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UPCYCLING AND DRAWING: WAYS TO USE PENCIL SHAVINGS
Each time you sharpen a pencil, you get a nice new point and a small mountain of shavings that are often thrown away without further thought. But what if these fragments could become a creative material in their own right? In drawing, pencil shavings offer surprising textures and subtle colours that bring original works to life. It's a simple, fun and sustainable way to give value to what we think of as waste.
With Caran d'Ache, turn your pencil shavings into truly creative partners.
WHY USE PENCIL SHAVINGS IN DRAWING?
Reusing the pencil shavings that you obtain when you sharpen your graphite or coloured pencils is a creative approach that is as useful as it is inspiring, allowing you to:
• Give the material a second life: instead of ending up in the bin, the shavings are incorporated into your artwork, for a more sustainable and responsible approach.
• Develop your artistic practice: their irregular shape adds texture, relief and nuances that enrich a drawing.
• An economical way to experiment: easy to collect, pencil shavings are a free resource that you can use to test new ideas and techniques without buying new supplies.
Who is this creative activity for?
This type of drawing appeals to everyone: children, who see it as a fun and sensory craft activity; adults and enthusiasts of creative hobbies who enjoy repurposing everyday materials; but also artists and curious minds who want to enrich their art. Whether for creative crafts, colouring or more daring projects, pencil shavings offer a simple and inspiring form of expression.
What if drawing made you feel better? Discover the benefits of art therapy.
WAYS TO USE PENCIL SHAVINGS IN DRAWINGS
The shape, thickness and colours of pencil shavings allow you to play with textures, volumes and visual effects.
Are you in need of inspiration? Animals, plants, characters, landscapes... Pencil shavings are perfect for creating a mane, feathers or an animal's tail, flowers, or even a portrait.
Are you in need of inspiration? Animals, plants, characters, landscapes... Pencil shavings are perfect for creating a mane, feathers or an animal's tail, flowers, or even a portrait.
1. Create innovative textures
To add relief to a drawing, glue a few shavings onto the areas you want to emphasise. Stuck on one by one, they can be used to imitate a wide variety of textures: feathers, bark, hair, foliage, but also a twirling dress, an umbrella, petals or small decorative details.
2. Mix wood shavings and other media
Wood shavings work very well with other media: watercolour, ink, felt-tipped pens or pastels. By incorporating them into an area that is still wet or slightly sticky, you can achieve a richer texture. This technique works particularly well with Caran d'Ache coloured pencils, whose pigments are ideal for mixing and layering.
Shavings can also be used to create graphic effects that bring an illustration to life. By orienting them in the same direction or varying their colours slightly, they can evoke rays of light, rising smoke, stylised waves, etc. Their irregular shape spontaneously adds rhythm, which can bring energy to even the simplest of scenes.
3. Create movement and visual effects
Shavings can also be used to create graphic effects that bring an illustration to life. By orienting them in the same direction or varying their colours slightly, they can evoke rays of light, rising smoke, stylised waves, etc. Their irregular shape spontaneously adds rhythm, which can bring energy to even the simplest of scenes.
4. Create artistic collages
Last but not least, pencil shavings can be the central focus of a composition. Whether applied directly as they are, sorted by shape or colour, or combined, they can be used to create highly graphic, 100% upcycled works of art. Each individual shaving brings a variation in texture and colour, making each collage visually rich.
Japanese designer Kume Nanako has made a name for herself with her striking light fixtures inspired by pencil shavings. Fascinated by the shapes produced when sharpening pencils, she designed a giant pencil sharpener capable of creating long swirls of coloured wood, which she then assembles into sculptural lamps.
Inspiration: the art of Kume Nanako
Japanese designer Kume Nanako has made a name for herself with her striking light fixtures inspired by pencil shavings. Fascinated by the shapes produced when sharpening pencils, she designed a giant pencil sharpener capable of creating long swirls of coloured wood, which she then assembles into sculptural lamps.
STEP-BY-STEP TUTORIAL: CREATE A TEXTURED ILLUSTRATION WITH PENCIL SHAVINGS
What you’ll need :
• Caran d'Ache coloured pencils
• Pencil sharpener (manual or mechanical)
• White glue or gel medium
• A fine detail brush
• Drawing paper
• Optional: ink, watercolour paint, pastel pencils, felt-tipped pens, etc.
Step 1: Prepare your pencil shavings
• Sharpen your pencils and carefully collect the shavings.
• Sort the shavings by colour according to the desired result.
Step 2: Draw the base
• Sketch your design with a graphite pencil.
• Fill in the flat and colour areas with your pencils.
Step 3: Apply the glue
• Using a brush, apply glue where you want to add texture.
Step 4: Apply the shavings
• Carefully position the shavings on the glue.
• Adjust them with the tip of the brush or tweezers.
• Vary the direction and size of the shavings to add more texture.
• Adjust them with the tip of the brush or tweezers.
• Vary the direction and size of the shavings to add more texture.
Step 5: Add the finishing touches to your artwork
• Leave it to dry.
• Add a few extra pencil strokes to blend the material into the illustration.
• If necessary, fix with a suitable fixative.
• Add a few extra pencil strokes to blend the material into the illustration.
• If necessary, fix with a suitable fixative.
OUR TIPS FOR MAKING SUCCESSFUL CREATIONS WITH WOOD SHAVINGS
• Use fine, even shavings: a good-quality sharpener will produce shavings that are easier to glue, position and integrate into a composition. The finer they are, the more natural the transitions will look.
• Choose the right glue for your medium: liquid glue is suitable for fine paper, while a gel medium or a thicker white glue is ideal for thick paper or mixed media work. This prevents creases and rings.
• Always test before you start: a small test on a scrap of paper allows you to check the effect, the amount of glue needed and the way the shavings look before working on the final design.
5 reasons to trust the Swiss Made quality of Caran d’Ache drawing instruments.
Share your artwork on Instagram and TikTok tagging @carandache and with #Carandache.
Share your artwork on Instagram and TikTok tagging @carandache and with #Carandache.
Did you enjoy this arts and crafts activity? Discover all our other craft projects, to do alone or with your kids.
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