Pencils are simple, versatile tools for writing, sketching, and adding color. A typical graphite pencil has a narrow core inside a wooden casing; its mark can often be lightened or erased, making it useful for both notes and preliminary drawing. Colored pencils use pigment cores to add hues, and their marks can be layered or blended for different effects. The collection brings together depictions of individual pencils and grouped arrangements, with examples that vary in scale and condition, including a broken pencil. Together, these subjects reflect the pencil's familiar role as both an everyday writing instrument and a drawing tool.