Unison Handmade Pastels

Frustrated with the extruded, hard, and compressed pastels on the market, British artist John Hersey began producing his own handmade pastels. He created a process in which each pastel is lightly rolled so that the pigment is softly compressed, resulting in fluid color unlike any other pastel. Hersey's unique color formulations contain only pure pigments in a cycle of related hues, instead of adding white or black to the colors. The result is intense, vibrant color application not muddied by the blending of colors. A variety of special combination Unison Handmade Pastel Sets are available. Each set is packaged in a sturdy black cardboard box, with each pastel cradled and protected by foam. Some sets, including the Brenda Mattson sets, come in attractive wooden boxes.

Townsend Artists’ Soft Form Pastels

Diane Townsend’s palette of Soft Form pastels encompasses both classical artists’ colors and an exotic and vivid range of modern pigments and mixes based on observation of color in nature and in paintings ranging from the Renaissance to contemporary art. Included are a specialty range of dark hues and off blacks; metallic, pearlescent and iridescent colors; and many grays and mauves mixed in such a way to give off a silvery light rather than being dull and flat. All Soft Form pastels are formed by hand into pleasing one-of-a-kind sticks that contain no chalks or fillers, and are available in light and dark shades. Individual pastels measure 1¾" long × ½" wide × ½" thick (44 mm × 13 mm × 13 mm).

Townsend Terrages Pastels

Diane Townsend Terrages pastels were originally developed to meet the desires of pastel painter Wolf Kahn. Each contains finely ground pumice stone that plows into the paper, creating a toothy surface on which to transfer complex layers of color and create a luminous sensation of depth and space. Terrages are formed into substantial rectangular slabs that can accept a more forceful application without crumbling. Made from the purest pigments available, they contain no chalks or fillers. Each pleasing, one-of-a-kind pastel measures approximately 1-3/4" long × 1" wide × 1/4" thick (44 mm × 25 mm × 6 mm). Individual colors are available in several shades. Gift Idea — A variety of Townsend Terrages Pastel Sets are available. See Townsend Terrages Pastel Sets for pictures and more detailed specifications of these sets.

Terry Ludwig Soft Pastels

Frustrated by the lack of color options and choices for very soft pastels, Terry Ludwig began experimenting with formulating his own pastels in 1995. His goal was to create a vast array of color in pastels that were uniformly soft across all densities of hue. The result was the development of intense colors, in unique hues that are unavailable in other pastel lines. These hand-crafted pastels contain a broad range of pigments and minimal natural binders, rendering highly concentrated, velvety pastels. The square shape delivers thick, broad strokes and thin, precise lines. Intense Darks, the hallmark of the line, features bright acidic greens, a broad range of intense reds, and eggplant purples that have been described as "the new black." Individual pastels measure approximately 1½" × ½" × ½" (38 mm × 13 mm × 13 mm). Because each pastel is hand-crafted , their size and shape may vary slightly.

Schmincke Soft Pastels

Unmatched in their softness and consistency, Schmincke soft pastels were created using the finest artist's pigments and a minimum of binders. The softness of the pastels permits a beautiful dense application, and the extremely high pigment concentration results in great color intensity. Sticks are rich and buttery in texture. The pigments slide right off the stick without any crumbling or breaking. Schmincke Pastels are prepared by hand and by traditional machines, and also labeled by hand to help prevent breakage. Schmincke's generously sized full stick measures 2-5/8" long × 7/16" in diameter (67 mm × 11 mm). Schmincke offers 55 pure colors, each of them available as a pure color (D), or in gradations with Black (B) and White (H, M, O): B — Black gradation with a color. D — Pure color, no added black or white. H — White gradation with a color. M — Gradation with more white. O — Gradation with still more white. Schmincke Artist Pastels also include a selection of 13 Dark Tones, available only in one concentrated gradation. White, Black, Serious Black, Silver, and Gold are also available only in a single gradation. Gift Idea — A variety of special combination Schmincke Pastel sets are available. See Schmincke Soft Pastel Sets for pictures and more detailed specifications of these sets.

Great American Art Works Pastels

Great American Art Works’ owner is a chemist, and his initial research into pastel production focused on the materials and methods of established companies. He soon discovered that old techniques produced old pastels! By employing new materials, techniques, and equipment, he eventually discovered the right combination of ingredients and methods. Today, Great American Art Works handmade pastels are recognized the world over for their excellence. Richly pigmented, these pastels have superb brilliance of tone. Each pastel measures 2½" × ½" (65 mm × 13 mm) .

