Caran d'Ache Charcoal Pencil

Comments about Caran d'Ache Charcoal Pencil:

This pencil has a superior mark, smooth, blendable, perfect

Comments about Caran d'Ache Charcoal Pencil:

I use my charcoal pencil mainly for shadowing and it works wonders. Requiring only the slightest of pressure to darken and lighten. Smudges nicely the way you would want without everything looking like a mess. Only pencil I will use!

Comments about Caran d'Ache Charcoal Pencil:

I wrote a five star review about the Caran d'Ache charcoal pencil when it was a standard size, round pencil with velvety, smooth charcoal lead. The current iteration of this pencil (early 2015) is just terrible! The lead is thicker and unevenly glued inside the large, hexagonal barrel (which is uncomfortable to hold) and worst of all it's gritty and crumbly and drags on the paper instead of gliding across smoothly. I thought I got a bad one a few weeks back, but I purchased more and they're all the same. I can no longer recommend these pencils in their current form. So disappointed, because the thinner, round ones were absolutely amazing!

Comments about Caran d'Ache Charcoal Pencil:

I have used this charcoal pencil to create a few drawings, and so far overall I'm very pleased.
Pros:
*Has a great dark color.
*Blends very well.
Cons:
*Could have sharpened to a finer point

Comments about Caran d'Ache Charcoal Pencil:

Fantastic value range, very smooth.

Comments about Caran d'Ache Charcoal Pencil:

I have tried many various charcoal pencils, and nothing beats this one. The Caran d'Ache soft charcoal pencil is simply the best. The pencil is buttery, smooth and rich. The lines it creates are deep and black with a velvety finish. It blends across the paper easily and lifts cleanly when erased. It is called a 'soft' pencil, but is firm enough to hold a point, and isn't gritty or crumbly at all. If you only ever buy one charcoal pencil, make sure it is this one!

Comments about Caran d'Ache Charcoal Pencil:

Lines drawn with the Caran d'Ache charcoal pencil maintain two qualities not found together in any other brand: they are clearly defined, yet with an interestingly grainy texture. By way of contrast, General's charcoal pencils yield clean, clear lines but with a smooth texture devoid of textural interest; And Pitt's charcoal lines, on the other hand, have a beautiful graininess but are not cleanly and clearly defined.

Furthermore, these two qualities are maintained in the Caran d'Ache regardless of the pressure applied, and whether drawn with the point or shaded with the side of the lead. The resulting marks exhibit both variety and visual unity, and the various effects are remarkably easy to control.

Though labeled "soft" I consider this pencil to be of medium hardness but with exceptional range. Because the lines (and tones) maintain such a high degree of clarity, they probably are best suited to linear work.