Short answer
Rub a mid tone over the whole page with vine charcoal, lift the sky and water with a kneaded eraser, then add darks with compressed charcoal or a charcoal pencil. Sharp details and the darkest accents go last. Spray fixative when you are done, because charcoal smudges.
A charcoal landscape in four steps
Step 1 of 4
Tone the whole page
Rub the side of a vine charcoal stick over the whole page and smooth it with a paper towel. You want an even mid gray, not black.
Step 2 of 4
Lift the lights
Press a kneaded eraser against the toned paper and lift out the light sky around where the sun will be, and a band of light water. Soft edges are fine; this is charcoal.
Step 3 of 4
Lay in the darks
Block in the hills and the near ground with compressed charcoal or the side of a charcoal pencil, and the pine as a solid dark shape.
Step 4 of 4
Sharp details last
Sharpen a charcoal pencil and add the few crisp edges: the pine silhouette, grass at the front. Lift a few bright ripple lines from the water. Then fix it.
Blue lines: added in that step. Gray: already drawn.
Charcoal types
Charcoal types, from the guides at Utrecht and The Virtual Instructor
| Type | What it is | Use it for |
|---|---|---|
| Vine or willow | Burnt twigs, no binder; light and very erasable | Toning the page, layout, soft skies |
| Compressed | Powder with a binder pressed into sticks; dense and dark | Deep darks, bold masses |
| Charcoal pencil | Compressed charcoal in wood | Edges, details, hatching |
| White charcoal | White pastel or charcoal pencil | Highlights on toned paper |
Sources: Utrecht guide to charcoal, The Virtual Instructor.
Keep it clean
- Work top to bottom and rest your hand on a scrap of paper.
- Tap off dust instead of blowing on the drawing.
- Use workable fixative between layers if the darks start to slide around.
- Store finished drawings with a sheet of paper over them.
What you need
Charcoal is all about value. For the supplies list, see landscape drawing supplies.
Questions people ask
What is the difference between vine and compressed charcoal?
Vine (or willow) charcoal is burnt sticks with no binder: light, soft and almost fully erasable, good for the start. Compressed charcoal is mixed with a binder and pressed into sticks: darker, denser and much harder to erase, good for the finish.
Do I need fixative for charcoal?
Yes, if you want to keep the drawing clean. Charcoal sits on the paper surface and smudges. Workable fixative lets you keep drawing on top; final fixative seals it. Spray outdoors or with ventilation and follow the can.
What paper is best for charcoal?
Paper with some tooth, so the charcoal has something to grip. Drawing paper of 80 lb or heavier, or charcoal paper, holds more layers than thin sketch paper.
Sources
Last reviewed October 29, 2026. Product lines and listings change; check the details before you buy.