Pastels are a unique medium. Pigment packed, pastels deliver vibrant colors to a blank art paper or canvas. They are widely loved because they are an independent art medium. Feeling inspired? All you need is your creativity, your pastels, and a surface to create on. (Although we do know some great oil pastel and soft pastel techniques.) While all pastels are used for drawing and painting artwork full of vivid pigment, they have qualities that make them very different from each other. Learn the difference between oil and soft pastels and what makes each one unique.