There are different types of artist charcoal you can use whenever you want to create a drawing. But large drawings often require the B charcoal to really create something amazing.

You can create works of art out of a number of different materials nowadays. But a select group of people always rely on artist charcoal to give them the material they need to really turn heads with their pictures.

Lots of charcoal drawings have relied chiefly on the B charcoal to create their finished look. The B charcoal is the softer one of the group, and as such it is ideal for sketching in large drawings. Even if you only use it to get the rough outline down on paper, before filling in the details with an HB or even an H charcoal, there is no denying how useful the B charcoal really is.

If you tend to prefer creating large and noticeable works of art, the B charcoal will be perfect for getting down those first all important strokes on the paper or canvas. Some artists rely only on the B charcoal batons to produce their work, whereas others use a combination of two or three different charcoal batons to produce something altogether different.

The question of scale comes into play more and more the larger your picture gets. The ability to be able to use a softer baton of charcoal to help you sketch out the beginnings of your charcoal drawings will undoubtedly be immensely helpful to you. Stand back every now and then to check the overall scale is correct for your needs. As you gain more experience in creating larger charcoal drawings you will find it easier to work to a larger scale. It may feel odd at first – especially if you are used to creating small artworks with artist charcoal. But you will learn far more and enjoy the difference as well. In a sense it is all about pushing the boundaries of what you can do.

You can also smudge your softer charcoal lines to create even more effects in the finished piece. You will notice that any artist charcoal that is compressed will not smudge quite as much, but it is still incredibly useful in helping you to produce the finished piece of work.

If you normally create large pictures but you are used to using another medium – such as oils or acrylics for example – you may feel out of your comfort zone to try creating a large picture with a B charcoal. But the freedom that this type of charcoal affords you makes the task easier. Different pressures will lead to different shades of darker grays leading into black. The charcoal will respond to your lightness of touch and as such you may well enjoy working with the charcoal to create some truly memorable charcoal drawings.

There is no doubt that it is worth investing in the best charcoal you can however, especially when you are working on a large canvas or sheet of paper. Since the B charcoal responds to how heavily you use it, the last thing you want is for it to break in the middle of a heavily shaded area you are filling in. With the best quality artist charcoal – such as the Nitram Fusains fine art charcoal for example – you can rely on it and use it to create many exciting pictures in the future.

The very process of drawing can be therapeutic and inspiring. When you have a material as user friendly as charcoal to use, you will notice just how much more appealing it is to sit down and start drawing something new. What will you start sketching out today? Will you make good use of a larger canvas for once, and delve into the world of soft charcoal batons as a result?


Nitram Fusains – The finest Drawing Charcoal in the World. We ship our art charcoal to all over the world. Nitram Fusains Academy line comes in H, HB and B hardness. This allows the artist to create a broad range of tones. Nitram is now becoming available around the world in stores that sell high quality artists materials.