Marking graphite pencils. Pencils

New disposable pencil with a wooden frame, the lead must be sharpened (sharpened) before first use. In addition to disposable pencils there are reusable mechanical pencils with replaceable leads in a permanent frame.

Pencilsdiffer in the hardness of the lead, which is usually indicated onpenciland is indicated by the lettersM(or B- from English blackness) - soft andT(or H- from English hardness) - hard. Standard (hard-soft) pencil in addition to combinationsTM And HBdenoted by the letterF(from English fine point). Softness levelpencilsdenoted by a letterM(soft) or 2M, ZMetc. Capital letter beforeMindicates greater softnesspencil. Solid pencilsdenoted by a letterT(solid). 2 T harder than T, ST harder than 2 T, etc.

Unlike Europe and Russia, in the USA a numerical scale is used to indicate hardness.

Hardness scale correspondence table

Hue	USA	Europe	Russia
	#1	B	M
	#2	HB	TM
	#2 1/2	F	-
	#3	H	T
	#4	2H	2T

The hardest Average The softest

*****

Usually they start pencilmedium soft -TM or M- and then move on to softer numbers" -2 M And ZM.

Choice pencilsdepends on quality and on the creative task that the artist sets for himself. For example, fast it's easier to make it softpencils, and when working on long time for like half-whatman, you can start with light ones pencils T or TM. On smooth fits better soft pencil, on rougher surfaces it is convenientpencilmedium soft -2 M.

History of pencils

Since the 13th century, artists have used thin paper for painting.silver wire, which was soldered to the handle or stored in a case. This type pencil called « silver pencil » . This tool required a high level , since it is impossible to erase what he has written. Another characteristic feature of it was that over time the gray, applied silver pencil, turned brown.

There was also "lead pencil" , which left a discreet but clear mark and was often used for preparatory. For , completed silver and lead pencil, characterized by thin . For example, likepencilsused by Dürer.

Also known is the so-called"Italian pencil" , which appeared in the 14th century. It was a rod made of clayey black slate . Then they began to make it from burnt bone powder, fastened with vegetable . This tool made it possible to create intense and rich Interestingly, artists still sometimes use silver, lead anditalian pencilswhen they need to achieve a certain effect.

In the XV-XVI centuries. on parchment or painted with a silver or lead pin ( German Stiff - "base, tool"). A silver stylus is especially good for this purpose. It gives thin and clear and similar to a chisel. These are so dense almost do not wear off. Silver pin, or stylus , many people drew Italian artists as well as Northern Renaissance- R. van der Weyden, A. Dürer, H. Holbein (Holbein) Junior, J. fan Eyck.

In the era and XVI-XVII centuries artists preferred soft or liquid materials - , , , , . Since the end of the 14th century. began to use lightly burnt clay grayish slate ( "black chalk") or red-brown ("red chalk").

In the 17th century became widespread"Italian pencil" (French region d'Italie). It was made from burnt bones , crushed into powder, with the addition of vegetable . " Italian pencil" (later -retouch) is capable of creating juicy black matte , and when rubbing - a wide scale transitions. This material was a favorite in creativity Venetian artists, for example Titian, it is convenient for them to make preparatory To . And " Italian pencil"artists painted - and romance of the late XVIII-XIX centuries.

known since the 16th century. First description pencilwas found in the 1564 writings on minerals of the Swiss naturalist Konrad Geisler. The discovery of the deposit dates back to the same time. in England, in Cumberland where sawed into pencil leads. English shepherds from the Cumberland area found a dark mass in the ground, which they used to mark their sheep. Because of, similar to 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 usually sold on the streets. Artists, to make it more convenient and the stick not to be so soft, clamped these « pencils "between pieces of wood or twigs, wrapped inpaper or tied them with twine.

The first document to mention woodenpencil, dated 1683. Production in Germany pencilsstarted in Nuremberg. Germans mixing with sulfur and , received a rod of not such high quality, but at a lower price. To hide this, manufacturerspencilsresorted to various tricks. In wooden casepencilat the beginning and at the end pieces of clean , in the middle there was a low-quality artificial rod. Sometimes the insidepenciland was completely empty. So-called "Nuremberg product"did not have a good reputation.

