SENNELIERSoft Pastels Half Stick Set 120/Pkg-Paris, Paris

I've been an amateur pastel painter for about 10 years, using primarily Nupastel and Rembrandt, and a few sticks of Unison, Great American, and Terry Ludwig - so I feel that I can compare these Sennelier half sticks with other popular brands. I wanted some softer, more highly pigmented sticks and these satisfy that desire. These are highly pigmented pastel sticks of about the same softness as my Unison sticks - which is to say, much softer and "better" than my Rembrandts, not quite as soft as my Great Americans. Softness varies from stick to stick, as it does with all sets, but all the sticks I've used will lay down densely pigmented color smoothly, yet they can also lay down relatively fine lines. ==> They are not "crumbly" at all !<== There's a wide range of colors, with excellent selection of colors for general pastel work. The value of this set (for general use) is probably unsurpassed among high-end pastel sets. The set took a couple of weeks to arrive, but the sticks were all intact. Sticks vary significantly in softness, as they do in all sets. Many sticks are very slightly curved, so before trying to lay down a wide swath of color, it's a good idea to test the stick, and use the convex side of the curve. They will soon wear down to a "straight" shape if that's what is wanted. So far I can't think of a single negative of these. I'll update this review after I've used them for a longer time period. UPDATE AFTER ABOUT A MONTH of use - I wouldn't change a thing in the above review. If you can use very soft pastels (for a long time, I was too heavy handed), these are the best 120 half stick set out there - no doubt about it. (I have another set of 120 half sticks from a different manufacturer. They're also excellent but the color selection isn't as good as the Senneliers.)

I loved this product the moment I saw it online, but it was nothing to actually having it in my hands. The pastels are half sticks but they are still quite large so they are plenty big enough. (I placed a pencil in the photos for comparison). They also have some weight to them which is quite nice. They are very soft so they go on so smoothly to whatever surface you choose to use. I did the swatching on canson mi tientes paper which didn't work too well for my cheap, harder pastels but it worked beautifully for the sennelier ones. I haven't done a painting on that paper but I have a suspicion it wouldn't layer very well. swatching works great though. I was surprised to see that, even with them being as soft as they are, they don't crumble to pieces when using them. They probably would if you used to much pressure but if you don't push too hard they're totally fine. The color range is gorgeous and can be used to paint pretty much anything you desire and more. The color payout is insane, they're so bright they almost glow. Some of them are softer than others but that's to be expected because of the different pigments used to make each color. I have zero complaints for these and I think they are a great purchase for anyone interested in pastels no matter the skill level. I did a lot of research to find a nice set and this was by far the cheapest I could find with the best color range. Nothing else even came close to the quality compared with the price and amount in the set. I almost feel like it's stealing to get this set at this price. I would highly recommend these to anyone!

Very fragile. Package should have been better protected. Pastels are awesome…

This 120 ct Paris set, has a high quality to the product. Not all of the colors have the same softness. I have had about six crumble with the slightest of pressure, while I was swatching colors. I am a beginner and have tried the Mungyo Inspiration set that many have started with, as well. Mungyo is a solid beginner’s set, but this is a higher quality product. Learning to layer pastels is the challenge and having incredibly soft pastels as well as hard is important. Instead of this set, I would recommend the Mungyo and Rembrandt for medium hardness. I don’t regret buying this set, it really gave me a lot of neutrals that I needed. After buying these don’t buy a higher quality product until you learn how to use them better.

Initially had delivery issues but was pleasantly surprised it was delivered before the deadline date of January. The selection of colors are great the packaging comes with a swatch sheet which can be good, however it is hard to lay colors on paper since it is not fit for pastels the pastel sticks are soft and depending on each stick very soft/crumbly pic exp so I had did swatched on mixed media paper prepared with clear gesso and the colors adhere to paper better but still have excess dust and crumbs. I feel this would be a issue in ease of use unlike Unison pastels so would be good as a final layer, love how vibrant and alive the colors appear on tone paper the colors blend well there are some sticks that have a scratchy feel to it if that is the case would need to removed layer, overall I am glad I bought this.

Soft and buttery, lays down pigment so well!Of course the price is way over the top. You can get similar results for half the price. Unless you’re a professional artist who sells their art for money, it’s not worth the overpricing. If you’re an amateur who just loves to create and money is not a concern? Buy these, you will love them.

Discovered this brand at a local art store, tried them out and FELL IN LOVE. The texture, pigment, color saturation, ease of use, professional quality, (on and on…and on I could go) is hands-down THE BEST IN THE WORLD. The Sennelier brand is FABULOUS. Purchased the full 120 set of half-sticks (which you want anyway) and the set arrived in perfect condition (nothing broken), beautifully packaged in its wrapping. Opening the box was such a treat - the colors are GORGEOUS. They give you a lovely variety of neutrals, browns/ochre-yellow, greens, blues, reds, and oranges…and everything in between. It’s a dream set. HIGHLY RECOMMEND to any artist who loves working in this medium (or who wants to try to branch out and try the magical world of pastels)…!