Whether you’re a beginner wanting to dip your toes into the world of art or a seasoned professional who is always looking for the best equipment, a good quality drawing pencil is key. Outside of drawing, HB pencils used for everyday writing are pretty boring, although they might have a stripe down the side for extra pizazz.
But when it comes to drawing, you want the best of the best. You need a pencil with a quality core and a solid structure to keep it from snapping (and your heart snapping in two in the process). In buying a first-rate drawing pencil, or drawing pencil set, you’ll have something that will last for years to come, sharpening right down to the tip. On the other hand, if you buy cheap pencils not designed for sketching, they’ll produce second-rate, sheer drawings with little to no depth. That’s truly the artist’s nightmare.
Before we look at the best you can buy, let’s look at the basics when it comes to types of drawing pencils.
What’s the pencil hardness scale?
Drawing pencils come in a variety of hardnesses, or lead grades, as they’re officially named. This means there’s a huge assortment of the depth of colour you can choose from, which ultimately gives your drawing more shading and realism overall. It can be a little confusing, so we’ve set it out here for you. No artistry gatekeeping here!
The lead grade is labelled on the bottom of your pencil, and stands for the following:
B = Soft pencil – These are the most commonly used for drawing. They are a soft grade of pencil, which means they’re fantastic for blending. The higher the number, the softer the pencil will be. For example, 2B will be a slightly soft pencil, whereas 8B will be extremely soft. You want soft pencils to be the bulk of your tool collection.
H = Hard pencil – This is the opposite of B pencils, the lead becoming harder and denser the higher the number. For example, 6H will be a harder pencil than 4H. These can be used for outlining, or creating striking pieces on paper without much effort.
F = Fine point pencil – This isn’t a great pencil for drawing but can be used sparingly for minute detail, and fine grey lines.
HB = Standard writing pencil – Ideally you don’t want to use this for drawing!
Now, here is our list of the best drawing pencils to buy online. Brand is important for the longevity and condition of your pencil, so we’ve researched the most renowned pencil trademarks, for a variety of budgets.
The best drawing pencils to buy online
1 of 8CREDIT: The online pen
Staedtler Mars Lumograph Black Pencil
Starting with individual pencils, and what better way to start than with Staedtler? A renowned brand in the world of art, the Staedtler Mars Lumograph pencil is the pencil to own. You can buy the pencils individually, or as a pack of 12 for £15.66. Type: Black CarbonLead Grade: 2B – 8BReview: “I was really happy with the Mars Lumograph Black Carbon based pencils, they delivered incredibly rich blacks where needed and in turn the matt finish prevented any sheen from the graphite when light reflects of it. Blending with the carbon based pencils was not quite as effortless as the graphite, nevertheless I was still able to create soft blends.” (full review)
2 of 8CREDIT: Art discount
Staedtler Tradition 110 Sketching Pencils
Another classic is the Staedtler Tradition Sketching Pencil, which comes in both B, F and H. Again, you are able to buy the individual pencils that you need, but you can get a 10% discount if you buy 10 or more pencils. Type: GraphiteLead Grade: 6B – B, HB, F, H – 4HReview: “As an artist, I use lots and lots of different kinds and grades of pencil, but my biggest love is the good old 2B pencil. Over the years I have used 1000s of 2B pencils because of its great versatility and for me, the Staedtler 2B pencil is the best on the art market. Highly recommended.”
3 of 8CREDIT: The online pen company
Caran d’Ache Technograph Pencil
Another celebrated pencil brand is Caran d’Ache, and it has one of the best fine tip pencils on the market, its Technograph Pencil. The brand still has softer pencils in the B grade, but Caran d’Ache shines with its hard pencil section, great for sketching, illustration and fine-art projects, engineering and architectural designs. The only problem is, it’s a little pricier than other pencils. Type: GraphiteLead Grade: 6B – B, HB, F, H – 4HReview: “The Technograph 777 is quite expensive for a pencil. While it’s a good pencil for both writing and sketching – I do enjoy using it – it doesn’t quite justify its price. The Faber-Castell 9000, for example, is almost as good but costs little more that a third as much.”
