Best Charcoal Pencils

Every good artist relies heavily on their tools which is why there are so many different types of pencils, pastels, and paints on the market.

Without good tools, an artist will never be able to put the vision they see in their head down on paper so tools are essential.

Of all the different art tools available, one of the most popular options is charcoal pencils.

These pencils look the same as a regular graphite pencil, however, they contain charcoal and are great for adding depth to your artwork. 

There are lots of different types of charcoal pencils available, but this can make it difficult to find the type that is right for you.

With that in mind, we’re here to help with this handy guide to the best charcoal pencils on the market. 

In a hurry?

Whether you are an art student who needs charcoal pencils on a budget, or an artist working on a new piece of work, there are lots of options to choose from.

However, if you need charcoal pencils in a hurry, we would recommend the Marie’s 12 Piece Charcoal Pencil Set.

This charcoal pencil set is excellent value for money and comes with a variety of great features which we believe make them the best on the market, including:

• They are designed with the finest quality of charcoal for a smooth delivery and a strong, thick black charcoal color.  

• They are available in a variety of different thicknesses from super soft through to medium so you can choose the ones that suit your task best. 

• They are the perfect option for artists of all abilities from beginner through to professional artists. 
• They are built with professional quality charcoal so you get the best results from your artwork. 

Marie’s 12 Piece Charcoal Pencil Set

Our favorite charcoal pencils available on the market are the Marie’s 12 piece charcoal pencil set.

We’ve ranked this pencil set the best on the market because it gives you 12 black charcoal pencils which is plenty to complete absolutely any piece of art.

These pencils are designed with the finest quality of charcoal which guarantees smooth delivery on the paper and thick black charcoal color.

They are built with professional quality charcoal and perfect for all abilities from beginners through to professionals.

The pencils are excellent for drawing, sketching, or simply adding shading to your work.

Finally, these pencils are available in different thickness levels from super-soft through to medium, which easily makes them one of the best options on the market. 

Pros

• Offers the finest quality of charcoal with smooth delivery 
• Delivers thick black charcoal color 
• Comes in super-soft, soft and medium thickness for different tasks 
• Perfect for all abilities, beginner to professional 
• Built with professional quality charcoal for the best finish
• Excellent for sketching, drawing, and shading 

Cons

• No notable drawbacks 

VIEW ON AMAZON

Raffine 12 Piece White Charcoal Set

We also love the Raffine 12 piece white charcoal set. This set of pencils differs from the last as the pencils contain white charcoal rather than black charcoal.

In this set, you will find 12 white charcoal pencils which are built with artist quality materials and perfect for all skill levels.

They are constructed with a high level of pigment and contain no wax or oil so they are guaranteed to be durable.

While being easy to blend for smooth color transitions, and also brilliant for adding fine details to your artwork, there is no doubt that this is the best option on the market if you want to add white charcoal to your portfolio. 

Pros

• Contains 12 white charcoal pencils 
• Built with artist quality charcoal for all skill levels 
• Incredibly easy to blend while also being great for fine details 
• Easily smudge to create smooth color transitions
• Slow to wear and waterproof so your artwork lasts 
• Made with a high level of pigment, and no wax or oil for ultimate durability 

Cons

• No notable drawbacks 

VIEW ON AMAZON

Norberg and Linden XXL Drawing Set

You should also consider the Norberg and Linden XXL drawing set.

While the two products we have just looked at contain only charcoal pencils, this set comes with lots more that can help improve your artwork.

This set is suitable for all skill levels and contains absolutely everything that you need to get started on your artwork.

The set comes in a handy travel zipper case which has a compartment for absolutely everything that you want to keep safe within it.

The pencils themselves come in a variety of thickness options and are perfect for both drawing and shading.

Finally, the set also contains charcoal sticks which means that you do not have to choose between buying charcoal sticks or charcoal pencils and makes it one of the best options available. 

Pros

• Suitable for all skill levels 
• Includes absolutely everything that you need to start your artwork 
• Charcoal pencils ranging from HB to 8B so you have a pencil for every job 
• Perfect for both drawing and shading in artwork 
• Also contains charcoal sticks for adding depth to the artwork 
• Comes in a compartmentalized travel size zipper case to keep your pencils safe

Cons

• Pencil design is very basic 

VIEW ON AMAZON

Dowswin 29 Piece Charcoal Drawing Set 

Another excellent option is the Dowswin 29 piece charcoal drawing set.

This set is similar to the Norberg and Linden set we have just looked at and comes with a complete set of charcoal pencils contained in a handy canvas roll to keep them safe.

This set is perfect for artists of all abilities and has a pencil for absolutely everything you need.

The charcoal pencils themselves are designed so that they are sturdy enough to be sharpened without breaking.

Additionally, you will find a black eraser included which can be used to effortlessly remove errors in your artwork.

With all this considered, it is clear this is one of the best sets available.  

Pros

• The complete set of charcoal pencils comes in a handy canvas roll for easy storage
• Perfect for artists of all abilities
• Designed so that the charcoal tips can be easily sharpened without breaking 
• Comes with a black eraser to remove any accidental errors 
• Excellent for creating layers in your artwork 
• A variety of pencils to choose from depending on what you need 

Cons

• The carry case does not come with space for a sharpener 

VIEW ON AMAZON

General’s Charcoal Drawing Set

Finally, let’s not forget about the General’s charcoal drawing set.

We love this set because it uses non-toxic and latex-free charcoal within the pencils which means they are totally safe to use, no matter your skill level.

The set includes 3 black charcoal pencils in varying thicknesses (6B, 4B, and 2B), and an additional white charcoal pencil which is excellent for adding fine details to your art.

The set also includes a kneaded eraser which can effortlessly remove mistakes and leave your work looking as good as new.

The pencils are produced in the USA and are an excellent choice for anyone who enjoys sketching, blending, or shading.

With all this in mind and their excellent price point, it is clear these are one of the best options available on the market. 

Pros

• Uses non-toxic, latex-free charcoal within the pencils 
• Includes 3 charcoal pencils, including a 6B, 4B, and 2B
• Additionally includes 1 white charcoal pencil and a kneaded eraser
• Proudly produced in the USA
• An excellent choice for blending, shading, and sketching
• Brilliant value for money making it a great choice for art students 

Cons

• The charcoal included in the pencils is very fragile 

VIEW ON AMAZON

Buyer’s Guide

The key to any good artist’s work is the materials that they are using to create that piece of art. You can have an endless amount of talent but without the necessary materials, you will struggle.

As any artist who dabbles in sketching will be aware, charcoal pencils are an essential part of your kit and they can really take a sketch to the next level.

Charcoal pencils can create an endless amount of depth in any piece of art which is why they are so essential. 

Thankfully, the charcoal pencil market is incredibly saturated and there are lots of manufacturers producing these essential tools.

However, with so many different options available it can be very difficult to find the charcoal pencils that are right for you.

The options that we have looked at above are some of the best that are currently available on the market.

However, if you are still not sold, we have put together this buyer’s guide to help.

It’s full of all the information that you should know about charcoal pencils before you make your own purchase to ensure you are spending your money in the best way possible. 

Graphite Vs Charcoal 

While you have probably heard of charcoal pencils before, you are more likely to have used graphite pencils than you are to have used charcoal pencils.

Graphite is used inside most regular pencils and is the interior in most pencils that some people call ‘lead’ pencils. It is commonly used by people who aren’t artists to draw up plans that they still aren’t certain about yet.

Graphite pencils can easily be used to complete artwork, and are an excellent choice for sketching fine lines and drawings.

Whereas charcoal pencils are more commonly used by artists than anybody else and tend to be a lot darker than any other pencils that you can buy on the market. 

While some people will choose to use either graphite or charcoal pencils, some of the best artwork is created using both types of pencils.

A lot of people choose to begin their artwork with graphite pencils, then use charcoal pencils to add depth to their drawings.

This is because graphite is a cleaner pencil, making it the better choice to begin your art.

Whereas charcoal pencils are a lot more messy, so lots of people choose not to add them to their projects until the end. 

Charcoal Pencils or Charcoal Sticks

As well as choosing between graphite and charcoal pencils, you will also have to decide between charcoal pencils or charcoal sticks.

Generally, they are both able to do the same thing but they do differ slightly from one another, and, of course, both types have their advantages and their disadvantages.

Some artists will choose to use either charcoal pencils, charcoal sticks, or a combination of both depending on the piece that they are working on. 

Generally, charcoal pencils are the better option out of the two if cleanliness and organization are important to you.

Charcoal pencils are constructed with charcoal encased in a wooden pencil.

This means that you can hold the charcoal pencil without getting any of the charcoal residue on your hands which limits the risk of you transferring charcoal from your hand onto an area of your artwork where you do not want

any charcoal. Due to their pencil design, charcoal pencils are also usually more comfortable to hold and use while you are working and can be less straining on the hand.   

Alternatively, charcoal sticks tend to be a lot messier.

Due to their design, charcoal sticks require you to physically hold onto the charcoal while you use them which causes the charcoal to transfer onto the palm of your hand.

This means that you are more at risk of transferring charcoal to areas of your art that you do not want it to be when you are using charcoal sticks.

Despite this, charcoal sticks are a very popular option among artists because they give you more options on how to add charcoal to your art.

You can twist the charcoal stick to add the black color in various styles and widths which you are unable to do with charcoal pencils.

Ultimately, the perfect type will depend on your preference, but both charcoal sticks and pencils have their benefits. 

Additional Things to Consider

Finally, before buying your charcoal pencils, you should consider the other things that you may need to buy alongside the pencils.

As we have already established, charcoal tends to be a very messy tool to work with, so you must have everything ready to clean up after yourself.

Despite its dark color and the fact that it smudges incredibly easily, it is actually possible to erase charcoal that has been used incorrectly in your art. 

The main thing you should buy alongside your charcoal pencils is an eraser.

A lot of charcoal pencil sets will also come with other bits that will improve your artwork, or simply make it easier to do. In some cases, this will include a pencil sharpener, in other cases, it might also include an eraser.

Due to their pencil design, the majority of charcoal pencils can be sharpened using a regular pencil sharpener.

However, some of the thicker charcoal pencils may be too big for the sharpener meaning you will have to sharpen them with a knife instead. 

Charcoal can also be erased with the majority of erasers, however, some will be more successful than others.

For the best results, we recommend using a putty eraser as this device can soak up the charcoal to reduce any mess on your artwork.

Other erasers, including the traditional rubber, will be able to erase charcoal but they can also create a mess at the same time.

This is why we recommend a putty eraser as it soaks up the charcoal rather than smudging it into your work.

For the best value for your money, we would recommend looking for a charcoal pencil set that comes with either a sharpener or an eraser included within it. 

Frequently Asked Questions

Can you sharpen charcoal pencils?

Yes, all charcoal pencils can be sharpened. However, the most appropriate sharpening method will depend on the style and shape of your charcoal pencils.

If you have wood encased charcoal pencils, these can be easily sharpened using a traditional sharpener that you would use for regular pencils.

If the charcoal pencil that you want to sharpen is too thick for a pencil sharpener, we would recommend using a knife to sharpen the charcoal within your pencil.

However, for safety reasons you should always sharpen away from your body. 

Can you erase charcoal?

Although its thick and dark appearance might suggest that you cannot, you can actually erase charcoal if you have incorrectly used it in your artwork.

The best type of rubber to erase charcoal is a putty rubber.

Rubber erasers can also be used to remove charcoal from your artwork, however, they have an increased chance of smudging your hard work.

For the best results, you should use a putty eraser as it will collect the charcoal within itself instead of smudging it across the paper. 

How is darkness measured in charcoal pencils?

The thickness of charcoal pencils does not follow the same measurement cycle as the graphite pencil chart.

Thin pencils are labeled using an ‘H’, while thicker pencils are labeled with ‘B’.

The thickness or thinness of the pencil will then be a number that will increase by how thick or thin the graphite pencil is. Whereas charcoal pencils are simply measured by how soft or hard they are.

However, it is worth noting that charcoal pencils are generally darker than graphite pencils and that even the medium charcoal will likely be darker than your darkest graphite pencil.

RELATED ARTICLES

Looking for some general graphite Art Pencils?