Drawing Charcoal

Create Beautiful Artworks With Drawing Charcoal At Spotlight

Spotlight has a great selection of drawing charcoal for artists of all ages and skill levels. Charcoal is an ancient art material dating back thousands of years, and is the perfect medium for creating drawings rich in tonal values. These days, artists can benefit from specialised drawing charcoal in the form of charcoal pencils, willow charcoal, vine charcoal and compressed charcoal.

Charcoal is a super versatile and forgiving medium, and can be used for making stunning monochromatic artworks that are both expressive and detailed. Drawing charcoal requires no drying time and is easy to erase and re-work as you go. Best of all, you need no extra materials aside from paper, an eraser and an optional blending tool. Whether you're a seasoned artist or a beginner to charcoal art, you're sure to find the best drawing charcoal to unleash your creativity at Spotlight.

Drawing Charcoal FAQs

How to seal a charcoal drawing?

Drawings created with charcoal or pastel pencils need to be sealed to protect your artwork and prevent smudging. Use a specialised fixative spray to seal your charcoal drawings. Simply spray a thin, even coat over your artwork to preserve it - just remember to do this in a well-ventilated area. While some people suggest using hairspray as a fixative, it's best to avoid this option as it can become sticky. It's also not archival quality, meaning the paper will not be preserved and will yellow over time.

What is compressed charcoal?

Compressed charcoal is made from charcoal powder that has mixed with gum or wax binders, before being compressed into sticks for drawing. It's different from vine and willow charcoal, which are made from sections of willow branches and grapevines that have been burnt to achieve a particular degree of hardness. Willow and vine charcoal are soft and powdery (best suited to sketching), whereas hard compressed charcoal can be sharpened to help you achieve finer lines and textures in more detailed drawings.

Which paper is best for charcoal drawing?

Much like drawing with soft pastels, the best paper for charcoal drawing should be rough and heavily textured. This allows the "tooth" of the paper to pick up more of the charcoal for richer colour, textures and tones. Finer tooth papers can help you erase mistakes more easily, but can also more readily show your erasure marks.

Shop Drawing Charcoal & Art Supplies At Spotlight

Open up a world of creativity and artistry with drawing charcoal and drawing supplies from Spotlight. Discover coloured pencils, drawing pens & markers, watercolour pencils, art pastels and more in the range. Complete your studio set-up with our selection of art pads & visual diaries so you can create beautiful charcoal drawings. Shop the complete range of art supplies at Spotlight, where you can enjoy the convenience of home delivery for your online orders. Alternatively, head into your local Spotlight store where our friendly and knowledgeable team members can help you find everything you need to unleash your inner artist. Check out our inspiring Create blogs to get your next project underway, and make sure you explore our informative drawing supplies buying guide for everything you need to know about your preferred medium!