I am often asked which pastels I use and which sets I choose. Unison Colour and Rembrandt form the core of my palette. I add other brands for particular shades, the character of a mark, or the way they build up color.

I try different brands. Some remain a brief acquaintance, others become a necessity, and a few become favorites. Here I will share the soft pastels I keep returning to and what I appreciate about them.

How I choose pastels

My first experiments were with Mungyo and Faber-Castell pastels on ordinary paper. Even that was enough to get a feel for the medium and fall in love with it. Later, I discovered professional materials—and all the possibilities that different combinations of pastel and paper could offer.

Pastel is sensitive to touch. It can leave a light, almost weightless veil of color, a rich patch of pigment, a crisp stroke, or a softly blended transition. My preferences are closely connected to the way I paint.

I begin with a thin layer that allows the paper to show through. Sometimes I blend lightly to soften transitions, then gradually build up the color. The final touches are crisp strokes and rich marks with a little physical thickness. I enjoy this impasto effect beside light, almost transparent layers.

The paper affects the order in which I apply my pastels and the way I handle them, but the main brands in my palette stay the same.

One pastel stick, several tools

I usually break my pastel sticks into pieces about 2–3 cm long. The side can cover a large area, much like a broad brush. An edge makes a strong stroke, while a sharp corner of the broken stick can draw a fine line.

One pastel stick in my hand can serve as a broad brush, a palette knife, and a pencil.

Pastel has a particular appeal: each ready-made shade is a separate stick. Of course, colors can be blended on the paper and layered over one another, but choosing the stick itself makes a difference. Even shades with the same name can vary noticeably between brands.

The longer I observe my subject, the more nuances of color I notice—and the more precisely I want to capture them. That is what makes me curious to try another shade or another pastel.

The artist’s temperament matters too—I see this clearly in my classes. Some students press so firmly that soft pastel sticks crumble in their hands. Others barely touch the paper, leaving an almost invisible mark. The same pastel faces very different challenges. So the choice also depends on pressure and gesture: some people find a firmer stick easier to handle, while others need a softer pastel to release color with the lightest touch.

Unison Colour

My first large set of professional pastels was Unison Colour: 72 full sticks. It is still my favorite brand and the foundation of my palette.

The pastel is soft, but the stick has a firm body and a uniform texture. It does not have the pronounced creaminess I feel with some other brands. I can blend it into a thin, even layer or make a stroke with clean edges. A sharp corner is useful for fine lines.

The colors are rich, and I find it easy to keep transitions clean when blending the combinations I use. It suits my way of painting very well, so I keep coming back to it.

Rembrandt

I use Rembrandt at every stage of a painting. Although it is a soft pastel, the sticks feel firmer than many others in my palette and hold an edge well.

I use this firmness when drawing veins in petals or leaves. With the right pressure, the stick physically displaces the softer pastel layer and deposits its own color directly on the paper. This allows me to draw a fine line even where pastel has already been applied.

Rembrandt often takes the place of pastel pencils for me. It gives me fine lines and strong color, and I find the edge of a stick more convenient than a fragile sharpened tip.

I reach for it so often that I have a complete set and regularly replace the shades I use most.

Art Spectrum Extra Soft Square

I especially appreciate the square Art Spectrum pastels for their rich shades of deep lilac, pink, and violet, for which I have not found suitable alternatives in Unison Colour.

They feel softer, more fragile, and creamier as I apply them. For bright, richly colored petals, they are just what I need.

Sennelier and Schmincke

These are very soft pastels, although individual shades can vary noticeably in firmness.

They build up dense coverage a little too readily for my first transparent layers, quickly filling the tooth of the paper. So I usually choose other pastels at the beginning.

But Sennelier and Schmincke are lovely for the final stages, when I deliberately want a rich, substantial stroke. Sometimes I also choose them for an individual shade that catches my eye.

Terry Ludwig

I particularly like Terry Ludwig’s deep, rich darks and the variety of colors. I used up my Intense Darks sets completely.

But I live in Europe, so shipping and customs costs also enter the picture. That is why I do not currently rely on this brand for my everyday painting, although I value the pastels themselves very much.

BLOCKX

BLOCKX pastels are soft and release color easily, but they do not feel quite as creamy or lay down such a dense layer as some of the other soft pastels I use. With a light touch, I can add color while keeping the surface texture open for further layers.

I like the palette and the way these pastels complement my other brands.

Jackson’s

I bought Jackson’s pastels as a more affordable addition to my palette, mainly for their very bright pinks and lilacs.

Such intense colors appear quite often in fresh flowers, but finding the right pastel is not always easy. I use Jackson’s less often now.

Pastel pencils

I rarely use pastel pencils, although I have tried several brands. Conté à Paris and Sennelier Pastel Pencil—the latter without a wooden casing—are the most comfortable for me because of their firmness.

But for fine lines and small details, I still reach for Rembrandt more often.

I have tried other brands too, but I will leave them out of this article for now. A few experiments are not enough for me to say much about them.

Which set to start with

For an introduction to pastel, I recommend a Rembrandt set of 30–60 half sticks. A set of 60 naturally gives you more choice of shades.

Half sticks are convenient for using the side of the pastel and let you explore a wider range of colors without buying a full stick of each one.

If your interest in pastel grows, I would add a softer brand: Unison Colour. My first set contained 72 full sticks, but half sticks are also a useful way to explore a broad palette—for example, a set of 120. There is no need to buy that many at once; you can gradually add the colors you find yourself missing.

Together with good pastel paper, this gives you a foundation for exploring different subjects and techniques. Your personal palette develops over time, through observation, favorite color combinations, and the needs of individual paintings.