It was not until 1761 that Caspar Faber developed a method of strengthening by mixing ground powder with resin and antimony, resulting in a thick mass suitable for casting more durable and uniform rods.

At the end of the XVIII century, the Czech I. Hartmut began making pencil leads from a mixture and clay followed by firing. Appeared rods reminiscent of modern ones. By varying the amount of clay added, it was possible to obtain rods of varying hardness.

Modern pencil 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 from Cumberland. For violating this prohibition, the punishment was very severe, including the death penalty. But despite this 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 mixing recipe 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 classificationpencils by hardness.

It is estimated that pencilwith a rod 18 cm long you can carry out 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).

Hexagonal body shape pencil proposed at the end of the 19th century by Count Lothar von Fabercastle, noting that pencils round cross-section are often rolled off inclined writing surfaces.

Almost ²/ 3 material constituting a simplepencil, goes to waste when sharpening it. This prompted the American Alonso Townsend Cross to create in 1869metal pencil. the rod was placed in a metal tube and could be extended to the appropriate length as needed.

This invention influenced the development of a whole group of products that are used everywhere today. The simplest design is mechanical pencil with a 2 mm lead, where the rod is held by metal clamps ( collets) - collet pencil. The collets open when you press the button on the end pencil, resulting in extension to a user-adjustable length pencil.

Modern mechanical pencilsmore perfect. Each time you press the button, a small section of lead is automatically fed. Suchpencilsno need to sharpen, they are equipped with a built-in (usually under the lead feed button) eraser and have different fixed thickness (0.3mm, 0.5mm, 0.7mm, 0.9mm, 1mm).

pencil have a grayish with a slight shine, they do not have intense blackness.

Famous French Emmanuel Poiret (1858-1909 ), born in Russia, came up with an aristocratic-sounding French-style pseudonymCaran d'Ache , with which he began 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 brandCARAN d'ACHE , based in Geneva pencilssharpened with fine-grained sandpaper), reminiscent italian pencil . Pencil « Retouch"There are four numbers: No. 1 - very soft, No. 2 - soft, No. 3 - medium-hard, No. 4 - hard. Rodspencil « Retouch» are made from finely ground birch charcoal, clay and a small amount of carbon black.Pencils « Retouch» give an intense, bold black feature , which shades well. , made in pencil "Retouch", may not be secured with a fixative. In addition to the black pencil "Retouch", another pencil is being produced "Painting» with marking 2 M- 4 M.

Pencil "Blueprint"

Except , in quality . Gives a blacker and more contrasting stroke, better perceived by various photocopiers. , produced for marking on wood, as well as"Carpentry". For this work " Carpentry» pencil Convenient due to its length and thick lead.

Italian pencil

Italian pencilis one of the types of freestyle pencils. Its distinctive feature is its deep matte velvety black , easy to shade .

Italian pencilused when performing, and naked human body.
Italian pencilsknown since the 15th century. They come in hard, medium and soft.

WHAT A PENCIL CAN DO

graphic artist Stanislav Mikhailovich NIKIREEV

If we turn to painters, graphic artists, monumentalists and even sculptors with this question, then everyone would find in an ordinary simple pencil, in its artistic and technical capabilities, something of their own, beloved, and we would not hear a definite answer. But that's probably allwithThey say that the pencil was not invented in vain, and drawing begins with its help - in the form of sketches and sketches. A great many works of art were created pencil.

Pencildraw. But what isdrawing ? This question is not easy to answer briefly. Every significant artist makes his contribution to the art of drawing, although there is a general opinion about drawing as the basis, the backbone of fine art. I remember the words of the wonderful Soviet artist and teacher, academician E. A. Kibrik, with whom I was lucky enough to study. He said:

“It took more than a decade before I understood what drawing was.”

