Quick answer: How much is oil pastels likely to cost you? They range from a few dollars to a few hundred, depending on grade and set size. In the US, student or school sets of 12–50 colors commonly cost roughly $5–$25, mid-range sets often fall around $20–$60, and artist-grade oil pastels typically cost a few dollars per stick, with large professional sets running well over $100. Prices change often and vary by retailer, so treat these as general ranges and check current listings.
Oil pastel prices look confusing at first. A box of 50 can cost less than three individual sticks from another brand, and two sets with the same number of colors can differ in price by ten times. The difference comes down to pigment content, softness, lightfastness and how the sticks are made.
This guide explains how much oil pastels cost at each tier, what you get for the money, and how to decide where to spend. It uses general market ranges rather than specific product picks. For technique and tool guidance once you have chosen your pastels, see our guide to oil paint pastel techniques and tools.
Oil Pastel Price Ranges at a Glance
| Tier | Typical set sizes | Approximate price range (US) | Approximate cost per stick |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kids / school | 12–25 | About $3–$10 | Well under $1 |
| Student | 24–50 | About $8–$25 | Around $0.25–$1 |
| Mid-range / intermediate | 24–72 | About $20–$60 | Around $0.50–$1.50 |
| Artist / professional | 12–120+ | About $40 to several hundred dollars | Roughly $2–$8 or more |
| Individual artist sticks (open stock) | 1 | Roughly $2–$8 each | Same |
These are broad estimates based on typical US retail pricing and will shift with sales, retailers and brand. Large-format sticks, metallic or iridescent colors, and specialty pigments can cost more.
What Affects the Price of Oil Pastels?
1. Pigment content
Pigment is the most expensive ingredient. Cheaper pastels use more wax and filler and less pigment, so colors are weaker and less opaque. Artist-grade pastels pack more pigment for richer, more opaque color.
2. Pigment type
Some pigments, such as cadmiums and cobalts, are costly. Budget sets often use cheaper alternatives or dyes that imitate the color, sometimes with lower lightfastness.
3. Softness and texture
Artist-grade oil pastels are usually softer and creamier, which makes blending and layering easier. Student pastels are firmer and can feel waxy. Very soft pastels use up faster, which also raises the effective cost.
4. Lightfastness
Lightfastness measures resistance to fading. Artist-grade brands commonly publish ratings; cheaper sets often do not. Work you plan to sell or display needs lightfast colors.
5. Stick size
Sticks vary in diameter and length. Thicker sticks cost more but last longer. Compare by weight or volume where possible, not just by count.
6. Packaging and presentation
Wooden boxes, foam trays and gift presentation add cost without changing the pastels themselves.
7. Safety certification
Children’s sets often carry non-toxic certifications such as an AP seal in the US. This is important for kids, but it does not by itself indicate artistic quality.
Student vs Artist Oil Pastels: What You Get
| Feature | Student oil pastels | Artist oil pastels |
|---|---|---|
| Texture | Firmer, waxier | Softer, creamier |
| Color strength | Moderate | Strong, more opaque |
| Blending | Workable but limited layers | Easy, many layers |
| Lightfastness | Often unrated | Usually rated |
| Color range | Basic hues | Wide range including subtle tints and neutrals |
| Price | Low | Higher |
| Best for | Learning, kids, sketching, classrooms | Finished, display or sale-quality work |
As a general orientation, widely available student options include brands such as Sakura Cray-Pas and Pentel, while names commonly associated with artist-grade oil pastels include Sennelier, Holbein and Caran d’Ache. Within each brand there are often several lines at different price points, so check the specific line.
How Much Should a Beginner Spend on Oil Pastels?
For most beginners, a reputable student or mid-range set of 24–50 colors in the roughly $10–$40 range is enough to learn layering, blending and sgraffito. That budget also leaves room for decent paper, which matters as much as the pastels.
A practical approach many artists use:
- Start with a student or mid-range set to learn the medium.
- Identify the colors you use most, typically white and a few favorites.
- Buy those as artist-grade open-stock sticks.
- Use the soft artist sticks for top layers and the firmer student sticks for underlayers.
This hybrid method gives artist-grade results where they show most, at a fraction of the cost of a full professional set.
How Much Do Professional Oil Pastels Cost?
Professional oil pastels are usually sold both individually and in sets. Individual sticks commonly run a few dollars each. A small professional set of 12–24 might cost around $40–$100, while comprehensive sets of 100 or more colors can cost several hundred dollars. Sets in wooden boxes command premium prices.
For professional artists, cost per stick matters less than lightfastness and handling, especially for work intended for sale. Buying open stock lets you replace only what runs out.
The Hidden Costs: Paper, Tools and Protection
The price of oil pastels is only part of the budget.
| Item | Why you need it | Rough cost range |
|---|---|---|
| Pastel or mixed-media paper pad | Holds layers better than sketch paper | About $8–$25 per pad |
| Sanded pastel paper | Holds many layers for detailed work | Often several dollars per sheet or more |
| Blending tools (stumps, color shapers) | Precise blending | About $5–$20 |
| Colorless blender stick | Smooth blends and transparency | A few dollars |
| Oil pastel fixative | Protects finished work | About $10–$25 |
| Glassine or parchment | Interleaving for storage | About $5–$15 |
| Framing with glass and mat | Display protection | Varies widely |
Again, these are broad ranges to help with budgeting rather than exact figures.
Sets vs Open Stock: Which Costs Less?
Sets almost always cost less per stick than buying the same colors individually, which makes them the better deal when you are starting out. Open stock becomes cheaper over time because you only replace what you use. Most artists end up with both: a set as the base and open-stock sticks for the colors that run out. If a set contains several colors you know you will never use, the per-stick saving matters less than it appears.
