Lena Rivera
Pencils are a widely used writing and drawing tool with a long history. The paint on a pencil is typically made of a layer of paint or varnish to protect the pencil and give it a decorative finish. The paint on pencils has historically contained lead, which was outlawed in the United States as an ingredient in paint in 1978. Today, pencil paints are made with various ingredients, including vegetable oil, wax, and water-soluble colour lead. The process of making coloured pencils involves mixing pigments with water and a binder, such as gum arabic or polyvinyl alcohol, drying and grinding the mixture into a fine powder, and then mixing it with a binder like clay or wax to form the coloured lead.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Main Ingredient | Water |
| Clay | |
| Wax | |
| Gum Arabic | |
| Polyvinyl Alcohol | |
| Vegetable Oil | |
| Varnish | |
| Paint | |
| Graphite | |
| Wood | |
| Cedar Wood | |
| Oily Coloured Lead | |
| Water-soluble Coloured Lead | |
| Carbon Matrix | |
| Gluten | |
| Gold |
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What You'll Learn
Yellow paint on pencils
The paint on pencils has historically been made with dangerous substances, such as lead. Lead was outlawed in the United States as an ingredient in paint in 1978. Before this ban, the paint used for the outer coating of pencils could contain high concentrations of lead, which could be ingested if the pencil was sucked or chewed, causing lead poisoning.
Today, pencil paint is typically made with less toxic substances, such as gum arabic, polyvinyl alcohol, clay, or wax. The paint is usually yellow, a tradition that began in 1890 when the L. & C. Hardtmuth Company of Austria-Hungary introduced their Koh-I-Noor brand, named after the famous diamond. The Koh-I-Noor was intended to be the world's best and most expensive pencil, with the end dipped in 14-carat gold. At a time when most pencils were either painted in dark colours or not at all, the yellow colour of the Koh-I-Noor stood out and was likely inspired by the Austro-Hungarian flag and the Orient, where the best-quality graphite was sourced from Siberia.
Other companies quickly copied the yellow colour to associate their pencils with this high-quality brand, choosing brand names with explicit Oriental references, such as Mikado (renamed Mirado) and Mongol. The process of making coloured pencils is similar to that of traditional lead pencils, but with additional steps to add colour to the lead. Firstly, pigments are mixed with water and a binder, such as gum arabic or polyvinyl alcohol. The mixture is then dried and ground into a fine powder. This coloured pigment is then mixed with a binder, typically clay or wax, to form the lead of the coloured pencil. This mixture gives the lead its texture and helps hold the pigment together.
Finally, the coloured lead is inserted into a wooden casing, usually made from cedar wood, and coated with a layer of paint or varnish to protect it and provide a decorative finish. Some manufacturers add additional steps, such as a second layer of coloured lead to create a two-tone effect or special coatings to create metallic or glitter effects.
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Lead paint dangers
While lead poisoning can affect people of all ages, it is particularly harmful to children and pregnant women. Children six years old and younger are most susceptible to the effects of lead. Even low levels of lead in the blood of children can cause severe physical and neurological issues. Lead exposure can also cause premature birth, low birth weight, and harm the brain, kidneys, and nervous system of the baby. For adults, a small amount of lead in the body is not a huge concern. A low range of lead in an adult's system would be less than 10 micrograms per deciliter (mcg/dL). If you are pregnant, a level of 5 mcg/dL would be considered elevated.
Lead can enter the body in several ways. It can be swallowed, inhaled, or absorbed through the skin. However, the body takes in more lead when it is inhaled. When it enters the body, lead is stored in the bones, blood, and tissue. As people age, their bones demineralize, and lead is released back into the body. Lead can affect almost every organ and system in the body. Lead poisoning can take a major toll on the brain. If it damages the prefrontal cerebral cortex, hippocampus, or cerebellum, the damage could show up in the form of extra protein in the urine, high blood pressure, or an increased risk for gout.
Lead-based paint is the most significant source of dangerous lead exposure today. If your home was built before 1978, there is a good chance it contains lead-based paint. In 1978, the federal government banned consumer uses of lead-containing paint. However, some states banned it even earlier. Harmful exposure to lead can occur when lead-based paint is improperly removed from surfaces by dry scraping, sanding, or open-flame burning. Therefore, if you see paint that is peeling, chipping, cracking, or damaged, it needs immediate attention by qualified professionals.
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Clay and graphite mixture
The paint on a pencil is not actually paint but rather a mixture of graphite and clay. This combination forms the pencil's core, which is then encased in wood. The graphite and clay are mixed with water and baked to create a substance that writes as smoothly as pure graphite. Varying the ratio of clay to graphite can alter the hardness of the pencil's core, with a higher proportion of graphite resulting in a softer, blacker core.
The use of graphite in pencils dates back to the late 1400s, when it was discovered near Borrowdale in northwestern England. The Borrowdale mine supplied Europe with graphite for several hundred years, but by the late eighteenth century, it had been depleted, leading to the search for other materials to mix with graphite to create pencils. It was during this time that French chemist Nicolas Jacques Conte discovered the combination of graphite, clay, and water.
