Pastels For Sketching
Professional recommendations from a Cheshire-based illustrator
🎨 Introduction
Pastels are versatile tools for drawing and sketching, offering rich colours and expressive mark-making possibilities.
This guide covers pastels ideal for drawing and sketching, selected for their responsiveness, colour range, and ease of use.
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⏳ In a Rush? Our Top Picks
Based on detailed research and customer feedback, here are our award winners:
🏆 Recommended Products
1. GONDOLA Soft Pastel 242 Color Set Made in Japan
This 24-piece set offers premium artist-grade materials with Gondola's soft pastels. Designed for professional artists and serious collectors, it delivers vibrant, high-pigment coverage suitable for portraits, landscapes, and expressive work.
✅ Pros
- Top-tier Gondola craftsmanship
- Exceptional lightfastness for archival work
- Pure pigment intensity unmatched by other media
- Well-balanced 24-colour selection
❌ Cons
- High expectations come with high price
- Individual stick replacements expensive
- Can be messy to transport
👁️ Quick Review Summary
⚡ Performance
The Gondola soft pastels offer exceptional pigment concentration with a velvety texture. Each stick delivers intense, pure colour that blends seamlessly.
🎨 Design
The stick format balances usability with material efficiency. Round pastels feel natural in the hand.
🔌 Compatibility
Soft pastels perform best on textured pastel paper, sanded surfaces, or pastel boards. They can be blended with fingers, chamois, or blending stumps. Fixative is recommended between layers and for finished work.
💰 Value
Priced at £400.0, this 24-piece Gondola set offers professional quality.
🎯 Verdict
The Gondola 24-piece set exceeds expectations for its price category. A professional-grade option. Read our full review →
2. Cretacolor Pastel Carre Set of 72
This 72-piece set offers premium artist-grade materials with Cretacolor's pastels. Designed for professional artists and serious collectors, it delivers versatile performance suitable for portraits, landscapes, and expressive work.
✅ Pros
- Museum-quality materials worth every penny of £168.91
- The choice of professional pastel artists
- Intuitive for beginners to learn
- Professional 72-colour palette for serious work
❌ Cons
- Needs proper storage and care
- Substantial investment required
- Learning curve for blending
👁️ Quick Review Summary
⚡ Performance
The Cretacolor pastels deliver what artists expect: smooth application, good blendability, and colours that stay true when layered.
🎨 Design
Cretacolor has created a practical set for everyday use. Build quality is appropriate for the price category.
🔌 Compatibility
Suitable for beginners' papers through to professional-grade surfaces. Blending is straightforward with these versatile pastels.
💰 Value
The £168.91 investment gets you premium pastels for demanding applications.
🎯 Verdict
Recommended without reservation for artists at the professional level. Read our full review →
3. Unison Colour : Soft Pastel : Set of 36 Starter
This 36-piece set offers premium artist-grade materials with Unison's soft pastels. Designed for professional artists and serious collectors, it delivers vibrant, high-pigment coverage suitable for portraits, landscapes, and expressive work.
✅ Pros
- Museum-quality materials worth every penny of £159.99
- The choice of professional pastel artists
- Superior coverage for large areas
- Practical 36-colour range
❌ Cons
- Needs proper storage and care
- Substantial investment required
- Needs textured paper for best results
👁️ Quick Review Summary
⚡ Performance
Unison delivers consistent quality across this soft pastel 36-colour range. Pigment load is excellent for the price category.
🎨 Design
These soft pastels feature quality construction that minimises breakage. The 36-colour range is thoughtfully curated.
🔌 Compatibility
Soft pastels work best on surfaces with adequate tooth. They respond well to blending with various tools and can be combined with other dry media. Use fixative to preserve work.
💰 Value
The £159.99 investment gets you premium pastels for demanding applications.
🎯 Verdict
Recommended without reservation for artists at the professional level. Read our full review →
4. Sennelier Pastels Soft Half ST 120/PKG, Multicolor, 120 Count (Pack of...
This 120-piece set offers premium artist-grade materials with Sennelier's soft pastels. Designed for professional artists and serious collectors, it delivers vibrant, high-pigment coverage suitable for portraits, landscapes, and expressive work.
✅ Pros
- Gallery-ready results
- Heirloom-quality art supplies
- Creates luminous, glowing effects
- Extensive 120 colours eliminate mixing limitations
❌ Cons
- May intimidate beginners
- Premium £144.99 price point
- Fragile sticks break easily
👁️ Quick Review Summary
⚡ Performance
These soft pastels from Sennelier excel in colour brilliance and blendability. The 120-piece range covers essential hues beautifully.
🎨 Design
Sennelier's soft pastels are designed for serious artists. The classic round shape is familiar and comfortable.
🔌 Compatibility
Compatible with most pastel-friendly surfaces. The pigment adheres well to textured papers and can be built up in multiple layers. Fixative is essential for permanence.
💰 Value
Value assessment: £144.99 is justified by the professional-grade materials.
🎯 Verdict
A standout choice for artists seeking Sennelier quality. Highly recommended for professionals. Read our full review →
5. PanPastel 20 Colour Set - Portrait Set
This set offers premium artist-grade materials with PanPastel's pastels. Designed for professional artists and serious collectors, it delivers versatile performance suitable for portraits, landscapes, and expressive work.
