Charcoal Drawing Materials

Please watch the YouTube video from the link for the basic materials you might need for charcoal drawings, and how to use them.

https://youtu.be/WRbTHl0uO8Q?si=qE_lM0AAqu0Zr7cx

Material list:

Compressed Charcoal

Vine Charcoal, (or Nitram vine charcoal for better quality)

Charcoal pencil,

Charcoal powder (Cretacolor for smooth blend)

Chamois

Kneaded eraser

Sanding pad

Blending Stomp and Tortillion

Soft brush

Papers and surfaces:

Technically if you can make a mark, you can draw on it. But usually, people who use charcoal tend to do tighter and more detailed works. Charcoal is one material that you can create photo-realistic drawings.   

In here, I will talk about a few commonly used types of paper and surfaces.

BFK Rives Print making paper and Arches Hot Pressed watercolor paper

These two papers are the most used for charcoal by professional artists. They both have a similar thickness.  But BFK is softer because the fibers are looser. It’s a personal preference. Hot Pressed watercolor paper is my go-to paper.  Some artists will sanded the surface with fine grain sandpaper to create smooth surface like skin tone for charcoal drawing.  BFK is a paper that needs a lot more control, because of the loose fiber and softness. Also, if you tend to erase a lot, the surface of BFK is easily damaged.

Arches Hot Pressed watercolor paper is just slightly smoother than BFK. But because it’s denser, it can take the erasing better. 

I know it sounds like Hot Pressed WC paper is the way to go, but some artists still prefer the BFK texture.

When painting with a water based medium, the brand of WC paper matters.  But for drawing, personally for me it really doesn’t matter.  The reason I chose to discuss Arches in this case is because that is what I use.

Both papers have a non-bleach white which I like. But BFK also comes in a cream color that gives you more choice on the type of image you want to create.

Bristol board in Vellum finished surface

For those of you who don’t know what is Bristol board; Bristol board is more like a heavier weight of card stock. It comes in smooth and vellum surfaces. The vellum surface has just a little more texture than the smooth surface, that is what takes the charcoal powder.  In comparison with BFK and Hot Pressed paper, Bristol vellum is less rough.

Gessoed Canvas

Gessoed canvas has the most texture compared to papers, so it’s a great surface to work on with charcoal. But because the tooth grabbing charcoal so well, so it does not erase well. Artists who like to work on canvas usually like to show their works without glass; or like to add spray alcohol or mineral spirit to create special visual effect.

Drawing Pad

Drawing paper pad and charcoal paper pad are good for studies. They are paper in lighter weight. Which means they are thinner. Charcoal drawing pads have an embossed linen texture surface which is the tooth for charcoal. But the paper itself has a bit of a slick feel. So even though there’s embossed texture, there’s only so much charcoal powder can be hold by a slick feel paper. I have seen it sold as a single larger sheet at Michaels.

Drawing pad depending on the brand, some drawing paper brands such as Strathmore come in different series which have different thicknesses (paper weight) and quality. I like heavier paper, so drawing pads for me are just for studies and Plein Air.

Pastel Paper

Some artists like to use pastel paper. That is completely different subject matter to talk about here. Pastel needs more tooth then charcoal. If you ever want to try paper meant for pastel, choose finer tooth paper such as UArt 800 sand paper, PastelMat or Cansom Mi-Tent paper.

In conclusion, all surfaces are up to the artist itself. And the style of drawing will show somewhat differently on different surfaces.  Bestway is to try different surfaces if you can. Don’t spend too much money on materials, start with one paper, and see if you like using charcoal before spending more money.   Afterall, create a good drawing is all about technique, not paper.  Most of all, it’s your love and passion for art.