A charcoal set is the cheapest way to get one of every form of charcoal in a single box — pencils, compressed sticks, natural willow or vine, a blending stump and an eraser — so you can try the whole medium before deciding what you actually like. The best charcoal set for most artists is the General’s Charcoal Drawing Kit, which pairs real artist-grade charcoal with the tools to use it for the price of a couple of individual sticks; the Faber-Castell PITT Charcoal Set is the professional’s choice, and the Royal & Langnickel Essentials set is the best value all-in-one for beginners.
The catch is that “charcoal set” covers two very different things: curated artist-grade kits from real charcoal makers, and giant Amazon multipacks that pad a big piece count with graphite pencils and filler. This guide compares six sets worth buying, explains exactly what belongs in a good kit, and helps you avoid paying for eighty pieces you will never use.
Best charcoal sets at a glance
The best charcoal set depends on who you are: a beginner wanting everything in one box, a professional wanting quality charcoal, or someone exploring compressed grades. The table matches each pick to what it wins.
| Charcoal set | Best for | Contents | Defining trait |
|---|---|---|---|
| General’s Charcoal Drawing Kit | Best overall | Charcoal pencils, compressed sticks, willow, sharpener, kneaded eraser | Real artist charcoal + tools, very affordable |
| Faber-Castell PITT Charcoal Set | Professionals | 6 pencils (natural + compressed), 16 sticks, stump, kneaded eraser | Artist-grade quality across every form |
| Derwent Charcoal Mixed Media Set | Tonal range | Willow, vine, 3 pencils, 3 compressed blocks, stump | Widest range of charcoal types |
| Royal & Langnickel Essentials | Beginner value | Compressed, pencils, woodless, vine, white pastels, stumps, eraser | Everything to start, low price |
| Cretacolor Black Box | Premium boxed assortment | 20-piece charcoal & drawing media set | Handsome, comprehensive studio box |
What belongs in a good charcoal set
A good charcoal set is judged by what is in the box, not by the number on the label. The strongest kits combine charcoal in several forms with the few tools you cannot draw without, and skip the padding. Before you buy, check a set against this short list — the same points the buying guides keep returning to, one noting that “what comes with a charcoal set can make or break your workflow.”
- Both natural and compressed charcoal: vine or willow for erasable blocking-in and compressed charcoal for the darks. A set with only one is only half a kit.
- Charcoal pencils and sticks: pencils for precision and clean hands, sticks for covering area fast. The best sets include both formats.
- A range of grades: soft for rich darks, hard for controlled lines. As one guide puts it, “softer charcoal grades deliver rich, deep tones… while harder grades hold a sharp point.”
- A white charcoal or chalk: for highlights on toned paper, which turns a set from black-and-grey into a full tonal range.
- The essential tools: a kneaded eraser, a blending stump, and a sharpener or sanding block. These are what let you actually work the charcoal.
- Protective packaging: a tin or foam-lined case, because natural charcoal snaps in transit.
The best charcoal sets, compared
The best charcoal set for a given artist depends on their level and what they want to learn. The six below span curated artist kits, a professional set, and value options, each judged on the quality of the charcoal and the usefulness of the extras.
General’s Charcoal Drawing Kit — best overall
General’s Charcoal Drawing Kit is the set to buy first, because it delivers real artist-grade charcoal in every form with the tools to use it, for the price of a couple of loose sticks. A typical kit pairs charcoal pencils with compressed sticks in 2B, 4B and 6B, several willow sticks, a sharpener and a kneaded eraser — a complete working kit in one tin from a maker artists already trust. It is the fastest way for a newcomer to feel the difference between natural and compressed charcoal, and experienced artists keep one as a travel kit. Nothing else here matches its value.
Faber-Castell PITT Charcoal Set — best for professionals
The Faber-Castell PITT charcoal set is the artist-grade choice: a 24-piece box holding six pencils (three natural, three compressed), sixteen sticks (eight natural, eight compressed), a blending stump and a kneaded eraser. Every piece is the same quality as Faber-Castell’s individually sold charcoal, so unlike cheaper kits there is no filler — you use all of it. The balance of natural and compressed, pencil and stick, means you can carry a whole drawing from first block-in to final dark out of one box. It costs more than a beginner kit, but a professional wanting quality across every form should start here.
Derwent Charcoal Mixed Media Set — best for tonal range
Derwent’s charcoal mixed-media set is built for range: it combines willow and vine charcoal, three charcoal pencils (dark, brown and white), three compressed charcoal blocks and a blending stump, so you get natural and compressed forms plus a tinted and a white option in one box. That breadth makes it ideal for artists who want to explore what charcoal can do — warm browns and white highlights alongside the blacks — rather than just stock the basics. The blocks cover ground fast and the pencils handle detail, a genuinely versatile spread.
