Funny Holidays - Colored Pencil Day

Pencils with a graphite core appeared in the 17th century, colored ones - much later. Initially they were used for utilitarian purposes - marking objects. And only at the beginning of the twentieth century. colored pencils have become a material for artistic creativity. Today, without them, it is difficult to imagine drawing classes for children, art therapy and psychological rehabilitation for adults. To display all the colors of the rainbow on paper, a rod with an oil or wax base is used, to which pigments, dyes and an adhesive mass (kaolin) are added. March 16 is a fun holiday - Colored Pencil Day. Drawing has a positive effect on the child's body. Painting classes promote the development of imagination, memory and fine motor skills, teach you how to hold your hand correctly, see and transfer the beauty of the world around you to paper. And the drawing process itself is not just an exciting activity. It enlivens our boring world and is somewhat akin to magic: The word “pencil”, borrowed from Turkic, literally translates as “black stone”. And this is understandable - initially the rod was graphite or coal. It was clamped on both sides with wooden planks and used for writing and drawing. In the 17th century pencils appeared, the appearance of which began to resemble modern stationery. Clay was eventually added to graphite, which was too soft. This rod was stronger and harder. In order for the pencil to glide well over the paper and leave a rich mark, they began to mix fat and glue into the mixture of graphite and clay. Initially, the wooden body was round, and pencils easily rolled off the table. Later it was made ribbed - hexagonal. In Russia, the first production of pencils was organized by F.M. Lomonosov in Arkhangelsk province. Alder and linden were used to produce the wooden shell. A mixture of graphite, soot, clay, fat and glue diluted with water was poured into a hole in a wooden stick and evaporated in a special way. The process was labor-intensive - it took about 5 days to make 1 pencil. Such stationery was expensive. The colored rod differed from the black one in composition: it replaced graphite with chalk with the addition of kaolin and dyes. Today, more than 100 types of raw materials and more than 83 technological operations are used to produce pencils. They are produced in various hardness, strength and design, in a wooden or metal case. Crayon Day is celebrated in different ways. On March 16, art teachers and artists are congratulated on a funny occasion. In honor of the holiday, drawing competitions written with colored pencils are organized, quizzes and other events are held aimed at revealing the creative abilities of children and adults.