When I hear the brand, Prang, I think of art supplies for kids. But, not at all the case with these charcoal pencils. I'm a 60+ year old artist and just love them. As a general rule, I prefer the paper wrapped charcoal pencils because it is such a pain to sharpen charcoal pencils with a knife when I'm in the process of working on a piece. Forget sharpening a charcoal pencil in a pencil sharpener since they'll break a zillion times before you are able to get a usable point...if you get one at all. If the charcoal pencil drops on the floor and breaks, there is no way to sharpen it without pieces of charcoal coming out of the pencil leaving you to attempt sharpening it again and having the same thing happen again and again. Fewer companies seem to making the paper wrapped pencils these days as they are getting harder and harder to find. I can only think of Prang and one other company and I prefer the Prang by a long shot. I still have a few old paper wrapped Berol charcoal pencils and still prefer to use the Prang since they really are nicer to work with. The soft Prang charcoal pencils lay down a rich, soft, black mark. This charcoal is a much darker and richer black than other charcoal pencils I've used; paper wrapped and the type that needs to be sharpened with a knife. The charcoal also has a nicer feel to it while using it unlike other brands that feel harder, stiffer, and don't seem to lay down marks as smoothly. I enjoy using charcoal alone or with General's White charcoal for highlighting as well as with sepia or sanguine pastel pencils as well as with Cretacolor sepia or sanguine powder. Not bad using charcoal powder with these pencils either. I also use them with Derwent Tinted Charcoal Pencils and Cretacolor Nero Pencils. They are inexpensive enough so that I don't feel too bad about having paid a lot of money for art supplies if a piece of art I've done ends up destined for the trash Yet, the quality it great so I am proud of the successful artwork I've done with Prang Charcoal Pencils and have had no negative comments about the materials used in the charcoal drawings I've shown. More importantly; I, the artist, am the one who needs to be the happiest with the quality of these charcoal pencils and the results I've gotten with them. And I am! At this price the Prang Charcoal Pencils are great for kids, budding young artists, art students, and well seasoned older artists like myself. And the quality is so wonderful that beginners, hobbyists, and professionals alike will love them. Be sure to spray a fixative on your finished art work, outdoors or in a well ventilated area. Kids drawings and quick study sketches you don't plan to keep or aren't concerned with can be sprayed with hairspray rather than a more expensive fixative. The only difference is, hairspray tends to yellow over time and may cause the paper to deteriorate faster. But, for something you're not planning on keeping forever or selling, hairspray is fine. I use hairspray for gesture drawings I do on newsprint when I go to figure drawing sessions just to keep the charcoal from getting on other things in my portfolio or storage tube when transporting them home. I LOVE them!
