Pencils?(Day 3)

HAY GAIIIIS. 

OK, sorry. Needed that intro. It just...felt right. XD

So anyways, here's my pencil review like I promised. X3 well, like I said I would try to do.

Basically, I initially had no brand. I used one pencil, a 2B Derwent, kneaded eraser, q-tips and tissues. Once I got into heavier shading, I knew I was going to need better supplies.

I like to use a variety of pencils, but my absolute favorite is Derwent. Just top notch supplies, really good quality pencils. They blend daily, but they don't smear very much at all. They sharen beautifully. I have no complaints. I love the design, and the colors. Just everything. Very well made product, beautiful. I would recommend using their soft 12 pencil graphic set. Includes pencils from 9B to H. It's a balanced set and it is completely worth it.

I also use a set of woodless graphite pencils I got for Christmas,  no name on them. When using woodless pencils, one thing to remember is always use less than you think. They blend quickly, messily and easily. You have to use minimal amounts and just be very careful with how much to put onto the paper. Use a lighter B or H then you think is necessary, apply minimal amounts, blend frequently, and you'll do find. I find these best for doing guy liner, eye liner or any darker, slightly smeary make up.

Derwent,  however, is pretty expensive. Some good alternatives are:

Michael's Brand "Artists Loft" is pretty decent. If you're a little tighter budget wise and you want a good pencil that will last, try their brand.

Faber Castell and Primsmacolor are both great brands. I haven't tried out their sketching or sharing pencils, but their specialty is pencils. They make high quality products that last and have beautiful light fastness and blending. My guess is that their pencils are pretty good. They were always cheaper than Derwents, so I would recommend these as well.

All three of these bands have nice designs as well. They are comfortable to hold, they're smooth and they are worth the money if you want to spend a bit less. I know that supplies are pricey and it is very hard to find very good, cheap, high quality products. Hopefully this section has helped. 

Now for the one brand I hate, one I genuinely dislike. General's. First off, a pencils design is very important to me. Is it comfortable to hold? In General's case, they are a little bit rougher. I don't like it at all. They feel award to hold and it is just a big turn off when trying to work on a complicated drawing. The graphite itself actually, for me, tears paper. It's terrible, considering the price of good quality paper. General's shreds through it and it never worked out well for me at all. I dislike the brand,and I would not recommend their pencils. 

In the end, find what you like. These are just my recommendations and suggestions. I hoped you found them somewhat helpful, and thanks for reading. X3

And by the way, dickblick.com is easily the best online store for art supplies. Aside formula shipping prices and shipping times, the prices are unbelievable. If you don't mind waiting a little longer for your stuff, best art site ever. I use this for any supplies local and franchise places don't carry. Go there if you really want to save and don't mind the wait.

Again though, thanks for reading.