Graphite. Types of graphite pencils

Practical tasks in engineering graphics

Drawing lines and fonts

Graphic Work No. 1

Graphic work № 1 , recommended for students to perform engineering graphics, aims to master the skills of drawing drawing lines, fonts and inscriptions, as well as to get acquainted with the basics of working with a compass.
In the process of doing the work, the student must complete the frame of the drawing, the main lines provided ESKD, drawing font letters, and circles represented by various drawing lines.

The work is done on drawing paper 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 perform auxiliary parallel lines) , eraser, pencil sharpener.
Ruler and square must be wooden or plastic (metal ones strongly “cut” the pencil lead, leaving dirt on the drawing).

For high-quality graphic work, it is necessary to have a set of pencils, which must necessarily include a pencil of medium hardness ( TM ), solid ( T ) and very hard ( 2T ). In this case, hard pencils are used to draw thin lines on the drawing and for a preliminary outline of the outline of the image, which is subsequently outlined with a medium-hard pencil.
Marking of pencils adopted in different countries ah, described below.

Designation of pencil hardness

In different countries, the hardness of pencils is marked with different symbols.
In Russia, the marking of pencils with letters has been adoptedM (soft) andT (solid) or combinations of these letters with numbers and with each other. The numbers in front of the letter are an indication of the degree of hardness or softness of the pencil. At the same time, it is intuitively clear that2M - very softM – soft pencil, TM - a pencil of medium hardness (hard-soft),T - solid 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), while the number is usually preceded by a # (pound sign):#1 , #2 , #2,5 , #3 , #4 etc. The larger the number (number) in the marking, the harder the pencil.

The European marking of pencils is 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 - hardness) - 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 lettersH AndIN – HB also indicate the average hardness of the pencil.

European marking provides for a combination of lettersIN AndH with numbers (from 2 to 9), while, as in the Russian marking, than more figure, 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 designationH , F , HB orIN .
If there is a letter on the pencilIN with a number from 2 to 9 (for example:4V , 9V etc.), then you are dealing with a soft or very soft pencil.
LetterH with a number from 2 to 9 on a pencil indicates its increased hardness (for example,2H , 7H and so on.).

Graphic work task №1 and a sample of the work performed are shown in the figure below.
A full-size sample of the work 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:

· Option number 1

· Option number 2

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

As required ESKD the dimensions 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 assembly - that is, the main lines of graphic work) should be thick 0.6...0.8 mm; on large drawings, this line can reach 1.5mm in thickness.

· dashed line (draw lines of an invisible contour)- made thick 0.3 ... 0.4 mm (i.e. twice as thin as the main thick line). Stroke length (4-6mm) and the distance between adjacent strokes (1-1.5 mm) normalized GOST 2.303-68;

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

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

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

).

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

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

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

Table of correspondence of hardness scales

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

The hardest Average The softest

*****

9H

8H

7H

6H

5H

4H

3H

2H

H

F

HB

B

2B

3B

4B

5B

6B

7B

8B

9B

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

Choice pencilsdepends on quality and from the creative task that the artist sets himself. For example, fast easier to make softpencils, while working on long time on semi-whatman type, you can start light pencils T or TM. On a smooth lays down better soft pencil, on the more rough is comfortablepencilmedium soft -2 M.

History of pencils

Since the 13th century, artists have used thinsilver wire that was soldered to the handle or stored in a case. This type pencil called « silver pencil » . This tool required high level , since it is impossible to erase what he has drawn. Another his characteristic feature was that over time gray, inflicted silver pencilturned brown.

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

Also known as the so-called"Italian pencil" which appeared in the 14th century. It was a rod of clay black slate . Then they began to make it from burnt bone powder, bonded with vegetable . This tool allowed you to create an intense and rich It is interesting that even now artists sometimes use silver, lead anditalian pencilswhen they need to achieve a certain effect.

In the XV-XVI centuries. on parchment or painted with a silver or lead pin ( German Stiff - "base, tool"). A silver lead is especially good for this purpose. It gives thin and clear and similar to a chisel. Such dense almost never fade. silver pin, or stylus , drew many Italian artists as well Northern Renaissance- R. van der Weiden, A. Dürer, H. Holbein (Holbein) Jr., J. fan Eyck.

