Finding an affordable soft pastel set that performs well can be challenging. While professional-grade pastels are known for their exceptional quality, they can also be a significant investment for beginners and hobby artists.
To see how a budget-friendly set compares, Emma Colbert Art recently tested the Lightwish 72-Color Soft Pastel Set in a full hands-on YouTube review. From unboxing and swatching to creating a finished artwork, Emma shared what impressed her, where she felt there was room for improvement, and who she believes this set is best suited for.
We've highlighted some of the key takeaways below, and you can also watch Emma's full review at the end of this article.
Table of Contents
Before diving into the details, here's a quick summary of Emma's experience.
Pros
- Secure, protective packaging
- Soft, buttery texture that's enjoyable to paint with
- Excellent value for the price
- A good range of vibrant and neutral colors
- Pastels break cleanly without crumbling
- Labels remove easily without leaving sticky residue
Considerations
- More dark and earthy brown shades would make the palette even more versatile
- Individual replacement colors are not currently available
- Long-term lightfastness is something Emma plans to continue testing
First Impressions: Packaging That Exceeded Expectations
Before making the first mark on paper, Emma was immediately impressed by how well the set was packaged.
Soft pastels are naturally fragile, so good packaging plays an important role in making sure they arrive safely. The sturdy storage box and protective foam inserts helped keep every stick secure during shipping.
"The box that these come in is particularly good."
"All of the foam inserts have kept the pastels really well."
"That's the sort of packaging that I would normally see on the more expensive pastels."
For artists ordering supplies online, thoughtful packaging can make all the difference—and this was one of Emma's favorite first impressions.
Texture: The Biggest Surprise
Once Emma began painting, the texture quickly became the highlight of the review.
Budget-friendly soft pastels are often firmer because they contain more binder, which can make them feel dry or scratchy. Emma found the Lightwish pastels surprisingly different.
"The texture of these is actually fantastic."
"To be honest, the texture of these feels just as good."
"They were very smooth, very buttery."
Throughout the painting process, the colors blended naturally, layered easily, and provided a pleasant painting experience.
Emma even mentioned that the texture reminded her of several professional brands she regularly enjoys using—something she doesn't often experience with more affordable pastel sets.
Color Selection for Everyday Painting
Emma felt the 72-color set offered a thoughtful balance between vibrant colors and practical neutrals.
Rather than filling the box with repeated shades, the selection provides enough variety for landscapes, florals, portraits, and general sketching.
"The color selection was very good."
"We get a decent range of colors."
She also pointed out a few colors she would love to see added in future versions.
"I was missing some extra brown tones."
"We were kind of lacking in the darker values."
For most painting subjects, Emma found the included palette enjoyable to work with, while artists who frequently paint wildlife or animal portraits might appreciate a few more earthy and dark colors.
The 72-color palette offers enough variety for beginners, hobby artists, and anyone looking for an affordable soft pastel set for landscapes, portraits, and everyday artwork.
Putting the Pastels to the Test
Rather than judging the pastels only through swatches, Emma completed an entire artwork to see how they performed in a real painting.
As the portrait developed, she found that the colors blended smoothly and the texture remained consistent throughout the process.
One piece of advice stood out during the review:
"Don't skimp on the paper."
Emma explained that pairing quality pastel paper with an affordable pastel set can dramatically improve the overall painting experience.
By the end of the demonstration, she felt the Lightwish pastels delivered results that were surprisingly enjoyable for their price point.
The Small Details That Matter
Beyond the painting experience itself, Emma highlighted several practical details that made using the set more enjoyable.
Removing the paper labels was easy and left very little residue on the pastel sticks.
"These don't seem to leave too much residue on the stick."
She also appreciated how the sticks broke cleanly when she needed sharper edges for detailed work.
"They break really well."
"They don't crumble into a pile of dust when I break them in half."
These thoughtful details may seem small, but they contribute to a smoother workflow during painting sessions.
One Important Consideration: Lightfastness
Emma also discussed one important topic that many artists consider when choosing pastel materials—lightfastness.
Based on her experience with different pastel brands, she explained that affordable pastel sets often use different pigments than professional-grade products, which may affect how colors hold up over many years of light exposure.
Rather than making assumptions, Emma decided to begin her own long-term comparison test.
