Pastel artists: What brand of pastels and papers should I purchase to do quality professional portraits?

There are many types of pastels that are considered high quality but it isn't just quality but detail as well. For that nothing beats a pastel pencil. Some of the best are made by Conte and they are a bit expensive. You will also need a board with a clamp to put your art sheets to. Many quality pastel sets have portraiture pastel sets, like Grumbacher, that come with the right colors for portraits but that may be too limiting. You need to experiment with hard and soft pastels because that is just as important as who makes them. I recommend a medium soft because you will usually need it to not be too soft. Hope that helps.