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

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

known since the 16th century. First Description pencilwas found in the 1564 works on minerals by the Swiss naturalist Konrad Geisler. At the same time, the discovery of the deposit in England, in Cumberland where sawn into pencil rods. English shepherds from the Cumberland area found a dark mass in the ground, which they used to mark their sheep. Because of, similar to lead, the deposit was taken 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, dirty hands, and only good for drawing, not writing.

In the 17th century usually sold on the streets. Artists, to make it more convenient and the stick was not so soft, clamped these « pencils » between pieces of wood or twigs, wrapped them inpaper or tied them with twine.

The first document that mentions a woodenpencil, dated 1683. Production in Germany pencilsstarted in Nuremberg. Germans, mixing with sulfur and , got a rod not like that High Quality but at a lower price. To hide it, the producerspencilsresorted to various tricks. In wooden casepencilat the beginning and at the end they inserted pieces of clean , while in the middle there was a low-quality artificial rod. Sometimes the insidepenciland was completely empty. So-called "Nuremberg Goodsdid not have a good reputation.

It wasn't until 1761 that Caspar Faber developed a way to strengthen by mixing powdered with resin and antimony, resulting in a thick mass suitable for casting stronger and more uniform rods.

At the end of XVIII century Czech I. Hartmut began to make rods for pencils from a mixture and clay followed by firing. Appeared rods reminiscent of modern ones. By changing the amount of added clay, it was possible to obtain rods of various hardness.

Modern pencil invented in 1794 by the talented French scientist and inventor Nicolas Jacques Conte.

At the end of the 18th century, the English Parliament imposed a strict ban on the export of precious from Cumberland. For violation of this prohibition, the punishment was very severe, up to the death penalty. But despite this continued to be smuggled into mainland Europe, leading to sharp increase its prices.

On the instructions of the French convention, Conte developed a recipe for mixing with clay and the production of high-quality rods from these materials. With the help of high temperature treatment, 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 modern classification.pencils by hardness.

It is estimated that pencilwith a rod length of 18 cm can be carried out 55 km or write 45,000 words!

Modern leads use polymers that allow you 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).

Hexagonal body shape pencil suggested in late XIX century Count Lothar von Fabercastle, noting that pencils round sections often roll off sloping writing surfaces.

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

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

Modern mechanical pencilsmore perfect. Each time the button is pressed, a small section of the lead is automatically fed. Suchpencilsdo not need to be sharpened, they are equipped with a built-in (usually under the lead feed button) with an eraser and have different fixed thicknesses (0.3mm, 0.5mm, 0.7mm, 0.9mm, 1mm).

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

famous french Emmanuel Poiret (1858-1909 ), born in Russia, came up with an aristocratic French-sounding pseudonymCaran d'Ache , with whom 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 brandCARAN d'ACHE based in Geneva pencilssharpened on fine-grained emery cloth), reminiscent of italian pencil . Pencil « RetouchThere are four numbers: No. 1 - very soft, No. 2 - soft, No. 3 - medium-hard, No. 4-hard. rodspencil « Retouch» are made from finely ground birch charcoal, clay and a small amount of carbon black.Pencils « Retouch» give an intense, bold streak of black which blends well. made in pencilRetouch", may not be fixed with a fixative. In addition to the black pencil "Retouch”, another pencil is produced“Painting» marked 2 M- 4 M.

Pencil "Blueprint"

Except , as . Gives a blacker and more contrasting streak that is better perceived by various photocopy settings. produced for wood marking, as well as"Carpentry". For this work" carpentry» pencil convenient because of its length and thick stylus.

Italian pencil

Italian pencilis one of the types of freestyle pencils. Distinctive feature its is, deep matte velvety black , easily blendable .

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

WHAT CAN A PENCIL

graphic artist Stanislav Mikhailovich NIKIREEV

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

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

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

He had in mind the drawing of high, realistic art, the most difficult in its artistic manner, where line and stroke build objects, figures, landscapes in volume, weight, characteristic.

