Best drawing pencils according to redditors
We found 137 Reddit comments discussing the best drawing pencils. We ranked the 94 resulting products by number of redditors who mentioned them. Here are the top 20.
We found 137 Reddit comments discussing the best drawing pencils. We ranked the 94 resulting products by number of redditors who mentioned them. Here are the top 20.
someone shared a link to buy a proper one at Amazon.
http://www.amazon.com/Derwent-Pencil-Extender-Pencils-2300124/dp/B002U0OX4C/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1457369428&sr=8-1&keywords=pencil+extender
this is what I came here to say lol This is a good set
So I have one of those erasers that's in pencil form, like, it looks like a pencil, but instead of "pencil lead" or whatever, it's an eraser. It gets into tiny spaces to erase small stuff.
Anyway, I've had luck toning down smears like this with these erasers. They have a light grit, so don't press too hard. It might help!
https://www.amazon.com/Faber-Castell-185698-Faber-Castel-Pencils/dp/B005M4LAUS/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1539890603&sr=8-4&keywords=eraser+pencil
General makes these white pastel chalk pencils that are my go-to, but I very rarely do full, finished pieces in dry media these days, just for quick sketching, so take that recommendation with as many grains of salt as you like. They're not waxy like white charcoal, at least.
Really good work.
If I can give some suggestions, I know mechanical pencils are kind of ubiquitous in schools, but I would try drawing more with thicker leads. Wooden pencils, woodless pencils, or staedtler mechanical pencils will help you with form and depth. Also using different lead types can help you in the long run. You seem to have a heavy hand (or really dark lead, going to guess it's 2B), playing around with 2H lead might help you save more time of drawing and erasing. (If you want more info let me know, I'm going to stop here because I feel like I'm rambling).
Keep at it, and never fall into the trap of being insecure about your work.
This roll from [amazon] (https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B000P6YNHK/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o09_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1). Works well for what i need it for, really only acting as storage at home. Cheap and easy.
More or less.
I think it is quite vibrant, and the shading looks nice, especially on the lighter colors.
I would suggest using a blender and then possibly a burnisher (for added shine) on the black. For me, black can be hard to work with, and another trick is blending with a very light blue or cool grey, which gives the color more depth. If you're using prismacolor I can find the color names for you. I think it would really make the lighter colors pop. Imo Derwent works best, and I like their electric eraser as well, although the included eraser is vinyl and will erase even black — just be careful on thin paper. (Hopefully that link works, I'm on mobile and I had to share from the app, wouldn't let me open it in any of my browsers.)
Castle Art Supplies 72 Coloured Pencil Set for Adult Colouring Books or Kids School Supplies - Premium Artist Soft Series Lead with Vibrant Colours https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B06ZZNF7GS/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_8d8TBbNTC48X2
These. They are pretty good considering their price. Although I haven't used them too much yet.
Derwent do a 12 pack of metallic pencils. I have this set myself, though I haven't used them much. They do seem to be more effective on dark backgrounds, though.
I used Touchnew markers.
Numbers; 64,76,182,CG8,83,143,84,132,145,75, white deleter for the eyes, I overlapped # 76 on 182. # 64 is used to shade for the blue. # 145 is for the shade for the white on the dress. CG8 is for the dress and shoes. #84 is the ribbon. # 83 is for the shade for the dress. For the black I used whatever but make the lines thick haha rem is thick lulz. I used a color pencil for the blush. For the skin I used #132. TBH I would go fairer. Like #26 or #131. I used a micron pen for some of the black I have a black Copic marker so I used that to fill in some stuff I would not use the Copic cuz the brush is hard to control for me now. I would recommend drawing her before you even start to color her. Here is the sauce for the markers I used. And the rest of the art supplies I used. I would not suggest the paper I used.
168 Set Color TOUCHNEW Graphic Drawing Painting Alcohol Art Dual Tip Sketch Pen Twin Marker Design Coloring Highlighting Set with Carry Bag +A4 Drawing Book + Parblo Glove https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01MS46KVT/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_zW2DCbMSACQY0
And the deleter
Deleter Manga Ink - White 2 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000UF3IUE?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share
The Copic marker I mentioned:
Copic Marker Copic Sketch... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001QWZUE2?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share
The skin colors I used most of them I believe: come with the 168 set haven't checked
24 Colors Skin Tone Pens TOUCHNEW... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07B8LS519?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share
The pencils I used:
Zebra DelGuard 0.5mm Lead... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00NN3Z4EI?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share
Prismacolor Col-Erase Erasable... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000093L6M?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share
The micron markers I mentioned:
3M Rugged Comfort Quick Latch... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0798HYDYL?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share
And lastly for the color pencils:
Castle Art Supplies 72 Colored... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06ZZNF7GS?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share
I used #34 of ^ the color pencils I used my finger to rub it in and make it look like a blush.
