General's Primo Elite Grande Charcoal Pencil has a unique and creamy formula. These extra soft pencils have a jumbo core encased in a matte black barrel. They can be used alone or in combination with other charcoal, pastel, or mixed media. Also can be used for quick layouts for oil painting. Handcrafted with genuine Incense Cedar wood. Charcoal Pencils are a form of dry art medium made of finely ground organic materials that are held together by a gum or wax binder, same as compressed charcoal. The amount of binder used determines how hard or soft the charcoal will be.