10 Best Pastel Sets for Mixed Media in 2026: Top Picks for Layering and Blending

The best pastel sets for mixed media make it easier to combine bold color, soft blending, and experimental textures across paper, canvas, and other surfaces. This roundup includes focused pastel collections as well as broader art kits with complementary tools.

Whether you prefer the clean application of pan pastels, the creamy resistance of oil pastels, or water-soluble effects, these options cover different techniques, budgets, and experience levels.

Best 10 Pastel Sets for Mixed Media Picks for 2026

Professional Pan Format – Donna Downey PanPastel Set

For artists seeking pastel sets for mixed media, this seven-color PanPastel collection offers a paint-like approach in a compact pan format. The Donna Downey-selected palette includes application tools for blending, layering, and creating smooth gradations with less dust than traditional loose pastels.

Best For: Mixed-media artists who want highly pigmented, blendable pastels with a curated color palette and included tools.

Pros:

• Includes seven selected colors, a palette tray, and Sofft application tools.
• Pan format supports even application and mixing dry color like paint.
• Features excellent lightfastness, high pigmentation, and low dust.

Cons:

• Provides seven colors, fewer than larger traditional pastel sets.
• Designed for adult artists rather than a general-purpose beginner kit.

This is a focused, tool-inclusive option for creators who value controlled application and clean blending. Its curated palette makes it especially suitable for mixed-media projects rather than broad color exploration.

Vibrant Color Range – MUNGYO 64-Color Soft Pastels

Among pastel sets for mixed media, this MUNGYO collection stands out for its 64-color range and square soft-pastel shape. The blendable sticks support techniques such as gradation, dry-wash, shading, and color mixing for artists at home or school.

Best For: Students and artists who want a broad, compact selection of non-toxic soft pastels for blending and shading.

Pros:

• Offers 64 rich and vibrant colors for varied artwork.
• Square sticks are easy to handle and apply.
• Supports blending, gradation, and dry-wash techniques.
• Non-toxic and AP-marked according to the supplied notes.

Cons:

• Soft pastel is not water resistant.
• The set does not include additional mixed-media tools or paints.

Choose this set when color variety and traditional soft-pastel techniques matter most. Its compact box and square form make it practical for practice, school projects, and exploratory mixed-media work.

Bold Oil Color – Pentel 50-Color Oil Pastels

These Pentel oil pastels are a practical choice for pastel sets for mixed media when you want smooth application, easy blending, and vivid color. The 50-color collection is designed for use on paper, canvas, and artboard, with an acid-free formulation suited to longer-lasting drawings.

Best For: Adults, teens, and children looking for vibrant oil pastels for drawing, shading, and color mixing.

Pros:

• Provides 50 colors for broad drawing and blending options.
• Applies smoothly and blends easily for shading and color mixing.
• Works on paper, canvas, and artboard.
• Acid-free and resistant to humidity-related effects.

Cons:

• Does not include brushes, tools, or other mixed-media materials.
• Oil pastel is a less suitable choice when a dry, chalk-like pastel texture is preferred.

This set is best treated as a dedicated oil-pastel collection rather than a complete mixed-media kit. Its generous color count and smooth, vibrant medium make it useful for expressive drawings and blended artwork.

All-in-One Studio Kit – COLOUR BLOCK 151-Piece Set

For shoppers comparing pastel sets for mixed media, this COLOUR BLOCK kit offers soft pastels alongside paints, pencils, charcoal, brushes, and paper. The 151-piece assortment arrives in an aluminum case with organized trays, making it a flexible starting point for experimenting across multiple media.

Best For: Beginners, families, students, and traveling artists who want a broad, portable art-supply collection.

Pros:

• Includes 24 color-tone soft pastels and seven grey-tone soft pastels.
• Combines pastels with colored pencils, watercolor pencils, acrylics, watercolors, charcoal, and sketching pencils.
• Includes brushes, paper, palette, sharpener, and a color wheel guide.
• Aluminum case and attached trays help keep supplies organized for travel.

Cons:

• The pastel selection is smaller than a dedicated 64-color pastel set.
• A large assortment may be more than needed for shoppers seeking only pastels.
• The supplied notes identify it as a broad starter kit rather than a specialized pastel system.

This is the strongest choice for variety and convenience, especially when one purchase needs to cover drawing and painting activities. Choose it over a standalone pastel set if portability and experimenting with several media are priorities.

