Drawing & Sketching: Pencils
Graphite came into widespread use following the discovery of a large graphite deposit in Borrowdale, England in 1564. Graphite left a darker mark than lead, but was so soft and brittle that it required a holder. At first, sticks of graphite were wrapped in string. Later, the graphite was inserted into wooden sticks that had been hollowed-out by hand. The wood-cased pencil was born! The first mass-produced pencils were made in Nuremberg, Germany in 1662. There, an active pencil industry developed with famous companies like Faber-Castell established in 1761, Lyra, Staedtler and others growing throughout the 19th century industial revolution. Other early U.S. manufacturers that helped industrialize pencil making in the United States were Joseph Dixon Crucible Company (now Dixon Ticonderoga) and a number of factories established in New York and New Jersey towards the end of the 19th century by immigrants from the German industry including Faber Castell, Eberhard Faber, Eagle Pencil Company (Later Berol) and General Pencil Company.
- Faber-Castell Pitt Graphite Matt Black Pencils$4.508 items
- GraphiTint Pencils$5.50
24 itemsGraphitint pencils combine the creativity of a graphite pencil with a hint of soft, subtle color. Used dry, Graphitint offers soft color hues; add water and the color becomes more vibrant. Color tints range from soft grays, blues and greens to glowing russets, plums and browns.
- Faber-Castell Graphite Aquarelle Pencils$3.20
5 itemsGraphite Aquarelle Pencils are completely water-soluble. Graphite releases with water for a perfect wash effect. They are ideal for preliminary sketches of watercolor drawings and for complete watercolor techniques in graphite. The pencils feature thick 3.3mm break-resistant leads that are guaranteed easy to sharpen. They are available in 5 degrees of lead hardness.
- China Marker$3.00
2 itemsA soft, crayon-like pencil-style marker designed to mark on both porous and non-porous surfaces such as glass or ceramics. Paper wrapped.
- Stabilo Woody Pencils$7.80
24 itemsThis chunky pencil functions as a coloured pencil, watercolour and wax crayon in one. Perfect for numerous techniques and endless imagination, the extra-thick, 10mm lead provides soft, rich strokes. Outstanding watercolour properties make it ideal for painting with. The highly pigmented lead is not prone to breakage. It exhibits high luminosity and color intensity even on dark papers. It can also write on smooth surfaces like glass.
- Stabilo Woody Sets$49.00-$118.00
5 itemsThis chunky pencil functions as a coloured pencil, watercolour and wax crayon in one. Perfect for numerous techniques and endless imagination, the extra-thick, 10mm lead provides soft, rich strokes. Outstanding watercolour properties make it ideal for painting with. The highly pigmented lead is not prone to breakage. It exhibits high luminosity and color intensity even on dark papers. It can also write on smooth surfaces like glass.
- Stabilo All Pencils$3.50
9 itemsThis is a versatile graphite color pencil that can write on a large range of surfaces, including glass, metal, plastic, stone, paper and porcelain. Perfect for artists or professionals (e.g. in the industrial sector), this pencil is also handy for use around the home. It is available in red, blue, green, yellow, brown, black, white and orange. The high-quality pigments offer good, solid color that can be easily wiped off of surfaces with a damp cloth. The pencil is made from the highest quality graphite, and is easy to sharpen. STABILO All pencils are all-rounders that will satisfy even the most unusual of needs.
- Goldfaber Graphite Pencils$0.95
12 itemsThe Goldfaber graphite pencil is a versatile graphite pencil for drawing and sketching. These graphite pencils convince with their good writing performance. The hexagonal shape and the break-resistant lead with the typical Faber-Castell SV bonding make them an ideal companion during drawing and sketching for students and young artists.
- Derwent Charcoal Pencils$4.803 items
- Derwent Onyx Pencils$2.70
2 itemsThese super dark pencils feature smooth graphite that produces jet black tones and smudges easily for blending. Its non-crumbly texture sharpens and maintains a consistent point. Darker than a 9B drawing pencil, Onyx Pencils are available in medium and dark tones.
- Derwent Graphitone Pencils$5.95
4 itemsThese solid graphite, water soluble, woodless pencils are great for all types of sketching and drawing. Each can be used upright as a classic pencil or on its side for extended coverage.
