Knowing your pencils: from H to B
How pencil grade decides your shadows, line and texture, and how few pencils you really need to start.
January 2026 · 1 min read
Every pencil carries a letter and a number. H stands for Hard, B for Black. A harder pencil leaves a lighter, more precise line; a softer one leaves a darker, more velvety one.
You do not need a full display of pencils to start. Three are enough: an HB for the first sketch, a 2B for the mid-tones, and a 6B for the darkest passages. Most of my graphite portraits are built from just these three.
Pressure before swapping pencils
Before you reach for a darker pencil, try changing your pressure. A 2B gives a soft grey when you press lightly and goes almost black when you lean on it. Controlling pressure matters more than owning many pencils.
