Rembrandt Soft Pastel Sets - 15 or 30 Shades

Handcrafted in the Netherlands by Royal Talens, Rembrandt soft pastels are one of the historical references for dry pastels. Their uniqueness lies in their composition: extra-fine, high-quality pigments bound with pure kaolin, rather than cheap fillers.

What kaolin changes: This base gives the stick a perfectly homogeneous consistency: the color transfers in one smooth motion, without scratching, clumping, or crumbing. You don’t lose half the pastel to dust on the floor, and the deposit remains even across the surface. On textured paper, this velvety texture grips the grain and provides the deep material characteristic of quality pastels.

Advantages of half pastels: The half-length format is the preferred size for pastel artists. It allows for natural side working to cover large areas, is less prone to breaking, and most importantly, it provides twice as many shades for the same budget, which is crucial in a medium where colors are not mixed on a palette, but where the right shade is chosen directly.

Contents of the sets:

• 15 Half Pastels Set: 100.5 White, 205.8 Light Lemon Yellow, 201.5 Light Yellow, 236.5 Light Orange, 372.5 Permanent Red, 227.5 Yellow Ochre, 411.5 Burnt Sienna, 409.5 Burnt Umber, 633.5 Permanent Yellow Green, 627.5 Dark Green Cinabre, 620.7 Light Olive Green, 570.7 Light Phthalo Blue, 506.5 Dark Ultramarine Blue, 548.5 Blue Violet, 700.5 Black.
• 30 Half Pastels Set: Includes the 15 shades above and adds: 205.5 Lemon Yellow, 202.5 Dark Yellow, 235.9 Very Light Orange, 339.7 Light English Red, 331.5 Dark Madder Lake, 545.5 Red Violet, 619.5 Dark Permanent Green, 626.7 Light Green Cinabre, 620.3 Dark Olive Green, 640.7 Light Blue Green, 506.7 Light Dark Ultramarine Blue, 508.7 Light Prussian Blue, 408.7 Light Natural Umber, 704.8 Light Gray, 709.7 Light Green Gray.

Rembrandt pastels are formulated without heavy metal-based pigments. This is an important point for a medium that is worked with fingers and generates dust, and a decisive criterion in workshops, classrooms, or leisure centers.

What is the difference between soft pastel and hard pastel? Soft pastel contains more pigments and less binder: it deposits a lot of material, blends very easily, and provides intense colors. Hard pastel, firmer, is more suited for lines and details. Both complement each other.

Should a pastel drawing be fixed? Yes, to protect it from rubbing, with a pastel fixative, in very thin layers at about 30 cm. Note: the fixative slightly darkens the shades.