Why and how to choose the right mechanical pencil for drawing 

I like the 2mm lead clutch pencils too (My preference is the Staedtler 780). You can really sharpen those to be incredibly fine points but can also use the sides of the leads for quick shading.

I've settled into a basic strategy for my pencils, which is - hard wood pencils for sketch/lay-in work, and mechanicals in softer and fine point as it becomes more technical. When you're doing the rough lines at the start of a sketch, having the point be too fine just creates a very precise wrong line, so you end up going over it multiple times and then erasing, which smudges it if you started with a B grade. Using the flat edge of a wood pencil keeps you honest about what kind of line you're making, and a hard grade with a smooth blend(like #3 Ticonderogas, my current go-to) gives you a light, non-smudgy, easily erased mark. Going with wood lets you adjust the point as you go along, and it makes for a lightweight tool as well; the metal-body mechanicals have a lot of heft and that adds up when you're going at it for hours and hours. The really fine mechanicals - and I recently picked up one of the finest around, the Pentel Orentz 0.2mm - let you narrow down to the tiniest details and even give a lot of technical accuracy to little doodles done from the wrist. You don't have to stay there or use it for the whole drawing, but it lets you mark in the proportions that you want to be exactly right, and by going down even just one lead grade, make them a little bolder so that they pop out from the rough. This becomes very useful if the ultimate aim of the piece is to have crisp inked lines; if you're working with fine points in ink, and you want the pencil to be tight and representative of the end result, you need an equally fine pencil point to sculpt the edges, and that happens in the 0.2/0.3 range.

A note about technical pencils and lead size. The color of a technical (drafting) pencil is matched to the size of lead it takes. Don’t believe me? Go back to 11:45 and look at the Staedlter. Notice the yellow band? Now look at the replacement lead. Notice the yellow cap? These high end technical pencils are like this because the engineers who used them back in the day created a standard for technical pencils and the manufacturers complied with it. Not every manufacturer does this. The Graphgear 500 does not follow this convention, but the higher end Graphgear 1000 does. Also, many technical pencils have lead indicators on them. That way you can buy several of them and have one for your HB lead, one for your 2B lead, one for your 4B lead, etc…

That was one of the best guideline for me as a beginner🥰

I was really confused about which thickness of led to get. wish I had seen this video sooner. 0.7mm feels more comfortable to me in drawing than 0.5mm. Now I want to try the 0.9mm led! Although I think it will wear down too fast. Thanks for the video.

well made video. I use the pentel twist erase III 0.5 and 0.7 lead. Very solid pencil for around 5 bucks and the erase it comes with is super handy.

I happened upon a rotring and really love it if I am not using my Blackwing Pearl. The main advantage I have found to the mechanical pencil it is fits in most pencil cases whereas my BW needs longer case! Thanks for the great review.

Graphgar 500 is easily the best pencil for drawing. The most precise performance though,comes out of the Pentel Kerry! That's because it is made with watchmakers precision!! Graphgear 1000 and Kuro toga, are overrated. Can not reach neither the 500's nor the Kerry's performance and reliability!

All what I needed Thank u

The best performers overall for drawing, are the Faber Castell TK 9400/TK 4600. Pentel Graphgear 500 0.5mm . As for sketching, Koh-I-Noor 5340/ 5347 are my go to pencils. PS Koh-I-Noor, also makes the best Red Chalk/Sepia pencils that also offers in 5.6mm !!! They are a perfect much, with the Canson 180 Sketchbook, because it has a slightly creamy tone, which all classic sketchbooks usually come with, because it makes sketches look warmer and way more beautiful!! I also use the Pentel P205.P203 but if I want a perfect circle or to trace a a line, nothing comes close to Graghgear 500's precision. PS I just ordered a Rotring Rapid Pro 2mm yesterday, even though I know it's built flaws, It resembles the Graphgear 500 design, so it looks it might make a good set for drawing! TK 9400/4600 make a better set with the Pentel P200 series. Those pencils I mention, are the best in my humble opinion. No other comes close.

I've just bought the Pentel Graphgear 500, and got to say I love it!!! , but I bought the 0.5, after watching your vid I'm going to have to get the 0.7 now, great vid btw

Going to get myself a pentel graphgear 500 after watching, thanks for the help

thankyouu :)))

For drawing,I'd get both 0.5 and 0.3mm Graphgear 500. 0.7 is ok for writing but can't draw as the 0.5mm. All my drawing, 90% if not more, is done with a 0.5mm. We must not press hard when we draw. If you're a heavy handed writer,then just pull out only 2 clicks lead on the 0.5 or 0 3mm pencils.

I'm looking for mechanical pencil for drawing. I was considering one with a rotating lead so it's more uniforme/predictable line. However the video points out that it could be useful to have a normal one that gets slanted. So now I'm not sure which is better. Anybody tried rotating lead for drawing?

Which size is better of machanical pencil for drawing? Plz help

Is 0.5mm led good for drawings

0.5 breaks easily?? I don’t think so. Might be subjective of course, but I usually only break .5 because I’m being extremely aggressive. 0.2 is difficult to control for me on the other hand, and I keep breaking them plus it tends to scratch the paper, making it harder to “erase”. I’m gonna try 0.3 to see if it’s easier to use and avoids easy breakage. But for someone new to mechanical pencils, definitely start with 0.5 because it’s very reliable and might be fine enough for you. Best reason to go for mechanical pencils is because you get a more consistent sense of precision. Not needing to sharpen them is a nice bonus. I would recommend mechanical pencils to anyone who’s new to drawing/sketching because they give a very nice boost, cutting down on the factors you have to worry about.

I use graphgear500 daily to draw comic pages for 10 years or more, 0.3mm 05 07 09 none have failed me in years of use, and they look almost as good just slight brass showing through the tamed knurled grip over the faded silver anodizing, the barrel looks pristine, the brand marking on the barrel looks perfect, the balance is perfect, the patina looks charming, I bet rotring 600 would look ugly with chipped black paint everywhere.

Hey i am a beginner can some one suggest a cheap and good mechanical pencil. Please🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏

What sketch book you have?????? (In this video) 📕📕📕📕📕📕📕📕📕📕??????

I use .5….. Please, if you’re reading this, there will come a time and a day when you have to choose when to break “someone else’s rules” there is more than 1 way to get things done.. Draw for decades like I have and you’ll begin to understand..

Wrong. You're buying into a set of pencils ✏️ ✏️ ✏️ You're not getting away with buying just 1. The minimum set is 4 pencils ✏️ ✏️ ✏️ ✏️. The manufacturers have made this minimum standard. So you're going along with their expert professional advice. You're buying 4 matching mechanical pencils ✏️ ✏️ ✏️ ✏️ from 1 brand and you're going to have different leads for each 1. You're not going back to the older less technically brilliant pencil designs. You lay down enough material to actually reach the minimum standard for your pencil grading. You test your pencil grade with a comparison to the manufacturers sample. The manufacturers told you how much material you must lay down onto the paper to reach the minimum requirements. You haven't put down a thick enough layer of pencil lead. Your HB failed to actually reach the minimum requirements for HB. You got to add more lead onto the paper.

Too much waffle.

I hope you're wrong because it's asinine even mentioning digital drawing in the same video as real pencils. Woodcase pencils can do things no mechanical pencil can do, and can do other things better. I do like mechanical pencils and have hundreds. I use many of them for art when in the field. But "leading" to digital drawing> I sure hope not. It isn't the same thing, and quite honestly, digital is as fake as it gets, and is better left to those without the talent to create real art.