Understanding Your Materials Understanding is a beautiful, and usually beneficial thing. On our journey for art knowledge, and as we study and practice the Art Fundamentals, we should make a point of understanding the materials we use. That is the goal of this article about the pencil grading scale. Even a basic grasp of the many factors that determine the quality and grade of our materials—such as graphite pencils and charcoal—will improve our skill in using them. A basic knowledge