All the ways I sharpen all the pencils that I use. Wooded and woodless graphite pencils, 2.0 and 5.6 mm mechanical pencils, charcoal pencils, and eraser pencils. I’ll show you how to use the Blackwing 2-step hand powered sharpener, the Staedtler 2mm lead pointer, how to correctly sharpen with a blade, and how to make your own sandpaper blocks. Make sure to check out the premium course which offers a more comprehensive lesson on pencils and erasers! The premium Drawing Basics course also gets you access to all the full lessons, project demonstrations, and critique videos that I'll be releasing in the next 18+ months!

RELATED LINKS:

Ultimate Guide to Sketchbooks and Paper
How to Hold and Control Your Pencil
Intro to Drawing Basics

Wooded Graphite (01:06)

• Electric sharpener

• Hand Powered sharpener

• One of the above + sandpaper

Woodless Graphite (07:23)

• Razor blade + sandpaper

5.6mm Clutch (10:07)

• Sandpaper

Charcoal Pencil (10:53)

• Razor blade + sandpaper

2.0mm Mechanical (15:00)

• 2mm lead sharpener

Wacom Stylus (17:07)

• Sandpaper

Eraser pencil (17:30)

• Electric sharpener + razor blade

Sandpaper Variations (05:07)

• Little pad of strips (I don’t recommend)

• Sandpaper sheets (grit 120-250)

• Sandpaper sheets wrapped around wooden block

• Ping Pong sandpaper paddle

• Custom-made wooden paddle with bolts and plate

RAZOR BLADE SAFETY If you’re young, find an adult to assist you. Blades are sharp and you’re gonna be holding and pushing it right next to your fingers. It’s important to be careful, ESPECIALLY if this is your first time sharpening with a blade. It’s gonna feel awkward. It’s much easier and safer to sharpen with a sharp razor blade. If it’s dull you’ll probably press harder, get frustrated and maybe break your pencil. When they get dull or rusty, throw them out. And I don't know if it's just me, but I feel really uneasy throwing a razor blade in the trash. I always cover the blade with some tape first.