Update: I switched from a 0.5mm mechanical pencil to a 2H clutch lead holder for my initial layout lines.

The 2H doesn't smudge under my hand and erases cleaner, which saved me about an hour of cleanup on a recent set of foundation plans. Anyone else have a go-to tool for keeping a sheet clean during the rough-in stage?

3 comments

3 Comments

parker_sullivan11d ago

That's a solid tip. I've been down that road with smudged pencil lines ruining a clean sheet. The switch to a harder lead makes total sense. It's one of those small changes that saves a ton of frustration later. I stick with a non-photo blue pencil for my rough layouts. It scans out clean and keeps the sheet looking sharp. Finding the right tool for that first stage is a game changer.

-1

hollyg5911d agoTop Commenter

Totally agree about the non-photo blue. It's like a safety net for your rough work. I even keep a red col-erase pencil for notes and markup on the same sheet, since most scanners ignore that color too. It lets me be messy and write reminders right on the art without worrying about cleaning it up later. That separation between the sketch layer and the final line work saves so much time. You can focus on the drawing first and the technical stuff second.

uma6853h ago

Seriously? It's just pencil lines, @parker_sullivan.