In the world of art, the pencil holds a place of importance. It’s not just a pencil; is the first tool we held and used to create, to take our thoughts and ideas and translate them onto paper. It’s our companion and the first tool we reach for when a new idea comes to mind.
As we grow artistically, we start to discover the different types of pencils that exist, the uses we can give them, and how to use them, however with many new and diverse brands flooding the market, how are we supposed to find the best drawing pencil for us?
Well, welcome to this guide, where we’ll learn all about drawing pencils, the different types and grades, and where we’ll present you our carefully chosen selection of pencils and pencil sets that’ll take the trial and error process away. Let’s get started!
What pencils are used for drawing?
Whether you’re an experienced artist or a beginner, the pencil you choose can have a significant impact on both your work and your experience with drawing. While the quality of materials matters, it’s also important to understand the differences among the various supplies available for drawing.
Graphite Pencils
First, we have graphite pencils, the most common and easy-to-use option. These pencils are composed of graphite cores mixed with a clay-based binder, making them incredibly versatile for both fine lines and broader strokes.
They come in different “grades of hardness,” which are determined by the ratio of graphite to clay in the pencil’s composition. A pencil with more graphite will be softer and capable of making darker marks, while one with more clay will be harder and less prone to breakage, thereby producing lighter lines.
This concept is referred to as “hardness gradation.” Pencils with more clay binder are not only harder to break but also will keep a fine tip sharper for longer and can make the finest traces.
Charcoal Pencils
We also have Charcoal Pencils, which offer a darker, deeper tone of black and as their name suggests, are made of charcoal. These pencils might be darker than graphite due to opaqueness and its non-reflective qualities but are also harder to erase and easier to smudge. They are preferred by traditional artists due to their softer nature which makes the lines more expressive and allows for easy (yet messier) shading and blending.
You’ll be able to find soft, medium, and hard charcoal pencils. Soft charcoal pencils are the most fragile of them, they’re almost powdery or chalky, the color lays easily but the lead is prone to breakage if they are handled carelessly.
Medium charcoal pencils are perfect for those who are just beginning with charcoal, very soft yet more manageable and not as prone to break.
Hard charcoal pencils have more binder but are the hardest to use. They don’t lay the color easily and are harder to break. Great for fine traces, details and lines that need more control.
Other Pencils
Additionally, you can find Pastel Pencils, which combine the vibrancy of pastels with the control and ease of a pencil. They’re excellent for layered drawings and work well on textured paper.
Last, we have Sepia, Sanguine and White Chalk pencils that offer a warm, brownish tone, often used for portraits and artistic drawings along with toned paper.
How to Choose the Best Pencils For Drawing
Presentation
When speaking of pencils for drawing, we can find a lot of different presentations, we can find single units, sets of 6 or even complete sets with pencils from 9H to 9B and lots of accessories that seem to have it all. Sets that include lots of accessories are great for beginners, however, one must be careful when choosing, or else you might end up with a low-quality set prone to breaking pencils, and old erasers, and have a bad experience with one of the simplest art mediums.
Smaller sets might seem to offer less value, however, one doesn’t need all the pencil gradations to draw. Smaller sets have a curated selection of graphite gradations that will allow you to draw pretty much everything and the accessories that they offer are often of higher quality than the larger sets.
Casing
The casing of a pencil refers to the material that holds the lead. The most common is wood casing, but you can also find plastic, metal, or even caseless pencils. Although casing might not be the most important criteria in the eyes of many, a pencil with a weak wood casing will certainly lead to sharpening issues.
For advanced techniques a quality wood casing is crucial since it needs to be carved, sanded, and resist the pressure and movements expressive drawing uses, however, sometimes a woodless casing is better since it allows you to make both fine and broad lines without sharpening the pencil to a certain angle or even use the powder produced by the sanding block as a shading material.
Grade or Hardness
As we mentioned above, there are different grades of hardness for graphite pencils, the lightest are the ones under the H grade and the darkest are under the B grade. While pencils with a higher graphite content are darker, they are also softer and shinier, which makes it challenging to achieve true dark tones using only B-grade pencils. By using the correct technique, H-grade pencils can be used to accentuate the depth of color from B pencils and achieve a more vivid and realistic result, hence the need for at least one or two H-grade pencils.
If you’re getting a charcoal pencil set, make sure it includes a soft, medium, and hard pencil so you can try their consistency and see for yourself which one you feel better drawing with.
Price
Graphite pencils come in various prices which often reflect their quality, while individual pencils can be budget-friendly, comprehensive sets offer a spectrum of grades useful to diverse artistic needs. Charcoal pencils, known for their deep, expressive lines, are a bit pricier but invaluable for certain techniques and for those venturing into warmer tones, sepia and sanguine pencils provide a unique palette, with a slightly higher cost due to their specialty nature. In the world of drawing, while price matters, what matters the most is your experience with each type of pencil and finding the one that you like the most.
All in all, pencils are one of the most affordable art mediums out there, and remember, while having a quality pencil is important, so is having the right paper to draw on.
Best Drawing Pencils
- Best Drawing Pencils Overall — Staedtler Mars Lumograph Pencil Set
- Best Drawing Pencils for Realism — Tombow Mono drawing pencil set
- Best Pencil Set for Technical Drawing — Prismacolor Premier Turquoise Graphite Sketching Pencils
- Best Professional Sketching Set — Winsor & Newton Studio Collection Artist Pencils
- Best Charcoal Pencil Set — Faber-Castell 24 Piece Pitt Charcoal Set
1. Best Drawing Pencils Overall — Staedtler Mars Lumograph Pencil Set
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Selection Criteria
- Presentation: Metal Tin, Set of 12.
