{"id":5239,"date":"2023-01-30T08:00:17","date_gmt":"2023-01-30T08:00:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.thepencompany.live\/blog\/?p=5239"},"modified":"2023-01-19T15:52:06","modified_gmt":"2023-01-19T15:52:06","slug":"best-pencils-for-artists","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.thepencompany.live\/blog\/pencils\/best-pencils-for-artists\/","title":{"rendered":"The best pencils for artists"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter size-large wp-image-5240\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thepencompany.live\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/teenage-girl-drawing-sketching-pencil-mannequin-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"A teenage girl sat at her desk, drawing a human form using a pencil and a mannequin\" width=\"650\" height=\"434\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.thepencompany.live\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/teenage-girl-drawing-sketching-pencil-mannequin-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.thepencompany.live\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/teenage-girl-drawing-sketching-pencil-mannequin-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.thepencompany.live\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/teenage-girl-drawing-sketching-pencil-mannequin-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.thepencompany.live\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/teenage-girl-drawing-sketching-pencil-mannequin-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.thepencompany.live\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/teenage-girl-drawing-sketching-pencil-mannequin-150x100.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.thepencompany.live\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/teenage-girl-drawing-sketching-pencil-mannequin.jpg 1600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 650px) 100vw, 650px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>You may have heard the proverb, &#8220;a bad workman blames his tools&#8221;, which suggests it is the workman who lacks skills.<\/p>\n<p>However, a talented artist could legitimately blame their tools for an unsatisfactory output if they had chosen them without due care and attention.<\/p>\n<p>In other words, it is worth spending some time selecting the best artist drawing pencils \u2014 as any artist can only be as good as their tools.<\/p>\n<p>When you are new to pencil drawing, the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thepencompany.live\/blog\/category\/pencils\/\">choice of pencils available<\/a> is abundant, yet it can feel overwhelming.<\/p>\n<p>Some beginners grab any old pencil, not understanding the difference a quality drawing implement can make to their work. Others get bogged down by the choice on offer and make the wrong decision.<\/p>\n<p>Let\u2019s explore some of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thepencompany.live\/artist-pencils\/\">the best artist pencils<\/a> for drawing and colouring, and also find out how to choose the right ones for your particular project.<\/p>\n<h2>The best artist sketching and drawing pencils<\/h2>\n<p>If you are keen to give sketching a go, you&#8217;ll need to explore artists\u2019 drawing pencils.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thepencompany.live\/graphite-pencil\/\">Wooden pencils<\/a> are often favoured for drawing (as opposed to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thepencompany.live\/mechanical-pencil\/\">mechanical pencils<\/a>). However, there are still decisions to be made, such as which lead grade to opt for and what brand to choose.<\/p>\n<p>We wrote <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thepencompany.live\/blog\/pencils\/a-guide-to-pencil-lead-grades\/\">a guide to pencil lead grades<\/a> on the blog, which details all pencils. As we are discussing pencils for artists in particular here, you\u2019ll find more details below.<\/p>\n<h3>Essential artist pencils<\/h3>\n<p>If you were to buy just three pencils for drawing, then you\u2019d do well to grab an H, a 2B, and a 6B. These will provide you with a light, hard pencil, a medium pencil, and a dark, soft pencil.<\/p>\n<p>A 2B pencil is an excellent option for beginners and experienced artists, as this pencil can be used to sketch out a plan, tone and shade.<\/p>\n<p>Schools choose the 2B pencil for their art students for good reason. It&#8217;s an incredible all-rounder due to its position in the middle of the lead scale, offering medium levels of softness\/hardness and lightness\/darkness.<\/p>\n<p>Pressure (or lack of) during use can make the 2B veer to one end of these spectrums more than the other.<\/p>\n<p>An H pencil is ideal for lightly coloured yet precise and sharp lines, making it a great pencil for artists and a must-have for anyone working on technical or precision drawings.<\/p>\n<p>Likewise, if you need to sketch out a plan for a watercolour piece or wish to ink your lines afterwards, then an H is perfect.<\/p>\n<p>At the opposite end of the spectrum, a 6B pencil is ideal for adding darker shading, which can bring a drawing to life. The softness of the lead delivers a fuzzier, blacker line to the page while bringing out the texture of the paper.<\/p>\n<p>6B pencils also deposit a large amount of graphite to the paper&#8217;s surface, offering more smudging opportunities than rigid leads.<\/p>\n<p>Regarding brand, it&#8217;s crucial to opt for quality within your budget. Staedtler, Graf von Faber-Castell, and Caran d\u2019Ache are great brands to consider.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_5243\" style=\"width: 660px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-5243\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-large wp-image-5243\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thepencompany.live\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/Black-student-art-class-drawing-pencil-vase-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"A Black art student wearing a white shirt, drawing a vase in pencil on an easel in an art class\" width=\"650\" height=\"434\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.thepencompany.live\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/Black-student-art-class-drawing-pencil-vase-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.thepencompany.live\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/Black-student-art-class-drawing-pencil-vase-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.thepencompany.live\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/Black-student-art-class-drawing-pencil-vase-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.thepencompany.live\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/Black-student-art-class-drawing-pencil-vase-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.thepencompany.live\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/Black-student-art-class-drawing-pencil-vase-150x100.