Pencils and Pastels
Here’s a fabulous assortment of the latest in pencils and pastels, plus a history of the humble pencil.
THE ART OF STAEDTLER PENCILS – THE FORMULA IS SECRET – THE PENCILS ARE WORLD-FAMOUS!
It was with pencils that STAEDTLER’S success story began. Ever since 1835, STAEDTLER pencils have served both as tools and a source of inspiration for artists. Whether you need highquality artist drawing pencils, watercolour pencils or accessories, the STAEDTLER range satisfies the needs of professional and hobby artists alike.
First class materials and manufacturing processes guarantee outstanding and unbeatable product quality. Most STAEDTLER pencils are made with PEFC wood from certified, sustainably managed forests.
Following are some of our favourite STAEDTLER art pencil products:
“Ever since 1835, STAEDTLER pencils have served both as tools and a source of inspiration for artists.”
Ergosoft Coloured Pencils
STAEDTLER’S ergosoft pencils are not only equipped with a truly innovative soft surface, but are also perfectly shaped - a triangular design ensures superb writing comfort and prevents fingers from slipping. ergosoft pencils feature Anti-break-system (A-B-S), a
unique, white protective coating that reinforces the lead core and increases break-resistance by up to 50%. The pencils comprise an especially soft and richly-coloured lead (3mm diameter) and are available in ‘stand up’ wallets of 12 or 24 coloured pencils which convert to convenient desk sets.
Ergosoft watercolour pencils comprise a unique watercolour lead for dry and wet blending and offer a wide range of creative possibilities when colouring - also with water and paintbrush. These pencils are ultraversatile and suitable for working with mixed mediums. Available in wallets of assorted colours of 12 or 24.
Mars® Lumograph® – sketching pencils
A premium-quality art pencil for writing, drawing and sketching on paper and matt drafting film, the Mars Lumograph is ideal for artists, graphic designers and illustrators. The pencil is particularly break resistant thanks to superbonded lead and lines produce well.
The Mars Lumograph is available in tins of 6, 12 or 19 pencils in assorted degrees, a cardboard box of 6 degrees (that includes a free Mars plastic eraser and metal single-hole sharpener) and also as individual degrees in 12-piece boxes.
WOPEX (Wood Pencil Extrusion) The first pencil made out of WOPEX, the award-winning** innovative natural fibre material developed by STAEDTLER made from 70 per cent wood and natural fibre. Comprising excellent lead stability and break-resistance, WOPEX pencils are top quality for writing, drawing and sketching.
Perfect in application with a non-slip velvet soft surface, the homogeneous 2.3mm lead glides smoothly across the paper, ultimately providing superb writing comfort with smooth and even sharpening experienced through the consistent WOPEX material.
The advanced WOPEX pencil provides the foundation for a new generation of wood-cased pencil manufacturing at STAEDTLER. With significantly higher utilisation of wood from each tree WOPEX is produced with PEFC wood from certified sustainably managed forests using a completely solventfree production procedure. WOPEX pencils are available in HB, 2H and 2B in boxes of 12.
** WOPEXÂ has been distinguished with numerous awards and recognition including the ‘ Design Plus’ award at the Material Vision exhibition in Frankfurt, the ‘ bio composite award’ and the ‘ WPC innovation award.’
“Mars® Lumograph® – sketching pencils are premium-quality art pencils for writing, drawing and sketching on paper and matt drafting film, the Mars Lumograph is ideal for artists, graphic designers and illustrators.”
For further STAEDTLER product information please visit: www.staedtler.com.au
History of graphite pencils
Graphite is one of the physical forms in which the element carbon is found. The decay of great forests yielded, under sedimentary pressure, the coal deposits common throughout the world. Not so common are the graphite seams formed by more extremes of pressures.
The first graphite ever discovered was found in the Seathwaite Valley on the side of the mountain Seathwaite Fell in Borrowdale, near Keswick, England, in about 1500. The popular story is that, following a very violent storm, the shepherds went out in the morning to see their sheep on the mountain side and found a number of trees had been blown down tearing away the subsoil as they fell and leaving exposed to view large masses of black material.
