Arteza® Charcoals & Pastels

Charcoal provides a precise and versatile medium for drawing stellar works of art. Charcoal pencils offer a cleaner, more controlled application than traditional art charcoal. Made from ground charcoal that is compressed and encased in wood or paper, charcoal pencils are easy to apply and easy to remove. They create values ranging from light gray to dark, true black. Charcoal pencils are ideal for everything from simple line drawings to complex landscapes and portraits.

 

Pastels add vibrant color and soft texture to your drawings. They come in soft, hard, and oil varieties, each offering different levels of blendability and intensity. Pastels are perfect for creating rich, expressive artwork with a tactile feel.

 

Artists use charcoal pencils for sketching and shading because they offer a wide range of textures and tones. Soft charcoal pencils add darker elements, while hard pencils create light lines with varied width and intensity.

 

Charcoal comes from burnt wood and has a crumbly texture that sticks unevenly to paper, producing deep blacks and rich textures. Graphite is a form of carbon mixed with binder, giving it a smoother texture ideal for detailed work on smooth paper. Graphite struggles with very dark tones and can create a shiny surface when heavily layered.

 

Yes, charcoal pencils can and should be sharpened. Wood-encased pencils work with standard sharpeners, and a razor blade or tool helps achieve a fine point for detailed work.

 

Pastels are best for vibrant and expressive drawings. Soft pastels blend easily to create smooth transitions, hard pastels provide control for fine details, and oil pastels offer creamy textures that can be layered and manipulated for painterly effects.

 

With charcoal pencils and pastels, you’ve got plenty of ways to add texture, tone, and color to your art.