4 of 8CREDIT: Cass Art
Faber-Castell 9000 Pencil Art Set of 12
Now on to the pencil sets, where generally you get a good bang for your buck. For example, the Faber Castell 9000 pencils are known for their effectiveness, and here you can get the whole set of 12. As per their description, “they’re comfortable to hold, make beautifully smooth lines, and are also easy to sharpen and extremely breakage-resistant due to Faber-Castell’s special bonding process.”Type: GraphiteLead Grade: 8B – B, HB, F, H – 2HReview: “Item bought as a gift but the set I bought myself 15 years ago is still going strong (although the pencils are somewhat shorter!!)… I love the sturdy box which makes it easy to carry them with me…”
5 of 8CREDIT: Amazon
Drawing Pencils for Artists 14 Pcs
This set is included because it’s rated “Amazon’s Choice” on the site, for good reason. With 87 per cent of its ratings being five stars, these WUKRAFT pencils are made with premium Basswood and there are 14 pencils instead of just 12. Type: GraphiteLead Grade: 12 B – B, HB, 2H – 6HReview: “Gave these sketch pencils as a present to my daughter as she loves arts and craft but was surprised to see how these pencils quickly turned her into an artist just by watching some YouTube videos. The quality of the pencils are really good and lasts a while. Good product to get your artist out!”
6 of 8CREDIT: Amazon
Castle Art Supplies 26 Piece Premium Drawing and Sketching Set
If you’re looking to develop your pencil drawings further, you may want to start incorporating charcoal into your sketches, too. Charcoal is a fantastic medium for shading and blending. This Castle Art set (another acclaimed artist brand) comes with normal pencils, charcoal pencils and sticks in hard, medium and soft, graphic pencils and sticks in hard, medium and soft, pencil sharpners, and a hard and kneeable eraser. Type: Graphite & Charcoal Lead Grade: 8B – B, HB, 2H – 5HReview: “Fab set! I’m fairly old – 65 and been drawing and painting all my life. My go-to sketching pencils are Staedtler Mars Lumograph – the best in my opinion.I ordered this set to try out for my arty granddaughter . Although she is young – only nine – I want her to have good quality materials to work with as rubbish can put even someone with skills off a medium for good – it did with me and coloured pencils until I found my ‘grown up’ ones!I needn’t have worried – I tested them against my Staedtler ones and I can find no discernable difference. Which means all the other supplies in the case are, to all intent and purposes, free.I’m ordering another set for my other granddaughter and may well buy the set in the wallet for myself!
7 of 8CREDIT: Amazon
Castle Art Supplies 40 Piece Sketching Pencils and Drawing Set for Adults Artists
Or why not go the whole hog and get Castle Art’s 40 piece set? Whilst the 26-piece set comes in plastic packaging, this 40 piece set comes in a case, with a pop-up feature so your pencils are at an angle, ready to use. The extra tools this kit comes with are as follows: four Charcoal Willow Sticks, four Pastel Pencils and Sticks, Sandpaper, Extender, two Blenders, a Tutorial and Handbook. Castle Art is also known for having amazing customer service on Amazon, if you have any questions about its products or how to use them. Type: Graphite, Charcoal, PastelLead Grade: 8B – B, HB, 2H – 6H,Review: “Brilliant little set! All in a neat wallet. I already have the smaller set for my granddaughter, and after trialling that set, sent for this one and it’s a really nice set. I don’t use willow charcoal, so took them out and placed my graphite black pencils in there and also added a Conte black and a Conte white in the graphite section (I don’t use really hard pencils) – it’s super for developing your own personalized kit in. The wallet alone would rush you £15.00 in retail. Love it would recommend to anyone.”
8 of 8CREDIT: Art Discount
Derwent Pencil Extenders
Shock! Horror! You’re halfway through your drawing and your pencil snaps in two. Well, apparently pencil extenders are a thing, and I wish I’d known sooner. As per the description, “The silver extender is for larger sized pencils up to 8mm such as Pastel Pencils, Coloursoft and Artists Pencils. The black extender is for standard sized pencils up to 7mm such as Derwent Graphic, Watercolour and Studio Pencils.” Problem solved.
What’s the difference between graphite and black carbon pencils?
Graphite is the most common core used in drawing pencils, but black carbon pencils such as the Staedtler Mars Lumograph Black Pencil also exist on the market and give a slightly different result on paper.
When you use graphite for your artwork, it develops a slight sheen so light reflects off of it. This becomes more prominent the softer the B grade.
In contrast to this, black carbon core produces a matt coverage and can be used when you want things to be the darkest of dark.
Easy drawing practice for beginners with pencil
The best way to improve your sketching abilities is to, much like learning an instrument, practice practice practice! You may start out shoddy, but through repeating drawing exercises on a regular timetable, your perception of depth and detail improves and thus does your drawing technique. We’d recommend trying to set at least an hour a week doing drawing practices to start. This video by Liron Yanconsky includes some great exercises for improving your skill. Youtube is a fantastic resource to get all the art advice you need.
What to read next:
The best mechanical pencils for drawing
The best miniature paintbrushes for any artist
Ruby Barry is a Commercial Content Writer for WhatsTheBest, specialising in fashion and art. She also writes for Heat, Closer and Empire.
Subscribe to the What’s The Best Newsletter to keep up to date with more of the latest reviews and recommendations from the What’s The Best team.
