Modern day example (above) of a charcoal portrait drawing. The quality of this medium is excellent. It should always be framed under glass to protect the artwork. Hang the finished work away from direct sunlight to protect it from UV rays.

The History of Charcoal drawings:

Charcoal was often a key component of cave painting with examples dating back to at least 28,000 years ago.[9]

One of the oldest painting is a picture of a zebra found at the Apollo cave in Namibia.

In the renaissance Charcoal was widely used but few works of art survived due to charcoal particles flaking off the canvas. At the end of the 15th century a process of submerging the drawings in a gum bath was implemented to prevent the charcoal from flaking away. charcoal paintings date as far back as ca.23,000 BC.