Graphite Pencils for Beginners: Pencils, Grades, and Paper

The humble graphite pencil has been the starting point for most artist. Like so many before me, this is where I started too. Let’s dive down this rabbit hole to find out what, as a beginner, you need and don’t need at the start. Additionally, what or when to upgrade to add to your more advanced skill and drawing arsenal.

Choosing Your First Pencil

I used a simple Bic No. 2 mechanical pencil to start. You have seen them in packs of 10 for a few dollars at the big box stores. They are cheap, have #2 lead, which is just another name for HB lead, more on why they are the same in a bit. Why did I chose this pencil? I already owned several and it worked. When you first decide to learn the skill of drawing, any pencil you have will work.

When to Upgrade Your Pencils

You do not need those expensive art supply store ones or the cheap ones for that matter, regardless of what anyone tells you. You do not need to go out and purchase a complete set of graphite pencils in a wide assortment of hardness levels. It is simply not needed in the beginning.

I have seen drawing tutorial that actually expected beginners to go out and buy not only full sets of graphite pencils in every grade imaginable, but also a laundry list off accessories; eraser shields, several different types of erasers, blending stumps, rulers, and a long list of other supplies. While you may want some these down the road, starting out they are not of much use to you. You don’t have the skills yet to know how and when to use them. So why waste money and storage space for something you can’t actually use yet.

When you get to a point where having different grade graphite pencils will improve you art, believe it or not, you will know. As you are drawing and you start wishing you could make a certain area darker or have more contrast then what you can achieve with your current pencil. This is when you buy more, but you only need to get a few grades, 2B and 6B are good starters.

These two graphite pencils will greatly increase the level of darkness you can achieve in your drawings. Remember, learn your first pencil first, then you will be able to better utilize these new to you graphite pencils.

A Note on Brands and Personal Feel

When it comes to brands, this is where thing get confusing. How a graphite pencil “feels” as you use it is a very personal thing. Those videos and tutorial that say brand A is the best, or you must use brand B, are actually telling you what brand of pencil feels the best for them, not the actual best brand. Some of the terms I’ve heard over the years:

• scratchy
• smooth
• rich
• buttery
• blends beautiful
• doesn’t blend

This list could go on and on. All of these descriptors are a matter of personal opinion. Like hot vs cold everyone defines them and feels them differently.

Personally I use mechanical pencils as I hate all the sharpening bits and dust. When I wanted different grades of graphite, I purchased the lead for the size mechanical pencil I intended to use it with and had no problems. So, if I wanted to use it in a mechanical pencil that was a size 9, I bought size 9 lead in the grade I wanted, like 2B. This was the first hardness level I purchased and the one I used the most.

With that said, actual old fashion pencils that need to be sharpened are a good choice for many artist. Artists love the feel of an old fashioned pencil that they can sharpen with longer leads exposed to create unique effects.

Please, don’t get talked into one a set, just grab at most HB, 2B, and 6B. I mostly used 2B as I could get a vast range of light to dark with one pencil. This is actually a good point because if you learn with one grade at the beginning you will discover exactly what you can achieve. Once you know what you can do with that one grade, you will also know if you need lighter or darker pencil grades as your skill improves.

What to Look for in Pencils

People describe graphite pencils as being scratchy, not having a decent lay down (how much graphite you can put down on the paper), or smooth. These are the very traits that are personal. One person’s scratchy pencil could be your dream and not scratchy at all when you use it, like I personally discovered.

Please Do Not purchase a full set of any pencil you have not tried first. If you can’t get them individually, only purchase the smallest set possible. Also, ask a store representative if you can try one. Most will allow this and if a pencil is really bad to you, it will save you a costly mistake.

If I had done this, that cool set with the color coded barrels would have been left at the store. I purchased a full set of one brand before trying it solely because the barrels where color coded by grade, not to mention it was a brand name considered high-end. I loved this idea and thought it would be so nice not to need to look for that small print on the barrel. I came home and tried them, for me just pure yuck! This set helped me discover exactly what people meant by scratchy. Another brand I tried had a few reviewers saying they were scratchy, but to me, wonderful and smooth.

