• Home
  • Best Guides
    • Planners
      • Clever Fox
        • Clever Fox Planner Review
        • Clever Fox Budget Planner Review
        • Clever Fox Dotted Notebook Review
      • Moms Planners
      • Undated Planners
      • Goal Planners
      • Hourly Appointment Planners
      • Popular Planners
      • Teacher Planners
      • Budget Planners
      • Planner for Entrepreneurs
      • Customizable Planners
      • Daily Planners
      • Productivity Planners
      • Planners for ADHD
      • Homeschool Planners
      • Wedding Planner Books
      • Planners for Men
      • Life Planners
      • Refillable Planners
      • Weekly Planners
      • Planner Stickers
      • Planners for Nursing Students
      • Planners for Students
      • Planners for Creatives
    • Notebooks
      • Notebooks for Bullet Journaling
      • Pocket Notebooks
      • Paper Notebooks For College
      • Spiral Notebooks
      • Hardcover Notebooks
      • Fountain Pen Friendly Notebooks
      • Japanese Notebook
      • Password Organizer Books
      • Refillable Notebook
      • Notebooks for Writing
      • Paper Notebooks for Work
      • Digital Smart Notebooks
      • Graph Paper Notebooks
      • Composition Notebooks
    • Journals
      • Workout & Fitness Journals
      • Gratitude Journals
      • Leather Journals
      • Daily Journals
      • 20 Bullet Journal Supplies
      • Travel Journals
      • Pregnancy Journals
    • Comparison
      • Clever Fox vs Panda Planner
      • Happy Planner vs Erin Condren
      • Elfinbook vs Rocketbook
    • Sketchbooks
      • Mixed Media Sketchbooks
      • Sketchbook for Markers
      • Watercolor Sketchbooks for Artists
    • Papers
      • Paper for Colored Pencils
      • Heat Transfer Papers
      • Paper for Prismacolor Pencils
      • Paper for Acrylic Paint
      • Watercolor Paper
      • Paper for Charcoal
      • Paper for Oil Pastels
      • Printer Paper
    • Notepads
    • Binders
      • Binders for College Students
      • 3 Ring Binders
  • supplies
    • Pens
      • Pens for Writing
      • Writing Pens for Gifts
      • Fountain Pens
        • Fountain Pens Under 50
        • Fountain Pens Under 100
        • Fountain Pens Under 200
        • Fountain Pen Inks
        • Beginner Fountain Pens
        • Blue Fountain Pen Inks
        • Black Fountain Pen Inks
      • Pens For Planners
        • Brush Pens For Bullet Journaling
        • Pens for Bullet Journals
        • Paper For Copic Markers
      • Erasable Pens
      • Gel Pens
        • Gel Pens for Writers and Artists
        • Gel Pens for Coloring
        • White Gel Pens
        • Glitter Gel Pens
      • Colored Pens
      • Felt Tip Pens
      • Retractable Pens
      • Luxury Pens
      • Pens For Planners
      • Multicolored Pens
      • Fine Point Pens
      • Pens for Lefties
      • Black Pens
      • EDC Pens
      • Pens For Nurses
      • Refillable Pens
      • Teacher Pens
      • Pens for College Students
      • Bible Journaling Pens
      • Pens for Drawing and Sketching
      • Smart Pens
      • Uni-Ball Pens
      • Paint Pens for Rocks
      • Fineliner Pens
      • Office Pens
      • Rollerball Pens
      • Pens for Architects
      • Bolt Action Pens
    • Supplies for Artist
      • Watercolor
        • Watercolor Brush Pens
        • Watercolor Set for Students and Artists
        • Masking Fluids for Watercolor
        • Watercolor Palettes
        • Watercolor Brushes
      • Markers
        • Ohuhu vs Copic Markers
        • Paint Pens and Markers
        • Markers for Artists
        • Chalk Markers
        • Alcohol-Based Markers
        • Markers For Bullet Journaling
        • Paint Pens and Markers for Wood
        • Markers for Adult Coloring Books
        • Permanent Markers
        • Brush Markers
        • Markers for Canvas
        • Dry Erase Markers for Glass
        • Fabric Markers
        • Markers for Graffiti
        • Best Markers for Autographs
      • Paints
        • Gouache Paints
        • Body Paints
        • Acrylic Paints for Canvas
        • Paints for Canvas
      • Books
        • Manga Drawing Books
        • Human Anatomy Books for Artists
        • Watercolor Books for Beginners & Artists
      • Charcoal Pencils for Artists
      • Oil Pastels
      • Brushes for Painting Miniatures
