Drawing Materials

To begin drawing you need the simplest of equipment. Here is a list of the tools you will find most useful.

Pencils

Lead pencils are made in different grades, ranging from 6H which is very hard to 6B which is very soft. HB is the commonest grade but is better for writing than drawing. The H range, used by architects and draughtsmen, is not recommended for drawing. It is better to choose a pencil from the B range: 2, 3 or 4B are probably the most suitable. The grade is shown on one end of the pencil and care must be taken not to sharpen that end.

Pencils are handy to carry about and can be bought anywhere. But they are not the best drawing media. The range of tone is narrow, you can’t get a good black with them, they shine unpleasantly when overworked, smudge easily and don’t frame up well. But for the workaday roughing out of ideas for composition, for beginning a watercolor or painting, tracing, or in combination with pen and ink, they are invaluable.

Most of the well-known brands of pencils: Venus, Royal Sovereign, Eagle, etc. give good results. They vary a little in quality, but experience will help you choose the one you like best.

Always keep your pencils well sharpened (Fig. 1). Old razor blades are excellent for this. But if you prefer a knife make sure that the blade is not too heavy, else you will be continually breaking the point. You can get a good point by rubbing on a fine sand paper.