The process of creating the graphite and clay mixture begins with cleaning and drying the two substances separately, forming large square cakes. Once dried, the graphite and clay squares are combined with water and mixed. The amount of clay added depends on the desired hardness of the pencil, with lower proportions of clay resulting in a softer core. The mixture is then shaped into long strings, straightened, dried, cut, and tempered in a kiln.
The resulting core is resistant to moisture, most solvents, ultraviolet radiation, and natural aging. It produces grey or black marks that can be easily erased. The core is then encased in wood, typically cedar, to create the finished pencil.
While pencils are no longer painted with lead-based paint, as was the case until the middle of the 20th century, the term "lead pencil" persists due to the historical association of graphite with lead.
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Pencil casing
The casing of a pencil, also known as its outer coating, is typically made of wood. Cedar wood, in particular, is often used for the casing of traditional lead pencils. The wood is usually shaped into a hexagonal prism, but cylindrical and triangular shapes are also common. The casing serves as a protective layer that reduces the risk of the pencil's core breaking and prevents it from marking the user's hand.
The history of pencil casing dates back to the late sixteenth century when a method for gluing strips of wood around graphite was discovered in Germany. This marked the beginning of the modern pencil's evolution. In the late eighteenth century, the depletion of the Borrowdale mine in England led to a scarcity of graphite. As a result, other materials, such as clay, began to be mixed with graphite to create pencils.
In the early nineteenth century, Joseph Dixon, an American inventor, developed a technique for creating pencils by cutting single cedar cylinders in half, inserting the graphite core into one half, and then gluing the halves back together. This method was also employed for making sliding pencils. Around the same time, William Monroe, a cabinet maker from Massachusetts, invented a machine that could precisely cut and groove wood slats for pencil casings.
The colour of pencil casing has also evolved over time. Initially, pencils were either left unpainted or coated in dark colours. However, in 1890, the L. & C. Hardtmuth Company of Austria-Hungary introduced their luxury Koh-I-Noor brand, featuring a distinctive yellow casing inspired by the Austro-Hungarian flag and the Orient, as Siberia, the source of the best-quality graphite at the time, was associated with the East. This yellow colour was soon adopted by other companies, who wanted their pencils to be associated with high quality.
While the paint on pencil casings today is non-toxic, it is important to note that lead was once a common ingredient in the paint used for pencil casings. Lead poisoning from chewing or sucking on pencils was a concern until the middle of the 20th century, when lead was outlawed as an ingredient in paint in the United States in 1978.
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Coloured pencils
Wax-based coloured pencils are the most common type of coloured pencil. They are known for their smooth texture, which helps the pigment flow across the surface. The wax also helps the mark adhere to the surface or to other layers of pencil, which means that you can put down multiple layers without having to worry about smearing or adhesion (a common issue with pastels). Wax-based pencils are available in a wide range of consistencies, from hard pencils made for students to softer varieties designed for professionals. They are also cheaper than their oil-based counterparts and have more colours. However, wax-based pencils are more prone to breakage and can easily develop ""wax bloom", a residue that can appear over time.
Oil-based coloured pencils utilize an oil binder, which imparts unique characteristics such as a smoother finish, enhanced durability, and the ability to create fine details with less wax bloom compared to wax-based pencils. This composition facilitates superior blending and layering capabilities, allowing artists to achieve subtle colour transitions and complex depths in their artwork. However, oil-based coloured pencils are more expensive and are more prone to smearing.
Watercolour pencils, or water-soluble pencils, are another type of coloured pencil that can be used dry or applied wet to achieve a watercolour effect. They are characterized by bright, soft colours, and the lines drawn are soluble in water. By applying water, the colour halo spreads out, creating a gradual change. Watercolour pencils typically come in 60 or 72 colours but can go up to 120 colours or more.
Pastel pencils are another type of coloured pencil that contains the same materials as pastel sticks, but with a harder core to prevent breakage or crumbling. They are opaque, unlike the transparency of other coloured pencils, and are commonly used in combination with regular pastels.
The quality of coloured pencils can vary, from student-grade to professional-grade. Factors that determine quality include the concentration of pigments in the core, lightfastness of the pigments (resistance to UV rays), durability of the pencil, and softness of the core. Artist-grade pencils have higher concentrations of high-quality pigments and are more resistant to fading under light exposure. They also have greater core durability and water resistance.
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Frequently asked questions
The paint on a pencil is made of a layer of paint or varnish. The exact composition of the paint is not publicly available information, but it serves to protect the pencil and give it a decorative finish.
The pencil lead, or core, is made of graphite powder mixed with a clay binder. The amount of clay added to the graphite depends on the intended pencil hardness. Other types of pencil cores include charcoal, wax-based colored pencils, and grease pencils.
The paint on pencils, specifically the yellow paint, became popular in 1890 when the L. & C. Hardtmuth Company of Austria-Hungary introduced their Koh-I-Noor brand. The yellow color was distinctive and may have been inspired by the Austro-Hungarian flag or the Orient, as the best-quality graphite at the time came from Siberia.
