Charcoal Pencils: A Detailed Guide
Which Charcoal Pencils are the Best?
Charcoal pencils are popular among artists for their ability to create particularly dark areas and very smooth transitions. But with so many options on the market, the question arises: Which charcoal pencils are the best?
The answer isn’t straightforward, as choosing the right charcoal pencil depends on several factors. Artists have different preferences, working styles, and artistic goals, which means no single charcoal pencil can satisfy every need.
To help you with your purchase decision and provide an overview, here is an in-depth guide to charcoal pencils.
Charcoal as a Drawing Tool
Charcoal is an ancient drawing tool, used long before the invention of the pencil. It can be divided into two categories: charcoal pencils and charcoal sticks, each suitable for different purposes. Like pencils, charcoal comes in various hardness levels, which affect the line quality and intensity of the charcoal drawing.
Charcoal Pencils
Charcoal pencils offer a practical and clean way to draw with charcoal. They consist of powdered and compressed charcoal encased in wood for protection.
Compared to charcoal sticks, charcoal pencils are much easier to sharpen, as they contain a binding agent that makes the charcoal less brittle. However, you should always sharpen a charcoal pencil more carefully and slowly than a regular pencil, as the charcoal can still break, even with the binder.
If wax is used as the binder, it can be more difficult to smudge the charcoal on the paper. If you want to work with smudging techniques, make sure your charcoal pencils do not contain wax.
On the other hand, wax can be advantageous for precise lines and detailed work, as it prevents smudging and keeps the charcoal in place.
Natural Charcoal: Charcoal Sticks
Charcoal sticks are made of pure, powdered natural charcoal, compressed into stick form without added binders. Unlike charcoal pencils, they are not encased in wood, which can make working with them a bit messier.
If you want to draw with charcoal sticks but keep your hands clean, you can wrap the sticks with paper, foil, or other protective material.
Charcoal sticks are not sharpened with a sharpener but carefully with sandpaper.
Natural Charcoal: Nitram Drawing Charcoal
Nitram drawing charcoal is also natural charcoal, but it retains its wood fiber during production instead of being powdered. This means it produces less charcoal dust, making it a cleaner option for natural charcoal drawing.
Due to its composition, Nitram drawing charcoal is also less prone to breaking than powdered charcoal.
Hardness Levels of Charcoal Pencils
The common hardness levels for charcoal pencils are soft, medium, and hard. Although the spectrum of hardness levels in charcoal pencils is not as broad as with graphite pencils, they still offer a sufficient range for most drawing needs.
The hardness levels of charcoal pencils are determined by the mixture ratios between charcoal and a binder (mainly gum arabic or wax). The less binder used, the softer and darker the charcoal pencil. Conversely, the more binder used, the harder and lighter the charcoal pencil.
It’s different with the hardness levels of natural charcoal, as these (as the name suggests) are natural and free from binders. Natural willow charcoal, for example, is usually hard, while natural vine charcoal is processed to be much softer.
The hardness levels of each charcoal type are typically indicated on the product, so you don’t have to memorize all this information.
Black Tones of Charcoal
Charcoal is not just charcoal. The types of wood used have an influence on the black tone:
- Charcoal from linden wood: Neutral black tone
- Charcoal from vine (or wine): Bluish black tone
- Charcoal from willow: Brownish black tone
Types of Charcoal
Essentially, there are only two types of charcoal: the regular and common charcoal, which is made from burnt wood, and compressed charcoal, made from ground charcoal, soot, clay, and a binder.
Compressed charcoal has a much more consistent abrasion compared to regular charcoal and adheres better to the paper. Therefore, compressed charcoal is an excellent choice if you want to draw portraits and need charcoal that is easy to smudge and can also draw very dark lines.
How Long Have Charcoal Pencils Been Around?
Charcoal is considered one of the oldest drawing materials in the world and has a long history as an artistic tool. Even in prehistoric times, people used charred wood to create cave drawings.
Up until the Middle Ages, charcoal pencils were an important drawing tool, especially for temporary sketches. Artists used them to capture ideas, create drafts, or conduct studies. The soft strokes and intense black coloring allowed artists to quickly put their thoughts on paper.
However, charcoal had its limitations during this time. It could easily smudge and smear, as it couldn’t be fixed. The artworks were therefore only short-lived and had to be handled carefully to maintain their integrity.
It was only after artists found a way to fix charcoal that it gained greater significance in art. By developing techniques to fix the charcoal on paper or other substrates, artists could preserve their works for longer periods and display them. This led to increased use of charcoal in the art world and opened new possibilities for various techniques and styles.
Today, charcoal continues to be valued by artists around the world. Its unique properties, such as the ability to create intense black tones and smooth transitions, make it a versatile tool for various artistic expressions. The long history of charcoal as a drawing material shows that it is a timeless medium that continues to play an important role in art.
Care and Storage of Charcoal Pencils
Proper care and storage are important to extend the life of your charcoal pencils and maintain their optimal performance.
Charcoal pencils are relatively delicate and can break easily. To avoid this, handle them carefully and avoid dropping them.
Before you start drawing with charcoal pencils, make sure your hands are clean and dry. This may seem redundant when drawing with charcoal sticks, as your hands will get dirty quickly anyway. However, this prevents dirt or moisture from transferring to the charcoal, which could affect the drawing quality.
Store your charcoal pencils in a cool, dry place to prevent moisture damage. Use appropriate storage options such as a box, drawing portfolio, or case to protect the pencils from dust, dirt, or damage.
Separate your charcoal pencils from other pencils during storage to prevent charcoal particles from transferring. This will save you a lot of hassle the next time you use the other pencils.
Accessories for Charcoal Pencils
When working with charcoal, one thing is at least as important as the charcoal itself: a fixative. It is essential, because without it, your charcoal artwork won’t last long and might literally rub off onto other artworks during storage.
You can either use special fixative spray for artists or hairspray for fixing. Make sure the hairspray is transparent.
Not a must, but still a very practical accessory, is the kneaded eraser. It is particularly absorbent and can therefore absorb the charcoal particles much better than a regular eraser.
Main photo by Dusan Kipic on Unsplash
