Questions tagged [pencils]
Primarily for questions involving graphite pencils as a medium. Also for general pencil questions that are medium independent, such as grip. Use the colored pencil and charcoal tags for those specific mediums.
46
questions
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Cleaning pencil dust without brushing it off?
I have a problem with the graphite dust that accumulates on graphite pencil drawings. The usual approach is to brush it off periodically with a very soft bush, but I'm in a situation where brushing ...
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4
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2
answers
222
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Jammed lead in mechanical pencil: how to expel?
I have a mechanical pencil (Mephisto 0,3) which has been clogged for a while now. This pencil model doesn't feature a 'cleaning rod'.
Looking into the front piece of the pencil I can see something is ...
- 10k
6
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0
answers
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Are Faber-Castell pencils meant to be oily?
I purchased a pack of Faber-Castell "Grip 2001" graphite pencils (see image.below).
I've bought other Faber-Castell grip pencils before, but not these specific ones. I've used their "...
- 61
6
votes
1
answer
245
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How to erase visible pencil marks on wood that has been painted over with acrylic paint?
I'm painting acrylic on smooth-sanded birch plywood, painting along over some pencil marks I made as guidelines. Some pencil marks are now painted over with yellow acrylic and the pencil marks still ...
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3
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Which pencil is easier to erase: 2B or HB?
I'm buying new pencils (all of the paint has flaked off of them so I don't know if they are 2B or HB), and I'm wondering which pencil lines are easier to erase. I googled it but all of the answers ...
3
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2
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Is it possible that the wood used in newer pencils could be a bit better than old ones from same series? Or wood could degrade with time?
I noticed a strange and unexpected thing recently. I never paid attention to details of pencils because I had assumed if a pencil is from a well known brand, they would be consistent for same series.
...
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4
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1
answer
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Does creating lighter shades from darker pencils actually increase the chances of it getting smudged and smeared?
Suppose you have 6B pencil from some reputed brand. You can create various degrees of shades using it. For example, if you use less pressure and hold it at a very low angle (slanted), it will give ...
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1
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125
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Are there pencil extenders for charcoal pencils?
I bought a pencil extender. It works great for graphite pencils, which are thinner. However, charcoal pencils are too thick for it. How can I use my charcoal pencils when they are too short to hold?
user11365
3
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1
answer
117
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Desk Pencil Sharpener - what's the purpose of the feeding arm?
Pretty minor - but it puzzles me. All desk pencil sharpeners I've encountered have a spring triggered "feeding arm" (see image where the arm is extended).
What's its purpose? I can sharpen ...
- 161
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5
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3k
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How do I prevent pencil colour drawings from fading away while I'm still drawing it?
This is one of my main problems.
I've been working on quite a detailed sculpture drawing which would take time.
I've already coloured the pillars, but while I'm drawing the main temple above it, the ...
- 161
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1
answer
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Are there any downsides to using black water-soluble pencils as regular pencils?
I have a set of water soluble pencils (specifically Cretacolor Artino Graphite Set 10). I have no interest in using them with water for now - are there any downsides to using them as regular pencils? ...
- 131
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4
answers
243
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How to preserve comic pages drawn by pencil?
I bought pieces of comics that are drawn with pencil, and I’m afraid that they get blurred. How can I preserve them? Can this be done the same way as with sketches?
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1
answer
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Can I draw dog fur with pencil and then go over it with colored pencils?
I'm a amateur child artist trying to draw this. At the end of the video, the artist uses his pencil to make fur-like textures. However, I want to do this with color. After doing the whole tutorial, ...
- 143
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votes
1
answer
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Why do my 0.5 mm pencil leads shatter?
I have a rOtring Rapid PRO 0.5 and I have bought Faber-Castell Super-Polymer 0.5 mm B leads online which arrived in the post and seem to be fine. I load a couple into my rOtring but each time I click, ...
- 133
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3
answers
273
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What are the different pencil/pen holding techniques for drawing? Which should be followed in which case?
