PencilsIntroductionDrawingpencilsA pencil is the most readily available tool for expressing ideas from mind topaper. Limited only by imagination, use a pencil to draw the infrastructureof a drawing or as the finish medium. Some artists specialize in the penciland its many variations as a form of expression.For general drawing, sketching, and layout, use a drawing pencil. Drawingpencils have a wood casing around a core of graphite or composite. Thecomposition of the core, called a lead, and the hardness of the lead determinethe grade or rating of a pencil.General careTake care not to drop a pencil or rap it against a surface. This will break thelead internally and drastically shorten the life of the pencil. Keep a drawingpencil sharpened by using a sandpaper sharpener, a draftsman’s pencilsharpener, or a standard office sharpener.Lead hardnessPencil leads are available in 17 grades from 6B which is the softest to 6H,the hardest. Soft leads are 6B to 2B and have a thick-diameter core. Softleads are best used in freehand work where smudging is a creative option.Medium-rated leads are the B to 3H pencils. These are general layoutpencils sometimes used for freehand work. Technical drawing and drawingthat requires a degree of precision are done by hard-leaded pencils in the 4Hto 6H range. Hard-leaded pencils have a small-diameter core and tend toappear lighter in density than a soft-leaded pencil. Variations do occuramong manufacturers.Figure 2-70 shows a chart of lead hardness.Figure 2-70. —Lead hardness.Continued on next page2-61
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