Pencils 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 in accordance with GOST 6602-51. The quality was good. Today's situation is pretty 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, difficult to erase with an elastic band.

Stages of production of pencils from glued boards

Production of pencils consists of the following main processes: a) making a writing rod, b) making a wood shell, and c) finishing a finished pencil (coloring, marking, sorting and packing). The composition of the graphite rods includes: graphite, clay and adhesives. Graphite is very grades and leaves a gray or gray-black line on the paper. Clay is mixed into graphite to bond its particles, adhesives are added to a mixture of graphite and clay to give plasticity. The sifted graphite in vibrating mills is crushed to the smallest particles. 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, pressed many times, turning into a homogeneous plastic mass, suitable for forming writing rods. This mass is put into a powerful press, which squeezes out thin elastic threads from the round holes of the matrix. Upon leaving the matrix, the filaments are automatically cut into segments of the required length, which are the writing rods. The cuts are then placed in rotating drums where they are rolled, 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, after firing, with increased rigidity, softness and elasticity, that is, the properties necessary for writing. For impregnation of graphite rods, salomas, stearin, paraffin and various types of wax are used. For the manufacture of colored 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 a binder. The mass, consisting of dyes, fillers and binders, is mixed in mixers, the firing operation drops out. The strength of the colored core is given by the pressing mode and the regulation of the amount of binders introduced into the mass, and this, in turn, depends on the nature and amount of pigments and dyes. For copying rods, water-soluble aniline dyes are used as dyes, mainly methyl violet, which gives a violet line when moistened, methylene blue, which gives a greenish-blue line, brilliant green - bright green, etc.

The strength of the copying rods is regulated by the recipe, the amount of binder and the pressing mode. Finished rods are placed in a wood sheath; the wood should 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), soaked in paraffin and painted over. Then, on a special machine, “paths” are made on the planks, into which the rods are laid, the planks are glued and divided into separate pencils, at the same time giving them a hexagonal or round shape. After that, the pencils are sanded, primed and painted. The painting is done with fast drying nitrocellulose paints and varnishes with a pure tone and bright color. After multiple coating of the casing with these varnishes, a durable varnish film forms on it, giving the finished pencil a glossy, shiny surface and a beautiful appearance.

Pencil classification

The following pencil groups and types are differentiated depending on the starting materials of the pen and the purpose.

1. Graphite: School, Stationery, Drawing, Drawing;

2. Colored: School, Stationery, Drawing, Drawing;

3. Copier: Stationery

In addition, pencils differ in overall dimensions, in the hardness of the core, in the finish of the shell. Dimensional indicators include: cross-sectional shape, length and thickness of the pencil. In cross-sectional shape, pencils are round, faceted and oval. Some pencil groups or types have only one cross-sectional shape assigned; for others, different are allowed. So, drawing pencils are produced only faceted - hexagonal, copying pencils - only round; stationery can have any of the indicated shapes, as well as three-, four-, octahedral or oval cross-sectional shapes. The pencils are 178, 160, 140 and 113 mm long (with a tolerance of ± 2 mm for these dimensions). The main and most often used of these sizes is 178 mm, it is required for graphite pencils - school, drawing and drawing; for colored people - drawing and drawing; for colored stationery pencils, a length of 220 mm is also allowed. The thickness of a pencil is determined by its diameter, and for faceted pencils, 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 the degree of hardness writing rod pencils are divided into 15 groups, denoted by letters and digital indices in sequential order: 6M, 5M, 4M, ZM, 2M, M, TM, ST, T, 2T, ZT, 4T, 5T, 6T, 7T. The letter "M" denotes the softness of the writing rod, the letter "T" - 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 the numbers No. 1 (soft), No. 2 (medium) and No. 3 (hard). On copy pencils - in words: soft, medium hard, hard.

Abroad, the degree of hardness is indicated by the Latin letters "B" (soft) and "H" (hard).

School graphite pencils were produced in medium degrees of hardness, drawing pencils - of all existing degrees of hardness, colored pencils of all types - usually soft.

Graphite drawing pencils "Constructor"

The color of the wood shell coating is also different for different pencils; the shell of colored pencils, as a rule, was painted according to the color of the writing rod; for the shell of other pencils, each title was usually assigned one or more constant colors. The color of the shell was of several types: one-color or with a marble-like, 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. There were also produced pencils with plastic or metal tips, with an elastic band (only graphite), with a sharpened rod, etc.

Depending on these indicators (properties of the writing rod, cross-sectional shape, overall dimensions, type of finish and design), different names were assigned to each type of pencil and sets.

Graphite drawing pencils "Polytechnic"

Assortment of pencils

Pencils are divided into three main groups: graphite, color, copy; in addition, there is a special group of special pencils.

Graphite pencils by purpose are divided into school, stationery, drawing and drawing.

School pencils - for school writing and drawing; were produced in three degrees of hardness - soft, medium and hard, - designated respectively by numbers: No. 1, No. 2, No. 3.

Pencil # 1 - soft - gave a line of thick black color and was used for school drawing.

Pencil # 2 - medium hard - gave a clear black line; used for writing and drawing.

Pencil number 3 - hard - gave a faint line of grayish-black color: intended for drawing and basic sketching in school.

The school class included pencils that had a metal nipple in which a rubber band was fixed for erasing notes made in pencil.

Stationery Pencils - For Writing; produced mainly soft and medium hardness.

Drawing pencils - for graphic work; were produced according to the degree of hardness of the writing rod from 6M to 7T. Hardness also determined the intended purpose of the pencils. So, 6M, 5M and 4M are very soft; ZM and 2M - soft; M, TM, ST, T - medium hardness; ZT and 4T are very hard; 5T, 6T and 7T are very hard for special graphic work.

Drawing pencils - for drawing, shading sketches and other graphic work: available only soft, of various degrees of hardness.

