The Pencil: Materials + examples of marks

HARD PENCIL

Hard pencil marks have very little variation in the range of mark making. They only usually vary through a linear progression. Tone is usually made from a build up of crosshatch effects. Hard pencils are denoted by the letter H. As with soft pencils, they come in a range, comprising HB, H, 2H, 3H, 4H, 5H, 6H, 7H, 8H and 9H (the hardest).

These pencils are mainly for use by designers, architects and people who produce precise technical diagrammatic drawings for which a fine, accurate line is essential, such as perspective or other projection drawings. Although the marks made with hard pencil show very little variation it can be used in an expressive manner. As with soft pencil, tone can be built using a cross-hatching system, although the result is much finer and more formal, the cross-hatching emerging out of a series of linear progressions.

SYSTEMS FOR HARD PENCILS

Hard pencils are mostly appropriate for drawings requiring accuracy. As we have pointed out previously, such drawings are usually done by engineers, industrial designers, graphic designers and architects.

The final drawings they produce have to be to scale and precise so that other people, such as craftsmen, can follow the instructions to construct or make the designed object. These drawings come in a number of different types of perspective, or parallel projection systems, ranging from flat orthographic plan or elevation drawings to 3D perspective illustrations.

HARD PENCIL MARKS

NB: we have not given you examples of mark making with HB or 7H to 9H pencils.

6H: Vertical lines. Horizontal lines. Vertical and horizontal.

5H: Diagonal lines . sloping left

Diagonal lines with left and right emphases.

Diagonals with horizontal and vertical lines.

4H: A zigzag line. | Horizontal line achieved A with the side of the point. | A combination of the previous marks.

3H: Dragging the side of the pencil horizontally in rows of zigzag lines. | Spaced dragged dashes. | Herring-bone pattern.

2H: Rows of squiggly textured. lines | Horizontal and vertical lines, producing a knitted texture. | Wavy horizontal lines.

SOFT PENCIL

The soft pencil has more versatility for creating tone and textures than the hard pencil. Soft pencils are denoted by the letter B. The HB pencil is a mixture of hard and soft and is the pivotal pencil between the two extremes. The range of soft pencils available consists of HB, B, 2B, 3B, 4B, 5B, 6B, 7B, 8B and 9B (the softest).

These pencils are designed for the fine artist to express particular ideas, for example through the building of tone, the creation of texture, cross-hatching or even just simple line. Pencils at the softest end of the range can be used to produce blocks of tone. A graphite stick is generally more useful for this type of work and for producing larger areas of tone For a small drawing - up to A3 size - a soft pencil is more appropriate.

The only soft pencil suitable for refined work requiring great precision - essentially the preserve of the hard pencil - is the fine clutch pencil.

Drawing in soft pencil of a still life using observed directional light.

SOFT PENCIL MARKS

2B: Horizontal rows of Sc scribbled shading.

3B: Heavy herringbone texture.

4B: A pushed zigzag line R using the side of the p pencil.

5B: Irregular dots, creating an implied texture, a perhaps a gravel path.

6B: Layer of graphite V rubbed diagonally to h create atmosphere.

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Scribbled lines implying a knitted texture and shadow. Smudged tone (with the finger) to create atmosphere. Rows of vertical scribble, progressing from dark to light. Woolly scribble creating a textured surface. Vertical lines rubbed horizontally and then vertical lines drawn over the top to create a woven texture.

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Vertical scribble, creating a soft texture and shading.

Random mark making implying a rough texture.

Regular dashes of tone.

Open zigzag lines create tone and texture.

Tone rubbed vertically and then horizontally to create a woven texture.

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OTHER TYPES OF PENCIL

Other types of pencil are available to us as well as those described above, and these offer even more opportunities for experimentation and discovery. You will find all of the types recommended below in any good art supply shop.

<> Peel-back pencil - graphite encased, or coiled, in twists of paper which are peeled back to reveal the graphite.

