White Chalk is used for highlights on drawings and is typically made from which material?

• A. Charcoal
• B. Iron oxide pigment
• C. Calcium carbonate or soapstone
• D. Graphite

Answer: (C)

White chalk highlights come from a soft, white mineral that can be ground into powder and formed into sticks for drawing. The most common material is calcium carbonate, the natural substance in chalk, which gives that pure, opaque white ideal for bright highlights. Some chalk sticks are made from soapstone (steatite), another soft mineral, which yields a similar powdery white texture when used for drawing. Charcoal is dark and used for shading, graphite provides gray tones, and iron oxide pigments are colored pigments, so they don’t produce the white highlight.