      • Art Easels for Painting
      • Kneaded Erasers
      • Canvases for Oil Painting
      • Drawing Mannequins
      • Acrylic Paint Brushes
      • Art & Drafting Tables
      • Brushes for Oil Painting
      • Best Clays for Sculpting
    • Pencils
      • Pencil Cases
      • Pencil Grips
      • Colored Pencils
      • Mechanical Pencil Leads
      • Watercolor Pencils
      • Writing Pencils to Study
      • Mechanical Pencils for Drawing
      • Graphite Pencils
      • Number 2 Pencils
      • Carpenter Pencils
      • Pastel Pencils
    • Highlighters
      • Highlighter Pens
      • Bible Highlighters
    • Sharpeners
      • Electric Pencil Sharpeners
      • Sharpeners for Colored Pencils
      • Manual Pencil Sharpener
      • Pencil Sharpeners for Artists
    • Correction Supplies
      • Correction Tape & White Out Pens
      • Erasers
      • Electric Erasers
    • Calligraphy
      • Calligraphy Pens For Beginners
      • Calligraphy Nibs
      • Papers for Calligraphy
      • Calligraphy Inks for Dip Pen & Brushes
    • Glues
      • Glues for Paper Crafts
      • Glues for Cardboard Projects
      • Glues for Ceramic Repair
      • Glue Guns
    • Printers
      • Printers for Cardstock Printing
      • Printers for Cricut
      • Printers for Stickers
      • Printers for Printing Your Art
      • Printers Under 200
      • Printers for College Students
      • Printers for Chromebook
      • Printers for Graphic Designers
      • Edible Printers
      • Budget Laser Printers
      • Photo Booth Printers
      • Printers for Teachers
    • Scanners
      • Scanners for Artwork and Artists
      • Flatbed Photo Scanners
      • Photo Scanner with Feeder
      • Film Scanners
    • For Home, Office and School
      • School Supplies
      • Heavy Duty Staplers
      • Whiteboards
      • Washi Tape
      • Letter Openers
      • Scissors for Cutting Paper
      • Computer Mice for Graphic Designers
      • Art Easels for Toddlers
      • Stencils for Bullet Journaling
      • Book Stands
      • Rulers
      • Paper Shredder under 50
      • Capacitive Styluses
      • Drafting Chairs
      • Mat Cutters
      • Best Expanding File Folders
    • Best Home Laminator
  • Single Planner Reviews
    • GoGirl Planner
    • Living Well Planner
    • Wellness Ban Do Planner
    • Erin Condren Life Planner
    • Simple Elephant Planner
    • Leuchtturm1917 Planner
    • MochiThings Planner
    • Passion Planner
    • Start Planner
    • Moleskine Academic Planner
    • Erin Condren Life Planner
    • Law of Attraction Planner
    • Ink and Volt Planner
    • Happiness Planner
    • The Full Focus Planner
    • Wellness Ban Do Planner
    • Evo Planner Review
    • BestSelf Co’s Self Journal
    • Commit30 Planner
    • Panda Planner
    • Happy Planner (by me & my BIG ideas)
  • Tablets
    • Tablets for Reading Books
    • Tablets for OSU
    • Tablets for Writers & Writing
    • 10-Inch Tablets
    • Android Tablets with Keyboard
    • Tablets for Photo Editing
    • Tablets for Sheet Music
    • Budget Tablets
    • Windows Tablets Under 300
    • Cheap Drawing Tablets with Screen
    • 7-inch Tablets
    • Tablets for College Students
    • Digital Drawing Tablets
    • Android Tablets for Drawing
    • Tablets for Reading Comics
  • Blog
    • 67 things to track in your habit tracker
    • 40 Things to write in a notebook
    • How To Use a Planner Effectively
    • How to Start a Bullet Journal and Change Your Life
    • 20 Bullet Journal Hacks
    • 10 Organizing Tips For Busy Moms in 2021
    • Time Management Tips for Busy Moms for 2021
    • How to Repair a Broken Binder Ring
    • How To Design & Print Planner Stickers At Home
    • How to Remove Highlighter
    • Learn How to Use Watercolor Pencils Step by Step
    • How to Blend Colored Pencils
    • How to Sharpen a Pencil Without a Sharpener
    • How to Remove Chalk Marker from Chalkboard
    • What are Alcohol Markers
    • How to Laminate at Home
    • Best Whiteboard Cleaner
  • self improvement
    • How To Make a Vision Board
    • How To Work Smarter Not Harder
    • Things To Be Grateful For
    • Bring Life to Order With a Brain Dump
    • How To Be Your Best Self
    • Get Set For The Day by Drinking 16oz of Water
Get Life You Desire
Get Life You Desire
  • Home
