Learn how to sketch with vine & charcoal pencils!

Sketching with charcoal can be daunting to an artist who is unfamiliar with the style. The rich dark hues of the organic material are what make charcoal both fascinating and intimidating. Faber-Castell’s Charcoal Sketch Set was created to aid aspiring artists in finding ease in learning how to sketch with charcoal and discovering its value. Working with charcoal gives an artist depth and is often used when the artist desires to create a quick sketch or art that is rich in value.

Charcoal is available in different forms. The Faber-Castell Charcoal Sketch Set includes: two Natural Charcoal Sticks of willow and vine, a Pitt® Natural Charcoal Pencil in medium, a Pitt® Compressed Charcoal Pencil in soft, a white Pitt® Pastel Pencil in medium, a Kneadable Art Eraser, and a Paper Blending Stump. The variations of charcoal, pastel, and accessories in this kit are assembled together to provide the best kit for artists interested in exploring sketching with charcoals.

There is something to be said about the history behind natural charcoal. Natural charcoal is the oldest sketching and drawing material in the world, speaking volumes for its value and desirability. In this set, we included two Natural Charcoal Sticks; one made of willow and one made of vine. The thicker charcoal of the two is willow; created by burning wood. Vine is thin and long and created by burning grapevines. Both charcoals are made in England. Natural Charcoal Sticks give a grey and blue hue far different than other charcoal. It easily dusts, smudges, and erases and is best used for sketches and basic composition. This charcoal is not the tool to use for detailed work.

We also provide natural charcoal in the form of a pencil with our Pitt Natural Charcoal Pencils. The pencil included in our set holds a medium softness and possesses the same qualities as our Natural Charcoal Sticks with its grey and blue hues and ability to be easily dusted, smudged, and erased. Pitt Natural Charcoal Pencils should be sharpened with a knife as opposed to a sharpener.

Opposite of natural charcoal, is compressed charcoal. Our included Soft Pitt Compressed Charcoal Pencil is created to deliver the darker properties of charcoal. Compressed charcoal is created with a mixture of soot and clay, making it the truest black charcoal color. This deep intense charcoal is oil-free and this pencil is best used when creating fine dark details.

Included to bring highlight and contrast, our Medium White Pitt Pastel Pencil is perfectly suited for fine and elaborate details. It's wax and oil-free contents make it easily smudgeable for fine color transitions. Your artwork will be resistant to fading as the Pitt Pastel Pencil is highly pigmented with excellent lightfastness.

Our Paper Blending Stump and Kneadable Art Eraser pull our sketch set together and put the finishing touch on your work. The Paper Blending Stump helps blend and correct all media included and can be sharpened with sandpaper. Our Kneadable Eraser is created to correct and lighten charcoal and pastel work. Soft and pliable, the kneadable eraser is the best eraser to use with charcoal as it is extremely kneadable and absorptive. Using the eraser creates depth and builds form with your art and leaves no residue behind.

For the best results, use sketch paper or paper with a rougher texture when using charcoal. Our Charcoal Sketch Set provides the highest quality products assembled together for beginners and aspiring artists. You can find our Charcoal Sketch Set here. Faber-Castell also provides a Classic Sketch Set as well as a Graphite Sketch Set.