Frequently used pencils are inks from both the Pilot pencil line and the Pilot Pilot-4 pencil line. Pilot-4 is a very popular ink for drawing with as it is widely used and readily available in most pencils. The Pilot Pilot-4 is a “solid” ink that is not a color that is commonly used in pencils today. When you are using a pencil that is not Pilot, it’s very important to make sure that you are using the right ink to draw with, because it will affect how well the pencil will work for your drawings.
What kind of paper are you using for your sketchbook?
This will depend on the type of sketchbook you are looking to make. For this tutorial we are only using plain paper—just enough to fill a standard-sized standard notebook. This is the kind of paper that you will probably be using on a regular basis since this is what you usually draw in and how they will be used most of the time.
What is the difference between linoleum and graphite and how come the two are so similar?
Linoleum is a type of wood with a natural, soft feel that is very soft and smooth. You can easily tell when you find a piece that is graphite because the edges have a “fancy” appearance. Graphite is very soft, very smooth, but very tough and scratch resistant. Linoleum has long fibers that make it much harder to do scratches and very difficult to do scratches with that would affect the quality of the final cutout in the finished piece. However, as it turns out, graphite has very low grain—less than 1/16th of a millimeter—and can be easily sanded to a smooth surface. Linoleum is also less durable than graphite.
Which pencil is preferred to use?
This depends on whether you are drawing with a standard or offset style pencil. On an offset pencil, only as much as is needed is drawn onto the paper. Some pencils, especially the Pilot Pencil line and the Pilot Pilot-4 pencils from Pilot, can be used on an offset pencil for sketching. However this tends to be a very delicate pencil to work with. The pencil on the right will show you where to draw.
What kind of paper should you use for sketching?
It will depend on the nature of your sketchbook. For this tutorial we will just use standard paper—you can purchase this