Pieces were dug out and the shepherds first thought it was coal, but as it would not burn they were at a loss to understand it. It was then found to be an excellent medium for marking sheep. The value of the material was quickly discovered and the mines were taken over by the government. It was found most useful for medicinal purposes, but its chief use was as moulds for the manufacture of cannon balls.
Chemistry was in its infancy and the substance was thought to be a form of lead. Consequently, it was called plumbago (Latin for “lead ore”). The black core of pencils is still referred to as “lead,” even though it never contained the element lead.
About 1558, thanks mainly to the Italian schools, the fame of Cumberland graphite spread quickly as being a most useful material to artists all over the world. It was first used by cutting into rough pieces and wrapping it in sheepskin, but it was the Italians who first developed a wooden holder. The first basic pencils were made as follows:
In 1795 Nicholas Conte discovered a method of mixing powdered graphite with clay and forming the mixture into rods that were then fired in a kiln. By varying the ratio of graphite to clay, the hardness of the graphite rod could also be varied. This method of pencil manufacture remains in use today.
Graphite pencils are graded on the European system using a continuum from “H” (for hardness) to “B” (for blackness), as well as “F” (for fine point). The standard writing pencil is graded HB. Today a set of pencils ranging from a very hard, light-marking pencil to a very soft, black-marking pencil usually ranges from hardest to softest as follows.
Traditional pencils
Following on from the development of graphite pencils was the development of colour and watercolour pencils. Both these pencil media created a different dimension for conveying expressions of landscapes, portraits etcetera when previously only paint and pastels were available. While mimicking both paint and pastel in some way this new media
PENCILS FROM S&S
“Graphite was first used by cutting into rough pieces and wrapping it in sheepskin, but it was the Italians who first developed a wooden holder.”
brought its own distinctive feel. Colour and watercolour pencils were quickly followed by drawing, pastel and metallic pencils.
Derwent Artists Colouring Pencils
The original artists colouring pencil. Developed in the 1930s, the Derwent Artists range was originally known as the Number 19 range and soon became the flagship of the Derwent range and has remained that way for the past 80 years. The traditional round barrel and wide colour strip (4mm) of the Derwent Artists pencil makes it perfect for broad strokes and free, expressive drawing. The Derwent Artists pencil’s slightly waxy texture is ideal for multiple layering and blending to produce an infinite spectrum of subtly different hues and tints. Available in a range of 120 colours, the Derwent Artists pencil has stood the test of time.
For a crisper, more precise drawing style, the Derwent Studio range has a slight smaller colour strip (3.5mm) than the Artists pencil and a slim hexagonal barrel. Studio is available in 72 colours, all of which match the colours in the Artists range. These ranges complement each other perfectly!
Derwent Watercolour Pencils
An exciting and versatile colouring medium which can be used to produce an interesting variety of drawing and painting effects – the beauty of watercolour and the precision of a pencil allows you to enjoy the best of both mediums. The soft 3.5mm diameter colour strip incorporates quality pigments and the purest fillers to produce a very water soluble medium. Derwent Watercolour pencils can be used wet or dry, or on wet or dry paper to achieve a wide variety of effects. They are complemented perfectly by the Derwent Aquatone range. There are 72 classic colours which retain their full intensity whether you use them wet or dry.
Derwent Metallic Pencils
While not a typical “traditional” pencil, metallic coloured pencils were a logical extension to the range of colours available for standard colour pencils. These bright, highly reflective colours work best on a dark background and can be used on their own or in conjunction with other media to add brilliant definition and glowing highlights. Derwent Metallic pencils are water-soluble so you can create interesting line and wash effects. Derwent Metallic is available in 12 brilliant colours, from traditional golds and silvers to shimmering pinks and purples.
