Conte a Paris 2184 Pastel Pencil Set, Assorted, Set of 48

Very good pastel pencils, just right for a beginner. They mix well and are very positive. The colours alsolayer well too although care must be taken as the actual colour is very soft and can break easily. Theseare the best pastel pencils I have used so far and am thinking of buying another identical set.

I’m quite new to pastel pencils and have a set of 24 Carbothellos but wanted a wider colour range at an affordable price. I was so excited when these arrived. I agree with others who say a tin would have been preferable to a box but mine were all in good condition when I opened them up. The colours are fabulous, even on black paper. They are dustier than the Carbothellos (a bit more blowing dust away as you work involved) but they lay the colour down beautifully and blend & smudge really well. I read about possible problems with sharpening so bought a Conte sharpener specially for them so hope that will work well with them when it arrives. I’m attaching the first pic I did with them today, which should encourage beginners as it is full of mistakes but still able to make a lovely effect with these pencils! They were a joy to use & I hope to practise more & improve my skills. Delighted.

Pencils themselves are lovely - a nice, crunchy, hard pastel that goes on and blends beautifully. Colour range is good, and colours lay down brightly too.The only downside is the packaging. It's a tin with a thin plastic insert (much like a chocolate box), which doesn't grip or cushion the pencils well. Pastel pencils are fragile by nature, and the tin really doesn't do much to prevent damage during transport or regular wear & tear. My pencils arrived with at least half of the points shattered, and it remains to be seen how the cores hold up as I use & sharpen them. It's something to be aware of if you plan to buy this product - there's no guarantee that some of the pencils won't be broken, and possibly unusable.

These were a birthday gift and I absolutley love them . At high school I hated pastels but these are amazing ,, 48 beautiful colours that are beyond vibrant ,,, they blend really really well.Obviously they don't work the same as your usual pencils and fine tiny details can be difficult but I use normal pencils for fine details then these .Really impressive pencils . Remember they are pastels ,, play around with them and I guarentee you will love them . The Best tip I can give on this review is to buy the sharpener,, it's wooden and a 100% must have . The pencils really sharpen well with this sharpener . If you use a normal pencil sharpener your pencils will snap but it's not bad pencils it's the sharpener. If your going to invest in this beautiful set of pencils then i can not stress how important the sharpener Is,, I'd go as far as saying it is essential ,,, hope this tip helps a few people I lost almost a whole white pencil I had bought separately just by not having the right sharpener xxxx

The Conte a Paris set is a beautiful set. It holds many shades and colors which I do not have in my other sets. These 48 pencils are a fantastic addition. I tried them out and they perform perfectly - similarly to Stabilo Carbothello, Derwent and Gioconda - in that they are soft and easy to apply on top of Pan Pastels and soft pastel sticks (both used as a ground for portraits or landscapes). I cannot praise these pencils enough. BUY THEM!

These came in a box and many of them are broken all the way through and are therefore useless. I am disappointed as the packaging has let them down. I would not buy them again and cannot find a contact email for the manufacturer. The colours are lovely having had a grumble about the quality.

Hi there, I got my replacement , this time it had the Medium Yellow. The packing was wrong as it was a paper bag only which allowed movement of the pencils and some got the tips broken . This product needs a cardboard packing.

Arrived early which was great. Packaged well and arrived without breakages. I bought this set of pastel pencils to compliment my paintings which I do in soft pastels. I've used one or two before and love the colours and texture of the 'lead' which isn't too soft but isn't hard either. I also like the feel of the pencil in the hand, it's a little larger than normal. I bought a crank sharpener to sharpen them with which works great.