Which pencil to use?

[lazydaze]

I've been using a set of Derwent graphic and find that some of them are scratchy especially when I'm using using them sideways instead of the point.

I've noticed in a few posts that some are using Castel 9000 pencils are they the way to go? any suggestions would be helpful.

Neil
Olympia, Washington area

[SparrowHawk7]

I draw with the side of the pencil a lot ... I never found wood cased pencils that I liked that much. Instead I use clutch pencils with Mars Lumigraph refills. They are 2mm in diameter - the same size as wooden pencils. The important thing, of course, is the refill graphite. I tried some other brand but found it was scratchy and even damaged the paper. I have never found anything embedded in the Mars Lumigraph graphite..

[luicre]

I have both, Staedtler clutch 2mm pencils and Faber Castell 9000.
I have not found the refills for the Staedtler at my country so I have been working with the Faber Castell 9000 and they are great!


It also depends ( a lot) on what paper you are working on. Sometimes I get some black speckles and what I do is to lift them by gently blending with common tissue.

I am heavy handed and maybe a little short of patience so I know about those troubles with graphite.

Good luck!

Saludos

Luicre

[Africanart]

I use Derwents a lot and love them especially when I want a lot of play on my values. I have yet to experience the kind of trouble you do with Derwents, I recommend them to my students as well and none has had that trouble it could be just a fluke that you bought a pencil with some trouble makers in it.

I prefer my faber castels for my portrait work.

Mary

[michaeleric]

The scratchiness is possibly the clay binder that hasn't been ground properly. If others haven't had problems with them it may be a bad batch. Never had that problem with Faber Castel but I do remember a few years back someone complaining about the same problem with the FC. Perhaps you can contact them an ask. Just don't use them. As Ken said, it can damage the paper.

[dahliaman]

I use Derwent, and yes experienced that annoying scratchiness. but after reading a number of articals about keeping a sharp point on the pencil seems to got rid of that problem. hope this helps.

[thevaliantx]

Is it Derwent 'refillable' (not sure if Derwent has that, new to graphite myself) the OP is talking about? If not, I'm assuming the OP might be referring to the scratchiness of the xH pencils?

[jmb57]

i took ken's advice earlier and got the clutch pencils with staedtler leads. they are great!!!

[kennychaffin]

I only use Staedtler except under duress. I've had scratching issues with most other brands, particularly at the higher hardness levels.

[Karen70]

Faber Castell 9000 are the pencils for me .

[Zarathustra]

I use derwent graphic (they're sitting right in front of me as I type now in fact). Sometimes I get a little bit of "scratchiness" which I've always put down to small impurities in the binder. If you're using a higher H, I find the problem is a little more exasperated. I typically draw from the side of the pencil at an acute angle to the paper. I have tried other brands, but do like the distinct range on the Derwent pencils; some of the other brands lack the subtleties in the higher H range.

[felipumz]

I've been using Staedtler Lumograph pencils. I also received a box of Faber Castell 9000 pencils and I really like those. Yesterday, I just bought a few Dick Blick pencils...still don't know how those perform yet.