Types of simple pencils for drawing. What are the differences between hard and soft pencils? Video: choosing pencils
Quality depends on the correct selection of pencil hardness.
Hard pencils with a sharpened and dry point can be used to draw grayish lines. Such pencils usually have the letter H (from the English hard - “hard”). They are good for high-precision images, such as line drawings or drawings. Hard leads, unlike soft ones, produce fine lines and do not leave excessive marks on the paper.
Soft pencils have an oil-based lead. By drawing with such a pencil and lightly pressing on the lead, you can get more dark and thick lines. They are marked with the letter B (from the English bold - “fat”). In artistic drawing, the use of soft pencils makes it possible to give greater expressiveness and expressiveness to the artist's work.
- A well-sharpened pencil lead marked 6B allows you to make a good sketch. The basis of the sketch is applied with a soft stylus. To get pale lines, you should tilt the pencil.
- As you create a drawing, you need to gradually add new strokes to the previous ones to deepen the shadows and expand the midtones. Lightened areas on white paper remain unpainted, that is, there is no need to apply strokes to them.
Practical assignments in engineering graphics
Drawing lines and fonts
Graphic work No. 1
Graphic work № 1
, recommended for students of engineering graphics, is aimed at mastering the skills of drawing drawing lines, fonts and inscriptions, as well as familiarizing themselves with the basics of working with a compass.
In the process of performing the work, the student must complete the drawing frame, the main lines provided ESKD, drawing font letters and circles represented by various drawing lines.
The work is performed on drawing paper of the format A3 (420×297 mm).
To complete the work you will need hard pencils TM
,T
, 2T
, ruler at least 300 mm long, protractor, compass, square (to make auxiliary parallel lines), eraser, pencil sharpener.
The ruler and square should be wooden or plastic (metal ones strongly “cut” the pencil lead, leaving dirt on the drawing).
To perform high-quality graphic work, you must have a set of pencils, which must include a medium-hard pencil ( TM
), solid ( T
) and very hard ( 2T
). In this case, hard pencils are used to draw thin lines on the drawing and to preliminary sketch the outline of the image, which is subsequently outlined with a medium-hard pencil.
Pencil markings adopted in different countries, is described below.
Designation of pencil hardness
In different countries, the hardness of pencils is marked with different symbols.
In Russia, pencils are marked with lettersM
(soft) andT
(solid) or combinations of these letters with numbers and with each other. The numbers before the letter indicate the degree of hardness or softness of the pencil. At the same time, it is intuitively clear that2M
– very soft,M
- soft pencil,TM
– a pencil of medium hardness (hard-soft),T
- hard and2T
- a very hard pencil.
There are often imported pencils on sale, for which European or American markings are used.
In the USA, pencils are marked with numbers from 1 to 9 (fractional numbers are also used, for example: 2.5), and the number is usually preceded by a # sign (hash):#1
,
#2
,
#2,5
,
#3
,
#4
etc. The larger the number (digit) in the marking, the harder the pencil.
European markings for pencils are based on the letters of the Latin alphabet:
· B (short for blackness - blackness) - corresponds to the Russian marking under the letterM (soft);
· H (from hardness - rigidity) - corresponds to the Russian hardness markingT (solid);
· F (from fine point - subtlety, tenderness) - a pencil of medium hardness, approximately corresponds toTM . However, the combination of lettersN AndIN – NV also mean the average hardness of the pencil.
European markings provide a combination of lettersIN
AndN
with numbers (from 2 to 9), while, as in Russian markings, the larger the number, the higher the pencil property corresponding to the letter (softness or hardness). Pencils of medium hardness according to the European marking have the designationN
,
F
,
NV
orIN
.
If there is a letter on a pencilIN
with numbers from 2 to 9 (for example:4B
,
9V
etc.), then you are dealing with a soft or very soft pencil.
LetterN
with a number from 2 to 9 on a pencil indicates its increased hardness (for example,2H
,
7N
and so on.).
Graphic work assignment №1
and a sample of the completed work are presented in the figure below.
A full-size sample of the work can be opened in a separate browser window by clicking on the picture. After this, it can be downloaded to a computer or printed on a printer for use as an assignment for students.
The task is presented in two versions:
· Option #1
· Option No. 2
The task is aimed at acquiring and improving the skills of drawing drawing lines and fonts, while their outline must meet the requirements stipulated by the standards ESKD And ESTD.
According to requirements ESKD The sizes of lines and fonts in the drawing must meet the following requirements:
· main solid thick line (for drawing a frame, title block, outline of a part or node - i.e., the main lines of graphic work) must have a thickness 0.6...0.8 mm; on the drawings large sizes this line can reach 1.5 mm in thickness.
