This technique gives us many advantages, it is surprising to know that with a single soft lead pencil we can achieve a wide variety of tones, from an intense black to a smooth and homogeneous gray. Also, with a hard lead pencil we can draw very fine and clean lines. The pencil is easy to erase and you do not need an exceptional pulse to use a pencil.
“For all this, the pencil is the most suitable instrument to start drawing and to accustom the hand to achieve safe and clean lines. Also, it is the best instrument to start shading, which is so important in the quest to achieve the best results,” says Jay Greig, a graphite pencil artist.
We must not forget that the more we practice, the more we refine the technique. This is very important since drawing is the backbone of all pictorial work.
“One of the methods that has been useful to me personally is the practice of quick drawing. I know that in our beginnings we all want to draw perfect and we are disappointed not to be able to do it and even more if we compare our work with that of someone more experienced than us. I am not saying that it is wrong to compare ourselves, it is more I believe that it is necessary to observe the way how others work, but it is necessary to understand that each one lives the process of refining technique in their own way and at their own pace,” says Jay Greig.
PENCILS AND PAPER
Many graphite pencils in the world are classified with the European system that uses a continuous gradation described by "H" (for hardness) and "B" (for degree of darkness). The standard pencil commonly used for writing is the HB.
Here Jay Greig shares the definition according to the letter and number of the pencil:
6B - Very black and very soft. ideal for dark areas
5B - Less black and very soft. ideal for shading
4B and 3B - Less squishy and a little less black.
2B - It is equal to the number 1.
B - Intermediate between 1 and 2.
HB - Same as 2.
F - Between 2 and 3.
H - Equal to 3.
2H - Between 3 and 4.
3H - Same as 4.
4H, 5H, 6H, 7H and 8H - Increasingly harder and less black.
In Jay Greig’s opinion it is necessary to mention that, when creating an artwork, one of our priorities as artists, in addition to seeking that the work is well executed, must also be that whoever acquires the artwork keep it for a long time and in good condition. For this we must put special interest in the materials we use to make it. The paper generally last less than oil work, so the paper we use plays an important role.
