SUPER Dark Drawing Pencils - Conte a Paris Pierre Noire 3B review High Contrast Drawing | Rixcandoit

This video focuses on super dark drawing pencils. It features a review of the Conte a' Paris Pierre Noire 3B 1710 pencil as well as compares it to other super dark drawing pencils, such as the General's Carbon, the Primo Elite Charcoal, the General's 9xxb, and the Staedtler Mars Lumograph 8B (dark) pencils.
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[@717379]

"Pierre Noire" is NOT charcoal, but a rock that has naturally high levels of organic matter. In France, it is found in certain limited areas, such as Brittany and the Pyrenees. In English, I believe it is known as "Torbanite" or "Boghead Coal". Its organic origin might explain its slightly silky/oily texture. It was widely used in the Renaissance and until the 18th century, but eventually gave way to charcoal and graphite. Thank you for the nice demonstration.

[@RixCanDoit]

Thanks for the information on the PN pencil. Quite interesting. :-)

[@717379]

@Late Bird Actually, I think it is cheaper than charcoal

[@717379]

@Late Bird It retails for about 2 Euros in France and £1.50 in the UK. The 3B is very fragile and requires a light hand. The B is fine: I've had no issue with it breaking. With regards to sharpening, I use a blade for the wood only; I "shape" the tip as I draw by turning it on itself and presenting a new fresh side to the paper when I need a sharper line. You could use sandpaper to get a sharp tip, but, personally, I prefer working with the natural tendency of the medium rather than "forcing" it to do something it does not want. If I wanted a sharp line, I'd just get an H.

[@717379]

@Late Bird Personally, I choose Pierre Noire when I want a blacker, solid and velvety result; I choose charcoal when I am after delicacy, a range of tones, lively and organic lines.

[@717379]

@Late BirdTo be honest, a Pierre Noire is nice to have, but it is not essential: its main advantage is that it is less dusty than charcoal. If I could not get hold of a Pierre Noire, I would experiment with DIY lamp black, and layer it over a charcoal drawing to deepen some areas. Most artists who work with blacks do not use it and don't even know what it is.

[@ranjitray1392]

This is the only channel on this planet where art mad's can satisfy excitement or excited.. Rix is good mad man 😁

[@RixCanDoit]

Maddening thought! :-)

[@Gyncop]

I want to thank you for your videos. I consider your comparatives very useful and complete !!! Appreciate!!!

[@skiribi4373]

Who can dislike this omgg... RIX NICE VIDEO

[@RixCanDoit]

Thanks!

[@education461]

I guess is the fact that he is comparing a Pastel Pencil with Charcoal Pencil and with a Dark Graphite Pencil as if they are the same medium. Is like saying that acrylics are better than graphite because their finish is more even. They are simply different medias!

[@Allmystuff100]

Shows me comparing pencils is very important to use the right pencil for each piece.

[@fredricsuza2817]

I tried most of the famous charcoal that is out there , but I've never enjoyed anything like the conte , there is a wide range of them , HB , B , 2B , 3B . The charcoal bars and sticks etc , they are very dark and rich . I have to say that I've never tried the generals yet so i can't make a comparison or give any opinion about them at the time being , I've heard that they are so good , i have ordered some of them and i can't wait to try them .

[@Gyncop]

As I told you my friend ... I really like this pencil. CPN 3B. Many thanks for the comparative video !!!! Really enjoyed!!!!

[@RixCanDoit]

I'm glad you mentioned it. It's going to be one of my favorite go-to pencils for shadows, etc. I've purchased a dozen more as it is a keeper. Thanks. I'm glad you enjoyed the video. See, I listen to my subscribers. :-)

[@reginaldarmah2381]

Thank you for this video, i now know what dark pencils to get

[@KinRuiz]

The series 1710 from Conté, are amazing, very nice waxed and mixing with paper, deep black, I love it! And now it’s my favorite! Ay difference of charcoal common pencil, doesn’t have spread at the moment of drawing! And by the diameter it’s very comfortable!

[@stunningafrica]

This is so VERY helpful! THANK YOU!

