Mech Or Wood?

Brianhjh · Posted: Sun Jan 15, 2006 12:05 pm Post subject:

Like I might have said in the previous post, I use 2.0mm mechanical. It's essentially wooden pencil lead encapped in a mechanical grip, you sharpen it with a special sharpner.

[img]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v233/Brianhjh/DSCN1557.jpg[/img]
I have two, one for 2B, one for 2H, getting another one for HB soon...

[img]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v233/Brianhjh/DSCN1558.jpg[/img]
With the metal grip, you can extend the lead as much as you want, although I don't recommend it.

[img]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v233/Brianhjh/DSCN1559.jpg[/img]
You don't sharpen the wood, you sharpen the lead.

[img]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v233/Brianhjh/DSCN1560.jpg[/img]
I've been using these for three years, since then, I used up something like 4 leads, which is nothing. A lot more economical in the long run, and you don't waste lead.
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hikari0205 · Posted: Sun Jan 15, 2006 12:08 pm Post subject:

They look really good Brian! Do you get them from a shop or the net?

Brianhjh · Posted: Sun Jan 15, 2006 12:14 pm Post subject:

I got it from a local art store, about 5 dollars for the mechanical lead holder and 12 dollars for a dozen leads.

you can use the lead [b]until the very end[/b] so it's like having 16 normal pencils.
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hikari0205 · Posted: Sun Jan 15, 2006 12:18 pm Post subject:

That's useful and alot better than having 16 separate wooden ones :)

Unfortunatly I have no clue whether there's anywhere near me that stocks them. I will look in some of the art shops ...

Is it easy to erase? With alot of Mechanical pencils I have gotten before they are really difficult to erase properly even when you haven't pressed very hard with them.

Squidman · Posted: Sat Jan 21, 2006 2:43 am Post subject:

Actually, one of the dollar stores here in town sells pencils thick mechanical pencils liek that.... don't know about the quality of them, though, because I've never bothered buying any. The school bookstore is the only place to find refills for lead that thick, and they charge enough for lead that it makes up for all teh money you're saving.

I used to swear by mechanical penciils, but ever since I started doing classical animation I've taken to using light blue wooden Colerase pencils to rough things out and mechanical pencils to sort of "ink" my pictures. Mainly because I barely ever have the time for messing with real inks and pens and brushes anymore. Also, you aren't supposed to ink pencil tests, and it takes far too much sharpening for my liking to clean up with wooden graphite pencils.
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Ogrim_Doomhammer · Oldbie Joined: 06 Dec 2004 Posts: 2116

I really like mechanical pencils, but for some reason I just can't use them for drawing. They are perfect for writing wich is always a plus, but they are hard to erase, so I stick with the wooden ones for drawing...
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hikari0205 · Posted: Mon Jan 23, 2006 7:15 am Post subject:

Yeah ... I always seem to press down too hard with mech pencils.

unfocused · Moderator Joined: 17 Jul 2004 Posts: 6983 Location: Texas

I use mechanical for detail and line art, 'course. But i need my wood, it feels more comfortable to be able to hand sharpen with a blade, you can get it just the right way for what you need. They each do have their uses, like Fayore said, with realism, i never use mechanical, i need it soft.
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diablis602 · Still very bored Joined: 10 Jan 2006 Posts: 275

I like the way wooden feels but my pictures are always a little mesy at the nd so I am going to try mechanical soon.

dorkuhz · Newb Joined: 29 Jan 2006 Posts: 7

Mechanical for the sharpness, and wood for shading.

But I rarely have any wood lying around so I mostly use mechanical.

The_Stef · Forum Scalleywag Joined: 20 Jan 2006 Posts: 961

I'm not very fancy when it comes to pencils, I couldn't tell the difference between a HB and 2B or whatever kind of pencils there are, but I prefer wood for some simple reasons. One being that they seem to scratch the paper more than actually draw on it, and I can never erase them properly.

And... I don't know how to refill them.

But I do like the looks of those 2mm ones...

Amadeus · Rookie Joined: 12 Dec 2004 Posts: 30

I'm to lazy to get up and sharpen my pencil everytime so if all you give me is a mechanical .7mm pencil, a kneaded eraser, and a shading tool I'm a happy doodler ^_^

flcladd1ct · Member Joined: 11 Feb 2006 Posts: 45

I like mechanical pencils. I ink my work, and for inking mechanical pencils give cleanier lines and don't get dull, so they are always the same width.
On the rare occasion that I do a piece in pencil, I do the outline, details, and darkest shadows with a mechanical, then switch to a medium-hardness wooden pencil to add the rest of the shadows.

loveliesbleeding · Posted: Thu Feb 23, 2006 11:29 am Post subject:

i prefer wooden so as to make a 5 step grey scale thing.
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infurno · Posted: Thu Feb 23, 2006 3:14 pm Post subject:

Mech pencils. they stay sharp and alow alot of small detail.
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lyser · Member Joined: 09 Sep 2005 Posts: 45

i prefer mechanical pencils over wooden ones.
i like mechs becuase the lead is usually darker then your standard pencil..and they allow more detail work. plus if the lead breaks, you dont have to get up and go sharpen it lol. but i do use a HB to do sketch work, and sometimes just a regular 2B pencil to do some shadeing. but overal i prefer mechs

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Smexykage-sama · Member Joined: 10 Nov 2005 Posts: 74

Mech! Definately. Preferrably 0.5, filled Repro Blue instead of grey (<-more easy to erase the sketchlines in PS, and somehoe the blueness of it all makes me sketch better)

KeheiZero · Posted: Fri Mar 10, 2006 2:41 pm Post subject:

I'd have to go with wooden pencils. I've been messing around with mechanical pencils for a little while (mainly a 0.3mm just now) and they're good for doing the finer details but I prefer the fact that wooden ones can do almost the same, and they're always cheaper.
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Epyon · Rookie Joined: 11 Jan 2006 Posts: 28

Mech pencils all the way. The wooden ones have always faild me. I hade so many drawings fall to the destruction of the dread number two pencil.

Grey_souL · Posted: Sat Jul 08, 2006 11:50 pm Post subject:

Wow, this is still around. It feels like argus in the odessey to me. Very Happy

Anywho, I still like my .5's and .7's. I tryed to find a 2.0, but my art store didn't have it. I'll probably special order it when my lazy self finds it's hand not in a fritos bag.
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