http://www.painters-online.co.uk artistMay 2020 43
PRACTICAL
the water-soluble version, Koh-I-Noor
Progresso Aquarelle.
Derwent Graphitone is a very stylish
and pure graphite water-soluble pencil
available in 2B, 4B, 6B and 8B. I find
they dissolve better than other brands
to create sumptuous passages of tone.
HARD AND SOFT
GRAPHITE
Graphite pencils are made in different
degrees of hardness by regulating the
amount of clay added. The greater the
quantity of clay, the harder the lead
and the lighter the overall drawn line
will appear. The grades available range
from H (hard) to 9H (very hard). And B
(soft) to 9B (extremely soft). HB and F are
intermediate gradesu Pennine Showers and Melting Snow,
mixed-media drawing with ink and pastel
on white Canson Mi-Teintes Touch 350gsm,
193/4 3 251/2in (50 3 65cm).
By combining different drawing media you
can both draw and paint, keeping your
options open and your work progressing
in exciting directions. These ruins are in an
area of the Pennines I know well and I never
tire of them. Returning to the same motif is
never boring – connections become deeper,
drawings become stronger and emotional
responses to the subject are all the better
for it
p Carbon pencils and blocks
From left to right (shown on watercolour paper) Conté à
Paris compressed charcoal; Derwent soft charcoal; Wolff
carbon stick; Wolff carbon block; Wolff carbon pencils B, 2B,
4B, 6B; Derwent charcoal pencils dark, medium, light; Conté
à Paris pencil; Derwent charcoal blocksLayering one tint over another is pure
joy.
Derwent XL Blocks are renowned for
their purity of colour, versatility and
top-quality pigmentation. Available as
a set of six graphite blocks and a set of
six charcoal blocks in a range of colours
they are water-soluble and fabulous to
draw and paint with. From sensitive line
work and subtle blending to expressive
mark making and deep tonal work,
Derwent XL Graphite Blocks are smooth
and refined.
Lyra make chunky hexagonal graphitesticks that don’t roll off the desk
as easily as the round ones, which
is helpful. I remove sections of the
wrapper so that I am not restricted
to drawing with the point. Made in a
variety of grades, they last for ages.
Caran d’Ache Grafcube Graphite Sticks
offer a different type of mark making
and are available as 3B, 6B and 9B.
Available as 10mm and 15mm – I choose
the larger ones as they are useful for
large-scale drawings.
Faber-Castell make a hexagonal
graphite stick that is described as ap Examples of my usual drawing media
- Koh-I-Noor Progresso 4B; 2. Derwent graphite sticks; 3. Wallace Seymour
solid graphite; 4. Lyra graphite stick; 5 Faber-Castell graphite stick; 6. Derwent
XL Graphite Blocks; 7. Caran d’Ache 9B Grafcube; 8. Koh-I-Noor Progresso
water-soluble graphite stick; 9. Derwent soft natural graphite; 10. Derwent XL
Coloured Graphite water-soluble block
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