Oil pastel brand comparison || Sennelier, Neopastel, Mungyo, Paul Rubens

I have today a comparison of the oil pastel brands that I have: Sennelier, Caran d’Ache Neopastel, Mungyo Gallery and Paul Rubens.
Patreon: / yolandablazquez // I have already up my Oil Pastel guide for both tiers and an in depth tutorial on how to achieve detail with them ☺️
Just so you know the Paul Rubens set was sent to me but my opinions are my own.
✏️ Find me on:
My website: yolandablazquez.art/
Instagram: / yolandablazquez.art
Music: Pair Piano
#oilpastel #oilpasteldrawing #oilpastels

[@miklosnemeth8566]

16:00 Sennelier has consistent opacity for the colors that are marked O on the booklet that comes with your set. Sennelier is the only one where you have the option to pick T or O colors from the 120 color options. Before ordering open stock check, if that color is O, T or O/T.

[@YolandaBlazquez]

So true! I think having the option to pick and choose is great, that’s also why I don’t mind mixing brands.

[@miklosnemeth8566]

I've just joined your Patreaon classes, it is a heaven for oil pastel lovers. You have brutally awesome videos there.

[@landreeall]

Yeah it is but not all of us have money...on youtube we warch

[@daveroberts9804]

You are a master with oil pastels! I’m so jealous. When I get back from holiday, I have to try a master copy of one of your masterpieces. I could learn a lot from you.

[@YolandaBlazquez]

Thanks a lot!! What I do is very doable 😊 I’d love to see it if you try it

[@ciannacoleman5125]

I had no idea oil pastels could be used to make truly realistic paintings as oil paint could. I always thought they were for if you did more of a sketchy abstract style

[@YolandaBlazquez]

Thank you so much! ❤️ they are very versatile in my opinion but a more expressionistic style fits them better I think even though I don’t paint that way

[@JackTheVulture]

Awesome breakdown! I love the thick, impressionistic, texture effect of paul rubens, its nice that there is a diversity of options for different styles and results!

[@YolandaBlazquez]

Thank you so much! Those Paul Rubens impressed me again when I was recording this video, they really stand out

[@Anna-cb3it]

Thank you very much for sharing your knowledge about oil pastel brands and their qualities. You saved a lot of my time and money.

[@YolandaBlazquez]

You are so welcome!

[@PanGrothaus]

Thank you for taking the time to share your knowledge, your experience and your beautiful work! I have never used oil pastels before and I'm exploring what I would need to start. I have just subscribed to your channel. 🙏

[@YolandaBlazquez]

You are so welcome! Thank you 😊 I’m glad it helps

[@TheYellowsun76]

Fantastic comparison, thank you so much for this information. Your pieces are amazingly beautiful.

[@YolandaBlazquez]

I’m glad it was helpful! Thank you

[@Antony_Oscar]

Wow, your art is gorgeous!! Love it! And this video was super helpful, I'm looking into buying oil pastels and the softness is one thing I want to know about before buying. Thanks a lot!

[@YolandaBlazquez]

Thanks a lot! ♥️ I’m glad it was helpful

[@nompoo3115]

I'm only half way in it's already such a great review! I appretiate you showing whether Opaque or Translucent, how it layers, Softness/Hardness of stick changing in season and more!

[@YolandaBlazquez]

Glad it was helpful! ❤️ I should update the description to add some brands though

[@wntrwinter]

this is such a useful comparison, thanks so much !! 💕 i am definitely going to be reaching for caran d'ache (i live in a tropical country, so when it's summer, it's really really hot) !!

[@YolandaBlazquez]

Glad it was helpful! ☺️ I’ll share a video this weekend about the recent Neopastels that I got in case you want to take a look.

[@jenurquhart_art]

An interesting comparison of the different brands!

[@YolandaBlazquez]

Thanks a lot Jen!

[@MoniqueBourgeois]

Thanks so much....beautiful portraits!