He had in mind the drawing of the highest, most difficult in its artistic style, realistic art, where line and stroke build objects, figures, landscapes in a volumetric, weighty, characteristic way.

I would like to allow some freedom and simplicity in the definition of the word “drawing”, calling it what is drawn with a pencil on paper.

Quite often I had to spend a long time working with pencils, plain and colored, and now I need to remember ( after all, my creative path is already three decades old), what did I draw for them and how.

Drawing with a pencil with complete seriousness, devoting most of your creative time to this activity, is not easy. It is necessary to overcome the temptation of paints and colors and feel confident that you can express, along with clear constructiveness, a tonal and picturesque mood in a silver or black image. To decide on this means to win, the first, significant one. The second victory of extreme importance is when you are able to understand that an artist can create masterpieces not only with paints, but also with a pencil. Magnificent drawings will help you with this with the clearest clarity.Leonardo da Vinci , Michelangelo, Durer, Holbein, Rembrandt, Vrubel, Serov. If the shining peaks of their creativity are painting, then the basis, undoubtedly, is drawing.

In the artist’s work, the pencil performs a great deal of auxiliary work, allowing one to make sketches, sketches, and quick sketches, which serve as a preparatory stage for works of easel and monumental painting, and prints. The work is responsible and extremely necessary. The maximum value of the qualities of a pencil is manifested in independent drawings, when the artist needs to express his ideas more fully and definitively. And the pencil will not let you down with its endless scale of elusive shades, delicate shadings and richly velvety spots, from the thinnest cobwebs to decisively tense, elastic lines. If we add to this the varying softness and degree of gray-black gradations, then the pencil’s abilities surpass any otherart material .

When working with pencils, I never feel annoyed that at some point they may be powerless to express my desires and intentions. Using a simple pencil, I studied casts, still lifes, portraits and figures of sitters during long sessions, diligently shaded and carefully worked out the details. But with a special desire I paint landscapes - grass, flowers, trees, earth, buildings. At the same time, I study not only their design, materiality,invoice , but I strive to convey different “moods” on paperlandscape .

The pencil is light and easy to correct, which is especially important when working in wildlife, and is almost indispensable on trips, where you encounter many interesting moments that you would like to capture, while it is impossible to use other art materials due to limited time.Line Andspot , which the pencil provides, help to easily and quickly record exciting moments and necessary details in the artist’s travel album.

It is difficult to imagine the life around us, so to speak, in black and white, without color. It turned out that I parted with watercolors and oils a long time ago, devoting all my time and energy to graphics, but I acquired a reliable assistant - a colored pencil, which fully satisfies my needs to work in color. The opinion has become stronger that colored pencil is poor and limited in color range. Is it worth demanding, however, from him complexity and wealth?oil painting ? But we must strive to use its capabilities to the fullest.

Sometimes drawing comes down to either imitating children's drawings, or admiring mannerisms: the sweep of a stroke, line, spot, pure
formal compositional solutions. Many professional artists sometimes paint as if on a break, while taking a break from painting or other activities. Hence the frivolous approach to pencil, the lightweight drawings that you often see at exhibitions.

When I first tried to work seriously with a colored pencil, as a student, I admired the unusual elasticity and texture of the lines and strokes.

I wanted to see the motif in sweeping and sometimes random lines and in no case allow shading. The paper breathed and the lines were really beautiful. But if the goals of art were reduced to solving such problems, then artists would, as they say, be a dime a dozen. Thinking about what I draw and why made me look at working with a pencil differently. Gradually, a different charm began to be revealed, other virtues, less flashy, but noble and necessary for the expression of ideas. The amazing ability of the pencil to convey the smallest objects and details with extraordinary clarity of form was revealed, while simultaneously enveloping these forms with the finest fluffiness of a stroke or coloring them with a rich, sonorous spot. This technique corresponded to my understanding of the world, and I could not achieve this in other artistic materials. It turned out that the color possibilities of a pencil are much wider and deeper when you try to convey the mood and state of a landscape. At the same time, a purely pictorial technique is used - scraping, when it is not possible to immediately guess the color, texture, and tone of objects. It would seem that the drawing is dry, in places it is careless due to scraping, but the completeness of the sheet, dictated by the content, and not by formal aspects, acquires true meaning and beauty.