- Our Score: 8/10
- Grade/Hardness: 6B, 5B, 4B, 3B, 2B, B, HB, F, H, 2H, 3H, 4H.
- Our Score: 9/10
- Casing: Wood.
- Our Score: 8/10
- Price: $15.30.
- Our Score: 9/10
About the Staedtler Mars Lumograph pencil set.
The Staedtler Mars Lumograph might not be the most expensive nor the highest quality pencil set on the market. However, they are the most consistent brand that offers variety, quality, and affordability at the same time. Despite not having the best wood casing it’s superior to most brands in the market, plus they offer excellent graphite quality which is the most important factor.
The set comes in a metallic tin and includes pencils from 6B to 4H, as well as an F pencil for those who want a durable yet dark enough pencil for quick sketches and notes.
Pros
- High-quality graphite
- Diverse grade range
- Durable build
Cons
- Slightly expensive
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2. Best Drawing Pencils for Realism — Tombow Mono Drawing Pencil Set.
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Selection Criteria
- Presentation: Set of 6, included Zero Eraser.
- Our Score: 9/10
- Grade/Hardness: 2H, HB, B, 2B, 4B, 6B.
- Our Score: 7/10
- Casing: Wood.
- Our Score: 9/10
- Price: $11.74.
- Our Score: 9/10
About the Tombow Mono Drawing Pencil Set.
Tombow is a brand that has a strong presence in the art community and a special place in the hearts of many realism artists. They are the creators of the Mono Zero Eraser, a special eraser that has a very fine tip, perfect for adding highlights and details to your graphite or charcoal drawings.
This set includes that eraser, along with a set of six very soft and creamy graphite pencils of different gradations, enough for any artistic need.
Pros
- Excellent for realistic drawing
- Consistent lines
- Precision eraser included
Cons
- Limited hardness range
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3. Best Pencil Set for Technical Drawing — Prismacolor Premier Turquoise Graphite Sketching Pencils.
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Selection Criteria
- Presentation: Metal Tin, Set of 12.
- Our Score: 8/10
- Grade/Hardness: 4B, 3B, 2B, B, HB, F, H, 2H, 3H, 4H, 5H and 6H.
- Our Score: 9/10
- Casing: Wood.
- Our Score: 9/10
- Price: $15.24.
- Our Score: 8/10
About the Prismacolor Premier Turquoise Graphite Sketching Pencils.
Although better known for their excellent quality coloring pencils, Prismacolor Premier has broadened their reach in the world of art supplies with their Turquoise Graphite Sketching Pencils, which are specifically designed for technical drawing and detailed artwork.
They come in a sleek metal tin and are encased in high-quality wood, ensuring not only a comfortable grip but also ease of sharpening.
Given the quality and range of grades, the price of this set is quite reasonable, making it a great option for both students and professionals.
Pros
- Versatile grades
- Quality casing
- High-quality graphite
Cons
- Pricey
- Soft leads might break
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4. Best Professional Sketching Set — Winsor & Newton Studio Collection Artist Pencils.
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Selection Criteria
- Presentation: Metal Tin Set of 10 pcs, 3 Graphite Pencils, 4 Charcoals, Metal Sharpener, White Vinyl Eraser, Blending Stump.
- Our Score: 9/10
- Grade/Hardness: 2B, 6B, 8B, White Charcoal, Sepia, Pierre Noire, Charcoal(Hard).
- Our Score: 9/10
- Casing: Wood.
- Our Score: 9/10
- Price: $16.98
- Our Score: 9/10
About the Winsor & Newton Studio Collection Artist Pencils.
For the fine art students and professionals, Winsor & Newton has put together the perfect sketching set. Winsor & Newton has consistently been defined by the high quality of their products as well as their dedication to excellence and this set is not an exception.
The set includes three graphite pencils, two charcoal pencils of different intensities, a sepia pencil, and a white charcoal pencil. Sketching accessories are also included and the affordable price of this set makes it the perfect option for those who want quality but don’t want to spend hundreds on pencils.
Pros
- Medium Variety
- Smooth application
- Sturdy case
- Accessories included
Cons
- Low availability
- Not enough graphite variety
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5. Best Charcoal Pencil Set — Faber-Castell 24 Piece Pitt Charcoal Set
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Selection Criteria
- Presentation: Metal Tin, Set of 24 pcs, 3 Natural Charcoals, 3 Compressed Charcoal Pencils, 8 Natural Charcoal Sticks, 8 Compressed Charcoal sticks, 1 Kneadable art eraser, 1 Blending Stump.
- Our Score: 10/10
- Grade/Hardness: Charcoals.
- Our Score: 9/10
- Casing: Wood, Charcoal stick.
- Our Score: 9/10
- Price: $28.95
- Our Score: 8/10
About the Faber-Castell 24 Piece Pitt Charcoal Set.
The Faber Castell Pitt Charcoal Set is one of the most complete high-quality charcoal sketching sets. It includes charcoal pencils, compressed charcoal bars, and charcoal sticks, as well as a blending stump which will let you explore multiple techniques, be it detailed drawing or loose sketching.
The brand is praised for its rich pigmentation which allows artists to reach deep blacks and a wide range of grays and the tin presentation keeps materials separated and protected. While Faber-Castell’s Pitt Charcoal Set can be more expensive compared to basic or generic charcoal sets, the quality is definitely worth the additional cost.
Pros
- Deep pigmentation
- Easy to blend
- Multiple charcoal forms
Cons
- Can be messy to use
- A bit pricey
- Learning curve
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