Cont? ? Paris have been manufacturing some of the finest artists’ materials available for more than 200 years. Many artists and grand masters have used Cont? ? Paris products because of the selection of pigments, lightfastness, and the exceptional brightness and purity of the colours. Conte offers a traditional range of Drawing and Sketching Pencils with a variety of exceptional leads. These pencils are excellent for portrait, landscape and still life work. The Cont? Pencils compliment the Cont? Crayon perfectly and blend well with them. Cont? Pierre Noire pencil is a soft lead pencil with a black that is rich, intense and matt. These pencils work brilliantly on all types of supports, from craft paper to linen canvas. These pencils are suited to both drawing and sketching. With a sharpened lead, the drawing is lively and accurate; with a half-worn lead, the work is more spontaneous and free. It is recommended that the barrel alone should be sharpened with a knife and the lead shaped with a scraper or sandpaper.