  • Best Guides
    • Planners
      • Clever Fox
        • Clever Fox Planner Review
        • Clever Fox Budget Planner Review
        • Clever Fox Dotted Notebook Review
      • Moms Planners
      • Undated Planners
      • Goal Planners
      • Hourly Appointment Planners
      • Popular Planners
      • Teacher Planners
      • Budget Planners
      • Planner for Entrepreneurs
      • Customizable Planners
      • Daily Planners
      • Productivity Planners
      • Planners for ADHD
      • Homeschool Planners
      • Wedding Planner Books
      • Planners for Men
      • Life Planners
      • Refillable Planners
      • Weekly Planners
      • Planner Stickers
      • Planners for Nursing Students
      • Planners for Students
      • Planners for Creatives
    • Notebooks
      • Notebooks for Bullet Journaling
      • Pocket Notebooks
      • Paper Notebooks For College
      • Spiral Notebooks
      • Hardcover Notebooks
      • Fountain Pen Friendly Notebooks
      • Japanese Notebook
      • Password Organizer Books
      • Refillable Notebook
      • Notebooks for Writing
      • Paper Notebooks for Work
      • Digital Smart Notebooks
      • Graph Paper Notebooks
      • Composition Notebooks
    • Journals
      • Workout & Fitness Journals
      • Gratitude Journals
      • Leather Journals
      • Daily Journals
      • 20 Bullet Journal Supplies
      • Travel Journals
      • Pregnancy Journals
    • Comparison
      • Clever Fox vs Panda Planner
      • Happy Planner vs Erin Condren
      • Elfinbook vs Rocketbook
    • Sketchbooks
      • Mixed Media Sketchbooks
      • Sketchbook for Markers
      • Watercolor Sketchbooks for Artists
    • Papers
      • Paper for Colored Pencils
      • Heat Transfer Papers
      • Paper for Prismacolor Pencils
      • Paper for Acrylic Paint
      • Watercolor Paper
      • Paper for Charcoal
      • Paper for Oil Pastels
      • Printer Paper
    • Notepads
    • Binders
      • Binders for College Students
      • 3 Ring Binders
  • supplies
    • Pens
      • Pens for Writing
      • Writing Pens for Gifts
      • Fountain Pens
        • Fountain Pens Under 50
        • Fountain Pens Under 100
        • Fountain Pens Under 200
        • Fountain Pen Inks
        • Beginner Fountain Pens
        • Blue Fountain Pen Inks
        • Black Fountain Pen Inks
      • Pens For Planners
        • Brush Pens For Bullet Journaling
        • Pens for Bullet Journals
        • Paper For Copic Markers
      • Erasable Pens
      • Gel Pens
        • Gel Pens for Writers and Artists
        • Gel Pens for Coloring
        • White Gel Pens
        • Glitter Gel Pens
      • Colored Pens
      • Felt Tip Pens
      • Retractable Pens
      • Luxury Pens
      • Pens For Planners
      • Multicolored Pens
      • Fine Point Pens
      • Pens for Lefties
      • Black Pens
      • EDC Pens
      • Pens For Nurses
      • Refillable Pens
      • Teacher Pens
      • Pens for College Students
      • Bible Journaling Pens
      • Pens for Drawing and Sketching
      • Smart Pens
      • Uni-Ball Pens
      • Paint Pens for Rocks
      • Fineliner Pens
      • Office Pens
      • Rollerball Pens
      • Pens for Architects
      • Bolt Action Pens
    • Supplies for Artist
      • Watercolor
        • Watercolor Brush Pens
        • Watercolor Set for Students and Artists
        • Masking Fluids for Watercolor
        • Watercolor Palettes
        • Watercolor Brushes
      • Markers
        • Ohuhu vs Copic Markers
        • Paint Pens and Markers
        • Markers for Artists
        • Chalk Markers
        • Alcohol-Based Markers
        • Markers For Bullet Journaling
        • Paint Pens and Markers for Wood
        • Markers for Adult Coloring Books
        • Permanent Markers
        • Brush Markers
        • Markers for Canvas
        • Dry Erase Markers for Glass
        • Fabric Markers
        • Markers for Graffiti
        • Best Markers for Autographs
      • Paints
        • Gouache Paints
        • Body Paints
        • Acrylic Paints for Canvas
        • Paints for Canvas
      • Books
        • Manga Drawing Books
        • Human Anatomy Books for Artists
        • Watercolor Books for Beginners & Artists
      • Charcoal Pencils for Artists
      • Oil Pastels
      • Brushes for Painting Miniatures
