Nicolas-Jacques Conte (pencil portrait) | Pencil drawing by Martin Missfeldt

Image Description

This drawing is based on a Wikimedia template that depicts the "inventor of the pencil" as a copperplate engraving. I am currently revising my book on "learning to draw realistically", and for this I have of course used the Wikimedia illustration to show Conte in the section dealing with the development of the pencil.

But: somehow I was always dissatisfied with this picture. It shows Nicolas-Jacques Conte as an engraving, with pure black lines. That always seemed inappropriate to me, precisely because the pencil is a tool with which you can model very fine shades of gray.

So without further ado, I drew a pencil portrait of Conte, which I will now use in my book.

Nicolas-Jacques Conté (1755-1805) was a French inventor, scientist and artist who is best known for his invention of the modern pencil.

Conté served in the French military and was tasked with solving practical problems during the French Revolution. Due to an embargo that prevented the import of English graphite, Conté was commissioned by the French government in 1794 to find a solution. He developed a process in which graphite powder was mixed with clay and then fired at a high temperature. This method made it possible to produce pencils with different degrees of hardness and became the basis for modern pencil production.

In addition to pencil production, Conté was also involved in other scientific and technical projects. He worked on the development of balloons and other military devices. Another important invention by Conté was the "Conté Crayon", a drawing pencil made from a mixture of graphite or charcoal with clay. These crayons are still popular with artists today.

With his invention of the pencil, Nicolas-Jacques Conté had a lasting influence on the art world and the production of drawings.

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