Charcoal is one of the most widely used drawing mediums. From art students to professionals, artists have relied on the unique characteristics of charcoal for centuries, to add depth and strength to compositions. Charcoal is great for drawing, sketching, portraits and mixed media.
There are three main kinds of charcoal you will find in this category and sub-categories:
Compressed Charcoal - Compressed charcoal is formed by mixing charcoal powder with gum binder and then compressing it to form sticks. The amount of binder determines the hardness of the stick. Compressed charcoal is used in charcoal pencils.
Powdered Charcoal - This versatile medium can be used as a "ground" to cover large areas of a drawing. Powdered charcoal is especially neat, because the artist can erase it, making it easy to add highlights!
Vine Charcoal - This popular form of charcoal is created by burning sticks of wood (usually willow) into different consistencies, ranging from soft to hard.