Anime Art Pencils – The Best Pencils to use in 2023
When it comes to drawing, one can use anything that makes a mark on the paper. However, to create a perfect monochrome, multi-colored anime art, manga/comic, or anime flipbooks, one needs the right tool.
Choosing the right pencils for your anime art could be a daunting task, especially for beginners. Also, it is not possible to use one pencil to create different effects in the drawing. It requires different graded anime art pencils to create the perfect effect in the drawing.
There is a wide range of options; this guide will help you choose the best Anime Art Pencils for your drawings. We have reviewed some of the best sketch pencils and shared the factors that help you pick the best pencils.
Factors To Consider For Anime Art Pencils
Whether you are a professional or beginner anime artist, there are few considerations to choose the right pencil. Here is the list of factors to consider when buying an anime art pencil:
Convenience To Use:
Every sketching pencil has a different structure and style. Pencils like dip pens and brushes require you to dip them in ink to create textures and lines. On the other hand, brush pens or fine-liners lets you frequently draw without any interruption.
Similarly, unipen pencils relieve you from sharpening the lead. So you should always choose a pencil that goes with your working habits without compromising your preferred style and convenience.
Pencil Grading Scale:
Whether you are a beginner or a professional anime art sketcher, you know that each pencil has different grading. Pencil grading varies from hard to soft graphite lead, with 9H being the hard and 9B the softest lead. Each graded pencil creates a unique effect and is used for shading.
So it means that every pencil grade is used for a specific type of artwork. Hence, you need to choose the pencil grade according to the kind of artwork you are doing. Also, the level of shading your sketch requires decides the grade of the pencil you need.
Compatibility With Other Media:
When you create an anime comic book, you need various anime art pencils, including graphite, water-colored, inks, markers, etc. And every tool has a different consistency and compatibility with kinds of paper. Therefore, you have to be very careful when choosing the tool for your artwork. Always check their compatibility with other mediums.
Longevity:
Not many people know that every art supply deteriorates over time. Some art pencils deteriorate when exposed to sunlight. Choose the art supplies for your anime sketches with lightfast, light-resistant, or fade-resistant label. Also, choose materials labeled with pH-neutral or acid-free as they don’t react with any kind of paper.
Line Variation:
Every art pencil or brush, or pens creates lines of varying widths. On the other hand, fineliners are used to draw lines of the same thickness. There are different sizes of fine lines tips available on the market. These tips create lines of varying widths.
Drawing Process:
One of the most crucial considerations to make when selecting anime art pencils is your drawing process. For example, if you create an anime comic or flipbook, you would need different pencils on every stage. You would need graphite or fineliners to draw the outlines of the sketches. And watercolors or pen brushes to fill in the colors.
Here is a list of the best graphite, colored, and watercolored anime art pencils
Derwent Graphitint Drawing Pencils
It is a set of 24 pencils that has a wide variety of graphite grades. Derwent graphitint pencils are best for both professional and beginner artists. Unlike other graphite pencils, Derwent pencils are very easy to sharpen.
One can create a very flat shape of the lead as well. The hexagonal shape of the pencil allows a smooth and comfortable grip. The pencils are available in soft, medium, and hard grades that will enable different shading levels.
Check them out here: Derwent Graphitint Drawing Pencils
Caran D’ache Prismalo Watercolor Pencils
With a diameter of 3mm, Caran D’ache water pencils work wonders for beginners, intermediate and professional artists. These color pencils can be used to draw both wet and dry anime sketches.
It provides a slim core coat but gives a very detailed effect. Caran uses high pigmentation, and its hexagonal shape provides a comfortable grip. Caran pencil sets ideal for superimposing multiple colors, creating water-color effects, cross-hatching, mixed media, and coloring.
Check them out here: Caran D’ache Prismalo Watercolor Pencils
ARTEZA Colored Pencils
Arteza colored anime art pencils are specifically designed to make sketching convenient for the artists. Each pencil color in the set is labeled and numbered for quick and easy identification. The color pigmentation is very saturated, which is best for comic books and flipbook coloring.
The outer core of the pencils is break-resistant yet very soft. The shape of the pencils offers a convenient grip and easy to sharp.
Check them out here: ARTEZA Colored Pencils
Prismacolor Graphite Drawing Pencils
Prismacolor graphite anime art pencils set is the ideal tool for someone who is just starting anime artwork. They offer a smooth drawing formula, with no wood casing to sharpen away. Issue fine or broad strokes with a series of pencils that cover ever project, every mood.
The Prismacolor Graphite Drawing Set contains 18 professional quality pencils including one each of the following in a convenient, easy-to-close tin:
- Woodless Graphite 2B
- Woodless Graphite 4B
- Woodless Graphite 6B
- Woodless Graphite 8B
- Water-Soluble Gray Graphite HB
- Water-Soluble Gray Graphite 4B
- Water-Soluble Gray Graphite 8B
- Extra-Large Kneaded Eraser
- Steel Sharpener
- Sanding Board
- Magic Rub Eraser
- Turquoise Drawing Pencil 8B
- Turquoise Drawing Pencil 6B
- Turquoise Drawing Pencil 2B
- Turquoise Drawing Pencil B
- Turquoise Drawing Pencil 2H
- Turquoise Drawing Pencil 4H
- Turquoise Drawing Pencil 6H
Woodless Graphite and Water-Soluble Graphite pencils are pre-sharpened. Turquoise Drawing Pencils are unsharpened.
Prismacolor graphite pencils allow you to experiment with different kinds of broad strokes. The pencils offer a comfortable grip that helps the beginners to get used to the pencils.
Check them out here: Prismacolor Graphite Drawing Pencil Set
Staedtler Mars 780 Technico Leadholder Pencil
For professional sketchers who love drawing with mechanical pencils, the Staedtler Mars 780 Technico is a good buy. The longevity of this mechanical anime art pencil is remarkable. The pencil holder is very lightweight, and the metal gives a very smooth and comfortable grip. Staedtler Mars 780 is an excellent choice for drawing monochrome anime art.
Check them out here: Staedtler Mars 780 Technico Leadholder Pencil
Are you ready to start sketching the anime art with one of these anime art pencils? What’s your thought on choosing a specific grade pencil for shading and sketching? Share your artwork and ideas with us. If you have any suggestions about the sketch pencils for anime art, don’t keep that information yourself! And don’t forget to Join our Anime Ignite Reddit Anime Art Community and get your work featured.
