Pencil Choices For Pencil Artists

Anyone interested in learning the art of pencil drawing is obviously going to need a pencil (or actually, pencils, plural) to work with. If you’re just starting out you may not even be aware of the number of different options available to you.

The pencils you are used to are the traditional wood encased pencils but there are also woodless graphite, mechanical pencils, and lead holders. Woodless graphite pencils are like a regular pencil without the wood. Mechanical pencils, you may be familiar with. They are the ones that have a “lead” (graphite actually) inside that comes out a little each time you push a button. Lead holders are usually used in drafting. These are what they sound like, a pencil shaped device that “holds” the “lead”. You push a button and a claw opens up to allow you to adjust the amount of graphite coming out of the tip. When you release the button the claw closes to hold the graphite in place.

Whichever type of pencil you choose you will have options of graphite in varying degrees of hardness. Pencils labeled with an H are the harder ones and the higher the number the harder the graphite. The pencils labled with a B are the softer ones and the higher the number the softer the graphite. The range goes from 9H (the hardest) to 9B (the softest).

The harder the graphite the lighter your line will be which is usually what you will want when you first start a drawing so that any mistakes can be easily erased. The softer the graphite, the darker it will be which is what you’ll want for shading purposes.

My favorite brand of pencils is Derwent. A traditional wooden pencil available in every degree of hardness and provides a smooth consistent tone in all of my drawings.

If you are an starting out in drawing you may be interested in my instructional DVDs on how to draw portraits and how to draw animals.

Tips For Passing A Test

Most people do not enjoy sitting for an exam of any kind. Some tests such as everyday school work type test are one thing. Then there are tests that are given to show achievement or are required for certification in a career related area. Or there are test to readiness to enter a college or career program. Even though there are many different kind of tests they all share some common elements when it comes to preparing to pass the test.

Before taking any test it is very important to study the material. That may sound like common sense but many people try to wing it and do not put in the proper amount of time studying. You also need to study smart and yes you need to understand the material however you also need to understand how to take a test. There are strategies that some may say are test prep secrets to help people pass an exam.

Some of the more common tests include college entrance exams such as the ACT or SAT exams. When sitting for those type of tests it is really important to use proper materials such as SAT test prep study guides to help you prepare. The more practice questions you use the better. If you are lucky the study materials you are using will have former exam questions or questions that mimic real world type problems.

In addition to those common college entrance exams there are a lot of other tests you may never have heard about. And you know what, they all have something in common in that you really need to prepare. So whether you are sitting for the ACT test and need to use ACT test prep study guides or sitting for a different exam, put in the time needed to help you do well on the exam. If you put in the time and study smart hopefully you will only need to take it one time. No one wants to take a test in the first place, but if you have to take it multiple times it is just that much harder to get motivated.

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