· dashed line (drawing lines of an invisible contour)- performed in thickness 0.3...0.4 mm (i.e., twice as thin as the main thick line). Stroke length (4-6 mm) and the distance between adjacent strokes (1-1.5 mm) are standardized GOST 2.303-68;
· other lines (dash-dotted, wavy, solid thin
- to designate axes, extension and dimension lines, section boundaries, etc.)- thickness 0.2 mm (i.e. three times thinner than the main thick one) solid line)
.
Length of strokes in a dash-dotted line (axis designation) should be 15-20 mm, the distance between adjacent strokes is 3 mm.
· letter height
fonts must correspond to the line allowed by the standard, while the height of lowercase letters and the distance between letters in a line correspond to the size of uppercase letters (capital) letters
Most often in graphic works of the format A4 And A3 type fonts are used IN
with inclination angle 75
degrees, while the height of lowercase letters (which should be equal to 7/10 of the height of capital letters), is taken equal 3.5 or 5 mm (respectively, the height of capital letters is 5 or 7 mm).
· Letter spacing
in the line should be equal 1/5
capital height (capital) letters, i.e. for capital letter height 5 mm distance between letters in a line - 1 mm, for capital letter height 7 mm- the distance between letters is approximately 1.5 mm .
When drawing letters, it is important to maintain the same height and slope in the line, as well as the distance between adjacent letters.
What could be simpler than a pencil? This simple instrument, familiar to everyone since childhood, is not as primitive as it seems at first glance. It allows you not only to draw, write and draw, but also to create a variety of artistic effects, sketches, paintings! Any artist must be able to draw with a pencil. And, just as important, understand them.
Graphite (“simple”) pencils are quite different from each other. By the way, “pencil” comes from two Turkic words - “kara” and “dash” (black stone).
The writing core of a pencil is inserted into a frame made of wood or plastic and can be made of graphite, coal or other materials. The most common type - graphite pencils - vary in degree of hardness.
The human eye can distinguish about 150 shades of gray. An artist who draws with graphite pencils has three colors at his disposal. White (paper color), black and gray (color of graphite pencils of different hardness). These are achromatic colors. Drawing only with a pencil, only in shades of gray, allows you to create images that convey the volume of objects, the play of shadows and glare of light.
Lead hardness
The hardness of the lead is indicated on the pencil with letters and numbers. Manufacturers from different countries (Europe, USA and Russia) mark the hardness of pencils differently.
Hardness designation
In Russia, the hardness scale looks like this:
M - soft; T - hard; TM - hard-soft;
The European scale is somewhat wider (the F marking does not have Russian correspondence):
B - soft, from blackness (blackness); H - hard, from hardness (hardness); F - this is the middle tone between HB and H (from the English fine point - subtlety) HB - hard-soft (Hardness Blackness - hardness-blackness );
In the USA, a number scale is used to indicate the hardness of a pencil:
Corresponds to B - soft; - corresponds to HB - hard-soft; - corresponds to F - average between hard-soft and hard; - corresponds to H - hard; - corresponds to 2H - very hard.
Pencil is different from pencil. Depending on the manufacturer, the tone of the line drawn with a pencil of the same marking may differ.
In Russian and European pencil markings, the number before the letter indicates the degree of softness or hardness. For example, 2B is twice as soft as B, and 2H is twice as hard as H. You can find pencils on sale ranging from 9H (hardest) to 9B (softest).
Soft pencils
Start from B to 9B.
The most commonly used pencil when creating a drawing is HB. However, this is the most common pencil. Use this pencil to draw the base and shape of the drawing. HB is comfortable for drawing, creating tonal spots, it is not too hard, not too soft. A soft 2B pencil will help you draw dark areas, highlight them and place accents, and make a clear line in the drawing.
Hard pencils
Start from H to 9H.
H is a hard pencil, hence the thin, light, “dry” lines. Use a hard pencil to draw solid objects with a clear outline (stone, metal). With such a hard pencil, thin lines are drawn over the finished drawing, on top of the shaded or shaded fragments, for example, strands in the hair.
Hatching and drawing
Strokes on paper are drawn with a pencil inclined at an angle of about 45° to the plane of the sheet. To make the line thicker, you can rotate the pencil around its axis.
Light areas are shaded with a hard pencil. Dark areas are correspondingly soft.
When drawing, gradually move from light areas to dark ones, since it is much easier to darken part of the drawing with a pencil than to make a dark place lighter.
Graphite pencil lead is a fragile material. Despite the protection of the wooden shell, the pencil requires careful handling. When dropped, the lead inside the pencil breaks into pieces and then crumbles when sharpened, making the pencil unusable.
And a little about pencils, whose companies you may have known for a long time.
"Constructor"
Well-proven inexpensive pencils, made of high-quality wood, the lead does not break and is easy to sharpen. Environmentally friendly, easy to hold in the hand, the marking of the hardness of the lead always corresponds to the letters indicated on the pencil (the last two parameters are very obvious, but users of various forums for artists often note them in their descriptions).