Are Expensive Oil Pastels Worth It?
It depends on what you make and why.
- Yes, if: you sell or exhibit work, need lightfast colors, layer heavily, or find student pastels too waxy to blend.
- Not necessarily, if: you are learning, sketching, teaching kids or doing practice studies. Student pastels teach the same techniques.
- Partly: the hybrid approach gives most of the benefit for much less.
Paper quality often makes a bigger visible difference than pastel quality for beginners. Cheap pastels on good, toothy paper usually outperform expensive pastels on slick, thin paper.
How to Get Better Value
- Compare cost per stick and size. A cheaper set with tiny sticks may be worse value than a slightly pricier set with large sticks.
- Check lightfastness information. If it is not listed, assume the colors may fade and use them for practice.
- Avoid huge budget sets. 100-color budget sets often include many similar or weak colors. A smaller set of good colors is more useful.
- Buy white separately. White runs out first in most sets.
- Watch for art supply sales. Back-to-school periods and holiday sales often bring discounts.
- Use the whole stick. Keep broken pieces for side strokes and small details.
Sample Budgets: Three Starter Kits
To make the numbers concrete, here are three example kits at different spending levels. Costs are rough estimates and will vary with retailer and sales.
Around $25: the trial kit
- A student set of 24–36 oil pastels
- A pad of mixed-media or pastel paper
- Cotton swabs and paper towels (from home) for blending and cleaning
Enough to learn layering, blending and sgraffito and decide whether you enjoy the medium.
Around $75: the committed hobbyist kit
- A mid-range set of 36–48 colors
- Two or three artist-grade sticks: white plus one or two favorite colors
- A pad of textured pastel paper in assorted tints
- Blending stumps or color shapers and a colorless blender
Adds better blending, richer highlights and toned paper for more ambitious work.
Around $200 and up: the display-quality kit
- A small artist-grade set of 24 or so, or a selection of open-stock artist sticks
- Sanded pastel paper or primed boards
- Oil pastel fixative
- Glassine for storage and a portfolio
Suitable for lightfast, layered pieces intended for framing, exhibition or sale.
Signs of a Poor-Value Set
Low price is not the problem; low quality for the price is. Watch for these warning signs before buying:
- No brand information or pigment details at all.
- Very large color counts at a very low price, with many near-identical shades.
- Sticks described as “crayons” that feel hard and waxy in reviews or descriptions.
- No safety certification on sets aimed at children.
- Very thin sticks that break easily during normal use.
Where to Buy Oil Pastels
Art supply stores, both physical and online, carry the widest range of grades and open stock. Big-box craft stores stock mostly student and mid-range sets, often with frequent coupons. General online marketplaces offer convenience and frequent discounts but also many unbranded sets of uncertain quality. Buying a few individual sticks in person, where possible, is a good way to feel the difference in softness before committing to a large set.
How Long Do Oil Pastels Last?
In storage, oil pastels keep for many years because they do not dry out. They can soften in heat or develop a slight whitish bloom on the surface from wax, which wipes off. In use, how long a set lasts depends on paper texture, pressure and stick softness. Soft artist pastels on sanded paper wear down fastest; firm student sticks on smooth paper last longest. White and other heavily used colors typically run out first.
Oil Pastels for Kids: Cost and Safety
For children, the priorities are safety, durability and quantity rather than pigment quality. Inexpensive school-grade sets with thick sticks that resist breaking are usually the right choice, typically costing less than $10 for a basic box. Look for non-toxic certification on the packaging, and supervise young children, since oil pastels can stain clothing and furniture. Artist-grade pastels are not designed with young children in mind and can contain pigments that should not be ingested, so keep them for older students and adults.
Oil Pastels vs Other Drawing Media: Cost Comparison
| Medium | Entry cost (general) | Professional cost (general) |
|---|---|---|
| Oil pastels | Low | Moderate to high |
| Soft (chalk) pastels | Low to moderate | High |
| Colored pencils | Low | Moderate to high |
| Oil paint | Moderate (paint plus brushes, surfaces, solvents) | High |
| Watercolor | Low | Moderate to high |
Oil pastels are among the most affordable ways to work with rich, painterly color: no brushes, solvents or easels are required to begin.
FAQs
How much is a box of oil pastels?
A basic student box of 24–50 colors generally costs about $8–$25 in the US. Artist-grade boxes start higher, often $40 or more for small sets.
How much does one artist oil pastel cost?
Individual artist-grade sticks typically cost a few dollars each, roughly $2–$8 depending on brand, size and pigment.
Why are some oil pastels so expensive?
Higher pigment content, costly pigments, lightfastness, softer texture and larger stick sizes all raise the price. Premium packaging adds to it.
Are cheap oil pastels good for beginners?
Reasonably priced student pastels from reputable brands are fine for learning. Very cheap, no-name sets can be too waxy and weak to blend, which can be frustrating.
How many oil pastel colors do I need?
A set of 24–36 colors covers most needs for beginners. Through layering and blending you can mix many more colors on the paper.
Do oil pastels expire?
No. They do not dry out like paint. Keep them away from heat and sunlight, and wipe off any surface bloom before use.
Final Thoughts
Oil pastels can cost almost nothing or a great deal, but you do not need the expensive end to make good work. A solid student or mid-range set, good toothy paper and a few artist-grade sticks for highlights cover most needs.
Once you have your set, put the money to work with techniques that make the most of every stick. Our guide to getting the most from oil pastels and oil paint covers layering, blending and tools in depth.
