Pastel Pencils

December 23, 2008 4:43 PM

Can you recommend a kind of soft pastel pencils?

I'm looking for a good (yet somewhat affordable) brand of pastel pencils. I mostly use soft pastels because I really like the consistency of them and it would be important that these pencils have the same smoothness. I just need something that I can get small details with that the sticks aren't able to get.

posted by RubyDoom to media & arts (6 answers total)

You can buy Conte crayons in pencil form.
posted by fire&wings at 5:18 PM on December 23, 2008

I like Prismacolor but they are more of a colored pencil. But they do rock.
posted by St. Alia of the Bunnies at 5:27 PM on December 23, 2008

Faber-Castell makes pastel pencils. As does Derwent, among others. I can't speak to the quality of either, though. I suspect they will do just fine, though.
posted by Thorzdad at 5:28 PM on December 23, 2008

I've tried most kinds and the ones I like best are the Stabilo CarbOthello pencils. They are smoother than the other brands; definitely better than the Faber-Castell Pitt pencils.
posted by TochterAusElysium at 5:47 PM on December 23, 2008

I have used the Stabilo Carbothello's for the exact purpose you described with very satisfactory results.
posted by supermedusa at 6:45 PM on December 23, 2008

For some fine work with pastels, you can use an erasing shield or make one to suit out of paper.
posted by hexatron at 8:30 PM on December 23, 2008