Schmincke Soft Pastels Open Stock Click on the photo of each color below to view a larger picture and pricing. Schmincke soft pastels contain finest artist""s pigments in highest concentration using a minimum of binders. The extreme softness and color strength of Schmincke pastels demand a very traditional forming process as well as labeling by hand. The color range now includes 299 tones- 54 full strength tones that each have 1 mixture with black and 3 mixtures with white; 10 mixtures of white with neutral gray; gold and silver; and 13 extra color strength dark tones.