In such work, many times he went so far from drawing with strokes and lines into purely shading spots that the sheet took on the appearance that artists casually call “oilcloth.” But if this technique is warmed by great, genuine love and passion for what was shaded so imperceptibly under the “oilcloth”, then, I assure you, the success of this discreet sheet is ensured with a greater guarantee than a “tasty” solution. This revealed the ability of a colored pencil to work in multiple sessions, starting a drawing easily and bringing it to a meaningful conclusion.

With each drawing I learn about new possibilities of the pencil. You just need to look carefully and sensitively at the small stylus in a wooden frame, and it will give you great joy and success.

I love a pencil because you can draw with it. I love him jealously, because he is capable of much more - drawing, writing. I love it for its amazing accessibility and simplicity, because I drew my first work from life with a simple pencil, and then the dream of becoming an artist arose in me.

Simple pencils for the artist

Any person who has ever written, drawn or drawn with a simple pencil is familiar with graphite.We are accustomed to considering simple pencils to be made of graphite, and do not think about what, but in realityThe lead of a graphite pencil is made from a mixture of graphite and clay, and is packaged in a body, most often wooden. Exactly toThe amount of clay determines the degree of hardness or softness of the pencil.

Graphite is a mineral that is a form of carbon. It is mined from various rocks, and its artificial analogues are also produced. The raw materials for this, for example, can be carbides, which are exposed to high temperatures, or cast iron, which, on the contrary, is gradually cooled to obtain artificial graphite.

The main line of dividing pencils by hardness is as follows: “H” pencils and “B” pencils.“H” pencils are hard, and the higher the number (it is placed next to the letter designation, for example: 1H or 2H), the lighter the lines. TOA 6H pencil, for example, will be much easier to draw than a 2H pencil."B" pencils are soft and the higher the number, the darker the lines or strokes it will make. Which corresponds to the Russian markings “T” (hard) and “M” (soft).For drawing, pencils of softness “B” or “M” are usually used - if in our opinion.

Below diagramshows the full range of hardness of graphite pencils, accepted in the West, which we also have to deal with all the time.“NV” means in Russian and corresponds in properties to the marking “TM” - hard-soft - and is the middle of the scale. The “F” marking corresponds to “TM”, it is just less common.

Hardness scale for imported pencils

The blackest (and most expensive) graphite still lacks the intensity of blackness; in addition, it, like graphite in general, is characterized by shine. A drawing made with graphite (especially hard) shines. Therefore, in some artistic works it is replaced by drawing, which gives an intense thick blackness and has no shine. That is why graphite is suitable exclusively for small, mainly landscape drawings, which are well preserved without (unless the graphite used for the drawing is too soft).

Other forms of artistic graphite

Two other forms of graphite that are commonly used in drawing are: woodless pencil And graphite bar(or sticks).

Wood-free graphite pencil. It is also known as “graphite in varnish”.

Bwood pencil(as you can guess) it is graphite without a wooden body. It is often sold under the name “graphite in varnish” or “graphite rods” (then they will not be varnished). Basically, the lead has a round shape. Woodless pencils need to be sharpened with a regular sharpener.They are made for drawing and painting and are usually on the soft side of the hardness scale, often in HB, 2B, 4B, 6B and 8B. Again, different manufacturers offer different degrees of hardness. With a wood-free pencil you can make both very thin and wide strokes, which are made with the beveled side of the writing tip.

Graphite bars (sticks)

Graphite drawing stones

Convenient for large images and for quickly covering large areas.They are also available in different degrees of hardness, and some manufacturers, such asCaran d'Ache(pictured above) make them in different sizes.