PanPastel Artists’ Painting Pastels

Here are genuine artists’ quality pastels — the softest in the world — uniquely packaged in stacking and interlocking jars. The packaging protects the colors, thus reducing damage and waste. PanPastels were specially developed so that artists could lift, apply, and control pastel color, just like true painting. The pan format holds color like paint for easy application. Each pan contains 35% more material than the average pastel stick. (On average, based on a market survey of standard soft pastel sticks.) The label, with color name and number, remains with the color pan for easy identification. Loaded with the highest quality artists’ pigments, PanPastel colors are made using a unique manufacturing process requiring minimal binder and fillers, resulting in a rich, ultra soft, low-dust formulation. These professional quality colors are highly pigmented and have excellent lightfastness. They are erasable and fully compatible with traditional pastel sticks, pastel surfaces, and conventional fixatives. They can be mixed, blended, layered, and applied like paint for an infinite palette of colors. With PanPastel, it is possible to create more painterly effects. The artist can apply controlled marks, from intense to delicate — ultra thin “glazing” layers and veils of color. It is possible to block in large areas of color in seconds, for backgrounds, underpainting, and tinting paper. PanPastels clean up easily. Each jar contains 9 ml (0.3 oz) of pastel, plus an additional storage jar with one Sofft mini applicator, two Sofft covers, and one Sofft Art Sponge. Instructions are also included.

Richeson Semi-Hard Square Pastels

Richeson’s professional, semi-hard pastel sticks are perfect for underpainting. Their square shape is ideal for shading, and they can also be sharpened to a point if desired. Choose from a wide range of 120 colors or hand-selected sets. Each stick measures 3-5/8" long × 3/8" square.

Alphacolor Triangular Pastels
Set of 24

Includes one each of the following: Black, Blue, Brown, Green, Light Blue, Orange, Peach, Red, Violet, White, Yellow, Yellow-Green, Blue-Green, Burnt Sienna, Dark Blue, Dark Green, Earth, Gray, Magenta, Red-Orange, Red-Violet, Turquoise, Violet, Yellow-Orange.

Yarka Assorted Sauce
Classic Drawing Crayons

Assorted Sauce is a cross between a soft pastel and a Conté crayon. It combines high-quality pigment with Chasov Yar clay and industrial carbon for a velvety smooth drawing crayon. The set of ten colors includes Black, Gray, Light Gray, Brown, Gray-Green, Gray-Azure, Warm Gray, Ochre, Bistre, and White. It's packaged in a varnished wooden box.

Faber-Castell Pitt Pastel Pencils

Faber-Castell's Pitt Pastel Pencils are very suitable for lines, shading, and delicate color transitions, and also for extended areas. Use them for sketches, studies, portraits, still-lifes, and landscape drawings. They give a smooth flow of color without being used up too rapidly. Colors are rich in pigment, allowing dense shading. They do not change on fixing or exposure to light. Wood-cased Pitt Pastel Pencils do not dirty the fingers, and the leads are free of oils. They can easily be wiped to merge areas of colors, which means that they must then be fixed to protect the drawing. Pencils are pre-sharpened.

Derwent Pastel Pencils

Derwent Pastel Pencils offer all the expressive qualities of hard pastels in the convenience of a pencil form. These professional-quality pencils are ideal for use as an individual medium or for detailing in combination with pastel work. Derwent Pastel Pencils have been specially developed to provide only the highest degree of purity and lightfastness. Their soft powdery texture provides a smooth velvet finish. Derwent offers the artist the traditional qualities of conventional pastels without the drawbacks. Pencils are pre-sharpened.

Conté Pastel Pencils

These large diameter pencils have very fine, smooth leads that are rich in pigment. The presence of abrasives provides excellent toning and stumping qualities. Use Conté pencils to obtain a precise mark or line on a variety of papers. Pencils are pre-sharpened.

Sennelier Oil Pastels

Sennelier Oil Pastels (Pastels à l'Huile), manufactured in Paris, are made with carefully selected mineral and organic pigments, mixed with a specially formulated non-drying binder, and combined with the finest quality wax.The exceptionally creamy texture of Sennelier Oil Pastels is achieved through the perfect blending of these three elements. Sennelier Oil Pastels adhere strictly to standards for acid-free and archival permanence. The binder and mineral wax are both acid-free The resulting sticks feel like a soft pastel, but look and act like oil paints. Less fragile than traditional pastels, they can be built up to create heavy impasto effects, or combined with oil painting mediums for glazing and wash techniques. Sennelier Oil Pastels can be combined with other painting mediums to achieve unique effects.The concentration of high-quality pigments used in Sennelier Oil Pastels gives them exceptional covering power, vibrancy, and intensity. Sennelier Oil Pastels contain no oxidants. This guarantees preservation of the color intensity of the pigments without yellowing or cracking, and it also prevents deterioration of the surface or support. Because they contain no oxidants, oil pastels will never dry out, but the surface can be sealed with a fixative. Individual sticks are paper wrapped, and measure 2-5/8" × 3/8" (67 mm × 10 mm).

