Pencil grades tell you how light/hard and dark/soft a graphite pencil is. You might have noticed that graphite pencils have a H or B grade. The H stands for hard and the B stands for blackness.

The core of a graphite pencil is a mix of graphite and clay filler. H pencils contain more clay filler and are highly compacted which means they create a lighter mark and are harder. The higher the number before the H, the harder and lighter it will be. B pencils have less clay filler and the core isn’t as compacted which makes them darker and softer. The higher the number before the B, the softer and darker it will be.

You can use any pencils to draw, but below is a quick guide on how you might use different pencil grades. We also recommend experimenting and playing around with the different grades in your set to see what works for you!

9H-5H: Great for making sketches for watercolour paintings because they’re light and don’t show through the paint as obviously. Watersoluble graphites also work well for this purpose because they dissolve in water.

4H-2H: These create a very light mark and are ideal for technical drawing, outlines, light sketches and guide lines.

H, F, HB and B: A popular go-to for simple sketches and writing. HB is often used as a multi-purpose pencil because it’s clear enough to write and draw but has minimal smudging.

B grades: The softer texture and darker marks make these pencils ideal for shading and tonal modelling. The higher B pencils are also great for blending and smudging.