Graphite Medium

Of all the mediums to chose from, graphite pencil is probably the most basic. That said, it’s equally capable of producing quick sketches or a piece of finely drawn art. The pencil is the most versatile, and sensitive, of all the drawing media. You can produce a soft, subtle line or make bold strikes. One of it’s most attractive qualities is the ability to create line and tone in one drawing.

Graphite is a natural form of carbon found in the earth. The making of graphite varies depending on the manufacturer, but the ingredients are the same: natural graphite is reduced to a powder and blended with clay, then kneaded into a stiff paste. This paste is then fired and then encased in wood. The proportion of graphite to clay determines the hardness of the lead. 

Drawing pencils come in a range of grades from “H” for hard and “B” for soft. The more graphite, the softer the pencil. Typically, hard pencils range from 9H (hardest) to H, and soft pencils range from 9B to B. Soft pencils will produce the softer, darker lines whereas, hard pencils will appear more gray and are excellent for fine lines and subtleties. Because each brand of pencil is slightly different, experiment to find your favorite. 

There are other forms of graphite available. Drafting pencils, woodless, water-soluble, and carpenter pencils to name a few. Also available are graphite sticks, powdered graphite, and water-soluble blocks.

You will also want to add some paper blending sticks (made from paper pulp) and tortillons (smaller blending sticks made from tightly wound paper). 

Another benefit is the ability to erase. Sketches can be worked until the desired result appears. 

Although they are primarily used to get rid of unwanted marks, erasers can also be used as drawing instruments. Starting with areas of tone, images can be created by erasing to produce areas of light and dark shading. You can also employ their qualities to smudge and blend tones, add highlights and draw defined edges. The type of erasers used most often in drawing are retractable eraser pencils, gum erasers, sand erasers, vinyl erasers, and kneadable erasers.

Once your masterpiece is finished, you may want to apply a fixative to protect it and prevent smudging. Available in spray form, they are made up of fast-drying mixtures of colorless acrylic or vinyl resin in a solvent, such as alcohol, that bond the particles to the paper. Most of the solutions are acid-free and archival. Always use fixatives in a well-ventilated area or outside, preferably with a mask, to protect against toxic fumes.

For available materials, click here.