Ever since I started making art, I’ve been using whatever pencil I could find lying around. Most of the time, it would be Mongol Pencils. Since I mainly use pencils for preliminary sketches and line art only, it never occurred to me that a different brand of pencil would make a difference; hence, I never expended time, effort or money on trying different brands of pencils. However, I have recently begun using Faber-Castell art products and because I’ve been so happy with them, I got the idea of trying their pencils.
I had no expectations. For me, a pencil is just a pencil no matter what brand. So I was pleasantly surprised when I finally tried a Faber-Castell Bonanza 1320 Pencil. This pencil glides smoothly on whatever surface you’re using. As with other Faber-Castell products, the quality of the material is superior. Compared to other pencils, the Faber-Castell Bonanza 1320 Pencil is more versatile in that you can create more gradations because of the strong pigmentation of the lead, depending on how much pressure you apply on the pencil. Unlike the other generic pencils I’ve used before, the lead doesn’t feel dry or heavy when I’m drawing.
It’s hard to explain the delicate features that make this pencil shine over other pencils; but I feel that this Faber-Castell Bonanza pencil was crafted with the intention of enabling the artist to create subtle nuances in an artwork that an average pencil just wasn’t. It is definitely not just for writing.
Now, I bought my Faber-Castell Bonanza 1320 Pencils at National Bookstore. It comes in a set of three and costs PhP 15.75. That’s very cheap but it’s double the price of other pencils which is why I haven’t thought buying it it sooner.
Even though, I only mainly use pencils for sketches and line arts, it makes such a huge difference when I’m using a Faber-Castell Bonanza 1320 pencil. The best part about using top-notch art materials, for me, is not that my work becomes easier or that the end-result is better; it’s that I feel more inspired and creative and happier as I’m bringing my imagination to life.