Which Pencils Are Best for Sketching on Canvas?

When it comes to drawing, it is impossible to get away from one tool – THE PENCIL!

It is a simple little tool; however, ensuring that you have the right one at hand for your particular discipline is unquestionably vital.

With various models around – graphite pencils, watercolour pencils, pastel pencils – picking the most suitable one can be tricky. Whether you are an expert artist or you are just in the learning phase of how to draw, all mediums you choose for sketching can bring immense differences to the end results.

So, scroll down to see our pick of the most excellent pencils for creating the most reliable drawings on!

  • Graphite PencilsGraphite-Pencils

In fact, no art kit can be considered complete without a set of graphite drawing pencils!

These are manufactured by combining powdered graphite with clay and then heating to a steady consistency. With hardness extending from 9B (very soft) to 9H (very hard), graphite pencils are available either singly or in sets, from different brands.

These may seem elementary; but, sketching particularly with the hardest graphite pencils are the most desirable for drawing realistic portraits and expressive lines, on stretched canvas.

Sponge, rag, and water are used as erasers to correct mistakes quickly.

  • Pigment-Based Colored Art PencilsPigment-Based-Colored-Art-Pencils

These are wooden shafts filled with coloured pigment, held together with a binder. These binders are the ones that determine how a pencil performs on a particular surface.

Three types of bindings are more prevalent in colour pencils:

  1. Wax-Based Pigment: Suppose you grab one from a random set of coloured pencils; believe it or not – most probably, it would be wax-based!  Wax colour pencils are that popular! This is mainly due to their low price, availability in more colour selections and sizes, as well as easy erasability! However, WAX BLOOM can be a problem with this, where the wax binder reaches to the top layer of the colour and forms a cloudy haze over the pigment. Even though avoiding it is possible with the help of a spray fixative, it can still be a bit of an inconvenience for the artist.
  2. Oil-Based Pigment: This is slightly harder than the wax-based ones, and exhibit a greater life span as a result. Sharpening them to a narrow point is definitely not laborious, thereby making them a better option for intricate areas. For art enthusiasts who are struggling with the bloom effect of wax-based coloured pencils, these counterparts provide better peace of mind. 
  3. Water-Soluble Pigment: What separates this one from the above two is the addition of an emulsifier that enables the pigment to be liquefied, consequently accomplishing a watercolour effect. Available either singly or in sets with hundreds of colours, it is recommended that you choose quality watercolour pencils rather than children’s pencils, as cheaper ones are not lightfast. Pigments in these pencils fade fast, leading to even the “disappearance” of artwork if they are not lightfast.
  • Charcoal PowderCharcoal-Powder

As an alternative to pencils, how about experimenting with graphite powder for sketching and illustration?

Most professional artists prefer using charcoal over other mediums due to the lack of a shiny finish. This can also spread easily or blended with less effort – covering more areas, in less time!

In one of our upcoming articles, we will certainly come up with inspirations on using this medium. So, don’t forget to stay tuned! 

In the meanwhile, find the perfect canvas for your masterpiece at GlowArt – an online art shop in Australia, Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne, Gold Coast, Adelaide, Canberra, Darwin, Perth!

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