Blue Earth pastels are comparable to Terry Ludwig & Great American pastels, but less expensive. Their square shape, softness & vibrant colors make them a favorite with me.

I love Blue Earth!

I am new to pastel painting and needed a few square pastel sticks, so I tried Blue Earth pastels. These were recommended by my teacher/artist, Barb Benstein at Mainstreet Art Center. I’m glad I took her advice! These pastels are so soft and buttery. The colors are rich and full of pigment.

Received pastel all whole and in ready to use packaging.

Love all Blue Earth pastels! They're very soft and require a gentle touch. Beautiful colors available. These are my go to pastels.

I love these beauties. Arrived perfectly packed and I’m already using them. My favorites!

I received a Dakota gift certificate and thought I'd add a few more Blue Earth pastels to my collection. I have several favorite soft pastel brands, but I have a limited number of Blue Earths and I like their size, that they're square and their softness level.

I just like them a lot. soft and goes on without a hitch.

I’ve used most of the pastels available to me and have found that the touch and feel of this pastel is best for all of the applications needed in creating a successful pastel painting.

I am only a few years into my exploration of pastels, and I have tried to purchase a variety of brands. Once I discovered Blue Earth, I keep coming back for more. The square profile, buttery texture, and color range seem to suit my developing style, and the fact that they can be purchased as individual sticks makes sense not only for my budget but also for the purely practical reasons of replenishment when a painting requires a lot of a certain color.

Top notch and will put together for your working needs

Love these pastels but I mostly appreciated the help from Amy picking out the right colors.

What gorgeous pastels! They are soft like Schminke and I adore them. They go on smooth and blend well. They're about half stick size but they are extremely high quality!

Dakota takes such care to insure safe delivery of these soft pastels. Some other companies take no precautions at all.

Has not failed to deliver all that a top notch pastel can offer!

They’re soft, cover nicely, like the sharp edges

Product all arrived whole. Couldn’t ask for better packaging and pastels. I use all the other brands and each have a strong and week identity. The Blue Earth checks in at the top of all of my desired needs for my paintings.

I was floored at how vastly different the color of the pastels were from Dakota‘s chart on line and I looked from several different computers.

I had previously done oil and acrylic paintings, and am new to pastels. I tried samples of just about all of the pastel vendors until I tried Blue Earth. The combination of the somewhat lower cost per stick, the very high pigment intensity and texture of the pastels, and particularly the way they are sold (and even stamped on each stick) in very organized color schemes make them the best value for me.

Your care with packaging is truly appreciated.

Very happy with the color. Needed a bright Turquoise and a pure white, and these are perfect. I like the soft velvety texture. I wish there was a set of whites.

The pigment is rich in color and half sticks are nice for my smaller hands.

The color is so rich and lovely you want to put it on every piece of art you are working on.

I love these pastels. They are so buttery & the colors are fabulous. The colors in this set of 336 cover the entire spectrum and have a purity because they use complementary colors to desaturate them. They also take the guesswork out of finding the right values needed for a cohesive painting. They’re slightly softer than Terry Ludwigs but don’t crumble as much as Sennelier & Schmincke. Thanks Dakota for your excellent packaging because these little gems made it all the way to Texas without a single broken stick. I am making Dakota my primary source for pastels from now on.

Previous to ordering these, I had only used Rembrandt and Sennelier soft pastels. The fairly fat but short sticks seemed awkward to hold and use. Once I got the knack of using them, though, I like them. They will probably never be my favorite brand, but I will continue to order and use them.

Blue Earth pastels are really lovely, soft and creamy versatile. I especially love the Portrait sampler and Drifter sets.

Unison does not work well with multi layering of soft pastels. Sennelier is perfected for plein air layering, but is round. Blue Earth is wonderfully saturated like Sennelier, but in small cubes. However, this size is perfect for transport to and from outdoor locations, storage, and the angularity of each Blue Earth Pastel ensures the use of a variety of strokes. Highly recommended.

