Unlike wooden pencils, mechanical pencils will be stroking lines with you for a long time, so we better get an excellent one for our drawings!
In this post, you will find crucial information about picking the right mechanical pencil for your drawings. But if you’re in a hurry, here’s my recommendation: don’t overspend on a mechanical pencil; while there are great mechanical pencils around $25.00 and $40.00, none of them compare to the unique lead rotating technology the Uni Kuru Toga Roulette has (link to amazon). Besides that, the Uni Kuru Toga Roulette comes in a highly durable metallic material, has a fantastic design, grip, and it costs $15.00, and it goes on sale very often. The Kuru Toga plastic version (link to amazon) costs $6.20, and it has the same line quality. You would only miss the metallic finish and a little bit on the grip.
But if you’re here for the details, let’s cover why I think the Uni Kuru Toga is the best mechanical pencil for drawing and even writing.
How To Choose The Right Mechanical Pencil For You
Before jumping into getting the most nice-looking mechanical pencil, bear in mind these four crucial factors:
1- Lead size: Since your mechanical pencil can’t use different lead sizes, you need to pick one for your drawings. Here’s a picture of how some lead sizes look on paper.
Please take note that the thinner the lead is, the easier it would break. So if you choose a lead size that is too thin and need to use your mechanical pencil to achieve very dark tones, going with a thicker and stronger lead is better.
Here’s a quick sketch of a skull using the 5mm kuru toga.
2- Grip: Genuinely, you won’t have any problems with grips of any sort unless they’re too big. However, a good quality grip will prevent your fingers from slipping, enhancing your line strokes’ control.
The kuru toga mechanical pencil comes with a rough metallic surface in the grip that prevents your fingers from slipping when drawing with it. In case you’re wondering, it doesn’t feel uncomfortable at all.
3 – Line Consistency: Mechanical pencils or wooden pencils have always struggled to have line consistency in every stroke because the lead gets flattened and slanted the more you use it. You’ve probably experienced it; it looks like this:
And when you notice it, you find yourself turning the pencil over to use the sharp point. But you don’t have to do that when you use the Kuru Toga because it does it for you. It has a mechanism that rotates the lead every time the tip touches the drawing surface, so you’re always working with a sharp point, which lets you get fine and precise lines. See the technology in action in the GIF below:
4 – Design: Above everything else, this mechanical pencil has a really cool design. It looks very modern and it feels premium when you use it. I can’t keep count of how many times people have complimented this mechanical pencil every time they see it!
Why Did I Choose The Kuru Toga Mechanical Pencil?
This mechanical pencil is honestly the best in every aspect, even when it comes to pricing. I’ve always been a big fan of Staedtler’s products, but their mechanical pencil doesn’t come close to what the Kuru Toga offers.
Taking all the factors considered above, I would give the Kuru Toga a 10/10.
Final Thoughts
I’ve only talked about the Kuru Toga mechanical pencil because I have recommended it a ton of times and I think it is the best option by far.
All my friends have one, and none of them have had any trouble with it, so I’m very sure I can recommend it without a doubt. All of them draw using very different techniques, and it had worked perfectly for them. Plus, I have used it for 5+ years now, and I will probably never stop using it!
If you’re looking for the perfect mechanical pencil to use, do consider buying the Kuru Toga one (link to amazon). I’m sure you’ll love it the same way I do!
However, if you would like to try different mechanical pencils and test if they are better for your personal style, by all means, do it! Other brands offer great mechanical pencils too.