I just recieved these based on your review and I'm not disappointed at all. Of course I got spoiled with polychromos, but these are very nice for the price. I was looking for a cheaper pencil to extend my polychromos life span during practice peices and these will work wonderfully. Thanks for your review.
Really enjoyed this review. I usually use Polychromos for my commission work [because I know colours won't fade etc], but when I'm just doodling or doing a practise drawing I use cheaper alternatives. I've really enjoyed watching your reviews on Marco Raffine, Marco Renoir and Spectrum Noir, but I think a comparison video of these slightly less expensive pencils might be useful - not just to me, personally, but for anyone who has limited means [most everyone!] and would like to buy a set of "play around"-pencils for less important work. I think a lot of younger viewers especially, who may only just be starting out and who might not have the funds to spring for Faber-Castell Polychromos or Caran Dache Luminance pencils. Maybe you could even get your "young assistant" to test them out alongside yourself? Just a thought.
PS. The tackle box tip was great - it's how I store pencils too - with a home made, numbered / named colour chart taped to the inside of the lid, to make it easier to know exactly what each pencil will look like in use. [As I'm sure you know ;), not all pencils match the pretty "lacquered" colour on the outside...]
I've used prismacolor for many years and just purchased the 72 color set and completed an illustration with the Marco Renoir pencils which proved to be outstanding, especially for the price. I read that they are coconut oil based.
I have the set of 100, find the colours to be lovely, the one problem is I have had some of the pencils crumble when sharpening. For the price though I think they are a nice pencil.
Hi I purchased the 48 set, I didn't see one higher than that, sometime in the winter or spring of 2015 like you direct from China using Aliexpress. Last fall I came across another set that had the same type of case, different picture, but the pencil casing was black and honestly I didn't notice the name but could tell it was the same manufacture as Renoir. I put the 2 sets together and they had the same name one was 3100, other 3200, but the colors and numbers were the same. Just an FYI in case you get a review request they are identical except one has natural wood and one black. Thanks again great video! Oh and they have become popular last few months they are on Amazon and eBay now so don't have to get directly from China now.
Debating buying these to try oil pencils before taking the leap on faber castell polychromos pencils however I have a few quick questions based on your very detailed review above. 1) Lightfastness - did you find anything out about this/have you experimented on this yet? 2) How black is the black - one layer vs. 3-5 layers? 3) You blend alot using the white pencil, how does it blend with the derwent blender pencil you have used in previous reviews? 4) You mention spending a "considerable time" blending, was this because you needed to? 5) Around the 7 minute mark with your blending it looks like there's some cast off colour/debris, did you find there was alot of this? Did this then smudge on the paper? 6) Was there any bleed through with the darker colours on your paper? I like the flower drawing, although I missed the fruit you usual draw! Sorry to bombard you with all these questions, I just want to be prepared!
+Tori Amethyst Hi Tori and thank you for the questions. Here are some answers I hope they help: 1) Lightfastness - did you find anything out about this/have you experimented on this yet? Answer: These pencils have moderately good lightfastness. I would expect the lighter colors to fade over time in a bright or well lit room. These aren't 100 year pencils, but fine for sketchbook or regular drawing. 2) How black is the black - one layer vs. 3-5 layers? Answer: It takes quite a number of layers to get a deep black. Instead I use a Faber-Castell Pitt Oil pencil which yields an outstanding black. 3) You blend alot using the white pencil, how does it blend with the derwent blender pencil you have used in previous reviews? Answer: Yes, they blend well. That was actually pretty impressive with these. 4) You mention spending a "considerable time" blending, was this because you needed to? Answer: That was just me spending a lot of time blending, nothing to do with the pencil really. 5) Around the 7 minute mark with your blending it looks like there's some cast off colour/debris, did you find there was alot of this? Did this then smudge on the paper? Answer: Yes, that was the green and there was some chipping of the tip of the pencil, however that was the only time any of them really chipped and I had just sharpened it. 6) Was there any bleed through with the darker colours on your paper? Answer: Nope. I had no problem with that, however if you press too hard, like I tend to do, then you'll leave some indentations on the paper. I hope this helps you Tori. Have a great day! - Marty
My sister bought me the 100 colored pencil set and I love them so far. They do not hurt my hands when I am having trouble with them. Love Terri Simmers.
hi i really enjoy your reviews iv'e been considering these pencils for a little while but couldn't find much info about them thank you for doing this video :) jem.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts! I am looking to buy a good but cheap pencil set, then this one came up in my research... I am really going to buy these! :D All the best!
I know this video was from long ago but thanks very much. I was looking through aliexpress.com (coz Amazon is not delivering to my region due to covid) for art supplies and my God, it's crazy how much products they have, eye candy!!! Then I remembered vaguely about Marco renoir being mentioned in one of your videos. So glad I looked this up. I've made my decision😊
lol I was noticing the same thing and wondering if there was a voice over but the language style and pacing were so you that it would've taken someone weeks to get that right. Thanks for review by the way; you do great work.
