Some Basics about Graphite and Colored Pencils

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Traditional Art Basics Week


Introduction


Traditional art has a variety of very different mediums, ranging from scratchboards to oil paint and copic markers to mechanical pencils. In this article, we will look at the basics of the two best known and most common of mediums: Graphite and colored pencils. This article will also include a few tips and tricks on how these are used to achieve the best results.

Colored pencils by BeckyKidus
(Image source: link)


Graphite


This is the medium most of us start our artistic journey with - a normal pencil and a paper. It is the most common of all mediums, and I dare say that most artworks are done with this medium (counting all drawings ever made - I know how many of us have doodled in class / at work...). There are a lot of different brands out there, and some of the most known quality brands are Derwent, the Faber Castell 9000 series, which I personally use and can recommend, LYRA Rembrandt and Straedtler. Caran d'Arch is another high quality brand, although a bit expensive.

Different types

The lead in graphite pencils is made of a mixture between graphite and clay. The graphite creates the marks, while the clay binds the graphite together. This makes it possible to have different types, with adding more or less graphite to the mixture.

The most common types are HB and 2B pencils. H stands for Hard, and B for black. The range goes from 12H to 9B. 12H contains the most graphite, and it therefore is the hardest and lightest pencil, while 9B is the blackest and softest pencil.  Here is an example where this can be seen, ranging from 9H to 9B.

Pencil Grading Chart by BeckyKidus
(Image source: link)

As you can see, the HB and 2B are about in the middle here. If you choose to only use one type of pencil in your work I would recommend a 2B or 4B pencil, where the 4B is the blacker one, though it will smudge a bit more easily.

Smudging

Since the lead of graphite pencils is partially made of clay, it is possible to smear this over the page, something which might force you do re-do parts of your drawing, and often leaving you with darker marks on the paper. The more clay there is in the lead of the pencil the easier it smudges, which means that 9B is the one which smudges most easily. The harder of the pencils do not smudge.

Smudging begins to cause more serious problems with the 4B pencil. This does, however, not mean that you will never have any problems with 2B or HB pencils. It is therefore not a good idea to have your hand directly on the artwork. Either begin on the left side and work to the right (or from right to left if you're left-handed), or use a (scrap) paper between your hand and the artwork. This can be seen on this photo:

Pencil-spare-paper by BeckyKidus
(Image source: link)

Another, more nontraditional way of doing preventing smudging is the "sketch glove":

0 for dA article imag0384 by BeckyKidus
(Image source: link)

This link shows a step-by-step on how to cheaply make your own: artlessonsfromgod.com/2012/10/…

Another handy trick to prevent smudging is to use a brush to remove the eraser crumbs. A paint- or make-up brush will do just fine.

Blending

Smudging, of course, can also be used to create smooth areas, shadows and backgrounds. This is called blending. You can use different tools to blend out the graphite. The simplest and cheapest way of doing it is to just use your fingers. However, this will most likely cause you to leave grey fingerprints everywhere unless you are very careful. Other options are a piece of cloth - preferably cotton - or a blending stump (shown below).

0 for dA article blending stumps by BeckyKidus
(Image source: link)

Fixative

Due to the issue of accidental smudging, some artists choose to use fixative on the finished drawing. Fixative is an often alcohol-based liquid quite similar to varnish. It is sprayed over an artwork to preserve it, and is most used on pastel-, graphite- and charcoal drawings. This is, however, not necessary if you are a bit careful with the finished drawing.

Paper

Graphite pencils are most used, and work the best, on white paper. Other paper of lighter colors can also be used to get a more special effect.

Different types of papers are available for pencil drawings, and they all have their purpose: Rough paper, Cold Press, and Hot Press. As the name says, Rough paper is rough, meaning it has a lot of tooth, and it is often used for pastel or charcoal drawings, as it allows the pastel or charcoal to hold on to something. It can of course be used for pencil drawings as well, though may not be ideal for finely detailed drawings.
Cold Press paper also has some tooth, though not as heavy as Rough paper. It, too, is often used for pastel and charcoal drawings, yet is equally good to use for pencil drawings. The texture of the paper is not as intense, and will allow for finer detail to be rendered.
Hot Press paper is perfectly smooth, and is usually used for fine detail pencil or ink drawings, as well as illustrations. It has virtually no texture, and getting smooth blending transitions on this paper is easy.