I have seen on Instagram that artists are able to draw curved lines which appear as if drawn by machines.
I have also observed artists holding their pen in different ways than what is taught in ...
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4
votes
1
answer
606
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Removing the clip on Rotring 600
I hate the clip on my Rotring 600. Information I found online stated that you can't remove the clip without bending or breaking it. Is there a non-destructive way to remove it?
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1
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What are the different types of pencils used to make pencil drawing? [duplicate]
Although I am not a trained artist, I have heard about different types of pencils for making a pencil drawing.I do not know much about it and also why it so( HB pencils).I like to know more about it ...
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1
answer
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How do I start over?
First, apologies for my last rant. I've been very stressed lately.
What I guess I meant to ask, was that if I'm doing everything wrong, how do I start over? I'm actually decent at drawing detailed ...
user6804
4
votes
2
answers
907
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How to create a glitter gold effect with colored pencil
I am painting a Venetian Mask using Prismacolor Premier colored pencils on Strathmore Bristol vellum paper.
Parts of the mask and costume in my subject photo have glittery gold on them. I am able to ...
user6395
2
votes
2
answers
167
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The differences between masculine and feminine features to improve my portraits
Earlier this summer, I drew a portrait of a girl that I liked. It was a good drawing, but I cheated. I basically traced the important parts and carefully overlayed the photo for shading. I never ...
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5
answers
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How can I draw right angles with just a ruler?
If I am trying to draw a rectangle or square on a piece of paper I can use existing corners of the paper as a start point. However I lose accuracy when completing the square or shape on the inside of ...
- 11k
5
votes
1
answer
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How to draw a heat blur from an aircraft engine
How would you draw a heatblur from the engine of an aircraft, I am drawing this:
how would I draw the blur that trails the aircraft (Heatblur)? Mind, I'm not drawing the background, just the aircraft
...
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How to stop or reduce graphite from reflecting light?
Drawings drawn with graphite shine a lot under even a little light. The paper needs to be held at certain angle for proper viewing. Anyway to reduce or stop this?
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1
answer
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Drawing a newborn baby
I got comments saying that the pose is flat and the form has no shape and that I should draw simple 3D shapes. I don't understand what they mean by form having no shape or pose being flat. Here is my ...
- 417
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1
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When to use a fixative in a drawing with charcoal and pencil?
I am making a charcoal and pencil drawing. What would be the difference between spraying the paper with workable fixative after applying the charcoal, and laying the pencil over that, or spraying the ...
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4
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167
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Seeking inspiration - are there professional watercolor pencil artists and if no - why not?
I like watercolor pencil technique very much. Are there professional artists that work in watercolor pencil tehnique. If no - then why not? Soft pastels and soft pastel pencils are accepted and rather ...
- 347
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3
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Why aren't there mechanical pastel pencils?
I like mechanical graphite pencils (e.g. 0.5 mm), because they are sharp, they do not contain wood (are eco-friendly and do not generate any waste) and they do not require sharpening which can consume ...
- 347
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vote
0
answers
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So what exactly is the difference between a carbon pencil and a graphite pencil? [duplicate]
What is the exact difference between a carbon pencil and a regular graphite pencil? I tried looking it up but nothing really told me.
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answer
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What exactly are carbon pencils?
A recent question on What are the types of charcoal pencils and how do they differ from each other? had an answer that discussed the relationship of charcoal pencils and carbon. It got me doing a ...
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How can I draw single hairs on a black background with charcoal or graphite?
Every time I look at super realistic portrait drawings in charcoal or graphite, I wonder how to draw single hairs against a black background (on white paper, though) like in these pictures:
source
...
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8
votes
3
answers
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Is it possible to combine charcoal and graphite in one image?
I'm drawing an image with quite a large range of tones and I plan to draw the darker tones in charcoal. However, I used a graphite pencil for the preparatory drawing. Is it still possible to draw with ...
