The Origins of 7 of Your Favorite Art Supplies

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They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors.</div> </a> <div data-popper-arrow></div> </div> <span class="btn btn-link editor-link p-0 qa-byline-link font-12 "> The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica</span></div></div> </div> <article class="topic-content content"><div class="topic-paragraph font-serif md-list-intro pt-15 pb-20"><p class="topic-paragraph">Art is one of humanity’s oldest pastimes (aside from...you know, that other one). But how different is art today from art a thousand years ago? Two thousand? Five thousand? When exactly did the supplies you’re using for your lecture hall or boardroom doodles come into play? Read on to find out more.</p><span class="MOD"></span></div><ul class="md-list-order-reverse md-mendel-list" style="counter-reset: item 8"><li><h2>Pencil</h2><div><figure class="md-assembly md-feature-assembly print-false" data-type="1" data-descid="1"><div class="md-assembly-wrapper card-media " data-type="image"><a href="https://cdn.britannica.com/95/123695-004-0A6E60A5/Pencil-eraser.jpg" target="_blank" class="gtm-assembly-link position-relative d-flex align-items-center justify-content-center " data-href="*117463"><img src="https://cdn.britannica.com/95/123695-004-0A6E60A5/Pencil-eraser.jpg?w=1000" alt="Pencil with eraser." data-width="441" data-height="370" loading="eager"><button class="magnifying-glass btn btn-circle position-absolute shadow btn-white top-10 right-10" aria-label="Zoom in"><em class="material-icons link-blue" data-icon="zoom_in"></em></button></a></div><figcaption class=""><div class="md-assembly-caption text-muted font-14 font-serif "><span><a class="gtm-assembly-link md-assembly-title font-weight-bold d-inline font-sans-serif mr-5 media-overlay-link" target="_blank" href="https://cdn.britannica.com/95/123695-004-0A6E60A5/Pencil-eraser.jpg" data-href="*117463">Pencil.</a></span></div><cite class="credit d-block mt-5">Oktaeder</cite></figcaption></figure><p class="topic-paragraph">Although we call the writing part of a pencil the "lead," it’s actually made of graphite. In fact, the name graphite comes from the Greek <em>graphein</em>, which means "to write." The trusty pencil we know today was only made possible by the discovery of an unusually pure deposit of graphite in England in 1564. Artists’ pencils come in a range of hardness, depending on how much clay is used to bind the graphite. Pencil drawing and sketching became popular in the 17th and 18th centuries, although usually to make preliminary lines for pieces in other media. Now many artists produce finished drawings solely from pencil.</p><span class="MOD"></span></div><span class="LIST-ITEM-1"></span></li><li><h2>Easel</h2><div><figure class="md-assembly md-feature-assembly print-false" data-type="1" data-descid="1"><div class="md-assembly-wrapper card-media " data-type="image"><a href="https://cdn.britannica.com/50/118850-050-7085468D/Girl-painting-easel.jpg" target="_blank" class="gtm-assembly-link position-relative d-flex align-items-center justify-content-center " data-href="*190782"><img src="https://cdn.britannica.com/50/118850-050-7085468D/Girl-painting-easel.jpg?w=1000" alt="Girl painting on easel (Children)" data-width="1600" data-height="1075" loading="eager"><button class="magnifying-glass btn btn-circle position-absolute shadow btn-white top-10 right-10" aria-label="Zoom in"><em class="material-icons link-blue" data-icon="zoom_in"></em></button></a></div><figcaption class=""><div class="md-assembly-caption text-muted font-14 font-serif "><span><a class="gtm-assembly-link md-assembly-title font-weight-bold d-inline font-sans-serif mr-5 media-overlay-link" target="_blank" href="https://cdn.britannica.com/50/118850-050-7085468D/Girl-painting-easel.jpg" data-href="*190782">easel</a></span></div><cite class="credit d-block mt-5">Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.</cite></figcaption></figure><p class="topic-paragraph">Painting on easels was the obvious alternative to painting on walls. Easels are thought to have been used as early as ancient Egypt; the first written depiction of an easel was by Pliny the Elder in the 1st century. In the 13th century easel painting became more popular than wall painting.