Derwent Coloursoft Pencils
Coloursoft, as the name implies, is a softer pencil than the traditional Derwent Artists pencil but still giving you strong and vibrant colours. The soft textured strip in Coloursoft pencils is perfect for quick, easy laydown of large blocks of colour. The large, 4mm colour strip is housed in a strong and durable 8mm Cedar wood barrel. Coloursoft pencils are acid-free, do not bloom easily and have superior lightfast ratings to similar brands of soft textured pencils. The velvety softness of the core releases rich, dense colour at a stroke and is perfect for mixing and blending. Despite its soft texture, Coloursoft sharpens to a fine point and works equally well for detailed illustrations or bold, contemporary still-life drawings and portraiture.
Derwent Aquatone
Aquatone is a solid stick of pure water-soluble pigment, in effect a woodless watercolour pencil
containing up to four times as much material as a traditional watercolour pencil – with no wastage! They are perfect for all types of watercolour drawing and painting, allowing the user to create vivid and stunningly different pictures. They are ideal for creating broad strokes of colour or large areas of colour wash and provide quick and easy colour lay down. The Aquatone range contains 24 strong and vibrant colours that all contain the highest quality pigments. Each Aquatone stick measures 7 x 180mm and is individually paper-wrapped.
Inktense by Derwent
Derwent Inktense pencils are an exciting and completely unique range of 71 pure, vibrant, watersoluble ink pencils plus outliner which allows you to draw outlines that are permanent. Inktense combines the brilliant intensity of pen and ink with versatility of line and wash. When used dry these pencils create strong, vivid tones and by simply applying a light water wash you can achieve a translucent, ink-like effect.
The colours can be blended together with a slightly wetted paintbrush. Once dry, the colour will not wash out and can be worked over again with both soluble and non-soluble media. Derwent Inktense pencils are incredibly versatile and can be used to create a diverse range of art from Japanese Manga to vibrant silk painting; traditional watercolours to stunning botanical illustrations. They have also become very popular with fabric artists throughout the world for the colours, permanency and designs that can be achieved using Inktense.
Derwent Tinted Graphite
Graphitint is an exciting drawing pencil that combines the drama and creativity of the graphite medium with a hint of soft, subtle colour. Graphitint can be used wet or dry to produce an amazing range of tinted graphite effects. Graphitint will appeal to any artist seeking a new medium that is highly creative and a little bit different. Used dry like a conventional pencil, Graphitint produces soft tones of grey with just a suggestion of colour. Add water and the colours become far more vibrant. The colours can be lightened or removed with a soft eraser or by lifting out with a brush and clean water. Available in 24 fabulous colour tints ranging from soft greys, blues and greens to glowing russets, plums and browns, all can be mixed and blended to produce even more subtle colour variations.
Derwent Tinted Charcoal
Tinted Charcoal offers the dramatic beauty of traditional charcoal with a gentle hint of colour. Natural charcoal particles have been mixed with the finest clays then encased in wood to produce a wonderfully expressive drawing tool. The unique deep and light colour tones of charcoal in pencil form make the medium clean and easy to use but provides all the drama and impact expected from charcoal. The colours smudge and blend beautifully to produce deep, rich and diverse tones, making Tinted Charcoal ideal for all type of portraiture and landscape studies.
Derwent Burnishing and Blending pencils
A Burnishing pencil is a hard colourless pencil which, when used over layers of colour provides a rich, polished finish. Burnishing pushes the pigment into the paper and leaves a photo like finish. It makes the colours look brighter and can give an image a polished or reflective look by sealing it with a heavy layer of colourless wax. If you want to create a subtle blend of colours then the Derwent Blender is the ideal accessory. The Blender pencil is a soft colourless pencil made from the binder used for coloured pencils. It allows you to blend two or more colours together to create a new
colour. At the same time it physically mixes and smoothes the colours so individual strokes and hard edges are softened. Blending pencils make the colours very bright and vivid.
Lightfast Pencils – Cretacolor Marino Aquarelle and Karmina Permanent Colouring Pencils
As coloured pencils gain more acceptance as a “serious” fine art medium, the demand for permanent, lightfast drawing materials has increased. Cretacolor of Austria has introduced a range of highly lightfast colouring and aquarelle pencils. Both ranges comprise 36 bright, vivid and permanent colours. Through extensive research Cretacolor found that there were 36 colour pigments that could be guaranteed to have the highest lightfast rating possible.