Quite good, high-quality pencils; they are a favorite model for many artists. Sold in sets of 24 pieces. They have a strong body and sharpen well. The features of these pencils are their persistent and rather specific smell, as well as, pardon the tautology, the softness of soft pencils. They are really much softer than similar model numbers from other companies; the softest ones even crumble and smear a little. But overall, this is an excellent option even for professionals, very comfortable and high-quality pencils.
“Koh-i-noor”
High-quality, excellent sharpening, these pencils are easy to erase and do not break at all, even after repeated falls on the floor.
They are sold both individually and in stylish metal boxes - in general, they are a pleasure to use. The only drawback is the price; they are often one of the most expensive in the assortment of a single store. By the way, they got their name in honor of the large Kohinoor diamond, one of the most famous precious stones in the world.
If you have your own favorite brand of pencils, then you can tell us about it in the comments.
Thank you for your attention!
IN Everyday life and work, each of us, to one degree or another, needs pencils. For people of such professions as artists, designers and draftsmen, the hardness of a pencil is important.
The history of pencils
In the 13th century, the first prototypes of pencils appeared, made of silver or lead. It was impossible to erase what they had written or drawn. In the 14th century, they began to use a rod made of black shale, which was called the “Italian pencil”.
In the 16th century, in the English town of Cumberland, shepherds accidentally stumbled upon a deposit of a material that looked very similar to lead. They couldn’t get bullets or shells out of it, but they were great at drawing and marking sheep. They began to make thin rods from graphite, sharpened at the end, which were not suitable for writing and became very dirty.
Somewhat later, one of the artists noticed that drawing with graphite sticks fixed in wood is much more convenient. This is how the body of simple slate pencils appeared. Of course, at that time no one had thought about the hardness of a pencil.
Modern pencils
The form in which pencils are known to us today was invented at the end of the 18th century by the French scientist Nicolas Jacques Conte. IN late XIX and the beginning of the 20th century. Several important changes were made to the design of pencils.
Thus, Count Lothar von Fabercastle changed the shape of the pencil body from round to hexagonal. This made it possible to reduce the rolling of pencils from various inclined surfaces used for writing.
And the American inventor Alonso Townsend Cross, thinking about reducing the amount of material consumed, made a pencil with a metal body and a graphite rod that could be extended to the required length.
Why is hardness so important?
Any person who has drawn or sketched something at least a couple of times will say that pencils can leave strokes and lines that differ in color saturation and thickness. Such characteristics are important for engineering specialties, because first any drawing is made with hard pencils, for example T2, and then final stage- softer, marked M-2M, to increase the clarity of the lines.
Pencil hardness is no less important for both professional and amateur artists. Pencils with soft leads are used to create sketches and outlines, and harder ones are used to finalize the work.
What types of pencils are there?
All pencils can be divided into two large groups: simple and colored.
A simple pencil has this name because it is structurally very simple, and it writes with the most ordinary graphite lead, without any additives. All other types of pencils have more complex structure and the mandatory introduction of various dyes into the composition.
There are quite a few types, the most common are:
- ordinary colored ones, which can be either single-sided or double-sided;
- wax;
- coal;
- watercolor;
- pastel.
Classification of simple graphite pencils
As already mentioned, simple pencils have a graphite lead. An indicator such as the hardness of a pencil lead is the basis for their classification.
Different countries have adopted different markings indicating the hardness of pencils, of which the most widely used are European, Russian and American.
Russian and European markings of black lead pencils, as simple pencils are also called, differ from American ones in the presence of both letter and digital designations.
To indicate the hardness of a pencil in Russian system markings it is accepted that: T - hard, M - soft, TM - medium. To clarify the degree of softness or hardness, numerical values are introduced next to the letter ones.
In European countries, hardness simple pencils also denoted by letters taken from words describing hardness. So, for soft pencils the letter “B” is used from the word blackness (blackness), and for hard pencils the letter “H” is used from the English word hardness (hardness). In addition, there is also a marking F, coming from the English fine point (subtlety) and indicating the average type of pencil. It is the European system of marking hardness with letters that is considered the world standard and is the most widespread.
And in American system, which determines the hardness of pencils, is indicated only in numbers. Where 1 is soft, 2 is medium, and 3 is hard.
If there is no marking on the pencil, then by default it is of the hard-soft (TM, HB) type.
What does hardness depend on?
Today, graphite is also used to make graphite pencil lead. The hardness of the pencil depends on the proportions of these substances mixed at the initial stages of production. The more white kaolin clay is added, the harder the pencil turns out. If the amount of graphite is increased, the lead will be softer.
After mixing all the necessary components, the resulting mixture is fed into the extruder. It is in it that rods of a given size are formed. Then the graphite rods are fired in a special furnace, the temperature in which reaches 10,000 0 C. After firing, the rods are immersed in a special oil solution, which creates a surface protective film.
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