Sharpeners How to Sharpen a Pencil by Hand (below)
There are a variety of sharpeners for your drawing tools,
some are easier than others, some require caution and practice.
some are easier than others, some require caution and practice.
Electronic Sharpeners (1,2)
Plug-in desktop or portable electric sharpeners are by far the easiest to use, but they require consumable energy sources. I use them in the studio. The plug-in desktop models can gnaw through an entire pencil in seconds.
FYI: Sharpening too many waxy pencils can gum up the works as the blades heat up. Sharpen a regular #2 pencil a few times to clear up sharpener clogs.
Knives and Blades (3)
Pen knives or mat knives are easy to use if sharp, but you must carefully practice to become competent.
See "How to Sharpen a Pencil by Hand" instructions below.
See "How to Sharpen a Pencil by Hand" instructions below.
Manual Sharpeners (4)
Hand-twist metal-blade sharpeners are available in single and double formats. Some have replaceable blades. Choose a high quality metal sharpener with sharp blades. These usually work very well but leave a big curly mess to clean up. Some remove only the wood so you can sharpen the tip separately on sandpaper. If the wood splinters as you twist, you either have a dull blade or a cheap pencil.
Sanding to a fine point (5)
Sandpaper pads are designed for shaping or sharpening leads in mechanical clutch pencils. Sandpaper can quickly refresh a point on your pencil between sharpenings. As a sheet gets dirty with use you can peel it off to expose a fresh sheet of sandpaper.
The old classroom standard (6)
One of the easiest manual pencil sharpeners to use, most school rooms have (or had) one mounted at kid level. A fairly inexpensive and practical investment if you draw a lot. Deluxe models handle larger diameter pencils.
(Apologies for the rather odd looking photo on the right. It was free and the US Government paid for it's creation.)
*Please Read before you Bleed*
- If you're a grown up, be careful. If you're a kid, tell your grown up to be careful, too.
- Proceed at your own risk.
- Always use a SHARP pen-knife or mat knife. Sharp knives cut smoother and are easier to control.
- DO NOT use an Xacto knife. Their thin handles offer a poor grip for controlling your cuts.
- KIDS: Do not try this by yourself! Use a pencil sharpener or have an adult do this for you. Knife cuts are messy, they hurt like heck, and they're embarassing. Trust me.
How to Sharpen a Pencil by Hand
1) Hold the pencil firmly with your thumb by the tip.
2) On the underside, your fingers should be well clear of the exposed wood you are cutting.
3) Rest your thumb on the BACK of the blade for control and support as you carefully slice a curling sliver of wood away from you.
4) Repeat and gradually trim away the wood and sharpen the lead.
5) Make shallow cuts or risk losing control of the cut, snapping the lead, or maybe giving yourself a permanent trophy...
6) NEVER brace your hand on your leg while sharpening a pencil with a knife.
7) Did I say PROCEED AT YOUR OWN RISK?
2) On the underside, your fingers should be well clear of the exposed wood you are cutting.
3) Rest your thumb on the BACK of the blade for control and support as you carefully slice a curling sliver of wood away from you.
4) Repeat and gradually trim away the wood and sharpen the lead.
5) Make shallow cuts or risk losing control of the cut, snapping the lead, or maybe giving yourself a permanent trophy...
6) NEVER brace your hand on your leg while sharpening a pencil with a knife.
7) Did I say PROCEED AT YOUR OWN RISK?
Cut to the bone...missed the tendon...it isn't pretty...be careful... ow.
NEVER PULL A BLADE TOWARDS YOU!
Always push the blade AWAY from your body!
Always push the blade AWAY from your body!
Recommended brands: Dawler-Rowney, Dr. PH. Martin, Higgins, Pelican, Speedball-Hunt, Rotring, Koh-I-Noor, Winsor & Newton, Montblanc, Watterman, Bic, Papermate, Pilot, Pentel
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www.WatercolorPainting.com • Copyright © 2012 . All rights reserved.