[@hlpursley5377]

I have a love hate relationship with these pencils love the extreme black but they are so fragile my sharpest hand sharpener don’t even work some of theses just crumble like sand the entire pencil crumbled away

[@lisengel2498]

Great with the short written info - about what kind of a pencil you are talking of

[@yesgomezyes]

Conte a parís tiene en su gama el fusain (charcoal) que es carbón vegetal ,el pirre noire que es carbón mineral mezclado con una pequeña dosis de carbón vegetal y el carbone que es 100% carbón mineral o Torbanite , gracias por tu canal un saludo desde España

[@brianquilty687]

Wow, very thorough review. I have bought a General 4B charcoal, but haven't tried it yet...….. will see.

[@karenstanton5405]

I have been trying to find a good black pencil. What about the ebony pencil is it any good. Thankyou. You do great videos.

[@maduravenkatachalam8488]

Which manual sharpener will be good for Conte a Paris ?? Because always breaking leads 😭

[@RixCanDoit]

It will depend on the sharpener.

[@doubleg6559]

Another great video... Have you ever compared the mars lumograph 8b with the new lumograph black 8b It would have been interesting to see how the new one compares with the conté pencil.

[@RixCanDoit]

The original 8b is the same as the black 8b. The new 8b is just graphite, no carbon.

[@Kyomiibrown]

They contain a filtered paste pigment. I have the set, they are “waxy” as other pencil does not go over them easily. I use mine in charcoal pieces but I have to be careful where given it’s resistance/texture.

[@RixCanDoit]

Good to know. Thanks. :-)

[@garytangeman9351]

P.S Thank you for the evaluation of these pencils. Wishing you the best.

[@helmutdanninger1510]

Thank you very much for this interesting video. May i ask how you sharpen the Conte pencils? They break a lot if i sharpen them

[@RixCanDoit]

I use my Westcott Heavy Duty sharpener mostly and it sits by my drawing desk. They are definitely fragile pencils though.

[@helmutdanninger1510]

@@RixCanDoit thank you! I will give that sharpener a try :-)

[@mirekm2043]

Are the Pierre Noire pencils difficult to sharpen ? , becaue mine 2B was impossible to sharpen by a knife or pencil sharpner, every time it always broke.

[@RixCanDoit]

They're not difficult. Probably your sharpener.

[@TheLondonForever00]

Rix, I have an even better one for you, the new Staedtler Mars Lumograph Black Pencil. I've never used anything that comes close to it in terms of blackness. It's a Mix of graphite and carbon and there is no graphite shine, it's the richest black out there. This pencil takes it to a whole new paint field. The best part is you can go over graphite with it and they come in 2B, 4B, 6B and 8B. When used together they are amazing. They are a game changer and they are really cheap to buy. You can buy them in singles as well. Really well made and they don't break easy. They can be sharpened to an extremely fine point and hold there shape well. You can even put a lot of pressure on them without breaking the tip and you can remove it off the paper with blu-tac and get back to white paper with ease. I've just bought them for £6.40 in the UK so that is $8.40 for you guys in the states. Obviously shipping on top. I recently bought the 9XXB and compared to this, it doesn't even compare.

[@RixCanDoit]

I've already done a video on the Staedtler Mars Lumograph Black. While it is dark, it is not the darkest. This is because they are still only part carbon and part graphite. The blackest pencils are pure carbon such as the General's Carbon Sketch 595. Even the Conte a Paris Pierre Noire 3b 1710 pencil is darker than any Lumograph Black. Thanks for commenting!

[@AlwaysBeArting]

Does it smudge? I work with Charcoal and I’m trying to find a black pencil away from it so I don’t get it all over my fingers when I’m turning the page (and yes I do have a spray coating but even so it will always still smudge and is very messy).

[@RixCanDoit]

@@AlwaysBeArting I know of no pencil that doesn't smudge.

[@CamyolaCola]

What is blu-tac?

[@Petra-R]

have you tried „cretacolor nero extrasoft 1“? i think its even better than the one in your video. maybe you wanna give it a try, i really recommend it

[@RixCanDoit]

Well, I haven't. But I just ordered it now and will review later. Thanks for the suggestion.

