Artist Pastels: Soft, Oil & Pan Sets

Start with the type. Soft (dry) pastels crumble and blend into velvety layers and suit landscapes and portraits; oil pastels are buttery, water- or solvent-soluble, and stay put without fixative; pan pastels apply with sponges for smooth washes. Independent makers hand-roll soft sticks in small batches, so pigment load runs higher than mass-market student grades — look for single-pigment formulas and a stated lightfastness rating (ASTM I or II) if the work needs to last. Half-stick sets and curated 12- to 48-color palettes are common; expect roughly $15-$40 for a small handmade set, $50-$120 for larger artist-grade boxes, and a few dollars per individual stick for refilling a worn color. Confirm the binder (gum tragacanth, methyl cellulose, or oil), how hard or soft the stick is, and whether colors are sold open-stock. Many ship in 3-7 business days; custom palettes can take 1-3 weeks.

Use the filters and related searches below to narrow by pastel type, softness, set size, and lightfastness before clicking through to a maker's listing.