Comments about Pentel Oil Pastels:

My mother and I both wanted to get into pastels. The prices of some sets are insanely high. Not so with these. The color is vibrant and it smooths easily into blends. I would suggest this product for any beginning pastel artist.

Comments about Pentel Oil Pastels:

These are not close to the quality of the top notch expensive artist grades, but these are one of the best cheap oil pastels you can use. It's a real bargain. I've had them for quit some time now. I achieve some pretty neat results with these (especially during a warmer climate of course). I love the fact that there are plenty of colrs to choose from, and they blend pretty well. They don't blend like Sennelier, but it's good enough, and as some others said, they are good for the sketchbook. As for fade reisitance, someone else has done a lightfast testing on them. No, the entire set is not lightfast, but it's still perfect for the sketchbook, drafts, and so fourth. You can still make beautiful works. It's probably just not something you would use to sell final works that last long, unless you tell the client and they do not mind at all and can keep the works in a dim lit room.

Comments about Pentel Oil Pastels:

These are great for their price. They blend easily and have good color choices. They are a solid scholar grade pastel.

Comments about Pentel Oil Pastels:

Even though Pentel Oil Pastels are listed as student grade oil pastel I have found them perfect for plein air sketching. I have not tested them to see if they are truly long lasting and fade resistant but since they will most likely stay in my sketch book or in a portfolio I am not too concerned.I find that for the price Dick Blick sells Pentel Oil Pastels one or two sets of either 36 or 50 colors will present enough colors for outdoor sketching. Dick Blick is the only art supply store that I have found that offers both the 50 color set and the classroom pack that features 12 popular colors in abundance. If I should misplace an oil pastel outdoors the monetary loss is not that much. Pentel Oil Pastels are easy to handle, work well with watercolor, watercolor pencils,colored pencils and Faber Castell Pitt Brush Pens . This makes them a very versatile addition to my artistic tool box.

Comments about Pentel Oil Pastels:

These were the first oil pastels I used, probably about 20 years ago. The low price and large range of colors made them an attractive way to plunge into the wonderful world of oil pastel painting. I have since moved on to the more "grown-up" artist grade brands, but my old paintings with Pentels still look pretty good. If you are interested in experimenting with oil pastels, and aren't ready for the more expensive brands yet, these can be a good way to get started.

Comments about Pentel Oil Pastels:

Excellent colours & consistency. I teach a lot of children both in schools and in my studio. I have created a plethora of projects around this product. My only frustration is the lack of availability to replace much used colours. Running out of one colour calls for a whole new box. [...] P.S. I learned to spell 'colour' when a little girl, from my first paint box so I ignore the spell check.

Comments about Pentel Oil Pastels:

The Pentel Oil Pastels are great & easy to use for my art project.

Comments about Pentel Oil Pastels:

I have a BA in art/art history from a State Univ. in NY and I teach art for kids. I like the pentel oil pastels for them. There is a good range of colors in the 16 and 25 color sets. They last all year long. And for [$] you can't beat the price. Sargent and Cray Pas are fine too but I like the colored paper around Pentel's oils, as an artist you can view all the colors and make your choice easily. I am just curious to see where they are made... I hope it is in the USA not China!