Assortment of lead pencils

Colored pencils by purpose are divided into school, stationery, drawing, drawing.

School pencils - for primary children's drawing and drawing works of elementary schoolchildren; produced in a round shape, in sets of 6-12 colors.

Stationery pencils - for signature, proofreading, etc., were produced in 5 colors, sometimes two-color - for example, red-blue, mainly hexagonal, except for the "Svetlana" pencils, which had a round shape.

Drafting pencils - for drafting and topographic work; 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, differed from school ones in length and number of colors in sets, from 12 to 48, mostly round in shape, except for drawing numbers 1 and 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 packed in cardboard artistically designed boxes with multicolor labels.

Assortment of colored pencils

Copying pencils were produced in two types: graphite, that is, containing graphite as a filler, and colored, the writing rod of which contained talc instead of graphite. Copying pencils were made in three hardness grades: soft, medium hard and hard. Copy pencils were produced, as a rule, in a round shape.

Assortment of copy pencils

Special pencils - pencils with the special properties of a stylus or special purpose; made graphite and colored. The group of special graphite pencils included "Joiner", "Retouch" and portfolio pencils (for notebooks).

Pencil "Joiner" intended for marking on a tree when performing carpentry and joinery work. It had an oval shell and sometimes a rectangular section of the writing rod.

Pencil "Retouch"- for retouching photos, shading, applying shadows. The writing rod contained finely ground birch charcoal, as a result of which it gave a bold line of a deep black color.

Four numbers were produced, differing in hardness: No. 1 - very soft, No. 2 - soft, No. 3 - medium hardness, No. 4 - hard.

Special colored pencils were "Steklograph" and "Traffic lights".

Pencil "Steklograph" had a soft shaft, giving a bold and thick line; it was used for marks on glass, metal, porcelain, celluloid, for laboratory studies, etc. It was produced in 6 colors: red, blue, green, yellow, brown and black.

Pencil "Traffic light" was a type of colored pencils, had a longitudinally-compound rod, consisting of two or three colors, which made it possible to get a line of several colors when writing with one pencil. Pencils were designated by numbers corresponding to the number of colors with which the rod wrote.

Names and main indicators of special pencils

Pencil quality

The quality of the pencils was determined by the compliance of the search rod, shell, finish and packaging with the requirements of the standard. The most important indicator of the quality of pencils were: for graphite - breaking strength, hardness, intensity of the line and sliding; for colored - the same indicators and (color compliance with the approved standards; for copying - the same and the copying ability of the rod. All these indicators were checked with special devices and in laboratory conditions. Practically, to determine the quality of pencils, the following requirements should be followed. The writing rod had to be glued into a wooden shell firmly and as accurately as possible in its center; the noncentricity of the rod was determined by the smallest, i.e., the 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 it from the end; should have been whole and uniform along its entire length, should not contain foreign impurities and inclusions scratching the paper when writing, should not have any obvious or hidden cracks, should not should have crumbled when sharpening and writing. Pressing on the sharpened tip of the rod, the latter should not have chipped, i.e., arbitrary breaking off or chipping of the rod particles. The cross-sectional area of ​​the rod at the ends of the pencil had to be flat, smooth, without damage or chips. For colored rods, a line of the same color and intensity was required when writing along the entire length of the rod.

The casing of the pencils was made of good quality wood, without knots, cracks and other defects; had to have low cutting resistance, that is, it should be easy and soft to repair with a sharply sharpened knife, not to break during grinding and have a smooth cut surface. The ends of the pencils had to be cut straight, smooth and strictly perpendicular to the pencil axis. The pencil should be straight and even along its entire length, without deformation. The surface had to be smooth, shiny, without scratches, dents, cracks and varnish deposits. The lacquer coating should not crack, crumble and stick when wet.

According to defects in appearance, pencils were subdivided into two grades: 1st and 2nd; moreover, the writing properties for pencils of both grades had to be the same. The 2nd grade included pencils in which the deflection arrow along the length of no more than 0.8 mm, the chip of wood or varnish film from the end of the pencil no more than 1.5 mm, the chip of the rod at the ends of no more than half of the cross-sectional area of ​​the rod - to the depth not more than 1.0 mm, noncentricity of the rod not 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 not 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.

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 by letter designations) and the year of manufacture (usually with the last two digits of the corresponding year (for example, "55" means the release of 1955). On copy pencils, the marking contained the abbreviated word "Copier" In addition, grade 2 pencils should have had the designation “2 s.” The marking should have firmly adhered to the surface of the pencil, be clear, clear, readable, all lines and signs should be solid and not merge.

Pencils: Ruslan, Rogday, Ratmir (Krasin factory)

Pencils were packed in cardboard boxes, mainly 50 and 100 pieces of the same name and grade. Colored pencils for school and drawing were packed 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 with pencils of 50 and 100 pieces and sets of all types were decorated with a sticker of a multicolor art label. Boxes with sets and pencils of 10 and 25 were put 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 pasted over with a paper parcel. Boxes with sets of colored pencils were pasted over 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 of 6 pencils. The price is 77 kopecks.

Set of colored pencils "Colored" - art. 127 and 128 from 6 and 12 pencils. The price of one pencil is respectively 8 kopecks and 17 kopecks.

A set of colored pencils "Painting" - art. 135 out of 18 pencils. The price is 80 kopecks.

Colored graphite pencils "Painting", "Art"

A set of colored pencils "Painting" - art. 133 out of 6 pencils. The price is 23 kopecks.

A set of colored pencils "Art" - art. 113 out of 18 pencils. Price 69 kopecks.

A set of colored pencils "Art" - art. 116 out of 24 pencils. The price is 1 ruble 20 kopecks.

