Pitt Matte Graphite Pencils Tips and Trips from Faber-Castell

Faber-Castell’s Pitt Matte Graphite Pencils bring a new dynamic dimension to sketching. Artists all over the world have been searching for a graphite pencil that brings reduced reflection on paper for maximum tonal value density and incredible depth effect. In this article, we’ll share tips and tricks for maximizing their effectiveness in your artwork.

Paper and Tools:

Choosing the Right Paper

Choosing the right paper to use with your Pitt Graphite Matte depends on the type of art you are dreaming to create and your personal creative style. If photorealism is your style, look for smooth paper with little grain. Enhance your artwork focused on brisk and artistic strokes with a rougher paper such as watercolor paper, which provides a vivid grain that somewhat breaks the stroke of the graphite. Regardless of the artwork you want to achieve, paper should not weigh less than 100 grams per square meter as it would not be resistant enough for intensive strokes.

High-Quality Tools:

Pitt Graphite Matte Pencils are great on their own but are better with the help of high-quality tools. Erasers are not just tools for correcting graphite mistakes. Use an eraser pencil to create small lines and details or to lighten a small area of graphite. On the other end of the spectrum,

use a kneadable eraser to work with larger areas to lighten the graphite. With kneadable erasers, you can shape the eraser in any form that you would like, to work with smaller or larger details. Another helpful tool to use with graphite is a blending stump to smudge the graphite and create grey tones.

Classic Techniques:

In monochrome artwork, details and emotion are all portrayed through shades of grey. These basic drawing techniques will bring tonal value to your monochrome art.

Hatching

Drawing lines in the same direction is a great way to add tonal value to your graphite work. Different tonal values are achieved through overlaying and condensing the lines you are drawing. Line length and distance between the lines further vary the optical result.

Cross-hatching

Cross-hatching consists of drawing pencil strokes in one direction followed by layering strokes on top at another angle. Similar to hatching, achieving various tonal values in your artwork is dependent on the differences in number and density of the overlapping lines.

Shading

When creating graphite monochrome work, colors are represented in tonal values through shading. Different shades of grey convey the pictorial elements’ color intensity, surface properties, and incidence of light. They thus give the picture life and depth.

Matte Graphite Areas of Use:

Photorealism and Portrait Drawing

With the eight degrees of matte graphite hardness, photorealism and portrait drawing is easy to achieve. Being the first matte collection to provide the 14B degree of hardness, artists can achieve extremely deep black art without shine taking away from the details.

Add New Dimension:

Matte graphite brings a new dynamic all on its own. Combine matte graphite with traditional graphite such as Castell 9000 and you can further add dimension to your work. Layer Castell 9000 graphite on top of a Pitt Matte Graphite Pitt Matte Graphite background or plan out side-by-side sections of traditional and matte graphite to give your artwork extra detail that is simple but meaningful.

Mixed Media Artwork:

Incorporating contrasting art materials doesn’t end there. Pitt Graphite Matte mixes well with watercolor such as Faber-Castell’s Graphite Aquarelle watercolor graphite and Albrecht Durer Watercolor Pencils. Matte Graphite can also be mixed with color pencils. Use this media to create contrasting colors or to add subsequent shading.

Suggested Art Supplies: