Best Oil Pastels for Beginners
A simple guide to choosing your first oil pastels
Oil pastels are one of the most expressive and enjoyable mediums to begin with. They encourage bold marks, playful experimentation and a relaxed approach to layering and blending. But like any medium, the experience you have depends a great deal on the quality and feel of the pastels you start with. Some are firm and waxy, others soft and buttery, and each brand behaves slightly differently on the page. The moment you start looking at brands, you’ll notice a huge difference in softness, pigment, and price. Some are buttery and rich, others are firm and chalky, and the wrong choice can make the medium feel frustrating.
This guide keeps things straightforward. It focuses on the oil pastel ranges that beginners genuinely enjoy using, and explains how they differ so you can choose a set that suits your way of working.
This guide keeps things straightforward. It focuses on the oil pastel ranges that beginners genuinely enjoy using, and explains how they differ so you can choose a set that suits your way of working.
Red Hibiscus created with student-grade Mungyo Gallery pastels - Pink Flamingo created with Gallery and artist grade pastels, Sennelier and Neopastels
Oil Pastels vs Soft Pastels
Oil pastels and soft pastels may look similar at first glance, but they behave very differently. Oil pastels contain a non‑drying oil and wax binder, which gives them a creamy, paint‑like feel. They layer well, stay workable on the surface, and never produce dust. Soft pastels are made with a dry, chalk‑based binder, so they feel powdery, blend easily with fingers or sponges, and create a lot of dust as you work.
Because of these differences, techniques that work beautifully with one medium often don’t translate to the other. Oil pastels suit slow, layered building and painterly blending, while soft pastels rely on gentle pressure, surface tooth and careful handling of the dust. It’s worth keeping the two clearly separate in your mind, as they are not interchangeable and will give very different results on the same paper. Soft pastels and oil pastels shouldn’t be used together, as neither medium will properly adhere to the other and the results are unreliable.
Because of these differences, techniques that work beautifully with one medium often don’t translate to the other. Oil pastels suit slow, layered building and painterly blending, while soft pastels rely on gentle pressure, surface tooth and careful handling of the dust. It’s worth keeping the two clearly separate in your mind, as they are not interchangeable and will give very different results on the same paper. Soft pastels and oil pastels shouldn’t be used together, as neither medium will properly adhere to the other and the results are unreliable.
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What Makes a Good Beginner Oil Pastel?
For beginners, the ideal oil pastel has a balance of firmness and blendability. Very soft, buttery pastels can feel luxurious, but they’re harder to control when you’re still learning. Very firm, waxy pastels hold an edge well but can feel scratchy and resist blending. A good beginner set sits somewhere in the middle: soft enough to layer and blend, firm enough to stay tidy and predictable.
You also want colours that mix well, sharpen cleanly at the edges, and don’t crumble under pressure. The four sets below are consistently recommended because they offer that balance, reliable, forgiving, and enjoyable to use right from the start.
You also want colours that mix well, sharpen cleanly at the edges, and don’t crumble under pressure. The four sets below are consistently recommended because they offer that balance, reliable, forgiving, and enjoyable to use right from the start.
1 Mungyo Gallery Oil Pastels
Mungyo Gallery oil pastels offer a smooth, consistent laydown with a softness that feels expressive without becoming unruly. They blend easily, layer cleanly and produce rich, even colour, which makes them a pleasure to use right from the start. The sticks are softer than Pentel and Sakura Expressionist, but they’re still far more controlled than ultra‑soft ranges like Paul Rubens 'Haiya'. This makes them an excellent introduction to artist‑grade pastels: refined enough to give you beautiful results, yet firm enough that beginners won’t feel overwhelmed. If you want a pastel that feels more luxurious while still being easy to handle, Mungyo Gallery is a very approachable step into higher‑quality materials, at an affordable price.
You can read a comprehensive article about these oil pastels here.
Mungyo Gallery oil pastels offer a smooth, consistent laydown with a softness that feels expressive without becoming unruly. They blend easily, layer cleanly and produce rich, even colour, which makes them a pleasure to use right from the start. The sticks are softer than Pentel and Sakura Expressionist, but they’re still far more controlled than ultra‑soft ranges like Paul Rubens 'Haiya'. This makes them an excellent introduction to artist‑grade pastels: refined enough to give you beautiful results, yet firm enough that beginners won’t feel overwhelmed. If you want a pastel that feels more luxurious while still being easy to handle, Mungyo Gallery is a very approachable step into higher‑quality materials, at an affordable price.
