Oil Pastels For Layering
Professional recommendations from a Cheshire-based illustrator
🎨 Introduction
Oil pastels offer a unique, creamy texture perfect for bold, expressive artwork. Unlike soft pastels, they don't require fixative and create rich, painterly effects.
This guide covers the best oil pastels available, from budget-friendly options to professional-grade sets, evaluated for pigment quality, blendability, and value.
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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. Sennelier Oil Pastel Box Set 72 Assorted
This 72-piece set offers premium artist-grade materials with Sennelier's oil pastels. Designed for professional artists and serious collectors, it delivers rich, creamy application suitable for portraits, landscapes, and expressive work.
✅ Pros
- Top-tier Sennelier craftsmanship
- Exceptional lightfastness for archival work
- Buttery, creamy consistency for effortless blending
- Massive 72-colour range covers every need
❌ Cons
- High expectations come with high price
- Individual stick replacements expensive
- Cleanup requires solvents
👁️ Quick Review Summary
⚡ Performance
The Sennelier 72-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 72-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 £120.54, this 72-piece Sennelier set offers professional quality.
🎯 Verdict
The Sennelier 72-piece set exceeds expectations for its price category. A professional-grade option. Read our full review →
2. Sennelier Plein Air Oil Pastels Set 36 Landscape
This 36-piece set offers professional-level quality with Sennelier's oil pastels. Designed for experienced artists and professionals, it delivers rich, creamy application suitable for portraits, landscapes, and expressive work.
✅ Pros
- Gallery-ready results
- Heirloom-quality art supplies
- Colours remain workable for extended periods
- Versatile 36 colours for most subjects
❌ Cons
- May intimidate beginners
- Premium £76.55 price point
- Harder to achieve fine details
👁️ Quick Review Summary
⚡ Performance
Sennelier'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: £76.55 is justified by the professional-grade materials.
🎯 Verdict
A standout choice for artists seeking Sennelier quality. Highly recommended for professionals. Read our full review →
3. Mungyo Gallery Soft Oil Pastels Wood Box Set of 72
This 72-piece set offers professional-level quality with Mungyo's oil pastels. Designed for experienced artists and professionals, it delivers rich, creamy application suitable for portraits, landscapes, and expressive work.
✅ Pros
- Artist-grade quality justifies the £59.03 price
- Premium Mungyo quality for dedicated artists
- Ideal for bold, expressive mark-making
- Professional 72-colour palette for serious work
❌ Cons
- Overkill for casual sketching
- May be excessive for occasional use
- May bleed through thin papers
👁️ Quick Review Summary
⚡ Performance
The Mungyo 72-piece set delivers professional-level performance with colours that stay true and blend predictably.
🎨 Design
Mungyo 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 £59.03 investment gets you premium pastels for demanding applications.
🎯 Verdict
Recommended without reservation for artists at the professional level. Read our full review →
4. MUNGYO Gallery Professional Artists' Soft Oil Pastels Set of 72 Vibran...
This 72-piece set offers professional-level quality with Mungyo's oil pastels. Designed for experienced artists and professionals, it delivers rich, creamy application suitable for portraits, landscapes, and expressive work.
✅ Pros
- Serious upgrade from student materials
- Comparable to more expensive brands
- Rich, vibrant colours straight from the stick
- Complete 72-piece collection for any subject
❌ Cons
- Needs quality paper to show best results
- Requires proper storage to maintain quality
- 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 £57.99, the value equation appeals to serious practitioners.
🎯 Verdict
An investment that pays dividends. Mungyo delivers premium quality. Read our full review →
5. LIGHTWISH Professional Oil Pastels, 100 Vibrant Colors Plus 4 White, S...
This 100-piece set offers professional-level quality with LIGHTWISH's oil pastels. Designed for experienced artists and professionals, 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 100 colours eliminate mixing limitations
❌ Cons
- Individual replacements add up
- Significant investment for beginners
- Harder to achieve fine details
👁️ Quick Review Summary
⚡ Performance
LIGHTWISH'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: £55.99 is justified by the professional-grade materials.
🎯 Verdict
A standout choice for artists seeking LIGHTWISH quality. Highly recommended for professionals. Read our full review →
6. Pentel Arts Oil Pastels Class Pack Brilliant Fade Resistant Colours Lo...
This 36-piece set offers professional-level quality with Pentel's oil pastels. Designed for experienced artists and professionals, it delivers rich, creamy application suitable for portraits, landscapes, and expressive work.
✅ Pros
- Investment-worthy for regular pastel work
- Trusted by art schools and studios
- Works on multiple surfaces including canvas
- Practical 36-colour range
❌ Cons
- May be excessive for occasional use
- Overkill for casual sketching
- Slower to layer than soft pastels
👁️ Quick Review Summary
⚡ Performance
The 36-colour Pentel oil pastels perform admirably, with colours that blend seamlessly. The buttery application makes them a pleasure to work with.
🎨 Design
The Pentel oil pastels feature a standard stick size that's easy to grip. Packaging keeps sticks organised and protected.
🔌 Compatibility
Works excellently on Canson Mi-Teintes, Ingres paper, and sanded surfaces. The oil binder allows for sgraffito techniques. No fixative needed, but protect finished work from dust.
💰 Value
Priced at £47.99, Pentel delivers appropriate quality for the investment. Artists at this level will find the value proposition compelling.
🎯 Verdict
A respectable option that hobbyists appreciate. Read our full review →
7. Paul Rubens Oil Pastels, 72 Colors HaiYa Artist Soft Oil Pastels Vibra...
This 72-piece set offers professional-level quality with Paul Rubens's oil pastels. Designed for experienced artists and professionals, it delivers rich, creamy application suitable for portraits, landscapes, and expressive work.
✅ Pros
- Premium Paul Rubens quality for dedicated artists
- Professional 72-piece collection
- No fixative needed - colours stay put
- Extensive 72 colours eliminate mixing limitations
❌ Cons
- Significant investment for beginners
- Individual replacements add up
- Can feel greasy to some artists
👁️ Quick Review Summary
⚡ Performance
With Paul Rubens'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 £44.99, this represents solid value for the quality delivered. The cost per stick is competitive within its category.
🎯 Verdict
For artists seeking quality, this Paul Rubens set deserves consideration. Read our full review →
8. Sennelier Oil Pastel Still Life Set Of 24
This 24-piece set offers professional-level quality with Sennelier's oil pastels. Designed for experienced artists and professionals, it delivers rich, creamy application suitable for portraits, landscapes, and expressive work.
✅ Pros
- Comparable to more expensive brands
- Artist-grade quality justifies the £44.94 price
- Painterly effects achievable with solvents
- Well-balanced 24-colour selection
❌ Cons
- Premium features come at a cost
- Learning curve to maximise potential
- Can smudge if not handled carefully
👁️ Quick Review Summary
⚡ Performance
Expect smooth, consistent application from these Sennelier oil pastels. The pigment-to-binder ratio delivers rich colour payoff with minimal effort.
🎨 Design
Each stick is wrapped to keep hands clean during use. The 24-piece set comes in a sturdy storage box.
🔌 Compatibility
These oil pastels adhere well to textured surfaces and can be used over acrylic grounds. Blending tools include fingers, cloth, and paper stumps. Compatible with oil painting mediums.
💰 Value
The £44.94 price point positions this set competitively against similar offerings. Quality matches expectations for this tier.
🎯 Verdict
The Sennelier pastels compete well in their category. Good value overall. 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.