When you try a pencil out:

TEST 1: Doodle or draw something quick with it.

• Does it resist you as you try to draw?
• Does it feel like it is gliding across the paper.
• Do you feel like you can hear it?

These questions tell you if the pencil feels scratchy or smooth. It let’s you know if the pencil will be a joy to work with for a long drawing session or if it will make you want to quit before you are ready. If the graphite pencil passes this test, proceed to test 2.

TEST 2: Try creating a gradient.

• Lay the pencil lead at an angle to the paper
• Start with a very soft touch so the color is as light as possible
• Gradually press firmer to darken the color.

This test will tell you how much graphite the pencil can lay down on the paper. It also let’s you know what lightness and darkness you can achieve with this pencil. Ask yourself how easy or hard it was to create the gradient.

These two tests will tell you a tremendous amount about the pencil and how it may work or not work for you. At the very least you will know if it is worth buying or leaving at the store.

Are you wondering why I am not listing the brands I used? I actually answered this in my post No Art Supply Brand Names, No Affiliate Links: A Neutral Space to Learn. How any medium performs for you is personal. I will say it again, my great brand could be your yuck one. When it comes to any medium you use to create your art, it should be what YOU want to use, not what some tutorial told you to use.

What Does H and B Mean for Graphite Pencils?

How many time in school did you hear “You must use a number 2 pencil”?
I might be 60, but I know that the ole #2 pencil is a must for tests, just like it was back in the olden days before I was even in school. That #2 pencil is actually an HB.

You would think with as much as I talk about diving down rabbit holes I would have dove this particular one very early on, but that would be wrong. I didn’t do this research until I learn the hard way that the letters H and B stood for more that how light or dark the pencil was when I used it.

For a little background, there are two different grading systems that are used for graphite pencil, the American Numerical Scale and the European Alphanumeric Scale. Both of these systems measure how much graphite and clay are in the lead. More graphite softer lead, more clay harder lead.

When I finally did go down this rabbit hole the main things I wanted to know were; “Why so Many?”and better yet “Why was the 4H leaving grooves on my paper?”. The answer came down to the ratio of graphite and clay in a pencil. Like I said before, more graphite means darker, softer pencils, more clay means lighter, harder pencil.

Softer pencil (B) are not only darker in value, but softer. They will smudge and blend to create amazing depth to a drawing. This is why most graphite pencil artists predominately use these. Additionally, grades HB, B, and 2B can be erased fairly easy, as long as you haven’t gone completely nuts.

Harder pencils (H) are lighter because they have less graphite in them and, as such, more clay. The beauty of this is they sharpen to a scary point and maintain that point. The lighter color may sound amazing (it did to me) but that harder, sharper pencil can leave grooves in the paper. You might be able to erase the pencil mark, but there is no erasing a grove in the paper. Ask me how I know that one.

What is Meant by “Tooth”

The main descriptor used for paper is tooth. I talked about tooth in the post Choosing Paper for Beginners: Cutting Through the Confusion In a nut shell tooth is the texture of the paper and its ability to hold a medium. In the case of graphite pencils, you need that graphite to stick to the paper and that is where tooth comes into play.

If you want a simple way to test for tooth yourself here are the steps:

1. Get a piece of the paper you want to test. You can even do this with different brands or qualities of paper as a way to compare them.
2. Using an HB or #2 pencil, draw several lines, thick and thin, without applying much pressure. You don’t want to put grooves in the paper.
3. Use a tissue, cotton pad, or your finger and gently rub those lines. How much of the graphite came off? Did the smudge on the page look even or blotchy?

You will notice that papers with less tooth have more graphite removed than those with more. Additionally, how they smudge will give you an idea of how they could or could not work with your art. This test is really interesting if you do it on junk mail or magazine type paper as a comparison.

