Pencils - A Primer

Have you ever wondered what differentiates pencils?  I was curious, so I did a little research.

Artist pencils come in varying levels of hardness, which are identified on the sides by a number-letter combination.  When pencils are made, graphite is mixed with clay so that the graphite becomes harder.  The number-letter combination on pencils indicate how much clay has been mixed with the graphite.  Pure graphite is very soft and leaves a black mark.  A pencil will retain a point longer, but leave lighter marks, as more clay is added to the graphite.

Pencils are marked with the letters “H,” “B,” and “F.”  “H” represents hardness; “B” represents blackness; and “F” represents fineness.  The number next to the letter indicates the level of Hardness or Blackness.  “F” indicates that the pencil can retain a sharp point well.  Although there isn’t an industry-wide standard, the #2 pencils that you used in school are typically equal to an HB pencil.

Pencil grades form a continuum that looks like this:

9H  8H  7H  6H  5H  4H  3H  2H  H  F  HB  B  2B  3B  4B  5B  6B  7B  8B  9B

9H is very hard and leaves a light mark on paper.  9B is very soft and leaves a black mark on paper.

Use a B pencil for thicker lines and a HB or H pencil for thinner lines.  I usually sketch with a 4H, 2H, or F.  I have found that an F pencil creates the smoothest shading without picking up a lot of paper texture.  Any pencil above 6B becomes a pain to use because the graphite is too soft and will constantly be worn down or broken.