Love these buttery pastels - wonderful for those finishing strokes!

Buttery soft pastels with excellent pigment concentration. I will continue to build my sets with these pastels! Seriously, if you haven't tried these I highly suggest you grab a few!

I love Blue Earth Pastels and wish I could afford an entire set.

I love Blue Earth Pastels for several reasons. 1. The smaller square size is perfect for holding and creating strokes in flowers. 2. With smaller size comes smaller price! 3. Rich color. 4. A dream to use on Pastelmat since the super softness layers so well.

Nice and buttery

Order four Blue Earth greens to use in some potted geranium studies -- great choice. They provided the shades and colors I needed. I really like Blue Earth pastels.

I have not used all products in this order but Dakota Art Pastels delivered order well protected and timely. I would order from you again. Thank you.

Soft and very pleased with value range

Very nice soft consistency

I love Blue Earth Pastels. I love the consistency; they go on so easily. The colors are rich. And I love how they are arranged by tones, especially after April explained the A, B, C and D designations and how the tones go lighter as the numbers go up. I also appreciate the fact that the colors are named what they are, such as "violet gray" instead of some meaningless designation like "Nina." And they are reasonably priced. 😊

I love the buttery, creamy consistency of these pastels. They always come well packaged and I’ve never had one broken.

These sticks are just what I wanted, and I will be back for more. They arrived quickly and impressively packaged. No wrappers to remove. They are smooth and buttery to use.

First time using these...they're buttery and the pigment is great. Love that they're square and small. The price helps with adding to my limited pallette color which are needed. I will be getting more soon.

I am gradually replacing most of my other pastels with Blue Earth ones. I love the way they feel. The way they cover my paper. And the colors. I never understood using your fingers to put your color on until I tried it with these.

I have tried many brands of soft pastels and I like Blue Earth and Great American best. They have a broad range of colors and perform very well. They are also more affordable than some others. I will not buy Senneleir again; they are too soft and tend to crumble easily. Also I commend your staff on very good customer service. I made a mistake on an order and they resolved my issue easily and quickly. Good job! Thank you.

I love blue earth pastels to begin with, but this white was just what I was looking for. Bright white for highlights. Soft enough to put small dots for water spray etc, crisp lines. Also these pastels can float over other colors. I like them a lot!!!

I've never tried Blue Earth pastels before and these pinks were perfect for my needs. I also liked the fact that they are square with nice, clean edges and points. Again, perfect for my immediate need. They're also soft enough. Not the softest on the market, but soft enough for most of my work.

Always enjoy getting my pastels from Dakota’s.

Small sticks but fabulous to work with So soft and expressive

Soft, go on smoothly. Good prices. There was very little crumble lost when I break them in half…not as dry as some other brands.

I know I can trust Blue Earth pastels to be consistent, soft, and representative of the color image provided. The sticks go a long way considering how soft they are. Accompanied by Dakota Pastels remarkable customer service and swift order fulfillment, why would I buy anywhere else? Thank you for supporting artists everywhere!

These were velvety and very pigmented. A small rectangular jewel in your hands.

Blue Earth pastels are equivalent to Terry Ludwig or Great American pastels, but less expensive. I especially like that they come in a full range of colors and can be purchased individually or in sets.

These pastels are like butter! Strong pigments keep your work looking fresh without using a lot.

Smooth, creamy, rich color- a wonderful addition to my pastel collection

These Blue Earth pastels are quite similar to the consistency of Terry Ludwig. REALLY NICE AND SMOOTH !

Needed a bright white. Love them!

This was my third purchase of Blue Earth pastels. While they are less expensive than some of the other brands of soft pastels, the quality is excellent. All the colors are vivid and the texture is creamy. The sticks are smaller than they appear on photos. Therefore, I’d suggest that Dakota consider making a larger stick as another option.