Roberto Ventilii Thank you. I don't adjust color on the camera, it's a go pro so it uses whatever the cam has built in or the compression algorithms in the upload process maybe. I don't do any post Production color enhancement, just turn up the light balance if the video is dark. I use incandescent lights which may slightly contribute the pinkish hue. In the end I strive for the truest possible representation of the color. Thanks for the note.
I just recently purchased these, and was so happy to find your review. I really didn't know what to think of them, because I was comparing them to my wax based pencils. I really like how nicely they blend too. Thank you for taking the time to make such an informative video!
It is said that the Bruynzeel Design Pencils are the exact same Pencils as the Marco Renoir. You have tested both Pencils, do you feel they are the same? Deciding on which one to buy....
Interesting. I don't think they are exactly the same, but maybe I'm wrong. Yes I've tested both and I like the Marco's slightly better, but maybe that's just because I haven't had as much experience with the Bruynzeel's.
THANK YOU so much for this...now, for the end- which would you recommend for purchase: these or Marco Raffine, in the terms of color vibrancy and color palette? Marco Raffine has 72 colors and Marco Renoir has 48 (if they blend well, I guess, that can make up for the less colors)
+Jasmina Grbic - Thanks for the question Jasmina - I would definitely recommend these over the Raffine. These have better pigments, blending and layering. I think you'd be happier overall with these. Have you ever tried Faber-Castell Polychromo's?
+Owings Art I have but a few Faber'Castell Polychromos and love the texture...but Marco Renoir are much more affordable to me, so this is extremely helpful :) Thank you again!
hi.. i usually use water color pencils or oil crayons for my hobies. i hv plan to try oil color pencils soon. but do the oil colors will stains? i want to buy it for coloring my adult coloring book. i'm afraid if they give stain each others like crayons, it will ruin the side by side pages when the book closed. i'm really new with this kind of pencils .. thankyou
+Leoni Mariana Hi Leoni - I'm not sure if they will stain or not, but you could try a few test areas to see. I don't think they will, but I'm just not positive. They do not seem to bleed in my sketchbooks. - Marty
No, oil pencils do not normally rub off onto the next page when the coloring book is closed! When you are coloring in your book, you might want to keep a sheet of paper under the page you are working on, to avoid any transfer of the ink that was used to print the book (but this can be erased easily, if it happens). Hope that helps! :)
There is now a set of 100 on Amazon (US) for around $60. The biggest drawback to the Renoirs is no open stock. See my note above on Renoirs vs Prismacolors prices.
I noticed some breakage/flaking of the lead while you were blending (7:00) - has this posed a problem or concern? Was it because you were pressing really hard? Does it bother you enough to recommend a different type of pencil? I found an incredible deal on a Marco Renoir pencil pack in Canada, and I am on the fence about getting them to compliment my prismacolors, crayola and laurentians!
Hi there and thanks for the questions. I was pressing hard and didn't really find it to be an issue in any drawing I did. I think these are a nice value for the performance you get. The Marco's are good, but the pigments aren't nearly as vibrant. You'll find you need to work harder with the Marco Raffine's. Hopr that helps. - Marty
That really helps! I don't tend to press hard, so the splintering shouldn't be an issue. I watched quite of few of your videos today -and loved them! - I did notice the Raffine's don't have the vibrancy of the Marco Renoirs thanks to your reviews. I really appreciate your input!
.. I still haven't purchased a set of pencils - I was curious as to which was your favorite brand? I watched the Prismacolor Premier review, where you say it would be a second choice, but if you mentioned it, I didn't catch what your personal favorite colored pencils are!
+Organic Road Map Here are some of my favorites and Prismacolor is about dead last on most of my lists. Faber-Castell Polychromo's, Caran d'Ache Luminance, Caran d'Ache Pablo's, Lyra Polycolors, Koh-I-Noor Colored Pencils, Derwent Coloursoft, Marco Renior, Spectrum Noir, Cretacolor and Irojiten Colored pencils. These are followed by many student grades pencils and somewhere at the bottom of that list is Prismacolor unfortunately. This is mostly due to the fact Prismacolor was bought by Rubbermaid-Newell in the mid 1990's and the quality has declined since. Hope this helps you. - Marty
Hi Marty. I was wondering, between the Marco Renoir and Koh I Noor Polycolor pencils, which would you recommend? I will be mostly using it for adult coloring. Nice review, btw :) Thanks in advance!
+Melanie Abellera-Palingcod Hi Melanie - They are close, but I'd say the Koh-I-Noor Polycolor are slightly better for that application. Hope that helps. ~Marty
Hi Estrela - Faber-Castell is excellent. The Renoir's are pretty good. However if you were gong to spend the money I would recommend Faber-Castell Polychromo's. ~Marty
+Owings Art I want something cheaper, I think im gonna buy faber castell classic because I trust in the brand and later marco renoir to give it a try, thank you for your recommends and your excellent reviews, they're the best I can find. Also love your work, goodbye! :)
Ha - That's why you have to watch my videos. I rank each one at the end. If you binge watch you'll get all of my insights into each brand. Happy viewing. ~Marty
Thanks for the great review. I've been thinking of buying these. I've just begun in the coloring book world, and I do have a question. When blending with oil based colored pencils, can I still use the Prismacolor colorless blender pencil? Also, will blending with Gamsol still work also? See - I told you that I'm a novice!
