Comparing the TOP Graphite Pencil Brands!

[@AncientNovelist]

Hi Ece, You're comparing apples and oranges here. All graphite pencils have different properties. In 1250 hours of testing performed a few years ago, I quantitated darkness (D), softness (S), smoothness (L), and pressure sensitivity (P) for over 370 pencils, including 5 of the 6 sets from which you chose the 4B pencil for testing. You liked the Koh-I-Noor Hardtmuth Progresso Woodless 4B more than the other 4B pencils you tested. But you tested exactly those properties that will give best performance in a dark or soft pencil, so your results are not surprising. The Koh-I-Noor Woodless 4B has darkness D17, softness S11, pressure sensitivity P11, while the Faber-Castell Castell 9000 4B pencil has D15, S7, P13. Thus the Koh-I-Noor Woodless is far softer than the Castell 9000 you chose, so again, your results make sense. If you want to compare apples and apples, you might consider comparing the Castell 9000 8B (D16, S11, P9), the Staedtler Mars Lumograph 5B (D17, S8, P11), your favorite Koh-I-Noor Hardtmuth 4B (D17, S11, P11), and the H&B 5B (D17, S13, P13). You should find some interesting differences. Pressure sensitivities are different between the Castell 9000 8B and the H&B 5B, and you'll probably feel that difference. For tests in which soft pencils perform better (e.g., smudging), you should see H&B (S13) outperform the Mars Lumograph (S8). I've tested Derwent many times. Their quality control is so bad that D, S, P, and many other values fluctuate wildly from one lot to another. This means I cannot predict how Derwent will perform. It's unfortunate their quality is crap. They're one of the oldest pencil companies in the world, but they were bought out years ago, and their current owners don't pay any attention to quality. All data from Pearson's Graphite 2015, and confirmed in testing I am in the midst of performing this year on 1100+ graphite pencils, including virtually every commercially available graphite art pencil available worldwide.

[@EceGurlerArt]

Oh wow! You know A LOT. Had no idea! Thank you so much for sharing this information.

[@EceGurlerArt]

Is there a website I can get this information?

[@AncientNovelist]

@@EceGurlerArt I don't maintain any websites. When I began drawing in 2014, I was shocked to find there were no evaluations of basic graphite pencil characteristics. I already knew the General's Semi-Hex HB was MUCH darker than the Faber-Castell Castell 9000 HB pencil, which meant "HB" (and any other pencil grade) is pretty much meaningless. Just how much darker is the Semi-Hex HB than the Castell 9000 HB? I took several months to design and built testing equipment so I could quantify exactly the darkness, softness, smoothness, and pressure sensitivity (and some 16 other parameters) of almost 400 pencils (basically every major commercially available graphite pencil intended for use in artwork). Then I went about testing the pencils, which required nearly a year. Now I can tell you the Semi-Hex HB has darkness D16, while the Castell 9000 HB has darkness D5. Each of the 371 pencils in the study was evaluated against 20 properties which I quantitated. You can find "Pearson's Graphite 2015" at all major online retailers. This is the only book of its kind ever produced. Data in the book are available nowhere else in the world.

[@greekveteran2715]

@@AncientNovelist Please, which are the best overall pencils for drawing? can you name some if none is on top or the one that is the the best? I would really appriciate any opinion. (I do mostly landscapes if that maters)

[@AncientNovelist]