[@Petra-R]

@@RixCanDoit you are welcome 😊 this is my favorite for deep blacks at the moment. i dont like charcoal, they are too scratchy for me. oh and the cretacolor neros come in different shapes (i dont know the right english word for it) from hard, medium to soft. but the hard ones are only like a bad blackish color pencil. nothing you really need if you have color pencils as well. but the soft and extra soft are really great

[@creativesolutionsandart]

Conte a Paris seems less Dusty. That's a real Plus in my book

[@heddynae]

I got a bunch of this brand in London last month

[@KTBfem]

Love your vids so much! x

[@kavitabhandariarts205]

Thanks. Very helpful

[@RixCanDoit]

Glad it was helpful!

[@bluerose11]

Thank you.

[@lakshmis696]

Which is your favorite eraser? How's the Nataraj eraser that you have used here?

[@RixCanDoit]

Nataraj eraser is okay. I have no favorites except I use pen erasers mostly.

[@garytangeman9351]

You can use it if you can afford it?

[@Petra-R]

i am experiencing now with the conte pencils but i habe thrown a few away because they always break when i try to sharpen them. i used different sharpeners... do you have any tips what sharpeners i can use? thank you Rix

[@RixCanDoit]

I have several videos on sharpeners. You should check them out. The alternative is to use an xacto knife and sandpaper.

[@Petra-R]

@@RixCanDoit i‘ll look for the video thank you.

[@davisantos661]

The best comparison ever

[@RixCanDoit]

Appreciate your comment!

[@orestesdd]

Where can I buy one? Thank you.

[@vickim6990]

Hey Rix. I'm doing a portrait and doing a black background. I want it very smoother and black. What do you recommend?

[@RixCanDoit]

Patience and charcoal or carbon. Be careful as it is easy to smear.

[@vickim6990]

RixCanDoit okay. Prismacolor nupastel. Very very black.

[@sheyshannow2065]

Excellent thorough review/demonstration! Thank you very much Rix. Great info. 8b seems to be much the same as Kimberly. That Conte a Paris is very impressive. To me better than the other two as there is much less powder residue because of the wax. Definitely a must have. Black powder residue from charcoal or carbon I don't even blow away but use wifey's vacuum (very carefully).

[@RixCanDoit]

Ah, the ultra-patented Wifey's Vacuum. Suck that dust up and your table too, or your money back.

[@sheyshannow2065]

😃 Yes! That's it!👍

[@e-xinfinite8336]

Best pencil is palamino blackwing

[@Gyncop]

Very nice!!!

[@vickim6990]

Hey Rix, I bought 3 of those pencils and only 1 will sharpen. The others break no matter what. How do you do it?

[@RixCanDoit]

Very carefully. They all sharpen, but you need to use sharpeners that don't grab. I have many sharpeners so I test them out to make sure to find one that is easy for the pencil in question.

[@vickim6990]

RixCanDoit what do you use for these particular pencils?

[@RixCanDoit]

I don't recall off the top of my head. But if you ask about a specific pencil, I'll dig it up and try it in a few of my sharpeners and let you know.

[@dogyaltshering9653]

I got this but I’m afraid I am far from satisfied with the quality…the conte pareee pencils break off very easily.I bought a pair of them and one of them has a split right in the middle and the lead is in little bits

[@RixCanDoit]

That's unfortunate. I've never had a problem with them.

[@vickim6990]

What do you think of generals, Kimberly 9xxb pencil? They are dark.

[@RixCanDoit]

And I like them. You haven't watched many of my drawing vids, have you? ;-b

[@vickim6990]

RixCanDoit I've watched a dozen at least, probably 2. I guess I'm thinking since you didn't mention it in this dark 3, I thought maybe you didn't use them. I'll watch more videos I promise.

[@RixCanDoit]

@@vickim6990 I asked because in many of my drawing tutorials I use the 9xxb. :-)

[@lt6502]

Thank you for such a great comparison. I have one of the Conte a Paris 1710 2B but when I try to sharpen it with a small hand held sharpener, it crumbles. Can you suggest what I can use to sharpen this pencil please. Thanks, L.

[@RixCanDoit]

It's hard to say without having your exact pencil in my hand to test. But a couple of the electric models work well. I would suggest watching my electric sharpener reviews to help you decide.

