The General’s Charcoal Pencil Kit – Black & White Charcoal Set (557BP) is built around the renowned Charcoal #557 series by the General Pencil Company, known for its hand-crafted charcoal pencils with rich, warm and deeply matte black tones. The black charcoal pencils feature a soft, oil-free core, allowing smooth blending, natural shading and clean tonal transitions without the shine associated with graphite.
The set includes three black charcoal grades (2B, 4B and 6B), giving you full control from mid-tones to deep, expressive shadows. These pencils are ideal for building form, volume and atmosphere, whether you are working on detailed studies or more expressive sketches.
Complementing the black pencils is the #558 White Charcoal Pencil, designed for highlights, value adjustments and tonal balance. It allows you to lift light areas, enhance contrast and work effectively on toned or dark papers, adding clarity and dimension to the drawing.
A charcoal eraser, included in the set, is latex free and PVC free, making it safe for delicate papers. It can be used both to clean areas and to gently lift pigment for subtle tonal corrections, without damaging the surface.
This kit is suitable not only for drawing on paper, but also for working directly on canvas, transferring designs onto fabric, and for mixed media applications. It offers a complete tonal range for charcoal drawing in a compact, carefully selected set.
👉 Set Includes (5 pcs)
- 1 × Black Charcoal Pencil #557 – 2B (Medium)
- 1 × Black Charcoal Pencil #557 – 4B (Soft)
- 1 × Black Charcoal Pencil #557 – 6B (Extra Soft)
- 1 × White Charcoal Pencil #558
- 1 × Charcoal Eraser (latex free & PVC free)
👉 Features
- Hand-crafted charcoal pencils, artist quality
- Rich, warm black tones with a matte finish
- Oil-free charcoal cores for smooth blending
- White charcoal for highlights and tonal corrections
- Charcoal eraser included, safe for paper
- Suitable for paper, canvas and fabric
- Made in the USA by the General Pencil Company
👍 Ideal for
- sketching and expressive drawing
- portrait and figure drawing
- still life
- tonal and value studies
- mixed media projects
💡 Inspiration Tip:
Start by blocking in shadows with the 6B pencil, refine transitions with 4B and 2B, and finish with clean highlights using the white charcoal pencil.