[@YolandaBlazquez]

Thank you! ❤️

[@melinabottini9408]

Me encantó el vídeo, la demostración practica es genial y super explicativa. Me ha resultado muy util, gracias por compartir tu experiencia! 🤩

[@YolandaBlazquez]

Muchísimas gracias ☺ me alegro mucho de que te sea útil

[@craftykat]

Wow, you are super talented. Those paintings are all so gorgeous!

[@YolandaBlazquez]

Thank you very much! I’m glad that you like them

[@mustafafh4402]

Lovely~! thank you for this!

[@YolandaBlazquez]

I’m glad that you liked it! ☺

[@palizban_art]

Thank you that was really helpful❤❤

[@YolandaBlazquez]

I’m glad 😊❤ you’re welcome

[@vitorpassa]

Great reviews Yolanda, they really helped me, thank you! Have you also tried soft pastels?

[@YolandaBlazquez]

Thank you! Yes, I love soft pastels ❤️ I’ve used them in other videos

[@kdj.imagery4317]

Thanks so much for the informative video, your English is as great as your art! I found the comparison chart at the end to be very useful. Do you ever use any of the Caran d' Ache water soluble pastels for detailing and if so are they any good? I've seen artists use them for making details in eyes. Thanks for sharing your awesome work here on KZbin cheers!

[@YolandaBlazquez]

Thank you so much! I get so nervous about my English, my mistakes and my voice 🙈 I only have three of those soluble Neocolor but I haven’t tried them yet. I don’t think they would work too well with the creamier ones like Sennelier or Paul Rubens, I’m guessing some lifting would occur since they are much harder but I have to try first. You can sharpen Mungyo or Neopastel nicely to make details too. Maybe I should show how I get fine points with them. Have a nice day!

[@anahenriques.]

Beautiful paintings and interesting comparison!! Maybe you could leave that test paper (or a acid free one) in a window with direct sunlight for a few months and then check how much the colors changed and which brands held up the best. So that you (and us, if you decide to share your findings) have an idea how those cheaper Asian brands perform against the trusted and expensive lightfast ones.

[@YolandaBlazquez]

Thank you so much Ana! I plan on doing exactly that when I’m back in Spain. I think 30 days of strong sun hitting on them will be enough, hopefully. I had tested some paints in the past that faded in a couple of days.

[@pbastola817]

Lovely ❤

[@YolandaBlazquez]

Thank you! ❤️

[@user-qk3sc8rq9r]

Beautiful work. I'v been using Sennelier Oil pastel for about 5 years and agree with you. The only negative is when they get warm they loose stiffness and can be hard to work with. Thanks for the video, by the way, they make a rubber blending tool that I really like. Keeps your hands clean.

[@YolandaBlazquez]

Thank you! It almost makes me glad it’s cold for most of the year where I live haha. Is that tool shaped kinda like a brush?

[@user-qk3sc8rq9r]

Exactly like a small brush, the tip is 1/8" teflon, wooden handle and surprisingly sturdy. You have a real talent, never stop painting. cheers @@YolandaBlazquez

[@YolandaBlazquez]

I will give it a try , thank you! @@user-qk3sc8rq9r

[@kristasee]

Your work is very accomplished

[@YolandaBlazquez]

Thanks a lot!

[@kattenihatten]

Thank you for the comparison! I would love to hear more about what fixatives you have tried! I have also tried spray fixatives, and found them lacking....and stinky. But I am looking in to varniches, and discovered that Talens have a varnish for oil pastel. I am buying it tomorrow to see how it does. I am hoping it does not smell as much as the sprays.

[@YolandaBlazquez]

If you don’t mind let me know about that varnish when you try it! I didn’t know about it although I hate varnishing my oil paintings… They are so strong, smelly uff. For oil pastel I’ve only tried Sennelier’s fixative and is soooo strong, the smell lasts forever on the paintings 🥲

[@biss141]

How the Varnish worked?

[@kattenihatten]

​@@biss141 well badly, and good for some things. Absolutely not for comitions or things you want to frame. The varnish creates a shiny layer of "rubbery" protection. Do NOT keep sticky tape on while you apply the varnish, it will take some of the varnish with it, when you remove the sticky tape. I tried it in a sketch book, and there it works really well, if you only paint on one side of the spread. If two varnished surfaces comme in to contact, all seem fine at first. Then you leave your sketch book and open it again after a week or so, and the varnish will have stuck the pages together, and will ripp color and varnish from the pages when you separate them. And I tried to apply different amounts, but it made no difference. So in conclusion → I use it in my skechbook to avoid smudges.