You can read a comprehensive article about these oil pastels here.
2. Sakura Cray Pas Expressionist
Sakura’s Expressionist range has a smoother, creamier feel than Pentel, with richer colour and a more expressive glide across the surface. They blend more easily and feel more “adult” than basic student sets, yet they still retain enough firmness to stay manageable. They’re a lovely choice if you want something that feels more painterly without jumping into the softness of professional pastels. Compared with the others, Expressionist sits comfortably in the mid‑soft range, softer than Pentel, firmer than Van Gogh, and slightly more controlled than Mungyo.
Sakura’s Expressionist range has a smoother, creamier feel than Pentel, with richer colour and a more expressive glide across the surface. They blend more easily and feel more “adult” than basic student sets, yet they still retain enough firmness to stay manageable. They’re a lovely choice if you want something that feels more painterly without jumping into the softness of professional pastels. Compared with the others, Expressionist sits comfortably in the mid‑soft range, softer than Pentel, firmer than Van Gogh, and slightly more controlled than Mungyo.
3. Pentel Oil Pastels
Pentel’s oil pastels are a classic beginner choice because they offer a firm, tidy feel that gives you a real sense of control. They hold an edge well, which makes them ideal for learning pressure control, layering and simple blending without everything turning slippery. The colours are bright, the sticks are durable, and they behave predictably on the page, exactly what you want when you’re getting used to the medium. Compared with the other sets here, Pentel is the firmest and most controlled, making it the easiest starting point for absolute beginners, it's also the most budget-friendly option.
Pentel’s oil pastels are a classic beginner choice because they offer a firm, tidy feel that gives you a real sense of control. They hold an edge well, which makes them ideal for learning pressure control, layering and simple blending without everything turning slippery. The colours are bright, the sticks are durable, and they behave predictably on the page, exactly what you want when you’re getting used to the medium. Compared with the other sets here, Pentel is the firmest and most controlled, making it the easiest starting point for absolute beginners, it's also the most budget-friendly option.
4. Royal Talens Van Gogh Oil Pastels
Van Gogh oil pastels have a refined, silky feel that produces rich colour and smooth transitions with very little effort. They’re soft enough to blend beautifully but still firm enough to stay controlled, which makes them a great option for beginners who want a more luxurious feel without the unpredictability of ultra‑soft pastels. Compared with the others, Van Gogh is the softest in this group, offering the richest colour and smoothest blending while remaining far more beginner‑friendly than professional ranges like Neopastel.
Van Gogh oil pastels have a refined, silky feel that produces rich colour and smooth transitions with very little effort. They’re soft enough to blend beautifully but still firm enough to stay controlled, which makes them a great option for beginners who want a more luxurious feel without the unpredictability of ultra‑soft pastels. Compared with the others, Van Gogh is the softest in this group, offering the richest colour and smoothest blending while remaining far more beginner‑friendly than professional ranges like Neopastel.
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Why These Four Are Best for Beginners
These student‑grade sets share the qualities that matter most when you’re learning:
They let beginners focus on techniques; layering, blending and mark‑making, rather than fighting the material.
- A firmer, more controlled feel This prevents the “slippery” behaviour that overwhelms beginners.
- Affordable enough to experiment freely You can practise layering, blending and pressure control without worrying about cost.
- Vibrant colours without excessive softness They give you good results without the messiness of professional ranges.
- Durable sticks that don’t crumble Essential when you’re still learning how much pressure to use.
They let beginners focus on techniques; layering, blending and mark‑making, rather than fighting the material.
Final Thoughts
Starting with oil pastels can feel a little unfamiliar at first, especially if you’re used to pencils or paints, but they’re a wonderfully forgiving medium once you settle in. The key is to give yourself time to explore how they move, blend and layer. Work slowly, keep your pressure light, and let the colours build gradually rather than trying to force everything into place at once. Oil pastels reward curiosity, the more you experiment with strokes, layering and simple colour mixing, the more natural they begin to feel. There’s no right or wrong way to begin; just start making marks and allow the medium to show you what it can do.
