Premium Caran D'Ache 40-Piece Pastel Pencils Set (788.340) - Perfect for Artists, Sketching & Professional Colored Drawings

The quality of these pastels is obvious. The texture is creamy. They sink into the paper and shade beautifully. Good blending. Colors are just as they appear in the pastel, not lighter as with some brands. Obviously if you drop them you might shatter the pastel inside the wooden case, just as with block pastels or any other pencil. Truly elevate every piece or sketch they touch. (BTW, I'm not sure I would buy these for someone just starting out. It's good to learn the vagaries of pencil media in general first.)