For months now, i have been using the same old boldmere graphite pencils.
But I want to find a type of pencil that is smooth to use and will improve the the quality of my work.
Can anyone recommend a good brand.....?

Toni

General's and Derwent are both easily available all over the United States (they're even in Michael's craft stores), and are both excellent quality. I googled "boldmere" and it looks like a UK brand, so maybe someone else will have to recommend something that's available where you live.

Firstly you will want to experiment and find what is best for you, but starting with what the best graphite artists use is a good start.

My two favorite artists are Mike Sibley and J.D.Hillberry.

Mike uses Staedtler Mars Lumograph brand graphite 2mm leads and wood case pencils.
JD use General's Kimberly drawing pencils.

For the record I use Caran d'Arch products. I live in Switzerland and these are a Swiss product of high quality. Sometimes hard to find in the States and a bit pricey.

My problem with graphit is smearing ...the darker thelead the more it smears and no longer looks crisp ....how do you get a even looking drawing when using different number pencils ....and is a number 2 school pencil out of the question ?

#2 school pencil is just HB lead, although some brands would be better quality than others. I've started using a .5mm mechanical pencil and LOVE the thin little lines, although it came with HB lead so I'll have to find some 2B lead refills online. I have a set of Staedtler Mars Lumograph and also a set of General's... I should compare them to see if they perform differently.

I also have a set of Staedtler Mars Lumograph. It works fine for me. I'll be sure to try other stuff, though. A mech pencil would be a great excuse to work on more hatching !
To avoid smearing, I just try to be careful, use a piece of paper or plastic under my drawing hand, work from upper left to bottom right, and use my eraser to make the occasional smudge disappear. Also, leaving a good inch or 2 of margin around the drawing is helpful in not getting your drawing hand on the lines and shading.

Hi Kim,

Ah that's a good question! You can protect the paper all you want the fact is that when you use a soft graphite it is almost impossible to get a nice crisp line that won't smudge. Here is what I do: I use the softer graphite, 4B and up, and draw the line, hatching or circulation just short of where I want the tone to end. I then use a very sharp HB, F or B to blend toward the edge. Blending with the harder graphite will pull the softer graphite to the edge and at the same time help to fill in where the softer lead can not. This technique always gives me a very crisp and dark look when I need it.

I hope that make sense?

wow it not only makes sense but very useful .....now that is a answer to a question ....thanks RJ