Decide what you need pencils for.

• What are you going to do with a pencil? Will you be writing a lot? Or do homework? Or maybe solve crossword puzzles? Or make sketches and draw full-fledged paintings?
• How hard do you press your pencil when you write or draw?
• Do you prefer a thin line or a thick one?
• Do you regularly lose pencils, give them to others, chew them, or ruin them, or do you try to save your pencils and store them exclusively in your pencil case?
• Do you carry pencils in your pocket and risk cutting yourself from the tip of the lead?
• Do you try to keep the eraser on your pencil, or does it tend to get lost? Do you rarely use your eraser and it just dries out?

Pay attention to what you like and don't like about the pencils you use. Perhaps some are very comfortable to hold in your hand, while others, on the contrary, find it difficult to move along a sheet of paper.

Think about what you like best: mechanical pencil or traditional.

• Mechanical pencils do not need to be sharpened, but they do require replacement leads of the correct thickness. As a rule, when about 1 centimeter remains of the stylus, it can no longer be used.
• Mechanical pencils produce fine, even lines, which may be preferable when creating technical drawings or fine drawings.
• The length of a mechanical pencil does not change over time.
• Mechanical pencils are usually more expensive than traditional ones, especially high-quality ones designed to last for a long time. Most often, mechanical pencils provide the ability to replace the lead and eraser, which allows you to use them for a very long time.
• Regular pencils are usually cheap. The thickness of the line may vary depending on the angle of inclination and the degree of dullness of the lead.
• The advantages of regular pencils are their low cost, availability and ease of use. Many people also like the feel of using a regular pencil.

Decide on the thickness of the lead when choosing a mechanical pencil.

• If you're a bit clumsy and tend to use a lot of pressure on your pencil, try a 0.9mm thick lead. Pencils with 0.9mm lead are usually darker than others because the lead is almost twice as thick as regular lead.
• The 0.5mm thick lead is designed for those who prefer light movements. These pencils allow you to make even very small drawings neat and detailed.
• Thickness 0.7mm is the average option.
• Artists and draftsmen may be interested in other lead sizes, but remember that thick leads require sharpening, even if it is a mechanical pencil lead, and thin leads can be very fragile.
• Generally speaking, a thick lead is a flexible solution because you can sharpen it to the desired thickness.

Write with comfort. Use pencils with a comfortable body. Some designs can prevent cramps, which is useful when writing long texts.

Select the hardness of the lead. Understanding hardness levels can be difficult because there are two different measurement scales that are not very well standardized. It is possible, however, to understand the basics of separating pencils based on the hardness of the lead.

Determine what other parameters your pencil should have.

• Should there be a built-in eraser? Do you need a cap?
• Which action is most comfortable for you to move the lead in a mechanical pencil? Pressing from above or from the side? By rotating a certain part of the pencil?
• How durable should a pencil's structure be?
• Is it comfortable to hold in your hand?
• How much does a pencil cost?

Use colored pencils for coloring, underlining, and other activities, including drawing on books.

• If you draw professionally, you should visit a specialty store and purchase colored pencils for artists. Although they are more expensive, the variety of colors is greater and the quality is higher.
• The highlighter pencil is a type of colored pencil. Although it has been superseded by marker, it can still be found in a good office supply store.

Pencils They 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, cross-sectional shape, 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 manufacture of color and copying rods, other types of raw materials are used, technological process partially changes.

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 dyes, mainly methyl violet, which gives a violet color when moistened, methylene blue, which gives a 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 with 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 coating also varies between 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 special group special pencils.

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

School pencils- for school writing and drawing classes; 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 drafting work 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 work; 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, of various degrees of hardness.

Assortment of graphite pencils

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

School pencils - for elementary children's drawing and schoolchildren's drawing work 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 white pencils.

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.

They were produced in four numbers, 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 "Glassographer" 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 indicator the qualities 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, it should be intact and uniform along its entire length, should not contain foreign impurities and inclusions that scratch the paper when writing, should 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 cause chipping, i.e., arbitrary breaking off or chipping of rod particles. 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; it should have low cutting resistance, i.e., it should be easy and soft to repair 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.

