How to distinguish between hard and soft pencils. What are pencils? Other forms of artistic graphite

What are pencils 16.09.2017 21:52

Pencil (Turk. karadaş, "kara" - black, "dash" - stone, literally - black stone) - a tool in the form of a rod made of writing material- coal, graphite, dry paints and the like, used for writing, drawing, sketching. Often, for convenience, the writing core of a pencil is inserted into a special frame.

Types of pencils: graphite, metal, mechanical

Stationery stores always have a huge selection of pencils, and it would seem what to choose ... But it turns out that pencils are different: simple, metal, mechanical, graphite, colored, and so on.

graphite pencils

They are the most common types of pencils, usually in wooden cases. They are made from a mixture of clay and graphite and their hardness (blackness) varies from light gray to black.

Graphite pencils differ in the hardness of the lead, which is usually indicated on the pencil and is indicated by the letters M (or B - from the English blackness) - soft and T (or H - from the English hardness) - hard. A standard (hard-soft) pencil, in addition to combinations of TM and HB, is denoted by the letter F (from the English fine point). The degree of softness of pencils is denoted by the letter M (soft) or 2M, ZM, etc. Capital letter in front of M indicates greater softness of the pencil. Hard pencils are designated with the letter T (solid). 2T is harder than T, 3T is harder than 2T, etc.

metal pencils

The eternal pencil is an amazing know-how that can be compared to a perpetual motion machine. Its significant advantage over a conventional slate pencil is the fact that it is practically not written off and does not need to be sharpened. An endless pen that writes with metal (this is the second name for an eternal pencil) consists of a metal body and a rod that leaves a trace of tiny metal particles on paper.

The mark that a metal pencil leaves on paper is almost identical to the “simple” black lead pencil that can be bought at almost any store. The authors of the invention even managed to obtain different types alloys "hard" and "hard-soft", which on paper leave traces different from each other in saturation. It's like a pencil with the most common hardness HB and, for example, a softer 2B. Thanks to a specially selected alloy, the recipe of which the author keeps secret, the wear of the writing tip occurs after a longer period, without loss of brightness, in comparison with pure lead.

The tint left by a metallic pencil on paper may be more saturated with gray or blue tones. The saturation of the color depends on the abrasive properties and the weight of the paper. These features provide great opportunities for various styles writing and drawing.

Mechanical pencils

The definition of "mechanical pencil", which gives GOST, sounds like this: it is a hand tool for drawing and writing, in which the stylus is fixed and can be replaced.

If you read the history of the appearance of a mechanical pencil, then you have to thank the American Alonso Townsend Cross. He noticed that almost 2/3 of the material that makes up a simple pencil goes to waste when it is sharpened. This prompted him to create a metal pencil in 1869. The graphite rod was placed in a metal tube and could, if necessary, be extended to the appropriate length.

History of pencils

Beginning in the 13th century, artists used thin silver wire for drawing, which they soldered to a pen or kept in a case. This type of pencil was called a "silver pencil". This tool required high level skill, since it is impossible to erase what he has drawn. Another his characteristic feature was that over time, the gray strokes applied 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. The drawings made with a silver and lead pencil are characterized by a thin line style. For example, Dürer used similar pencils.

Also known is the so-called "Italian pencil", which appeared in the XIV century. It was a core of clay black shale. Then they began to make it from burnt bone powder, fastened with vegetable glue. This tool allowed you to create an intense and rich line.

Interestingly, artists still sometimes use silver, lead and Italian pencils when they need to achieve a certain effect.

So soft material voluminous and large works are perfectly drawn. Charcoal adds tenderness and softness to the picture, so these pencils well display the translucency of shades and the brightness of tones. They are easy to use, but then need to be coated with a fixative aerosol.

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

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

These pencils still create incredible masterpieces. Many novice artists begin to draw with watercolor pencils (soluble), although there is also a dry type. Exactly dry watercolor pencils you can achieve expressive clarity and impressiveness of the picture. 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 - ruin everything!

This material is almost similar to coal. Its most basic difference is its stability on rough paper, cardboard and canvas. The color of sanguine has red-brown tones, due to which each drawing will be colorful and warm.

The most common 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 fine lines. But the master of his craft has long known that a soft pencil - best pencil, because when it is well sharpened, it can easily perform the tasks of a hard pencil.
With this pencil, you can depict as clearly as possible small parts and give volume to the subject. And some born artists can even display 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. Manufacturers from different countries(Europe, USA and Russia) the marking of the hardness of the pencils is different.

In Russia hardness scale looks like this:

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

European the scale is somewhat wider (marking F has no 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 to 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 is good for painting, creating tonal blotches, it's not too hard, not too soft. To draw dark places, highlight them and place accents, a soft 2B pencil will help to make a clear line in the picture.

