Materials: Dry Media

Have you ever been told to bring a Number 2 pencil to complete a test? A simple graphite pencil  just like the one you used for your test is sufficient for creating a fine art drawing.

Graphite is a dry material, and graphite pencils vary in degrees of hardness depending on the ratio of clay to graphite. There are seventeen different degrees, 6B being the softest and darkest and 9H the hardest and lightest. The chart below identifies the results of several different degrees of hardness.

Charcoal, derived from compressing burned wood, is another material used for drawing. It can be made into pencils or vines, and like graphite pencils, consists of varying degrees of hardness. Oil pastels are colored sticks of compressed pigment with minimal binder. Once applied to paper or another appropriate surface, charcoal and pastels can be easily smudged to achieve a fluid look.