Soft enough for dark shadows, hard enough for light lines.
It looks like gray putty. You don’t rub with it; you "lift" the light back out of the paper.
Your first 500 drawings will be terrible. Use cheap paper so you aren't afraid to make mistakes. The First Secret: The Four Pillars
Everything in the known universe—from a Ferrari to your grandmother’s face—is just a collection of four shapes: (Everything round) The Cube (Everything with corners) The Cylinder (Legs, arms, trees, pipes) The Cone (Noses, mountain peaks, party hats)
Turn to page 12. We aren't drawing a masterpiece today. We are drawing a single, solitary egg. Why? Because an egg has no corners to hide behind—it is the ultimate test of light, shadow, and patience.