Pébéo Soft Charcoal Sticks

Rich black marks that you can smudge, build, and erase

Charcoal is one of the oldest drawing tools, and it’s still one of the best for learning to see tone and form. Pébéo Soft Charcoal Sticks give you dark, velvety lines and soft shading, and they respond to your touch. Press lightly for faint marks and press harder for deep black. Smudge with a finger, cloth, or blending stump for smooth gradients, and lift highlights out with an eraser.

The sticks come in four thicknesses, so you can choose the size that suits your style. Thick sticks cover large areas fast and make bold marks. Thin sticks give finer lines and more control for detail.

Why you’ll like it

• Soft charcoal that gives deep, rich blacks
• Blends easily for smooth shading and gradients
• Can be erased and lifted for highlights and corrections
• Four thicknesses to match your technique
• Good for sketching, life drawing, and expressive work
• Suitable for beginners, students, and experienced artists

Choose your size

• 22-24mm (2 pcs): Thick sticks for bold marks, large areas, and loose, expressive work.
• 13-15mm (3 pcs): A flexible middle size for broad strokes and shading, with some control.
• 6-8mm (6 pcs): Good for general sketching, with a balance of line and tone.
• 5-6mm (12 pcs): The finest sticks, best for detail, linework, and everyday practice. This is the largest pack.

If you’re new to charcoal, the 6-8mm or 5-6mm pack is the easiest place to start. Many artists keep a thick and a thin size on hand.

Great for

• Sketching and life drawing
• Portraits and figure studies
• Landscapes and still life
• Tonal studies and value practice
• Expressive and gestural drawing
• Underdrawings for painting
• Art classes and workshops

Tips for better results

1. Use paper with some tooth, such as pastel paper or cartridge paper. Charcoal needs a textured surface to grip. Very smooth boards like Bristol won’t hold it well.
2. Start with light marks, then build darker tones, so you keep control.
3. Blend with a finger, cloth, tissue, or blending stump. Use a kneaded eraser to lift out highlights.
4. Rest your hand on a clean sheet of paper to avoid smudging your work as you go.
5. Spray finished drawings with fixative to protect them, or store them with a sheet of glassine on top.
6. Charcoal sticks are fragile, so break them to the length you need and handle them gently.

• Charcoal is dusty and smudges easily, so work on a surface you can wipe clean, and wash your hands afterwards.
• Finished drawings stay delicate until they’ve been fixed.
• Keep out of reach of young children.