A few months ago, the second-generation Apple Pencil was released with a more seamless design and a matte rather than glossy finish. However, like the original, the new Apple Pencil is only available in an off-white color.

apple pencil texture 1
A variety of skins are available for customizing the design of the Apple Pencil, but Reddit user Cedric M. from Frisco, Texas decided to take the do-it-yourself route with some sandpaper, synthetic fabric dye, and paint, transforming his second-generation Apple Pencil into one that closely resembles a No. 2 graphite pencil.

apple pencil texture 2
What makes this customized Apple Pencil unique is that Cedric achieved a wood-like texture with sandpaper. He then used synthetic fabric dye and paint to color the tip, shaft, and collar of the pencil and shared photos on Reddit.

Cedric spoke to MacRumors about the project:

I saw a few "pencil" decals for the Apple Pencil 2 but didn't like the idea of something that could be misaligned or peel. I experimented a bit with Rit dye and have some experience using it at my job - I knew that it could be used to dye plastics with relative ease. I wanted to replicate the texture and feel of an actual wooden pencil and was happy with the results I achieved with some careful sandpapering.

apple pencil custom texture
The finished product looks impressive, and we award Cedric full marks for creativity, although we don't recommend everyone follow these steps since it is still cosmetic damage to the Apple Pencil. For most people, this $6 skin from dbrand is the cheapest and easiest way to make the new Apple Pencil resemble a No. 2 pencil.

The second-generation Apple Pencil magnetically attaches to the new 11-inch and 12.9-inch iPad Pro models. It also features automatic pairing, wireless charging, tap to wake, double-tap gestures to switch drawing tools, and a more seamless design with no Lightning connector, cap, or chrome ring.


A variety of skins are also available for the original and second-generation Apple Pencil from Amazon and elsewhere.

Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Amazon. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.

Related Forum: iPad Accessories

Top Rated Comments

Moonjumper Avatar
85 months ago
Is this is what the Apple Pencil would have looked like if Apple had continued with skeuomorphic design?
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Unity451 Avatar
85 months ago
Clearly this guy thought about the design more than apple does these days.
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
webbuzz Avatar
85 months ago
New product from ColorWare coming, only $499!
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
cedricchase Avatar
85 months ago
:eek:
Actually, the article says he used both dye and paint. Since the body of the pencil looks dyed (textured and less opaque) I assume the tip was painted. It certainly looks like it.

Edit: oop, just read his Reddit post and saw that he did use dye for the tip. Also read that the work killed pairing on one of the two pencils he modified. Polite pass.
It’s me! Tip was dye only. The damaged Pencil is strange, it -tries- to pair but just never succeeds. I’m confident I can safely do this mod without making the same mistake again, the process is pretty tame as far as mods are concerned.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
arn Avatar
85 months ago
:eek:
Actually, the article says he used both dye and paint. Since the body of the pencil looks dyed (textured and less opaque) I assume the tip was painted. It certainly looks like it.

Edit: oop, just read his Reddit post and saw that he did use dye for the tip. Also read that the work killed pairing on one of the two pencils he modified. Polite pass.
I believe you are also responding to the person who did the mod. @cedricchase

arn
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
dazzer21-2 Avatar
85 months ago
Until he tries to sharpen it!
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

Apple Watch Ultra Night Mode Screen

Apple Watch Ultra 3 Launching Later This Year With Two Key Upgrades

Wednesday July 2, 2025 1:13 pm PDT by
The long wait for an Apple Watch Ultra 3 appears to be nearly over, and it is rumored to feature both satellite connectivity and 5G support. Apple Watch Ultra's existing Night Mode In his latest Power On newsletter, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said that the Apple Watch Ultra 3 is on track to launch this year with "significant" new features, including satellite connectivity, which would let you...
iPhone 17 Pro in Hand Feature Lowgo

iPhone 17 Pro Max Battery Capacity Leaked

Thursday July 3, 2025 5:40 am PDT by
The iPhone 17 Pro Max will feature the biggest ever battery in an iPhone, according to the Weibo leaker known as "Instant Digital." In a new post, the leaker listed the battery capacities of the iPhone 11 Pro Max through to the iPhone 16 Pro Max, and added that the iPhone 17 Pro Max will feature a battery capacity of 5,000mAh: iPhone 11 Pro Max: 3,969mAh iPhone 12 Pro Max: 3,687mAh...
iPhone 17 Pro Lower Logo Magsafe

iPhone 17 Pro's New MagSafe Design Revealed in Leaked Photo

Wednesday July 2, 2025 8:37 am PDT by
The upcoming iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are rumored to have a slightly different MagSafe magnet layout compared to existing iPhone models, and a leaked photo has offered a closer look at the supposed new design. The leaker Majin Bu today shared a photo of alleged MagSafe magnet arrays for third-party iPhone 17 Pro cases. On existing iPhone models with MagSafe, the magnets form a...
Wi Fi WiFi General Feature

iOS 26 Adds a Useful New Wi-Fi Feature to Your iPhone

Wednesday July 2, 2025 6:36 am PDT by
iOS 26 and iPadOS 26 add a smaller yet useful Wi-Fi feature to iPhones and iPads. As spotted by Creative Strategies analyst Max Weinbach, sign-in details for captive Wi-Fi networks are now synced across iPhones and iPads running iOS 26 and iPadOS 26. For example, while Weinbach was staying at a Hilton hotel, his iPhone prompted him to fill in Wi-Fi details from his iPad that was already...
airpods pro 2

AirPods Pro 3 to Help Maintain Apple's Place in Earbud Market Amid Increasing Low-Cost Competition

Thursday July 3, 2025 7:25 am PDT by
Apple's position as the dominant force in the global true wireless stereo (TWS) earbud market is expected to continue through 2025, according to Counterpoint Research. The forecast outlines a 3% year-over-year increase in global TWS unit shipments for 2025, signaling a transition from rapid growth to a more mature phase for the category. While Apple is set to remain the leading brand by...
iOS 18

Apple Releases Second iOS 18.6 Public Beta

Tuesday July 1, 2025 10:19 am PDT by
Apple today seeded the second betas of upcoming iOS 18.6 and iPadOS 18.6 updates to public beta testers, with the betas coming just a day after Apple provided the betas to developers. Apple has also released a second beta of macOS Sequoia 15.6. Testers who have signed up for beta updates through Apple's beta site can download iOS 18.6 and iPadOS 18.6 from the Settings app on a compatible...
iPhone 17 Pro in Hand Feature Lowgo

iPhone 17 Pro Coming Soon With These 14 New Features

Friday July 4, 2025 1:05 pm PDT by
Apple's next-generation iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are just over two months away, and there are plenty of rumors about the devices. Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models. Latest Rumors These rumors surfaced in June and July:Apple logo repositioned: Apple's logo may have a lower position on the back of the iPhone 17 Pro models, compared to previous...