Material used for drawing beginning with the prehistoric age. It is obtained from carbonized wood that, in ancient times, was inserted into a cane or bound to the end of a stick in order to keep one’s hands clean. It is used for sketches, abbozzo and cartoon drawings. Due to its crumbly nature, it is easily erased and thus the strokes present little stability, so much that, from the end of the 15th Century, artists furiously searched various fixing methods for the design. Today, the charcoal pencil may be found already covered with wood and consisting of powdered carbon compressed in various strengths. Charcoal drawing is the term for the drawing executed with the charcoal pencil.