A pencil is a graphite rod in a wooden frame made of soft wood, such as cedar, about 18 cm long. Graphite pencils made from natural raw graphite were first used in the early 17th century. Prior to this, lead or silver rods (known as silver pencils) were used for drawing. The modern form of a lead or graphite pencil in a wooden frame came into use at the beginning of the 19th century.

Usually a pencil "works" if you lead it or press it with a lead on paper, the surface of which serves as a kind of grater that splits the lead into tiny particles. Due to the pressure on the pencil, the lead particles penetrate into the fiber of the paper, leaving a line or trace.

Graphite, one of the forms of carbon, along with coal and diamond, is the main constituent of a pencil lead. The hardness of the lead depends on the amount of clay added to the graphite. The softest brands of pencils contain little or no clay. Artists and draftsmen work with a whole set of pencils, choosing them depending on the task at hand.

When the lead in the pencil is erased, you can continue to use it by sharpening it with a special sharpener or razor. Pencil sharpening is an important process that affects the type of pencil lines. There are many ways to sharpen pencils, and each of them gives its own result. An artist should try to sharpen pencils in different ways so that they know exactly which lines can be drawn with a particular pencil with different sharpening methods.

You need to be well aware of the advantages and disadvantages of a pencil, as well as every material with which you work. Different brands of pencils are used in specific cases. The next section discusses some types of drawings, indicating which brand of pencil or graphite material they were made.

These examples give you an idea of ​​the strokes and lines made with different pencils. As you look at them, take turns taking your pencils and see what strokes you can get by working with one or another pencil. Surely you will not only want to try every pencil and discover new possibilities for drawing, you will suddenly find that your "pencil feeling" has increased. We, as artists, feel the material we use, and this affects the work.

Materials and examples of strokes and lines.

HARD PENCIL

With a hard pencil, you can apply strokes that almost do not differ from each other, except in length. The tone is usually created by cross-hatching. Hard pencils are designated by the letter N. Like soft pencils, they have a gradation of hardness: HB, H, 2H, 3H, 4H, 5H, 6H, 7H, 8H and 9H (the hardest).

Hard pencils are commonly used by designers, architects and professionals who create precise drawings for which thin, neat lines are important, such as when creating perspective or other projection systems. Although the strokes applied with a hard pencil differ little from each other, they can be very expressive. The tone, as well as the soft one, can be created with a hard pencil, hatching with cross lines, although the result will be a thinner and more formal drawing.

PROJECTION SYSTEMS FOR FIRM PENCILS

Hard pencils are ideal for sketching. As we have already said, such drawings are usually performed by engineers, designers and architects. The finished drawings must be accurate, they must be dimensioned so that performers, for example, craftsmen, following the instructions, can create an object according to the project. Drawings can be made using different projection systems, from a plan on a plane to images in perspective.

STROKES WITH A HARD PENCIL
I do not give examples of strokes applied with 7H - 9H pencils.

SOFT PENCIL

A soft pencil has more possibilities for toning and transferring texture than a hard pencil. Soft pencils are designated with the letter B. The HB pencil is a cross between hard and soft pencil and is the main tool between pencils with extreme properties. The range of soft pencils includes HB, B, 2B, ZV, 4B, 5B, bV, 7B, 8B, and 9B (softest) pencils. Soft pencils allow the artist to express their ideas through shading, texture reproduction, shading and even simple lines. The softest pencils can be used to tint a group of objects, although in general I find it more convenient to use a graphite stick. It all depends on which surface you want to apply the tone to. If it is a small drawing, such as on A3 paper, then a soft pencil is probably more suitable. But if you want to apply tone to a larger drawing, I would advise you to use a graphite stick.

The only soft pencil that is convenient for making drawings that require high precision - the palm, of course, for a hard pencil - is a pencil with a clamped thin lead.

OTHER TYPES OF PENCILS

In addition to the pencils described above, there are other pencils that provide many more opportunities for experimentation and discovery in the field of drawing. You can find these pencils at any store that sells art supplies.

- Pencil in a curled paper frame - Graphite in a curled paper frame, which is folded back to release the lead.
- Rotary pencil - available in many forms, with a variety of mechanisms that open the tip of the graphite.
- A pencil with a clip-on lead - a pencil for sketches with a very soft slushy or thick lead.
- The standard thick black pencil known for many years as the "Black Beauty".
- Carpenter's Pencil - Used by joiners and builders to measure, write, and sketch new ideas.
- Lead pencil or stick. This pencil is solid graphite about the same thickness as a regular pencil. A thin film covering the tip from the outside turns away to reveal the graphite. A graphite stick is a thicker piece of graphite, like a pastel, wrapped in paper that is removed as needed. This is a versatile pencil.
- A watercolor sketching pencil is a regular pencil, but if immersed in water, it can be used as a watercolor brush.

What is graphite.

Graphite is the substance from which pencil leads are made, but naturally occurring graphite is not placed in a wooden frame. The graphite mined in different fields varies in thickness and in varying degrees of hardness / softness. As you can see from the pictures, graphite is not intended for making detailed drawings. It is more suitable for expressive sketches, graphite is convenient to work with a vinyl eraser.

With a lead pencil, you can make quick, heavy, dramatic sketches using energetic lines, large areas of dark tones, or interesting textured strokes. This way of drawing will convey the mood well, but it is completely unsuitable for making drawings. It is better to draw large drawings with graphite: the reasons for this are clear to everyone. Graphite is a versatile product, and before you start working with it, learn more about its properties and characteristics. Since it does not have an outer rim, its sides can be fully utilized. We do not have such an opportunity when we draw with a pencil. You will be pleasantly surprised when you see what you can achieve by painting with graphite. Personally, if I paint in a free and dynamic manner, then I always use graphite. If you also draw with graphite in this manner, you will undoubtedly achieve great success.