Remember when you felt the joy of getting a fresh box of Crayola's? That is the same joy I felt getting the Blue Earth Pastels. The colors a luscious. They are soft but not too soft. They may become my "go to" set.

I've only been using these pastels for a short time, but I find the quality outstanding. The richness and vibrancy is beautiful. I will be buying more of these fantastic pastels!

The pastel is small and almost 1/2 stick size to some brand. I calculated volume of each stick on each brand, so it seems inexpensive but its not, because the size is small. But the quality is amazing. I bought couple sticks each brand to try, this is my favorite in terms of quality. And I like being a square stick( rectangular prism). And its made in US. Love it.

The Blue Earth pastels are a good choice. Love the organization of colors tints and concentration. They are rich with pigment and very soft. A light touch is needed as they can crumble easily if pressed too hard. It is one of the most expensive pastels you can buy if you look at dollars per cubic inc of stick. So for me it’s not necessarily a great value.

First time using Blue Earth and I love it. Very soft and smooth. I only wish it was a bigger stick.

I have just started using Blue Earth pastels and I'm loving them. They are so soft, and I love the size and shape of the sticks. The color ranges are so helpful.

smooth easy flow esp on Premier paper

Creamy, rich, perfect size and shape, and intense color

Great color and great pastels!

Smooth and creamy

As one new to pastel art, I've only purchased several soft pastel brands, primarily Great American, Sennelier, and Diane Townsend. Compared with these three brands, I found the Blue Earth to be quite vivid and 'more creamy' with application. However, they are softer and seem to 'wear down' more quickly. Finally, the half-sticks are about 1/2" shorter than the Great American, which I really like. So, the overall price is less, the size is smaller, the overall color selection is large, and the application is creamier than the other 3 brands. I will probably purchase Blue Earth again.

These greens had just the right subtleness for plein air in that short time before Autumn really kicks off its colors!

Nice colors but the sticks are crumbly and too soft for a fine line. Good for laying large swaths of color.

I am not a professional artist. i am just a beginner, but I love the way these pastels feel and look on the page. I am a professional residential and commercial painter, and I think the colors look right to me. The pastels crumble when i apply them to my favorite surface, drawing paper, and I use the crumbs to add texture and dimension.

I love my Blue Earth pastels. They are truly buttery and less brittle than others.

Great pastels that lay down so nicely with little effort.

For the price these soft pastels are comparable to higher priced soft pastels & perform just as well.

I love the neutral colors and the way they work with the different papers.

These pastels float like butter across the Luxarchival paper, easily bendable with very rich colors. I can't wait to add all of them to my studio as these are simply top shelf pastels.

Great Product

I recently tried Blue Earth pastels for the first time. I like that they offer multiple values for individual colors. They have a velvety quality and easily fill the tooth of sanded papers. I also like the square edges, as they allow me to apply swaths of color quickly and evenly. I will revisit my rating of Blue Earth after I have more experience with them.

I tried one stick of Blue Earth to see how it compares to the many other brands of soft pastels I have tried. It certainly is a runner up in my book, so soft and velvety, similar texture to Great American with the vibrancy of a Rembrandt perhaps? (I got a particularly vibrant color so that comparison is tough).

I like the many shades and tones I just wish the size a was not so small! I will purchase Terry Ludwig next time.

Blue Earth selection of greens, purples and blues are delicious to work with. Soft and saturated color. Packaged beautifully. This is my first time ordering. Will definitely not be the last.

I haven't use this pastel before but very pleased, using greys very nice . Soft and also makes good solid block of color, will order again

I haven't had time to fully experiment with these yest, but so far, so good. Anxious to try more, they seem great!

I’m so close to a panic attack every time I order because the of the cost, but when I get my order, I breathe deeply knowing my hard earned money is equal to the quality of the product. I wouldn’t order from anyone else.