"The main difference, I think, is probably going to be in the lightfast quality."
"I'm going to test these colors over the coming months."
"I'll share these results with you further down the line."
At the time of filming, Emma had not yet completed the test, so this remains an ongoing observation rather than a final conclusion.
For artists practicing, experimenting, learning soft pastels, or creating sketchbook work, Emma felt the set offers excellent value. Since Emma's lightfastness test is still ongoing, she recommends waiting for the long-term results before making conclusions about archival performance.
Who Are These Pastels Best For?
Based on Emma's experience, the Lightwish Soft Pastel Set is a great choice for:
- Beginners discovering soft pastels
- Students learning blending and layering technique
- Hobby artists looking for an affordable, enjoyable set
- Sketchbook artists
- Workshops and classroom demonstrations
- Anyone curious about trying soft pastel without a large investment
As Emma explains, affordable materials can still provide a rewarding creative experience when paired with good techniques and quality paper.
Final Thoughts
After completing the review, Emma's overall impression was overwhelmingly positive.
She praised the smooth texture, thoughtful packaging, practical color selection, and excellent value, while also sharing honest observations about areas where future improvements could make the set even stronger.
In her own words:
"I would definitely recommend these."
"You really can't say anything negative about the price of these."
"You don't have to let your budget stop you from getting into soft pastel."
For artists looking to explore soft pastels without making a major investment, Emma found the Lightwish 72-Color Soft Pastel Set to be an enjoyable and approachable place to start.
Interested in trying the same pastel set Emma reviewed? Explore the Lightwish Soft Pastel Collection below.
Additional Information from Lightwish
One question Emma raised in her review was lightfastness. Since this is something that can only be judged over time, she plans to continue monitoring how the colors hold up in finished artworks.
For artists who'd like a little more background, here's how the complete 72-color set performed in our official lightfastness testing.
The colors were tested using the ASTM lightfastness standard (equivalent to the Blue Wool Scale). Here's the breakdown:
Official Lightfastness Results
|
Rating |
Performance |
Colors |
|
⭐⭐⭐ Excellent |
Maximum resistance to fading |
55 colors (76.3%) |
|
⭐⭐ Good |
Reliable permanence under normal indoor display |
16 colors (22.2%) |
|
⭐ Normal |
Standard permanence |
1 color (BV6, 1.4%) |
More than 97% of the colors achieved Good or Excellent lightfastness ratings, making the set suitable for artwork intended for long-term indoor display.
Watch Emma Colbert Art's Full Review
Want to see Emma's complete painting demonstration and hear her thoughts in full?
Thank you to Emma Colbert Art for sharing such a detailed and thoughtful review with the art community.
About the Reviewer
Emma Colbert Art is an artist and YouTube creator who regularly shares tutorials, painting demonstrations, and honest reviews of art materials. In this review, Emma tested the Lightwish 72-Color Soft Pastel Set by creating a complete artwork and sharing her real painting experience, including both the strengths and areas that deserve further testing.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are the Lightwish Soft Pastels suitable for beginners?
Yes. They're an easy set to get started with thanks to their soft texture, smooth blending, and approachable price. Emma also found them enjoyable to use straight out of the box, making them a great option for anyone learning soft pastel techniques.
How soft are the Lightwish Soft Pastels?
Softer than Emma expected. She described them as "very smooth" and "buttery," saying they blended beautifully while producing less crumbling than she'd anticipated from such a soft pastel.
Are the Lightwish Soft Pastels lightfast?
Emma is still carrying out her own long-term lightfastness test, so she wasn't ready to give a final verdict in her review.
Lightwish has also completed ASTM-standard lightfastness testing for the full 72-colour set. According to the results, more than 97% of the colours achieved Good or Excellent permanence ratings. You'll find the full breakdown in the Additional Information from Lightwish section above.
What can you create with the 72-colour set?
The colour selection is well suited to landscapes, flowers, portraits, and everyday sketching. Emma felt the palette covered most subjects comfortably, although she would have liked a few more deep earth tones for painting wildlife and animals.
Are they good value for money?
Emma certainly thought so. She was impressed by the presentation, colour selection, and overall painting experience, especially considering the price. For artists looking for an affordable soft pastel set, she felt this one offered far more than she expected.