DRAWING WITH SOFT PENCILS AND GRAPHITE

Unlike hard pencils, soft pencils and graphite can make thicker strokes and create a wide range of tones, from deep blacks to whites. The soft pencil and graphite make it quick and efficient. With a soft, sufficiently sharp pencil, you can convey the contour of the object, as well as its volume.

Drawings made with these tools are more expressive. They are related to our feelings, ideas, impressions and thoughts, for example, it can be sketches in a notebook, as a result of our first impressions of the object. They can be part of our visual observation and recordings. Drawings convey a change in tone during observation, either through creative imagination, or express the surface of the texture. These drawings can also arbitrarily explain or express expression - that is, they themselves can be works of visual art, and not blanks for future work.

The eraser enhances the effect of the soft pencil. Use a soft pencil and eraser to make your drawing more expressive. An eraser, used with a hard pencil, is most often used to correct mistakes, and as a complement to a soft pencil and charcoal, it is a means of creating an image.

You can achieve different results if you press differently when working with a soft pencil and graphite. Pressing allows you to transform the image, either by changing the tone, or making strokes more weight. Take a look at examples of tone gradations and try experimenting in this direction yourself. While changing the pressure on the pencil, try to change the maximum amount of the image using different movements.

What are erasers.

As a rule, we first get acquainted with the eraser when we need to fix a mistake. We want to erase where the mistake was made and continue painting. Since the eraser is associated with correcting errors, we are rather negative about it and its functions. The eraser seems like an inevitable evil, and the more it wears out from constant use, the more often we feel that it does not meet our requirements. It's time to rethink the role of the eraser in our work. If you use your eraser skillfully, it can be the most useful drawing subject. But first you need to give up the idea that mistakes are always bad, because you learn from mistakes.

When sketching, many artists think about the drawing process or decide how the drawing will look. Sketches can be erroneous and need to be corrected along the way. This happened to every artist - even such great masters as Leonardo da Vinci and Rembrandt. Reconsideration is almost always part of the creative process and is visible in many works, especially in sketches, where artists develop their ideas and designs.

The desire to completely erase the errors in the work and start painting again is one of the most common mistakes novice artists make. As a result, they make more mistakes or repeat old ones, which creates feelings of dissatisfaction, leading to feelings of failure. When making corrections, do not erase the original lines until you are satisfied with the new drawing and feel that these lines are redundant. My advice: keep the traces of the correction, do not destroy them completely, as they reflect the process of your thinking and refinement of the intention.

Another positive function of the eraser is to reproduce areas of light in a tonal pattern made with graphite, charcoal, or ink. The eraser can be used to add expressiveness to strokes that emphasize texture - a prime example of this approach is the drawings by Frank Auerbach. In them, the "tonking" technique is an example of using an eraser to create a sense of atmosphere.

There are many types of erasers on the market that remove traces of all the substances that the artist works with. Listed below are the types of erasers with an indication of their function.

Soft eraser ("nag"). Usually used for charcoal and pastel drawings, but it can also be used in pencil drawing. This eraser can be shaped in any shape - this is its main advantage. It helps to develop a positive approach to drawing, because it is intended to bring new things into the drawing, not destroy what was done.

- Vinyl eraser. They are usually erased with charcoal, pastel and pencil strokes. It can also be used to create certain types of strokes.
- Indian eraser. Used to remove light pencil strokes.
- Ink eraser. It is very difficult to completely remove ink strokes. Erasers for ink and typewriting are available in pencil or round shapes. You can use a combination eraser, one end of which removes the pencil and the other the ink.
- Surface cleaners such as scalpels, razor blades, pumice stones, fine steel wire and sandpaper are used to remove stubborn ink marks from drawings. Obviously, before using these tools, you need to make sure that your paper is thick enough so that you can remove the top layer and not rub it into holes.
- Products applied to paper, such as correction fluid, titanium or Chinese whitewash. Wrong strokes are covered with an opaque layer of white. After they dry on the surface, you can work again.

Safety measures for the artist.

When working with materials, do not forget about safety measures. Handle scalpels and razor blades with care. Do not leave them open when not in use. Find out if the fluids you are using are toxic or flammable. So, applying whitewash is a very convenient and cheap way to remove ink, which is based on water, but whitewash is poisonous, and you need to use them with caution.

Pumice is used to remove hard-to-erase strokes. However, use a pumice stone with care as it can damage the paper. A razor blade (or scalpel) scrapes off any strokes that cannot be removed by other means. They can be used in case of emergency, because by removing unnecessary strokes, you can

Graphite pencils that exist to this day, was invented by a French scientist Nicola Conti in 1794. Usually, a lead pencil is called a “simple” pencil, as opposed 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 inside the pencil body. You can tell the type of pencil by looking at the letters and numbers written on it. The letter "M" indicates that the pencil is soft and the letter "T" is hard. There is also a type of TM - hard-soft. The degree of hardness or softness of a pencil can be recognized by the numbers written in front of the letter. For example, 2M is twice soft than M. and 3T is three times harder than T. In many countries of the world abroad, for example, in England, in the USA, the letter 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 a pencil depends on the type of paper, on the work being done, and also on the personal preferences of the artist. For example, I prefer the HB pencils from Faber Castell. It is more convenient to sharpen pencils with stationery knives. Historically, knives for sharpening stationery (feathers) were called "penknives". It is very important to keep your pencils safe from dropping. The lead can be shattered into small pieces from the impact. It is also important to keep your pencils dry. When dampening and subsequent drying, the pencil shirt can be deformed, which will lead to a violation of the integrity of the lead. There is also another type of lead pencil called the Mechanical Pencil. They are convenient in that you do not need to sharpen. These pencils have a movable lead. Its length can be adjusted using a button. Mechanical pencils are available with very thin leads (from 0.1 mm). There are also mechanical pencils with intermediate lead thickness. The thickest mechanical pencil lead that I could get my hands on is 5mm. Professional artists often like to draw with such pencils.

