Home › Forums › Explore Media › Drawing and Sketching › Which Brand of Charcoal pencils are the best?
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April 10, 2009 at 4:04 am #987861
I know this is more of a personal preference, but would like to know which brand of charcoal pencils you use/recommend.
I use Generals, and they feel a little rough to me, but I am not sure if that’s how charcoal pencils are supposed to be or whether I’m missing out on something better :o
I’ve also heard of Derwent’s tinted charcoal, but one step at a time
"I collect... art supplies!"
My Artwork | My Blog | My Website | My PortfolioApril 10, 2009 at 11:20 am #1115573Charcoal is like any other product. Whatever fits your style -that is the correct one.
In the pencil (crayon) form, Ritmo charcoal pencils were loved by many. They are no longer on the market (Disney bought all they could find). If you are looking for a pencil form charcoal – try the Ritmo-like cousin, General’s ‘Primo Euro’. It cost a lot less than most. You can find it at Michael’s Art and Craft Stores. Other good pencil form charcoals are Conte’ and Faber-Castell Pitt charcoal (found most often at art stores).Grumbacher, Winsor & Newton, and Coates (willow sticks and compressed) are good.
April 10, 2009 at 2:49 pm #1115588I have Derwent charcoal pencils. Not the tinted kind, just light, medium and dark. I really like them, but I don’t have experience of any other brand to compare.
April 10, 2009 at 5:12 pm #1115575I don’t care for charcoal pencils much. I hate the ones with the strings on them!
I have a couple that aren’t bad, but I usually just get charcoal in a stick, either vine or willow. These come in various hardnesses, and I think they force you to deal with the substance better.
I have had more success with kids and the stick charcoal than I do with pencils too.
They keep wanting to use a charcoal pencil like a writing pencil, but with the sticks they know it is a different medium.
Starrpoint*April 12, 2009 at 4:25 am #1115586I know charcoal is available in different formats – vines, pencils, lumps, powder, etc. – but I picked up pencils since I assumed they would all give the same effect. Should I be looking at vines/compressed charcoal instead? Sorry, newbie when it comes to charcoals :o
"I collect... art supplies!"
My Artwork | My Blog | My Website | My PortfolioApril 12, 2009 at 4:55 am #1115576I am very fond of Derwent’s charcoal pencils, either tinted or pure
April 12, 2009 at 6:39 am #1115569It may help you to add a POLL charcoal pencils…if you need help just ask:)
[FONT="Tahoma"]Regards, Deirdre (Always pleased to get C&Cs!) Don't forget - comment on other threads in the forum as well as posting your own work - also, we encourage you to post WIPs, they help others to learn as well as you.
Moderator[/COLOR] [April 12, 2009 at 8:18 am #1115587Oh, that’s a great idea, Deirdre. I just added a poll.
"I collect... art supplies!"
My Artwork | My Blog | My Website | My PortfolioApril 12, 2009 at 9:11 am #1115577I like Derwents. Also, I buy pencils, because I’m a bit fussy about dirt and dust, and I don’t like my fingers messy. (Always been a neat-freak!) I find sticks manage to get everywhere.
PaintNCurly (Kaye)
C&C always welcome
Paint before all else! Idle hands, idle mind!
April 13, 2009 at 2:49 pm #1115590In pencils I like General, Pro Art and Faber-Castell. I also play with willow and ivy sticks and compressed charcoal. I don’t think I have a strong preference….. some are just better suited for my needs than others.
I like experimenting with different forms of charcoal to get the effect I’m looking for.
SheilaThe best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched - they must be felt with the heart.
-Helen Keller
The question is not what you look at, but what you see.
-Henry David ThoreauApril 20, 2009 at 1:59 pm #1115589I’m the opposite of Kaye; if I’m not a mess after a drawing session, I feel I haven’t given it enough effort. So I prefer vine and willow sticks, but among all of the available charcoal pencils I like Conte best.
Scott
April 22, 2009 at 6:45 am #1115585Charcoal is my new passion so I have been experimenting a lot. I have tried about nine different brands and they can be very different from each other. I did not find find the General’s particularly rough. You have to expect charcoal to be rough unless you use natural charcoal. Faber Castel and Lyra have natural charcoal pencils (although they are ground to a powder and then combined with a little clay and binder – which makes them a tad rougher than pure vine charcoal) Finding the right balance is tricky and in the end it will depend on what you are trying to achieve. If you are looking for precise drawing you would choose a different type than if you are looking for expresive sketching. The only way to find out is to experiment. Also don’t forget that you should try them on different papers as well as that can make a big difference as well.
Michael
April 22, 2009 at 7:08 am #1115571Best i ever used was when I made my own I found a willow tree and cooked the pieces in a pottery oven You have it strip it first the bark is very hard .Trouble was the fire brigade turned up thinking the school was burning down Tom
July 3, 2009 at 7:14 am #1115581The best black is that of the PITT charcoal pencil (Faber-Castell) in my opinion.
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Comments & critiques are welcome.
Greetings!
IsaacA true friend is somebody who would never allow you to do crazy things... alone!
July 3, 2009 at 7:17 am #1115582The best black is that of the PITT charcoal pencil (Faber-Castell) in my opinion.
-~o~-
Comments & critiques are welcome.
Greetings!
IsaacA true friend is somebody who would never allow you to do crazy things... alone!
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