</p><span class="MOD"></span></div><span class="LIST-ITEM-2"></span></li><li><h2>Pen</h2><div><figure class="md-assembly md-feature-assembly print-false" data-type="1" data-descid="2"><div class="md-assembly-wrapper card-media " data-type="image"><a href="https://cdn.britannica.com/71/62971-050-B6835A1C/ballpoint-pen-point.jpg" target="_blank" class="gtm-assembly-link position-relative d-flex align-items-center justify-content-center " data-href="*191403"><img src="https://cdn.britannica.com/71/62971-050-B6835A1C/ballpoint-pen-point.jpg?w=1000" alt="Cross section of a ballpoint pen" data-width="1600" data-height="964" loading="eager"><button class="magnifying-glass btn btn-circle position-absolute shadow btn-white top-10 right-10" aria-label="Zoom in"><em class="material-icons link-blue" data-icon="zoom_in"></em></button></a></div><figcaption class=""><div class="md-assembly-caption text-muted font-14 font-serif "><span><a class="gtm-assembly-link md-assembly-title font-weight-bold d-inline font-sans-serif mr-5 media-overlay-link" target="_blank" href="https://cdn.britannica.com/71/62971-050-B6835A1C/ballpoint-pen-point.jpg" data-href="*191403">ballpoint pen</a></span></div><cite class="credit d-block mt-5">Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.</cite></figcaption></figure><p class="topic-paragraph">The ancestors of the pens we know today were the brush used by the Chinese for writing (1st millennium BC), reed pens used by the Egyptians (circa 300 BC), and quill pens or pens made of bird feathers (7th century or earlier). Metallic pens and pens with metallic nibs were developed in the mid-19th century. They didn’t have a reservoir of ink in them, and had to be dipped in inkwells. Fountain pens, which don’t have to be dipped in ink constantly, date to 1884. Ballpoint pens didn’t come into vogue until the 1930s or 40s, and the soft-tipped pens we use today weren’t commercially available until the 1960s. Most pen-and-ink drawings done before the 20th century were produced with reeds or quills. Some famous artists that favored pens were Pablo Picasso, Henri Matisse, Rembrandt, and Vincent van Gogh.</p><span class="MOD"></span></div><span class="LIST-ITEM-3"></span></li><li><h2>Paintbrush</h2><div><figure class="md-assembly md-feature-assembly print-false" data-type="1" data-descid="1"><div class="md-assembly-wrapper card-media " data-type="image"><a href="https://cdn.britannica.com/05/157705-050-014B04CB/paint-brush-background.jpg" target="_blank" class="gtm-assembly-link position-relative d-flex align-items-center justify-content-center " data-href="*190799"><img src="https://cdn.britannica.com/05/157705-050-014B04CB/paint-brush-background.jpg?w=1000" alt="blue paint and brush on white background. (paint can; paint brush)" data-width="1581" data-height="1600" loading="eager"><button class="magnifying-glass btn btn-circle position-absolute shadow btn-white top-10 right-10" aria-label="Zoom in"><em class="material-icons link-blue" data-icon="zoom_in"></em></button></a></div><figcaption class=""><div class="md-assembly-caption text-muted font-14 font-serif "><span><a class="gtm-assembly-link md-assembly-title font-weight-bold d-inline font-sans-serif mr-5 media-overlay-link" target="_blank" href="https://cdn.britannica.com/05/157705-050-014B04CB/paint-brush-background.jpg" data-href="*190799">paint</a></span></div><cite class="credit d-block mt-5">© John Holst/Fotolia</cite></figcaption></figure><p class="topic-paragraph">Paintbrushes are one of the earliest art supplies. They were used as early as the <a href="https://www.britannica.com/event/Paleolithic-Period" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Paleolithic Period</a>. Examples can be seen in caves in Spain and France and in early Egyptian tombs. Paintbrushes have been made of animal fibers such as hog bristles or horsehair, and more modern brushes are made of nylon fibers, polyethylene, or even wire.