[@kattenihatten]

​@@YolandaBlazquezSee answer below ❤

[@K.ART_vlog]

so nice ❤️😍

[@YolandaBlazquez]

Thank you! ❤

[@anca5480]

Wow, bellissimo lavoro! complimenti davvero! 💜 I've tried only soft pastel and is very difficult

[@YolandaBlazquez]

Grazie mille! Soft pastel and oil pastel aren’t too different I think but I feel soft pastel is more forgiving

[@MissIdolize]

Excellent demo - thank you! I have a question: are oil pastels a useful introduction to using oil paints & brushes, or are they completely separate techniques?

[@YolandaBlazquez]

Thank you! ☺ Even though the finish painting can look very similar I wouldn’t consider them an introduction, they are different techniques. To me oil pastels are like the child of oil paints and soft pastels. The biggest difference really is that with traditional oils you have to mix all your colors.

[@vincemincevince]

you’re an amazing artist Yolanda you have great skill. i’m thinking about getting into oil pastels how long do they last for you are do they last a while or do you go through them quickly.

[@YolandaBlazquez]

Thank you very much! I go through white pretty fast but all others last me much longer. There are a couple that I have to restock more often but they still tend to last me quite a bit. Also note that harder pastels like Neopastel or Mungyo last more than the softer ones like Sennelier.

[@vincemincevince]

@@YolandaBlazquez thank you ever so much for answering Yolanda

[@YolandaBlazquez]

You’re welcome ☺ @@vincemincevince

[@adelsonluisparadella8922]

Gostei de todos os seus trabalhos, independente das marcas, seu talento as supera.❤

[@YolandaBlazquez]

Thank you so much 😊

[@MarcoGuadalupi]

Hi! Great video! I was wondering if there are any different between Paul Rubens and Paul Rubens Haya

[@YolandaBlazquez]

Thank you! I haven’t tried the Haiya ones yet so I don’t know

[@isiscortesbotella9332]

What a useful comparison 😍 are you considering trying out other brands?

[@YolandaBlazquez]

Thank yooou ❤ I’ve got a couple of Van Goghs but I haven’t worked with them yet. While swatching them they felt kinda chalky, weird for an oil pastel but at least they have pigment and lightfastness info!

[@loati94]

I have the 48 set of both neopastel and mungyo and they are the exact same set, names included. Difference is neopastels are actually lightfast and have pigment and quality information. Mine are creamier and perform better than the mungyo. They accept more layers, blend better and the colors are more vibrant. Although both are very good. I would prefer neopastels since I can buy them open stock though. Neopastels have been around for more than 30 years but I couldn't find when the mungyo were first sold so I can't tell which one copied the other one. I am saving up to get me a set of sennelier because I have 3 colors and there's nothing out there like that. Although I think Paul Rubens have recently released a dupe fo senneliers

[@YolandaBlazquez]

Thank you for sharing, that’s interesting. My Mungyos are a bit creamier than Neopastel but I’m wondering if it is because they changed the formulation a couple of years ago and I have the newest one. Neopastel wins for me because of the information they give you and I’ll be getting some more for sure ☺️I didn’t know about Paul Rubens releasing a different oil pastel type but I’m happy with Sennelier so I won’t look into that.

[@miklosnemeth8566]

2:37 when you say Sennelier is not consistent, check out the booklet that comes with your set explaining the details of all the 120 colors. Sennelier has a system of O, T and O/T each color is categorized like so. You should carefully study this booklet. Using T colors requires a bit different techniques than O colors. This has nothing to do with inconsistency, it is part of the design of the colors, it is intentional. ❤

[@YolandaBlazquez]

It is intentional but I’ve heard that for many artists that makes it harder and that they prefer them all to have the same consistency. I personally love Sennelier oil pastels as you know 😇 just the way they are. I use the more translucent ones for glacing and they are fantastic.

