The Graphite Pencil was discovered before 1565 ... This deposit of graphite was extremely pure and solid, and it could easily be sawn into sticks. The Italian's were first to apply the wooden ...

A batch of graphite has just been delivered to this pencil factory in Germany. Once it’s been thoroughly mixed with clay, it’s ready to go into production, with around 550 pounds of the stuff ...

Photography by Mike Tinney In his opening essay to the book, writer William Boyd points to the invention of the pencil in 16th-century Cumbria, England where an underground supply of “pure solid ...

Learn more As someone who's been drawing since I could hold a crayon, I've been through my fair share of graphite pencils, sketchbooks, and paint sets. I've tried dozens of different brands over ...