PrangCharcoal Pencils, Hard, Paper Wrapped, Black, 12 Count (60000)

When I hear the brand, Prang, I think of art supplies for kids. But, not at all the case with these charcoal pencils. I'm a 60+ year old artist and just love them.As a general rule, I prefer the paper wrapped charcoal pencils because it is such a pain to sharpen charcoal pencils with a knife when I'm in the process of working on a piece. Forget sharpening a charcoal pencil in a pencil sharpener since they'll break a zillion times before you are able to get a usable point...if you get one at all. If the charcoal pencil drops on the floor and breaks, there is no way to sharpen it without pieces of charcoal coming out of the pencil leaving you to attempt sharpening it again and having the same thing happen again and again.Fewer companies seem to making the paper wrapped pencils these days as they are getting harder and harder to find. I can only think of Prang and one other company and I prefer the Prang by a long shot. I still have a few old paper wrapped Berol charcoal pencils and still prefer to use the Prang since they really are nicer to work with.The soft Prang charcoal pencils lay down a rich, soft, black mark. This charcoal is a much darker and richer black than other charcoal pencils I've used; paper wrapped and the type that needs to be sharpened with a knife. The charcoal also has a nicer feel to it while using it unlike other brands that feel harder, stiffer, and don't seem to lay down marks as smoothly.I enjoy using charcoal alone or with General's White charcoal for highlighting as well as with sepia or sanguine pastel pencils as well as with Cretacolor sepia or sanguine powder. Not bad using charcoal powder with these pencils either. I also use them with Derwent Tinted Charcoal Pencils and Cretacolor Nero Pencils.They are inexpensive enough so that I don't feel too bad about having paid a lot of money for art supplies if a piece of art I've done ends up destined for the trash Yet, the quality it great so I am proud of the successful artwork I've done with Prang Charcoal Pencils and have had no negative comments about the materials used in the charcoal drawings I've shown.More importantly; I, the artist, am the one who needs to be the happiest with the quality of these charcoal pencils and the results I've gotten with them. And I am!At this price the Prang Charcoal Pencils are great for kids, budding young artists, art students, and well seasoned older artists like myself. And the quality is so wonderful that beginners, hobbyists, and professionals alike will love them.Be sure to spray a fixative on your finished art work, outdoors or in a well ventilated area. Kids drawings and quick study sketches you don't plan to keep or aren't concerned with can be sprayed with hairspray rather than a more expensive fixative. The only difference is, hairspray tends to yellow over time and may cause the paper to deteriorate faster. But, for something you're not planning on keeping forever or selling, hairspray is fine. I use hairspray for gesture drawings I do on newsprint when I go to figure drawing sessions just to keep the charcoal from getting on other things in my portfolio or storage tube when transporting them home.I LOVE them!

Prang is one of those companies that really could give prismacolor a run for their money on certain products. These are awesome. Soft, really reliable. Super easy to sharpen with a razor (I use a husky box cutter). Soft enough to come up with an elastomer eraser and not tear up the paper. I've dropped a few and they don't generally break the core. And cheap to boot. I bring them to my figure model sittings and a couple of the other people have slowly switched over from generals (which are fantastic but pricier and harder to manually sharpen). Look into their colored pencils (Whites and yellows are excellent quality, i prefer them over prismacolor) if you find you like these.

These things just do what they are supposed to and I love them for that. No frills no thrills just medium in a convenient casing that delivers as expected. Haven't had an issue with hard spots and they have consistent tone. Can't ask for anything more.

When I ordered this product I expected it to work like vine charcoal. Although it doesn't work quite like vine charcoal, I find I like the product very much. It is much neater and cleaner than vine charcoal. It is a good addition to my charcoal drawing. Charcoal is my favorite drawing medium and this product makes it much better.I don't use the medium charcoal very much but when I do I find it irritating that the paper doesn't unwrap very easily and requires the Exacto knife.

As my boys and I continue to grow in drawing our appreciation for these charcoal pencils grows as well. Easy to unravel the length as needed with little to no mess. Well made and durable- no broken pieces.

These have a broad range a tones and lay down smoothly on sketch paper, especially Strathmore quality paper. These pencils can lay down a finish as deep, dark, and black as your heart desires.

my daughter had me purchase these for her friend who is very artistic. Her friend loves the pencils and has made some beautiful sketches for my daughter's room with them

They are extremely brittle even for charcoal. Every one that I have tried haze broken off large pieces during normal use.

Extremely satisfied!

These charcoal pencils are handy to have...mess-free, easy to sharpen, and fit nicely into my art supply case. The charcoal is good quality for the price you pay, and the fact that you get 12 of them for so little money allows you play around with them without worrying about damaging or "wasting" an expensive art supply.

Right on. Thanks

Produits très bien

Box of fragile charcoal pencils arrived in flimsy plastic bag with no padding or wrapping - box squashed but by some miracle pencils seem okay.