While they can also be used for outlines, B-grade pencils are generally used for shading and tonal work. F tends to still be a tad hard, while HB and B tend to be a nice blend of both worlds. F and HB-Grade Pencilsį and HB pencils are middle of the road and more general use pencils. Notice how the 3H produces thin, sharp lines as compared with the 6B. However, the light lines they create may be difficult to see when sketching in bright sunlight or dark areas, and blending is more difficult. This can be very handy for traveling sketchbooks and keeping your hands clean while drawing. And remember, pressing down will dent and possibly even tear the paper.Īnother nice thing about H-grade pencils, especially the higher numbers like 3H and above is that they smear or smudge very little. This may not be all bad if you want to have a more permanent outline that you can shade over, but be certain about those outlines before you press down. This can not only make them difficult to erase but also leaves behind an indentation in your paper even if you are able to remove all the graphite. However, their hardness can easily cause indentations in your paper. If used with a light hand, H-grade pencil strokes will erase very easily. You can use the side of the graphite tip for subtle and high-value (light) shading techniques. They require less sharpening, which makes them great for detailed work that doesn't require dark values, but they have a slightly abrasive feel due to their higher clay content and work best on smooth paper with little texture.

H-grade pencils sharpen very nicely to an extremely fine point and retain that point for longer periods of time.

Pencil sketch drawing outline