Please demonstrate, in a drawing of a cube, how you would shade and blend effectively using graphite pencils, utilising the different pencil grades (explaining the difference between pencil grades).

Would first have them demonstrate on the webcam how they would shade and blend on a simple drawing of a cube. Having them draw a cube will force them to consider perspective, while allowing them a simple structure on which to practice blending and shading. I would have the student explain to me the differences between graphite pencil grades (H meaning "hard", B meaning "black", F meaning it can be sharpened to a finer point. H pencils are not as soft and blendable as B pencils, so are better for detailing but not good for blending. The higher the number, the higher the degree of H, B or F. For example, a 6B pencil is darker and softer than a 2B pencil). This difference is due to the different amounts of clay in the lead.In blending, I would explain that working your way up from a 2B to a 6B gets the most realistic image as you are gradually building up depth and light vs dark (contrast). This is superior to immediately shading with a 6B, as this would result in no gradient and an unrealistic image. I would also highlight the importance of using erasers for highlighting areas (particularly kneadable putty erasers for more subtle highlights).