✅ Pros
- Heirloom-quality art supplies
- Uncompromising quality for serious collectors
- Direct colour application without mixing
❌ Cons
- Not for casual or experimental work
- Requires archival paper to justify cost
- Not waterproof when dry
👁️ Quick Review Summary
⚡ Performance
These PanPastel pastels offer versatile performance suitable for various techniques. The selection provides good coverage of essential hues.
🎨 Design
Construction quality is solid throughout the range. The storage solution is functional if not luxurious.
🔌 Compatibility
Compatible with most papers designed for dry media. The pastels respond well to various blending techniques and can be combined with other pastel types.
💰 Value
At £132.49, the value equation appeals to serious practitioners.
🎯 Verdict
An investment that pays dividends. PanPastel delivers premium quality. Read our full review →
6. Rembrandt Professional Soft Pastel Set General Colour Selection Master...
This 60-piece set offers premium artist-grade materials with Rembrandt's soft pastels. Designed for professional artists and serious collectors, it delivers vibrant, high-pigment coverage suitable for portraits, landscapes, and expressive work.
✅ Pros
- Flagship 60-colour professional range
- Top-tier Rembrandt craftsmanship
- Ideal for portraits and skin tones
- Complete 60-piece collection for any subject
❌ Cons
- Requires archival paper to justify cost
- Not for casual or experimental work
- Generates significant dust
👁️ Quick Review Summary
⚡ Performance
Expect museum-quality pigments from Rembrandt's soft pastels. The texture is ideal for building up layers while maintaining colour clarity.
🎨 Design
Stick size is generous, providing plenty of material for large-scale work. The round format suits various techniques.
🔌 Compatibility
These soft pastels perform optimally on papers designed for the medium. They can be used with pastel pencils for detail work. Workable fixative allows for continued layering.
💰 Value
At £125.85, you're getting Rembrandt quality that justifies the investment. The 60-colour range offers good variety.
🎯 Verdict
Enthusiastically recommended for serious artists. Read our full review →
7. Holbein : Soft Pastel : S954 : Set of 50
This 50-piece set offers premium artist-grade materials with Holbein's soft pastels. Designed for professional artists and serious collectors, it delivers vibrant, high-pigment coverage suitable for portraits, landscapes, and expressive work.
✅ Pros
- Uncompromising quality for serious collectors
- Museum-quality materials worth every penny of £122.47
- Builds up beautifully in layers
- Well-balanced 50-colour selection
❌ Cons
- Individual stick replacements expensive
- High expectations come with high price
- Requires fixative between layers
👁️ Quick Review Summary
⚡ Performance
The velvety consistency of these Holbein soft pastels allows for expressive work. Colours are rich and saturated, perfect for both bold strokes and subtle blending.
🎨 Design
Each pastel stick is cylindrical for easy grip. The 50-piece set comes in a protective case.
🔌 Compatibility
Suitable for Ingres paper, sanded surfaces, and specialist pastel boards. The soft texture allows for finger blending and brush techniques. Protect finished work with fixative.
💰 Value
The £122.47 price point positions this set competitively against similar offerings. Quality matches expectations for this tier.
🎯 Verdict
The Holbein pastels set the standard in their category. Worth every penny. Read our full review →
8. Sennelier Oil Pastel Box Set 72 Assorted
This 72-piece set offers premium artist-grade materials with Sennelier's oil pastels. Designed for professional artists and serious collectors, it delivers rich, creamy application suitable for portraits, landscapes, and expressive work.
✅ Pros
- The choice of professional pastel artists
- Flagship 72-colour professional range
- No fixative needed - colours stay put
- Extensive 72 colours eliminate mixing limitations
❌ Cons
- Premium £120.54 price point
- May intimidate beginners
- Can feel greasy to some artists
👁️ Quick Review Summary
⚡ Performance
With Sennelier's oil pastel formulation, you get vibrant pigments that apply evenly. The consistency is ideal for building up layers and creating painterly effects.
🎨 Design
Housed in practical packaging, these oil pastels have a comfortable diameter for extended use.
🔌 Compatibility
Compatible with most art surfaces including pastel paper, card, and primed canvas. Oil pastels can be combined with other oil-based media for mixed media work. Solvents extend blending possibilities.
💰 Value
At £120.54, this represents solid value for the quality delivered. The cost per stick is competitive within its category.
🎯 Verdict
For artists seeking the best, this Sennelier set is hard to beat. Read our full review →
📋 What to Look For
- Pigment Quality: Look for pastels with high pigment concentration for vibrant, long-lasting colours.
- Lightfastness: Check the lightfastness rating if your work will be displayed or sold.
- Colour Range: Consider sets with a good range of colours for your subject matter.
- Blendability: Soft pastels blend more easily than hard pastels. Oil pastels blend differently.
- Value for Money: Consider cost per stick and overall quality balance.
About the Reviewer
Every Big Red Illustration review is written by illustrator and agent Jamie Conner, drawing on over 30 years of combined professional experience in traditional art, digital tools, and the wider creative industry.
I'm Jamie Conner, a UK-based illustrator and illustrator agent with a background in character-focused and expressive artwork. I review digital and traditional art products, offering clear, practical insights to help artists choose tools that suit their workflow.