General’s Layout Pencil, 555, Box of 1 Dozen Pencils. An extra smooth, black, thick graphite pencil used to create preliminary sketches, to layout drawing before painting over, or add intense blacks and shading in detail graphite drawings. Since 1889, General Pencil has been making pencils in the USA with the highest quality sustained yield cedar wood. These products are AP and PMA approved and tested and certified for safety and quality by the Art and Creative Materials Institute, conforming to ASTM-D4236.