Top Pastel Brands: Elevate Your Artistic Creations

When it comes to creating vibrant and lasting pastel artworks, choosing the right brand can make all the difference. Some manufacturers excel in providing rich, blendable pigments that can elevate any creative project. From soft pastels to oil pastels, the market is teeming with options suitable for artists of all levels. If you're eager to discover the top brands that offer quality and reliability, continue reading below.

Illustration of pastels

Best brands of pastels in 2025

Sennelier

Sennelier is renowned as one of the top producers of pastels, particularly known for its soft pastels, which come in a vast range of 525 colors. This extensive color palette makes Sennelier a favorite among artists, offering a wide spectrum of hues that enhance artistic expression. The brand's pastels are highly praised for their softness and vibrant colors, although some users note they can be too soft for detailed work. Sennelier pastels have been a staple in the art world, with the brand revising its line in recent years to reduce crumbling. Europe, where Sennelier is highly popular, accounts for a significant portion of the global pastel market. For more information about their pastel range, visit the Sennelier website.

Rembrandt

Rembrandt, owned by Royal Talens, is a leading brand in the pastels market, renowned for its high-quality, lightfast pigments and strict quality control. Their soft pastels are widely used globally, offering a comprehensive color range, including a 90-color set that covers all essential hues. These pastels are machine-extruded, resulting in a smooth and uniform texture, although they may require light sanding to release the color fully. Rembrandt soft pastels are firmer and less powdery than some competitors, making them ideal for detailed work and blending with other brands. They are also free of toxic ingredients like cadmium, enhancing their safety for artists. For more information, you can explore their full collection of Rembrandt soft pastels.

Unison Colour

Unison Colour is renowned as one of the best producers of pastels, having begun their production in the early 1980s and currently hand-producing over a quarter of a million sticks annually. Their pastels are highly pigmented, firm, and have a creamy, smooth texture, making them a favorite among artists. The brand offers a comprehensive range of 422 pastels, divided into several series, including earth colors and spectral hues, all analyzed using the Munsell color system for precise hue, value, and chroma specifications. Unison Colour's commitment to using pure pigments ensures intense and bright colors. Their pastels are versatile and ideal for various artistic applications, including travel, due to their well-designed storage boxes.

Schmincke

Schmincke is a renowned brand in the pastels market, celebrated for its high-quality artist colors for over 140 years. Founded in 1881 by Josef Horadam and Hermann Schmincke, the company is known for its Mussini finest artists' resin-oil colours and Horadam finest artists' watercolours, which have gained global recognition. Schmincke's pastels are part of a diverse product range that includes soft pastels, which are highly valued by artists for their vibrant and expressive capabilities. The company's commitment to quality and sustainability has made it a leader in the art supplies industry, contributing significantly to the global pastels market, which is expected to grow at a CAGR of 5.5% from 2018 to 2030. Schmincke's products are popular worldwide, particularly in regions like Europe, where the brand has a strong presence. For more details about their products, you can visit their official website.

Holbein

Holbein is renowned as one of the best producers of pastels, offering high-quality products that cater to both artists and students. Their oil pastels, such as the Holbein Academic set, are praised for their firm texture, minimal crumbling, and excellent adhesion to paper. The brand's commitment to using pure pigments and systematic organization of colors makes their products highly sought after. In the global pastels market, Holbein competes alongside other major brands, contributing to a market expected to grow at a CAGR of 5.8% from 2023 to 2030. Holbein's products are available in various regions, including Europe, which accounts for approximately 26% of the global pastels market revenue.

Faber-Castell

Faber-Castell is a renowned brand in the pastels market, known for its high-quality art supplies. The company produces 2.3 billion pencils and colored pencils annually, utilizing wood from sustainably-managed forests and planting 300,000 new seedlings each year to ensure constant reforestation. In the pastels segment, Faber-Castell's products, such as oil pastels, have been popular in Europe, although there has been a decline in sales due to the increasing popularity of water-based products among kids and young adults. Despite this, Faber-Castell remains a significant player, contributing to the global pastels market which is expected to grow at a CAGR of 5.5% to 6.2% from 2024 to 2031. The brand's commitment to sustainability and quality makes it a preferred choice among artists and hobbyists.

Mungyo

Mungyo is a renowned brand in the art supplies industry, particularly noted for its high-quality pastels. As a Korean company established in 1946, Mungyo has evolved to become a global leader, supplying its products to over 80 countries. Mungyo's soft pastels are lightfast and artist-quality, offering an affordable alternative to more expensive brands like Sennelier, despite their sometimes scratchy texture. The company's dominance is reflected in its market share, with the Asia Pacific region, where Mungyo is based, accounting for 35% of the global pastels market in 2023. Mungyo's products are highly regarded for their vibrant colors and durability. You can explore more about their artist soft oil pastel sets on Jerry's Artarama.

Caran d'Ache

Caran d'Ache is renowned as one of the premier producers of pastels, offering a vast range of high-quality art materials. Established in 1915, the company is known for its rigorous standards, using 99% pure graphite and precise formulations to achieve smooth and consistent colors. Their pastel pencils and cubes, part of the "Swiss Made" label, include 84 shades each, developed over two years of research. Caran d'Ache's products are favored by artists, architects, and designers worldwide for their exceptional smoothness and strength. The company's commitment to purity and quality has set a high standard in the art supplies industry.

Art Spectrum

Art Spectrum is a leading brand in the pastels market, particularly renowned for its high-quality, artists' grade soft pastels manufactured in Australia. The brand is notable for its unique colors inspired by the Australian landscape, such as Pilbara Red, Jacaranda, and Australian Red Gold. Art Spectrum pastels are part of a global market that is expected to grow at a CAGR of 5.5% to 5.8% from 2023 to 2030, driven by the increasing demand for art and craft products. The brand's products are favored by both professional artists and hobbyists, contributing to a strong market presence in regions like North America, Europe, and the Asia Pacific. Art Spectrum's commitment to using lightfast pigments and high pigment content enhances the durability and vibrancy of their pastels. For more information, you can explore their range of soft pastels here.

Terry Ludwig

Terry Ludwig Pastels is renowned for its high-quality, uniquely shaped pastels, offering over 600 vibrant colors, including the innovative rectangular-shaped sticks that enable both broad strokes and precise lines. Founded by Terry Ludwig, the brand has expanded its color spectrum significantly, introducing unique hues like the Eggplant (V100) and the Shades of Nature series. The company's sets, such as the 750-piece Full Set, cater to various artistic needs, including portrait and landscape art. Terry Ludwig Pastels collaborates with prominent artists to create specialized sets, enhancing its market presence. The brand is a key player in the global pastels market, which is expected to grow at a CAGR of 5.5% until 2030. For more information about their products, visit Terry Ludwig Pastels' product page.