How Faber-Castell Makes Pencils

This video shows the 14-step process of making a Faber-Castell pencil.

From the selection of the wood, to the thickness and quality of the lead, Faber-Castell pencils stand head and shoulders above the competition. Since 1761, they’ve been perfecting the pencil. Check out the video to see the 14 step process behind their superior products.

What’s special about their pencils?

  • SV Bonding glues the lead the entire length of the pencil for break-resistant leads.
  • Thick leads use the highest-quality pigments for gorgeous color lay-down.
  • Graphite pencils with dipped ends or erasers on ends.
  • Coated with eco-friendly water-based varnish.
  • Made from reforested wood grown in their Forest Stewardship Council certified forest.

You can see all the Faber-Castell products we carry in our online store, including pencils, markers, sharpeners, erasers, paints, and kits. New to the store are the Albrecht Durer Watercolor Marker Sets, and we don’t think you can go wrong by starting out with Goldfaber Colored Pencil Sets or Goldfaber Aqua Watercolor Pencil Sets.

Free Tutorials with Amy Shawley Paquette

Amy teaching leading a tutorial on Golden Artist Colors Facebook page.

If you have been shopping with us for a while, you may remember Amy Shawley Paquette, the awesome Golden Working Artist who broke our hearts by moving out of Downtown Los Angeles and going on and having a great life, kids, and all that. (You probably don’t remember the Paquette part, that happened after DTLA.)

Now that we live in a time of global pandemic and the Internet, Amy is back – virtually – and through May and June will be offering free weekly Facebook Live tutorials on her Art by Amy Shawley Paquette page!  These events will happen every Thursday at 4pm PT and will feature a different topic each time.  The first demo is Thursday, May 14 on the topic “Customize your Painting Grounds”, and will last about 30-45 minutes. If you can’t catch it live, it will be available from her Facebook page for later viewing.

(And if you get inspired, you can order everything Golden from our online store.)

Get organized with mesh bags

How can you make an art studio at home even when you have no space? Use an art pouch like these Mesh Bags from Art Alternatives.

If carving out a dedicated art space in your home is impossible, or you like being able to make art at the kitchen table and sometimes by the window, a portable art kit is essential. We’ve been using pouches in varying sizes as portable art kits for some time, but find that the more special it feels, the more we want to pick it up and use it. Check out this mesh bag that we covered in faux fur:

Need some more tips for organizing your studio or crafting space? Redfin collected has more tips here.