Pastel art used to be a messy affair involving chalky dust that drifted into every corner of the studio. Modern manufacturing has transformed these sticks into controlled, vibrant tools that respond beautifully to a gentle touch.
Choosing the Best Soft Pastels requires an understanding of how these pigments interact with the tooth of your paper. Keep reading to see which sets offer the consistent quality you need for your next drawing.
Key Takeaways
- Look for a high pigment load to ensure your colors remain vivid and lightfast over time.
- Consider whether you prefer a square shape for crisp edges or a round stick for softer, broader coverage.
- Check the texture consistency to ensure the pastels glide smoothly without scratching your specialized art paper.
- Assess the color range of the set to ensure it covers enough tonal variety for your specific subject matter.
- Prioritize professional-grade sets if you intend to layer multiple colors, as these hold better on the page than entry-level versions.
| Industry Standard Choice |  |
Rembrandt Soft Pastels Basic Set | Balanced medium texture | High pigment load | Professional grade quality | View on Amazon | Read Review |
| Versatile Blending Staple |  |
Mungyo Gallery Soft Oil Pastels | Extremely creamy application | Vibrant color range | Highly blendable formula | View on Amazon | Read Review |
| Student Studio Favorite |  |
Faber-Castell Creative Studio Pastels | Large variety of colors | Easy to layer | Ideal for beginners | View on Amazon | Read Review |
| Comprehensive Professional Kit |  |
Rembrandt General Selection De Luxe | Extensive color selection | Reliable professional consistency | Durable pigment quality | View on Amazon | Read Review |
| Artisanal Texture Choice |  |
Mungyo Gallery Handmade Pastels | Handcrafted quality | Rich, intense pigments | Velvety application | View on Amazon | Read Review |
| Graphic Design Tool |  |
Colour Block Square Pastels | Multi-functional square shape | Broad range of colors | Good for sharp lines | View on Amazon | Read Review |
| Impasto Painting Essential |  |
Mont Marte Extra Soft Pastels | Large variety of hues | Buttery, smooth application | Great for thick layering | View on Amazon | Read Review |
| Reliable Daily Driver |  |
Mungyo Vibrant Square Pastels | Durable and firm | Excellent blendability | Vivid color selection | View on Amazon | Read Review |
| Ideal Classroom Set |  |
Artecho Soft Oil Pastels | Easy to use | Perfect for students | Good color variety | View on Amazon | Read Review |
| Advanced Blending Kit |  |
Mungyo Gallery Professional Pastels | Professional blending capability | Extensive color range | Rich, dense pigment | View on Amazon | Read Review |
More Details on Our Top Picks
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Rembrandt Soft Pastels Basic Set
You will find these pastels in nearly every professional studio for a reason. They offer a consistent medium-soft texture that sits perfectly between being too crumbly and too hard, making them ideal for both broad strokes and delicate detailing.
The color payoff is impressive, as each stick is packed with high-quality pigment and minimal binder. If you are serious about your work, you might find the limited count in this basic set creates a need for additional colors later.
- Brand:Rembrandt
- Pastel Type:Soft Pastel
- Color Count:30
- Packaging Type:Cardboard box
- Target User:Professional artists
- Texture Quality:Medium-soft
- Additional Feature:Excellent lightfastness ratings
- Additional Feature:Uniform consistency across colors
- Additional Feature:Round stick shape
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Mungyo Gallery Soft Oil Pastels
These oil pastels feel like drawing with a creamy, pigmented lipstick that glides across paper without any resistance. They are fantastic for artists who enjoy building up layers and working with heavy impasto techniques.
Because they stay workable for a long time, you can blend them easily with your fingers or a blending tool. Be aware that the buttery nature of these sticks means they can get messy if you are not careful about your hand placement.
- Brand:Mungyo
- Pastel Type:Soft Oil Pastel
- Color Count:48
- Packaging Type:Box with trays
- Target User:Professional artists
- Texture Quality:Buttery
- Additional Feature:Non-toxic ingredients
- Additional Feature:Acid-free composition
- Additional Feature:High lightfastness
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Faber-Castell Creative Studio Pastels
When you need a large variety of colors to experiment with, this set provides a generous spectrum that is perfect for learning. The chalky texture allows for easy erasing and layering, which is helpful when you are still finding your footing with new compositions.
These are slightly harder than professional grade options, which actually helps them keep a sharper edge for longer. Do keep in mind that they generate more dust during use compared to premium soft brands.
- Brand:Faber-Castell
- Pastel Type:Soft Pastel
- Color Count:72
- Packaging Type:Cardboard box
- Target User:Students and hobbyists
- Texture Quality:Hard-chalk
- Additional Feature:Highly pigmented sticks
- Additional Feature:Easily smudged for gradients
- Additional Feature:Consistent color payoff
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Rembrandt General Selection De Luxe
Stepping up to this larger set provides the full tonal range required for complex, multi-layered portraits or landscapes. You get the same reliable quality as the smaller sets but with the added benefit of nearly every hue you might reach for during a long session.
The sticks are uniform in shape, which makes them easy to grip for extended periods. The sheer volume of colors in this package makes it a significant commitment, so ensure you have the storage space to organize them properly.
- Brand:Rembrandt
- Pastel Type:Soft Pastel
- Color Count:60
- Packaging Type:Deluxe box
- Target User:Professional artists
- Texture Quality:Medium-soft
- Additional Feature:Exceptional color saturation
- Additional Feature:Minimal binder content
- Additional Feature:Professional grade stability
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Mungyo Gallery Handmade Pastels
These sticks are crafted by hand to ensure a luxurious, velvety feel that is distinct from mass-produced varieties. You will notice that they lay down color with a unique richness that feels almost like spreading fine powder directly onto the surface.
