The Best Graphite Powder to Use for Art Blending
- Pencils
- Sharpeners
- Blenders
- Erasers
The Cartoon Tools I Utilise
I am oft asked about the tools I utilize to create my drawings. Do I utilize traditional wood-cased pencils or mechanical ones? What type of eraser do I apply? It would appear that many Artists have a fascination (and a vested involvement) in the tools and techniques used by other artists... and I'm no different in that respect! So, what tools practice I use......
Brushes... 
Never brush eraser crumbs or grit off your drawing using your hand. Keep a brush or two handy for such jobs so your drawing doesn't absorb oil from your skin. And don't blow dust off equally you take chances moisture marking the surface. I go along the big i" brush for full general cleaning of the cartoon surface and the red-handled castor lives behind my ear - information technology's readily bachelor for removing eraser dust whenever I need it.
Pencils...
Almost since the day I started drawing in earnest, over 20 years ago, I have eschewed the utilize of conventional, cedar-cased pencils. They have their place and many artists use nothing else but I use only i (6B) - and so infrequently. Why? Well, in that location'southward little worse than using a tool that continually shifts its size and weight and I don't see whatsoever advantage in cartoon with a tool that has to be constantly relearned. On the other hand the mechanical pencils that I employ possess none of these faults and many advantages.
These mechanical pencils (known to me as Clutch pencils but besides known as Drafting pencils or Lead Holders) remain a known abiding at all times. Neither length nor weight alter. Balance remains truthful, affording very precise control. Sharpening involves only the enclosed lead and not the outer casing, assuasive needle-sharp points to be hands accomplished when required. The only thing y'all can't exercise with a clutch pencil that you tin can with a woods-cased pencil is constrict it behind your ear. Near makes of clutch pencil fifty-fifty include a built in sharpener which, although rarely used, tin can exist a life-saver during outdoor drawing trips. Depressing the summit cap opens the clutch around the lead at the base allowing it to be extended or adapted in length to suit the electric current application.
The green pencil at the acme is from Faber Castell but most of mine are made past Staedtler. From the pinnacle downwardly the grades of these 3 are F, HB and 2B. How do I know? Because each pack of leads include a colour stop cap to fit on the holder. You lot will see that F has a green cap, the HB has its original chrome cap and a purple one is fitted to the 2B. If you're buying for the showtime time I suggest you purchase merely iii - 2B, HB and 2H - these will achieve almost all the effects you might demand.
Progresso pencils 
Progresso pencils are solid sticks of graphite and very versatile tools. Nevertheless, although I keep both 2B and 6B I rarely apply them except for outdoor sketching and for lightly washing tone over an incised area (see Incise tool).
Wood-cased pencils 
Commonly cased in Cedar, these pencils possess a lightness that can aid subtle shading techniques but suffer from a number of disadvantages. They shorten in use resulting in an e'er-irresolute balance and weight; a variety of points can be achieved merely very fine points tend to crave the apply of an emery board or other rough surface to achieve this - clutch pencils possess a needle-signal by default. If dropped or bent the graphite has a trend to break internally - clutch pencils support the lead internally with virtually no breakages in normal utilise.
Graphite leads... 
Staedtler 2mm diameter leads are available in tubes of 2 and packs of 12. The 12-pack (illustrated above) comes consummate with a grade-dependent colour-coded end cap for your pencil. The leads are fully supported within the pencil past an internal brass tube.
A broad range of grades is bachelor of which the most useful, from softest to hardest, are 6B, 4B, 2B, HB, F, H, 2H, 4H and 6H. The softest I use is 6B although I use it infrequently - being coarse-grained the individual grains of graphite tend to be visible, which can distract from the reality that I'm trying to achieve. In normal utilize my softest grade is 2B and my hardest 4H. Almost of my cartoon is achieved with just the iii grades of 2B, F and 2H.
Indenting stylus... 
Used for impressing a line into paper before drawing commences. It produces a make clean white line with parallel sides and (with exercise) a perfect tapering point. Uses include the cat'due south eyebrow whiskers as shown hither. The tool is dwelling house-made and consists of a darning or sewing-upwards needle (round, not pointed, tip) with the middle snapped off and inserted into a spare clutch pencil. Once the lines are indented I use the 2B Progresso pencil to lightly shade over the area to reveal their positions during afterwards work.
Stumps and Tortillons... 
