Graphite pencil Artist- History and Execution

Straydrifter
4 min readJun 18, 2024

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Drawing with graphite pencil is a pretty remarkable form of art. It has a rustic appeal that makes it stand out of the box. Well, this form of drawing involves graphite paintings rather than coloured paintings. When it comes to blending, the artists use erasers or tortillon to blur the individual lines and beget the soft shadows and gradations.

Graphite pencil Art

So, if you are planning to turn yourself into an efficient graphite pencil artist in Ireland, look nowhere else! Here, we are going to bring forward everything on the table so that, you can keep all your scruples at bay and embark on the journey to become an artist.

The inception of Graphite Pencil Artists in Ireland:

Although graphite was mined in the 16th Century, but utilization as an art medium started not before the 17th century. During that time, the artists used pieces of natural graphite and inserted them in a Porte Crayon. After that, they were included in sketches, notably in landscape renderings by Dutch artists. During that century and most of the 18th century, it was used to craft preliminary lines.

In the year 1795, the French inventor Nicholas Jacques Conte tailored a method of producing pencil rods from mixtures of graphite and clay, which you can consider as the prototype of the modern graphite pencil.

Graphite pencil Art

What are the must-have products that you must keep as an artist in Ireland?

Erasures:

Erasures are a must for any artist. Not only they will serve the purpose of erasing your mistakes, but you can also use them as a part of the creative technique. For instance, you can highlight the areas by lifting, erasing, and softening the graphite to attain the perfect definition. Perhaps, you have to make sure that you are choosing the right erasure for your drawing.

Emboss tools:

The purpose of embossing tools is to indent the paper before applying any pigment. In this way, your paper surface will stay protected from getting saturated. You can apply it to the areas that demand highlights. You can eight buy it individually or in various packs. In this tool, you will find a metal ball attached to the tip and each of them has different widths.

Blending tools:

There are numerous tools that you can use to blend graphite. Here, let’s take a look at different types of blending tools. Among them, you can pick up the one that you think your art needs the most such as:

· Tortillions and paper stumps:

It will help you burnish your work in both small and large areas. However, you can peel away the layer of the paper when it becomes super

· Tissues

If you don’t have any blending tools, consider tissues to be your ideal product. All you need to do is wrap it around your finger to blend larger areas. Also, you can wrap it to the tip of the pencil and blend smaller areas.

· Fixative

If you are working with graphite pencils, it is recommended to fix your drawing once you are done. It will protect you from accidental smudging.

Graphite pencil Art

Things to consider before choosing the paper for graphite pencil art:

· Acid-free:

If you want to display your graphite painting on a wall, you must choose an acid-free paper. It will give the chance to the paper to last the rigours of time.

· Surface texture:

The tooth of the paper plays a pivotal role in the way that graphite is laid down on a surface. The more textured the surface is, it will hold the graphite.

· Paper weight:

Grams per square are known as the weight of the paper. In case you use a wet media, the weight of the paper is more important.

What are the different types of papers used for graphite pencil drawing?

· Velum/Medium textured paper:

Velum or medium textured paper is one of the best papers where you can try graphite drawing. It comes with a textured surface rather than a smooth one.

· Clay boards and sanded papers:

These days, a lot of graphite painting artists are experimenting with sanded art papers and clay boards. It will provide you with a different experience and it is the best to draw landscapes or seascapes.

Graphite pencil Art

What is the future of graphite pencil art?

A lot of artists use graphite art to improve their perception and strengthen their abilities to recreate the work in various other forms. Perhaps, these sketches have value of their own. Besides, numerous artists sell this piece of art to meet their ends. Even if someone is doing digital art, much of their work will start with simple pencil drawings.

So, these are all the things that you need to know about Graphite pencil Artists in Ireland. If you are looking for an artist who has expertise in doing graphite pencil art, you can contact Rustam Kurbanly. He is a humble person who doesn’t consider himself to be a professional artist. He is also a portrait artist in Ireland.

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