By defects 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, with a total length of up to 6 mm and a width of 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 letter designations) and year of issue (usually the last two digits of the corresponding year (for example, “55” means release 1955). On copying pencils, the marking contained the abbreviated word “Copier.” On grade 2 pencils, in addition, there should have been the designation “2 s “The marking had to be firmly attached to the surface of the pencil, be clear, clear, and easy to read; all lines and marks had to be continuous and not merge.

Pencils: Ruslan, Rogdai, Ratmir (factory named after Krasin)

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.

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 graphite pencils different hardness). These are 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. From manufacturers from different countries(Europe, USA and Russia) the marking of pencil hardness is different.

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). Using such a hard pencil, they draw on the finished drawing, on top of the shaded or shaded fragments. fine lines, for example, they draw 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 an excellent option even for professionals, 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!

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 early XVII V. 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 in early XIX V.

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 makes. 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, 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 a 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.

- Pencil placed in a frame of rolled paper - graphite in a frame of curled paper, which is unscrewed to release the lead.
- Rotary pencil - available in many types, with a variety of mechanisms that open the graphite tip.
- Pencil with clamped lead - a pencil for sketching with a very soft, thick or thick lead.
- Standard thick black pencil, known for many years as "Black Beauty".
- Carpenter's pencil - used by carpenters and builders to take measurements, make notes and sketch out new ideas.
- Graphite pencil or stick. This pencil is a hard graphite about the same thickness as a regular pencil. The thin film covering the tip from the outside turns away, revealing the graphite. A graphite stick is a thicker piece of graphite, like pastel, wrapped in paper that is removed as needed. This is a universal pencil.
- A watercolor sketch pencil is a regular pencil, but if you dip it in water, it can be used as a watercolor brush.

What is graphite.

Graphite is the substance from which pencil leads are made, but naturally occurring graphite is not placed in a wooden frame. Graphite mined from different deposits varies in thickness and varying degrees of hardness/softness. As you can see from the pictures, graphite is not intended for creating detailed drawings. It is more suitable for expressive sketches; graphite is convenient to work with a vinyl eraser.

Graphite pencil can be used for quick, heavy, dramatic sketches that use energetic lines, large areas of dark tones, or interesting textured strokes. This method of drawing conveys the mood well, but is completely unsuitable for drawing. It is better to draw large drawings with graphite: 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 be freely explanatory or expressive - that is, they themselves can be works of fine art, and not blanks 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.

Can be achieved different results, if you press them differently when working with a soft pencil and graphite. Pressing allows you to transform the image, either changing the tone or making the strokes more significant. Look at examples of tone gradations and try to experiment in this direction yourself. By changing the pressure on the pencil, try to change maximum amount image using various movements.

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 plans.

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 make more mistakes or repeat the same 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 highlight texture - a shining example Frank Auerbach's drawings serve this approach. 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.

- Vinyl eraser. Usually they are used to erase strokes with charcoal, pastel and pencil. It can also be used to create some types of strokes.
- Indian eraser. Used to remove light pencil marks.
- Ink eraser. It is very difficult to completely remove ink marks. Erasers for removing ink and typewritten text are available in pencil or round shapes. You can use a combination eraser, one end of which removes pencil, the other removes ink.
- Surface cleaners, namely scalpels, razor blades, pumice, fine steel wire and sandpaper, are used to remove stubborn ink marks from drawings. Obviously, before using these products, you need to make sure that your paper is thick enough so that you can remove its top layer without rubbing it into holes.
- Products applied to paper, such as correction fluid, titanium or Chinese white. Wrong strokes are covered with an opaque layer of white. After they have dried, you can work on the surface again.

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. So, applying whitewash is very convenient and cheap way remove ink, which is water-based, but white 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

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 indicate hard pencil in Russia they use the letter T. In Europe, accordingly, 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 skill, 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 to mention wooden pencil, dated 1683. In Germany, the production of graphite pencils began in Nuremberg. The Germans, mixing graphite with sulfur and glue, got a different rod 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 violating this prohibition, the punishment was very severe, including the 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 in late XIX century, Count Lothar von Fabercastle, noticing 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 a metal pencil in 1869. The graphite rod was placed in a metal tube and could be extended to the appropriate length as needed. This invention influenced the development the whole group 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).

Drawings graphite pencil They 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.