Sennelier Oil Pastels: What Artists Need To Know

Sennelier Oil Pastels
Sennelier Oil Pastels

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What Makes Sennelier Oil Pastels So Unique?

Before you buy your next set of oil pastels, please read everything in this article.

If you want to truly explore and discover all that the medium has to offer, in my opinion you need to at least try Sennelier oil pastels.

When it comes to exploring oil pastels, Sennelier is a brand that consistently offers all the positive qualities of the medium. They come in a variety of sets ranging from a 12-count box to a full collection of 120 colors, so there are options for artists of all skill levels.

Oil pastels sticks
Sticks of Sennelier oil pastels

Why Choose Sennelier, compared to other Oil pastels?

Sennelier makes the ideal oil pastel. As an oil pastels artist, I have been using Sennelier oil pastels almost ever since I discovered them. But what makes them so special and so unique?

The following is a list of reasons to use Sennelier Oil Pastels:

  • Creamy and soft texture: Unlike the cheaper oil pastels that feel more like hard wax crayons, Sennelier oil pastels are so smooth and buttery, ensuring ease of application and blending.
  • Effortless glide: The soft texture of Sennelier allows them to glide easily across various surfaces, which contributes to making your creative process enjoyable and hassle-free.
  • Excellent blendability: Sennelier oil pastels are perfect for blending and layering, allowing you to achieve a range of artistic effects and styles.
  • Vibrant colors: These oil pastels have amazing, vibrant, lustrous colors. My own oil pastels art always grabs attention and makes a lasting impression.
  • Rich pigment content: Sennelier doesn’t cut corners when it comes to making their oil pastels. They have a high concentration of pigment, resulting in exceptional saturation and intensity.
Oil Pastels Painting
Oil Pastels Painting, using Sennelier Oil Pastels

The Only Downside of Sennelier

The only drawback to Sennelier would be the expense of them. Sennelier oil pastels are consistently one of the more expensive brands available today.

If you want to use them, you’ll have to pay extra. But that is true of any artist-quality medium, whether that is in painting or drawing or using other mediums like soft pastels.

The thing is, you get what you pay for. In my opinion, the extra cost of Sennelier’s oil pastels is worth it. The rich pigmentation and superior performance of these oil pastels really makes them worth the investment.

Sennlier Oil Pastels Starter Set

A good choice I recommend considering for those beginning their oil pastels journey is this six piece set from Sennelier.

Sennelier oil pastels six piece set
Sennelier oil pastels six piece set

With this set you get red, blue, green and yellow plus a black and white in Sennelier oil pastels. It’s a great way to try Senneliers first to see how they compare to others.

Other set of Senneliers can be found here. You can get individual sticks of them, or various sets including a full 120 count box set

Why Sennelier Oil Pastels vs Lesser Quality Brands

Lesser quality brands of oil pastels don’t provide the same pigment in the medium, and so you aren’t going to get the same quality artwork as a result. Drawings with Sennelier are typically more vibrant and have more brilliant colors – which last longer too.

I’m not saying that other brands should be avoided, and I’m also not saying that it isn’t possible to create great artwork with a lesser quality medium.

At the end of the day, it’s not about the brand or the quality – it’s about you the artist!

But if you’re looking for rich, vibrant colors, and want an oil pastels medium that is soft and easy to blend, my recommendation is with Sennelier.

Which Oil Pastels Are the Best?

There really is no “best” oil pastels. Ultimately, when you select an oil pastel brand it depends on individual preferences and your own artistic goals.

For artists seeking outstanding quality, brilliant colors, and improved ease of use over others, the top choice for me is Sennelier Oil Pastels.

For further brand comparison, I do have an article on Oil Pastels Brand Comparison.

Also read my Oil Pastels Beginners Guide.


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