Paper I used:
Bellofy 100-Sheet Sketchpad... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01FB6G81C?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share
Yeah sorry for the overkill response and wall of text. Have fun drawing her.
P.S please respond if you read it I would greatly appreciate it. Have a great day :3
Something like this (link) is good. Steer clear of bags. This style (link) is borderline passable but I wouldn't put any loose pencils in the bag side. Just be careful not to drop or jostle them too much as it will most likely break the leads in the wood.
Derwent Art Roll, have used it myself for 5+ years, no signs of fraying. Excellent!
Here it is!!
Hello! If you like the feel of standard wood pencils, you can easily pick up a set that will give you a broad range in blackness, some charcoal and a kneaded eraser, a normal eraser, and a sharpener! This would be everything you need in terms of pencils/drawing equipment you need to get started.
As for paper, your preference may change over time. I know mine did. My current favorite paper to use right now is Bristol board/paper. It is very smooth and I find it quite forgiving as well. Bristol does not "absorb" the graphite/charcoal the way a more grainy or rough paper would. But if you love that texture and what it adds to the drawing, then go for it! Like I said, you may find you develop a taste for a certain type of paper later on.
I personally love mechanical pencils and graphite holders. I love the consistency in point size and they have a range of hardness and blackness just like standard pencils, however, it is not as wide a range. I just find the weight of the pencil paired with the consistency to be exactly what I need. However, they can be expensive and good ones are often sold individually, as is the graphite you want, so you'll end up with a set and many packages of graphite types and sizes. This can be a bit costly. Starting out, I would go with a standard pencil set, as it has everything you need!
One thing you'll need to know about pencils, that you may already know is that H stands for hardness and B stands for blackness (you'd think they'd use softness but whatever) HB is right in the middle, and then up the scale on either side means the graphite is hard or softer. The harder the graphite, the more pressure needed to make a line. This is great for drafting, as you will be making light lines (with light hand pressure) that will guide you and either be erased or worked over. The softer the graphite, the blacker the line you get with less pressure. These are great for adding darks, doing large areas of black, adding dark details, etc etc. One thing to remember about graphite is that it can be polished. If you are overworking an area, the area can become shiny and metallic. This can really take away from the drawing. If you need something to be really black, use a very soft graphite pencil. In the set that I linked you above, that would be the 8b pencil, or the charcoal would also work, though the tone of black may differ from the graphite black (in reference to the shade of black that is seen on the paper) if you use charcoal.
Charcoal is much softer than graphite and does not polish. I do not have a lot of experience with charcoal yet (I only know it's much messier), but would like to transition into it at some point (I like rich blacks, and hate the shine from graphite) but this might be something you want to dabble in early on so you can get a nice set of skills with multiple tools. =)
I hope this helps! Good luck and remember to share what you produce!
Read reviews on Amazon or go to the kind of art store where you can test them. I think color payoff of good pencils is much better than crayola/Children’s pencils. It’s like lipstick really, you want the most pigment and the least wax/chalky clay. All my best color pencils are European. Derwent, Koh-I-noor, etc.better pencils can be blended on the paper. Also you don’t have to press hard with good pencils.
P.s. my favorite: Koh-I-Noor Progresso Woodless Colored 24-Pencil Set, Assorted Colored Pencils (FA8758.24) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B004O7895I/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_tai_IzAJAb5X6V18R
I have micron pens of various sizes and different Prismacolor premiere markers
I appreciate your comment, truly. I can somewhat relate to you, as I was very much into art back in High School, but quickly gave up on it due to anxiety and low self-esteem. There was a good ten-year hiatus before I began to pick the pencil up again this earlier this year.
I suggest starting small. I challenged myself to draw all 151 of the first generation of Pokemon on post-it notes. You can see some of them in my submission history if you're curious. It sounds silly, but that's what I had available to me at work, and I could usually spit one out after working on them on breaks and lunches. I tried to do one a day. The more I worked on them, the more I began to get my confidence back. Once they were done, I had an immense sense of fulfillment and accomplishment.
You don't have to do something that intense, but I found that setting smaller goals first, and seeing them through, was what helped, even if I wasn't pleased with some of the small things. It was only after these that I had the courage to try something bigger and more complex, like the helmets I've done.
