The First Drawing Tools

The Metal Tip: To draw, during antiquity, a metal tip was employed, generally made of gold, silver, copper, or lead, which was dipped into a mixture, generally made of whiting, powdered bone, gum Arabic, and pigments.

The Quill: Pen-and-ink drawing has been known since antiquity and was particularly popular during Medieval times. Equally used for writing, quills came from swans, ravens, and geese.

Charcoal: Recognized for its fragility, charcoal comes in the shape of a small stick, and produces black marks which become easily blurred.

Black Stone: Held like a pencil, black stone is a clay schist of gray or black color. It was frequently employed in the 15th century in Italy.

Red Chalk: Having a texture similar to charcoal and made of hematite, red chalk was particularly appreciated by the artists of the Renaissance to make portraits and anatomical drawings.