I use a single type of pencil - it is an architectural mechanical pencil from Staedtler. I use 4b (softest lead). I have a pencil sharpener that I bought back in the early 1970s and have kept ever since. For very thin lines I sharpen the pencil to a needle-like point and for wider I actually have two of these and the second one remains blunt.

But what kind of pencils do you use?

And as a second line of talk - has anyone ever seen the guy on PBS who uses what he calls his "Mighty Brush". He uses paint brushes that you would use on a house and he just uses latex paint. I watched in awe as he did a complete painting in about fifteen minutes. Mountains, trees, road, fence, flowers - the whole thing in about fifteen minutes. He also used a hot air blow dryer (ie: hair dryer) to help dry the paint faster. I wondered if he had any fears of the paint catching fire. It never did - but I always wondered.