Sketching pencils have become an essential part of an artist’s kit over the years. Regardless of the type of work you do, you would need to own one of the best sketching pencils.
With a variety of sketching pencils available, it may be a little bit difficult for you to narrow down your options.
Contents
Best Sketching Pencil?
In simple terms, a sketching pencil is one that has been designed for the art of drawing. These pencils are mostly lightweight and are used to make freehand drawings that are not seen as finished works.
Since sketches are usually not finished pieces of work, they tend to serve a variety of purposes. They can be good for recording an idea for later use, recording something the artist finds interesting, or quickly illustrating an image.
Unlike other pencils, these sketch pencils are mostly very light and faint.
What Are the Best Sketching Pencils for Beginners?
Fact is, cultivating the mere practice of sketching and drawing every day is more important than what ever stub of a pencil is in your hand. But… that being said, quality is quality. Many art supplies (especially paint), come in student grade and professional grade. A question I hear a lot is ” When should I switch from student grade to professional grade art supplies?” Now I have heard many exceptional artists answer: immediately. It’s better, they argue, to have quality tools. That way when there is a short falling, you know it is your technique and execution rather than the tools fault. Though this is good advice, it is not my answer.
You should only spend the extra money for quality professional grade art supplies when . . . you can tell the difference. I feel learning your tools, the pros and cons, the good points and the failings, are all part of your artistic growth. Learning the difference between crap art supplies and quality art supplies will be an important part of your growth. Because as you progress you will need to, with a critical eye, distinguish your best work from what is merely mediocre. Which is all part of your growth curve as an artist.
Sketching Pencil Grading
The grading here refers to the texture and overall hardness of the pencils:
- H – an abbreviation for “hard,” H grade pencils tend to have more clay in them than the other pencil grades. For H grade pencils, the higher the accompanying numbers, the lighter the lead. Going by this rule, a 9H pencil is arguably the lightest and hardest H grade pencil.
- B – grade B pencils, which refers to blackness, tend to make bolder and even darker lines than other options. Unlike grade H pencils, grade B pencils are mostly made of graphite. Like the former, the higher the accompanying numbers of the lead, the softer and darker the pencil.
From lightest to darkest the most common pencil grades are: 9H, 8H, 7H, 6H, 5H, 4H, 3H, 2H, H, F, HB, B, 2B, 3B, 4B, 5B, 6B, 7B, 8B & 9B
For context, the typical yellow #2 pencil is HB.
What Pencil Grade Should I Use for Sketching?
Once you’ve grasped what the various pencil grades are, it is now time to pick the best grade for your sketches. This is a personal choice, mostly dictated by your style and subject, but our kit uses the following well balance choices.
- 4H Grade – These leads are the hardest and lightest in value, great for subtle details and shading gradations. (different lead hardness is really the key to the trua shading gradations 🙂 being the lightest grade of pencils. Being the hardest, these leads are the easiest to sharpen to a razor sharp point.
- HB Grade – HB leads are typically used to meet the majority of drawing challenges. A good general use, mid value graphite lead.
- 5B Grade – 5B Leads are the darkest in the kit. FRAGILE, specialty use leads. Rarely made as 2mm leads because they break so easily, but are worth the challenge because of the rich darks they offer and the charcoal esque texture when applied flat
Wooden or Mechanical Pencils
While wooden pencils have been in existence for a long period, the production of mechanical pencils in the last decade has threatened the existence and usefulness of wooden pencils.
As most artists clamor for more efficient and accurate sketching pencils, mechanical pencils have lived up to the demand, offering accuracy, high precision, and more.
Do Artists Prefer Wooden or Mechanical Pencils?
Over the years, most artists have preferred mechanical pencils to wooden ones for several reasons:
- Besides breaking when too much pressure is applied, most mechanical pencils are durable. This cannot be said of wooden pencils that tend to have dents on them after a couple of uses.
- When it comes to overall performance, mechanical pencils are incredibly accurate and precise, unlike wooden pencils.
The Best Sketching Pencils Right Now
While there are a ton of sketching pencils to choose from at the moment, the MstrSktch Drawing Set is the best out there.
Although most people have argued that there is no “best sketching” pencil — that just is not true. This drawing set from the MstrSktch brand is one that has been designed to meet the needs of every artist.
Our drawing set, like most of the others, comes with three different sets: HB, 5B, and 4H pencils. These grade pencils have been attached to this set so that you can pick which works best for you.
Interestingly, this amazing sketching set also comes with a nail file sharpener as well as an emory board for putting a custom-edge on the pencil lead.
Another interesting feature of our MstrSktch Drawing Set is the grayscale feature that has been attached. Grayscale has proven to be a game changer in the industry. It helps artists know the lead level of each of their pencils.
This drawing set also comes with an eraser. Making sketches requires precision and accuracy, but often artists make mistakes. An eraser has been attached to help you erase any mistakes made during sketching.
Most importantly, this drawing set is affordable. It is designed to offer you high performance at the lowest cost.
Features
- Real Leather Pencil Case 4″x7″x.75″
- Three 2mm metal mechanical pencils gray scale
- 3 sets of 2mm graphite lead refills in broad value range (4H/HB/5B)
Best Sketching Pencil Wrap-up
Getting the best sketching pencil has proven to be a big task for most artists. We have reviewed the best sketching pencil.
Unlike anything you’ve seen before, the MstrSktch Drawing Set is filled with some of the most accurate and high precision grade pencils.
The grayscale feature is one that stands out for us. This rare feature helps you as an artist determine the value of lead in each of your mechanical pencils. Besides that, our drawing set comes in a beautiful and well designed case that, unlike anything you’ve likely seen before, is super durable, convenient, lightweight, and capable of fitting into your back pocket.
Our MstrSktch Drawing Set is the ideal mechanical pencil for you. Pick one up:)
