Pencil, from Latin penicillus or ‘little tail’ was the term first used for tools made for drawing either out of camel hair, or metal sticks, like the ones used on papyrus or wax tablets. While graphite pencils are usually the first thing that comes to mind when we talk about pencils, it was not so in the past. The created rods are then encased in wooden shafts. The paste is compressed into thin rods and baked. Graphite, which is used for pencils is first reduced to powder, mixed with clay and other materials if necessary, and then formed into a paste.

However, the procedure of making different types of pencils is fairly similar. As seen from above, the combination of materials divides pencils in diverse groups. While talking about pencils and pencil drawings, it may be suitable to explain a bit how pencils are made. Michelangelo Buonarroti - The Resurrection, 1532. Tip, sides, or the whole length of the stick can be used with versatile effects. Graphite sticks made of highly compressed graphite are often the first choice of the creatives because of the flexibility of application. Lead pencils consist of clay and graphite colored pencils usually contain wax, pigment and clay charcoal pencils are made of compressed charcoal, while crayon pencils are comprised of pigment, gum, grease and graphite. Usually, pencils are made from different rations of clay and graphite, but grease, color pigments, gum, or wax can be used as well. Pencils are not made from a single material, and combination of materials decides their characteristics. Thicknesses of lines as well as intensity of color are conditioned by draftsmen’s temperament in execution of their works. Besides the hardness, the achieved effect often depends on the pressure draftsmen apply while drawing. This represents a universalized marking system so they can be easily discriminated. Pencils are often marked with H (hardness), B (blackness), or HB, along with numbers. Harder the graphite, the finer lines are created. Preparatory sketches are often done in pencil, and the quality achieved differs according to the hardness of the graphite in shaft. Without a doubt, intimacy and immediacy of pencil drawing is the main allure of this medium for the creatives. Before turning to some of the best examples of pencil drawing in modern and contemporary art, we will look into different types of pencils and give a short overview of historical use of this medium.įredo - Subjetivo. Social and cultural factors as well as genre hierarchies influenced the use of pencil in high art.

Quick sketches or more elaborate, finely worked drawings can be created sketching an idea that will be later transformed in, for example, an oil painting is usually done in pencil, or making a pencil the only medium of an artwork is also often present.However, these different approaches to pencil medium although it may seem normal or usual in today’s art world, were often conditioned in the past by different understandings of art’s function and purpose. The effects created in pencil differ according to these parameters. Pencil is for Salwey: “ a vital tool sympathetic to the artist’s every fancy or requirement, a medium capable of rendering not only the most determined contrasts in light and shade but if need be, fifty intermediate tones of varying degree.” Pencil technique varies according to type of pencil used, and the approach of an artist. These artworks were handmade with extraordinary care, with artists most often working in pencil, paper and paint.Pencil Drawing is a fascinating medium, contends Jasper Salwey in his book on art of lead pencil drawings. An old master pencil drawing from Gennaro Luciano, John Downman, George Romney, Augustin de Saint-Aubin and Charles-Nicolas II Cochin - each of whom created distinctive versions of this kind of work - is worth considering. Adding an old master pencil drawing to a room that is mostly decorated in warm neutral tones can yield a welcome change - find a piece on 1stDibs that incorporates elements of beige, gray, brown, black and more. You’re likely to find the perfect old master pencil drawing among the distinctive items we have available, which includes versions made as long ago as the 18th Century as well as those made as recently as the 20th Century. In our selection of items, you can find Old Masters examples as well as a Abstract version.

Find the exact old master pencil drawing you’re shopping for in the variety available on 1stDibs.

Masters pencil drawings