Charcoal

Charcoal is obtained from combusted tree twigs. By using essences such as willow or oak, sticks of varying degrees of softness create black mat lines of different intensity.
It is often used by beginners because it can be easily erased.
It is imperative to fix charcoal in order to conserve it.
The paper must not be smooth but have sufficient grain to hold the charcoal. Different grades of grained paper are used depending on the desired result. The most commonly used paper is Ingres paper.

Black stone, red and white chalk

Originally they were real natural stones, black, red or white which came for the most part from Italy.
From the 17 th century they were artificially made from a base of clay, iron oxide, carbon black and grey and black chalk.
The different shades of red as well as the different hardnesses are obtained by charring. Lines are more or less soft depending on the hardness of the lead.
They are usually round or square sticks, or pencils.
The simultaneous use of the three shades on coloured paper valorises the luminosity. This is the three crayon technique
Although they are harder to erase than charcoal, a fixative is recommended.

Drawing chalks

Made from amorphous lime carbonate, drawing chalks are available in white and colours, as round or square sticks. They can be used on both white and coloured papers with sufficient grain. Smooth surfaces are never used.
Very inexpensive, they are used for roughs or large formats.
A fixative should be used.