Mixed media sets contains both Derwent Pastel Pencils and Derwent Pastel Blocks. Derwent Pastel Pencils provide all the beauty and brilliance of the pastel medium in a convenient pencil form, which provides greater control for detail work than a traditional pastel. Made with a 5mm wide color strip, these versatile pastel pencils have a velvety smooth finish. The soft, delicate texture allows easy application to create subtle pastel shading as well as fine detail work. Unlike others, Derwent Pastel Pencils are also watersoluble, allowing watercolor effects. The round rosewood stained cedar barrel has a subtle angled metallic burgundy stripe and dipped end that matches the color strip for easy identification. The colors are made from only the highest quality pigments to ensure the maximum degree of purity and lightfastness. The pencils are pre-sharpened for immediate use and convenience. Derwent Pastel Blocks are a firm, smoothly textured block of color with square shape that is ideal for creating broad strokes or crisp lines. Derwent Pastel Pencils and Derwent Pastel Blocks are considered non-toxic.