Media: Drawing — Charcoal Versatile charcoal Charcoal is a very soft, dry black crayon made from charred pieces of wood, usually willow. But it may take more than a charcoal stick to complete a charcoal drawing — many artists use their fingers or a rag to smudge the charcoal, creating rich, smoky shades of black and gray. Other artists prefer to keep their charcoal lines strong and crisp. To keep the charcoal from smudging after they're done with the drawing, artists apply a fixative to the finished work. Oil painters also use charcoal to make preliminary drawings on canvas prior to beginning a painting. Below are examples of charcoal drawings available from NextMonet. Click on the image to learn more about the individual artwork. Glenn Grafelman Eva Faye Peter Roux The main types of drawing are: Charcoal  Conté Crayon  Graphite  Ink Wash  Pastel  Scratchboard