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Drawing pencils, often recognized as the familiar yellow No. 2 pencils, are commonly purchased in packs and used in schools. These pencils are not recommended for drawing, as the tiny particles in the graphite, or lead, contain reflective particles. These particles can cause your drawing to exhibit glare from certain angles or produce an excessively silvery, unrealistic appearance.

While these pencils can be useful for specific drawing techniques and parts of a drawing, they should not be used for the entire piece. Areas in which regular graphite pencils are suitable include shading the white of an eye, drawing glass, shiny or silvery metals, and smooth or glossy fabrics such as silk or satin.

It is important to note that although “ordinary” pencils contain graphite, there are also artist-quality graphite pencils available that are more suitable for drawing. The key difference lies in the filler mixed with the graphite, with varying amounts producing different levels of stiffness. Standard pencils have a hardness level in the middle of the scale, while artist pencils offer a wide range of fillers to choose from.

Drawing Pencil Grades:

• Extremely hard: 7H to 9H
• Very hard: 4H to 6H
• Hard: 3H to 4H
• Medium hard: H