An Artist’s Tool
Graphite pencils are made of a mixture of clay and graphite and their darkness varies from light grey to black: the more clay the harder the pencil. There is a wide range of grades available, mainly for artists who are interested in creating a full range of tones from light grey to black. Various pencils are used especially in art when shading to create more depth in images.
Most pencil manufacturers, and almost all in Europe, designate their pencils with the letters H (commonly interpreted as “hardness”) to B (commonly “blackness”). ‘H’ pencils have harder lead whereas ‘B’ pencils have softer lead, making them darker when used for shading.
How quickly can you match identical pencil shades? Find out in the memory game below.