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So Many Pencils

Making sense of the numbering system

© 2020 Helen C Read
Photo credit:  Helen Read

It’s important to understand the numbering system for drawing pencils, because they are each a little bit different.   And it can be a little confusing about what pencil to use at what particular point in a drawing.  Let’s find out about the system and clear that confusion up!


The numbering system defines the hardness or softness of the graphite. The harder the graphite, the lighter the mark.  And conversely, the softer the graphite, the darker the mark.
As you work, you’ll also notice that the harder pencils stay sharpened longer and therefore, don’t wear down as quickly as the softer pencils.

On drawing pencils the numbers are found on the barrel of the pencil and the middle grade of value is given the designation of HB, which is roughly equivalent to a #2 pencil that we are all familiar with from school days.
H pencils are harder and get lighter with the higher number on them, so a 6H is much lighter than a 2H.  B pencils are darker and softer.  The higher the number on B pencils, the darker the mark.   A 6B is darker by far than a 2B.
You may also see an F pencil and a B pencil, both are near the middle grade, F being very slightly lighter than HB and
B being very slightly darker than HB.

But why do you switch pencils and use different ones?

Another thing we need to mention is the surface on which a drawing is done.  Some surfaces are smoother than others, and the type of pencil you use will work differently on different textures of paper. 

On more textured paper, the softer pencils that make a darker mark will not fill in the textures as well as a harder pencil.  The marks will be darker, but there will be more white paper showing through.  For that reason, it is helpful to use both H pencils and B pencils.
By using both hardnesses, a smoother transition of lights and darks can be made, less texture shows, and a fuller range of values can be achieved.

A cautionary tip:

One of the ways we are able to manipulate darkness of marks is by applying more or less pressure to the pencil.
– If using harder pencils with pressure it becomes very easy to incise a line into the paper,  when that happens it is impossible to shade over that area without the lines showing up.
To avoid that problem, lightly build up layers of shading. Pressure can be used, but more toward the end of shading rather than the beginning.
This also helps the artist keep the lighter areas of the drawing light, because the ultimate goal is to show a full range of values between light and dark.


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© 2020 Helen C Read

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