Sennelier vs. Schmincke: The Softest Pastels

Soft pastels are perhaps the purest way to work with color. They are essentially raw pigment held together by the smallest possible amount of binder. When you move into the professional tier, two names dominate the conversation: Sennelier à l'Écu from France and Schmincke Finest Extra-Soft from Germany.

Both brands are famous for being "extra-soft," but they achieve that softness through very different manufacturing styles, resulting in a different "feel" on the paper.

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1. Heritage and Texture

Sennelier (The Impressionist’s Choice)

Developed at the request of Edgar Degas, Sennelier pastels are legendary. They are still made using a centuries-old process that involves air-drying the sticks in molds. This results in a "creamy" or "lipstick-like" texture. Because they are not compressed by machines, the sticks are often slightly irregular in shape, adding to their artisanal feel.

Schmincke (The Velvet Powerhouse)

Schmincke takes a more precise, scientific approach. Their pastels are known for being incredibly uniform. While Sennelier feels "creamy," Schmincke feels "velvety." They use a specific round-mold process that ensures every stick of a certain color feels exactly like the last one. They are exceptionally soft but tend to have a slightly more "powdery" laydown than Sennelier.

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2. Head-to-Head Comparison

The "Laydown" and Coverage

How the pigment hits the paper is the defining characteristic of a soft pastel.

• Sennelier: These have a very "heavy" laydown. A single stroke deposits a massive amount of pigment. Because of their creamy binder, they are excellent for the final, vibrant highlights of a painting where you want the color to sit on top of previous layers without mixing.
• Schmincke: These feel like they "melt" into the paper. The coverage is incredibly smooth and consistent. They are arguably the best pastels for large, atmospheric areas like skies or soft-focus backgrounds where you want a seamless, cloud-like transition of color.

Color Range and Sets

• Sennelier: They offer one of the largest color ranges in the world (over 500 shades). Their colors are famously vibrant and "organic," often reflecting the earth tones and brilliant florals favored by the French Impressionists.
• Schmincke: Their range is slightly smaller but meticulously curated. They are known for their "dark" shades—deep, moody colors that retain their pigment purity without looking "muddy" or "grayed out."

Durability and Handling

• Sennelier: Because they are so soft and air-dried, they can be quite fragile. It is common to find broken sticks in a box, but for a pastelist, a broken stick is just two smaller painting tools. They are prone to "crumbling" if pressed too hard.
• Schmincke: While still extra-soft, Schmincke sticks feel slightly more robust in the hand. They produce a fine dust that is easy to move around the paper with a finger or a blending tool, whereas Sennelier pigment tends to "grip" the paper more firmly.

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3. The Verdict: Which is Right for You?

Choose Sennelier if:

1. You love thick highlights: You want a "buttery" pastel for the final, brilliant touches of a painting.
2. You value handmade tradition: You enjoy the irregular, historic feel of a hand-molded French pastel.
3. You want the widest color choice: You need access to over 500 specific shades for complex floral or landscape work.

Choose Schmincke if:

1. You want seamless blending: You do a lot of atmospheric work and need a "velvety" powder that moves easily.
2. You want consistency: You want every stick to feel exactly the same, with no surprises in texture or hardness.
3. You love deep, dark tones: You are looking for professional-grade darks that stay vibrant on the paper.

Final Thoughts

Most pastel artists find that Schmincke is perfect for the base layers of a painting because of its smooth blending, while Sennelier is the "king of the top layer" for adding those final, punchy details that make a piece pop.