For many artists, graphite pencils - your everyday 2B Dixon Ticonderoga - is the first medium you are acquainted with. I quickly fell in love with drawing as I learned to blend, smudge, smooth, and sharpen. It was like I had rediscovered a tool I had used for years. Not only could it fill test bubbles, but it could also be a malleable art medium. As I learned about the array of "hardnesses" (H to 8B), I began increasing the value range, pushing shadows as black as possible. It could be a hard pencil or a soft powder. I could put it on a roller and work larger or sketch in a pocket sketchbook. This versatility of graphite pencils inspired me to push the limits of the medium and is most likely the reason I began creating at all. What couldn't I do with a pencil?