These colours have been produced in accordance with the latest ASTM-D4303, a test specifically devised for the measurement and labelling of pencils for lightfastness on the LF scale which rates the lightfastness on a scale of 1-5 (1 being the highest). The LF (Lightfastness) scale tests the exposure of colours to the equivalent of 100 years of museum lighting. All 36 Marino and Karmina colours were rated at LF1 or LF2. All colours in these ranges can be inter-mixed to produce numerous tones and will captivate the user with their soft stroke and brilliant tones.
To view all the products on offer from S&S please visit www.creativityunlimited.com.au
black to base colours. The result is intense, vibrant colour application not muddied by the blending of colours. The fact that these pastels are individually hand-rolled, rather than extruded from a machine, means they contain very little binder thus giving Unison pastels their distinctive smooth texture, delivering a consistency of response across the colour spectrum that is unmatched by other pastels.
Despite manufacturing more than half a million individual sticks a year, Unison Soft Pastels are hand mixed, hand rolled and airdried. They are mixed meticulously to Hersey’s original recipes and are based on traditional pigments such as cadmiums, cobalts and natural and synthetic earths. The pigment hardly gets pressed at all and sticks are rolled very lightly, which makes the colour extremely rich and vibrant. This process also creates thicker pastels, which, in turn leads to smooth and fluent colour laydown, similar to soft charcoal.
Most Unison colours are pure and single pigments. At most, four or five pigments are blended together to create a colour. The grades of colour in Unison Soft Pastels are not made by simply adding black or white to change the hue as is done by most pastel manufacturers. This practice results, Hersey says, in an isolated series of stepped reductions or tints, having no reference to a colouristic whole. Instead, Hersey takes colours and creates cycles of related hues to reflect the unison he sees in nature. Thus the name of his company, Unison Colour. This approach is reflected in the colour value schemes on offer from Unison. They range from reds, yellows, blues, violets and greens to earths, turquoise, lights, portraits and darks. There are 20 different colour value schemes and more than 400 colours in total, ensuring you will find the colour you need every time!
Richeson Signature Pastels
Richeson Signature Pastels are appropriate for every level of creativity. They are well-made, versatile and vibrant. They are perfect for all paintings from sketching to final touches. There are three different types of Richeson Signature pastels to complete your selection. The Soft Handmade pastels offer a consistent application without crumbling as some softer pastels do. The soft round pastels help you create broad smooth strokes or fine details. The Richeson Semi-hard Pastels are perfect for underpainting and have great flat edges for shading. There are 120 identical colours in each of the three ranges.
“Richeson Signature Pastels are appropriate for every level of creativity. They are well-made, versatile and vibrant. They are perfect for all paintings from sketching to final touches.”
Richeson Signature Soft Handmade Pastels
These are the top of the range in the Richeson Signature series. These professional quality, hand-rolled soft pastels have a velvety soft texture and are manufactured with only the highest quality pigments and minimal binder making them superior in texture, colour and response. They provide brilliant, intense colour and smooth laydown. Their large size (660 x 160mm) makes them up to 33 per cent larger than most other pastels.
Richeson Signature Medium Soft Round Pastels
These are professional quality, medium-soft round pastels offering superior lightfastness, consistent application without crumbling, bright intense colours and smooth laydown. Manufactured with only the highest quality pigments and binder, Richeson Signature Medium Soft Round pastels are perfect for types of pastel work, from sketching to final touches. The paperwrapped sticks measure 70mm in length with a 13mm diameter.
Richeson Signature SemiHard Square Pastels
These are highly pigmented, lightfast, professional quality pastels. Firmer than traditional pastels they offer smooth control with a crisp hard edge that resists crumbling, making them ideal for underpainting and shading. They can also be sharpened to a point if desired.
Daler-rowney Soft Artists Pastels
Over many decades Daler-rowney has perfected the art of soft pastel making. The finest available pigments are available are combined with other ingredients to give the most and most consistent painting experience through a carefully balanced range of 186 tints. The softness of each pastel allows the production of rich, graduated velvet tones of beautiful richness and hue. All colours come in tints of 1 – 4 (4 being the deepest) with each vibrant colour derived from precise blending of pigment with superior quality chalk and china clay. All colours are non-hazardous with minimal tendency to crumble and dust.