- Derwent Natural Graphite Sticks$3.70
3 itemsNatural Graphite Sticks are brilliant for creating big dramatic drawings. Use them flat to cover large areas or on their edge to add detail. Blending them couldn't be easier; use your fingers or a paper stump if you prefer. They are naturally water-soluble so you can add water to create washes.
- Derwent Graphic Pencils$2.70
20 itemsGraphite pencils designed for designers and draftspeople. They are made of the highest quality Cumberland graphite and the purest clays to produce a smooth texture.
- Conte Sketching Pencils$7.30
5 itemsThese round, wood-cased pencils have rich colors with an abrasive for easier stumping. They're excellent for portraits and landscapes. Sharpen them with a razor blade or knife. Pencils come pre-sharpened.
- Tombow Professional Drawing Pencils$2.5014 items
- Conte Pierre Noire Pencils$7.30
4 itemsCarefully manufactured by skilled craftspeople, Pierre Noire pencils have a soft, smooth lead particularly well suited to drawing, sketching and outlining. Like all Conté pencils, they may be sharpened with a razor blade or knife.
- General's Carbon Sketch Pencil$2.90
General's Carbon Sketch pencils are smooth like graphite and black like charcoal. The perfect combination of charcoal and graphite. Made with genuine Incense Cedar wood. - General's Layout Pencil$1.70
General's Layout pencils are extra smooth, extra black graphite. Ideal for outlining and sketching. Made with genuine Incense Cedar wood. General's Layout pencils have been used by animators since the 1930's. - General's Scribe-All Pencils$4.95
An all-surface, water-soluble, grease pencil that writes on glass, metal, plastic, photos, tiles, ceramics, templates, stained glass and stencils.2 items - General's Chalk Pencils$3.40
5 itemsPastel Chalk Pencils have a smooth, blendable formula for use in traditional fine arts, scrapbooks or memory books. They're perfect for lettering, outlining, stripes, borders, shading, accents, embellishments, roughing and aging effects. Pastel Chalk Pencils can be blended easily with a finger, paper stump, kneaded eraser, or tissue. For a dramatic effect, use them on a dark colored paper with a rough surface. Each acid-free pencil is encased in cedar wood and tipped with General's extra soft vinyl eraser. Pencils are pre-sharpened.
- Flat Sketching Pencils$2.95
2 itemsGeneral's Flat Sketching pencils, flat and rectangular shape, are known for their wide smooth graphite cores and raw cedar wood finish. The bold shaped graphite core can create both broad and thick lines in one stroke which makes them the perfect drawing tool to practice or create calligraphy. It's also the perfect pencil to enhance your drawing with bold pencil marks.
- General's 575 Copying Pencil$5.30
Round, Medium Indelible Lead, Smooth Core. The copying pencil is a form of indelible pencil with an aniline dye embedded in the lead. An indelible pencil cannot be erased. They were introduced in the early 1800's to enable documents with a sense of permanence to be produced. Prior to their introduction these documents had to be written with fountain or quill pens which were expensive and awkward to use.
- General's Sketch & Wash Black$2.70
Round, Matte Black Finish, Aquarelle/Watersoluble Graphite. marks on most surfaces such as wood and fabric. Create bold, dark marks or several tonal values with the stroke of a brush. Can also be used to apply patterns on painting surfaces instead of graphite paper.
- Kimberly Drawing Pencils$2.80
7 itemsHexagonal Shape, Premium Graphite, Extra Smooth, Artist Quality Drawing Pencil. The Kimberly 9XXB is a premium jumbo hexagonal shaped drawing pencil. It is much softer and blacker than other graphite pencils because of a special addition to the formula.
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Note: we do not deliver outside New Zealand.
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Delivery Rates
Our delivery rates are:
- Prepaid A4 Satchel (nationwide): $5 per order †
- Local (Auckland): $5.50 per order *
- Local Towns (within 150kms): $7.50 per order *
- Rest of North Island: $9.30 per order *
- South Island and Great Barrier: $10.40 per order *
† Prepaid Satchel is available for some smaller items that will fit into an A4 envelope. Please do not select the satchel option if your goods are breakable, easily damaged or flammable.
* Oversized items may be charged an additional amount - once you have selected the items you need proceed to checkout to see the exact costs.
Rural delivery fee $3.30 per order
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