Practically speaking, get yourself a few tools of the trade. I use a mix of .7 and .3 mechanical pencils, with HB graphite for the former and B lead for the latter. I also use eraser pencils to get fine erase lines for detail, and smudging sticks to blend.
Sorry. I know this was probably more word vomit than you may have expected or wanted. Your comment just struck a similar chord to my own experience. That said, just start small, and realize that all of the tiny mistakes you see in your work are mistakes that, for the most part, only you can see. Everyone else will just see a work of art, and enjoy it for what it is. Trust me. That was my largest hurdle. You can do it too.
Good luck. :)
Yeah, I'm kind of sold on the Derwent Inktense. What do you think would be better? The blocks or the pencils? I think the pencils are more comfortable and easy to use, though the blocks seem nice too.
Edit: Sooo I found this tin box of 72 on sale in my country and it's like 65 Euro ($70). It's a really good deal right? I think I'm gonna buy these. http://www.amazon.com/Derwent-Inktense-Pencils-Metal-2301843/dp/B001XCWP34
Edit 2: Hmmm, so I read this review and I'm changing my mind a bit. http://hubpages.com/art/Watercolor-Pencils-Reviews#
I see that Faber Castell and Koh-I-Noor are something I'd probably like more. I won't be using the watercolour only with water and I want a nice pigment even when I use the dry pencil. I think I'll be getting a smaller box of Derwent Inktense stricly for waterbrushing and other types for both waterbrush and dry use.
I need art supplies. I start uni again very soon, and I'm doing an illustration degree. Art supplies are extortionate, and I just can't afford all that I need. I really, really need new pencils and coloured pencils. Pretty essential to have when doing art!
Thank you so much for the contest ♥
nice colored pencils, or really nice drawing pencils. I'm sure she'd also like cool books on graphic design to read herself and then share with her students, like this or this. Lastly- I'm going to go against the grain and advise you to not get her 'teacher-y' things like mugs, as a teacher, I can assure you we get plenty of those.
I use these ones I got from from Amazon I dont think they're the best on the market by any means, but they do the trick :)
I don't know what is too expensive for you but the other day I saw the 72 set on amazon for $65 down from $84 which is quite a good deal. You could always try getting some open stock and build up your collection from there. And I do agree they are a bit pricey, but I think they are so worth it. The ink is much more vivid than regular watercolor in my opinion.
You could watch them on camel camel camel and see if the price drops again.
If she wants colored pencils to sketch and erase [colerase] (https://www.amazon.com/Prismacolor-Col-Erase-Erasable-Colored-24-Count/dp/B000089DCH/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1485630853&sr=8-1&keywords=colerase+pencils) are great. I personally think [polychromos] (https://www.amazon.com/Faber-Castel-Piece-Polychromous-Colored-Pencil/dp/B0007OECK8/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1485630586&sr=8-4&keywords=Polychromos) are the best colored pencils for coloring. For basic sketching graphite pencils I don't think there's a huge difference in brand but I'm sure other people will have a different opinion. I think it's more personal preference. :)
It might not be a colored pencil. Might be an eraser pencil
https://www.amazon.com/Faber-Castell-185698-Faber-Castel-Pencils/dp/B005M4LAUS/ref=sr_1_4?
Thanks!
Color can be a pain, this is actually only my second drawing ever that I was satisfied with how the color came out.
I found that higher quality color pencils make a big difference, the key is finding pencils with a soft core so the color blends better. This is what I used for this drawing. Also an ink pen is good for going over the lines to make the colors more clear.
My thought:
ARTEZA Colored Pencils, Professional Set of 72 Colors, Soft Wax-Based Cores, Ideal for Drawing Art, Sketching, Shading & Coloring, Vibrant Artist Pencils for Beginners & Pro Artists in Tin Box $32
24 Drawing Pencils Set, Art Sketching Pencils 14B, 12B, 10B, 9B, 8B, 7B, 6B, 5B, 4B, 3B, 2B, B, HB, F, H - 9H, Shading Graphite Pencils for Adults & Kid Artists $10
Charcoal Drawing Pencils Set Sketch Pencils Medium 12pcs Charcoal Pencils Non-Toxic Drawing Pencils Tools Set for Fine Art Supplies (Black Medium) $11
Clearprint 1000H Design Vellum Sheets, 16 Lb., 100% Cotton, 11 x 17 Inches, 100 Sheets Per Pack, 1 Each (10201516) $51
Would make a nice set of gifts she could open, lots to play with and experiment with.
