
These are my 'tools of the trade', in addition to 3 or 4 ply Bristol Board (a hefty drawing paper, archival and PH neutral). I use a range of graphite from a soft lead of about 4B to a rather hard lead of 6H. Most of any given drawing is done with a range of graphite from the middle of these end points, mostly 2H, 3H, 4H, H, F and HB. For those who are not as familiar with the terms, 'H' leads are denser and hold the point longer; 'B' leads are softer and closer to charcoal in consistency and I generally use them with a more blunted tip for blending and soft textural aspects of a drawing. As you can see from the picture, I have a few 'nubs' of pencils, some of which I have been using for years! They do certain things for me in a drawing and after years of experience using various grades of graphite, I have figured out just what it is that each one does. The glass comes in handy for close work, details and making sure some of the line work is crisp and tight. If you are an aspiring artist interested in drawing or have a question about graphite, get in touch! Happy to answer questions and offer help, if I can.