[@miklosnemeth8566]

16:00 In my area only Sennelier and Mungyo are available, both available open stock. Mungyo price is fantastic, and an excellent product. Sennelier is expensive, but it is Made in France top quality.

[@YolandaBlazquez]

Neopastels are even pricier, both superb quality though.

[@guzmanmedinasamanthamargar6687]

Hermosas pinturas, admiro mucho tu trabajo, quisiera saber qué papel usas

[@YolandaBlazquez]

Muchas gracias ☺️ normalmente utilizo pastelmat

[@creativesolutions902]

I am amazed that you can get that kind of result with oil pastels… I recently decided to use Bristol paper because it is smooth… I can’t really afford pastel mat … Is that the only way you can get such a smooth application? I would love to see some of your techniques up close I’m so frustrated with the messy look of my oil pastels no matter whatkind of paper I use! I would like to have a choice when using oil pastels between which result I’m going for however I only end up with the expressionistic look! :-(

[@YolandaBlazquez]

I’m sorry you are having trouble 😕 if the paper is too smooth you won’t be able to layer well or to blend smoothly. A couple of weeks ago I made a public/free post on my Patreon where I showed an sketch I did on Strathmore sketching paper. It’s not the same as Pastelmat but I think it works pretty well and it’s much more affordable so feel free to check it out www.patreon.com/posts/95494711

[@creativesolutions902]

Thank you very much! I did try it on that paper, and it is much better :-) still struggling with details, but I need to compare all of my pastels the way you did in this video, and then try sharpening a couple of them… It is definitely a challenging medium! Thanks again :-)

[@crookshankspaw2829]

Hi! Are oil pastels toxic? I want to try some Sennelier colors. Dickblick says the colors i want to try are non toxic but i'm not sure...

[@YolandaBlazquez]

Sennelier oil pastels have the AP label, including the colors that are made with heavy metals. In theory as long as you are careful and wash your hands well after handling them you should be fine since they say they are not easily absorbed through the skin. You can also choose to avoid those few sticks that contain cadmium and cobalt and stick to the rest if you prefer ☺️ you can download Sennelier’s color chart and check which pigments are used for each stick.

[@mikipixi]

Magníficos trabajos y un video muy clarificador. ¿ Es posible aplicar encima de los Neocolor o Sennellier, una vez fijados con spray, algunos detalles realistas con lápices tipo polichromos Faber Castell o Caran´dache Pablo o Luminance?, Muchas gracias por compartir y ya tienes un nuevo suscriptor. Saludos desde Badajoz...aquí si que hace calor hoy 31 mayo 2024 ya estamos a 35 grados centígrados.

[@YolandaBlazquez]

Madre mía, los pasteles se deben de derretir solo con mirarlos, no quiero imaginarme en pleno agosto 🙈 Pues eso que comentas no es algo que haya probado pero no sé hasta qué punto podría funcionar porque aún con varias capas de spray fijador siguen pegajosos al tacto. Tal vez después de muchísimas capas se endurezca del todo pero yo no lo he conseguido.

[@portgree]

I've been wanting to try the Mungyo Gallery oil pastels, but I just found out that they also have a water-soluble version. Now I can't decide. lol

[@YolandaBlazquez]

Haha I had no idea about those so I can’t comment on them

[@rachael.mp4]

I've never tried oil pastels before but would love to use them in mixed media. Are they always sticky? I've heard they never dry and could collect dust

[@YolandaBlazquez]

They are always sticky, I don’t know how people use them in mix media pieces. Maybe they put a lot of fixative afterwords. Also yes, they can get dust and fibers stuck on them if you don’t cover them quickly, and even if you do sometimes it happens anyway. If you haven’t applied any fixative it’s easy to remove it with tweezers but if you already used spray on it then there’s not much you can do without messing up the painting 😅 I still recommend them though, they are fun (and messy).

[@rachael.mp4]

@@YolandaBlazquez So how do you display the artworks? under glass? Thank you!

[@YolandaBlazquez]

@@rachael.mp4 under a glass using a mat so that the painting and the glass aren’t touching, same with soft pastels ☺ you’re welcome!

