I've instructed art classes at the local museum for a number of years, mostly drawing classes for adults. Graphite is a great starting point. Maybe that's part of the reason that graphite drawings are "under-rated." Pencils are pretty basic- who doesn't have a pencil? It's up to the artist to use them for something unique. I like to play with words and images (I drive myself crazy with creating a title that I then have to live up by creating its drawing!) Last year was a call for entry for a food-related piece of art. It was also the year for all that hullabaloo about a book titled "Fifty Shades of Gray." Pencil was the perfect choice for the medium. The fun began as I found image ideas that related to the number fifty, the word "shades", and the color grey. I created a composition from the ideas (oh, the food part is a bottle of mustard and a textured loaf of bread), and the result was "Fifty Shades of Gray Poupon".- gloria