Have you ever wondered what 2B or HB pencils mean?

Pencils can be said to be an artist's favorite.

Students, students must be no stranger to 2B pencils, which are even more indispensable for those who study fine arts.

You may not know, pencils are classified according to the hardness of the core.

Graphite pencils are generally divided into 18 hardness grades such as 6B, 5B, 4B, 3B, 2B, B, HB, F, H, 2H, 3H, 4H, 5H, 6H, 7H, 8H, 9H, 10H. Letters The number in front of the letter indicates the pencil is harder or softer, respectively. In addition, there are 7B, 8B, 9B soft pencils to meet special needs such as painting.

Each type of pencil represents a different shade

Recently, a drawing by Japanese female artist Haruna Tokimatsu gave people a more intuitive sense of the difference between pencils.

Get a more intuitive feel for the differences between pencils.

"Pencils made by Staedtler, compare the difference from 8H to 8B". On Haruna's Twitter (@tokima_t), she used a photo to show the difference between the 8H and 8B pencils.

Haruna found these pencils among her grandfather's belongings, which are about 30 years old.

"My husband's grandfather was an artist and left behind a lot of Staedtler pencils. When I used these pencils and my pencils, I found that I could draw 'colorful' blacks. . So I drew an illustration to compare them. Then I was surprised at the difference in the drawing."

In her way of drawing, although the lines are similar, if you look closely, you can see that each character inside is different.

Haruna said that those who like to draw are no stranger to Staedtler pencils, she also used this pencil when taking the entrance exam to the University of Fine Arts.

Haruna Tokimatsu was born in 1984 in Chiba (Japan), graduated from Tama Art University in 2007, majoring in oil painting. She often draws works that capture everyday moments in everyday life and is very good at drawing with pencils, without sketching. In her way of drawing, although the lines are similar, if you look closely, you can see that each character inside is different. Haruna hopes to use such differences to reflect the inner worlds of those who indifferently face the world.

"Solitary"

"Left hand right hand"

"Initially, I usually draw people like this. The characters themselves are not gender or age defined, they are just seen as 'humans'. I like to draw dynamic people, so I chose to draw people. simple everyday clothes, so that body lines can be used to express meaning."

Haruna has been drawing with wooden pencils and staplers for almost 15 years. Recently, she discovered that drawing with an 8H pencil is even more interesting.

If you use an 8H pencil to draw pictures, it's even more interesting.

In Haruna's Twitter posts, many people share a personal preference for pencils.

"H is easy to use because there is no need to press the pen hard".

"I like to use 4B because it's easy to eat lead on paper, I can write something even while sleeping."

"I used F in high school and then started drawing. I didn't even know where to buy Staedtler pencils."

The Birth of the Pencil

The history of the pencil is actually very old, and the discovery of graphite was the key to the birth of the pencil.

Pencils date back to ancient Rome more than 2,000 years ago. Back then the pencil was very simple, just a lead stick or even a block of lead in a metal tube.

The modern pencil was born in England in the 16th century. In 1564, a black mineral called graphite was discovered at Borrowdale. Graphite can leave a glossy black mark on paper like charcoal, so people call it "graphite".

Pencil lead.

Since graphite is very soft and brittle, a support frame is required. Originally, graphite rods were wound with wire. Then, people put graphite into a hollow wooden stick, from which the wooden cased pencil was born.

 People put graphite into a hollow wooden stick, from which the wooden cased pencil was born.

Later, France also discovered graphite deposits, but the quality was not high and the reserves were also small. French scientist Auguste Comte mixed clay into graphite and fired it in an oven to create a pencil that was both easy to use and durable. The hardness of lead varies depending on the ratio of clay to graphite.

We often see letters like B and HB marked on the tip of a pencil. It indicates the hardness and density of the pencil core. B is light density and H is hardness, so HB is a pencil pencil with moderate hardness and strength, suitable for writing.

In 1662, the city of Nuremberg (Germany) was the birthplace of the first large-scale produced pencil. Backed by Faber-Castell (founded 1761), Lyra, Staedtler and others, the pencil industry flourished during the Industrial Revolution of the 19th century.

The German brand Staedtler is loved by artists and graphic designers. Formally founded in 1835, Staedtler is known for the widest range of pencils, offering pencils from 12B to 10H.

Another pencil brand worth mentioning is Japan's Mitsubishi Uni-ball. Many animators trust this company's products.

In 1992, to celebrate the 500th anniversary of the discovery of the American continent by Columbus, the company Fenrich Dream invited Japan's most famous "color master" Junichi Nomura to oversee and release the first version of " 500 Color Pencils", becoming the world's most colorful pencil product project.

Pencils can be said to be an artist's favorite.

In 2017, Felissimo of Japan released the 4th version of crayons. In addition to the complete color, the name of each color is also very vivid. Cherry pie, rosemary umbrella, Hase-kannon peony, lipstick for the first time, Madrid's Sangria drink, hyacinth flowers hanging by the window, the temptation of black currant soda, melted snow and spring leopards …

Pencil.com is a comprehensive American website that provides all kinds of information about pencils including history, brands, sales and related artists. Each week, they put on a pencil artist, from the very famous to the ordinary.

Pencil and painter

Pencils can be said to be an artist's favorite. In the early 1960s, British painter David Hockney also enjoyed using pencils to draw.

When Hockney first entered the art world, Abstract Expressionism spread throughout Europe. In Hockney's paintings of the early 1960s, the simple outlines showed the childish scribbled style of children's paintings.

Abstract elements appear to make the pictures full of irony and irony.

In a drawing titled "Cha cha cha" (1961), Hockney painted a dancer friend he met while studying drawing at the Royal Academy of Arts.

Hockney's life is documented by his sketches, of which there are thousands in the California archives. When David Hockney moved into his London apartment on Powis Terrace (Notting Hill) in 1963, the first thing he did was draw a sign in capital letters at the foot of his bed that said "Wake up".

In most of his paintings, Hockney focuses on drawing the head, especially the hair, but the rest is just sketchy lines. Can you guess what kind of pencil Hockney used?

Diego Fazio is an Italian pencil painter. With a pencil in hand, Diego renders the texture of the water as lifelike as it is photographed.

Brandi Kincaid is an illustrator living in Washington State (USA). Here's how he introduces himself: "I practice drawing for an hour a day, and I like to use that time to document the world around me. Although I've been branching out into new forms of drawing lately. , including other materials, but pencils will always be in my heart."