Hard pencils

Start from H to 9H.
H is a hard pencil, hence the thin, light, “dry” lines. With a hard pencil, draw solid objects with a clear outline (stone, metal). So hard pencil on finished drawing, on top of the shaded or feathered fragments, draw thin lines, for example, draw strands 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 core of a soft pencil and draw a thin line similar to the line from a hard pencil.

Simple pencils, differences. What is a pencil? This is a kind of instrument that looks like a rod made of writing material (charcoal, graphite, dry paints, etc.). Such a tool is widely used in writing, drawing and drawing. As a rule, the writing rod is inserted into a convenient frame. pencils can be colored and "simple". That's just about such "simple" pencils today we'll talk, or rather about what types of graphite pencils exist. The very first object, vaguely resembling a pencil, was invented in the 13th century. It was a thin silver wire soldered to the handle. They kept such a "silver pencil" in a special case. To draw with such a pencil, remarkable skill and skill was required, because it was impossible to erase what was written. In addition to the "silver pencil" there was also a "lead" one - it was used for sketches. Around the 14th century, the "Italian pencil" appeared: a rod made of clay black slate. Later, the rod was made from burnt bone powder mixed with vegetable glue. Such a pencil gave a clear and color-saturated line. By the way, this kind of writing instruments are still used by some artists to achieve a certain effect. Graphite pencils have been known since the 16th century. Their appearance is very interesting: in the Cumberland area, English shepherds found a certain dark mass in the ground, with which they began to mark sheep. Since the color of the mass was similar to lead, it was mistaken for metal deposits, but later they began to make thin sharp sticks from it, which were used for drawing. The sticks were soft and often broke, and dirty hands, so it was necessary to put them in some kind of case. The rod began to be clamped between wooden sticks or pieces of wood, wrapped in thick paper, tied with twine. Concerning graphite pencil, which we are used to seeing today, Nicola Jacques Conte is considered its inventor. Conte became the author of the recipe when graphite was mixed with clay and subjected to high temperature treatment - as a result, the rod was strong and, in addition, this technology made it possible to regulate the hardness of graphite.

Lead hardness Lead hardness 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, the hardness scale looks like this: M - soft; T - solid; TM - hard soft; The European scale is 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 - fineness) 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; ½ - corresponds to F - medium between hard-soft and hard; - corresponds to H - solid; - 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). Hard pencils Start from H to 9H. H is a hard pencil, hence the 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 core of a soft pencil and draw a thin line similar to the line from a hard pencil. 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 to dark areas, 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 that you should 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 classic version- This is a stylus 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 transferring pencils (for example, I have a set of black graphite pencils KOH-I-NOOR Progresso - good, solid packaging, like a pencil case).

A simple pencil is something so familiar that in childhood they drew on wallpaper, at school they made notes in textbooks and drew triangles on geometry. Most people know that this is just a "gray" pencil, those who had drawing at school know a little more about it, artists and representatives of several other professions who use pencils in their work know its real beauty.

A little about ordinary pencils.
In the usual sense, a simple pencil is graphite in a wooden shell. But everything is not so simple. After all " gray pencil" may have different shades, depending on the degree of softness of the lead. The lead consists of graphite with clay: the more graphite, the softer the tone, the more clay, the harder.
The pencils themselves are also different: in a typical wooden shell, collet and solid graphite.

Let's start with wood.
I will describe pencils and other materials that I have and use regularly. Not all of them look like from a shop window, but to understand that this is quite real =)
So, a set of pencils "Koh-i-Noor", 12 pcs. The company is familiar to everyone, these pencils are in any stationery store and you can buy them both in boxes and by the piece. Their price is quite democratic and affordable.
Pencils are good, but by the piece you can also buy a fake with a bad tree and lead.
This set seems to be for artists from 8V to 2H, but there is also the same one for drawing, it is dominated by hard pencils.

Pencil set "DERWENT", 24 pcs. Tones from 9V to 9H, some of 2 pieces of the same type (below I will write why it is convenient). In fact, I practically don’t use pencils that are softer than 4B and harder than 4H, since DERWENT pencils are already much softer than the same Koh-i-Noor, so I don’t even know what to draw, for example, with a 7B pencil, if it so soft that it leaves behind a graphite crumb.
Pencils are of high quality, sharpen well, do not break, however, at first you need to get used to their, hmm, smell. However, it fades after two weeks.

Pencil set "DALER ROWNEY", 12 pcs. Very soft pencils from 2H to 9V (see below for a comparison of markings) in a compact pencil case.

Pencils lie in two rows, so while drawing, you need to remove the top row

And, of course, "Faber Castell". There are no complaints about these pencils, but the increased softness is not inferior to "DERWENT".
We do not have boxed options for sale, there are only two series of piece.
Cheaper Series

And recently a slightly more expensive, but very stylish series has appeared. The "pimples" are quite voluminous and thanks to them and the triangular shape of the pencil it is very pleasant to hold and draw with them.

The softness of a pencil can be seen not only by marking, but also by the color of the head, which matches the tone of the stylus.