</p><span class="MOD"></span></div><span class="LIST-ITEM-4"></span></li><li><h2>Oil paints</h2><div><figure class="md-assembly md-feature-assembly print-false" data-type="1" data-descid="1"><div class="md-assembly-wrapper card-media " data-type="image"><a href="https://cdn.britannica.com/35/179035-050-BDD4FF0E/Oil-paints-consistency-paste-variety-colors-brushes.jpg" target="_blank" class="gtm-assembly-link position-relative d-flex align-items-center justify-content-center " data-href="*190981"><img src="https://cdn.britannica.com/35/179035-050-BDD4FF0E/Oil-paints-consistency-paste-variety-colors-brushes.jpg?w=1000" alt="Painting palette with oil paints and brushes. Rainbow colored paints, arts and entertainment" data-width="1600" data-height="1064" loading="eager"><button class="magnifying-glass btn btn-circle position-absolute shadow btn-white top-10 right-10" aria-label="Zoom in"><em class="material-icons link-blue" data-icon="zoom_in"></em></button></a></div><figcaption class=""><div class="md-assembly-caption text-muted font-14 font-serif "><span><a class="gtm-assembly-link md-assembly-title font-weight-bold d-inline font-sans-serif mr-5 media-overlay-link" target="_blank" href="https://cdn.britannica.com/35/179035-050-BDD4FF0E/Oil-paints-consistency-paste-variety-colors-brushes.jpg" data-href="*190981">paint</a></span></div><cite class="credit d-block mt-5">© Dmitry Pichugin/Fotolia</cite></figcaption></figure><p class="topic-paragraph">Until quite recently it was believed that oil painting had originated in Europe in the 11th century. In 2008 it was discovered that oil paints (extracted from natural sources) had been used in cave paintings in Afghanistan in the 7th century. By the end of the 16th century oil paints had become the medium of choice for many artists, especially in Italy.</p><span class="MOD"></span></div><span class="LIST-ITEM-5"></span></li><li><h2>Pottery wheel</h2><div><figure class="md-assembly md-feature-assembly print-false" data-type="1" data-descid="1"><div class="md-assembly-wrapper card-media " data-type="image"><a href="https://cdn.britannica.com/65/198465-050-12EE65FB/clay-bowl-ceramics-wheel-throwing.jpg" target="_blank" class="gtm-assembly-link position-relative d-flex align-items-center justify-content-center " data-href="*231830"><img src="https://cdn.britannica.com/65/198465-050-12EE65FB/clay-bowl-ceramics-wheel-throwing.jpg?w=1000" alt="Making clay bowl, ceramics, throwing, wheel" data-width="1600" data-height="1068" loading="eager"><button class="magnifying-glass btn btn-circle position-absolute shadow btn-white top-10 right-10" aria-label="Zoom in"><em class="material-icons link-blue" data-icon="zoom_in"></em></button></a></div><figcaption class=""><div class="md-assembly-caption text-muted font-14 font-serif "><span><a class="gtm-assembly-link md-assembly-title font-weight-bold d-inline font-sans-serif mr-5 media-overlay-link" target="_blank" href="https://cdn.britannica.com/65/198465-050-12EE65FB/clay-bowl-ceramics-wheel-throwing.jpg" data-href="*231830">pottery wheel</a></span></div><cite class="credit d-block mt-5">© DragonImages/Fotolia</cite></figcaption></figure><p class="topic-paragraph">Pottery is one of the world’s oldest art forms, and having a wheel makes it both easier and more challenging. The latter was especially true of early pottery wheels (which probably originated some 5,000 years ago or more), which had to be turned by hand—or foot. "Fast wheels" rotated on heavy stones, by kicking or by pushing with a stick. The dexterity involved in coordinating hand and foot movements with these wheels was considerable. By the 18th century some potters were employing small boys to turn their wheels. Thankfully, mechanical pottery wheels were invented in the 19th century. Today’s pottery wheels are usually electric.