Q&A for How to Choose a Pencil

It depends on what you're going to use it for. If you want to sketch with it, maybe a 0.5mm one is better. If you use it for heavier drawings, a 0.7mm one is good. A 0.9mm mechanical pencil is thicker, so you can use it for writing. The best general purpose choice is probably 0.7mm, as it's not too thick and not to thin.

Yes. The lead of mechanical pencils can break very easily, so do not push or press too hard. Also, high quality mechanical pencils are expensive.

HB and 2B designate the hardness of the lead, so if that matters to you, definitely check. An HB pencil is middle-of-the-road in terms of hardness; 2B is slightly softer and blacker.

Have you tried using different brands? Sometimes that might do the trick. There are grades of graphite that are darker, but they might not be as easy to erase.

You can get a fabric chalk pencil at most fabric stores; it washes out. If you can't find one, use a #2 pencil lightly on light-colored fabrics.

Rotring Rapid Pro (this mechanical pencil is firmly for the pros), Faber-Castell Grip 2011, Caran D'ache graphite line, Lyra Rembrandt Art Design, Derwent Graphic medium pencils, Derwent Procolour pencils, BIC Conté coloring pencils, and Prismacolor Premier colored pencils.

The softest pencils give more color, but smudge more often. Softer pencils are darker because they have more graphite, the rock that gives pencils their color.

The lighter you press when you write, the lighter the lines will be.

The pencil most commonly used in school is an HB, or #2, pencil. It is softer than it is hard, and is usually considered the average hardness of a pencil.

Mechanical pencils are best for drawing because they produce a finer line, and they last longer. Try choosing colored pencils that don't break on you. I like using fine tipped markers for precision. Crayola works fine.