Oil Pastels For Beginners
Professional recommendations from a Cheshire-based illustrator
🎨 Introduction
As a professional illustrator, I've helped many aspiring artists find their first set of pastels. This guide covers top-rated options for beginners, focusing on ease of use, value, and quality.
Each product has been selected based on detailed research - examining customer reviews, pigment quality, blendability, and overall value for money.
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⏳ In a Rush? Our Top Picks
Based on detailed research and customer feedback, here are our award winners:
🏆 Recommended Products
1. MEEDEN Soft Oil Pastels Set: 72 Vibrant Colors Oil Pastels for Artists...
This 72-piece set offers solid mid-range value with MEEDEN's oil pastels. Designed for developing artists and serious hobbyists, it delivers rich, creamy application suitable for portraits, landscapes, and expressive work.
✅ Pros
- Trusted by art schools and studios
- Serious upgrade from student materials
- Colours remain workable for extended periods
- Extensive 72 colours eliminate mixing limitations
❌ Cons
- Individual replacements add up
- Significant investment for beginners
- Harder to achieve fine details
👁️ Quick Review Summary
⚡ Performance
MEEDEN's oil pastel formula provides excellent adhesion and blendability. Colours remain vibrant even when layered multiple times.
🎨 Design
The chunky stick format provides good control for both broad strokes and detail work. Functional packaging protects your investment.
🔌 Compatibility
Oil pastels work on most surfaces with tooth. They can be layered extensively and blended with warmth or solvents. Finished pieces are relatively smudge-resistant.
💰 Value
Value assessment: £30.95 is fair for the quality provided.
🎯 Verdict
A solid option for artists seeking MEEDEN quality. Well-suited for developing artists. Read our full review →
2. SENNELIER OIL PASTEL Set of 12 Introductory Colours
This 12-piece set offers solid mid-range value with Sennelier's oil pastels. Designed for developing artists and serious hobbyists, it delivers rich, creamy application suitable for portraits, landscapes, and expressive work.
✅ Pros
- Professional pigments at accessible pricing
- Investment-worthy for regular pastel work
- Buttery, creamy consistency for effortless blending
- Focused 12-colour palette for essentials
❌ Cons
- Learning curve to maximise potential
- Premium features come at a cost
- Cleanup requires solvents
👁️ Quick Review Summary
⚡ Performance
The Sennelier 12-piece oil pastels deliver a buttery, creamy consistency that glides smoothly across paper. Blending is effortless, and the colours layer beautifully without becoming muddy.
🎨 Design
These oil pastels feature a classic stick design that artists appreciate. The 12-colour set is well-organised for quick colour identification.
🔌 Compatibility
Oil pastels work beautifully on pastel paper, card, canvas, and mixed media boards. They can be blended with fingers, paper stumps, or solvents for painterly effects. No fixative is needed, though a final varnish can add protection.
💰 Value
Priced at £30.08, this 12-piece Sennelier set offers mid-range value.
🎯 Verdict
The Sennelier 12-piece set meets expectations for its price category. Good for regular practice. Read our full review →
3. Sennelier OIL PASTELS IRIDESCE 12/PKG, One Size
This 12-piece set offers solid mid-range value with Sennelier's oil pastels. Designed for developing artists and serious hobbyists, it delivers rich, creamy application suitable for learning techniques and building skills.
✅ Pros
- Step up from student-grade without premium cost
- Reliable performance without overspending
- Rich, vibrant colours straight from the stick
- Portable 12-piece set for travel
❌ Cons
- Replacement sticks harder to source
- Colour range more limited than premium sets
- Not compatible with all fixatives
👁️ Quick Review Summary
⚡ Performance
These Sennelier oil pastels offer rich, saturated colours with excellent coverage. The creamy texture allows for smooth application and easy colour mixing directly on the surface.
🎨 Design
Build quality is solid, with each stick maintaining its integrity during use. The case design prioritises practicality.
🔌 Compatibility
These oil pastels perform well on textured papers, canvas boards, and even wood panels. Blending with odourless mineral spirits creates wash effects. The finished work doesn't require fixative.
💰 Value
At £27.99, the value equation suits developing artists.
🎯 Verdict
A practical choice. Sennelier delivers reliable performance. Read our full review →
4. SAKURA Cray Pas Expressionist Oil Pastels Assorted Colours (Pack of 50...
This 50-piece set offers solid mid-range value with Sakura's oil pastels. Designed for developing artists and serious hobbyists, it delivers rich, creamy application suitable for learning techniques and building skills.
✅ Pros
- Well-priced 50-colour set
- Quality-to-price ratio is competitive
- Excellent for impasto techniques
- Thoughtfully curated 50-piece palette
❌ Cons
- Colour range more limited than premium sets
- Replacement sticks harder to source
- Messier than dry pastel types
👁️ Quick Review Summary
⚡ Performance
These oil pastels from Sakura excel in colour intensity and workability. The soft consistency allows for expressive mark-making and subtle gradations.
🎨 Design
Ergonomically sized for comfortable handling, these Sakura oil pastels are designed for extended creative sessions. Storage solution is practical and portable.
🔌 Compatibility
Suitable for paper, card, canvas, and mixed media applications. The oil content allows for extended working time. Can be combined with oil paints for mixed technique work.
💰 Value
At £27.31, you're getting Sakura quality without the premium price tag. The 50-colour range offers good variety.