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.thepencompany.live\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/Black-student-art-class-drawing-pencil-vase.jpg 1600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 650px) 100vw, 650px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-5243\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Pencil is a wonderfully versatile medium for artists<\/p><\/div>\n<h2>The best artist colouring pencils<\/h2>\n<p>With much attention put on artists\u2019 graphite pencils, coloured pencils can get forgotten or become an afterthought.<\/p>\n<p>If you work in colour, then high-quality <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thepencompany.live\/colouring-pencils\/\">artist colouring pencils<\/a> are as essential to your work as excellent pencils and paper.<\/p>\n<p>The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thepencompany.live\/product\/staedtler-noris-colouring-pencil-24\/\">Staedtler Noris Colour 24 set<\/a> is a bestseller in our shop \u2014 as popular with more accomplished artists as with those just starting.<\/p>\n<p>Our <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thepencompany.live\/product\/lamy-colorplus-pack-of-36\/\">Lamy Colorplus<\/a> packs (available in various sizes) are also a customer favourite, and for good reason. These break-proof pencils offer highly concentrated colour pigments that are smudge-proof and lightfast.<\/p>\n<p>If you already own colouring pencils, wish to build on your collection, or want to explore new possibilities, consider <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thepencompany.live\/watercolour-pencils\/\">artist watercolour pencils<\/a>. These act like regular colouring pencils but are soluble in water, meaning you can apply watercolour techniques to your work, such as blending.<\/p>\n<h2>How to choose the best artist pencils for you<\/h2>\n<p>To elevate your pencil drawing, you will need a wide variety of pencils to create highly detailed, nuanced work.<\/p>\n<p>The best way to achieve this is to purchase an artist pencils set containing a variety of lead grades. There are small and large sets available to cover the basics or expand your creative horizons.<\/p>\n<p>These will always include the most popular and, therefore, most useful professional artist pencils. You can then top your collection up with some individual pencils hand-selected for your art style and requirements.<\/p>\n<p>If you work in colour \u2014 or would like to \u2014 then don\u2019t forget to invest in a set of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thepencompany.live\/product\/staedtler-noris-colouring-pencil-24\/\">coloured pencils<\/a>, too.<\/p>\n<p>Alongside pencils, you\u2019ll need other tools for your drawing journey \u2014 don\u2019t forget to gather a sketchpad or drawing paper, a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thepencompany.live\/pencil-sharpeners\/\">pencil sharpener<\/a>, and an <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thepencompany.live\/erasers\/\">eraser<\/a>, so you&#8217;re all set.<\/p>\n<p>If you\u2019d like to learn more about pencil erasers, our blog provides answers to all your probing questions.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>You may have heard the proverb, &#8220;a bad workman blames his tools&#8221;, which suggests it is the workman who lacks skills. However, a talented artist could legitimately blame their tools for an unsatisfactory output if they had chosen them without due care and attention. In other words, it is worth spending some time selecting the&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":5240,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v19.7.1 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>The best pencils for artists - The Pen Company Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Are you an artist or new to drawing &amp; wanting to know which pencils are essential &amp; which to avoid? Look no further than this blog post!\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.thepencompany.live\/blog\/pencils\/best-pencils-for-artists\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"The best pencils for artists - The Pen Company Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Are you an artist or new to drawing &amp; wanting to know which pencils are essential &amp; which to avoid? Look no further than this blog post!\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.thepencompany.live\/blog\/pencils\/best-pencils-for-artists\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"The Pen Company Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/ThePenCompany\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2023-01-30T08:00:17+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2023-01-19T15:52:06+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.thepencompany.live\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/teenage-girl-drawing-sketching-pencil-mannequin.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1600\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1067\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Lucy Williams\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@thepencompany\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@thepencompany\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Lucy Williams\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"4 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.thepencompany.live\/blog\/pencils\/best-pencils-for-artists\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.thepencompany.live\/blog\/pencils\/best-pencils-for-artists\/\",\"name\":\"The best pencils for artists - The Pen Company Blog\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.thepencompany.live\/blog\/#website\"},\"datePublished\":\"2023-01-30T08:00:17+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2023-01-19T15:52:06+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.thepencompany.live\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/b621584a04332c39a493182f2dca6376\"},\"description\":\"Are you an artist or new to drawing & wanting to know which pencils are essential & which to avoid? 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