</p><span class="MOD"></span></div><span class="LIST-ITEM-6"></span></li><li><h2>Crayon</h2><div><figure class="md-assembly md-feature-assembly print-false" data-type="1" data-descid="1"><div class="md-assembly-wrapper card-media " data-type="image"><a href="https://cdn.britannica.com/03/160203-050-C53B5306/Wax-coloring-crayons.jpg" target="_blank" class="gtm-assembly-link position-relative d-flex align-items-center justify-content-center " data-href="*190797"><img src="https://cdn.britannica.com/03/160203-050-C53B5306/Wax-coloring-crayons.jpg?w=1000" alt="Wax coloring crayons." data-width="600" data-height="627" loading="eager"><button class="magnifying-glass btn btn-circle position-absolute shadow btn-white top-10 right-10" aria-label="Zoom in"><em class="material-icons link-blue" data-icon="zoom_in"></em></button></a></div><figcaption class=""><div class="md-assembly-caption text-muted font-14 font-serif "><span><a class="gtm-assembly-link md-assembly-title font-weight-bold d-inline font-sans-serif mr-5 media-overlay-link" target="_blank" href="https://cdn.britannica.com/03/160203-050-C53B5306/Wax-coloring-crayons.jpg" data-href="*190797">crayons</a></span></div><cite class="credit d-block mt-5">© George Filyagin/Shutterstock.com</cite></figcaption></figure><p class="topic-paragraph">The history of the crayon is difficult to pin down. The basic composition of a crayon—wax with pigment—can be traced back thousands of years to Ancient Egypt and Greece. The <em>idea</em> of a crayon, however, might be better traced to chalk and pastels, which were known as early as the 16th century. Wax-based crayons probably were developed sometime in the 19th century. The trusty Crayolas many of us used in school were invented in 1902.</p><span class="MOD"></span></div><span class="LIST-ITEM-7"></span></li></ul><span class="AM-END-OF-ARTICLE am-inline"></span></article> </div> </div> </div> <aside class="cm-rightrail d-none d-md-block ad-rail"></aside> </div> </div> </div> <div class="grid gx-0"> <div class="col"> <div class="md-loading hidden display-4 font-weight-normal"></div> <div class="text-center my-20 mb-100"> <button class="md-infinite-load-next btn btn-blue" data-value="next-page">Load More</button> </div> </div> <div class="col-md-da-320 hidden-xs"> </div> </div></div> </div> </main> <div id="md-footer"></div> <noscript><iframe src="//www.googletagmanager.com/ns.html?id=GTM-5W6NC8" height="0" width="0" style="display:none;visibility:hidden"></iframe></noscript> <script type="text/javascript" id="_informizely_script_tag"> var IzWidget = IzWidget || {}; (function (d) { var scriptElement = d.createElement('script'); scriptElement.type = 'text/javascript'; scriptElement.async = true; scriptElement.src = "https://insitez.blob.core.windows.net/site/f780f33e-a610-4ac2-af81-3eb184037547.js"; var node = d.getElementById('_informizely_script_tag'); node.parentNode.insertBefore(scriptElement, node); } )(document); </script>  <script> window.ap3c = window.ap3c || {}; var ap3c = window.ap3c; ap3c.cmd = ap3c.cmd || []; ap3c.cmd.push(function() { ap3c.init('ZO4siT4cLwnykPnzZWJtd3Byb2Q', 'https://engage.email.britannica.com/'); ap3c.track({v: 0}); }); ap3c.activity = function(act) { ap3c.act = (ap3c.act || []); ap3c.act.push(act); }; var s, t; s = document.createElement('script'); s.type = 'text/javascript'; s.src = "https://engage.email.britannica.com/app.js"; t = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0]; t.parentNode.insertBefore(s, t); </script> <script class="marketing-page-info" type="application/json"> {"pageType":"List","templateName":null,"pageNumber":1,"pagesTotal":11,"pageId":3874,"pageLength":null,"initialLoad":true,"lastPageOfScroll":false} </script> <script class="marketing-content-info" type="application/json"> [] </script> <script src="https://cdn.britannica.com/mendel-resources/3-130/js/libs/jquery-3.5.0.min.js?v=3.130.14"></script> <script type="text/javascript" data-type="Init Mendel Code Splitting"> (function() { $.ajax({ dataType: 'script', cache: true, url: 'https://cdn.britannica.com/mendel-resources/3-130/dist/list-page.js?v=3.130.14' }); })(); </script> <script class="analytics-metadata" type="application/json"> {"leg":"B","adLeg":"B","userType":"ANONYMOUS","pageType":"List","pageSubtype":null,"articleTemplateType":null,"gisted":false,"pageNumber":1,"hasSummarizeButton":false,"hasAskButton":false} </script> <script type="text/javascript"> EBStat={accountId:-1,hostnameOverride:'webstats.eb.com',domain:'www.britannica.com', json:''}; </script> <script type="text/javascript"> ( function() { $.ajax( { dataType: 'script', cache: true, url: '//www.britannica.com/webstats/mendelstats.js?v=1' } ) .done( function() { try {writeStat(null,EBStat);} catch(err){} } ); })(); </script> <div id="bc-fixed-dialogue"></div> </body> </html>

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