A few months ago, I decided to give pencil sketching a try. I wanted something relaxing to do occasionally that wouldn’t require much investment. At an art store, I purchased a Pentalic sketchbook, a set of tinted German-made Staedtler pencils, and a high-quality eraser. A few weeks later, I added colored pencils and another sketchbook to my collection of supplies. Lacking sketching experience, I looked at pictures I had and did my best to replicate them with pencil drawings. My husband gives me lavish praise for my little sketches. I appreciate his enthusiasm about my new hobby, but he and…