[@lt6502]

@@RixCanDoit Did you sharpen your Conte a Paris pencil that you featured in this video? If so which sharpener did you use.

[@mousRC]

@@lt6502 hi, use a blade, a cutter for example to sharpen the Conté a Paris. Don't forger the pencil lead is made of a specific rock. 😉

[@lt6502]

@@mousRC Thank you for taking the time to answer that question. 👌

[@vickim6990]

Hello again. Have you ever used pan pastel?

[@RixCanDoit]

No, I don't think so.

[@vickim6990]

I wish I could send you a pic of my mostly finished portrait. It's not too bad

[@nikolion4256]

Do you need fixatives with these? @Rixcandoit

[@RixCanDoit]

When you are done with the drawing it would be a good idea. But that applies to any pencil drawing.

[@nikolion4256]

@@RixCanDoit But , charcoal for instance Ive seen its basically mandatory to use fixative, is this so with the Primo Grande Elite? Or can I get away with not fixing it, and just carefully storing it

[@hlpursley5377]

And they aren’t cheap

[@ozansubas8676]

very good :)

[@bozoclown2098]

There is a art )trick about erasing.

[@blackdrawings]

Dear Rix, can you give me a store, where you buy all these pencils? Thanks a lot))))

[@RixCanDoit]

I just purchased on Amazon.

[@blackdrawings]

RixCanDoit thanks man!😃

[@blackdrawings]

RixCanDoit realy love your creativity)))

[@RixCanDoit]

Thanks!

[@pedigit]

I just wonder how you sharpen the darn thing. 🤔

[@RixCanDoit]

With my Afmat pencil sharpener.

[@raphe6856]

carbon is the darkest on my screen

[@RixCanDoit]

It's hard to get any darker than that. But the other two are so dark that it is difficult to squabble about it.

[@theearthhasmusic4766]

The blackest pencil ever is the Lycra Rembrandt black pastel... it’s discontinued now though 😒

[@spindelhalla]

The Lyra Rembrandt black pastel is indeed one of the darkest pencils I've tried, but it comes second to the Koh-i-noor Gioconda Extra Charcoal. Both are darker than the Pierre Noire.

[@garytangeman9351]

I do not understand the reason of the electric use of erasing. as the pencil pigment is down the lower level of the paper grain. You would have to remove the top of the paper layer to reach and remove the pencil its pigment ????? The Conte a' Paris Pierre Noire Is definitely a good artist pencil. But here in Queensland in Australia, this pencil will cost you a arm and a leg in price, ALMOST SEVEN DOLLARS A PENCIL. HOW CAN THEY JUSTIFY THIS PRICE For that price the quality of this pencil definitely wants to be superrrrrrrrr good for art work.

[@RixCanDoit]

Electric pencil erasers allow for making the brightest details as narrow as a dot. You would be hard pressed to do the same with any other kind of eraser. Also, if you are pushing your graphite into the grain of the paper itself you are pressing too hard. Your graphite should LAY ON TOP of the paper, not be burnished into it.

[@FirstLast-qb9iq]

Only the 8B has no shine

[@spyrosargyropoulos3787]

Thanks for another nice video! Just one comment that I hope you can consider: while your videos are very informative they are way too long. It would be great if you can edit them to only keep the essential information. I think apart from demonstrations where you don’t want to do a time lapse, the rest could be edited down to 5-10 min. Thanks!

[@RixCanDoit]

I appreciate your comment. Some like it long, some like it short. Some like time-lapse, some do not. It's difficult to do videos the way everyone will be happy. But with the longer videos, you can fast-forward those. Some KZbin apps (like for mobile or tablets) let you double-tap the right side of the screen and it jumps forward 10, 20, 30 seconds etc. at a time. In this video, it was actually twice as long. I cut out half of it but didn't want to cut it down anymore because some have expressed likely to follow along at the original pace. So I do a mix of lengths.

[@michaelprocopis129]

You are wrong mate.Almost everyone is looking for a longer tutorial. people can learn better that way. those 5 or10 minute tutorials are for the birds. How can you learn anything from them Anyway galinixta....PS that means goodnight in Greek