Made with mineral oil, wax, and pigments, oil pastels might be described as having a waxy or crayon-like consistency. Considered more permanent than soft pastels or hard pastels, they also contain pigments that may be more intense, they are cleaner to use, and they won’t rub off as easily. Oil pastels also resist crumbling and don’t pose a health risk because they produce no pastel dust. However, they are more difficult to blend and never fully harden on your artwork, which also means the pastels will never dry out. Finished oil pastel artwork should be framed behind glass or sprayed with a fixative. Oil pastels should not be confused with oil-based colored pencils, which may contain a slight amount of oil to aid smoothness, increase durability, and prevent “wax bloom.” Nevada Fine Arts sells a variety of oil pastel sets that are artist-grade, student-grade, or intended for younger artists who are graduating from crayons to oil pastels.