The handmade nature creates a slight variation in the sticks, adding a tactile charm to your drawing experience. Because they are so soft and delicate, they are best suited for finishing touches rather than aggressive underpainting.
- Brand:Mungyo
- Pastel Type:Soft Pastel
- Color Count:30
- Packaging Type:Protective storage box
- Target User:Professional artists
- Texture Quality:Very soft
- Additional Feature:Consistent color intensity
- Additional Feature:Carefully selected pigment mix
- Additional Feature:Smooth blending properties
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Colour Block Square Pastels
The square shape of these pastels is a clever design detail that gives you both a flat side for broad shading and a sharp corner for fine lines. If you are someone who likes to switch between sketching and filling in large areas, this set is incredibly efficient.
You get a wide variety of colors that are quite bright, making them perfect for vibrant illustrations. They are slightly more chalky, which can lead to a bit more dust on your workspace than oil-based versions.
- Brand:Colour Block
- Pastel Type:Soft Pastel
- Color Count:80
- Packaging Type:Carbon box
- Target User:Hobbyists and sketchers
- Texture Quality:Chalky
- Additional Feature:High color saturation
- Additional Feature:Convenient square geometry
- Additional Feature:Portable storage box
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Mont Marte Extra Soft Pastels
These are incredibly thick and buttery, functioning much like a solid paint stick that can be used for heavy-duty layering. If you enjoy creating textures that stand off the page, you will appreciate how well these hold their shape even when applied thickly.
The sheer number of colors ensures you rarely have to mix your own, which saves time when you are working on a large-scale project. Be prepared for the fact that these do not dry down, so you will need a fixative or a frame to protect the finished work.
- Brand:Mont Marte
- Pastel Type:Soft Oil Pastel
- Color Count:120
- Packaging Type:Durable case
- Target User:Artists and crafters
- Texture Quality:Extra soft
- Additional Feature:Vibrant, bright pigments
- Additional Feature:Smooth blending behavior
- Additional Feature:Excellent coverage
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Mungyo Vibrant Square Pastels
This set is a workhorse for artists who want a dependable, smooth-blending pastel without any unnecessary fuss. The square shape feels secure in the hand, allowing for precision in both blocking out shapes and refining small details.
The colors are well-balanced and provide a vibrant finish that holds up well on textured paper. They are firm enough to resist breaking easily, which is a major plus if you tend to be a bit heavy-handed with your materials.
- Brand:Mungyo
- Pastel Type:Soft Pastel
- Color Count:64
- Packaging Type:Box with trays
- Target User:Artists
- Texture Quality:Smooth
- Additional Feature:Square profile for lines
- Additional Feature:High pigment concentration
- Additional Feature:Consistent blending
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Artecho Soft Oil Pastels
You will find these are very accessible for beginners who are just starting to learn about color theory and blending. They have a forgiving consistency that allows you to correct mistakes by layering lighter colors over darker ones.
The size of the sticks is just right for smaller hands or for those who need a portable kit to carry around. While they are great for educational purposes, seasoned artists might find the pigment load slightly lighter than professional sets.
- Brand:Artecho
- Pastel Type:Soft Oil Pastel
- Color Count:48
- Packaging Type:Sliding tray box
- Target User:Beginners and students
- Texture Quality:Soft
- Additional Feature:Smooth application
- Additional Feature:Easy to blend
- Additional Feature:Standard stick size
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Mungyo Gallery Professional Pastels
This set is the heavy hitter for someone who wants to achieve painterly effects using pastels. The high-quality wax and oil binders create a finish that looks remarkably like an oil painting but with the direct, tactile control of a crayon.
You get a massive range of tones, which allows for sophisticated color transitions that are nearly impossible to achieve with smaller sets. Because they are so rich, they work best on heavyweight paper that can handle the thick application of pigment.
- Brand:Mungyo
- Pastel Type:Soft Oil Pastel
- Color Count:72
- Packaging Type:Sturdy box
- Target User:Professional artists
- Texture Quality:Creamy and smooth
- Additional Feature:Professional grade ingredients
- Additional Feature:High color lightfastness
- Additional Feature:Great for impasto effects
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I really need to use fixative on my finished drawings?
Using fixative is a personal choice, but it is often unnecessary if you frame your work properly under glass. Fixative tends to darken colors and alter the texture of the pastel, which can ruin the matte finish you worked hard to achieve.
How should I clean my pastels if they get dusty?
You can gently tap the sticks against the side of your container to remove excess loose powder. If they become muddy from picking up other colors, you can lightly sand the surface of the pastel with a fine-grit sandpaper or a dedicated cleaning tool.
Can I mix different brands of soft pastels in one piece?
Absolutely, mixing brands is a common practice to achieve a specific range of softness or color. Since most professional pastels are highly pigmented, they generally layer well together regardless of the manufacturer. Just pay attention to the different textures so you do not accidentally create a slick layer that prevents further color application.
What is the best way to store my pastel collection?
Keep your pastels in their original boxes or a padded wooden tray to prevent breakage. It is helpful to store them in a layer of fine grit or sand, which holds the sticks in place and keeps them clean while you work.
Why do my pastels seem to leave a lot of dust?
Excessive dust usually means you have saturated the tooth of your paper, meaning the surface can no longer hold any more pigment. If this happens, you have reached the limit of the paper's capacity and should consider switching to a more aggressive surface or using a lighter touch during the early stages of your drawing.