Sakura Nouvel Carré Artists Pastels
Sakura Nouvel Carré Artist Pastels are designed for the student and professional. The square shape is versatile for all work. Corners provide a sharp point; great for quick sketches. The side of the stick gives you broad coverage which is ideal for quick colour fill-ins and blending with a pastel brush. They are semi hard for minimal “finger-powdering” and the elimination of paper wrapping.
Sakura Nouvel Carré Pastels are water soluble. Artwork may be brushed with water or the pastel may be powdered to mix with water, thus providing the gentle characteristics of watercolour painting. Carré Pastels are lightfast rated and capable of an infinite range of hues, shades and tints. The pure pigments produce vivid, brilliant colours. The 96 colours provide an excellent range with the fluorescent and pearlescent colours. Carré Pastel pigments are safe - they are certified nontoxic by the Art and Craft Material Institute and meet ASTM D4236 and EN-71 CE standards.
Derwent Pastel Blocks
Derwent Pastels complement the Derwent Pastel Pencil range. The square 8 x 8 x 75mm blocks are silky and smooth, offering effortless colour transfer and infinite blending capabilities. The 36 colours are bright and vibrant and their square shape and smooth, semi-hard texture allows you to use the ends, sides or edges to produce broad strokes and fine detailed lines. Each set contains the colourless Blending White which allows you to blend the 36 colours easily without affecting their density
or shade. These pastels are perfect for traditional detailed pastel drawings and bold expressive pieces.
Cretacolor Carré Artists Pastels
These are made from high quality natural and synthetic pigments and similar in composition to unfired chalk sticks. They offer a high degree of light resistance and stability and are suitable for both amateur and professional artists. They are semi-hard and yet blend easily with minimum dusting. Their square shape allows broad and fine work and performs best on a soft drawing paper of average roughness. They are blendable, extendable, and soluble in water and require fixing. The convenient 7 x 7 x 75mm size is designed to fit in the Cretacolor chalk holder. Available in 72 colours.
Cretacolor Aquastic Watersoluble Oil Pastels
These water-soluble artists’ oil pastels produce remarkably smooth strokes of pure, clean, gloss colour. They are made with the highest quality pigments to guarantee lightfast colours.
They are suitable for use on paper, cardboard, canvas, wood and leather as well as on all smooth surfaces, such as glass, mirror or metal. Sticks are 8.5mm diameter x 100mm in length and available in 40 colours plus a unique “metallic” set that contains 8 metallic colours. Aquastic can be used for encaustic, resist, scratch back, watercolour, blending, rubbing, mixing and mixed media.
Spectrafix Pastel Fixative
Spectrafix Workable Spray Fixative is the ultimate fixative for charcoal, pastels and pencils, as it contains no resin varnishes, chemicals or chemical propellants to darken the value and alter the hue of the colours in your work. Also perfect for use to secure underpainting before varnishing or applying oil paint. Spectrafix is formulated from a blend of art-grade natural milk casein, water and pure grain alcohol to produce a colourless, rapid drying, waterresistant and non-yellowing film. The alcohol evaporates rapidly taking the water with it leaving only a thin layer of casein which dries quickly to a protective and archival matte film.
Spectrafix is not packaged in a pressurised aerosol can as the necessary chemical propellant used may cause unforeseeable effects to colour values and hues, your health and the environment. Instead, Spectrafix uses a finger-operated, fine mist sprayer to produce a vaporous mist that has only a minimal effect on a colour’s value and does not change the hue - the colours will remain fresh and vibrant even after several layers of Spectrafix. Safe for use indoors or in the classroom!
To view all the products on offer from S&S please visit www.creativityunlimited.com.au
“Spectrafix Workable Spray Fixative is the ultimate fixative for charcoal, pastels and pencils, as it contains no resin varnishes, chemicals or chemical propellants to darken the value and alter the hue of the colours in your work.”