🎯 Verdict
Recommended for developing practitioners. Read our full review →
5. Color Swell Bulk Oil Pastels 18 Packs
This 18-piece set offers solid mid-range value with Color Swell's oil pastels. Designed for developing artists and serious hobbyists, it delivers rich, creamy application suitable for learning techniques and building skills.
✅ Pros
- Solid mid-range value at £24.99
- Good investment for developing oil pastel skills
- Ideal for bold, expressive mark-making
- Compact 18-piece starter collection
❌ Cons
- Packaging adequate but not premium
- Some premium features missing at this price
- May bleed through thin papers
👁️ Quick Review Summary
⚡ Performance
The Color Swell 18-piece set delivers professional-level performance with colours that stay true and blend predictably.
🎨 Design
Color Swell has designed these oil pastels with usability in mind. The stick diameter suits most hand sizes and the packaging facilitates easy colour selection.
🔌 Compatibility
Compatible with traditional pastel papers and more experimental surfaces like primed wood. The oil binder provides flexibility in technique. No fixative required for finished work.
💰 Value
The £24.99 investment gets you a solid starter set.
🎯 Verdict
A sensible choice for artists new to pastels. Read our full review →
6. MEEDEN Soft Oil Pastels Set: 48 Colors with Extra 4 White Oil Pastels ...
This 48-piece set offers solid mid-range value with MEEDEN's oil pastels. Designed for developing artists and serious hobbyists, it delivers rich, creamy application suitable for learning techniques and building skills.
✅ Pros
- Good investment for developing oil pastel skills
- Well-priced 48-colour set
- No fixative needed - colours stay put
- Versatile 48 colours for most subjects
❌ Cons
- Not quite professional-grade pigments
- Lightfastness ratings vary by colour
- Can feel greasy to some artists
👁️ Quick Review Summary
⚡ Performance
With MEEDEN's oil pastel formulation, you get vibrant pigments that apply evenly. The consistency is ideal for building up layers and creating painterly effects.
🎨 Design
Housed in practical packaging, these oil pastels have a comfortable diameter for extended use.
🔌 Compatibility
Compatible with most art surfaces including pastel paper, card, and primed canvas. Oil pastels can be combined with other oil-based media for mixed media work. Solvents extend blending possibilities.
💰 Value
At £22.95, this represents solid value for the quality delivered. The cost per stick is competitive within its category.
🎯 Verdict
For artists seeking value, this MEEDEN set makes sense. Read our full review →
7. Mungyo Gallery Soft Oil Pastel for Artist Premium 36 Colors Drawing MO...
This 36-piece set offers solid mid-range value with Mungyo's oil pastels. Designed for developing artists and serious hobbyists, it delivers rich, creamy application suitable for learning techniques and building skills.
✅ Pros
- Step up from student-grade without premium cost
- Reliable performance without overspending
- Rich, vibrant colours straight from the stick
- Thoughtfully curated 36-piece palette
❌ Cons
- Replacement sticks harder to source
- Colour range more limited than premium sets
- Not compatible with all fixatives
👁️ Quick Review Summary
⚡ Performance
These Mungyo oil pastels offer rich, saturated colours with excellent coverage. The creamy texture allows for smooth application and easy colour mixing directly on the surface.
🎨 Design
Build quality is solid, with each stick maintaining its integrity during use. The case design prioritises practicality.
🔌 Compatibility
These oil pastels perform well on textured papers, canvas boards, and even wood panels. Blending with odourless mineral spirits creates wash effects. The finished work doesn't require fixative.
💰 Value
At £22.70, the value equation favours beginners and students.
🎯 Verdict
A low-risk way to explore pastels. Mungyo delivers beginner-friendly materials. Read our full review →
8. Paul Rubens Oil Pastels Set, 48 Colours Soft Pastels Non-Toxic Pastels...
This 48-piece set offers solid mid-range value with Paul Rubens's oil pastels. Designed for developing artists and serious hobbyists, it delivers rich, creamy application suitable for learning techniques and building skills.
✅ Pros
- Solid mid-range value at £22.39
- Good investment for developing oil pastel skills
- Ideal for bold, expressive mark-making
- Practical 48-colour range
❌ Cons
- Packaging adequate but not premium
- Some premium features missing at this price
- May bleed through thin papers
👁️ Quick Review Summary
⚡ Performance
The Paul Rubens 48-piece set delivers professional-level performance with colours that stay true and blend predictably.
🎨 Design
Paul Rubens has designed these oil pastels with usability in mind. The stick diameter suits most hand sizes and the packaging facilitates easy colour selection.
🔌 Compatibility
Compatible with traditional pastel papers and more experimental surfaces like primed wood. The oil binder provides flexibility in technique. No fixative required for finished work.
💰 Value
The £22.39 investment gets you a solid starter set.
🎯 Verdict
A sensible choice for artists new to pastels. Read our full review →
📋 What to Look For
- Pigment Quality: Look for pastels with high pigment concentration for vibrant, long-lasting colours.
- Lightfastness: Check the lightfastness rating if your work will be displayed or sold.
- Colour Range: Consider sets with a good range of colours for your subject matter.
- Blendability: Soft pastels blend more easily than hard pastels. Oil pastels blend differently.
- Value for Money: Consider cost per stick and overall quality balance.
About the Reviewer
Every Big Red Illustration review is written by illustrator and agent Jamie Conner, drawing on over 30 years of combined professional experience in traditional art, digital tools, and the wider creative industry.
I'm Jamie Conner, a UK-based illustrator and illustrator agent with a background in character-focused and expressive artwork. I review digital and traditional art products, offering clear, practical insights to help artists choose tools that suit their workflow.