A pencil is an artists tool used for drawing or writing. Traditionally pencils are a hollow wooden object with lead, carbon, graphite or other hard pigment contained within. Pencils come in many varieties. Lead Pencils, Sketching Pencils, Colored Pencils, Pastel Pencils, Charcoal Pencils, Watercolor Pencils.

When drawing in lead pencil most artists tend to favor a small number of shades available. If you want to begin sketching you may like to start of with 4 pencils; 3B, B, HB & H which will give you good variable of shade without purchasing a full set of sketching pencils.  Looking at the illustration above 6B is the softest/darkest lead, HB is in the middle and 4H is the hardest/lightest lead.

Artist quality pencils can be purchased from any Art Supply Store. 

Related to Pencil:Chalk, Charcoal, Colored Pencils, Drawing, Eraser, Life Drawing, Paper, Pastel, Rubbings, Sketching easle, Continuous-line, Contour drawing, Contour lines, Graphite, Pen, Pencil Sharpener

Keywords: pencil