This process allowed for the mixing of different levels of key ingredients: graphite and clay and this resulted in variable degrees of hardness and the ability to mass produce them made them accessible to the general public and a great asset of any artist.

 The earliest pencils were given four grades from 1 being the hardest and 4 being the softest, as the process developed and more pencil makers adopted the process, but as no universal system existed, and still to this day does not exist, then no accurate measure could be achieved.

 The English pencil makers created what is perhaps the most recognisable systems in the world, the H.B pencil. H standing for hard and B standing for Black, so the higher the B number the softer the line and the higher the H number the harder the graphite.

 In the 20th century the mixing of an alphanumeric system, utilising both the letters H and B and numbers 1 through 9. A 9B pencil being the softest and 9H being the hardest. What adds to the confusion is that no universal system exists many pencil-makers use their own system, which can make the decision of which pencil to use a confusing task.

If you needed to write a simple letter then the #2 or HB pencil, the most widely used pencil in the world, would be the best choice. The B numbered pencils are used by artists and the H numbered pencils are good for drafting plans and the like.

  Choosing the right pencil to use depends on the job you want to do, always make sure that you have the right tool to get the best results.

• Unsanded Pastel Paper

The pastels will hold to the texture of fibers in the paper. The advantage of this paper is that it conserves the amount of pastels used to provide full coverage on your piece of art. It is also easier to control lighter strokes, which can create a smoother look in the end. Sometime it is referred to as a vellum texture.

• Sanded Pastel Paper

The sanded pastel paper is created very similar to fine grit sandpaper. In the case of pastel paper, the grit is created with a vegetable grain, so that it is acid free and is safe to store for longer periods of time.  The advantage of using the sanded is paper is the pastels stick to the paper much easier. With all the grit, soft pastels easily adhere to the surface if you have fast strokes. 

A paper is produced but pressing fibers into sheets under high pressure. With a little research you will find that the sheets are made from 100% original cotton or linen or less expensive wood pulps. There are three types of pressed papers available in any good art supply shop. These are listed below:

1. hot-pressed
2. cold-pressed
3. rough paper

Hot-pressed papers are ideal type of paper when an artist is planning to make a painting that has great emphasis on details. This type of paper allows smoother blending of colors.  However, if you want to use pastels then it is not recommended that you buy this type of paper.

The cold-pressed and rough papers have almost the same characteristics. They are both ideal for painting that involves pastels, charcoal and colored chalks. Due to the roughness of the paper you will get darker color results. This is because of the “tooth” of the paper that has the ability to hold more graphite.

An ideal art supply shop can offer you the following paper types which are useful for different type of painting.

1. If you are looking for a paper for ink and graphite painting then the ideal paper for the purpose will be the “smooth paper”. It is a great paper when used for portraits as it allows excellent surface for contrast and shade effects.
2. A very good paper for graphite and color waxing is the “Fine Grain Paper”.
3. If you are interested in using pastels, crayons as well as watercolors and inks then you might want to have a look at “Medium Grain Paper”
4. A very good and durable paper for watercolor work is the “Course Grain Paper”.
5. A paper that has been available in market for the last 100 years is the “Ingres Paper”. It offers the painter with some tooth which makes them an excellent choice for charcoal, pastels and conte as well as ink and graphite.
6. “Bristol Boards” are multipurpose papers that comes with medium or plate finish. This board is ideal for fine detailed work and it can easily sustain wash work.
7. “Illustration Boards” are available in variety of both smooth and medium plates i.e. hot-pressed plates and cold-pressed plates.

• Wood Pencils: These pencils are the most widely available types of pencils. It mostly has graphite composite or some related material that enclosed between two strips of wood. Although, the most commonly used type of wood is the cedar but recently some “rain-forest” wood’s pencils are also being manufactured. The pencils are mostly made of cedar because of its strength to withstand sharpening and other tortures when writing is done.
• Mechanical Pencils: These types of pencils come in many styles. In this type of pencil the lead of pencil is encased between an engineered case. This engineered case is made of metal, plastic or both instead of wood. In these cases the lead is pressed forward through an external gadget.
• Other types: With so much talk being going around regarding saving environment pencils are also being made from recycled materials such as plastics, cloth, sawdust etc.

The pencils are classified in two categories due to there hardness.

• Hard Pencils: The refills of these types of pencils are mostly dry and tenacious. The refills are mostly grayish in color.
• Soft Pencils: These pencils mostly have thicker refills then hard pencils. They are oily and must be handled with care due to there fragile nature. These are dark colored pencils.

