The traditional drawing medium of charcoal is a favorite for many artists.  
Charcoal produces rich tones and high contrast.   
It is easily blended and erased allowing the artist to produce a variety of effects in an artwork.

While the traditional forms of charcoal are great for most applications, some artists prefer the control that you can get from using a pencil. 
Using traditional sticks of vine and compressed charcoal make it a bit more difficult to develop the details that some subjects will require. 
In these situations, the best solution may be to use a charcoal pencil.