[@geezvid8885]

where the link to the products please

[@user-yf1zn3ic4n]

Hi, can you please tell me that are mungyo oil pastels toxic? Because they don't have ap seal on them. And i have heard that you should use them with gloves.

[@YolandaBlazquez]

I did some research because I’m quite conscious about these things. I searched for the MSDS papers from when they had the AP label and now that they don’t have it. The formulation changed and my guess is that they didn’t go through the process of getting the label again. In my opinion they are too affordable to contain pigments like cadmium and cobalt (although Sennelier has them in some of their sticks and have the AP anyway). This is their composition according to the MSDS found at dick-blick website: CaCO₃ (calcium carbonate), stearic acid, magnesium carbonate, palm oil and pigments. I hope it helps! I use them and wash my hands well afterwards 🙂

[@user-os8cq2ro3q]

Thank you so much for such detailed explanation 😊

[@user-yf1zn3ic4n]

@@YolandaBlazquez thanks a lot. It really helped me 😊

[@najibsagrajos7590]

My pastel doesn't make such beautiful strokes . It leaves spaces like wooden color pencils . Is it because it is low quality for either pastel and paper ?

[@YolandaBlazquez]

It could be both or either but also I have to press more or to go over an area multiple times to cover those empty spaces too

[@sravanthit1176]

I’m in Texas, I don’t think Sennelier will be good for me, which should I go for this hotter climate

[@YolandaBlazquez]

If you’ve never tried oil pastels before and aren’t sure if you will like them or not, I’d get Mungyo because they are pretty close to Neopastel (it’s also what I did). Now that it’s hot I’m enjoying these two more than Sennelier.

[@leticiaalves7513]

The mungyo you use is the one in the black box? Soft oil pastels... Asking because I just made the mistake of buying the blue student one 😂

[@YolandaBlazquez]

yeah, they are the ones that say Mungyo Gallery. The blue ones are student grade right? 😅

[@piafou63]

@@YolandaBlazquez Yes, ’’blue’’ box is student grade, ’’grey/black" one is artist. I’ve got the student ones and they’re not easy to work with, especially when it comes to layering or even blending. It’s as if some waxy blots appear, and when you try to remove them, you are not able to, it only move (I mean the blot). Eventually I manage to get rid of these blots by scratching with a palet knife ! The artist grade pastels seem far better !

[@sreemanta08]

Nice oil pastels th

[@YolandaBlazquez]

Thanks a lot 😊

[@GLRDesignsdotcom]

BEAUTIFUL work!!❤❤❤

[@YolandaBlazquez]

Thank you! 😊❤️

[@zuheyr1]

You should have compared on the paper you are supposed to use as it influences the result.

[@susierodriquez5409]

Caran D’ache is my favorite followed by Mungyo. Have you tried Windsor and Newton pastels? They are similar to Paul Rubens

[@YolandaBlazquez]

Not yet! I didn’t know W&N made oil pastels. Caran d’Ache are fabulous, specially when it gets very hot but during the rest of year I prefer the softer ones

[@user-pb6tn4yl4s]

Очень красиво ❤это всё масляная пастель?

[@YolandaBlazquez]

Only oil pastel ☺

[@user-pb6tn4yl4s]

@@YolandaBlazquez ну Красота 😍 я тоже учусь ))) Сухов пастелью , масляной ещё не пробывать рисовать портреты !

[@user-pb6tn4yl4s]

Скажите чем вы растушёвываете ?

[@YolandaBlazquez]

@@user-pb6tn4yl4s you can see my entire process in my previous two videos 🙂

[@user-pb6tn4yl4s]

@@YolandaBlazquez хорошо спасибо ☺️

[@moonlightgator]

It is very hot where I live senelier might be too soft. Mungio and CharanDach sounds good to me.

[@YolandaBlazquez]

If it’s very hot I wouldn’t recommend Sennelier. Here it’s cold all year round except for summer but it doesn’t get hot like in Spain, there I’m afraid my Sennelier will melt! I will get a few more Neopastels, I feel those will be lovely even at 37°

[@419krz]

👏🥹