Hardness marking of pencils

Pencils differ in the hardness of the lead, 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 United States, pencils are marked with numbers, and in Europe and Russia with a mnemonic combination of letters or just one letter.

The letter M denotes a soft pencil. In Europe, they use the letter B for this, which is actually an abbreviation for blackness (something like blackness, so to speak). The number 1 is used in the United States.

To designate a hard pencil in Russia, they use the letter T. In Europe, respectively, H, which can be deciphered as hardness.

A hard pencil is designated as TM. For Europe it will be HB.

A standard hard-soft pencil, in addition to combinations in Europe, can be denoted by the letter F.

For guidance in these international issues, it is convenient to use the table of correspondence of the hardness of the scales, which is given below.

History of pencils

Beginning in the 13th century, artists used thin silver wire to paint, which was soldered to a pen or stored in a case. This type of pencil was called a "silver pencil". This instrument demanded a high level of skill, since it was impossible to erase what was drawn by it. Another characteristic of it was that over time, gray strokes applied with a silver pencil turned brown.

There was also a "lead pencil" that left a discreet but clear mark and was often used for preparatory sketches of portraits. For drawings made with silver and lead pencil, a subtle line style is characteristic. For example, Dürer used similar pencils.

The so-called "Italian pencil" is also known, which appeared in the XIV century. It was a rod of black clayey shale. Then they began to make it from burnt bone powder, fastened with vegetable glue. This tool allowed you to create an intense and rich line. Interestingly, artists still sometimes use silver, lead and Italian pencils when they need to achieve a certain effect.

Graphite pencils have been around since the 16th century. The first description of a graphite pencil was found in the 1564 writings on minerals by the Swiss naturalist Konrad Geisler. At the same time, the discovery of a deposit of graphite in England, in Cumberland, where the graphite was sawn into pencil rods, dates back to. English shepherds from the Cumberland area found a dark mass in the ground, which they used to mark the sheep. Due to the 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 comfortable and the stick was not 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 that mentions a wooden pencil is dated 1683. In Germany, the production of lead pencils began in Nuremberg. The Germans, mixing graphite with sulfur and glue, received a rod of not such high quality, but at a lower price. To hide this, pencil makers have resorted to various tricks. Pieces of pure graphite were inserted into the wooden body of the pencil at the beginning and at the end, while in the middle there was a low-quality artificial rod. Sometimes the inside of the pencil was completely empty. The so-called "Nuremberg commodity" did not enjoy a good reputation.

It was only in 1761 that Caspar Faber developed a method for strengthening graphite by mixing crushed 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 to make pencil rods from a mixture of graphite and clay, followed by firing. Graphite rods appeared, reminiscent of modern ones. By varying the amount of added clay, it was possible to obtain rods of different 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 British Parliament imposed a strictest ban on the export of precious graphite from Cumberland. For violation of this prohibition, the punishment was very harsh, up to the death penalty. Despite this, graphite continued to be smuggled into continental Europe, which led to a sharp increase in its price.

On the instructions of the French convention, Conte developed a recipe for mixing graphite with clay and producing high-quality rods from these materials. With the help of 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 rod 18 cm long, you can draw a line of 55 km or write 45,000 words! In modern leads, polymers are used, which make it possible to achieve the desired combination of strength and elasticity, make it possible to produce very thin leads for mechanical pencils (up to 0.3 mm).

The hexagonal shape of the pencil case was proposed at the end of the 19th century by Count Lothar von Fabercastle, noting that round pencils often roll 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, if necessary, be extended to an appropriate length. 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. Collets open when a button on the end of the pencil is pressed, resulting in an extension that is adjustable by the user of the pencil.

Modern mechanical pencils are more advanced. Each time the button is pressed, a small section of the 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 various fixed line thicknesses (0.3 mm, 0.5 mm, 0.7 mm, 0.9 mm, 1 mm).

Lead pencil drawings have a grayish tone with a slight sheen, there is no intense blackness in them. The famous French cartoonist Emmanuel Poiret (1858-1909), who was born in Russia, invented the pseudonym Caran d'Ache, which sounded aristocratic in the French manner, 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 trademark of the Swiss brand CARAN d'ACHE, founded in Geneva in 1924, producing exclusive writing instruments and accessories.

Graphic work № 1 , recommended for students to perform 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 compasses.
In the process of performing the work, the student must complete the drawing frame, the main lines provided for ESKD, drawing font letters and circles represented by various drawing lines.

The work is carried out on drawing paper format A3 (420 × 297 mm).
To complete the work, you will need pencils with hardness TM, T, 2T, a ruler with a length of at least 300 mm, a protractor, a compass, a square (to execute auxiliary parallel lines), eraser, pencil sharpener.
The ruler and square must be wood or plastic (metal strongly "cut" the pencil lead, leaving dirt on the drawing).

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



Pencil hardness designation

In different countries, the hardness of pencils is marked with different symbols.
In Russia, marking of pencils is adopted with the letters M (soft) and T (hard) or combinations of these letters with numbers and with each other. The numbers in front of the letter indicate the hardness or softness of the pencil. At the same time, it is intuitively clear that 2M is very soft, M is a soft pencil, TM is a pencil of medium hardness (hard-soft), T is hard and 2T is a very hard pencil.

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

European pencil markings are based on the letters of the Latin alphabet:

• B (short for blackness - blackness)- corresponds to the Russian marking under the letter M (soft);
• H (from hardness - hardness)- corresponds to the Russian marking of hardness T (hard);
• F (from fine point - subtlety, tenderness)- a pencil of medium hardness, approximately corresponds to TM. However, the combination of the letters H and B - HB also means the average hardness of the pencil.

