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. Salomas, stearin, paraffin and various types of wax are used to impregnate graphite rods. For the production of color and copying rods, other types of raw materials are used, the technological process is partially changed.

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 for the shell is 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 the finished pencil a glossy, shiny surface and a 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 by the 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 a special group of 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 drawing work of primary schoolchildren; 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 "Steklograf" 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 indicators of the quality 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; must be intact and uniform along its entire length, must not contain foreign impurities and inclusions that scratch the paper when writing, must 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 have chipped, i.e., arbitrarily breaking off or chipping off particles of the rod. 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.

Based on defects in 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 in letters) and the year of manufacture (usually the last two digits of the corresponding year (for example, “55” means 1955). On copying pencils, the marking contained the abbreviated word “Copier” On grade 2 pencils, in addition, there had to be the designation “2 s.” The marking had to stick firmly to the surface of the pencil, be clear, clear, and easy to read, all lines and signs had to be solid and not merge.

Pencils: Ruslan, Rogdai, Ratmir (Krasin factory)

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.

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 tend to be 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.

Practical assignments in engineering graphics

Drawing lines and fonts

Graphic work No. 1

Graphic work № 1 , recommended for students of engineering graphics, is aimed at mastering the skills of drawing drawing lines, fonts and inscriptions, as well as familiarizing themselves with the basics of working with a compass.
In the process of performing the work, the student must complete the drawing frame, the main lines provided ESKD, drawing font letters and circles represented by various drawing lines.

The work is performed on drawing paper of the format A3 (420×297 mm).
To complete the work you will need hard pencils TM ,T , 2T , ruler at least 300 mm long, protractor, compass, square (to make auxiliary parallel lines), eraser, pencil sharpener.
The ruler and square should be wooden or plastic (metal ones strongly “cut” the pencil lead, leaving dirt on the drawing).

To perform high-quality graphic work, you must have a set of pencils, which must include a medium-hard pencil ( TM ), solid ( T ) and very hard ( 2T ). In this case, hard pencils are used to draw thin lines on the drawing and to preliminary sketch the outline of the image, which is subsequently outlined with a medium-hard pencil.
The markings of pencils adopted in different countries are described below.

Designation of pencil hardness

In different countries, the hardness of pencils is marked with different symbols.
In Russia, pencils are marked with lettersM (soft) andT (solid) or combinations of these letters with numbers and with each other. The numbers before the letter indicate the degree of hardness or softness of the pencil. At the same time, it is intuitively clear that2M – very soft,M - soft pencil,TM – a pencil of medium hardness (hard-soft),T - hard and2T - a very hard pencil.

There are often imported pencils on sale, for which European or American markings are used.
In the USA, pencils are marked with numbers from 1 to 9 (fractional numbers are also used, for example: 2.5), and the number is usually preceded by a # sign (hash):#1 , #2 , #2,5 , #3 , #4 etc. The larger the number (digit) in the marking, the harder the pencil.

European markings for pencils are based on the letters of the Latin alphabet:

· B (short for blackness - blackness) - corresponds to the Russian marking under the letterM (soft);

· H (from hardness - rigidity) - corresponds to the Russian hardness markingT (solid);

· F (from fine point - subtlety, tenderness) - a pencil of medium hardness, approximately corresponds toTM . However, the combination of lettersN AndIN – NV also mean the average hardness of the pencil.

European markings provide a combination of lettersIN AndN with numbers (from 2 to 9), while, as in Russian markings, the larger the number, the higher the pencil property corresponding to the letter (softness or hardness). Pencils of medium hardness according to the European marking have the designationN , F , NV orIN .
If there is a letter on a pencilIN with numbers from 2 to 9 (for example:4B , 9V etc.), then you are dealing with a soft or very soft pencil.
LetterN with a number from 2 to 9 on a pencil indicates its increased hardness (for example,2H , 7N and so on.).

Graphic work assignment №1 and a sample of the completed work are presented in the figure below.
A full-size sample of the work can be opened in a separate browser window by clicking on the picture. After this, it can be downloaded to a computer or printed on a printer for use as an assignment for students.
The task is presented in two versions:

· Option #1

· Option No. 2

The task is aimed at acquiring and improving the skills of drawing drawing lines and fonts, while their outline must meet the requirements stipulated by the standards ESKD And ESTD.

According to requirements ESKD The sizes of lines and fonts in the drawing must meet the following requirements:

· main solid thick line (for drawing a frame, title block, outline of a part or node - i.e., the main lines of graphic work) must have a thickness 0.6...0.8 mm; on large drawings this line can reach 1.5 mm in thickness.