<> Propelling pencil - comes in a variety of mechanisms which reveal the point of the graphite.

<> Clutch pencil - provides a very soft point (fine or thick) for sketching.

<> Standard thick black pencil, known for many years as Black Beauty.

<> Triangular carpenter's pencil - used by joiners and builders to mark measurements, make notes and sketch rough ideas.

<> Graphite pencil or stick. The pencil type is solid graphite of about the same thickness as an ordinary pencil. The thin film coating on the outside edge peels back to reveal the graphite. The stick is a much thicker piece of graphite which, like a pastel, has a simple paper covering that can be removed as necessary. It’s a very versatile fine art drawing implement.

<> Aqua sketching pencil - these work like a pencil but can be used like watercolor washes when exposed to water.

Peel-back pencil; Clutch pencil; Standard thick black pencil; Triangular carpenter's pencil; Graphite pencil or stick, Aqua sketching pencil

MARK-MAKING WITH OTHER TYPES OF PENCIL

Peel-back pencil, Clutch pencil (fine), Clutch pencil (thick)

MARK-MAKING WITH OTHER TYPES OF PENCIL

Black beauty, Carpenter's pencil, Aqua sketching pencil

GRAPHITE

Graphite is the same medium that pencils are made of. The difference being that pure graphite is not encased in wood. They are in fact solid lengths of graphite that come in different thicknesses and grades of hard and soft. As you might gather from the illustration this type of material is not meant for detailed accurate drawings. Instead it’s more suited for robust drawings of an expressive nature, and it works well together with a plastic eraser.

The type of drawings we would produce with this type of medium would be quick, heavy, dramatic drawings using strong, dark lines, large areas of dark tones, or interesting textural marks. Mood is very easily effected with this medium, and it’s definitely not suited for drawings of a technical nature. It’s also more appropriate for larger drawings rather than smaller ones for obvious reasons.

It’s a medium that is very versatile, and before you start to draw with it in earnest you should experiment with the potential that the medium has to offer. Because it has no outer casing you can make so much more use of the side. You don't have this facility with the pencil, and you will be surprised at what you can achieve with this potential in terms of mark making. We personally always associate a very liberated and dynamic type of drawing with this material, and if you approach your drawing in this fashion with the graphite you will get the best results.

DRAWING WITH SOFT PENCILS AND GRAPHITE

Unlike the hard pencil, the soft pencil and graphite are designed to make a much heavier mark and to create a tonal range from a very dense black through to white.

The soft pencil and graphite enable you to do this quickly and efficiently. The pencil will also allow you to describe shape and form, but you must keep the lead sharpened.

The types of drawings associated with these materials are more open and expressive by nature. They relate to our responses, our observations and ideas, and might be the sort of drawings we jot down in a sketch- guide as a record of our first thoughts about a subject. They might be a part of our visual research and notation.

They record a change of tone, either through observation or imagination, or imply a textural surface. They can be drawings which give an explanation or give expression in their own right (that is, works of art in themselves and not just supports for further work).

A useful material that can enhance the use of the soft pencil is the eraser, and the two work very well together to create expressive effects. Whereas when used with the hard pencil the eraser is associated solely with the elimination of mistakes, as a complementary tool to soft pencils and charcoal its contribution is entirely positive.

Different effects can be produced with soft pencils and graphite if you vary the amount of pressure you use. Pressure enables you to activate the surface of the picture plane, either by using tone or weight of mark. Look at these examples of creating tonal gradation and then experiment yourself. As well as varying the pressure, try to apply the material in as many different ways as you can

find, using different movements and different areas of the material.

MARK-MAKING WITH GRAPHITE

Making zigzag markings.

Pulling and pushing motion.

Stabbing with the end of the graphite.

Lateral and vertical mark making.

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Using a twisting movement with the graphite on its side.

Dragging movement.

Lateral mark making.