European marking provides for a combination of letters B and H with numbers (from 2 to 9), while, as in the Russian marking, the larger the number, the higher the property of the pencil corresponding to the letter (softness or hardness). Pencils of medium hardness according to the European marking have the designation H, F, HB or B .
If there is a letter on the pencil V with a digit from 2 to 9 (for example: 4V, 9V etc.), then you are dealing with a soft or very soft pencil.
Letter N with a number from 2 to 9 on a pencil indicates its increased hardness (for example, 2H, 7H, etc.).

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

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

According to the 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, contour of a part or a node - that is, for the main lines of graphic work) should have a thickness 0.6 ... 0.8 mm; in large drawings, this line can reach 1.5 mm in thickness.
• dashed line (drawing the lines of the invisible contour)- executed in thickness 0.3 ... 0.4 mm (i.e., twice as thin as the main thick line)... The stroke length (4-6 mm) and the distance between adjacent strokes (1-1.5 mm) are normalized GOST 2.303-68;
• the rest of the lines (dash-dotted, wavy, solid thin- to indicate axes, extension and dimension lines, cut boundaries, etc.)- thick 0.2 mm (i.e., three times thinner than the main thick solid line).
  Length of dashes in dash-dotted line (axis designation) should be 15-20 mm, the distance between adjacent strokes is 3 mm.
• the height of the letters of the fonts must correspond to the permissible standard ruler, while the height of lowercase letters and the distance between letters in the line correspond to the size of uppercase (capital) letters.
  Most often in graphic works of the format A4 and A3 type B fonts with an angle of inclination are used 75 degrees, with the height of lowercase letters (which should be equal to 7/10 uppercase heights i.e. uppercase letters), is taken equal to 3.5 or 5 mm (respectively, the height of the capital letters is 5 or 7 mm).
• Letter spacing the line should be equal to 1/5 the height of a capital (uppercase) letter, i.e. for the height of a capital letter 5 mm the distance between letters in a line is 1 mm, for the height of the capital letter 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.

An example of a task for executing drawing lines and sheet design
can be downloaded (in Word format)

The list of tasks for the formation of a credit portfolio in Engineering Graphics for students of groups M-21 and T-21 (in WORD format) can be downloaded (0.789 Mb).



Simple pencils, differences. What is a pencil? This is a kind of instrument that looks like a rod made of writing material (coal, graphite, dry paints, etc.). Such a tool is widely used in writing, drawing and sketching. Typically, the stylus is inserted into a comfortable frame. pencils can be colored and "simple". Today we will talk about such "simple" pencils, or rather, about what types of graphite pencils exist. The very first object that remotely resembles a pencil was invented in the 13th century. It was a thin silver wire soldered to the handle. We kept such a "silver pencil" 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 black clayey shale. Later, the rod was made from burnt bone powder mixed with vegetable glue. This pencil gave a clear and color-rich line. By the way, this kind of writing instruments are still used by some artists to achieve a certain effect. Graphite pencils have been known since the 16th century. Their appearance is very interesting: in the Cumberland area, English shepherds found a dark mass in the ground with which they began to mark 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 their hands got dirty, so it was necessary to place them in some kind of cover. The rod began to be clamped between wooden sticks or pieces of wood, wrapped in thick paper, tied with twine. As for the graphite pencil, which 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 processing - as a result, the core was strong and, in addition, this technology made it possible to control the hardness of the graphite.

Lead hardness Lead hardness is indicated on the pencil in letters and numbers. Manufacturers from different countries (Europe, USA and Russia) have different pencil hardness markings. Hardness designation In Russia, the hardness scale looks like this: M - soft; T - hard; TM - hard-soft; The European scale is somewhat wider (the F marking has no 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 - fineness) HB - hard-soft (Hardness Blackness - hardness-blackness); In the USA, a scale of numbers is used to indicate the hardness of a pencil: - corresponds to B - soft; - corresponds to HB - hard-soft; ½ - corresponds to F - medium between hard-soft and hard; - corresponds to H - hard; - corresponds to 2H - very hard. Pencil pencil stripes. Depending on the manufacturer, the tone of the line drawn with a pencil of one marking may differ. In Russian and European pencil markings, the number in front of 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. Pencils are marketed commercially from 9H (hardest) to 9B (softest) Hard pencils Start from H to 9H. H - hard pencil, hence - thin, light, "dry" lines. With a hard pencil, they draw solid objects with a clear outline (stone, metal). With such a hard pencil, according to the finished drawing, over the shaded or shaded fragments, they draw thin lines, for example, draw strands in the hair. A line drawn with a soft pencil has a slightly loose outline. A soft lead will allow you to reliably draw representatives of the fauna - birds, hares, cats, dogs. If it is necessary 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, with a finger or an eraser. If necessary, you can finely sharpen the graphite shaft of a soft pencil and draw a thin line similar to that of a hard pencil. Hatching and Drawing Strokes on paper are drawn with a pencil tilted at an angle of about 45 ° to the plane of the sheet. To make the line thicker, you can rotate the pencil around the axis. Light areas are hatched with a hard pencil. Dark areas are correspondingly soft. It is inconvenient to hatch with a very soft pencil, since the lead quickly becomes dull and the fineness of the line is lost. The way out is to either sharpen the point very often, or use a harder pencil. When drawing, they gradually move from light to dark areas, since it is much easier to darken a part of the drawing with a pencil than to make a dark place lighter. Please note that the pencil should not be sharpened 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 must be handled with care. When dropped, the lead inside the pencil breaks apart and then crumbles during sharpening, making the pencil unusable. Nuances you should know when working with pencils For shading at the very beginning, you should use a hard pencil. Those. the driest lines are obtained with a hard pencil. The finished drawing is drawn with a soft pencil to give it juiciness and expressiveness. A soft pencil leaves dark lines. The more you tilt the pencil, the wider the track will be. However, with the advent of pencils with a thick lead, this need disappears. If you don't know what the final drawing will look like, it is recommended to start with a hard pencil. With a hard pencil, you can gradually dial the desired tone. At the very beginning, I myself made the following mistake: I took a pencil that was too soft, which made the drawing dark and incomprehensible. Pencil frames Of course, the classic version is a lead in a wooden frame. But now there are plastic, varnished and even paper frames. the lead of such pencils is thick. On the one hand, this is good, but on the other hand, such pencils are easy to break if put in a pocket or dropped unsuccessfully. Although there are special pencil cases for transferring pencils (for example, I have a set of black lead pencils KOH-I-NOOR Progresso - a good, solid package, like a pencil case).

