ARTEZASoft Pastels for Artists, Set of 72 Art Chalk Sticks, Bright, Vibrant, and Neutral Pastels Art Supplies for Drawing, Blending, Layering, and Shading, Professional Art Supplies for Artists

My sister is the artist in the family, having gone to actual art school. I sent her videos of my using these because I didn't think there should be that much fallout from overlapping lines, and she confirmed that they are indeed too hard for pastels. I told her the price point and she said she would never spend that on this level of quality.The colours are gorgeous, and you get a lot of them, but when I go over an area it creates lines of chalk, and when I tried blowing the chalk away, it left streaks on the paper. I would suggest this kit for a young budding artist just starting out, but not at that price point.

We are an artsy/craftsy family for sure and we love having this 72 piece of soft pastels in our collection. Colours are just so pretty. Easy to use.We have several products from Arteza and are always delighted with the quality and value.

These are mediocre at best. They don't adhere to paper well, nor layer well, and are very powdery. I indicated that they are not for beginners, because I think when first starting out in pastel one should have a decent set of pastel sticks, like Rembrandt which is reasonably priced, or Nupastel, as they will get a better sense as to how to work with pastels and whether or not they like them. With Arteza, a beginner wouldn’t know how good pastels work and can be layered and could get frustrated and lose interest.

I couldn't afford Rembrandt or some other more expensive soft pastels, so I bought this set and am very pleased with my selection. Here is a picture of the Labrador I painted with them on Mi-tienes pastel paper by Canson.

Phenomenal quality. Arrived perfectly packaged in a very sturdy box. High level artists can use these. I love that the box stacks and has plastic handles to pull it out. It makes it a good size for bagging to go plein air. The protective papers keep the pastel dust off my hands. The little containers make it secure for a shelf on a plein air tripod.