Sorry, I tried to link it, but it didn’t work. Let me try again: here!
You mean like these?
EDIT: Derwent instruction video
Yeah you did really great on those parts for sure!
I've found the Crayola ones aren't too bad for the price. I suggest getting a Derwent Blender and Burnisher set, it should work well with the crayolas. I mostly use Prismacolor but yeah they are way more expensive.
Thank u :3
I don’t erase the guide lines, this drawing was done without an eraser or ruler. I’m trying to play with pencils’ tonality. As an example first I draw the outline with a HB, if I do some mistakes I go over it with B or press harder on the HB.
When I’m doing a non technical drawing and I need an outline I do a basic pencil sketch and the trace it.
The red pencil idea is good if u plan to process ur work digitally.
Also u can use different types of erasers, there are some that look like a pencil ( https://www.amazon.com/Faber-Castell-185698-Faber-Castel-Pencils/dp/B005M4LAUS ) or are soft like dough ( https://www.ebay.com/itm/Soft-Rubber-Kneaded-Eraser-Wipe-Highlight-Art-Sketch-Painting-Correction-Tools/233278662189?_trkparms=ispr%3D1&hash=item36507de62d:g:nGEAAOSwglJdHNfj )so u can mold it as u wish to get more precision.
Overall, with time u won’t need an eraser.
nice. they sell on amazon with this set
I'm actually really wild about this. Art is my thing and these call to me
Maybe chalk pencil?
https://www.amazon.com/General-Pencil-GEN-4414-2BP-Multi-Pastel-Pencils/dp/B01LZATLNU/ref=mp_s_a_1_5?adgrpid=51529521010&hvadid=274725831485&hvdev=m&hvlocphy=9029969&hvnetw=g&hvpos=1t1&hvqmt=e&hvrand=3036481743999412420&hvtargid=kwd-309207717796&hydadcr=15589_9602059&keywords=chalk+pencils&qid=1565292999&s=gateway&sr=8-5
What kind of pencils do you use? It may just be the picture, but it looks like your shading kind of blends into a medium gray in a lot of places, when high contrast (light grays and really dark blacks) might be more effective.
I would suggest buying a set of Prismacolor Turquoise pencils or similar ones that have "softer" shades like 9B, 8B or 7B. Then use those soft pencils to increase the darkness of places like the eyes and mouth here. If you haven't already, familiarize yourself with how to use hard and soft pencils. It might also help to take an eraser to some of the shading when you're done to make really bright highlights. This can really make shading easier and prettier, resulting in a drawing with higher contrast. :)
I use/have used a pretty wide variety of tools for inking, because I put a lot of emphasis on my inking/line work in general. Recently I've opted to simply using a fine tip sharpie pen and a black sharpie marker. This is more economical and easy to find. A slightly more pricey but good alternative I've used is a prismacolor black brush pen. Makes things like line weight (variation in line thickness) a breeze. There's actually a nice 8 pack I found on Amazon that includes the brush pen (as well as other handy pens) that's only $11 plus tax. which you can find here
I checked your profile/wishlist and the drawing set is a little different. The kit I have looks like this one
I will also throw in a sketch pad!
I'm using this pencil set. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01LPHIG20/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1
This drawing was made with an HB, 2B, and 4B pencils. I also used a rubber eraser, a kneaded eraser, and tortillon.
This is pretty good. In fact it better then i can do and i have some formal training.
2 quick tips
Keep Practicing :)
I got a couple of 'pen' wraps ( these ). Being that they're pencil wraps, chunky pens are a little bit of a squeeze, but nothing too difficult. The only ones that really take an persuasion are the Jin Hao X450 and my Faber Castell Basic (never realised it was quite as thick as it is!). I keep them mostly double spaced in there as I don't want them to rub, but it's given me no issues as a cheap fix to the issue.
This set of markers would be amazing since it has a good set of skin tones and a splash of color, too!
Edit: Scratch that, this would be the ultimate marker set.
Well, you're obviously talented, so fancy colored pencils would never be wasted on you! The Derwent Colorsoft series is nice, have you seen the Derwent Studio Metallic Pencils Set? They would be great for adding a metallic sheen to the eye shadows and lipsticks on your portraits.
Have you used Lyra pencils? I've been experimenting around with them, and I've been enjoying how blendable they are as they're formulated with oil instead of wax. There's also a good skin tones set, and the Lyra Rembrandt Polycolor perform and blend beautifully. You're absolutely right, though - art supplies are so freaking expensive. I've never been able to get into painting simply because just getting started can be so spendy.