      • Art Easels for Painting
      • Kneaded Erasers
      • Canvases for Oil Painting
      • Drawing Mannequins
      • Acrylic Paint Brushes
      • Art & Drafting Tables
      • Brushes for Oil Painting
      • Best Clays for Sculpting
    • Pencils
      • Pencil Cases
      • Pencil Grips
      • Colored Pencils
      • Mechanical Pencil Leads
      • Watercolor Pencils
      • Writing Pencils to Study
      • Mechanical Pencils for Drawing
      • Graphite Pencils
      • Number 2 Pencils
      • Carpenter Pencils
      • Pastel Pencils
    • Highlighters
      • Highlighter Pens
      • Bible Highlighters
    • Sharpeners
      • Electric Pencil Sharpeners
      • Sharpeners for Colored Pencils
      • Manual Pencil Sharpener
      • Pencil Sharpeners for Artists
    • Correction Supplies
      • Correction Tape & White Out Pens
      • Erasers
      • Electric Erasers
    • Calligraphy
      • Calligraphy Pens For Beginners
      • Calligraphy Nibs
      • Papers for Calligraphy
      • Calligraphy Inks for Dip Pen & Brushes
    • Glues
      • Glues for Paper Crafts
      • Glues for Cardboard Projects
      • Glues for Ceramic Repair
      • Glue Guns
    • Printers
      • Printers for Cardstock Printing
      • Printers for Cricut
      • Printers for Stickers
      • Printers for Printing Your Art
      • Printers Under 200
      • Printers for College Students
      • Printers for Chromebook
      • Printers for Graphic Designers
      • Edible Printers
      • Budget Laser Printers
      • Photo Booth Printers
      • Printers for Teachers
    • Scanners
      • Scanners for Artwork and Artists
      • Flatbed Photo Scanners
      • Photo Scanner with Feeder
      • Film Scanners
    • For Home, Office and School
      • School Supplies
      • Heavy Duty Staplers
      • Whiteboards
      • Washi Tape
      • Letter Openers
      • Scissors for Cutting Paper
      • Computer Mice for Graphic Designers
      • Art Easels for Toddlers
      • Stencils for Bullet Journaling
      • Book Stands
      • Rulers
      • Paper Shredder under 50
      • Capacitive Styluses
      • Drafting Chairs
      • Mat Cutters
      • Best Expanding File Folders
    • Best Home Laminator
  • Single Planner Reviews
    • GoGirl Planner
    • Living Well Planner
    • Wellness Ban Do Planner
    • Erin Condren Life Planner
    • Simple Elephant Planner
    • Leuchtturm1917 Planner
    • MochiThings Planner
    • Passion Planner
    • Start Planner
    • Moleskine Academic Planner
    • Erin Condren Life Planner
    • Law of Attraction Planner
    • Ink and Volt Planner
    • Happiness Planner
    • The Full Focus Planner
    • Wellness Ban Do Planner
    • Evo Planner Review
    • BestSelf Co’s Self Journal
    • Commit30 Planner
    • Panda Planner
    • Happy Planner (by me & my BIG ideas)
  • Tablets
    • Tablets for Reading Books
    • Tablets for OSU
    • Tablets for Writers & Writing
    • 10-Inch Tablets
    • Android Tablets with Keyboard
    • Tablets for Photo Editing
    • Tablets for Sheet Music
    • Budget Tablets
    • Windows Tablets Under 300
    • Cheap Drawing Tablets with Screen
    • 7-inch Tablets
    • Tablets for College Students
    • Digital Drawing Tablets
    • Android Tablets for Drawing
    • Tablets for Reading Comics
  • Blog
    • 67 things to track in your habit tracker
    • 40 Things to write in a notebook
    • How To Use a Planner Effectively
    • How to Start a Bullet Journal and Change Your Life
    • 20 Bullet Journal Hacks
    • 10 Organizing Tips For Busy Moms in 2021
    • Time Management Tips for Busy Moms for 2021
    • How to Repair a Broken Binder Ring
    • How To Design & Print Planner Stickers At Home
    • How to Remove Highlighter
    • Learn How to Use Watercolor Pencils Step by Step
    • How to Blend Colored Pencils
    • How to Sharpen a Pencil Without a Sharpener
    • How to Remove Chalk Marker from Chalkboard
    • What are Alcohol Markers
    • How to Laminate at Home
    • Best Whiteboard Cleaner
  • self improvement
    • How To Make a Vision Board
    • How To Work Smarter Not Harder
    • Things To Be Grateful For
    • Bring Life to Order With a Brain Dump
    • How To Be Your Best Self
    • Get Set For The Day by Drinking 16oz of Water
Home Supplies for Artist How to Sharpen a Pencil for Drawing

