The best oil pastels

best oil pastels - three types of pastel box on a pink background
(Image credit: Sennelier/Faber-Castell/Caran d’Ache/Future)

Oil pastels are an under-rated medium and in my opinion, should be much more popular. They are instantly useable and versatile, have brilliant colour ranges and can be great used with mixed media. On this page, I've gathered a range of oil pastels based on my experience with the products – I tested them all using a range of styles and techniques. 

In my tests, I evaluated the oil pastels in terms of hardness, ease of blending and application and lightfastness, considering how they compare with each other. If you need further pointers, see the questions section at the bottom of this guide.

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Richard Rees

An architect artist and architectural illustrator, Richard’s work combines his love of both buildings and painting. He is a member of the Pastel Society and has been working primarily in oil pastel in recent years, producing vibrant cityscapes.

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