The 8 Best Art Pastel Brands and Products for Every Artist

Our top overall pick is the Sennelier Soft Pastel Set

Jessie Quinn By
Jessie Quinn
Jessie Quinn
Jessie Quinn
Jessie Quinn is a freelance journalist and artist specializing in fiber crafts, painting, paper macho, and pottery.
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Updated on 05/27/22

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Best Art Pastels

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Art pastels are like grown-up crayons, designed for beautiful works of art in chalky, velvety, and creamy finishes—depending on the pastel type.

From chalk pastels to pencil pastels to oil pastels and everything in between, we researched dozens of art pastels to find the best ones, evaluating pigment, quality, and use. Our top pick, the Sennelier Soft Pastels, come in dozens of sets in a variety of color collections, blend beautifully, and have a paint-like finish.

Here are the best art pastels. 

Our Top Picks
Best Overall:
Sennelier Soft Pastel Set at Dickblick.com
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Best Oil:
Pentel https://www.amazon.com/Pentel-Arts-Pastels-Color-PHN-50/dp/B00LFCWSPM?th=1 at Amazon
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Best Chalk:
Sargent Art Square Chalk Pastels at Dickblick.com
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Best Pencil:
Stabilo Carbothello Pastel Pencil Set at Amazon
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Best for Kids:
Sakura Cray-Pas Junior Artist Oil Pastels at Amazon
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Best Soft:
Faber-Castell Creative Studio Soft Pastels at Michaels
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Best Hard:
Prismacolor 27050 Premier NuPastel Firm Pastel Color Sticks, 36 Count at Amazon
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Best for Beginners:
Winsor & Newton Introduction to Fine Art Oil Pastels at Michaels
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In This Article

Best Overall

Sennelier Soft Pastel Set - Set of 50, Assorted Colors, Wood Box

Sennelier Soft Pastel Set

Blick
View On Dickblick.com View On Jerrysartarama.com
What We Like

  • The color options are endless

  • High saturation 

  • Have a paint-like appearance 

What We Don't Like

  • Aren’t beginner-friendly 

After hours of research and road testing, we can confidently say that Sennelier makes the best art pastels. We chose the soft pastels for their high saturation and paint-like texture once applied to the paper. But, what really wowed us is the seemingly endless color options. These soft pastels come in sets with introductory colors, skin tones, iridescent tones, dark colors, landscape hues, and more. 

Best Oil

Pentel Arts Oil Pastels, 50 Color Set

Pentel Arts Oil Pastels, 50 Color Set

Amazon
View On Amazon
What We Like

  • Blend easily 

  • Beginner and student-friendly 

  • Good value

What We Don't Like

  • Need a little warming up

For the best oil pastels, look no further. The Pentel Arts Oil Pastels are a favorite among professional artists and amateurs alike as they come in a variety of colors, are easy to blend, and have a good price point for their quality. If you’re new to pastels or looking for a set for students, these are the ones you want. Just be sure to rub them in your hands before use, as they need a little warming up. 

Best Chalk

Sargent Art Square Chalk Pastels

Sargent Art Square Chalk Pastels

Sargent Art
View On Dickblick.com
What We Like

  • Strong pigment

  • Long-lasting

  • Blend easily

What We Don't Like

  • Aren't as dusty as others

The Sargent Art Square Chalk Pastels are our top choice for this category because, although chalk pastels don’t have the most vibrant colors, these have a stronger pigment compared to others. They also blend easily (though they aren’t as dusty as other more expensive pastels), have a good price point for the quality, and last a long time. 

Best Pencil

Stabilo Carbothello Pastel Pencil, 60-Color Set

Stabilo Carbothello

Amazon
View On Amazon View On Walmart
What We Like

  • Durable

  • Blend easily

What We Like

  • They can break when sharpening

If you want a high-quality pastel pencil, this set from Stabilo is the best of the best. The set features 48 pencils in a wide range of colors that have a charcoal-like feel. We love them because they are durable, easy to blend, and have high pigmentation. You can use them to highlight and shade, or blend them with water and a brush for a painted look.

The 7 Best Watercolor Pencils for Sketching and Coloring

Best for Kids

Sakura Cray-Pas Junior Artist Oil Pastels

Sakura Cray-Pas Junior Artist Oil Pastels

Sakura
View On Amazon
What We Like

  • Impressive color range

  • Great price

  • Aren’t just for kids

What We Like

  • They are small

There’s a reason why this oil pastel set is considered a staple in kid's art. These beginner-friendly oil pastels come in a wide range of colors, are easy to use and learn the basics of pastel art, blend well, and have a fantastic price point, considering the quality. While they are kid-friendly and made for junior artists, these aren’t just for kids—they’re one of the best pastel sets for beginners, too.

