in full size can be opened in a separate browser window by clicking on the picture with the mouse. After this, it can be downloaded to a computer or printed on a printer for use as an assignment for students.
The task is presented in two versions:

· Option #1

· Option No. 2

The task is aimed at acquiring and improving the skills of drawing drawing lines and fonts, while their outline must meet the requirements stipulated by the standards ESKD And ESTD.

According to requirements ESKD The sizes of lines and fonts in the drawing must meet the following requirements:

· main solid thick line (for drawing a frame, title block, outline of a part or node - i.e., the main lines of graphic work) must have a thickness 0.6...0.8 mm; on large drawings this line can reach 1.5 mm in thickness.

· dashed line (drawing lines of an invisible contour)- performed in thickness 0.3...0.4 mm (i.e., twice as thin as the main thick line). Stroke length (4-6 mm) and the distance between adjacent strokes (1-1.5 mm) are standardized GOST 2.303-68;

· other lines (dash-dotted, wavy, solid thin - to designate axes, extension and dimension lines, section boundaries, etc.)- thickness 0.2 mm (i.e. three times thinner than the main thick one) solid line) .
Length of strokes in a dash-dotted line (axis designation) should be 15-20 mm, the distance between adjacent strokes is 3 mm.

· letter height fonts must correspond to the line allowed by the standard, while the height of lowercase letters and the distance between letters in a line correspond to the size of uppercase letters (capital) letters
Most often in graphic works format A4 And A3 type fonts are used IN with inclination angle 75 degrees, while the height of lowercase letters (which should be equal to 7/10 of the height of capital letters), is taken equal 3.5 or 5 mm (respectively, the height of capital letters is 5 or 7 mm).

· Letter spacing in the line should be equal 1/5 capital height (capital) letters, i.e. for capital letter height 5 mm distance between letters in a line - 1 mm, for capital letter height 7 mm- the distance between letters is approximately 1.5 mm .
When drawing letters, it is important to maintain the same height and slope in the line, as well as the distance between adjacent letters.