“You can lead a horse to water, but a pencil must be lead…”
Stan Laurel
Melissa and I are currently undertaking a series of WEA evening classes designed to teach the skills of accurate pencil drawing. It has been a lot of fun. I am doing exceptionally well and Melissa is doing even better. Melissa is focussing on careful observation, proper proportion, faithful line making and control of shading and tone. Unsurprisingly, I am focussing on the stationery I am using. A little research before the course suggested the Faber Castell 9000 graphite pencil was the ultimate tool for me. The 9000 is a wood case pencil first produced in 1905. There are 16 grades of firmness. The key technology is the full bonding of the wood to the writing core. This means the pencil is easy to sharpen cleanly and less prone to breakages. It is highly respected by professional artists, illustrators and me. I am using the HB and 2B cores. #havedrawncubespearsorangescupseggscandlesmushroomsandrubberducks #letsmakelemonade
Pen Paint and Scalpel 
is that one of Melissa’s sketches? As I assumed the pencil was yours.
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no that one is actually his Mike!
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