If you love pencils as much as I do you will love this store/site.  Check it out! 

I am sorry I cannot find a link for the pretty pencil I used.  Here's a link for the Blackwing Pencils I mentioned.  My favorite pencils for drawing are actually TomBow.  

For this exercise any pencil or color pencil or maker or pen will do!  I used a 4b pencil.  

It doesn't matter so much where the material comes from, as long as it's good. 

-Steve Buscemi

To me this was a really fun exercise. I loved watching it unfold as I put each line down. 

You will need a reference image, you could make it a self portrait if you want to use a mirror or photo of yourself.  Lightly sketch it out and then begin to use lines going in all different directions to fill in the portrait.