How to Sharpen a Pencil for Drawing

    5 / 5 ( 2 votes )

    Have you ever been stuck somewhere filling out important paperwork when suddenly your pencil breaks? Or maybe it’s just getting dull and you don’t have any way to sharpen it because there’s no sharpener in sight. Think you’re out of luck? Think again!

    You just need to learn how to sharpen a pencil without a sharpener!

    Perhaps you’re wondering, “How can I possibly sharpen a pencil if I don’t have a sharpener?” It’s actually an easier task to accomplish than you may think. You just need a few everyday items. These helpful tips that are sure to do the trick!

    Contents

    • 1 How to Sharpen a Pencil with a Knife
      • 1.1 Pencil Sharpening Techniques
      • 1.2 Sharpen Your Pencil With a Rough Object
    • 2 The Best Way to Sharpen a Carpenter’s Pencil
    • 3 How to Sharpen Chalk Without a Sharpener

    How to Sharpen a Pencil with a Knife

    How to Sharpen a Pencil with a KnifeImagine that you’re sitting at the park sketching some beautiful scenery and your art pencil breaks. Suddenly, you realize you forgot to bring your manual pencil sharpener.

    You don’t want to lose the inspiration of the moment. So what’s an artist like you supposed to do in this situation?

    If you have a pocket knife handy, you can quickly take care of the problem. Simply open up the blade and rub the wood part of the pencil along the sharp knife edge. It’s exactly like whittling a stick. Your pencil will be as good as new in no time!

    You can learn how to sharpen a charcoal pencil without breaking it by using a knife too. This is a good thing to remember if your pencil isn’t broken but simply dull. You simply take the dull tip and run it along the blade until it gets to your desired sharpness.

    A few words of caution are in order when it comes to using a knife to sharpen your dull or broken pencil:

    Attention
    • Don’t bring a knife to a place where they’re prohibited to use as a pencil sharpener!
    • Dont face the blade toward any part of your body while sharpening the pencil!
    • Don’t forget to put the knife back in a safe place after using it to sharpen your pencil!

    So what if you happen to be somewhere where you don’t have access to a knife? There are still plenty of other ways you can sharpen your dull or broken pencil. It’s easy if you know the following hacks.

    Pencil Sharpening Techniques

    If you’re looking for a way to sharpen your pencil without a sharpener, look for any type of surface that would cause the right amount of friction to get the job done.