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

Quite often I had to make friends and work with pencils, simple and colored, for a long time, and now I need to remember ( because my creative way for three decades now), what did I draw for them and how.

Drawing with a pencil with full seriousness, devoting most of your creative time to this activity, is not easy. It is necessary to overcome the temptation of paints, colors and feel confident that you can express in a silver or black image, along with a clear constructiveness, a tonal-painterly mood. To decide on this means to win, the first, significant one. The second victory of extreme importance is when you manage to understand that an artist can create masterpieces not only with paints, but also with a pencil. With the brightest clarity, magnificent drawings will help in this.Leonardo da Vinci , Michelangelo, Durer, Holbein, Rembrandt, Vrubel, Serov. If the shining peaks of their creativity is painting, then the basis, no doubt, is the drawing.

In the artist's work, the pencil performs a great ancillary work, allowing you to make sketches, sketches, sketches, which serve as a preparatory stage for works of easel and monumental painting, prints. The work is responsible and essential. The maximum value of the qualities of a pencil is manifested in independent drawings, when the artist needs to express his ideas more fully and completely. And the pencil will not let you down with its endless scale of elusive shades, delicate shadings and juicy velvet spots, from the thinnest cobweb to resolutely intense, elastic lines. If we add to this the varying softness and degree of gray-black gradations, then the pencil's abilities are superior to any other.art material .

Working with pencils, I never feel annoyed that at some point they may be powerless to express my desires and ideas. With a simple pencil, I studied plasters, still lifes, portraits and figures of sitters during long sessions, diligently shading and carefully working out the details. But with a special desire I draw landscapes - grass, flowers, trees, land, buildings. At the same time, I study not only their design, materiality,invoice , but I strive to convey various “moods” on paperlandscape .

The pencil is light and easy to correct, which is especially important when working in wildlife, and is almost indispensable on trips where you meet a lot of interesting moments, which I would like to capture, while it is impossible to use other art materials due to time constraints.Line Andstain , which the pencil gives, help to easily and quickly enter exciting moments, the necessary details into the artist's travel album.

It is hard to imagine surrounding life, so to speak, in black and white, without color. It turned out that I parted with watercolors and oils a long time ago, devoting all my time and energy to graphics, but I got a reliable assistant -color pencil, which fully satisfies my needs to work in color. The opinion was strengthened that the colored pencil is poor and limited in the color range. Is it worth it, however, to demand from uncomplexity and wealthoil painting ? But we must strive to use to the end of its capabilities.

Sometimes drawing comes down either to imitation of children's drawings, or to admiring mannerisms: the sweeping stroke, line, spot, pure
formal compositional solutions. Many professional artists sometimes draw, as it were, during a break, during a break from painting or other activities. Hence the frivolous approach to the pencil, lightweight drawings, which are often seen at exhibitions.

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

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

In such work, many times he went so far from drawing with a stroke and a line into purely shading spots that the sheet took on the form casually called by the artists "oilcloth". But if this technique is warmed by great, genuine love and passion for what I shaded so imperceptibly under the “oilcloth”, then, I assure you, the success of this low-key sheet is guaranteed with a greater guarantee than the “tasty” one decided. Thus, the ability of a colored pencil to work in multiple sessions was discovered, starting a drawing easily, leading it to a weighty conclusion.

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

I love the pencil because you can draw with it. I love jealously, because he is still capable of much more - to draw, write. I love it for its amazing accessibility and simplicity, for the fact that I drew my first work from nature with a simple pencil, and then I had a dream of becoming an artist.

Decide what you need pencils for.

• What are you going to do with the pencil? Will you write a lot? Or do homework? How about solving crossword puzzles? Or do sketches and draw full-fledged paintings?
• How much pressure do you use on the pencil when writing or drawing?
• Do you prefer a thin line or a thick one?
• Do you tend to regularly lose pencils, give them to others, chew them or spoil them, or do you try to save pencils and keep them exclusively in a pencil case?
• Do you carry pencils in your pocket, at the risk of injuring yourself with 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 an eraser and it just dries out?

Pay attention to what you like or dislike about the pencils you use. Perhaps some are very comfortable to hold in your hand, while others, on the contrary, are difficult to move across a sheet of paper.

