Soft Pastels: Rich Colour, Ready to Blend
DeSerres carries a wide selection of soft pastels for every level and every approach: half-stick sets in themed palettes (portraits, warm tones, cool tones, metallics), large assorted box sets of up to 525 pieces, square pastels, pastel pencils for fine detail work, and PanPastels for a painterly, low-dust application. Whether you're building up layers on textured paper or working a quick colour study, there's a format here that fits your practice.
How do I choose between soft pastels, pastel pencils and PanPastels?
Soft half-sticks are the most versatile: they blend easily with a finger or a stump and cover large areas quickly. Square pastels are firmer and hold an edge longer, useful for both broad strokes and sharper lines. Pastel pencils offer the most precision, ideal for fine details, outlines, and work on smaller formats. PanPastels apply like paint with a sponge applicator, giving smooth, even coverage with minimal dust, a favourite for backgrounds and underpainting. For more drawing and colouring tools, browse our Pencils & Pastels collection.
