Shadow Play 5b

 

I got's myself a shadow play. I picked it up today, a WHSmith sketching pencil, I am pretty sure I know who's pencil this is, so I may have to give it back. I have no idea what 'shadow play' means but this is a nice pencil for working tonally, very dark, lovely texture, don't get me wrong clearly it is as ugly as sin but nevertheless a damn good pencil. I find more and more that I prefer these relatively cheaper pencils. the thing that lets it down is the design, it is a hexagonal pencil for starters, it is the dullest battle ship grey you could make and has appalling typography, badly set, But worse of all I bet you can't buy them separately, I bet they come in a set with 12 other pencils that you would never use.

Derwent Dark Wash 8B

Well, I just so happened upon a Derwent Dark Wash 8B the other day that has been really loved by someone. It is no bigger than my little finger, normally I would pass such a pencil, as 'stubbies' are as far as I am concerned, to be used in IKEA only. But my magpie pencil picking behaviour got the better of me and so now I have a Dark Wash.
First things first, it is round, so all good there, but it's not quite as much fun as you would expect, nice don't get me wrong, but when you name something, Dark Wash, you set up a certain amount of expectations from the user, which on every level fail to deliver. Dark: no, my 'milk and more' pencil can match it. Wash: ? water soluble pencils, it works but I am not convinced.
The saving grace of this pencil is how it works on photocopy paper, you see all the grain and variety of mark (specially if you use the pencil on it's side - easier with a stubby)

TRACTOR OIL

This pencil was given to me by the illustrious Mr Bond. It has a triangular body and is quite small and thin, but nevertheless beautifully formed. Proudly it has made in England written round the base. Now, I don't have a tractor, but if I did, I would use Agricastrol, for sure.

Being a relatively thin it doesn't fit in your regular pencil sharpener, boo, but this pencil was obviously made with looks first and functionality second, and too be honest I am glad it was. As a pencil it's fine, good strong HB type lead, nothing to write home about. But as a piece in my collection, it stands tall.