Mechanical Pencils

[Anonymous No.4388084]

Give me some of your own personal notes on using mechanical pencils. Lead size preference etc.
Until recently, i never got used to using a mechanical pencil, I'm never able to draw poses correctly with it.
I don't know how to explain it, but i just couldn't feel the "energy" when drawing using a mechanical pencil as opposed to using a hb or a b pencil. Everything felt stiff for some reason. Safe to say, I messed around with it once in a while, and i find it more comfortable using it to clean up my drawings, in the final stretch of the process.

[Anonymous No.4388095]

>>4388084
And also when trying to handle smaller details of the drawings.

[Anonymous No.4388128]

>>4388084
get a clutch pencil

[Anonymous No.4388150]

>>4388128
what's the difference

[Anonymous No.4388285]

>>4388084
Staedtler 2mm lead holder is the optimal drawing tool.

[Anonymous No.4388321]

I've found that if you're going for a rendered, clean look similar to Wes Burt or Ahmed Aldoori your choice of paper matters just as much as the size or grade of the mines. On softer paper you won't be able to go dark enough, and often grit takes away from the crispness and texture of the lines and makes smudging look awful. Canson sketchbooks generally have good synergy, but printer paper does the job as well if you're looking to do a lot of loose sketching and don't want to worry about burning through 50 pages a day.
Other than that, 0.5mm 2B masterrace.

[Anonymous No.4388324]

>>4388084
Mechanical pencils are not appropriate for figure drawing, they're not expressive enough. At minimum, get a lead holder with the heavier/thicker leads. You can't get any kind of line variance with one.

[Anonymous No.4388336]

Mechanical pencils are somehow more soulless than digital

[Anonymous No.4388357]

rotring rapid pro 2.0 but you should only buy it on black friday

[Anonymous No.4388380]

>>4388128
Clutch pencil is AWFUL you can't have a thin line at all, it's like a normal pencil that is always dull Maybe they are right for drawing on A2 sheets though.

[Anonymous No.4388404]

>>4388084
It's not good for shading unless you're gonna hatch because you can't use the side of the lead. They're great for sketching but what I ended up doing was just buying a 10 pack of pencil sharpeners at the dollar store and leaving them everywhere. My backpack, jacket pocket, car, office, And I do pretty much everything with a 5b and a black pencil. Just looks better.

[Anonymous No.4388416]

For me, it's the Twist Erase III .9mm.

[Anonymous No.4388452]

>>4388416
Those are great. I prefer my P205 with the lead tube sanded down to about the same length as on the Twist Erase III

[Anonymous No.4388574]

Kurutoga Uni Core. Your lines will be 100% consistent

[Anonymous No.4388642]

[January 31st No.4388668]

This is drawn with a 0.3 hb mechanical pencil. Which is my preference. You can shade with the side of the pencil if you're inclined.

[Anonymous No.4388728]

>>4388668
>shade with the side of the pencil if you're inclined.

I see what you did there...

[Anonymous No.4388729]

I need one with a thick gripping area, any recommendations?

[Anonymous No.4388935]

>>4388668
Bruh ... bruh, i think its time for you to move on from pencils.

[Anonymous No.4388956]

>>4388574
>100% consistent
what's the secret?
i thought leads are more important

[Anonymous No.4388989]

>>4388956
It rotates the lead around when you press it... so IN THEORY if you are pushing hard enough while sketching (ha) then the lead will rotate so it stays rounded at the tip. Personally, I think it's too much shit to break and line consistency between 0.5 and 0.5625mm is not really an issue.

[January 31st No.4389002]

>>4388935
What do you mean? I rarely draw on paper at all.

[Anonymous No.4389601]

>>4388404
if you keep the angle consistent it lays down even tone.

>>4388084
they're just not a swoopy tool.

[Anonymous No.4389622]

>>4388668
blog? what learning resources did you use to get to your level and what pencils/supplies are you using?

[Anonymous No.4389625]

>>4388989
The lead rotation is really annoying if you write cursive. It only rotates when you pick the pencil up so you end up starting every word with the edge of a chisel tip. I don't notice it at all while drawing, however. The main reason I use it instead of the 100s of bics laying around my house is the lead. Once you use a 2b or 4b you'll never go back. The scratchiness of .5mm is countered very well by the softness of 4b lead.

[Anonymous No.4389677]

>>4388285
This. I tend to flip between this or a plain HB pencil that I sharpen with a knife and emory board. Clutch pencils are the kings of mechanical pencils.

[Anonymous No.4392966]

>>4388095
Why?

[Anonymous No.4393495]

Hello anons, anyone have good experience with 0.3 and 0.2 mm pencils?

[Anonymous No.4393689]

>>4393495
i think 0.5mm is small enough, also more accessible.