Think what you like best: mechanical pencil or traditional.

• Mechanical pencils do not need to be sharpened, but they do require replacement of the correct lead thickness. As a rule, when about 1 centimeter remains from the stylus, it can no longer be used.
• Mechanical pencils allow fine, even lines to be drawn, which may be advantageous when creating technical drawings or small 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 for long-term use. Most often, in mechanical pencils, it is possible to replace the lead and eraser, which allows you to use it 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 conventional pencils are their low cost, availability and ease of use. Many 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 used to pushing hard on a pencil, try a 0.9mm thick lead. Pencils with 0.9mm lead tend to be darker than others because their lead is almost twice as thick as normal.
• The 0.5mm thick lead is designed for those who prefer easy movements. Such pencils allow you to make even very small drawings neat and detailed.
• The thickness of 0.7mm is the average option.
• Artists and draftsmen may be interested in other lead sizes, but be aware that thick leads require sharpening, even if they are mechanical pencil leads, and thin leads can be very fragile.
• Generally speaking, a thick lead is a flexible solution, since it is possible to achieve the desired thickness by sharpening.

Write comfortably. Use pencils with a comfortable body. Some constructions can prevent seizures, which is useful when writing long texts.

Select lead hardness. Understanding hardness grades can be difficult because there are two different scales of measurement, which, moreover, are not very well standardized. It is possible, however, to understand the basic division of pencils according to 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?
• With what action will it be most convenient for you to move the stylus in mechanical pencil? By pressing from above or from the side? By rotating a certain part of the pencil?
• How strong should the pencil construction be?
• Is it comfortable to hold in your hand?
• How much does a pencil cost?

Use crayons for coloring, underlining, and more, all the way to coloring books.

• If you are drawing 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.
• An underline pencil is a type of colored pencil. Although it has been superseded by the marker, it can still be found in a good stationery store.

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 paints, etc.). Such a tool is widely used in writing, drawing and drawing. As a rule, the writing rod is inserted into a convenient frame. pencils can be colored and "simple". That's just about such "simple" pencils today we'll talk, or rather about 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. They kept such a "silver pencil" in a special case. To draw with such a pencil, remarkable skill and skill was required, 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 clay black slate. Later, the rod was made from burnt bone powder mixed with vegetable glue. Such a pencil gave a clear and color-saturated 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 certain 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 dirty hands, so it was necessary to put them in some kind of case. The rod began to be clamped between wooden sticks or pieces of wood, wrapped in thick paper, tied with twine. Concerning 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 treatment - as a result, the rod was strong and, in addition, this technology made it possible to regulate the hardness of graphite.

Lead hardness Lead hardness is indicated on the pencil with letters and numbers. Manufacturers from different countries (Europe, USA and Russia) have different markings for the hardness of pencils. Rigidity designation In Russia, the hardness scale looks like this: M - soft; T - solid; TM - hard soft; The European scale is somewhat wider (marking F does not have a Russian equivalent): 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 number scale 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 - solid; - corresponds to 2H - very hard. Pencil pencil strife. Depending on the manufacturer, the tone of the line drawn with a pencil of the same marking may differ. In Russian and European marking of pencils, 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. Pencils are commercially available and are labeled 9H (hardest) to 9B (softest). Hard pencils Start from H to 9H. H is a hard pencil, hence the thin, light, "dry" lines. With a hard pencil 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, thin lines are drawn, for example, strands are drawn in the hair. The line drawn with a soft pencil has a slightly loose contour. 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 is easy to shade with a piece of thin paper, a finger or an eraser. If necessary, you can finely sharpen the graphite core 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 bolder, you can rotate the pencil around the axis. Light areas are shaded with a hard pencil. Dark areas are correspondingly soft. It is inconvenient to hatch with a very soft pencil, as the stylus 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 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 during sharpening, making the pencil unusable. Nuances that you should know when working with pencils For hatching at the very beginning, you should use a hard pencil. Those. the driest lines are made with a hard pencil. The finished drawing is drawn with a soft pencil to give it richness and expressiveness. Soft pencil leaves dark lines. The more you tilt the pencil, the wider its mark will be. However, with the advent of pencils with a thick lead, this need is no longer necessary. If you do not know how 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 too soft a pencil, which made the drawing dark and incomprehensible. Pencil frames classic version- This is a stylus in a wooden frame. But now there are also plastic, varnished and even paper frames. The lead on these 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 cases for transferring pencils (for example, I have a set of black graphite pencils KOH-I-NOOR Progresso - good, solid packaging, like a pencil case).