· dashed line (drawing lines of an invisible contour)- performed in thickness 0.3...0.4 mm (i.e., twice as thin as the main thick line). Stroke length (4-6 mm) and the distance between adjacent strokes (1-1.5 mm) are standardized GOST 2.303-68;

· other lines (dash-dotted, wavy, solid thin - to designate axes, extension and dimension lines, section boundaries, etc.)- thickness 0.2 mm (i.e. three times thinner than the main thick solid line).
Length of strokes in a dash-dotted line (axis designation) should be 15-20 mm, the distance between adjacent strokes is 3 mm.

· letter height fonts must correspond to the line allowed by the standard, while the height of lowercase letters and the distance between letters in a line correspond to the size of uppercase letters (capital) letters
Most often in graphic works of the format A4 And A3 type fonts are used IN with inclination angle 75 degrees, while the height of lowercase letters (which should be equal to 7/10 of the height of capital letters), is taken equal 3.5 or 5 mm (respectively, the height of capital letters is 5 or 7 mm).

· Letter spacing in the line should be equal 1/5 capital height (capital) letters, i.e. for capital letter height 5 mm distance between letters in a line - 1 mm, for capital letter height 7 mm- the distance between letters is approximately 1.5 mm .
When drawing letters, it is important to maintain the same height and slope in the line, as well as the distance between adjacent letters.

In everyday life and work, each of us, to one degree or another, needs pencils. For people of such professions as artists, designers and draftsmen, the hardness of a pencil is important.

The history of pencils

In the 13th century, the first prototypes of pencils appeared, made of silver or lead. It was impossible to erase what they had written or drawn. In the 14th century, they began to use a rod made of black shale, which was called the “Italian pencil”.

In the 16th century, in the English town of Cumberland, shepherds accidentally stumbled upon a deposit of a material that looked very similar to lead. They couldn’t get bullets or shells out of it, but they were great at drawing and marking sheep. They began to make thin rods from graphite, sharpened at the end, which were not suitable for writing and became very dirty.

Somewhat later, one of the artists noticed that drawing with graphite sticks fixed in wood is much more convenient. This is how the body of simple slate pencils appeared. Of course, at that time no one had thought about the hardness of a pencil.

Modern pencils

The form in which pencils are known to us today was invented at the end of the 18th century by the French scientist Nicolas Jacques Conte. At the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th centuries. Several important changes were made to the design of pencils.

Thus, Count Lothar von Fabercastle changed the shape of the pencil body from round to hexagonal. This made it possible to reduce the rolling of pencils from various inclined surfaces used for writing.

And the American inventor Alonso Townsend Cross, thinking about reducing the amount of material consumed, made a pencil with a metal body and a graphite rod that could be extended to the required length.

Why is hardness so important?

Any person who has drawn or sketched something at least a couple of times will say that pencils can leave strokes and lines that differ in color saturation and thickness. Such characteristics are important for engineering specialties, because first any drawing is made with hard pencils, for example T2, and at the final stage with softer ones, marked M-2M, in order to increase the clarity of the lines.

Pencil hardness is no less important for both professional and amateur artists. Pencils with soft leads are used to create sketches and outlines, and harder ones are used to finalize the work.

What types of pencils are there?

All pencils can be divided into two large groups: simple and colored.

A simple pencil has this name because it is structurally very simple, and it writes with the most ordinary graphite lead, without any additives. All other types of pencils have a more complex structure and the mandatory introduction of various dyes into the composition.

There are quite a few types, the most common are:

• ordinary colored ones, which can be either single-sided or double-sided;
• wax;
• coal;
• watercolor;
• pastel.

Classification of simple graphite pencils

As already mentioned, simple pencils have a graphite lead. An indicator such as the hardness of a pencil lead is the basis for their classification.

Different countries have adopted different markings indicating the hardness of pencils, of which the most widely used are European, Russian and American.

Russian and European markings of black lead pencils, as simple pencils are also called, differ from American ones in the presence of both letter and digital designations.

To indicate the hardness of a pencil in the Russian marking system, it is accepted that: T - hard, M - soft, TM - medium. To clarify the degree of softness or hardness, numerical values ​​are introduced next to the letter ones.

In European countries, the hardness of simple pencils is also indicated by letters taken from words characterizing hardness. So, for soft pencils the letter “B” is used from the word blackness (blackness), and for hard pencils the letter “H” is used from the English word hardness (hardness). In addition, there is also a marking F, coming from the English fine point (subtlety) and indicating the average type of pencil. It is the European system of marking hardness with letters that is considered the world standard and is the most widespread.

And in the American system, which determines the hardness of pencils, the designation is carried out only in numbers. Where 1 is soft, 2 is medium, and 3 is hard.
If there is no marking on the pencil, then by default it is of the hard-soft (TM, HB) type.

What does hardness depend on?