[Anonymous No.4393766]

Is there a pencil that exists that can hold multiple sizes of lead? Kinda like the old rotating colored pens.

[Anonymous No.4393796]

I use mechanical pencils only for quick sketching. A 0.3 and a 0.5.

[Anonymous No.4394157]

>>4393796
Is there much of a difference between 0.3 and 0.5 pencils? I've got a 0.5 one, was thinking to maybe try a 0.3 out too.

>>4393766
I think this is too complicated to be made anon.

[Anonymous No.4394173]

>>4393766
I think there is a multiple lead holder

[Anonymous No.4394775]

>>4388084
I got the whole Staedtler Silver Series line and love them. Now I'm just debating what leads to fill them with. Hard to soft in ascending lead size? The other way around? Possibilities are endless.

[Anonymous No.4394781]

>>4388084

I really like using 1.3 lead, myself...i find it's a lot easier to sketch with the thicker lead.

[Anonymous No.4394799]

>>4394781
what pencil?

[Anonymous No.4394911]

>>4388084
I do comics and draw with multiple mechanical pencils. Usually rough in with a 2mm 925 jpn staedtler. Have hb and 2h leads for it, but usually just leave hb in. I dont ink that often, so will do finished pencils usually. I use a .7mm rotring after roughing in shapes and happy with composition. I have a couple .3 and .5 staedtler 925 jpn for smaller deatils with various leads. Mostly just stick with hb for a lot of it since ita going to be inked anywyas. Have 2b, 4b, 2h, hb and 4h i can use for these if i want a finished pencil piece.

I cant stand pencil anymore. Shaving it down or the physical grinding of dull leads is like fingernail on chalkboard to me. Can just snap off lead if you want a sharp point again or little sandpaper. Highly recommend it. Amazing if you do drafting work too, though most of that is in revit or cad these days.

Ive tried several mechanical pencils. I have older pentels that were functional but plastic body and feel like shit you got 20 for $2 to use in school. Rotring is the absolute best of the best and feels amazing in hand. Amazing weight, construction, triangular body design - literally perfect and buy it if you can afford it.

[Anonymous No.4394915]

>>4388084
>>4394911
Staedltler 925 jpn is my next recommendation. The jpn version of 925 has metal body compared to mix of plastic and metal on usa versions. Youll notice difference between it and rotring but this is a very good midrange alternative and i use 4 or 5 of them in silver and blue colors for range of lead types.

Uni has a rotating lead model i bought and wasnt a fan of. Its similar price to newer pe tel and staedtlers, yet feels like a cheap plastic model. No heft to it. The rotation is a gimmick to me. Lot of time i want the lead to be sharper on one esge and can angle to shade with duller side, etc. It fucks that up. Good if you just write.

Also bough a loonegg once because was super cheap and came with a lot of lead in a stylish tin case. It has metal body, but can feel movement of cheap plastic innerards as you use it. Better than super cheap stuff, but step below staedtler, uni, pentel, etc. Lead was actually good, so happy with it and can store nultiple pencils in the tin. Worth the like $8 i think i paid. Had the triangluar body of rotring, so like a knockoff version.

I recommend mechanicals. Easy access to lead types. Never run out of lead. No sharpening. No mess from shavings. No grinding down wood with knife. Cheap. Last forever (my rotring is like 10 years old now and works same as day i bought). No issues taking somewhere to draw/sketch. Only need the mechanical. Most good pencils have no eraser on it. Mechanicals all have good erasers and can get cheap replacements on amazon. So i can grab my sketchbook and one mechanical or clutch and go.

[Anonymous No.4394916]

>>4394915

I tried 5.6mm clutch, but didnt like it. Felt unwieldly. I draw 11x17 cardstock bristol amd dont like it even on that size. Think jim lee uses that for roughing in lines sometimes though. Higjly recommend 2mm though. Really nice feel. Like having oermenantly shaved down pencil you can work with with no hassle. I draw a lot with it and will sketch or draw entire pages with it sometimes, but usually use it for rough details and layouts.

After that a .5mm will be a good all purpose size. If have money to burn, get .3 and .7. If can only get one of all these (no 2mm either), get a .7mm.

DO NOT SKIMP ON LEADS. the brands matter or you will be snapping kead all the time. I recommend pentel ain stein leads. These arent expensive by any means, but are more than avgerage lead. HB is probably all you need for average artist. Can count how many times i did 4b or darker. I usually get stuff inked or do it myself, so needing full range is not really required for me. 2b, hb and 2h would be only 3 id recommend getting and only if you use the pencil versions already. 2mm i use hb as well. Staedtler mars 2mm only ones i recommend. Had some cheap ones once and they were terrible.

Tldr; mechanical good, pencil bad. 2mm staedtler 925 jpn clutch pen with mars staedtler leads. Hb all really need. Finer details with .3 or .5 mm mechanical. Rotring 600 if have cash, staedtler 925 jpn or pentel 1000s for midrange. 2b, hb and 2h all the range you probably ever need. Pentel ein stein leads.