Used for blending graphite. Stumps are generally double-ended, larger and bulkier than the finer single-concluded tortillons. Both take their individual uses although I tend to use but tortillons - for fibroid piece of work I wrap kitchen paper around my finger and use that instead. Never use your unprotected finger to blend graphite. The natural oil in your skin will cause graphite to stick to your paper in irregular patches. It once took me two days to constantly tone and blend around such an area earlier it became unnoticeable...
A wide range of grades is available of which the most useful, from softest to hardest, are 6B, 4B, 2B, HB, F, H, 2H, 4H and 6H. The softest I use is 6B although I use information technology infrequently - being coarse-grained the individual grains of graphite tend to be visible, which can distract from the reality that I'm trying to accomplish. In normal use my softest grade is 2B and my hardest 4H. Near of my cartoon is achieved with just the three grades of 2B, F and 2H.
The colour Shaper is used in much the same manner every bit a tortillon, being especially useful for blending in tight corners. Dissimilar the tortillon it doesn't absorb graphite, which restricts its use to small areas - this is not a tool for mass blending. The one I use is a Forsline & Starr #ii Taper-betoken soft. A wider apartment chisel point is besides bachelor and both styles can be purchased every bit soft or hard.
Sharpeners...
If yous are drawing with clutch pencils the Staedtler sharpener (shown right) is a "must have" detail. Purpose fabricated to acuminate the leads inside these pencils, it is capable of producing needle-abrupt points if required. On pinnacle is a lead cleaner (a fibrous insert into which the sharpened pencil indicate is pushed to clean information technology of loose graphite powder) and, to either side of this, are two pocket-sized holes — extend the lead into either to obtain a set length - one gives a abrupt point, the other a standardised blunt tip. Yous tin can also save the waste graphite and apply it with a brush for gentle toning - although I don't personally use the method, preferring the greater command offered by the gradual edifice upward of lines of graphite for blending. The conventional sharpener shown above is used non just for sharpening wood-cased pencils but also to obtain very usable points on stick erasers (run into beneath).
Erasers... 
A wide variety of conventional erasers exist but I but use those shown here. The primary requirement is for a soft eraser that can gently remove graphite and not grind it ever deeper into the paper's surface. 
It is for this reason that I no longer use ink or typewriter erasers. Apart from the block eraser (shown right and that I only use for cleaning the margin around a cartoon on completion) I make almost use of Staedtler's stick erasers. Of the two versions shown above I use the summit one — although this is now unavailable the 528-55 refills for the 528-fifty below will fit the old (and more comfortable and precise) holder. The eraser cadre is capable of being formed to a very fine point using a conventional pencil sharpener.
Blu-Tack
as an Eraser...
Bostik's Blu-Tack has immune my drawing to develop like no other production always has. Its greatest force lies in its unparalleled ability to remove already practical graphite and to "depict" light or white shapes within it. The merest touch lifts graphite straight from the paper and, with practice, whole areas can be gradually faded. In pre-applied graphite it leaves a clear, precipitous-edged impression of hands preformed shapes so it is exceptional at suggesting background foliage, hairs in areas of deep shadow, anywhere that a suggestion is to be preferred over abrupt focus. For making additions at a late phase it is unsurpassed - a adamant series of touches of Blu-Tack tin have 6B near back to white before finishing with a conventional soft art eraser. Read my "Erasing with wall putty" tutorial for more information.
Due to many requests Mike Sibley Art at present supplies
Blu-Tack worldwide.
Click below for prices, shipping details and order form.
Accept no alternatives. Blu-Tack is non widely available outside the Britain and I have received many reports on similar products, such as Hold-Tu and Tack'N'Stick. I invariably find Blu-Tack to be superior because it possesses a tackiness not inherent in other products, which tend to be only as useful as a normal kneadable eraser.
"The Blu-Tack is better than I even idea it would be...I'm still amazed at how that light bear upon will pick upward the graphite. It's great!!!!"
Toby Levin, USA
"I only received the Blu-tack... and it really is fantastic! I am working on a drawing, and as presently as I tried using the Blu-Tack, what a difference! I have about 5 other brands of tacky stuff and zero works similar this! And y'all are correct that information technology gently lifts the graphite without ruining the original pencil marks. I love it!"
Sherry Szmigiel, USA
Height TIP
Do not discard old stumps and tortillons.
Worn tortillons saturated with graphite can exist used as "pencils" in their own correct. I oftentimes use them to add delicate tone and to randomly sketch indistinct backgrounds.
Source: https://sibleyfineart.com/tutorial--pencil-drawing-tools.htm
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