For pencils, my favorite is probably my Mars Technico, combined with the tub sharpener. The leads come from 4h-4b, so its a decent range. At 2mm it seems large, but the tub sharpener will put a needle ass point on that badboy. The leads last a pretty long time too.
Other than that, any set of pencils with a range of hardness would be cool, personally i prefer Prismacolor and Staedtler Mars Lumiograph. The technico costed about 16-17$ with the pencil, 3 leads and the sharpener, which i got an office depot.
For pens, I LOVE the Copic Multiliner SP. Pretty spendy, but the ink is refillable and the nibs are replaceable. Doesn't smudge when dry, and I've water colored over it fine even. A more affordable option would be Prismacolor Premier Pens, after about 5 seconds it won't smudge.
There is this set of Prismacolors specifically for manga style drawing. It's also super cheap on Amazon right now.
Wine -- flask for sneaking butterbeer into class so I can win the Defense Against the Dark Arts duels. >_>
A broom -- organizer so I can keep all my brooms tidily stored and make points with /u/dragonflyjen, the Flying Instructor. =D
A hat -- for the Tin Man, because I want him as my lab partner in Potions, to use his parts, err brain, for the exams, because /u/rarelyserious, the Potions Master values ingenuity like that. <_<
A book -- the start of one, anyway, being a children's book I have in mind, for the History of Magic project /u/Morthy will assign.
A trunk -- a teeny-tiny one that allows me to hide myself in music and charm the Magical Creatures in /u/Stefanienee's class.
A cape -- on a pint glass, because it can be used to insulate warm beverages for the night Astronomy classes taught by /u/tandem7!
Mischief Managed! =D
I was watching this funny fake Prismacolor color pencil review, and found out about these eraser pencils ($~9.00) that would really help with my art/shading.
Thanks so much! I use colored pencils and then smudge lightly with an eraser to get them to blend well. These are the ones I use:
Koh-I-Noor Progresso Woodless Colored 24-Pencil Set, Assorted Colored Pencils (FA8758.24) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B004O7895I/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_4j2OzbV1179TF
Not the same brand, but the set I own and enjoy. I like the included sepia pens https://www.amazon.com/Prismacolor-Premier-Illustration-Markers-Assorted/dp/B00317ERM6
I am so excited for the gifts I ordered for her! I can hardly wait for 2 week for them to arrive. I never felt this excited about gifting anything to anyone.These are not to win her love or receive gratitude, I just felt like if I were her I'd be happy to get this from someone. I wish I have known more about her til now so that I could get more things. Obviously she won't be very pleased that I spent money for her, but it's not about the money, it's about her happiness. I just hope likes these.
The first thing I got for her is a Beats X. She loves music and deserves something far better than the cheap skullcandy earphone she uses. I got the blue color as it's her second most favorite color after purple. I would've even bought the Bose I use but she tried it she felt the treble was too much for her. I digress but I felt so happy she wanted to try them on, I mean come on a girl interested in gadgets!
Next I got her a Sketch pencil set as she draws on paper too. I am very excited about this.
Then couple of days ago she asked for portrait tutorials and I thought I should give her a book. This seemed the perfect book to me, may be she knows a lot of it already but may be she can learn some new techniques and pro tips.
All these I got from amazon Canada, next I want to buy some things from here as well. I must get a sketchbook to go along with the pencils. Plus I will visit Miniso and grab random things that she might like and be useful to her.
Finally I have this idea to put sticky notes on each of the items writing a thing or two may be even pack them in gift wrap.
I am not sure if I should leave her a secret hand written letter among the presents.
Number two pencils you'd be right. But artists using rather high grade and expensive colored pencils will use a pencil extender to eek out all that lead. It does start to add up if you use them a lot.
Drawing pencils
You betcha- asshole dads don’t see their kids artwork never mind go on reddit to analyze their behavior in order to be better parents.
I stick by the whole “get off reddit” because there are a thousand social justice warriors ready to tear you a new one since they’ve lived perfect lives and never inadvertently offended anyone 🙄
I recommend Crayola Twistables or these fun watercolour pencils- she will be delighted and knew you minced your words.
Artlicious - 50 Premium Distinct Watercolor Pencils for Adult Coloring Books - Bonus Sharpener - Color Names on Pencils https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07JKGGCKC/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_qJ10DbR8YSXN1