Vibrant Oil Pastel Pick – 48-Color Artecho Oil Pastel Set

For artists seeking pastel sets for mixed media, the Artecho 48-color oil pastel set offers a compact selection of vibrant, richly pigmented sticks. Its soft, buttery texture supports blending, layering, shading, scratching, stenciling, impasto, and dotting on creative projects.

Best For: Beginners, students, family craft sessions, and artists who want portable oil pastels for drawing, coloring, and painting.

Pros:

• Includes 48 vibrant colors for mixing and varied artwork.
• Soft texture blends and layers smoothly.
• Individual paper sleeves help protect each 70 mm stick.
• Non-toxic and suitable for artists of different skill levels.

Cons:

• Provides oil pastels only, rather than a range of mixed-media mediums.
• The 48-color selection is smaller than larger professional assortments.

This is a practical choice when you want an affordable, easy-to-carry oil pastel foundation for mixed-media work without purchasing a large multi-medium kit.

Complete Mixed-Media Kit – COLOUR BLOCK 181-Piece Art Set

Among pastel sets for mixed media, this COLOUR BLOCK kit is the broadest all-in-one option, combining 12 art mediums, 11 tools, and watercolor paper. It gives artists room to layer and experiment with watercolor, acrylic, pencils, oil pastels, soft pastels, charcoal, and graphite.

Best For: Beginners, hobbyists, adults, and artists who want a versatile drawing, sketching, painting, and mixed-media supply collection in one portable wooden case.

Pros:

• Includes 181 pieces across numerous mediums and tools.
• Offers oil pastels and soft pastels alongside paints, pencils, charcoal, and graphite.
• Wooden case keeps supplies organized for home, studio, or travel use.
• Includes 10 watercolor paper sheets plus blending and drawing accessories.

Cons:

• The large assortment may be more than artists seeking only pastels need.
• The case and full collection are less compact than a single-medium set.
• No manufacturer warranty is listed.

Choose this set when versatility matters most. It is designed for exploration across multiple techniques, making it a useful starting point for building a mixed-media practice.

Rich Chalk Pastel Selection – COLOUR BLOCK 80-Color Soft Pastel Set

For pastel sets for mixed media that prioritize color range, this COLOUR BLOCK collection provides 80 vivid soft chalk pastels. The blendable sticks work well for landscapes, portraits, expressive art, shading, and layered marks on textured paper.

Best For: Beginners, hobbyists, young creators, and experienced artists who want a broad soft pastel palette for drawing, sketching, and painting.

Pros:

• Offers 80 colors for direct use or color mixing.
• Soft pastels blend, shade, and layer smoothly.
• Square sticks provide broad side strokes and sharper corner marks.
• Rigid box, foam trays, and individual wrapping help with storage and protection.

Cons:

• Focuses on soft chalk pastels rather than a variety of art mediums.
• Pastel work is best suited to textured paper, which is not included.
• The larger color set may be less convenient than a compact travel palette.

This set is a strong fit for artists who value color variety and expressive pastel handling. Its protective case also makes it practical for classes or plein air sessions.

Best with Extra Features – 175-Piece Mixed Media Set

For shoppers seeking pastel sets for mixed media, the KINGART Ultimate Series offers a broad studio-style collection rather than pastels alone. It combines 24 oil pastels with watercolor cakes, metallic watercolors, colored and watercolor pencils, acrylic paints, brushes, palettes, tools, and paper.

Best For: Artists, teens, and adults who want one comprehensive kit for experimenting with multiple wet and dry media.

Pros:

• Includes 175 pieces spanning oil pastel, watercolor, acrylic, pencil, charcoal, and drawing supplies.
• Provides both mixed media paper and drawing paper so you can begin creating immediately.
• Includes practical accessories such as brushes, palette knives, palettes, erasers, and a sharpener.

Cons:

• The set has fewer oil pastels than a dedicated oil pastel collection.
• Its large assortment may be more than needed if you only use one medium.

This is the most versatile choice of the three, especially for mixed-media projects and artists who want to explore several techniques in one purchase. Choose it over a focused pastel kit when variety and included surfaces matter most.

Best Water-Activated Option – 36-Color Water-Soluble Pastel Crayons

Among pastel sets for mixed media, this water-soluble crayon kit stands out for its flexible application. Use the colors dry for textured pastel marks, or add water with the included brush to create softer washes, gradients, and layered effects.

