Types of Artist Pencils

In the art world, there are various types of pencils and each kind has its own special purpose. The most well known is the graphite pencil, but there are also colored pencils, charcoal pencils, and watercolor pencils amongst many others. In this post, I will explain the introductory level artist pencils.

Graphite

Graphite pencils are by far the most commonly used pencils as they are also used outside of art. In the field of art, graphite pencils are the standard pencil made of clay and graphite, typically encased in wood, except for solid graphite pencils. Graphite pencils are used mainly for drawings that require finer details and varying levels of darkness due to the many grades this type has, varying from 9H to 9B. B grades are softer and darker, containing more graphite whereas those with an H grade are harder and lighter, consisting of more clay.

For more information about pencil grading, visit Draw Paint Academy.

Colored

Colored pencils, which can also be called pencil crayons, are similar to standard graphite pencils in the sense that they also have a wood casing, but they consist of wax-based cores mixed with pigments and binding agents. In addition to casual coloring, colored pencils are also often used in fine art.

Watercolor

Watercolor pencils are a subcategory of colored pencils that are made of water-soluble elements. Watercolor pencils are used in many watercolor painting pieces to create distinct lines and gradients in the work. To use these pencils, the user lays down the pigment and then dissolves the pigment with water to soften and blend the mark.

Charcoal

Charcoal pencils are another popular pencil type in the art community. These are essentially sticks of charcoal used for intense shading and values in pieces, usually coming in black, sepia, and white variants. Charcoal pencils work well with sketching in addition to more pristine pieces, but the pencils are rough and smudge easily. Charcoal pencils can be compressed or uncompressed. Compressed charcoal is more refined and, as implied, harder than uncompressed charcoal. Uncompressed charcoal is mainly used for general marks in a piece as it can be hard to use.

To read about more types of artist pencils, check out History of Pencils.