Which pencil should I when drawing?

[Mick2006]

I have always used 2B and HB pencils for my drawings but I have noticed that some of the lines in my drawings look lighter or darker in some areas. It really depends on the pressure I put on the pencil when drawing or how sharp the pencil is. Can I ask some of you art experts if 2B and HB are the right pencils for drawing? or what would you recommend instead? and also what would type of pencil is best used for shading?

[rattsang]

hb and 2b are fine pencils. really the type of paper is more important as you will find different papers take the graphite in different ways, your drawing quality has little to do with your pencil its more about how you use it.

[evildisco]

It doesn't matter. Whatever feels comfortable to you and makes the line you want. As much as teachers and other people will tell you use this or that, you won't until you want to try it for yourself. I stuck to various thicknesses of HB mechanical pencils and it works just fine.

[Psypomp]

It's really not the tool that matters, just how you use it. Mechanical pencils are awesome, and I think that switching from one drawing pencil to another during a drawing is way too fussy. Rattsang is right, though. Some papers will take graphite too easily (my ProArt sketchbook has this problem), some will be too smooth for blending. Try out a few types and see what you like (also applies to pencils).

[rpace]

Pencils are tools like any other; use the right tools for the job at hand.

If you want a real full range of values and HB and 2B aren't going to do the job. The harder leads are an amalgam of graphite and a considerable amount of clay, but even without the additive, graphite is a rather grey at its darkest. So the dark amrks you see using your mid-range pencils are only "dark" comparatively. You'll get considerably more range using softer pencils (4-6B), and even more by introducing an Ebony or carbon pencil for the darkest values.

That being said, if you're using pencil as a basis for another medium new rules apply; for underneath ink drawings HB is as soft as you can go and many comics professionals prefer 2H pencils for that. I know of several watercolourists who feel the same way; the harder and lighter the value of the lead the more easily is disappears under the colours.

You may want to post some of your work to get specific responses if we're missing the mark.

Good luck!

~R