Write an article based on this "Use pencils Use pens. Use charcoal Use appropriate paper. Get a drawing stump. Get an eraser."
. The most common tool for drawing in this style is a pencil. Pencils will allow you to easily lay down shadows and leave blank or erase areas for highlights. Pencils are easy to layer, giving you great control over the image you create. They also blend relatively well. Pencils come in different hardnesses (created by containing more or less graphite). The harder the pencil, the lighter the mark it will make. Use different pencils depending on how light or dark your lines need to be. Hard pencils will be labeled with an H and soft pencils with a B. The higher the number listed next to the letter, the more hard or soft the pencil is. A standard pencil, for example, is an HB. You can also use pens for creating realistic drawings. This will rely on highly accurate lines and proportions, as well as hatching, line variation, and etching style shadows. You can use any pen for this but you will have the best results with a nibbed or brush pen, as this will give you a better opportunity to change line widths. . You can use charcoal to create realistic drawings as well. Charcoal is perhaps the easiest drawing medium with which to create shadows and highlights, a crucial aspect of creating realistic drawings. Charcoal is easily smudged and blended, which can be used to your benefit but can also create difficulties. Drawing charcoal comes in a variety of shapes and sizes. Willow or vine charcoal is a nice middle ground, while charcoal pencils are great for doing details. Depending on what media you choose, you will need to be sure to get an appropriate type of paper. Charcoal especially will require paper designed for that medium (a heavily textured paper which gives the charcoal something to latch onto). Pencils will do better with smooth, rag paper since this will help with blending.  Be sure to look for acid-free, archival paper when available. This will keep your drawings from yellowing over time or otherwise aging badly. In addition to special paper, charcoal will require the use of a spray fixative to keep it from smudging once you are done creating your image. A drawing stump is a pencil-shaped roll of paper which is sanded to a point. This point is then used to blend charcoal or pencil, forming the soft gradient of shadows in your drawing. It will need to be sanded every time it becomes too covered in charcoal or graphite from your pencils. Stumps can be purchased or made by hand. An eraser is invaluable for removing mistakes and creating highlights. You can use a normal vinyl or rubber eraser for pencil or a kneaded eraser for charcoal. You can also use a kneaded eraser for pencils, as it can easily be molded into a sharp point to do detail erasing.