I bought a range of neutral grey values of Blue Earth to fill a gap in my colors. These are lovely. The square shape is similar to a Terry Ludwig but shorter. The texture is more like the creaminess of a Schminke. The colors are dense. The pastel lays down a creamy layer. I would use buy these again. Very nice

I thoroughly enjoy using Blue Earth pastels. The colors are vibrant, while the pastel is soft, but overly so. I like to use the Blue Earth pastel mid-through 3/4" of the way through a painting. Very fine product.

I love these pastels. I was disappointed in the packaging because there were two pastels in each foam slot. The two pastels bumped against each other so that the corners were all chipped or broken.

I’ve been painting in pastels for almost 12:years. I use most of the popular brands. I like a heavy rough paper and soft pastels. And I found a new love...... Not only the softness but the colors..... I’d recommend your pastels to any lever of pastel artist. I used these for the first time on a painting for a new Gallery Opening in Merriam Ks. An invitation only show and still juried. 80 submissions. 50 accepted and I was one. It was the pastels......I am so sure I added to my collection. Thanks for making such an awesome product..

I decide to order a few single Blue Earth pastels before trying a set. I ordered four of the Quinacridone Pink hues. Absolutely beautiful ! They are very small in size, but I'm very pleased.

At first I was put off with how easily they crumble but have enjoyed them as a great option for Plein Air pastels. The size and shape is ideal and I can fit a set of 180 in my Dakota Pochade. This is a great set for travel, fairly light weight and easy to use on my lap or a tripod. I love having this as an option to my bigger set up when working outside.

I just love the perfect skin tone shades that Blue Earth has to offer!

They are creamy but not crumbly...love this👍🏻😘

I really like the color range of these pastels. They are easy to work with and very soft. My only complaint is how easily they crumble. I don’t have to drop them I can just be holding them in my hand, get lost in my painting and they crumble off in chunks too small to use. If they were just a bit sturdier I would be tempted to buy the whole set:-(

Colors are so beautiful, creamy but not crumbly, love working with them😘❤️

I sampled colors from the A and B lines. The absolutely love the A line. Bold, high chroma colors with the texture of oil paint. The pastels were truly a joy to use. I did find that they were best used as the top layer when painting on sanded paper. Otherwise it takes a lot to fill the tooth. I will definitely buy more from the A and C lines with the goal of customizing my own nomad set. I found the B line too dull, although they have their place.

I love them, but be carful they crumble very easily. I find it better to use a pushing motion when using the ends of the stick, rather than pull. When you pull them over a surface the stick sometimes break off. but when you push them they are fine. I like the buttery smoothness of the stick and the perfect size where you do not hve the cut them.

Very good service. Easy to order, prompt service.

Very soft and wonderful colors!!!!

I really like Terry Ludwig pastels and I have several sets. I like that they are really soft and respond well to a light touch no matter how dark the pigment. BUT, I have a really heavy hand which is something I'm working on. I find that I can crush these sticks pretty easily. Also, there are air bubbles in the sticks, this can make for a really cool randomish mark and they wear down to some odd shapes. This can make it really fun to use the sticks. They don't have a strong edge to begin with so make sure to include some other brands like Blue Earth if you want to make crisp straight edge marks.

First of all, the pigment application is every bit as good as Terry Ludwig. I struggle to hold my pastels with a light touch and this brand is least likely to crumble beneath my fingers. There is little to no air bubbles in the perfectly-formed rectangular stick which makes this pastel a unique soft with the ability to make thin, clean lines like you'd expect from a hard pastel. It's a great value at a competitive price and is Dakota Pastel's very own brand. The only downsides are that it lacks the color range of Terry Ludwig or Diane Townsend and the sticks are a bit smaller than other brands.

Well made, colors are always 'true' , really like the dark to light - true to neutral for each hue a 'natural ' way to choose color and to paint. I used a similar approach when painting with oils. I really like them!

Love the pastels but some arrived broken