What could be easier than a pencil? This simple tool, familiar to everyone since childhood, is not as primitive as it seems at first glance. It allows you not only to draw, write and draw, but also to create a variety of artistic effects, sketches, paintings! Any artist must be able to draw with a pencil. And, more importantly, understand them.

Graphite ("simple") pencils are pretty different from each other. By the way, "pencil" comes from two Turkic words - "kara" and "dash" (black stone).

The pen's nib is set in a frame made of wood or plastic, and may be made of graphite, charcoal, or other materials. The most common type - graphite pencils - differ in the degree of rigidity.

Let's start!

Pavel Chistyakov, professor at the St. Petersburg Academy of Arts of the 19th-early 20th century, advised to start by putting paint aside and practicing drawing “with a pencil for at least a year.” great artist Ilya Repin never parted with pencils. Pencil drawing is the basis of any painting.

The human eye distinguishes about 150 shades of gray. An artist who draws with graphite pencils has three colors at his disposal. White (paper color), black and gray (color of graphite pencils of different hardness). These are achromatic colors. Drawing only with a pencil, only in shades of gray allows you to create images that convey the volume of objects, the play of shadows and glare of light.

Lead hardness

The hardness of the lead is indicated on the pencil with letters and numbers. Manufacturers from different countries (Europe, USA and Russia) have different markings for the hardness of pencils.

Rigidity designation

In Russia hardness scale looks like this:

• M - soft;
• T - solid;
• TM - hard-soft;

European scale somewhat wider (marking F does not have a Russian equivalent):

• 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 stiffness of a pencil:

• #1 - corresponds to B - soft;
• #2 - corresponds to HB - hard-soft;
• #2½ - corresponds to F - medium between hard-soft and hard;
• #3 - corresponds to H - hard;
• #4 - corresponds to 2H - very hard.

Pencil pencil strife. Depending on the manufacturer, the tone of the line drawn with a pencil of the same marking may differ.

In Russian and European marking of pencils, 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. Pencils are commercially available and are labeled 9H (hardest) to 9B (softest).

soft pencils

Start from B before 9B.

The most commonly used pencil when creating a drawing is HB. However, this is the most common pencil. With this pencil draw the basis, the shape of the picture. HB handy for drawing, creating tonal spots, it is not too hard, not too soft. Draw dark places, highlight them and place accents, a soft pencil will help to make a clear line in the picture. 2B.

Hard pencils

Start from H before 9H.

H- a hard pencil, hence - thin, light, "dry" lines. With a hard pencil, 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, thin lines are drawn, for example, strands are drawn in the hair.

The 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 is easy to shade with a piece of thin paper, a finger or an eraser. If necessary, you can finely sharpen the graphite core of a soft pencil and draw a thin line similar to the line from a hard pencil.

The figure below shows more clearly the hatching of different pencils:

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 bolder, you can rotate the pencil around the axis.

Light areas are shaded with a hard pencil. Dark areas are correspondingly soft.

It is inconvenient to hatch with a very soft pencil, as the stylus 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 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 during sharpening, making the pencil unusable.

Nuances to know when working with pencils

For hatching at the very beginning, you should use a hard pencil. Those. the driest lines are made with a hard pencil.

The finished drawing is drawn with a soft pencil to give it richness and expressiveness. Soft pencil leaves dark lines.

The more you tilt the pencil, the wider its mark will be. However, with the advent of pencils with a thick lead, this need is no longer necessary.

If you do not know how 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 too soft a pencil, 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 also plastic, varnished and even paper frames. The lead on these 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 cases for carrying pencils (for example, I have a set of KOH-I-NOOR Progresso black lead pencils - good, solid packaging, like a pencil case).