When in one of my more reflective moods, I’m continually stunned by the sense of satisfaction I receive from merely smearing some graphite on pulped wood… Sometimes it’s the simple tools in life that really take you away. Time disappears and your project captivates your whole being.
But when your tool breaks that creative trance, few things are more frustrating. Now, to be sure I’m a believer that you can cultivate that sense of creative flow with a lump of charcoal, a 1″ worn out #2 yellow pencil or whatever is closest… But that mental state of creative flow is so valuable, so precious, that I like to stack the deck.
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So lets talk about the best mechanical pencils for drawing. Though we offer 0.3 mm, 0.5 mm, 0.7 mm, & 0.9 mm lead options, out favorite is the 2 mm pencil that is featured here.
2mm is the average thickness of the lead in a wood pencil. The sharpened point gives precise lines, and the tapered side give thick lines and textural elements.
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Mechanical Pencils for Drawing & Sketching
Just to be clear, I am an avid artist, believe in daily sketching the way I believe in breathing every day:) But I’m also the brand owner of the drawing mechanical pencils we’re going to talk about in this article. So unbiased I am not. But I am certainly a prolific user:)
Sometimes referred to as lead pencils, automatic pencils or propelling pencils, mechanical pencils are pencils that come with a mechanically extended (click to extend), and replaceable solid core called “lead.”
Though there is some overlap in terms, clutch pencil or lead holder typically refers to a pencil that when you hold click, you then manually adjust the lead length, then release. This is more typical of 2mm lead pencils.
Unlike standard wooden pencils, mechanical pencils are reusable, earth friendly no trees needed.
Benefits of Mechanical Pencils
Now even though the your best art happens in your head, when your creativity starts to visualize, there is a huge tactile component to drawing and sketching. The feel of a good mechanical pencil is different than a wooden one. Both in the hand and the feel of graphite hitting the page.
- Balance – A metal mechanical pencil feels like a real tool in the hand. It has a solid weight and balance that will slip right into your drawing routine with out disrupting your flow. For some, this is arguably the biggest reason for choosing a mechanical pencil. This constant weight and balance. Generally, your favorite wooden pencil tends to get shorter and shorter after each sharpening. This disrupts the balance and feel and can be very distracting. Mechanical pencils, on the other hand, do not go short. Just refill and click to extend, a constant balance that is distraction free and lets you focus on your sketch.
- Refillable – Mechanical pencils, unlike wooden pencils, are refillable. Instead of throwing away stubs, you simply have to keep refilling your mechanical pencil with lead.
- Environmentally friendly – There are no trees cut down in the production of mechanical pencils. Plus, it’s refillable feature does not require you to throw away your pencil once the lead is gone.
- Long Point – A 2 mm mechanical pencil you do still need to sharpen the lead. 0.3mm, 0.5mm, and 0.7mm mechanical pencil do not require sharpening. Now many artists sharpen their drawing pencils to a nice long point. This is great for textural effects, both subtle and bold, as well as gradation shading. Now with a traditional pencil you will have to spend a few minutes with a razor blade and sandpaper to achieve this kind of point and many times have to start over after you break the lead. With a mechanical pencil, sharpen to a nice long point, then just click to extend the lead out ( be sure to sharpen the lead first, do so after extending the lead out you risk breaking the lead off).
There are a ton of other benefits to these pencils.
How to Maintain the Best Mechanical Pencils for Drawing
So you bought your mechanical pencil set, now what’s it going to take maintain them?
As you’ve no doubt already guessed, you don’t need to change the oil, no 30,000 mile check up. It’s really as simple as it looks in the picture above.
Our pencils are metal with threaded connections. The chuck is brass. Pretty basic.
Some upkeep items might be:
- Extending the lead – Click to extend to the desired length. Sometimes extension will stall if lead is broken right after the chuck. Unscrew the tip, clear out any broken bits, and start over.