[Anonymous No.4394926]

>>4394915
>Easy access to lead types. Never run out of lead. No sharpening. No mess from shavings. No grinding down wood with knife. Cheap. Last forever (my rotring is like 10 years old now and works same as day i bought). No issues taking somewhere to draw/sketch. Only need the mechanical. Most good pencils have no eraser on it. Mechanicals all have good erasers
i will always be baffled about people using wood casings for non-colored pencils. it's been dumb larping for decades.

[Anonymous No.4395345]

Ordered a triple pack of Uni kuru toga advance looking forward to sketch with it.
It said the rotation is improved and other new features though i love my aluminium normal Uni kuru toga i guessed it is worth a check.

[Anonymous No.4395703]

>>4394926
You'd be surprised by the amount of people who don't want to try out new things just because they are used to one thing or medium.

[Anonymous No.4395716]

>>4394799

[Anonymous No.4395802]

>>4388668
Nice. Except for the sword.

[Anonymous No.4395846]

>>4395716
I wonder if internals and cone from a smaller lead sharp would fit this barrel?

[Anonymous No.4395903]

I have a bunch of clutch & mechanicals, but my favorites are still those cheap BIC mechanicals which range from .5mm -- .9mm

I think it's b/c they are the most "pencil like" as far as feel; I have a hard time with fully round pencils.

[Anonymous No.4395968]

>>4395846
interesting idea!

[Anonymous No.4398454]

Graphgear 500 is the best bang for your buck.

[Anonymous No.4399100]

>>4394173
Why?

[Anonymous No.4400989]

>>4395968
No it's not.

[Anonymous No.4401837]

>>4400989
Hello mr. crab

[Anonymous No.4403250]

Theure all the same.
Brand doesn't matter.

[Anonymous No.4403256]

>>4388084
Because it feels like you're drawing with a needle, it feels more robotic than "artsy". It's like comparing a paint roller to a paint brush.

But then again I have seen alot of great artists use a mechanical pencil on youtube. Like comic and manga artists. So in the end it's just preference.

[Anonymous No.4403610]

>>4403256
Mechanical pencil is better for manga because its line art, if they use a normal pencil they would use an hard point anyway, i haven't seen anybody using a B grade except for miyazaki who uses fucking 5B.

[Anonymous No.4404698]

>>4403610
animators usually use HB or higher for speed purposes, and to make lines more visible when you see the animation blown up on the screen.

[Anonymous No.4406844]

>itt monkey gripping tards who can't not beeak the lead.

[Anonymous No.4407047]

Some people just use blue 2mm pencil for roughs then something like 0.5mm lead for tightening.

[Anonymous No.4407091]

>>4388084
Get a 2mm lead holder with some decent weight on it. It's the perfect tool for draftsmen, very versatile compared to a traditional 0.3 - 0.9 mech pencil.

[Anonymous No.4407747]

>>4388380
Sharpen it friendo

[Anonymous No.4407857]

>>4388084
I just ordered a Rotring 800 lead holder for 50 fucking dollars. Did I fuck up?

[Anonymous No.4407925]

>>4407857
I like the rapid pro more but whatever

[Anonymous No.4408402]

>>4407857
yes

[Anonymous No.4408551]

>>4388336
Suited to the rice niggers then.

[Anonymous No.4408561]

>>4407747
having to stop and sharpen is lame.

[Anonymous No.4410590]

I use a Graphgear 500 with 0.3 lead by pentel.
It's great for fine details and fast light sketches, the eraser is tiny so make sure to have a separate one.

[Anonymous No.4410765]

Is all 0.3 lead really brittle? It keeps breaking off inside the holder, and I always use light pressure. It seems like just setting in down on the desk wrong will break it. The lead is 2B.

[Anonymous No.4410816]

>>4410765
just use 0.5 lead like everybody else. Or use this >>4388574
if you want consistent sharpness for a thinass line

[Anonymous No.4410830]

>>4388084
you can make the red and black striped ones into a black powder and then smudge with the eraser to make shading

[Anonymous No.4410899]

>>4410765
Pentel is best but all B leads are soft by design.

[Anonymous No.4410962]

>>4394911
>rotring
>pentel ain stein leads

thanks i have been using the kurtoga rotating uniball you mentioned but it kept snapping! frustrating.
thanks so much for this, my next paycheck is going towards theses pencils for sure.

[Anonymous No.4411692]

>>4410899
The lead is Pentel Ain Stein

>>4410816
Yeah, that's probably what I'll do. I use 0.5 with 2H for sketching and the lines seem thin enough that there won't be too much difference. Plus I can use just the tip like >>4389601 for thin lines