Tools to enhance your pencil drawings!

I know how frustrating it could be for an artist who wants to learn the art of pencil drawing or sketching but is not aware of the tools which are used for the same.As you can see by my earlier sketches, the textures are rough. This had happened because I was not aware of the various things which could help me with the sketches.

All aspiring artists should be able to use their potential to the maximum just by using some of these things. Even if you have never tried sketching before,you could make a start with the help of the following things.

You can find these tools of art at any art store or maybe get them online for some nice discounts(do share the websites' names so that we can also buy ;) ).

Here is list of basic things you would need* to create a pencil drawing or a sketch.

*You don't need to own a whole studio of stuff to create a sketch, a pencil,eraser and cloth could also work wonders but artists usually have a keen interest to know about more and more tools, so here is a complete list...

1. Pencils(of different variety and use which I will be explaining)
2. Erasers(again of different varieties-keep reading to know more)
3. Blenders(to blend the different shades creating a smooth look
4. Sharpeners(you have to own one!)
5. Brushes(to keep your work clean and to add shadow effects-I'll be explaining how)
6. Graphite(leads or powder)

I will be writing about the most important tool used in sketching.

PENCILS

Keep this on the top of your list!

The question here is what kind of pencils should we use as there are a large variety of them available in the shops. 

Let's categorize pencils into 3 basic kinds:

1. Wood Cased Pencils or Cedar Cased Pencils
2. Mechanical Pencils
3. Progresso Pencils

Wood cased pencils: The most common type of pencils. The advantage of these pencils is that they are easily available and light to use. We are all usually comfortable using such kind of pencils as we have been using these since a long time. 

These pencils come in variety of shades such as H, 2H, 4H, HB, B, 2B, 4B and 6B. The B pencils are better as they are darker and smooth in texture so even if you make a mistake while sketching, after you erase that part, the sheet would not have any mark on it.

We all use these pencils in many different combinations, whichever is comfortable for us!

Mechanical Pencils:These kind of pencils are used by people usually in fields of architecture and designing but this also serves as a great sketching tool. The precision created by this cannot be achieved with normal wood cased pencils. These pencils are great for detailed sketching such as sketching the iris of an eye with precision.

These pencils just have leads in them, so you need not sharpen them and you will get sharp points every time. The leads can of various variety and sizes(0.5mm, 0.7mm, 2mm etc).Another advantage of these drafting pencils is that the lead inside is safe and does not break easily.

Progresso Pencils: These pencils come without a cover and look a lot like crayons. They have a covering of laquer over them for easy and neat handling.These pencils are difficult to use for a beginner but if you intent to draw a large sketch which needs deep large strokes, these are helpful but be careful, they can be messy!

You can find these pencils in a variety of colors too!

Pencils make mistakes and we need erasers to correct them and many other tools to enhance our work of art or just simplify our work a bit. In the next post, I'll be describing each of the tools mentioned.

Pencils are relatively less expensive. So, keep experimenting with all the types of pencils till you find your kind of magic wand that helps you create magic on canvas!

If you would like to suggest about some more tools or share your experiences about the different pencils which you use, please comment.