Apsara Charcoal Pencils | Hard, Medium & Soft | Pack of 3 - Sketching & Shading

Get the full charcoal tonal range from one small pack. These Apsara charcoal pencils come as a pack of 3 in hard, medium and soft grades, so you can draw light guidelines with the hard pencil, build mid tones with the medium and finish with deep blacks from the soft. Charcoal is black pigment pressed into a pencil core; it gives richer, more matte darks than graphite and smudges easily for soft blending, which makes it a good first step for anyone moving on from ordinary sketch pencils.

Specifications

Ideal For

• Beginners trying charcoal for the first time
• Art students who need all three grades for class
• Hobby artists sketching portraits and still life

Perfect for

• Portrait and figure sketches
• Still life shading and tonal studies
• Quick outdoor sketches
• Art school and exam practice

Compatibility

Works with: drawing paper, sketchbooks and toned paper with some tooth; erasers and sharpeners for lifting highlights.

Pairs well with: white charcoal pencils for highlights on toned paper, and compressed charcoal sticks for large dark areas.

Not suitable for: smooth glossy paper or card, where charcoal will not grip; fine technical line work that needs a graphite pencil.

How to Use

1. Sketch light guidelines with the hard pencil.
2. Build mid tones with the medium pencil, working in layers.
3. Add the darkest areas last with the soft pencil.
4. Blend with a paper stump or tissue and lift highlights with an eraser.

Before You Buy

• Charcoal smudges easily, so protect finished drawings with a sheet of paper or a fixative spray.
• Sharpen gently; charcoal cores are softer and more brittle than graphite.

You'll Need

• a drawing book or sketchbook
• erasers and sharpeners

You may also like

• more charcoal and graphite
• sketching and drawing sets

Frequently Asked Questions

What grades are in this Apsara charcoal pencil pack?
The pack has 3 pencils: one hard, one medium and one soft charcoal pencil.

How is charcoal different from a normal graphite pencil?
Charcoal gives a deeper, more matte black and blends more easily, but it smudges more. Graphite is shinier and cleaner for fine lines.

Which paper works best with charcoal pencils?
Use drawing paper or a sketchbook with a little texture. Very smooth or glossy paper does not hold charcoal well.

Can a beginner use these?
Yes. Three grades in one pack make it an easy way to learn how charcoal builds tone.