Charcoal pencils are primarily made by enclosing a core of compressed charcoal within a protective outer jacket, typically made of wood.
The creation of a charcoal pencil involves two main components: the core and the jacket.
The Core: Compressed Charcoal
The heart of a charcoal pencil is the core, which is made from compressed charcoal. This isn't just raw charcoal; it's a mixture created by combining:
- Charcoal powder: Finely ground charcoal material.
- A gum or wax binder: This substance holds the charcoal powder together, allowing it to be formed into a solid stick. The type and amount of binder influence the hardness and darkness of the final core.
This mixture is then compressed and shaped into the thin cylindrical form that fits inside the pencil.
The Jacket: Protection and Handling
The compressed charcoal core is then put into a wooden jacket. This outer casing serves several purposes:
- Protection: It prevents the brittle charcoal core from breaking easily.
- Handling: It provides a clean, sturdy way to hold and control the charcoal stick while drawing or sketching, much like a standard graphite pencil.
While wooden jackets are the most common, very occasionally, charcoal pencils might use a paper jacket, similar to how a grease pencil is constructed. The most popular wood choice for the wooden jacket of a charcoal pencil is cedar.
Here's a simplified breakdown of the components:
| Component | Material(s) | Primary Function | Common Form |
|---|---|---|---|
| Core | Charcoal powder + Gum or Wax Binder | Drawing/Mark-making | Compressed stick |
| Jacket | Wood (commonly Cedar) or Paper (occasionally) | Protection, Handling | Outer casing |
In essence, a charcoal pencil takes the versatile drawing medium of charcoal and packages it in a familiar, easy-to-use pencil format by compressing charcoal powder with a binder and encasing it in a protective wood or paper shell.
