Colored dry pastels Astra Prestige 48 colors set

Astra Prestige Colored Dry Pastels 48 colors set offers a broad palette of pigment-rich tones designed for sketching, shading and expressive color work on paper, cardboard and pastel boards. The compact set combines primary, secondary and neutral shades in a format suited to layered application and blending. The dry pastel sticks deliver soft texture and good transfer to the support, allowing gradual build-up of color and smooth gradients for illustrations, studies and mixed-media pieces.

Advantages

The set contains 48 distinct colors that mix and layer easily, enabling subtle transitions and chromatic variations. Pastel sticks have a balanced hardness that reduces excessive dust while maintaining blendability for smudging and feathering techniques. The assortment covers vivid and muted tones as well as earth shades, providing flexibility for realistic and stylized work. The compact packaging keeps sticks organized for quick color selection and transport.

Suitable for

• Student drawing exercises and classroom assignments
• Hobby artists practicing shading, blending and color mixing
• Professional studies, concept sketches and mixed-media illustrations
• Portraits, landscapes and still life requiring layered pastel application

Key specifications

• Number of colors: 48
• Product type: dry pastel sticks
• Color range: primary, secondary, neutral and earth tones
• Suitable supports: paper, cardboard, pastel boards
• Finish: matte, blendable pigment

How to use

Select a color from the set and apply directly to the chosen support using the side for broad coverage or the tip for finer lines. Build up layers gradually to achieve desired intensity, and blend adjacent tones with a finger, blending stump or soft brush for smooth transitions. For detailed work, sharpen or crumble the stick carefully to create a finer edge. Fixative can be applied lightly between layers or after completion to reduce smudging, following the fixative manufacturer’s instructions.

Usage recommendations

Use textured or specifically formulated pastel paper to maximize pigment adhesion and layering capacity. Store sticks in their box or in a shallow tray to prevent breakage and maintain order. Work from general tones to details, keep a scrap sheet for testing mixes, and ventilate the workspace if using aerosol fixative.