Pride ~requiem concept art~

[TomGuycott]

Apparently the US uses a different pencil grading system to the EU. What silliness.

Here is something from the internet:

By the beginning of the twentieth century, a combination letter-number system had been established and was in use by nearly all European pencil makers, and was also used for some American-made pencils. This system is still in use today, and provides for a wide range of grades, usually consisting of the series:

9H, 8H, ... , 2H, H, F, HB, B, 2B, ... , 8B, 9B
where 9H is the hardest, 9B is the softest

So this is what I mean when I talk about a range of pencil grades. I'm not sure if you can find them in the US, but I'd suggest trying to get the Derwent Graphic set of pencils; they range from 4B to 5H, iirc. They are pretty nice and less expensive than some other brands.
If not, I'm pretty sure Faber-Castell (These are TomGuycott's Favorite) pencils are available in the US, and like Derwent they sell tins of differently graded pencils. A set of 12 (which I think ranges from 6B to 6H) is about $20.
I guess that's a bit on the expensive side, not sure if there are any good cheap brands about, least of all on your side of the pond.

Come to NJ, Gizmonic, and I can sell you each one of those sets, for as little as 13-14 dollars.

Or find a bitchin' art store in your own area, but GOOD LUCK WITH THAT! Although I don't know why you'd even bother getting a pencil set when you seem to like mechanical pencils.. but I've got that too!

Seriously though, as far as the art, pretty cool, but... it's hard for me to describe, the arms seem awfully straight (the left arm in the first, the right in the second). I mean, an arm can go pretty straight, but it just seems so stoic. The arms also seem like they're a bit long.