Frustrated with the extruded, hard, and compressed pastels on the market, British artist John Hersey began producing his own handmade pastels. He created a process in which each pastel is lightly rolled so that the pigment is softly compressed, resulting in fluid color unlike any other pastel.

Hersey's unique color formulations contain only pure pigments in a cycle of related hues, instead of adding white or black to the colors. The result is intense, vibrant color application not muddied by the blending of colors.

A variety of special combination Unison Handmade Pastel Sets are available. Each set is packaged in a sturdy black cardboard box, with each pastel cradled and protected by foam. Some sets, including the Brenda Mattson sets, come in attractive wooden boxes.