    Sharpen Your Pencil With a Rough Object

    There are plenty of items with rough enough surfaces to scratch down either the dull tip or the wood portion of your pencil. If you rub it along one of these surfaces, your pencil will soon be nice and sharp. Here are some ideas of rough objects you could use if you’re without a sharpener:

    Objects:
    • A brick or mortar
    • A piece of rough stone
    • A nail file
    • Sandpaper
    • The side of a building
    • Concrete or blacktop pavement

    As you can see, there are all kinds of different rough objects you could use to sharpen your pencil. Your technique will be slightly different depending on the object you choose.

    For example, if you’re out in your garage you might find a piece of sandpaper to sharpen your dull pencil. All you need to do is rub the pencil tip along the sandpaper’s roughest surface until it gets sharp.

    Just be sure to turn the pencil ever so slightly from time to time as you rub it on the sandpaper. That way you won’t end up with a lopsided pencil blade.

    With proper rotation, your pencil will turn out almost as symmetrically sharp as it would if you used a sharpener.

    The Best Way to Sharpen a Carpenter’s Pencil

    Have you ever used a carpenter’s pencil before? They differ from regular pencils in several ways.

    Differences
    • They’re shaped differently
    • They’re easier to hold onto
    • The lead is more dense than typical pencil lead
    • They allow you to draw both thin and thick lines
    • They won’t fit a standard pencil sharpener

    The Best Way to Sharpen a Carpenter's PencilThese pencils are shaped differently than a standard pencil you would use at school or home. Instead of being designed with a hexagon shape, they’re usually shaped like a rectangle or ellipse.

    This shape makes the pencil easier to grab and hold onto. It also makes it less likely for the pencil to roll away if it’s accidentally dropped or set down.

    The extra dense lead makes these pencils ideal for use on a job site. They can mark on all kinds of different surfaces including rough boards or concrete.

    You can use these pencils to write both thick and thin lines by switching turning them. If it’s laying on the long side of the rectangular surface, it will make a thick line. If you turn it onto the narrower side, it will make a thin line. That’s pretty ingenious, isn’t it?

    You can even make a groove in the center of your carpenter pencil’s lead to create an awesome effect. This allows you to draw parallel double lines at the same time!

    One of the only drawbacks to this amazing pencil is that it probably won’t fit the pencil sharpener you already own for your home or office. Not to worry! You can still sharpen it if you follow these simple steps.

    Procedures:
    • Firmly grip the pencil
    • Leave a few inches between your hand and the tip
    • Point a chisel or utility knife at the pencil a 45 degree angle
    • Keep the sharpening object one half inch from the end you’re sharpening
    • Whittle off the narrow sides of the pencil
    • After the narrow sides are finished, do the same to the wide sides
    • Always keep the sharpening tool pointed away from you
    • Finish sharpening the tip with sandpaper

    How to Sharpen Chalk Without a Sharpener

    Now that you’ve learned how to sharpen a standard pencil and a carpenter’s pencil without a sharpener, what about chalk? Chalkboard lettering is all the rage these days. The problem is that school chalk typically comes in a box with completely flat ends. That dull shape makes it hard to write crisp, precise lines.

    Thankfully, you can sharpen chalk very easily even if you don’t have a sharpener. Just use a sharp surface like a knife or scissors to chip away at the edges of the chalk in each direction. If you don’t have a sharp object, simply rub the chalk on concrete, blacktop, or another rough surface on all sides until you get it down to a thin, pointed tip. Because chalk is so soft, it will sharpen up nicely in no time!

    Keeping a few extra pencils or a small handheld sharpener handy is also a good idea, especially if you’re in school. That way you won’t have to constantly raise your hand to go use the classroom pencil sharpener. But in case you forget these items, you can use this practical advice.

    Now that you’ve learned how to sharpen a pencil without a sharpener, you don’t need to panic next time your pencil breaks. Simply remember to find a rough surface or sharp object to take care of the problem. These same tricks also work wonders for carpenter’s pencils and chalk.

    Get Life You Desire
    • About Us
    • Contact us
    • Privacy Policy
    • Disclosure
    Copyright © 2021 GetLifeYouDesire. All RIGHTS RESERVED. GetLifeYouDesire is a participant of the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program – it is designed to provide an aid for the websites in earning an advertisement fee – by means of advertising and linking to Amazon.com products.

    Input your search keywords and press Enter.