Sennelier Giant Oil Pastels

These artist quality Sennelier Oil Pastels were originally developed by Sennelier in collaboration with Pablo Picasso. Today they have been refined and introduced in a new "Giant" size. Creamy smooth Sennelier oil pastels are rich in pigment, cover beautifully, and have outstanding opacity. They may be thinned with turpentine and worked with a brush. Sennelier pastels are acid-free and can be applied to any surface. At ¾" diameter × 5" long, each of these pastel sticks is equivalent to eight regular size sticks.

Daler-Rowney Oil Pastels

Smooth, easy-to-use, and carefully color-matched to the Daler-Rowney Artists’ Soft Pastels range, Daler-Rowney Oil Pastels offer artists a serious painting medium that can be used alone or together with other media such as acrylic paints, gouache, acrylic inks, pencil, or charcoal. They render both an oil and a pastel effect that does not need to be fixed to the surface. Each stick measures 2-3/4" long × 3/8" diameter (7 cm × 1 cm).

Caran d'Ache Neocolor II Artists' Crayons

The quality of Neocolor II Aquarelle Artists' Crayons is universally acknowledged. Their excellent lightfastness, their high pigment concentration, and their adaptability to several techniques have helped to put them in a class of their own. Neocolor II crayons are softer than colored pencils, denser than children's wax crayons, and extremely responsive to a wet brush. Wet and dry techniques can be combined in the same drawing. Because of their strong pigmentation, light colors cover dark colors and vice-versa. Try the sgraffito technique by scraping off one or more color layers to create an engraved effect. Neocolors are soft enough to smudge with fingertips, yet they are much firmer than oil pastels. Best of all, they are water-soluble. Individual crayons measure 105 mm in length and 10 mm in diameter (4-1/8" × 5/16").

Lyra Aquacolor Crayon Sets

Aquacolor Crayons are highly pigmented, lightfast, and velvety smooth. These artist grade, water-soluble crayons dissolve easily and produce creamy color blends. Apply them dry and release the color with water from a brush or blender. Individual crayons measure 3½" long and ¼" in diameter (88 mm × 6 mm). They are beautifully arranged in metal tins.

Conté Crayons

Invented in France in 1795 by Nicolas-Jacques Conté especially for drawing and sketching, Conté Crayons are made from a blend of natural pigments, kaolin clay, and graphite. The Conté crayon has been used by many of the world’s greatest artists, including Picasso, Delacroix, and Degas. The rich, vivid colors of Conté Crayons mix together nicely, and a range of effects can be consistently produced. They are well suited for use on newsprint, bristol, toned paper or heavily grained surfaces. Their rich opacity makes them ideal for work on darker papers and their quality ensures the longevity of drawings. Conté crayons are waxier and much firmer than soft pastels, so they produce little dust and are easy to control. Sharpen Conté Crayons to a chisel tip with a sanding pad for detailed work or drag them flat on their sides for various shading techniques on large areas. The unique shape allows the sticks to be broken for easier use. Sticks are 2½" long × ¼" square (63 mm x 6 mm). Each box contains 2 or 12 crayons of one color, except for the color sets.

Lyra Graphite Crayons

Lyra Graphite Crayons are excellent for sketching, layout, and design. These crayons glide over most papers. The paper covering keeps hands clean in the process. Approximately ½" (13 mm) in diameter and 4½" (114 mm) long. Available in three degrees.

Stone's Litho Crayons

Stone's Litho Crayons make expressive lines and produce rich blacks. Designed for lithography, these crayons are very popular as drawing materials in many other art applications, including rubbings. Extremely smooth for drawing, they have very little drag. Stone's Litho Crayons are available in six degrees of hardness to accommodate different degrees of shading and drawing styles. Great for figure drawing. Lightfast.

Caran d'Ache Neocolor Artists' Crayons

The quality of Neocolor II Aquarelle Artists' Crayons is universally acknowledged. Their excellent lightfastness, their high pigment concentration, and their adaptability to several techniques have helped to put them in a class of their own. Neocolor II crayons are softer than colored pencils, denser than children's wax crayons, and extremely responsive to a wet brush. Wet and dry techniques can be combined in the same drawing. Because of their strong pigmentation, light colors cover dark colors and vice-versa. Try the sgraffito technique by scraping off one or more color layers to create an engraved effect. Neocolors are soft enough to smudge with fingertips, yet they are much firmer than oil pastels. Best of all, they are water-soluble. Individual crayons measure 105 mm in length and 10 mm in diameter (4-1/8" × 5/16").