Every year, I get the same question around the holidays: “Lisa, what’s a great art gift that doesn’t cost a fortune but still feels professional?” This year, the answer is easy: the Lyra Rembrandt Charcoal Set. Lyra sent me this tin to try (full transparency – no payment, no script, just my honest thoughts).
What You Actually Get
- Natural Charcoal vine
- Carbon 2B Carbon HB
- Charcoal 2B, Charcoal HB, Charcoal H
- Stick Charcoal 2B (7×14 mm)
- Stick Carbon Extra Dark HB (7×7 mm)
- Lead Carbon Extra Dark 2B
- kneadable eraser
- paper blending tool
- sharpener
Carbon vs Charcoal – Quick Breakdown
- Traditional charcoal = deep matte black, slightly messier, blends easier
- Carbon pencils = charcoal + graphite mix ? less dust, subtle sheen like graphite, darker than graphite but not as dark as charcoal
You can mix them, but I prefer keeping the finish consistent across a piece.
The One Real Downside (and Why It Doesn’t Matter for Gifting) – Lyra doesn’t sell these pencils open-stock anywhere I’ve found within the US. When they run out, you buy a new tin. For a gift? That’s not an issue at all! The recipient gets a gorgeous metal tin that lasts forever and feels premium. My Only Tiny Wishlist Item – I’d love a white “charcoal” pencil (really chalk/pastel) in the main set for highlights on mid-tone paper. Turns out that wish was already available in one of their two larger tins with GREY TONES and WARM BROWN TONES. Each of these tins features the charcoal pencils but adds in some hard pastel blocks for fun highlights! So if your artist loves toned paper, grab one of those instead.
The core set I’m reviewing here is still perfect for white or other light colored paper.
Watch the Full Demo (Cow in a Field)
I took the set live on Patreon and drew this cow landscape while narrating every decision. Because it was a beginner-friendly lesson, time was limited, but charcoal’s speed is insane – we still ended up with the illusion of hundreds of grass blades and realistic fur in under two hours.
Key tricks I teach in the video (and use constantly):
- Scribble charcoal on scrap paper ? pick up with blending stump ? shade indirectly = perfect erase-to-white highlights
- Press (don’t swipe) the kneaded eraser for instant soft animal texture
- Draw fur by shape and value clumps, NOT individual strands (the #1 mistake that creates zombie-looking hair)
Final Verdict – Buy It
Performance: 10/10 (everything works beautifully)
Value: 10/10
Gift-ability: 11/10 – it looks and feels twice the price. If you have an artist on your list (or you are the artist), this Lyra Rembrandt Charcoal Set is the rare product that’s genuinely pro quality, genuinely affordable, and genuinely exciting to open on Christmas morning. Grab it here (affiliate link): https://amzn.to/4aiyJ6y
Lyra Rembrandt Charcoal Set on Amazon
Happy drawing (and happy gifting)!
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