Drawing Pencils
Pencils seem so ordinary that you might not have thought about them very much. You probably have a few scattered around you right now. The same graphite that's used in "normal" pencils is the same graphite used in artist quality pencils. The only difference in pencils is the type and quantity of filler that's mixed with the graphite to create different grades of hardness. The softest grade of pencil is a 9b and the hardest is a 9h. The most common pencil, the type you probably have setting in a mug or stuck in a drawer, is usually a HB (in the middle of the scale.)
All artist's pencils are not the same. Some companies don't do a very good job at mixing in the filler and this leaves hard grains of the stuff mixed in with the softer graphite. It's possible to actually tear the surface of your paper with one of these poorly made pencils because the invisible filler grains are hard and sharp and you never know where one is going to pop out.I've used many brand of pencils over the years and I'm sorry to say that the quality of them all comes and goes! I'm currently using Straedtler 2mm Drawing Leads held in a mechanical pencil holder and Derwent wooden pencils.
Fortunately, pencils aren't expensive and they last for quite a while. I suggest that you buy a range of grades (4b, 2b, b, 2h, 4h) in a few different brands. If you come across one that's "grainy," sharpen past that spot to see if the rest of the pencil's lead is usable. If not, throw it away.
Drawing Pencil Grades
Extremely hard - 7H to 9H
Very hard - 4H to 6H
Hard - 3H to 4H
Medium hard - H to 2H
Medium - HB to F
Medium Soft - B to 2B
Soft - 3B to 4B
Very soft - 4B to 6B
Extremely soft - 7B to 9B
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