(Most company sites don't say much about the pastels themselves. For details, click on the "All About..." link for background about each company and its products, and also, a hands-on review.

Great American Art Works (U.S.) (1645 Blue Rock St., Cincinnati, OH 45223)

• All About Art Works Pastels

Rembrandt (Dutch)

• All About Rembrandt Pastels
• Visit the Talens web site

Rowney (British)

• All About Rowney Pastels
• Visit the Daler-Rowney site (extensive on-line catalog)

Schmincke (Germany)

• All About Schmincke Pastels
• Visit Schmincke's company web site

Sennelier (U.S. - Savoire Faire)

• All About Sennelier Pastels
• Visit Sennelier's US web site
• Visit Sennelier's French web site

Diane Townsend Artists' Pastels (US) (385 Broome St., NYC, NY 10013)

• All About Diane Townsend Artists' Pastels

Unison (British; distributed in US by Jack Richeson)

• All About Unison Pastels
• Visit the Unison site

Winsor & Newton (British)

• All About Winsor & Newton Pastels
• Visit the W&N web site - and be sure to visit "Tips & Techniques"

Just about all of these companies publish color charts, and just about every printed color chart is unreliable because you're looking at printed colors, not pastel originals. Still, it's a good idea to request a chart, if for nothing more than to see the general color range and to prepare your shopping list. If you want to see the actual pastels, to get them into your hands and see they feel and how they paint, there is no substitute for visiting an art supply store.