A simple pencil is something so familiar, than in childhood they drew on wallpaper, at school they made notes in textbooks and drew triangles on geometry. Most people know that this is just a "gray" pencil, those who had a drawing at school know a little more about it, artists and representatives of several other professions who use pencils in their work know its real beauty.

A little about simple pencils.
In the usual sense, a simple pencil is graphite in a wooden sheath. But it’s not that simple. After all, a "gray pencil" can have different shades, depending on the degree of softness of the lead. The lead consists of graphite with clay: the more graphite, the softer the tone, the more clay, the harder.
The pencils themselves are also different: in a typically wooden shell, collet and solid graphite.

Let's start with wooden ones.
I will describe the pencils and other materials I have and use regularly. Not all of them look like a showcase, but understand that this is quite real =)
So, a set of pencils "Koh-i-Noor", 12 pcs. The company is familiar to everyone, these pencils are in any stationery store and you can buy them both in boxes and by the piece. Their price is quite democratic and affordable.
Pencils are good, but by the piece you can buy a fake with a bad wood and lead.
This set is kind of like for artists from 8B to 2H, but there is also the same one for drawing, it is dominated by hard pencils.

Set of pencils "DERWENT", 24 pcs. Tones from 9V to 9H, some of 2 pieces of the same type (below I will write why it is convenient). In fact, I practically don't use pencils that are softer than 4B and harder than 4H, since "DERWENT" pencils are much softer than the same "Koh-i-Noor", so I don't even know what to draw, for example, with a 7B pencil, if it is so soft that it leaves behind graphite chips.
The pencils are of high quality, sharpen well, do not break, however, at first you need to get used to their, hmm, smell. However, after two weeks it disappears.

DALER ROWNEY pencil set, 12 pcs. Very soft pencils from 2H to 9B (see below pic. Comparison of markings) in a compact pencil case.

The pencils lie in two rows, so when drawing, you need to remove the top row.

And, of course, "Faber Castell". There are no complaints about these pencils, but the increased softness is not inferior to "DERWENT".
We do not have boxed versions on sale, there are only two series of individual ones.
Cheaper series

And recently a slightly more expensive, but very stylish series has appeared. The "pimples" are quite voluminous, and thanks to them and the triangular shape of the pencil, it is very pleasant to hold and draw with them.

The softness of the pencil can be seen not only by the markings, but also by the color of the head, which matches the tone of the lead.

In addition to these manufacturers, there are many others (such as "Marco", "Constructor", others) that for some reason do not suit me personally, but this is not a reason to ignore them, so you can try everything.
In addition to the sets, I buy the most used pencils from the same brand and the same markings as in the box.
I always have two pencils 2B, B, HB, F, H and 2H. This is necessary because a sharpened pencil is not always needed during drawing, so one pencil, for example, 2H I have a sharp one, and the second with a blunt rounded tip. "Blunt tip" is needed when you need to dial tone, while not leaving a clear trail of the stroke. This was not taught in an artist, but, as practice shows, it is very convenient and many artists, masters of a simple pencil, do this.

Collet pencils. It has already been written about them a little earlier. I repeat again that they are good in all kinds of field conditions or on the road, and in the workplace it is better to paint with wooden ones.
An indisputable plus of collet pencils is even in the thickness of the rod, more precisely in the variety of this thickness.
Pencils are available for a rod from 0.5 mm (07, 1.5, etc.)

And up to the very impressive thickness of the rods of soft techniques

Solid lead pencils. Entirely and entirely composed of graphite in a thin shell so as not to get your hands dirty.
Here I have pencils "Koh-i-Noor", I can't see others on sale. In principle, I use them even less often than collet ones, because they are not very convenient to sharpen and in few places there is a need to draw with the entire thickness of the rod. Another significant disadvantage is that they fight ...

A little about labeling.
Let's start with the fact that each company has its own. That is, the marking seems to be standard from 9V to 9H, but, as you can see in the figure below, HB "DALER ROWNEY" and HB "Koh-i-Noor" are two different HBs. That is why, if you need pencils of varying degrees of softness, they must be taken from the same company, it is better in a set.
"Faber Castell No. 1" - the series is the one that is cheaper.
"Faber Castell №2" - with "pimples" (in fact, I don't have "F", it just would be like that somewhere).

Actually, about the softness and hardness of pencils.
Hard pencils are H-9H. The larger the number, the harder / lighter the pencil.
Soft pencils - B-9B. The larger the number, the softer / darker the pencil.
Hard-soft pencils - HB and F. C HB everything is clear - this is the middle between H and B, but F is a very mysterious marking, this is the middle tone between HB and N. but for me this pencil is used most often (only "DERWENT" or "FC", with "Koh-i-Noor" it is very light).
There is also a Russian marking "T" - hard, "M" - soft, but I don't have such pencils.
Well, just to compare

The bottom line is DALER ROWNEY, the darkest pencils.
The penultimate line is Loki's set "DERWENT-sketch", it is slightly different from mine (top DW).
Third from the bottom - some Marco pencils. They have the most alternative markings because 6B is darker than 8B and 7B is lighter than HB. Therefore, I do not have them.