@@greekveteran2715 Thank you for your question! You need to know the pencil properties you enjoy using as an artist before I can tell you which pencils you'll find best suited to your art. As I point out repeatedly in Pearson's Graphite 2015, every artist appreciates and exploits pencil properties to different extents. Unfortunately, the language we as artists use is not all that enlightening or expressive, even in those instances when we speak with each other. So you may say, "Why, Pearson, it's easy: I like soft pencils." Well, excellent! I do, too. BUT again, as artists, we may think of 'softness' in very different ways, and have expectations regarding pencil behavior conforming to those expectations. So, for example, MOST graphite artists use the terms 'softness' and 'darkness' interchangeably, but in fact, softness and darkness are two VERY different qualities. Softness is a measure of the amount of graphite deposited on paper, while darkness is a measure of the light absorption (darkness) of the line produced. Softness is measured with a balance ('scale'), calipers or ruler (linear depletion of a constant-diameter core), while darkness is measured with something called a densitometer. It is not only possible but in most cases LIKELY that two pencils of the same softness will have DIFFERENT darknesses. To make matters even more convoluted, most artists will lump smoothness in with softness and darkness, and may not understand that, again, smoothness is a property very different from softness. Some of the scratchiest pencils you can buy also deposit quite a lot of graphite on paper, so they are not smooth but they are quite soft. On the opposite end of the scale, you can easily find graphite pencils 'hard as nails but smooth as butter' as I say in my book. There are more than 20 other factors to consider. For instance, one I never thought of but is certainly reported in my book, is pencil barrel thickness. This is an important consideration in the fountain pen world, for instance (I have tested nearly 100 fountain pens), and may be important to some artists. The factor I consider most important is pressure sensitivity gradient. I want a set of five or six pencils that will cover the entire darkness range from light gray to nearly black, and I want to cover this entire range without having to change my grip or the amount of pressure I apply to the pencil. I don't want one pencil that goes from light to dark with the slightest change in pressure, nor do I want one that I have to bear down on hard to get any change in line darkness. The pressure sensitivity scale I created, measured, and reported goes from P1 to P20. P1 is a pencil that must be pushed hard to get any change in darkness, while a P20 pencil will happily jump from light gray to dark black with the slightest change in force applied to the pencil. I go for pencils having P8 to P12, which is exactly in the middle of the range. So, for example, my Faber-Castell 9000 F grade pencil has darkness D4, but because it has pressure sensitivity P9, I can easily use this single pencil to cover the range D1 to D7. In the same way, my F-C 9000 grade B is D8, P9, so it covers the range D5 to D11, and my F-C 9000 3B, D12, has P9, so it covers the range D9 to D15, the 8B pencil in the same set has D16, P9, so it covers the range D13 to D19. To go darker than D19, I use the Mitsubishi Hi-Uni 6B, D20, P13, which covers D18 to D24. To go darker than that, which I do for portraits, I'll switch over to carbon pencils. What you need depends on the way you do your art. I recommend purchasing the book - costs about as much as a small set of pencils, but you will learn so much, and you will find dozens of ideas you've never thought of, and find pencils perfect to your art.

[@nickmurray7703]

this was well done, however because there is no industry standard for what a 4b pencil is, you could be comparing a 4b to a 6b etc.. so really would like to see you compare the softest pencil from each set. I've seen the Faber Castell's perform really well at the dark end, which would also give you a better shine test when using a lighter layer of softer graphite.

[@EceGurlerArt]

Really good points! Thanks for sharing! I wanted my audience to see what 4B will look like when they buy these sets, but I agree there is no industry standard.

[@raphaelmichaelkabengele6941]

Thank you thank you so much for time I really appreciate 💗

[@EceGurlerArt]

You are so welcome! Glad to help!❤

[@jenn_jean_kent_artist]

Maybe I am missing it, is there a link to the pencil sharpener you recommended? Thanks, Jenn

[@EceGurlerArt]

amzn.to/3K8ge4d This is my rock.

[@fatkraken3140]

mars lumograph black are fantastic , they could have changed the game if you'd included them !

[@EceGurlerArt]

That's what I have heard! Will try them next for sure :)

[@gibson2623]

Faber castell has the pitt matt also

[@zuheyr1]

I personally find the background noise too disturbing. Good luck

[@EceGurlerArt]

Thanks for the feedback!

[@zuheyr1]

@@EceGurlerArt Tesekkurler!

[@gopiseth4523]

It's really helpful to me and I like the compare video 👍🙏🙏🙏😍😍😍👌👌👌👏👏👏 I also like Kohinoor brand they also made eraser pencil also very good product I used it👍

[@EceGurlerArt]

I'm so so happy to hear that Gopi! ❤🙏🤗

[@asciikat2571]

many thanlks, well done

[@EceGurlerArt]

Glad you liked it!

[@lefthandstory1280]

Awesome my friend,so beautiful😃👍...

[@EceGurlerArt]

Thank you very much❤

[@KobieK]

“Why you ask?” Mmmm…because you don’t think before you buy

[@ALIMCUBER_TR]

Kıza bak İngilizce kanal bile açmış

[@EceGurlerArt]

:)

[@endezeichengrimm]

By looking at them... I can't tell which brand it is. Graphite is graphite. Any pencil will work. Even cheap ones.

[@EceGurlerArt]

I also don't think price don't matter. But graphite is graphite is an overgeneralization for me. Ad this video shows, their shades, blending power and the amount of shine differs. This is, of course, my opinion, needless to say.

[@endezeichengrimm]

@@EceGurlerArt It depends. You can control it by pressing lighter. My responsible advice is to spend less and draw more. (P.S. I have wasted a lot of money on pencils).