Pencilvember: Hahnemühle Wins Again

 

11/7/24 Derwent and Caran d'Ache watercolor
pencils, Pentel Pocket Brush Pen in Hahnemuhle

As mentioned a couple of days ago, I wasn’t happy with using graphite with tan paper. I had considered replacing the tan Uglybook with a white one for the remainder of Pencilvember, but I was already daily-carrying a Hahnemühle sketchbook while the trees are still hanging onto color. Why carry two white books? Could I use the Hahnemühle with graphite?

My first thought was that Hahnemühle paper has too strong a tooth for soft graphite. Secondarily, it seemed wasteful to use good, 100 percent cotton paper that was made to (ab)use with wet media for nothing more than dry graphite. For the sake of science, however, I decided to give it a try.

11/7/24 8B Uni Super DX graphite in Uglybook

11/8/24 10B Mitsubishi "brush pencil" in Hahnemuhle

Intending to make a full-color sketch on a sunny morning in Wedgwood, I started with a thumbnail in graphite only to test the Hahnemühle. To my delight, the paper’s tooth was quite pleasant with the 10B Mitsubishi “brush pencil” – one of the softest graphite pencils I own. Now it didn’t seem “wasteful” to use the book with graphite because I enjoy both the experience and the results.

Moving on to a full spread for the color version, I tried something else new: Typically, I don’t mix graphite with watercolor pencils, but Pencilvember seemed like an ideal time to do it. This time, I switched to an extra-soft Blackwing.

Once again, the Hahnemühle wins for its versatility (if not its less-than-svelte profile): Fabulous strength, sizing and tooth, even with dry graphite.

11/8/24 Derwent and Caran d'Ache watercolor pencils, extra-soft Blackwing graphite

  

My hand is full of the mix of graphite and watercolor pencils!