Royal & Langnickel Essentials — best beginner value
The Royal & Langnickel Essentials charcoal set is the most generous starter box for the money: six compressed sticks, three charcoal pencils, three woodless pencils, white pastels, four vine sticks, blending stumps and an eraser. It gives a beginner one of nearly everything to discover which forms they prefer, without a big outlay. The charcoal is student-grade rather than premium, but for learning the medium and finding your preferences that is exactly the right trade — spend on artist-grade sticks later, once you know what you reach for.
Cretacolor Black Box — best premium boxed assortment
Cretacolor’s Black Box is the handsome studio option: a 20-piece boxed assortment that gathers charcoal and related black-and-white drawing media into one well-made set. Cretacolor’s grind is consistent and the range broad, so it suits an artist who wants a comprehensive, attractively packaged kit to keep on the desk rather than a bag of loose sticks. It costs more than the beginner boxes, but it is a considered collection rather than a padded piece count.
Charcoal set vs buying individually
A set is the right first purchase; individual sticks are the right refill. A boxed kit is the cheapest way to get one of every form and learn which you actually use, without guessing. Once you know you reach for a soft compressed stick and willow but never touch the woodless pencil, replacing those two individually is cheaper and lets you choose the exact grade and brand you like. Start with a set to sample the medium, then buy à la carte — the approach the whole charcoal supplies kit is built around. For the individual picks, see charcoal pencils, vine, willow and compressed charcoal.
What to avoid: padded multipacks
Many of the biggest “charcoal sets” on the marketplace are padded piece counts — 76, 100, even 126 pieces — that reach those numbers with colored pencils, graphite, and duplicated tools rather than more or better charcoal. A 100-piece kit can contain fewer usable charcoal items than General’s 6-piece tin. Piece count is not quality. Before buying a giant set, read the actual contents: count how many are charcoal in the forms you want, ignore the graphite and colored fillers, and compare that real number against a curated artist kit. Often the smaller, dearer box is the better buy.
How to choose a charcoal set
Choosing a charcoal set comes down to charcoal quality, form coverage, and honest piece count. Match them to your level.
- Charcoal quality matters more than quantity: an artist-grade set (General’s, Faber-Castell) beats a padded multipack every time.
- Form coverage should include both natural (vine/willow) and compressed charcoal, plus a white for highlights.
- Honest piece count: read the contents and ignore graphite and colored-pencil filler; count only the charcoal you will use.
- Level: a generous student box for beginners, a curated artist set for serious work, a compressed-only set to study grades.
Frequently asked questions
What should be in a good charcoal set?
A good charcoal set includes both natural charcoal (vine or willow) for blocking in and compressed charcoal for darks, in pencil and stick form, across a range of grades, plus a white charcoal, a kneaded eraser, a blending stump and a sharpener. Protective packaging keeps the brittle sticks intact.
What is the best charcoal set for beginners?
The best beginner set is one that includes a bit of every form so you can find what you like — the General’s Charcoal Drawing Kit or the Royal & Langnickel Essentials set both do this affordably, pairing natural and compressed charcoal with the essential tools. Avoid giant multipacks padded with graphite.
Are big 100-piece charcoal sets worth it?
Usually not for the charcoal itself. Large multipacks reach their piece count with colored pencils, graphite and duplicate tools, so a 100-piece kit can hold less usable charcoal than a small artist tin. Read the actual contents and count only the charcoal forms you will use.
Should I buy a charcoal set or individual sticks?
Buy a set first to sample every form cheaply, then replace the pieces you actually use with individual artist-grade sticks in the exact grade you prefer. A set is for learning the medium; individual sticks are for refining your kit.
Can I use charcoal sets on canvas?
Yes — natural charcoal such as willow is a traditional tool for sketching a composition onto canvas before painting, because it brushes off easily. For finished charcoal work, though, a toothed charcoal or pastel paper holds the powder far better than canvas.
How do I store a charcoal set and finished drawings?
Keep the set in its tin or a foam-lined case so the brittle sticks do not snap, and store finished charcoal drawings flat, fixed or interleaved with glassine, away from anything that rubs the surface. Framed work belongs under glass.
A charcoal set is the smartest first purchase in the medium, as long as you judge it by its charcoal and not its piece count. Start with General’s for unbeatable value, step up to Faber-Castell PITT for professional quality, and treat the giant multipacks with suspicion — then refill the pieces you love individually. For the full picture of every tool, start at the charcoal supplies hub.
