Graphite is a very common soft carbon that was named by the German Geologist Abraham Gottlob Werner in 1789 from an ancient Greek word that translated to "draw/write". Matisse has used graphite pigment to create the unique tone of Graphite Grey acrylic paint with a slight bluish, cool quality. It also has a very subtle graphite iridescent finish when dry. One unique quality of this paint is that it can be used for burnishing. Burnishing refers to the process of applying heavy layers of pencil until the tooth of the paper is completely covered with a smooth, slightly shiny surface.