As an example of use - my drawing "Curious Fox"

The lightest tone is snow, it is drawn with an 8H pencil (DW)
Light fur - 4H (Koh-i-Noor) and 2H (FC№1)
Midtones - F (DW and FC # 1), H (DW and FC # 1), HB (DW), B (FC # 1 and FC # 2)
Dark (paws, nose, eye and ear contours) - 2B (FC # 1 and FC # 2), 3B (FC # 1), 4B (Koh-i-Noor)

Review of erasers - "Eraser, nag and others"
Drawing pads

Pencil hardness index and markings

Pencil hardness index is a marking of graphite pencils for artists, draftsmen and hobbyists. Pencils differ in the hardness of the lead, which is indicated on the pencil and is usually selected according to the paper. The denser and harder the paper, the harder the pencil lead should be. A pin that is too hard will deform the surface of the paper. This is easy to see when erasing the line with the eraser. A line from an overly soft rod is smeared when you slide your finger or rubber band across it.

Marking standards

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 United States, pencils are marked with numbers, and in Europe and Russia mnemonic a combination of letters or just one letter.

For guidance in these international issues, it is convenient to use the table of correspondence of the hardness of the scales, which is given below.

Pencil hardness marking

Pencil hardness scale

9H

8H

7H

6H

5H

4H

3H

2H

H

F

HB

B

2B

3B

4B

5B

6B

7B

8B

9B

The hardest

Average

The softest

On a Russian-made pencil, there are letters T (hard), TM (hard-soft) and M (soft).

If the pencil is foreign, then the letters - H ( hardness- hardness), B ( blackness- the degree of blackness, i.e. softness), HB (hard-soft).

HB, or TM, is a standard writing and drawing card, the most widespread and demanded.

A number is indicated in front of the letters, which is an indicator of the degree of hardness of the pencil.

Pencil hardness scale

Let's see how pencils of different degrees of hardness are drawn:

Pencil hardness marking

Pencil markings accepted in different countries.

Such markings are also sometimes found.

Faber-Castell in the pencil series Grip 2001 uses its own markings: 1 = 2B, 2 = B, 2½ = HB, 3 = H, 4 = 2H.

Pencil types by body shape

Pencils differ in body (their shape):

• Triangular - triangular shape
• Hexagonal - a hexagonal shape, one of the most common
• Round - a round case, there is also a variety of it - an oval shape
• Bendable (flexible plastic) - flexible pencil(are they more convenient than ordinary ones is a big question, but they are at least original), they are produced by different manufacturers, including Miraculous

Hard graphite pencils

Amazing pencils

• A pencil with HB hardness and a standard length of 17.5 cm can:
  • draw a line about 56 km long
  • write about 45,000 words;
  • be sharpened 17 times.
• More than 14 billion pencils are produced in the world every year - from this amount you can lay out a chain that will circumnavigate the Earth 62 times!

Review of simple pencils

Photo review of several different options for black lead pencils of different hardness. Koh-i-Noor, Hatber, and others. Piece by piece and sets.

The Koh-i-Noor package contains a composite "hodgepodge" of pencils, ordered by the piece, of different hardness and different manufacturers. The Art-format box contains a set of 12 pencils, different in hardness.

Pencils by the piece, all of a high degree of softness, for drawing.

Plain simple pencil, the uniqueness of which is in the geometric formulas applied to the case. Quality, from Koh-i-Noor. The same is with

Each hardness / softness has its own lead size and body color.

The set is handy and always relevant for graphic artists, architects, designers, illustrators, artists and comic book creators. For everyone who paints. And for children too.

Pencil profile: triangular. Each pencil has its own body color according to the degree of hardness.

12B is a very soft and black pencil like charcoal. He even writes on his hand.

The higher the softness, the blacker the color of the pencil case, this is very convenient when drawing, you don't have to look for what is written on the case.

In the section on the question Who understands the marking of pencils - 2B, B, HB, given by the author Alexander Chumakov the best answer is
Pencils differ in the hardness of the lead, which is usually indicated on the pencil and indicated by the corresponding letters. Pencil hardness markings differ from country to country. On the pencil, you can see the letters T, MT and M. If the pencil is produced abroad, then the letters, respectively, will be H, HB, B. A number is indicated in front of the letters, which is an indicator of the degree of hardness of the pencil.
Pencil hardness markings:
USA: # 1, # 2, # 2½, # 3, # 4.
Europe: B, HB, F, H, 2H.
Russia: M, TM, T, 2T.
Hardest: 7H, 8H, 9H.
Solid: 2H, 3H, 4H, 5H, 6H.
Medium: H, F, HB, B.
Soft: 2B, 3B, 4B, 5B, 6B.
The softest: 7B, 8B, 9B.

Answer from Alexander Kobzev[guru]
artists))) and Draftsmen))

Answer from Sedoy[guru]
H - hard, M or B - soft and softness levels

Answer from Tigr[guru]
Pencils differ in the hardness of the lead, which is usually indicated on the pencil and denoted by the letters M (or B) - soft and T (or H) - hard. A standard (hard-soft) pencil, in addition to the TM and HB combinations, is denoted by the letter F.

Answer from Galchenok ......[active]
2B - hard lead. B- medium hardness. HB - soft

Answer from Sergej[newbie]
B means softness of the shaft, 2B is a very soft pencil, for example, it is good for shading, B is a pencil with a soft shaft, H is a pencil with a hard shaft, and HB is a hard-soft pencil. Depending on the softness or hardness, lines of different thickness are drawn. Well, in my opinion, HB is suitable for all cases. Well, nomadically in drawing they use pencils of different softness.

Koh-i-Noor Hardtmuth on Wikipedia
Check out the wikipedia article on Koh-i-Noor Hardtmuth