MARKART
MARKART Charcoal Pencils (10 Pieces)
Best for: Artists drawing figures, portraits and still life in charcoal
Shop · 22 picks · Updated 2026
Best charcoal & pastels for 2026
Charcoal gives the deepest darks of any drawing medium and suits bold value studies and portraits. Pastels add color with the same hands-on blending. Both work best on paper with some tooth.
Our 22 charcoal & pastels picks
Charcoal pencils and sticks, white charcoal, oil pastels, soft pastels and pastel paper.
PANDAFLY
PANDAFLY Compressed Charcoal Sticks (12)
Best for: Budding artists doing life drawing and quick sketches in three grades
PANDAFLY
PANDAFLY Willow Charcoal Sticks (25)
Best for: Budding artists doing life drawing and quick, loose sketches
MARKART
MARKART White Charcoal Pencils (5)
Best for: Artists drawing on toned or black paper who need clean white highlights
Artecho
Artecho Oil Pastels (48 Colors)
Best for: Beginners and students trying oil pastel blending and texture work
Artecho
Artecho Soft Pastels (50 Pieces)
Best for: Beginners and students learning to blend, layer and shade soft pastel
Faber-Castell
Faber-Castell Pitt Pastel Pencils (60)
Best for: Pastel artists adding fine detail and smooth color transitions
PANDAFLY
PANDAFLY Colored Charcoal Pencils (24)
Best for: Portrait and figure artists who draw skin and hair tones
Strathmore
Strathmore 400 Series Pastel Pad
Best for: Oil, soft and hard pastel artists who want assorted colored sheets
Fantastory
Fantastory Chalk Pastels (72)
Best for: Beginners and sidewalk or blackboard artists who want a wide range of colors
Winsor & Newton
Winsor & Newton Vine Charcoal (12 Sticks)
Best for: Artists who want soft vine charcoal sticks of uniform quality
MEEDEN
MEEDEN Soft Oil Pastels (72)
Best for: Hobby artists who want a wide range of soft, blendable oil pastel colors
MUNGYO
Mungyo Gallery Soft Oil Pastels (48)
Best for: Oil pastel artists who blend and want 48 colors to work with
Pacific Arc
Pacific Arc Compressed Charcoal (12)
Best for: Students and artists who want deep blacks and large, expressive strokes
COLOUR BLOCK
COLOUR BLOCK Soft Pastels (100)
Best for: Pastel artists, hobbyists and art teachers who want a wide palette
Brusarth
Brusarth White Charcoal Set (12 Pieces)
Best for: Artists adding highlights and details on dark or tinted paper
Brusarth
Brusarth Charcoal Pencils (6)
Best for: Beginners, hobbyists and art students drawing portraits in charcoal
Somime
Somime Sanded Pastel Paper (12 Sheets)
Best for: Soft pastel painters and artists who underpaint wet or dry
KALOUR
KALOUR Pastel Pencils (72)
Best for: Portrait artists working on dark or toned paper, from beginner to advanced
Faber-Castell
Faber-Castell Pitt Compressed Charcoal (3)
Best for: Charcoal artists adding compressed sticks to a drawing kit
As an Amazon Associate, Drawings Easy earns from qualifying purchases. Prices and availability are shown on Amazon and can change. Disclosure
Charcoal & Pastels buying guide
Vine, compressed or pencil charcoal
Vine and willow charcoal are light and easy to erase, so they suit early sketches and gesture drawing. Compressed charcoal is bound into dense sticks for the darkest blacks. Charcoal pencils give the most control and the least mess for detail.
Soft pastels or oil pastels
Soft pastels are nearly pure pigment. They blend like chalk and give rich, matte color but make dust. Oil pastels use an oil and wax binder, so they are creamy, bright and dust-free, but they never fully dry.
Paper with tooth
Charcoal and pastel need texture to grip. Toned pastel paper lets white charcoal and light pastel colors show as highlights. Sanded pastel paper holds the most layers without turning muddy.
Protecting finished work
Charcoal and soft pastel smudge easily. Spray finished drawings with a fixative and store them with glassine paper on top. Oil pastel work is best framed behind glass.
Frequently asked questions about charcoal and pastels
- What is the difference between willow and compressed charcoal?
- Willow charcoal is light and easy to lift. Compressed charcoal is denser and darker but harder to erase.
- Do I need fixative for charcoal and pastel?
- It helps. Charcoal and soft pastel smudge easily, and fixative protects finished pieces.
- What paper should I use for pastels?
- Pastel paper with texture, often toned, such as the Strathmore 400 Series pastel pad, or sanded paper for many layers.
- Are oil pastels good for beginners?
- Yes. They are bright, dust-free and forgiving, and a 24 to 50 color set is enough to start.
- How do I sharpen charcoal and pastel pencils?
- With a craft knife, then refine the point on sandpaper. Pencil sharpeners often snap the soft cores.
- What is white charcoal used for?
- Highlights on toned or dark paper. Together with black charcoal it gives a full value range.