- Refill the lead – Our 2mm graphite lead refills are 120mm long. This will fill up your entire pencil. Unlike small 0.5mm mechanical pencils, a 2mm pencil only holds a single lead. When refilling, sometimes a small broken piece is left in the tube. You’ll notice this when you go to refill the pencil with a new lead and the full 120mm of length does not retract into the pencil. Just take the cap off and shake it out, then refill.
- Pen cap – You can sharpen your lead with the pen cap. These caps are so small they get jammed with lead really fast and you have to clean them out frequently. I prefer to use sandpaper (emery board is included in the kit) to get the exact long tip I prefer.
Mechanical or Wooden Pencils?
While both of these pencil types have been around for a while, mechanical pencils are just the way to go in terms of overall functionality and ease of performance.
Unlike wooden pencils, mechanical pencils offer artists top-notch precision and overall performance throughout the drawing process.
Besides this, mechanical pencils are clearly:
- More durable
- More accurate
- Incredibly stylish
When to supplement Mechanical pencils with wooden drawing pencils?
Graphite lead gets softer as it gets darker. This means it becomes more fragile. The darkest lead our kit provides is 5B. This is right on the edge of being usable with out breaking. Darker leads are not feasible with 2mm leads. This is when a wooden pencils like an 8B or 10B would make a nice supplement, just to add that last bit of value to the pupil of an eye or your sketches darkest dark.
Go for Mechanical Pencils
Mechanical pencils have proven to be the best pencil type out there, especially for artists that are keen on creating quality images and drawings.
These drawing pencils are easy to use, durable, refillable, lightweight, and offer you great balance.
Best Mechanical Pencils for Drawing
You currently cannot make a list of the best drawing pencils available right now without mentioning our little MstrSktch Drawing Set.
Our affordable mechanical pencil set has become the go-to product for artists, especially as they get more serious about their art seeking to get professional results.
Designed to be travel friendly, fits in your back pocket ready to help you sketch images anywhere you might find yourself. The drawing kit comes with three metal pencils grayscaled to match the darkness of your lead. The refill range from 4H to HB to 5B offering a full value range.
Unlike most 2mm pencils, our mechanical drawing pencils use the “click-to-extend” lead mechanism. This clutch mechanism is more convenient to your work flow than the traditional lead holder that requires you to manually extend the lead by hand.
Accompanied by a beautiful leather pencil case for safe storage of your mechanical pencils and kneaded eraser, this drawing set is great for sketching every day where ever you find yourself. Made from premium real leather material, this drawing mechanical pencil set is incredibly durable.
In addition to these many features, our set comes with three sets of 2 millimeter mechanical pencil lead. The HB-grade lead is a great general purpose hardness. The 5B grade lead is for getting those rich darks and a charcoal-esque type texture when used on the right paper. The 4H grade lead is used for light lines, good for your initial strokes when trying to find gesture and structure. The 4H is also the choice when looking to accomplish subtle value change.
Finally, this product dubbed the best mechanical pencil for drawing is ideal for every artist. Its sleek case has been built to fit perfectly into the back of your pocket — this makes it a super convenient drawing tool.
Features:
- Real Leather Pencil Case 4″x7″x.75″
- Three 2mm metal drawing mechanical pencils painted gray scale
- 3 Sets of 2mm Refill in broad value range (4H/HB/5B)
- Additionally a kneaded eraser and emery board for sharpening
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Best Mechanical Pencils for Drawing Wrap-up
Getting one of the best mechanical pencils for drawing may be a tad difficult for most artists, especially for beginners, because of their lack of knowledge. Fortunately, we have reviewed one of the best mechanical pencils you can get your hands on.
This drawing set from one of the leading brands in the industry offers a ton of unique features and has been made to be both affordable and quality.
As mentioned previously, this mechanical pencil set is accompanied by a stylish and well-built case that offers you safe storage for your pencils and erasers.
Looking to create a beautiful and well-illustrated drawing and sketch? The MstrSktch Drawing Set is the product for you.
Check out our Mechanical Drawing Pencils!
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