Faber-Castell Pitt Compressed Charcoal Sticks extra soft, set of 3

Faber-Castell Pitt Compressed Charcoal extra soft – deep black for sketches and studies

The Faber-Castell Pitt Compressed Charcoal Sticks in extra soft are compressed charcoal sticks for drawing strong, deep black areas and lines. The set contains 3 sticks. Faber-Castell describes them as grease- and oil-free compressed charcoal in artist quality.

The sticks are made of pressed charcoal with carbon black and clay. This gives the intense black colour and allows different degrees of hardness. Compared with ordinary drawing charcoal, the mark is much blacker, so you can build up shaded areas and dark accents with little effort. Hardness 3x extra soft is the softest grade of Pitt compressed charcoal. Faber-Castell also offers other grades, for example soft.

Working with extra soft

Extra soft releases a lot of colour. For large dark areas, use the broad side of the charcoal; for contours and fine accents, use the edge or the tip. Blend the area with your finger, a paper stump or a cloth if you want soft transitions. Start with the light areas and build up the darkness gradually, so that you place the deepest blacks deliberately. Compressed charcoal sits loosely on the paper and can smudge. A fixative makes the finished drawing more durable.

Which hardness suits you?

With extra soft you achieve the strongest blacks and the softest strokes. If you need a little more control for finer lines, a set in hardness soft is the alternative.

Faber-Castell Pitt Compressed Charcoal extra soft product details

• Manufacturer: Faber-Castell, Pitt Compressed Charcoal series, art. no. 129996
• Hardness: 3x extra soft
• Material: pressed charcoal with carbon black and clay
• Properties: grease- and oil-free, intense black
• Contents: 3 compressed charcoal sticks

You will also need: drawing paper or sketch paper; fixative to make the drawing durable