Blick Chalk Pastels
Price: $3.87 each / Available HERE
Age: 3+ years
Chalk pastels have high-pigment, are easy to use, and blend very smoothly. Chalk pastels are able to create a rough, wide strokes or smooth, cloud-like textures when blended. I would be comfortable introducing chalk pastels to upper elementary and beyond because I think chalk pastels are delicate and can be messy. They are a little less forgiving but can create beautiful artwork with the right technique. Below, I have demonstrated several experimentations on how chalk pastels can be used to create a wide variety of texture. Water may also be applied to chalk pastel, as shown in the third image. The fourth and fifth image shows how chalk pastel can be applied to cardboard and colored paper. Chalk pastel is works well on both cardboard and colored paper because it emphasizes the paper texture and you are still able to see high pigmentation. The last image depicts an experimentation with oil pastel and chalk pastel combined together.
Charcoal
Price: $8.78 each drawing assortment / Available HERE
Age: 8+ years
Charcoal is very similar to chalk pastel. It mostly comes in black, however, there are tinted charcoals available. Charcoal comes in different densities, generally light, medium, and dark. Vine or willow charcoal is very light and breaks easily. Compressed charcoal is the darkest and most dense.
I recommend upper elementary or middle school students at the earliest to introduce charcoal. Although charcoal is similar to chalk pastel, it can be unforgiving and get quite messy. Charcoal would be an excellent choice of medium to explore shading with an assignment related to chiaroscuro artwork. You can achieve really bold, dark, intense blacks when shading with the compressed charcoal.
