Colour Crayons, also referred to as Conté à Paris carrés, are harder than pastels or charcoals. This hardness creates crisp, tight lines rather than the more smudged look of pastel and charcoal. They are produced from a highly rigorous choice of pigments, clay and a binder. They are then baked after being extruded and dried. This set of Sketching Crayons includes Bistre, Sanguine, Sanguine XVIII, Sanguine Watteau, Sanguine Medicis, White B, Black HB, Black B (2), and Black 2B (2). The rich colors mix together nicely and are well suited for use on emery paper or heavily grained surfaces. Sharpen them to a chisel tip, or drag them flat on their sides for various shading techniques.