Charcoal is a drawing medium made from organic materials, typically wood burned in an oxygen-free environment. Charcoal is available in several forms, the most basic of which is powdered charcoal, which is simply ground organic materials, often derived from plant matter. Powdered charcoal can be difficult to use and is most often employed to tone large areas of a drawing. Compressed charcoal is composed of powdered charcoal bound together with gum or wax, and can be purchased in solid sticks or in pencil form. Vine or willow charcoal is made by burning a thin branch of a willow tree or a grape vine to a specific hardness. Powdered and vine charcoal contain no binder and can easily be wiped away from the surface of a sheet of paper or canvas while the drawing is in process. Charcoal tends to be very friable, meaning it is fragile and crumbles easily. This can be remedied by using a fixative spray to seal the finished drawing onto the support. The natural friability of charcoal means it can easily blended with a tightly wound cone of paper, called a stump, to create chiaroscuro or modeled effects.

Artists have created beautiful expressive drawings with charcoal for centuries and across cultures. Notable artists who have used charcoal in their works include Leonardo da Vinci, Vincent van Gogh, Edgar Degas, Pablo Picasso, and Xie Zhiliu. Moving beyond the use of charcoal on paper, artists like Willem de Kooning and Cy Twombly sometimes used charcoal in combination with oil paint on canvas. Contemporary artists who incorporate charcoal into their practice include William Kentridge, Elizabeth Peyton, Robert Longo, Christian Holstad, and Kerry James Marshall.