You can skip the test if you see a sheen on the paper in the light, it is not a good paper to draw on, even if it is for practice. That shine will work against you when you try to blend the graphite pencil. That sheen or shine you see is actually telling you there is little to no tooth to the paper. As you know already tooth is important.

What Kind of Paper Do I Need?

An overview of paper is available in my post Choosing Paper for Beginners: Cutting Through the Confusion. Because I am specifically talking graphite pencils, what papers should the beginner artist focus on using?

There are three main types of paper used for graphite pencil drawing. This does not mean other can’t be used. In fact, experimenting with other papers can be fun, once you have a bit of experience under your belt. So, which papers are best for beginners?

1. Sketch: This paper is around 60lbs / 98 gsm. While lighter in weight it still has good tooth and is a workhorse for artists of all types. This is THE paper to chose for practice. It can handle a normal amount of erasing, but do to much and it may pill.
2. Drawing: At around 80 lbs / 130 gsm it is noticeably thicker and rougher. You can feel the tooth on this. While slightly more expensive, many artist appreciate the added weight and tooth when drawing. It can hold copious amounts of graphite and handles heavy erasing. When you use it you will discover how much deeper blacks you can get with the same pencil. It is kind of crazy the first time you experience it.
3. Bristol: Around 100 lbs / 270 gsm this paper is great for graphite pencil drawings, but on the expensive side for practice. This is ideal for finished art pieces. This paper comes in both a smooth and vellum finish. The smooth doesn’t have much tooth, but is you aren’t going crazy with your lay down, it will still work. The vellum, on the other hand, does have tooth and for graphite pencils is probably the better purchase. This is one of the papers to reach for when you want to display, gift, or sell an art piece.

Now I have one question for you. If you are just starting to learn to draw what good is it to use only the “best” papers when you don’t know what your doing? When you start learning the skill of drawing you will be doing a lot, and I mean A LOT of drawing. Expensive high quality papers would be a waste of money for practice.

Why Sketchbooks Are the Backbone of Art

There is a reason every art store and even many big box stores sell sketchbooks and pads; they are way more affordable and in high demand. I don’t care how famous an artist is they still buy sketchbooks or sketch pads. The humble sketchbook is the backbone of art. This is what artists of all types reach for when creating thumbnails for paintings or working through design or details for an art piece.

Because the sketchbook is so affordable an artist can draw multiple version of idea they have and fine tune details. When you are learning this phenomenal skill a sketchbook allows you to draw with abandon, knowing you are not wasting the good stuff. The only way to become good at drawing is to draw.

Moving Beyond the Sketchbook

As a beginner you will want to focus on sketchbooks or pads. There is no need to get the more expensive drawing paper when you are starting out. In fact, even as you get better and better at drawing, you will probably always have a sketchbook on hand.

When I was starting out learning to draw at 55, I purchased a Blick Studio Sketch Pad at 9” x 12”. Back then it cost about $5, needless to say 5 years later the price has increased. It has even increased since I wrote Best Drawing Supplies for Beginners: Complete Guide Under $20 a few months ago.

As you gain confidence and your skill improves you are naturally going to want to get better papers. One thing to do is try other brands of sketch paper, as not all sketch paper is equal. Additionally, remember what is said about drawing and bristol papers above.

So, as a beginner buy sketchbooks or pads that do not have any sheen. I am sorry, but this will knock out some of the cheaper options at big box stores, but I promise it is worth it. However, if you are on a tight budget, get what you can afford, period. Practicing your new skill is more important than the paper. Do keep in mind though that a better quality sketchbook or pad will fight you less and make drawing a bit more productive when learning what a graphite pencil can do.

You now know about the humble graphite pencil, what to buy, as well as the papers you should look at and when. The graphite pencil is an amazing beginner friendly medium. It is one no future artist should ignore. Regardless of what medium you end up using, learning how to use the graphite pencil provides you not only the skill of drawing, but knowledge of light and shadow. It is the latter that will make your art sing. Next in this series is Pencil Accessories for Graphite: A Beginner’s Guide to help round out your knowledge of this humble medium.