In addition to these manufacturers, there are many others (such as "Marco", "Designer", others) that for some reason do not suit me personally, but this is not a reason to ignore them, so you can try everything.
In addition to the sets, I buy the most used pencils of the same brand and the same brand as in the box.
I always have two pencils 2B, B, HB, F, H and 2H. This is necessary because when drawing, a sharply sharpened pencil is not always needed, so one pencil, for example, 2H, I have a sharp one, and the second one has a blunt rounded tip. A "blunt tip" is needed when you need to pick up the tone, while not leaving a clear trace of the stroke. This was not taught in the art school, but, as practice shows, it is very convenient and many artists, masters of a simple pencil, do this.

Collet pencils. They have already been written about a little earlier. I repeat again that they are good in any field conditions or on the road, and in the workplace it is better to draw with wood.
An indisputable plus of collet pencils is the thickness of the rod, more precisely, the variety of this thickness.
Pencils are available under the rod from 0.5 mm (07, 1.5, etc.)

And up to a very impressive thickness of the rods of soft techniques

Solid lead pencils. Entirely and completely composed of graphite in a thin shell, so as not to get your hands dirty.
Here I have "Koh-i-Noor" pencils, I don't see any others for sale. In principle, I use them even less often than collet ones, because they are not very convenient to sharpen and in few places there is a need to draw with the entire thickness of the rod. Another significant disadvantage is that they fight ...

A little about labelling.
Let's start with the fact that each company has its own. That is, the marking is, as it were, standard from 9V to 9H, but, as you can see in the figure below, HB "DALER ROWNEY" and HB "Koh-i-Noor" are two different HBs. That's why if you need pencils varying degrees their softness should be taken all from the same company, preferably in a set.
"Faber Castell No. 1" - the series is the one that is cheaper.
"Faber Castell No. 2" - with "pimples" (in fact, I don't have "F" of them, it would just be somewhere like that).

Actually, about the softness and hardness of pencils.
Hard pencils are H-9H. How more figure, the harder/lighter the pencil.
Soft pencils - B-9B. The higher the number, the softer/darker the pencil.
Hard-soft pencils - HB and F. C HB is clear - this is the middle between H and B, but F is a very mysterious marking, this is the middle tone between HB and N. Toli, due to its unusualness, or because of the tone, but I use this pencil most often (only "DERWENT" or "FC", in "Koh-i-Noor" it is very light).
There is also a Russian marking "T" - hard, "M" - soft, but I don't have such pencils.
Well, just to compare

Bottom line - DALER ROWNEY, the darkest pencils.
The penultimate line is Loki's "DERWENT-sketch", it's slightly different from mine (upper DW).
Third from the bottom - a few "Marco" pencils. They have the most alternative labeling because 6V is darker than 8V and 7V is lighter than HB. That's why I don't have them.

As an example of use - my drawing "Curious Fox"

The lightest tone is snow, it is drawn with an 8H pencil (DW)
Light fur - 4Н (Koh-i-Noor) and 2Н (FC №1)
Midtones - F (DW and FC#1), H (DW and FC#1), HB (DW), B (FC#1 and FC#2)
Dark (paws, nose, eye and ear contours) - 2B (FC#1 and FC#2), 3B (FC#1), 4B (Koh-i-Noor)

Eraser review -

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. 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, more importantly, understand them.

Graphite ("simple") pencils are pretty 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.

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). it 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, the hardness scale looks like this:

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

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

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

In the US, a scale of numbers is used to indicate the hardness of a pencil:

Corresponds to B - soft; - corresponds to HB - hard-soft; - corresponds to F - medium between hard-soft and hard; - corresponds to H - solid; - 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 to 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 is good for painting, creating tonal spots, it is not too hard, not too soft. To draw dark places, highlight them and place accents, a soft 2B pencil will help to make a clear line in the picture.

Hard pencils

Start from H to 9H.

H is a hard pencil, hence the 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.

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.

When drawing, they gradually move from light to dark areas, since it is much easier to darken a 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 during sharpening, making the pencil unusable.

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

"Constructor"

Well-proven inexpensive pencils are made of high-quality wood, the lead does not break and is easy to sharpen. Eco-friendly, easy to grip, and the stylus hardness markings always match the letters on the pencil (the last two are pretty obvious, but artists forum users often mention them in their descriptions).

Quite good, high-quality pencils, many artists are a favorite model. Sold in sets of 24 pieces. They have a strong body, sharpen well. As features of these pencils, their persistent and rather specific smell is noted, and also, sorry for the tautology, softness soft pencils. They are really much softer than similar models by other companies, the softest ones even crumble and smear a little. But in general, this is a great option even for the pros, very comfortable and high-quality pencils.

“Koh-i-noor”

High-quality, perfectly sharpened, these pencils are easily erased and do not break at all, even after repeated falls on the floor.

Sold individually or 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 favorite brand of pencils, then you can tell us about it in the comments.

Thank you for your attention!