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 designate a hard pencil, the letter T is used in Russia. In Europe, the corresponding letter is 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 a high level of skill, since it is impossible to erase what was written with it. Another 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 mentioning a wooden pencil dates back to 1683. In Germany, the production of graphite pencils began in Nuremberg. The Germans, mixing graphite with sulfur and glue, obtained a rod that was not of such 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.

At the end of the 18th 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 at the end of the 19th century by Count Lothar von Fabercastle, who noticed 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 of a whole group of 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).

Graphite pencil drawings 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.

Pencil is a very simple drawing material with which artists begin their creative journey. Even any child makes his first lines with a pencil before moving on to more complex material. But the pencil is not so primitive if you study it in more detail. He is able to help the artist create sketches, various illustrations, drawings and paintings. Pencils have their own types, and it is important for any artist to be able to choose the right material for his work so that the illustration has a presentable appearance. So let's figure it out how to choose a pencil for drawing?

How a pencil works

When a person presses down on a pencil, the lead slides across the paper, and the graphite particles are broken into small particles and become trapped in the fiber of the paper. This creates a line. During the drawing process, the graphite rod wears off, so it is sharpened. The most common method is a special sharpener; you can also use a regular blade. It is important to understand that this method requires special care and preparation to avoid cuts. But thanks to the blade, you can make the desired thickness and shape of graphite.

Types of a simple pencil

The basic definition of a pencil is a graphite rod framed in a wooden or plastic frame. Plain graphite pencil comes in different types. They differ in their degree of rigidity.
Human eyes can distinguish a large number of shades of gray, 150 tones to be precise. Despite this, the artist must have at least three types of simple pencil in his arsenal - hard, medium-soft and soft. With their help you can create a three-dimensional drawing. Different degrees of rigidity can convey contrast, you just need to skillfully handle them.
You can determine the degree of softness of graphite using the symbols (letters and numbers) that are printed on the frame of the pencil. The scale of hardness and softness have differences. We will look at three types of notation:

Russia

T- solid.
M- soft.
TM– medium softness.

Europe

H- solid.
B- soft.
HB– medium softness.
F– the middle tone, which is defined between H and HB.

#1 (B)- soft.
#2 (HB)– medium softness.
#2½ (F)- average between hard and medium soft.
#3 (H)- solid.
#4 (2H)– very hard.

It is impossible not to take into account such a moment as the manufacturer. Sometimes, even the same softness of pencils from different manufacturers will differ significantly from each other due to their quality.

A palette of shades of a simple pencil

Please note that the softness of pencils can vary significantly. In other words, softness and hardness are divided among themselves by tonality. The designation H is considered the hardest, and B is the softest. It is not surprising if in the store there are entire sets from 9H (the hardest) to 9B (the softest).
The most common and in demand is the pencil marked HB. It has moderate softness and hardness, making it easy to sketch. It can be used to enhance dark areas due to its subtle softness.
To enhance the contrast of the pattern, it is worth purchasing 2B. Artists rarely use very hard pencils, but this is a matter of taste. This type of pencil is more suitable for drawing diagrams or building perspectives for landscapes, because it is almost invisible in the image. It is impossible not to take into account that the greater hardness of the pencil allows you to make a smooth transition on the hair or add a barely noticeable tone without fear of darkening it.

At the beginning of work, it is worth using a hard pencil, especially if you are not sure of the result of the illustration. A soft pencil is designed to work out shadows and highlight the desired lines.

Hatching and shading

Regardless of the softness, you must always remember that the pencil must be sharpened. Strokes and lines are best made with a hard pencil due to the fact that the lead does not quickly become dull, but remains in its pointed form for a long time. Shading is preferable for a soft pencil, but it is better to draw with the side of the lead so that the material is applied evenly.

Features of working with a pencil

Do not forget that pencil lead is a rather fragile thing. Every time a pencil falls on the floor or is hit, its core is damaged or even broken. As a result, it will be inconvenient to draw, because the lead will crumble or fall out of its wooden frame.

