Essentials
- Willow charcoal sticks in a range of sizes (I recommend Coates)
- Charcoal powder (small amounts can be ground from sticks using medium to fine grit sandpaper)
- Putty rubber/kneadable eraser (I recommend Winsor & Newton)
- A piece of chamois leather (at least 15cm square)
- 2 sheets kitchen roll or paper towel
- Masking tape
- Scissors
- 2 sticks or canes at least 30cms long
- Canson C à grain paper A4 and A3 (I recommend this paper as it gives the best results with most techniques)
- Other good quality white cartridge paper
- A few sheets of scrap paper
- A few brushes including one with stiff bristles and a soft one (can be a clean make-up brush)
- 2 small bulldog clips or similar
Good to have
- A drawing board you can elevate to create a sloping work surface
- Ready-made charcoal powder (Cretacolour, Jacksons, Coates, Nitram all similar)
- A feather
- Standard hard eraser
- Small cotton cloth (can be recycled sheet or tea towel)
- Charcoal pencil (I recommend Derwent dark)
- Knife for sharpening pencil
- Canson C à grain paper A2
- Other papers to experiment with such as watercolour or pastel paper
- Hairspray or fixative (I recommend Sennelier Delacroix artist fixative for your favourite work, hairspray for everything else if fine)
- Acid free tissue paper for storing work
- An old towel for wiping your hands between drawings