help with shading/cross hatching and stuff ? :)?

Question

so I just recently got a set of graphic shading pencils
HB, ,2H,4H,,2B,6B and more

how would I use them to make it a smooth transition between them?
would i shade in a lighter area with maybe 4H then what If I wanted a darker vaule such as HB? blend? or use a Tone that's in between?

and I suck at cross hatching, what pencial did you use to get a good result?

Answer 1

I always use a 6B pencil for very dark shading, then 4B for somewhat lighter shading, then 2B and so forth. A 4H pencil gives very sharp lines, so it's hard to blend with them. You shouldn't use those for shading. Try drawing a line with a 4H pencil and make it blend in with the paper. It won't work. With B pencils you can create beautiful shadows, just because they blend so well. However, H pencils are pretty useful for small details, because softer pencils like 4B and 6B leave grainy and broad lines.

Answer 2

6B's are the softest, and the 2B, etc, so 6B is going to have the darkest and thickest line. If you want a thicker crosshatch I would stick with the B pencils and use them together, slowly transitioning into the H's with HB in between.

Answer 3

i tend to stick with just one pencil when i'm drawing.

i stay away from the super-soft ones like 6B for this reason, because they smudge too easily.

i've just finished a portrait using a 2B pencil - it ranges from very light to very dark.