Pencils create marks by physical abrasion, leaving a trail of solid core material that adheres to a sheet of paper or other surface. They are distinct from pens, which dispense liquid or gel ink onto the marked surface. Most pencil cores are made of graphite powder mixed with a clay binder.
Pencil, a common tool used for writing, drawing, or marking that is usually made up of a slender rod of graphite (often referred to as the “lead,” though it contains none of that metal) enclosed in a protective cylinder of wood, metal, or plastic.
For this guide, I spent hours writing in cursive and print, drawing, doodling, shading, sketching, erasing, sharpening, and filling in Scantron bubbles with various pencils. Furthermore, I asked...