Within these two classifications is the widest variety of pencils available. The hard pencils are assigned the letter H that helps them in differentiating them from the soft samples, which are assigned letter. Each of these further has pencils of different thickness and application purpose available. For example, you can choose 2H, 3H, 4H in case of hard pencils or 2B, 3B, 4B and so on. Out of these the most commonly used pencils is the 2B.

It is extremely important to choose the right type of pencils. Pencils help the artist to convey their inner most feelings and ideas to a paper. Even if the artist does not have his other art supplies available, he can still convey his thoughts to the world. Some artists use colors to convey their message but there are others who do not depend on colors to say what they want. Pencils are the only tool of such artists and if it is said that pencils are the only art supplies of these artists then it won’t be far from truth.

When you go to buy a charcoal for your artistic endeavors you will realize that that are different types of charcoals to choose from. Some of these are listed below:

1. The first in the list is the charcoal pencil. It is usually wrapped in a plastic or encased between a wooden material. This is for the reason that charcoal has a powdery characteristic to its name and if you decide to use charcoal without its being wrapped in a plastic or timber then you will end up with dirty fingers.
2. Willow and vine charcoal is next in the list. Unlike charcoal pencil, willow and vine charcoal does not come wrapped up in a plastic or wood. However, you might want to opt for this type of charcoal as it is very helpful in producing a variety of colors from pale gray to deep black.
3. Another worth mentioning type of charcoal at the supply stores is the hard charcoal. This charcoal is used on papers that are strong and think due to the characteristic of this charcoal to be harder then the other forms of charcoal available. This charcoal is mainly used for drawing extremely fine lines.

Using charcoal for studying during the Early and Middle Renaissance period was a common act. The artists used charcoal as the preliminary sketching tool as it was very easy to rectify any mistakes when charcoal was used for drawing the outline.

All the pastel and charcoal artists use different techniques to help them in producing and maintaining their piece of art. One of the most commonly tool is the “Fixative”. When you go to a good art supply vendor, the shopkeeper will provide you with fixative of your choice in either a jar or a spray-can. There are two types of fixatives available. They are categorized according to the effect they have on paintings. You can buy a fixative, which when applied, have a permanent effect on the painting by permanently sealing the painting from being used again or you can buy a fixative whose main purpose is to protect the charcoal from smudging as well as give a matte look to the painting.

If you want to be considered as a serious artist then you must try your hand at producing paintings made of charcoal. This is for the reason that many well known paintings produced by well known artists are made of charcoal only. A very good example in the matter is the “Silent Song” of Charles White.

Art boards are used for different types of art applications. Their use is also for applications related to crafting. One such board is the multimedia art board. It is a paper based material. It is made up of polymerized thermo set resins. This product is very durable. It has an approximate thickness of 0.025 inches and it can be used with any medium. It can also be used with a combination of different mediums. The mediums which can be used are oil, pastel, watercolor, acrylics, color pencil, charcoal and collage. It is free of acid, archival and linen. It is a non-buckling board and both sides of the board can be used. It can be sanded. Five sheets are provided along with every pack.

Art films are of the following types:-

1.        All Purpose Frisket Films. It is a low tack film and it has a clean and easy cut. It perfectly masks for all types of media and the peel is very smooth. It can also be reused and does not tear. It is available in both matte and clear finish and as compared to the vinyl films it is very cheap.

2.        Artool Frisket Films.  This is a low tack and self adhesive film. It can be used very effectively with many mediums. It is available in two types of finishes, gloss and matte. Its advantage is that you can remove it and reposition it without any problem. Under an airbrush spray it does not flutter ad neither does it wrinkle.

3.        Chartpak Laser Applique Films. These films are used in copiers and laser printers. They do not cur and give a very crisp and clean image. They also do not stick.

4.        Foto Frisket Films. It is a stenciling material which is self adhesive and transparent. It is easy to stick and remove and does not cause any damage. It is available in gloss and matte finish.

5.        Safmat Adhesive Films. These are acetate films which are very transparent. They become invisible when burnished. It has a compatibility with inkjet printers and also laser jets. It is best suited for multi layered visuals and mock-ups.

6.        Stencil Films. You can create your own stencils with the help of the stencil film. It is transparent blue in color. It is also a heavy weight film. All you need to do is draw a trace of the design you want and use a knife to cut it. It is very durable.

1.        Gray Glue –On. These are large sized easel backs and can be best used for big presentations. Adhesive tapes are not used in these easel backs.

2.        Lineco Self-Stick Easel Backs. For presentations and displays these boards are very practical. It has a permanent adhesive which can stick to any surface either uncoated or coated. It is made up of a 10 ply board. It is simple to use and stick on to any surface.