When is a crayon not a crayon?

The story of Conte Crayon is interesting. During the French Revolution, when Paris was under siege, much-needed supplies of English graphite were permanently embargoed, creating a problem for French pencil maker, artist, and scientist Nicholas-Jacques Conté. Conté had opened his pencil factory with his brother Louis his in 1793. For his business to survive, he had to find another way to produce a functional writing medium with a minimal amount of graphite that could be manufactured. in France.

In 1795, Conté developed a method that involved mixing local powdered graphite with clay, waxes, and water, firing the mixture in a kiln, and forcing it into wooden decking. This process allowed the French to produce their own pencils and control the hardness of the leads, which in turn controlled the darkness of the mark made by the pencil. The process was so successful that Conté became synonymous with the pencil, and Conté still makes high-quality writing and drawing tools.

To this day, Conte remains a leading supplier of fine pencils and crayons for drawing and writing that come in a wide range of rich, vivid colours. Conté crayons traditionally were black, red, and brown. The reddish sepia tone of Conté crayons is sometimes referred to as sanguine, and was used by many 18th-century artists in sketches and preliminary drawings. Modern Conté crayons come in a variety of vibrant colors, including blues, aquamarines, greens, purples, pinks, and reds. Although some artists prefer to use traditional colors, focusing on shading and pattern nuances rather than bold coloring. Regardless of the use of color, a skilled artist can achieve very subtle shading, creating an almost photorealistic work with Conté crayons.

Most often, Conte crayons are used on rough-textured or high-grain paper that holds pigment well, allowing for rich textures and wide tonal ranges. Conte crayons also work well on primed prepared canvas, for the purpose of drawing under a paint. The Conte Crayon bar, being square and small in size, is suitable for detailed work, especially if the tip is beveled to the tip by rubbing it on a pad of sandpaper.

Conté crayons are waxier and firmer than soft pastels, so they produce little dust and are easy to control. The sticks, which are 2 1/2″ x 1/4″ squares, can be divided into shorter sections for easier use of details and shading. Today, Conte crayons come in small color sets in earth tones or larger color sets that include tans, violets, blues, reds, greens, and yellows in rich, vibrant hues. The purity of the pigments used in Conte Crayons ensures their permanence and longevity in works of art. Some artists choose to use colored paper for their Conté crayon work because the density of the pigmentation in the crayon holds up well on a dark or colored paper surface.

Counted crayons are often compared to pastels. Of course, both are an artistic medium stick of solid pigment that is applied directly to the paper. However, Conté crayons are much harder than pastels or charcoals, producing sharp, defined lines, rather than the softer, less defined lines characteristic of pastels. Using Conté crayons, an artist can achieve subtle shading variations in clear, distinct drawings. Conte crayon is quite permanent and artwork produced with a Conte crayon is often treated with a spray fixative for longevity.

As a Conte Crayon is used, the stick will slowly erode and should not require any sharpening unless detail is desired. Manufacturers also offer Conté crayons in various degrees of hardness, allowing artists to use Conté crayons for smoother lines and more delicate shading, as well as strong, precise lines for outlining. Conté crayons are sold individually and in box sets, and many art supply stores stock a large supply of black, brown, and red individual Conté crayons, as these colors are in high demand.

Tale Crayons are also available online. You may want to start using Conte Crayon and discover this wonderful drawing medium. The lessons and videos are rich in information, step by step instructions are available on my free online art classes website.