SCHMINCKE PASTELS - Germany First penned in 1881 by its founders Herman Schmincke and Josef Horadam, Schmincke has continued to live up to its company motto, 'Meliora Cogito' - I Strive for the Best. With a strict adherence to this tradition and an eye towards innovation the Schmincke soft pastel came to be.

Schmincke is an especially soft, velvety and intensely pigmented pastel line. Only the purest pigments are used and in the highest possible concentration while the binding compound is kept to a minimum. The manufacturing process is almost entirely done by hand, guaranteeing homogenous quality and smoothness in the final product. The pastels are amazingly consistent - 'rich as velvet and soft as silk'- throughout the entire colour range from the very darkest to the lightest colours. One swipe of a Schmincke pastel and a rich stroke of the purest pigment will be left on the paper.