How to sharpen a pencil

Jen_Babcock · Post by **Jen_Babcock** » Wed May 18, 2005 11:24 pm

I sharpen the pencil like this not so much for the point I get but b/c it makes the pencil last longer than if you just used a electrical/manual sharpener.

But you do tend to get a sharper point this way too...

I find this method to be particuarly helpful if you're using charcoal pencils.

Eunice_P · Post by **Eunice_P** » Thu May 19, 2005 2:24 am

Ooh, so that's how it works. I guess it's pretty useful especially for charcoaled pencils for fine linings and shadings. Another cool knowledge added to my non-artistic brain!

LAGtheNoggin · Post by **LAGtheNoggin** » Thu May 19, 2005 6:51 am

Listen to Jen, for she knoooooows!

It's easier and quicker to repoint again and again if there's lots of lead exposed. And repointing is awesome.

Uhh... Oh yeah, I had a question. Jen, when did you learn to carve a pencil like that? I'm disappointed I was never taught it at school (to be honest, despite the teachers' insistence on sharp pencils, I'm pretty sure none of them knew this method) and none of my art associates knew either, they all used mechanicals. Plus it's not taught in any modern drawing book I've seen. Where hath the knowledge gone I wonder...

Rkolter · Post by **Rkolter** » Thu May 19, 2005 8:46 am

To sharpen a mechanical pencil: Get a piece of scrap paper, and scribble on it at an angle. Turn pencil, do again. Turn pencil do again.

To shade with a mechanical pencil: get a piece of scrap paper, and scribble on it at an angle. Then shade using the flat graphite you now have.

... Ok, I'm no expert artist, so maybe I'm wrong, but I thought these two solutions were pretty obvious? I've made a MEAN sharp tip on a mechanical pencil and a broad flat shading edge on a mechanical pencil in these ways.

McDuffies · Post by **McDuffies** » Thu May 19, 2005 9:21 am

Hey. One more point for my incoming "tips" tutorial.

Jen_Babcock · Post by **Jen_Babcock** » Thu May 19, 2005 9:53 am

LAGtheNoggin wrote:Listen to Jen, for she knoooooows!

It's easier and quicker to repoint again and again if there's lots of lead exposed. And repointing is awesome.

Uhh... Oh yeah, I had a question. Jen, when did you learn to carve a pencil like that? I'm disappointed I was never taught it at school (to be honest, despite the teachers' insistence on sharp pencils, I'm pretty sure none of them knew this method) and none of my art associates knew either, they all used mechanicals. Plus it's not taught in any modern drawing book I've seen. Where hath the knowledge gone I wonder...

I learned when I took this art class at some community college one summer. My teacher was really good, and did illustration on the side. He was schooled at Art Center in Pasadena CA, and teached at Otis School of Design in addition to the community college.

You have to get used to this sharpening technique (esp if you're sharpening a charcoal pencil), b/c it's really easy to slip and break the lead.

If you're doing a nice sketch that requires realistic shading, I'm against using mechanical pencils. When I was taking that art class (the only one I've ever enrolled in unfortunately), I learned that sketching is a lot like painting in that you have to work in layers. Start with the hardest leads and move on to the lightest, and thus darker, leads. Whenever I did a full blown sketch, I always had 4-5 different pencils of varying weight ready.

LAGtheNoggin · Post by **LAGtheNoggin** » Thu May 19, 2005 2:33 pm

Thanks! I though that might be the case...

mcDuffies wrote:Hey. One more point for my incoming "tips" tutorial.

Agh! AGH! TO THE GALLOWS WITH YOU!

>.>

<.<

No doubt your tutorial will draw quite a crowd. I'm sure you'll have people lead in the right direction.

*hangs self*

TheSuburbanLetdown · Post by **TheSuburbanLetdown** » Thu May 19, 2005 4:52 pm

LAGtheNoggin wrote: *hangs self*

*points and laughs at the dead bunny, then makes off with the tea pot*

McDuffies · Post by **McDuffies** » Fri May 20, 2005 2:57 am

That's old, Joel Fagin skool.

LAGtheNoggin · Post by **LAGtheNoggin** » Fri May 20, 2005 6:37 am

It's also known as a crime against humanity.

*respawns*

*jackhammers Peppermint*

*takes back teapot-damage powerup*

*rampages*

TheSuburbanLetdown · Post by **TheSuburbanLetdown** » Fri May 20, 2005 6:45 am

LAGtheNoggin wrote:*jackhammers Peppermint*

!?

Why does this keep happening to me!?
*cries in the corner*

SquirtEryna · Post by **SquirtEryna** » Sat May 21, 2005 6:48 am

well there's a sharpner by kum that allows you to sharpen the wood first then the lead.

Jesusabdullah · Post by **Jesusabdullah** » Sun May 22, 2005 6:37 pm

rkolter wrote:To sharpen a mechanical pencil: Get a piece of scrap paper, and scribble on it at an angle. Turn pencil, do again. Turn pencil do again.

I've done that with wood pencils too, when I was too lazy to go to the pencil sharpener/too lazy to clean out the pencil sharpener/didn't want to get yelled at for sharpening my pencil during a teacher's lecture. Of course, it only works a little bit on those bigger leads, but it's better than having a tip that's nearly two millimeters wide.

And as far as lead breakage, sometimes my lead is broken before I even draw anything. But, then again, I've also got a fairly nasty pencil-chewing habit.