Vertical mark making.

ERASERS

Usually our first encounter with an eraser is when we use it to remove a mistake. Our sole aim with it’s to obliterate the offending area so that we can get back to the business of progressing with our drawing. Because the eraser is associated with mistakes, a lot of negative feelings about it and its function are directed at it.

The poor old eraser is seen as a necessary evil, and the more dilapidated it becomes with use the greater become our feelings of inadequacy. It really is time for a re assessment of the eraser and its role in our work. Used effectively it can be one of the most positive tools at our disposal. But first we need to remove the idea that mistakes are always bad. They are not, and can be used as a positive element in your work from which you can learn. Many artists make decisions about where things go, or how things should look, in a piece of work. In the first instance these statements are usually wrong and have to be adjusted as the work develops. This has happened to us all - even great artists like Leonardo da Vinci and Rembrandt. Re thinking is very much a part of the creative process and is evidenced in many works, particularly in drawings where the artists are working out their initial ideas and intentions.

One of the major errors that beginners make is to erase mistakes as they arise and then start again. This puts them in a position of making more mistakes or repeating the same ones, thus creating a feeling of utter frustration and failure. When you make a correction, over-draw and don't rub out the original lines until you are happy with your re-drawing and unless you feel they don't add anything to your drawing. My personal advice would be to leave a ghost of the correction and not to erase it completely, as this shows the evidence of your thinking and your development.

Other positive ways of using the eraser are to bring back the areas of light in a tonal drawing which have been worked over with graphite, charcoal or ink. Erasers can also be used to make expressive statements and emphasize textural marks - powerful examples of this approach can be seen in the drawings of Frank Auerbach. The technique known as 'tonking', in which a cloth is used in a beating motion to knock back charcoal marks, is a superbly atmospheric form of eraser use.

There are many forms of eraser on the market which purport to remove all sorts of media from the surface being worked upon.

Listed below are common types of eraser and some explanation of how they function.

Putty rubber. Usually used for charcoal and pastel, it’s also suitable for other materials such as pencil. The chief advantage of a putty eraser is that it can be kneaded into any form to erase in a particular manner. This is very useful for a positive approach to drawing and seeing the eraser as a tool which brings something to a drawing rather than merely taking something away.

Plastic rubber. This type is designed particularly for erasing very dense graphic markings, and will also remove charcoal, pastel and pencil. It can be used to create particular marks which are determined by its shape.

India rubber. Used for removing light pencil marks.

<> Ink rubber. Ink marks are very difficult to remove entirely with a rubber. Erasers for removing ink and typewriting come in pencil and circular forms. You can also purchase a combined eraser that works for both pencil and ink, with the pencil part of the rubber at one end of the rubber and the ink part at the other.

<> Surface removers, such as scalpels, razor blades, pumice stones, steel-wool and sandpaper, to remove the very stubborn marks found in pen and ink drawings. Obviously, before applying this method you must ensure that your paper is of sufficient weight and quality to allow you to scrape away its top layer without leaving a hole.

<> Surface coverers, such as correction fluid, titanium white or Chinese white.

With this approach any offending marks are buried under an opaque layer of white.

When the layer is dry, the surface can then be reworked.

DANGER--ARTIST AT WORK

Always remember that you need to work within health and safety guidelines when using materials. Scalpels and razor blades should always be used with care, and when they are not in use their blades should not be left exposed.

Note too if any of the fluids you use are flammable or toxic. Bleach, For example, is a very handy and cheap method of removing water based ink, but it’s very toxic and must always be handled with care.

Tippex fluid. Tippex pen. Chinese white.

A SELECTION OF ERASERS

Pumice stone is useful for removing very stubborn marks, but it can damage the surface of the paper and so must be used with care.

A razor (or scalpel) blade can scratch away difficult-to-remove marks. It’s an instrument of last resort because while removing the marks you don't want you may inadvertently damage other parts of your drawing.