The choice of pencil can be very personal, especially if you write or draw a lot. It will be helpful to keep in mind what purpose you need a pencil for and how they differ.
Steps
Step 1. Evaluate how you use pencils
- What do you do with the pencil? Write? Do your homework? Do you do the crossword? Or do you also do drawings and sketches?
- Do you cast hard or softly when you write or draw?
- Do you prefer a thin or thick stroke?
- Do you tend to lose, lend, chew, or mistreat your pencils, or do you store them safely in a cup or pencil case?
- Do you carry the pencil in a pocket or purse where the tip could cause damage?
- Do you consume too much rubber or do you tend to lose the stopper with the rubber? Do you use gum so little that it dries up?
Step 2. Note what you like and what you don't like about the pencils you already have
Perhaps one is comfortable to hold while another drags the sheet.
Step 3. Choose between a mechanical pencil and a traditional pencil
- The mechanical pencils do not have to be tempered, but they need a supply of the appropriate leads. Generally it is not possible to use the last inch of the lead.
- Mechanical Pencils allow for a thinner and more consistent stroke if you use them for technical drawing or for small or subtle writing.
- The length of the mechanical pencil does not change, even if you use it a lot.
- Mechanical pencils are usually more expensive, especially good quality ones (not disposable), but many of them have replaceable leads and rubbers, so you can use the same pencil for a long time.
- Traditional pencils are usually not expensive and the stroke can be thicker or thicker depending on the angle and how hard the pencil is.
- Perhaps you prefer traditional pencils for the price, because you can find them easily, and for the ease of use. You may also prefer them for the feel they give you.
Step 4. Choose the lead diameter of a mechanical pencil
- If you are a writer who presses a lot, try a 0.9mm pencil. These pencils usually have a darker stroke because they are twice as thick as normal leads.
- Choose 0.5mm if you like a lighter stroke. 0.5mm pencils offer greater precision, so you can write in small spaces and still get legible writing.
- For a middle ground take a 0.7mm pencil, which has a medium lead.
- There are other sizes for artists and technical drawing, however larger leads may need to be tempered even if they are in a mechanical pencil, while thinner leads may be too delicate.
- In general, larger diameter mines give you more flexibility when you temper them, a technique used in technical drawing and for sketching.
Step 5. Write comfortably
Look for a pencil with a large, soft grip, such as the Pilot Dr. Grip 0.5mm mechanical pencil. It has an anti-cramp handle for long writing.
Step 6. Choose the lead hardness for both traditional and mechanical pencil pencils
The hardness of the lead can be confusing because it is measured on two different scales (the one with letters is British, while the one with numbers is US) and has no official standard. Here are the basics.
- The usual average hardness is called HB. Corresponds to a # 2 pencil. Unless otherwise specified, this is most likely the hardness.
- If you are unsure which hardness to choose, get an HB or # 2.
- Many automated test grading systems require HB or # 2 pencils, so if you need to take a test use one of these pencils.
- The softer mines give the darkest stroke, while the harder mines give the lighter stroke. If you draw you can hatch with a hard lead and then darken or shade with a softer lead.
- If you usually cut the pencil to get the right angle, soft leads will do better, but they lose their edges faster. Harder mines have the opposite effect.
- The hardness ranges from 9B (the softest) to 9H (the hardest). In the United States, numbers are used instead of letters.
Step 7. Look for other features as needed
- Does it have built-in rubber? Does it have a cap?
- If it is a mechanical pencil, do you have to tread on top or side to get the lead out, or does the lead come out in some other way (e.g. by turning something)?
- How strong is the pencil?
- Is the handle comfortable and soft?
- How much does the pencil cost?
Step 8. Use colored pencils to color drawings on paper, to outline and color various objects, or for a coloring book
- If you are serious about art, go to a specialty store and purchase quality artist-quality colored pencils. They cost more but color more vividly and offer a wider range of colors.
- Another type of colored pencil is the highlighter pencil. They are a little out of fashion due to felt-tip highlighters, but they can still be found in well-stocked stationeries.
Step 9. Consider purchasing specialty pencils for demanding or specialized uses
- Some artists use charcoal pencils. Like charcoal, they give a very black stroke. Unlike charcoal they write more fluently and are just like pencils. They have various hardnesses.
- Charcoal is commercially available in sticks.
- The greasy pencil can be used to temporarily mark shiny surfaces, such as ceramic and smooth plastic. Carpenter's pencils are suitable for rough surfaces such as wood (for marking where to cut).
Advice
- If possible, try the pencil you intend to buy. In stationeries sometimes there are containers with loose pencils or pencils available for testing.
- Experiment and notice which one is comfortable, write smoothly, and so on.
- Try a lot and see which ones you like.
- Comfortable grip pencils are great for drawing and writing long essays because they will save you from hand cramps.
- Remember that there are many erasers, so if you find the perfect pencil but it doesn't have an eraser on top or the eraser isn't the best, buy it separately.
- Pencils with a thin lead are good for small spaces because they are more precise.
- If you hold several pencils together with rubber bands you can get multiple pencils.
Warnings
- Good quality mechanical pencils can be expensive.
- Be careful when buying a mechanical pencil - some are really cheap and break easily.
- Use a handy pencil and take breaks when writing or drawing, otherwise you may have fields on hand.