Best For: Beginners, students, journalers, and hobby artists who want a compact set for drawing, illustration, cards, and mixed-media washes.

Pros:

• Supports both dry pastel-style coloring and water-activated watercolor effects.
• Includes a brush and mixing palette for blending and creating lighter tones.
• Suitable for sketching, journaling, florals, landscapes, and everyday creative projects.

Cons:

• It is a pastel crayon kit, not a conventional oil pastel set.
• The supplied notes describe 25 pastel crayon colors even though the title lists 36 colors, so verify the package contents before buying.

This is a practical pick when you want water-soluble versatility without assembling separate pastel and watercolor supplies. Its included brush and palette make it particularly approachable for beginners.

Best Dedicated Oil Pastel Set – 65-Piece Soft Oil Pastel Kit

For buyers comparing pastel sets for mixed media but mainly wanting oil pastel performance, the WINSONS kit offers 48 soft colors plus four extra white pastels. Its smooth, blendable formulation is suited to layering, shading, bold coverage, and scratch-art effects.

Best For: Beginners, students, and artists who want a dedicated oil pastel set with basic tools and paper included.

Pros:

• Provides 48 colors plus four additional white pastels for blending and highlights.
• Includes a holder, scraper, sharpener, and 10 sheets of oil pastel paper.
• Pastels are described as smooth, blendable, non-toxic, low-odor, and lightfast.

Cons:

• It focuses on oil pastels rather than offering watercolor, acrylic, or pencil media.
• The included paper is limited to 10 sheets.

This is the strongest focused option for traditional oil pastel work. Pick it when smooth blending, color range, and dedicated accessories are more important than having several different media in one box.

How We Picked the Best Pastel Sets for Mixed Media

We compared these sets by looking at color range, pastel format, blendability, included accessories, portability, and suitability for layering with other media. We also considered whether each kit is best viewed as a dedicated pastel collection or as a broader mixed-media starter set.

Dedicated sets can provide more consistent performance and useful color selection, while larger kits may offer better versatility through pencils, paints, brushes, palettes, and specialty tools. Product descriptions and stated contents were used to identify the intended use and practical strengths of each option.

Quick Comparison

Set type	Best for	What to consider
Pan pastels	Layering and controlled application	Usually smaller color ranges and may require tools
Soft pastels	Blending and expressive marks	Can create dust and require suitable paper
Oil pastels	Bold, opaque color	Less suited to dry-pastel techniques
Water-soluble crayons	Watercolor-style effects	Need water and a compatible surface
Mixed-media kits	Experimenting with multiple techniques	Individual components may be less specialized

Key Buying Factors for Pastel Sets for Mixed Media

Choose the Right Pastel Format

Soft pastels are dry, blendable, and effective for atmospheric backgrounds and layered marks. Oil pastels produce dense, smooth color and work well for bold illustrations. Pan pastels offer thin, controllable layers that are especially useful when combining pastel with pencil, ink, or paint. Water-soluble pastel crayons add the option of turning marks into washes.

Check the Color Range and Shape

A larger set is not automatically better. Look for colors that match your projects, including useful neutrals, darks, skin tones, or landscape shades. Square pastels can provide both broad coverage and sharper edges, while compact pans and crayons may be easier to control.

Consider Accessories and Storage

Some kits include paper, brushes, palettes, scrapers, sharpeners, or holders. These extras can reduce the cost of getting started, but evaluate their usefulness rather than paying only for a high piece count. A rigid box, wooden case, or aluminum case can also make a large collection easier to organize and transport.

Match the Set to Your Surface and Technique

Pastels perform differently on smooth paper, textured pastel paper, canvas, and mixed-media boards. If you plan to add wet media, verify that the surface can handle moisture and that the pastel type layers cleanly with your other materials.

Who Should Buy Which Pastel Sets for Mixed Media?

Choose the PanPastel set if you want controlled, professional-style layering and a compact format. Mungyo and COLOUR BLOCK soft pastel sets suit artists focused on dry blending and broad color exploration. Pentel, Artecho, and WINSONS oil pastel kits are better for creamy, opaque marks and colorful illustrations.

For beginners building a broader supply collection, the larger COLOUR BLOCK and KINGART mixed-media kits offer multiple media in one package. The water-soluble pastel crayon set is the most appealing choice for artists who want to move between dry drawing and watercolor-like washes without buying separate materials.