DRAWING INSTRUMENTS

Proper Use and Care of Drawing instruments and

materials

DRAWING INSTRUMENTS

Drafting is a field of the visual arts that requires

the use of instruments and materials to come up
with the desired output. Tools and materials used
in drafting have to be handled and maintained
properly to promote good draftsmanship. These
tools must be taken care of properly to come up
with good results every time you use them. Proper
care will also extend the usability of these
instruments and materials.

DRAFTING PENCIL
Pencil is the most important tool in any drafting
activity.
Drawing pencils come in various grades of softness or
hardness.
A pencil is a writing implement or art medium usually
constructed of a narrow, solid pigment core inside a
protective casing. The case prevents the core from
breaking, and also from marking the users hand
during use.
Pencils create marks via physical abrasion, leaving
behind a trail of solid core material that adheres to a
sheet of paper or other surface. They are noticeably
distinct from pens, which dispense liquid or gel ink that
stain the light colour of the paper.

GRADING AND CLASSIFICATION OF

DRAWING PENCIL

Many pencils across the world, and almost all in

Europe, are graded on the European system
using a continuum from H (for hardness) to B
(for blackness), as well as F (for fine point). The
standard writing pencil is graded HB. According
to Petroski, this system might have been
developed in the early 20th century by
Brookman, an English pencil maker. It used B
for black and H for hard; a pencil's grade was
described by a sequence or successive Hs or Bs
such as BB and BBB for successively softer
leads, and HH and HHH for successively harder
ones.

AS OF 2009, A SET OF PENCILS RANGING FROM

A VERY HARD, LIGHT-MARKING PENCIL TO A
VERY SOFT, BLACK-MARKING PENCIL USUALLY
RANGES FROM HARDEST TO SOFTEST AS
FOLLOWS:
Pencils graded using this system are
used to measure the hardness and
resistance of varnishes and paints. The
resistance of a coating (also known as
its pencil hardness) is determined as
the grade of the hardest pencil that
does not mark the coating when pressed
firmly against it at a 45 degree angle.

It comes in various grades of softness or

hardness. HB, meaning hard and black,
is most commonly used pencil grade for
lettering and simple drawing purposes.
For best result, always keep the pencil
point sharp. Dont put either end of the
pencil into your mouth.

T-SQUARE

Used mainly in making horizontal lines, a tsquare is made-up of long-strip called blade
fastened rigidly at a right-angle (90) to a shorter
piece called head. The upper edge of the blade
and the inner edge of the head are the working
edges of the t-square and must be straight.
Never

use a T-square as a hammer.

Do not use it for any rough purpose.
Never cut paper with a knife using the edge of the
blade of the T-square as guide.
Never draw horizontal lines with the lower edge of
the T-square.

DRAWING BOARD/
TABLE
A drawing board or table is
traditionally made of softwoods,
masonite, and linoleum. Drawing
tables and stools with round
wooden or plastic seat are used as
standard drawing furniture.
The vertical edges of the board and
table, which must be straight, are
called the working edges since the
head of the T-square slides against
them.

DRAWING PAPER
For general use, the preferred paper
is the white drawing paper which is
available in different sizes. For
simple
drawing
and
design
exercises, coupon bond, which
comes in letter size (8.5x11in) and
legal (8.5x13in) sizes are commonly
used.
The drawing paper must be placed
close enough to the upper edge of
the board to permit enough space at
the bottom of the paper.

TRIANGLES
Triangles are available in transparent plastic so
that the lines can be seen through them. An
ideal pair of triangles to use is one 30x60
triangle with a long side of 18cm, and a
45triangle with 14cm sides.
Triangles are used together with a T-square to
draw a vertical and inclined lines.

OTHER DRAWING
INSTRUMENTS

Compass primarily used to draw

circles and arcs. It consists of two
legs, one contains the needle and
the other
contains pencil or ink
attachment.

Protractor This is a semi-circular

shaped instrument divided into
180 or 180 equal divisions.

Divider is used to divide a line or space

into any number of equal parts. It is also
used to transfer measurements of lines
from the scale to the drawing paper. It is
also consists of two legs each with a needle
point.
Never

oil the joints of the compass and divider.

Never leave the compass or divider on the
drawing board.
Never use dividers as pincers.

Triangular Drafting Scale

is a reproduce the drawing into full, reduced,

or enlarge size. Scale should not be pricked
with the needle points of the compass or
dividers. It should only be used for
transferring measurements, and not as a
guide in drawing straight lines.

SPEEDBALL PENS AND

LETTERING PEN

Speedball pens and lettering pens are

used for calligraphy (artistic handwriting), sketching, posters, cartooning,
and more.
Clean

the speedball pens and lettering pens

by using a wet cloth or blade for scrapping.
Never rub across the drawing with your
palm to remove eraser particle.
Never work with the sleeve or hands resting
upon the pencil area.

INKS AND PAINTS

Never leave the ink bottle uncovered as
evaporation will cause it to thicken.
Do not allow ink to dry in any instrument.

Eraser
For general drawing purposes, use a soft rubber
eraser for removing pencil lines and cleaning
smudges. For ink lines, use a hard rubber eraser.
Use an erasing shield to protect the lines of the
drawing not intended to be erased.

END