Bottom line. The information worth knowing is quite extensive for a beginning artist. But it is very useful, because it will help in creating future masterpieces. Over time, knowledge will automatically suggest which simple pencil is needed in a given situation. The main thing is not to be afraid to experiment

Types of pencils

Special art pencils

Pencils are usually divided into simple and colored. A simple pencil has a graphite lead and writes in gray with shades ranging from light to almost black (depending on the hardness of the graphite).

A new disposable pencil with a wooden lead often needs to be sharpened (sharpened) before first use. In addition to disposable pencils, there are reusable mechanical pencils with replaceable leads in a permanent frame.

Pencils differ in the hardness of the lead, which is usually indicated on the pencil and is designated by the letters M (or B - from the English blackness (lit. blackness)) - soft and T (or H - from the English hardness (hardness)) - hard. A standard (hard-soft) pencil, in addition to combinations of TM and HB, is designated by the letter F (from the English fine point).

Unlike Europe and Russia, in the USA a numerical scale is used to indicate hardness.

The hardest

→

Average

→

The softest

History of the pencil

Mechanical pencils

Leads for mechanical pencil

Pencils "Art" 1959

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 a high level of skill, since it is impossible to erase what was written with it. Another 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.

Also known is the so-called Italian pencil, which appeared in the 14th century. It was a core 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.

In 1789, scientist Karl Wilhelm Scheele proved that graphite is a carbon material. He also gave the current name to the material - graphite (from the ancient Greek γράφω - I write). Since graphite was used for strategic purposes in the late 18th century, such as making crucibles for cannonballs, the English Parliament imposed a strict ban on the export of precious graphite from Cumberland. Graphite prices rose sharply in continental Europe, as at that time only Cumberland graphite was considered exceptional for writing. In 1790, Viennese master Joseph Hardmuth mixed graphite dust with clay and water and fired the mixture in a kiln. Depending on the amount of clay in the mixture, he was able to obtain a material of varying hardness. In the same year, Joseph Hardmuth founded the Koh-i-Noor Hardtmuth pencil company, named after the Kohinoor diamond (Persian: کوہ نور‎ - “Mountain of Light”). His grandson Friedrich von Hardmuth improved the mixture recipe and in 1889 was able to produce rods with 17 different degrees of hardness.

Independently of Hartmut, in 1795 the French scientist and inventor Nicolas Jacques Conte obtained a rod from graphite dust using a similar method. Hartmut and Conte are equally the progenitors of the modern pencil lead. Until the mid-19th century, this technology became widespread throughout Europe, leading to the emergence of such famous Nuremberg pencil factories as Staedtler, Faber-Castell, Lyra and Schwan-Stabilo. The hexagonal shape of the pencil body was proposed in 1851 by Count Lothar von Faber-Castell, owner of the Faber-Castell factory, after noticing that round pencils often rolled off inclined writing surfaces. This form is still produced by various manufacturers.

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).

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 of a whole group of products that are used everywhere today. The simplest design is a collet mechanical pencil with a 2 mm lead, where the rod is held by metal clamps - collets. The collets are released by pressing a button on the end of the pencil, allowing the user to extend the lead to an adjustable length. Modern mechanical pencils are more advanced - with each press of the button, a small section of the lead is automatically fed by a unidirectional pusher, which instead of a collet holds the lead. 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).

Copying pencils

In the past, a special type of graphite pencil was produced - copying(commonly called "chemical"). To obtain indelible marks, water-soluble dyes (eosin, rhodamine or auramine) were added to the carbon pencil lead. A document filled in with a chemical pencil was moistened with water and pressed with a special press (mentioned, say, in The Golden Calf) to a blank piece of paper. A (mirror) print remained on it, which was filed into the file.

Copying pencils were widely used as a cheap and practical replacement for ink pens.

The invention and spread of ballpoint pens led to a decline and cessation of production of this type of pencil.

Literature

// Encyclopedic Dictionary of Brockhaus and Efron: In 86 volumes (82 volumes and 4 additional ones). - St. Petersburg. , 1890-1907.