Here is an example of the texture on Cold Press paper, and it can be most easily seen in the background of the drawing:

Snow Leopard III by BeckyKidus

Other Mediums

Pencils can be used with most other mediums, although they might not be ideal to use with watercolors, as the water dissolves the graphite, mixing with the colors and dulling them.

Mechanical Pencils

Another thing which should be mentioned here is the mechanical pencil. This differs from the normal pencil, since it looks rather similar to a pen and has a thin graphite lead. Therefore, it does not need to be sharpened, and is very useful for drawing smaller details like hair, but not very suitable for larger, smooth areas. There are different types of these pens with different lead sizes. Common sizes are 0.7mm and 0.5mm. The "Pilot Super Grip" is a mechanical pencil I recommend.

Mechanical pencil by BeckyKidus
(Image source: link)

Graphite powder

Graphite powder is another product made of graphite. This is a fine powder, most often used to create smooth backgrounds. You can buy it in art shops or make it yourself. Remember, the finer the powder, the better, although very fine powder might cause allergic reactions or asthma attacks if breathed in, so take care when handling it.

Graphite powder by BeckyKidus
(Image source: link)


Colored pencils


Colored pencils are, together with graphite pencils, the most used for traditional art. Many of us have played a lot with these as kids, and everyone knows them. Faber Castell and Prismacolor Premier are considered the best colored pencils due to their durability, lightfastness and their rich color. These might be a bit expensive, so other brands like LYRA - who might not have the supreme lightfastness or durability - are good as well. I personally use Faber Castell, and I recommend them.

Different colors

Since the lead of colored pencils consists of an either wax- or oil based mixture of pigment, additives and binding agents, it is possible to get them in virtually any color. However, a very large set of 120 pencils is rather expensive, and most of us do not need to have different shades of every possible color. Especially with a semi-realistic / anime / cartoon style will this be wasted money. Neither will it be really necessary when you do realism, as colored pencils can be applied in more layers, creating the perfect hue. However, if you really want a full set of colours, and have the spare cash available, of course you can go and buy a set!

Layering

Colored pencils can be applied in layers, with one color drawn over another. This is useful to get smooth transitions between colors and to get a realistic look on shadows, highlight, etc. Essentially, you draw a lot of slightly different colors over each other to create color mixes. An example where layering is used:

Wolf portrait IV - Dreaming of a better future by BeckyKidus

In this example, you see the differences in the fur color. You also notice the background.

Note that this type of blending works better when you do not press the pencil down with full force. Pressing down hard would create a strong color, but would make it difficult to add more layers.

Blending

Colored pencils can also be seamlessly blended, and it is most easily done by using solvent. This will melt the binders, and make the blending very smooth as it eliminates the pencil strokes. It might change the colors a bit as well. It is therefore most useful for backgrounds and for things without much detail.
 
Blending colored pencils with rubbing alcohol by BeckyKidus
(Image source: link)

Using solvent correctly will take some practice, so I would recommend you to try it on some scrap paper before you attempt it at a real drawing.

The Caran d'Ache Full Blender Bright is known to be one of the best blenders.

Smudging

Colored pencils generally do not smudge. However, some of the softer colored pencils, such as Prisma Color, can be smudged using a blending stick and some force. If you decide to do this, make sure you do it at the end, when your drawing is completed, as adding more color afterwards is nearly impossible.

Paper

Colored pencils are most often used on paper, though they also can be used on any other surface that offers some grip and allows them to stick, such as cardboard, raw canvas panels, and untreated wood. While white paper is still the most go-to paper for colored pencils, colored paper can be used as well, and to great effect. Using black paper, or any other darker color, requires some experience, because it reverses how you approach your drawing: On light paper, we usually need to concentrate on the shadow areas to create our drawing. With dark paper, we need to concentrate on drawing the highlights instead. Here is an example of a drawing done on black paper that shows this:

Black cat by BeckyKidus


Other mediums

Colored pencils can be used together with other mediums such as watercolors, graphite, and different types of markers and pens. Using paint over a colored pencil drawing works - this can be useful to add light areas such as whiskers or snow - but it does not work very well to draw over a painting. An example, done with colored pencils, watercolor and fineliners:

Fire soul by ChristinaMandy
(artwork by ChristinaMandy)


In conclusion...

I hope this has given you some more information about the two mediums, and hopefully also given you some tips on how to use them... Good luck creating art, everyone!

Comments36
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lilseasalt's avatar

can you explain how to draw with colored pencils and watercolor more in depth? or recommend where i can get more information