The biggest frustration is that the grading seems inconsistent, with the 5B in my set drawing unmistakably darker in tone than the 6B!

You can change your choices at any time by visiting Cookie preferences, as described in the Cookie notice.You can read more on the pencil grading system here, but to summarise briefly: pencils are graded on a scale that runs from the hardest grades which have a lot of clay in them and which make a very light mark, to the softest grades which have the least clay and mark very darkly. For instance, grades 3H to 6H or higher would be usually considered more suitable for graphic or technical/industrial design than for sketching. You can create everything from broad strokes to tiny details using the same pencil, and it's easily sharpened, just like a conventional pencil. curtisward brings you a hand-picked selection of quality art and craft materials from leading manufacturers.

I wouldn’t suggest using them for very fine work but for loose and very dark sketching I would absolutely recommend them.Caran d'ache Grafwood Graphite Pencils are professional artist pencils They are available in 15 different graduations from 9B to 4H. Bonding means the way that the lead is glued to the casing (I’m going to continue to refer to the ‘lead’ here, although as we all know, pencil leads have always made of graphite) A poorly bonded pencil lead will break constantly especially when you sharpen it.

For example most people will probably prefer a pencil that doesn’t smudge very easily especially in the lighter grades, but if you actively want to smudge your pencils as part of your drawing technique then you’ll probably get on better with one of the softer brands, and may even seek out a range that gives off a lot of graphite dust. With such a wide tonal range you are really covered whether you like to draw more lightly or more darkly.These pencils offer unparalleled possibilities for spontaneous expression, creating different effects based on the pressure applied and grade of hardness.

The Pitt graphite crayons are an ideal and very economical medium for working on very large sketches and areas. With Derwent Graphic pencils, you’ve got a wide choice of degrees from the popular HB pencil to the fine and crisp 9H and soft and smudgy 9B. However it should also be noted that because there is such variation in the way the scale is applied between different ranges, a 3H in a very soft dark range could function more like an HB from a much lighter range and could in fact be quite suitable for fine art drawing.They have a pleasing black casing that is slightly thicker than some of the other brands, and nice retro lettering. Companies apply the grading scale as they wish and as you can see there can be wild disparity between ranges, with a HB grade in a very dark range like Tombow’s ‘Mono’ pencil equating tonally to around a 5B in a very light range such as Faber-Castell’s ‘9000’ pencil. The pencils are fairly expensive here if bought individually and are better value when purchased in a tin, where because because the range of grades (only 3H to 6B) is so small you receive several duplicates.