Mechanical pencils also offer a range of possibilities for lead thickness, usually ranging between 0. 13 mm and 2. 00 mm. [3] X Research source . For most regular writing and school purposes, people tend to use lead of size 0. 5 mm or 0. 7 mm. [4] X Research source If you’re not sure what you need, just go with something in that range, and make sure that any extra lead you buy fits in the mechanical pencil you have.
If you sharpen your pencil into too fine a point, you may end up making it more likely to break. If your pencil is very sharp, avoid pushing down hard on the paper, particularly at an angle.
Using good quality pencils and paper will help avoid smudging. Harder pencils are also less likely to smudge, compared to softer/blacker pencils. Try putting another piece of paper under your hand. If you find your work is smearing a lot, place a small piece of scratch paper right under your writing hand (and sliding it along with you as you move your hand), to stop the sweat and oil from your hand from smudging the pencil.
Young children tend to hold pencils with a fist or palmer’s grip and make big movements of the arm to draw or write. As they get older, the grip moves towards a five-finger and then tripod grip, and the writer goes from moving their whole arm to moving just their wrist and hand. As the grip develops further, the writer keeps their little and ring fingers curled up and writes using smaller movements of the fingers, hand, and wrist.
