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Graphite

You can see/purchase graphite drawing pencils at Rex Art Supplies

Graphite is the non-toxic gray carbon material found in pencils. Even though we refer to it as 'pencil lead', it's not lead at all (and never was). Graphite drawing pencils come in many grades from very soft (9B) to very hard (9H). Softer pencils (B grade) will make darker marks. A good overview of drawing pencil grades can be found at http://pencils.com/hb-graphite-grading-scale/

Graphite drawings can be very realistic or very expressive; a wide range of marks, values and textures are possible with the medium.

Jean Auguste Dominique Ingres; Lady Harriet Mary and Catherine Caroline Montagu; pencil on paper; 1915.

The image above is in the public domain.

John Singer Sargent; Madame X (Madame Pierre Gautreau); graphite on off-white wove paper; 1883-84; "John Singer Sargent: Madame X (Madame Pierre Gautreau)" (1970.47) In Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History . New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2000–. http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/works-of-art/1970.47. (October 2006)

Artists will often have their own preferred tools and techniques for drawing with graphite. Below are a few sites where artists share their methods:

The Virtual Instructor: Pencil Drawing
The Empty Easel: Advanced Drawing Tips for Creating Photo-realistic Drawings in Pencil and Graphite
Jim Fogarty: Pencil Drawing
Selena Fenech: Graphite Pencil Drawing Tips
Student Art Guide: Realistic Observational Drawings

J D Hillberry YouTube Video
Graphite or Pencil Drawing Techniques YouTube Video

Thomas Cole; Landscape with Tower; graphite on off-white wove paper; 1838; "Thomas Cole: Landscape with Tower" (26.216.20) In Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History . New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2000–. http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/works-of-art/26.216.20. (August 2009)

Some contemporary artists who work with graphite:
Tony Orrico
Chris van Allsburg
Paul Cadden
Melissa Cooke Art
Cuded: Mind-blowing Pencil Drawings
Art in America: Christopher Cook