- 1,140
20
votes
8
answers
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How can I make a sketch under a watercolour painting and have it not be seen?
I usually use a regular pencil to sketch what I would like to paint very faintly, but I find that no matter how light it is, it can still be seen under the painting. Once the paint is dry, I can't ...
- 1,144
8
votes
2
answers
586
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How can I draw realistic hair with pencil?
I've always loved drawing people and my medium of choice has been standard drawing pencils, but I often struggle with hair - specifically long hair. I've come across a couple techniques that have ...
- 1,144
11
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7
answers
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Which kind of pencils should be used by a beginner for drawing?
I am curious what people would consider a basic / standard pencil type to have in their toolbox for pencil sketching.
There are a ton of variants I see with different hardness/softness etc and I don'...
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7
answers
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How can I protect my pencil & charcoal drawings once complete?
I have now built up a small portfolio of pencil/charcoal drawings. Most of the time they are kept in my folders, but sometimes they are viewed by friends and relatives. And on the odd occasion ...
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15
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2
answers
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How do I get a blur (blended) effect in pencil drawings?
When drawing pictures with a pencil, I often want to create a more or less solid darker colour in some region. It's easy to shade an area so that it appears a solid dark colour from a distance, e.g. ...
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39
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4
answers
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What is the proper way to sharpen a pencil?
I wasn't aware that there could be a proper or improper way to sharpen a pencil till I read this (Keep pencil leads from breaking during transportation?):
I sharpen my drawing pencils the "proper" ...
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2
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Keep pencil leads from breaking during transportation?
I sharpen my drawing pencils the "proper" way, with a knife. This leaves a large portion of exposed material (graphite, colored pencil, charcoal), usually 3/4 in. to 1.5 in. long.
My issue is finding ...
user24
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10
answers
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What can I do to ensure I only erase the smaller details without affecting the area around it?
I don't draw much and can't even call myself an amateur yet. As a result I make a lot of mistakes and also many test strokes when drawing.
For small touch ups and mistakes the eraser is my best ...
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26
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6
answers
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How can I avoid smudging my pencil drawings?
I'm very new at drawing. I'm not very good at pencil types yet, but it seems like whichever pencil I use (I have a set of 12 ranging from 6B to 5H), I end up with smudges.
Is there a way to reduce ...
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2
votes
1
answer
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Which kind of paper should be selected for graphite, charcoal, and pencil colors? [closed]
Type of paper may have an effect on the medium of drawing used.
Which kind of paper should be preferred for graphite, charcoal, and pencil colors, respectively?
Also, please mention the standard ...
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9
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1
answer
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Do I need a non-photo blue pencil for scanning drawings?
I see the non-photo blue pencils in the pencil section all the time, and I'm wondering what their purpose is for modern artists.
Do I need one if I want to scan in drawings where I've sketched the ...
user24
7
votes
1
answer
980
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Sharpener for Pastel and Charcoal Pencils
I'm having a big issue sharpening pastel and charcoal pencils. I've tried using a traditional pencil sharpener on pastel pencils but the lead keeps breaking.
I've also tried using a razorblade and ...
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2
answers
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What are the types of charcoal pencils and how do they differ from each other?
I noticed that in the following picture there are at least 3 kinds of charcoal pencils:
Wooden charcoal pencil with just the word soft written on it.
Paper wrapped charcoal pencil with 600-H ...
- 3,721
6
votes
2
answers
22k
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How do hard, soft, and medium charcoal pencils compare against their counterparts in graphite?
Example: For shading, I have soft charcoal pencil, and 8B graphite pencil. The charcoal pencil I have does not have a specific label except the word "soft" written on it.
Both of them are known for ...
- 3,721
22
votes
2
answers
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Differences between HB pencils
Pencils seem to have different types:
From what I've seen, there's a few types:
HB
2HB
B
and so on.
What's the difference between all the different pencils? When do I use one or the other?
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