Today, graphite is also used to make graphite pencil lead. The hardness of the pencil depends on the proportions of these substances mixed at the initial stages of production. The more white kaolin clay is added, the harder the pencil turns out. If the amount of graphite is increased, the lead will be softer.
After mixing all the necessary components, the resulting mixture is fed into the extruder. It is in it that rods of a given size are formed. Then the graphite rods are fired in a special furnace, the temperature in which reaches 10,000 0 C. After firing, the rods are immersed in a special oil solution, which creates a surface protective film.

Simple pencils, differences. What is a pencil? This is a kind of instrument that looks like a rod made of writing material (charcoal, graphite, dry paint, etc.). This tool is widely used in writing, drawing and drawing. As a rule, the writing rod is inserted into a comfortable frame. pencils can be colored or “simple”. It’s these “simple” pencils that we’ll talk about today, or rather, what types of graphite pencils exist. The very first object vaguely resembling a pencil was invented in the 13th century. It was a thin silver wire soldered to the handle. This “silver pencil” was stored in a special case. To draw with such a pencil required remarkable skill and skill, because it was impossible to erase what was written. In addition to the “silver pencil”, there was also a “lead” one - it was used for sketches. Around the 14th century, the “Italian pencil” appeared: a rod made of clayey black slate. Later, the rod began to be made from burnt bone powder mixed with vegetable glue. This pencil gave a clear and richly colored line. By the way, writing instruments of this kind are still used by some artists to achieve a certain effect. Graphite pencils became known in the 16th century. Their appearance is very interesting: in the Cumberland area, English shepherds found a certain dark mass in the ground, with which they began to mark their sheep. Since the color of the mass was similar to lead, it was mistaken for metal deposits, but later they began to make thin sharp sticks from it, which were used for drawing. The sticks were soft and often broke, and they also got your hands dirty, so it was necessary to place them in some kind of case. They began to clamp the rod between wooden sticks or pieces of wood, wrap them in thick paper, and tie them with twine. As for the graphite pencil that we are used to seeing today, Nicola Jacques Conte is considered its inventor. Conte became the author of the recipe, when graphite was mixed with clay and subjected to high temperature treatment - as a result, the rod was strong and, in addition, this technology made it possible to regulate the hardness of graphite.

Lead hardness The hardness of the lead is indicated on the pencil in letters and numbers. Manufacturers from different countries (Europe, USA and Russia) mark the hardness of pencils differently. Designation of hardness In Russia, the hardness scale looks like this: M - soft; T - hard; TM - hard-soft; The European scale is somewhat wider (marking F does not have a Russian correspondence): B - soft, from blackness (blackness); H - hard, from hardness (hardness); F 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; ½ - 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. On sale you can find pencils marked from 9H (hardest) to 9B (softest). 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). With such a hard pencil, thin lines are drawn over the finished drawing, on top of the shaded or shaded fragments, for example, strands in the hair. The line drawn with a soft pencil has a slightly loose outline. A soft stylus will allow you to reliably draw representatives of the fauna - birds, hares, cats, dogs. If you need to choose between a hard or soft pencil, artists take a pencil with a soft lead. An image drawn with such a pencil can be easily shaded with a piece of thin paper, a finger or an eraser. If necessary, you can finely sharpen the graphite lead of a soft pencil and draw a thin line similar to the line from a hard pencil. 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. It is inconvenient to shade with a very soft pencil, since the lead quickly becomes dull and the fineness of the line is lost. The solution is to either sharpen the point very often, or use a harder pencil. 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. Please note that the pencil must be sharpened not with a simple sharpener, but with a knife. The lead should be 5-7mm long, which allows you to tilt the pencil and achieve the desired effect. 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. Nuances that you should know when working with pencils For shading, you should use a hard pencil at the very beginning. Those. the driest lines are obtained with a hard pencil. The finished drawing is drawn with a soft pencil to give it richness and expressiveness. A soft pencil leaves dark lines. The more you tilt the pencil, the wider its mark will be. However, with the advent of pencils with thick leads, this need disappears. If you don't know what the final drawing will look like, it is recommended to start with a hard pencil. Using a hard pencil, you can gradually dial in the desired tone. At the very beginning, I myself made the same mistake: I used a pencil that was too soft, which made the drawing turn out dark and incomprehensible. Pencil frames Of course, the classic option is a lead in a wooden frame. But now there are also plastic, lacquered and even paper frames. The lead of these pencils is thick. On the one hand, this is good, but on the other hand, such pencils are easy to break if you put them in your pocket or accidentally drop them. Although there are special pencil cases for carrying pencils (for example, I have a set of KOH-I-NOOR Progresso black graphite pencils - good, solid packaging, like a pencil case).