Best Soft

Faber-Castell Creative Studio Soft Pastels

Faber-Castell Creative Studio Soft Pastels

Faber-Castell
View On Michaels
What We Like

  • Bright colors

  • Easy to blend with any tool (including your finger)

  • High quality

What We Like

  • They are not the softest

We dub these the best soft pastels because they boast bright, richly hued colors, are easy to blend with virtually anything (including your finger, a brush, or paper), and have the highest quality compared to other pastels at similar price points. With that said, these lean a little toward the harder side of the spectrum for a soft pastel, which works well for some techniques but might not be ideal for those looking for ultra-soft pastels.

The 8 Best Oil Paint Brands of 2023

Best Hard

Prismacolor 27050 Premier NuPastel Firm Pastel Color Sticks, 36 Count

Prismacolor 27050 Premier NuPastel Firm Pastel Color Sticks, 36 Count

Amazon
View On Amazon
What We Like

  • Good value

  • Velvet finish

  • Beginner-friendly

  • Vibrant colors

What We Don't Like

  • They are a bit fragile 

These Prismacolor hard pastel sticks live up to the hype with their vibrant colors, gorgeous velvet finish, and value. But, we also love them as a beginner-friendly hard pastel option because they are easy to blend, have a variety of colors, and aren’t too chalky. Their only flaw? They are a bit fragile.

Best for Beginners

Winsor & Newton Introduction to Fine Art Oil Pastels

Winsor & Newton Introduction to Fine Art Oil Pastels

Winsor & Newton
View On Michaels View On JOANN View On Dickblick.com
What We Like

  • Work well with oil paints and other mediums 

  • Excellent consistency

What We Like

  • High price for beginners

There are a few great choices for beginner-friendly pastels on this list, but this oil pastel set from Winsor & Newton is the clear winner for us. These are great for anyone looking to venture off into a new medium, as they work well with oil paints and other mediums, have a great consistency that blends well, and the set includes all of the colors a beginner might need. Our only hangup is the price as it is a bit more of an investment, especially if it is your first time using pastels.

Final Verdict

Our top pick is the Sennelier Soft Pastels. These come in a variety of color-coordinated sets, including ones specifically made for landscapes, seaside works, and skin tones, and have a paint-like finish. For something more affordable and beginner-friendly, the Sakura Cray-Pas Junior Artist Oil Pastels are a great pick for artists of all ages and skills—plus, you can’t beat that $5 price tag. 

What to Look for in Art Pastels

Price

“The first thing to keep in mind is the price point,” says Linda Colletta, an abstract artist with over 25 years of experience. She explains that the price can dictate the quality of pastels, however: “High-quality pastels are extremely expensive and would therefore not be recommended for the beginner if just learning how to use the medium.” 

Type

There are three main types of pastels—soft, hard, and oil—and every artist has their own personal type, which makes this a must for choosing the best pastels. If you’re new to pastels, Colletta recommends trying all three different types of pastels first to see which ones you find the easiest to work with, for the type of artwork you are trying to create.

Color

“You want to find a pastel that has the hues and intensity [desired] for your artwork,” says Colletta. This means selecting a set of pastels with the colors you want, but also experimenting a bit. “Each different type of pastel has its strengths and weaknesses in terms of color selections and vibrancy.” 

FAQ
  • What pastels are best for drawing?

    According to Colletta, it depends on the type of drawing. “For realistic drawings with a lot of details, pencil pastels are best,” she explains. “They are designed just like conventional pencils in that they can be sharpened and have a finer point to create with,” she adds. If more abstract or larger-scale artworks are your thing, Colletta says standard pastels work great. 

  • What are good pastels for beginners?

    “Soft pastels are great for beginners because they are very easy to experiment with,” says Colletta, adding that the best pastel type for beginners depends on the type of drawing. “Oil pastels can also be fun for beginners,” she explains. 

  • What is the difference between soft pastels and chalk pastels?

    The biggest difference between soft pastels and chalk pastels comes down to materials and quality. “Soft pastels are normally composed of small amounts of chalk or clay, water, dry pigment, and binder,” says Colletta. She explains that this type of pastel can help in creating smeared lines, smooth effects, and generating extremely bright colors. On the other hand, chalk pastels are made out of inexpensive and low-quality pigments that can fade over time, Colletta adds.

Why Trust The Spruce Crafts?

Contributing writer Jessie Quinn has a Bachelor’s Degree from Academy of Art University and, as the daughter of an artist, has spent a majority of her life immersed in visual arts and various mediums, including painting and drawing with pastels. In addition to her artistic upbringing, Jessie loves to craft and has spent hours upon hours tracking down high-quality supplies for her projects. When researching the best art pastels, Jessie leaned on these experiences to inform her research. As a result, she put quality at the top of the list, while also considering pastel type, pigmentation, and use.