Drawing pencils from lightest to darkest are marked with the letters H and B. H means hard. A higher H number leaves a lighter line, so 9H is the lightest pencil in a full set. B means black. A higher B number is softer and darker, so 9B is the darkest. HB sits in the middle, about where a school pencil is, and F sits between H and HB. Most drawings only need a few of these, not the whole row.
GRAPHITE GRADIENT CHART EXPLAINED | Beginner Tutorial
The YouTube video titled “GRAPHITE GRADIENT CHART EXPLAINED | Beginner Tutorial” by Amy Weller Art lines the grades up from 9H to 9B and fills a box with each one. She explains that H is hard and light, B is soft and black, and F is the fine point between them. She also says a set from 4H to 8B is enough for a drawing. The video is part of Amy Weller Art, which teaches beginner drawing. This tutorial is the one to watch first if the letters on the pencil are the confusing part.
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Using a Tone Scale and How to get Darker Tones with Graphite Pencils
The YouTube video titled “Using a Tone Scale and How to get Darker Tones with Graphite Pencils” by Dirk Dzimirsky makes a strip of tones with H, HB, B, 3B, 5B, and 8B, and mentions an F if you want a step between H and HB. He presses each pencil to its darkest mark, on the paper he actually draws on, and points out that graphite stays grey even at 8B. The video is on Dirk Dzimirsky’s channel. This tutorial is the one to use when you want to see how far apart the grades really are.
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Creating Value Scales in Charcoal and Graphite
The YouTube video titled “Creating Value Scales in Charcoal and Graphite” by Drawing Fundamentals builds a nine-step scale. The lightest step is a 2H with almost no pressure. The darkest step is a 6B pushed into the paper until the white of the sheet is covered. The middle step is an HB. The video is part of Drawing Fundamentals. This tutorial shows why you start light: a mark that is too dark cannot be taken back.
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How to get Darker Values with Pencil
The YouTube video titled “How to get Darker Values with Pencil” by Jono Dry compares a 2B mechanical pencil with a wood 8B. The thin lead goes dark because the point is small. The 8B goes darker still if you press, keep the strokes in one direction, and fill the tooth of the paper. The video is on Jono Dry’s channel. This tutorial is the one to watch when an 8B still looks grey.
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You do not need every grade. A 2H, an HB, a 2B, and a 6B already cover drawing pencils from lightest to darkest for most sketches. For the shading itself, see this lesson on light and shade.