The Secret Life of the Pencil
The Secret Life of the Pencil
Regular price
Checking stock...
Regular price
Checking stock...
The feel-good place to buy books
- Free UK delivery over £5
- 10% off preloved books when you join +Plus
- Buying preloved emits 46% less CO2 than new
- Give your books a new home - sell them back to us!

The Secret Life of the Pencil by Alex Hammond
Since software programs have come to dominate offices and studios, the pencil has become a symbol for creative freedom. In other words, the work you do on the computer is what you do for work, to pay the rent, whereas the stuff you do with your pencil is the stuff you do for fun. Apart from stimulating the world’s most important creative minds, the pencil has become the modern creative’s ultimate fetish. This book presents a unique collection of close-up pictures of pencils from some of our foremost artists, designers, writers, architects and musicians. What makes these pictures compelling is the fact that they somehow reflect the creative personalities of their owners: Philippe Starck’s is a stylish black and red, Paul Smith’s is a classic jewel-like thing worth £3,000 (a present from Jonathan Ive), William Boyd’s is nicely aged and rusty, while Anish Kapoor’s is sculpted into a mini ArcelorMittal Orbital tower. The pictures are complemented by material such as sketches, quotes and brief interviews, giving a further insight into the workings of these great creative minds.
Alex Hammond is a designer specializing in product and packaging. He also applies his art and engineering background to the wider design field, producing branding, photography and CG visualizations. Mike Tinney is a British-born still life and documentary photographer. His clients include Casio, Dior, Gucci, Haagen Dazs, Jameson, Nike and Ted Baker.
| SKU | Unavailable |
| ISBN 13 | 9781786270832 |
| ISBN 10 | 1786270838 |
| Title | The Secret Life of the Pencil |
| Author | Alex Hammond |
| Condition | Unavailable |
| Binding Type | Hardback |
| Publisher | Orion Publishing Co |
| Year published | 2017-10-30 |
| Number of pages | 144 |
| Cover note | Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary. |
| Note | Unavailable |