Pencils and Charcoals

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All Pencils and Charcoal Colored Pencils Technical Drawing Drawing Supplies
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In short

Choose drawing pencils by hardness: H draws light and fine, B soft and dark, and HB sits in the middle. Choose drawing charcoal by format – a thick stick for large areas, charcoal pencils in sets with other tools. If you don’t yet know which grades you’ll use, start with a set covering the full range.

Drawing pencils are graphite pencils in different grades of hardness that you use for sketching, line work and shading. Drawing charcoal adds a soft, rich black for quick studies and larger areas.

Graphite drawing pencils: how to choose the hardness

The letter H stands for a harder lead and a lighter, finer mark; the letter B for a softer lead and a darker mark. The higher the number in front of the letter, the stronger the effect. For an underdrawing you plan to erase later, reach for H; for shading, go for B.

Hardness Mark (per description) Products
Hard (2H, no. 4) A light, delicate, fine line – for underdrawings and technical drawing. Daler-Rowney Simply 2H, KOH-I-NOOR 1703/4
HB A dark enough mark that erases easily with an ordinary eraser. Bruynzeel with eraser 12 pcs, JOVI HB 12 pcs
B to 5B A richer, dark mark for shading and fine art drawing. JOVI B 12 pcs, Bruynzeel Design 5B
Pick your own 16 grades of hardness, with the lead bonded into the wood to resist breaking. Faber-Castell Castell 9000

For large areas, there is the woodless KOH-I-NOOR lacquered graphite pencil with a 10 mm diameter, whose lacquer coating keeps your hands clean. For writing and drawing without sharpening, try the APLI HB everlasting pencil. For young children there are triangular JOVI pencils which, according to the description, are suitable from age 3 and don’t roll off the table.

Drawing charcoal: stick, pencil or compressed charcoal

Thick Daler-Rowney natural charcoal, 15–20 mm in diameter, leaves a soft, rich mark that blends into subtle tones and can be lifted with an eraser. Its width makes it ideal for expressive lines and covering areas quickly.

You’ll find pre-sharpened charcoal pencils with a rich, smooth black mark in the Daler-Rowney Simply 12-piece set, together with charcoal sticks, graphite pencils, a kneaded eraser and two paper blending stumps. The Nassau 24-piece set also includes graphite and charcoal pencils with a kneaded eraser. The Daler-Rowney Simply drawing starter set contains compressed charcoal along with HB–6B graphite and sketching pastels. For charcoal in liquid form, there is Schmincke Trio liquid charcoal.

To blend without getting your fingers dirty, use a sponge blending pen with a choice of three tip shapes. It’s recommended to protect a finished charcoal drawing with fixative.

Professional drawing pencils: a set or individual pencils?

A set gives you the full range of grades in one go. The Van Gogh 12-piece set offers artist-quality graphite pencils from 1H to 9B, while Nassau Fine Art 8-piece has professional graphite pencils from 4H to 4B with a sharpener in a tin case. More options:

Individual pencils make sense once you know which grades you get through fastest – then top up with Castell 9000 or Bruynzeel Design 5B. For children aged 8 and up, there is the Royal & Langnickel AME110 sketching set with 9 templates.

Mechanical pencils, sepia and accessories

For technical drawing, there is the MEPHISTO mechanical pencil with 0.3 mm, 0.5 mm or 0.7 mm lead, plus KOH-I-NOOR refill leads such as 4132 HB 0.3 mm. You’ll find more in the technical drawing category.

For tonal drawing, try GIOCONDA sepia pencils, whose marks you can blend with a brush, and the oil-based Bruynzeel Design Specialties (sanguine, sepia, white chalk). Keep your points sharp with a sandpaper block, and the KOH-I-NOOR eraser removes graphite from 3B to 3H.

Colored pencils have their own page, colored pencils; pastel pencils are under soft pastels and paper is in sketchbooks. See the full range in the pencils and printmaking category.

Frequently asked questions

Which drawing pencils should I choose as a beginner?

A set with several grades, for example the Daler-Rowney Simply starter set for beginners (HB–6B graphite, compressed charcoal, blending stumps) or the Nassau 15-piece set with 12 pencils and a sketchbook.

What do pencil grades H, B and HB mean?

H is a harder lead with a light, fine mark, B a softer lead with a darker mark, and HB is the balanced middle. The number shows the degree – 5B is softer than B, 4H harder than H.

Which pencils are best for shading?

Soft pencils marked B. According to the description, Bruynzeel Design 5B has a rich, dark mark suitable for deep shading.

Which drawing charcoal should I choose?

For large areas and bold lines, thick natural charcoal. If you want to try several formats, the Daler-Rowney Simply 12-piece set includes both charcoal pencils and sticks.

How do I stop a charcoal drawing from smudging?

It’s recommended to seal the finished drawing with fixative.