Yes, you can still use the blender Cindy. I do. However, just don't do it with the Gamsol. Use a q-tip or paper stump when using the Gamsol. Hope that helps! ~Marty
Im trying to decide whether I should buy this set of 72 or the Derwent Coloursoft 72 set. I've tried the Derwent, and I liked how it felt and how the colors applied on paper. I haven't tried this brand, but it's really popular here in my country these days. Which do you say is a better deal when it comes to price and value? :)
Marty one doubt came to my mind : I saw those pencils selling in black tin (like this one on the test) and in golden tin. The one in golden tin have the pencils all black in the wood. Do you have any idea if they are different in quality?
Hi Cris - They are exactly the same pencils, just colored differently. Don't be fooled. :-) Hope you are having a wonderful day in Rio. Did my package arrive for you yet? ~Marty
Hi Marty! Thanks a bunch for your quick reply! What a relieve to hear about that! I think of buying the 72 set someday in the future. I tested them last Saturday in the shopping mall during a meeting with colorists' colleages. This meeting was sooo fun and informative! Right now i have received the 72 set of Derwent Colorsoft in the wooden box I got in a super super promo here in Brazil. Unbeatable price! They are the most perfect pencils I tried so far for the swedish coloring books (which are printed in deluxe edition with excelent paper). Could not be more satisfied. I always loved Derwent's products anyway. Last but not least answering your question: no, it did not but it's certainly on the way! The brazilian aduana sometimes keeps the Internacional mails and packages longer with them than the expected. I'll let you know about it as soon as I have the news. Take care my friend and have an excelent and pleasure week! :)
Hi Marty. I am very new to coloured pencils. What make would you suggest I buy? I already have Derwent Inktense which I love. Is it better to buy a wax based or oil based pencil. I am working my way through your videos which are very informative so thank you.
+Helen From the UK Hi Helen - Thank you for the note and the questions. As far as pencil, I can tell you what I recommend, but ultimately it comes down to the Artist preference. As far as wax versus oil, they both have pro's and con's but I prefer oil for its general softness and blendability. For colored pencils I always recommend two brands above all others, Faber-Castell Polychromo's and Caran d'Ache Luminance. The next tier and more affordable recommendations would be Lyra Poly's, Derwent Coloursoft and Marco Renoir. I hope this helps you! Thanks for watching. ~Marty
Hi Mr. Marty, I am young artist still trying out different mediums. I wanted to find from different colored pencils that could help enhance my paintings in acrylic and normal coloring for people and sich so I was looking for colors that will blend well and vivid colors to appear in the paintings. I am a college student on a budget so I wondering what would fit and I wanted your recommendation. I was looking at the faber castell classic, the marco raffine or renoir, and blick studio color pencils or if you have other colored pencils in mind. I was going for prismacolor at first but it seems from your review and others that they don't seem worth it anymore. I hope I don't seem rude and I thank you for wonderful reviews.
Hi and thanks for the question. I would recommend the Faber-Castell Polychromo's if you can afford them. If not, I'd next recommend the Blick colored pencils because they're made by Koh-i-Noor and are good quality. The Poly's are oil based, the Blick is wax based so there are differences, but they are both great, but the FC Poly's are excellent. Good luck and remember to draw every chance you get. ~Marty
Do u think they are better than the regular Marcos? I have those and never use them because I don't like them much. I have several artist grade sets already but have been looking for a small decent sett to travel with.
Thanks for the review. I was undecided whether I should buy Raffine or Renoir, your reply to the comment below helped me to decide. Renoir it is! Im currently using FB Classics and have been wanting to try artist grade pencils. I think this would be a good start...would you agree? Your videos are very helpful and informative. Thanks again.
+Maya Mendoza Hi Maya - I agree and think these are an affordable alternative more expensive pencils. If you want to take one step up in quality but be at about the same price, you should look into Koh-I-Noor. I think they are also good pencils. - Marty
Hello Marty. I really like your reviews and I think you always give very useful tips. I am trying to decide between polychromos and Renoir. I can afford polychromos but I would be really happy to save some bucks if I can. I currently have raffine 72 and polychromos 36 set.I want to buy a full set of good color pencils now. Many reviewers are saying that Renoir break as easily as Prismas. Also in India the price of Prismas and Renoir is almost same. Polychromos in India is about 4 times the price of Renoir. I want your opinion on whether I should invest in Polychromos or I should buy Renoir or Prismas. I am a hobbyist artist and I don't think I have ever used more than 5 layers. I want some pencils which will not limit my Artwork although I am no where near a professional level artist. I would be very glad if I could have your opinion on this. Keeping in mind the layering, blending and breakage issues for a beginner artist. Thank you so much.
Hi! I hear good things about your reviews! How would you say the Marco Renoir Watercolors compare to the Lyra Rembrant Polycolor? I'm trying to get a new full set of pencils
Thank you so much for stopping by and the note. I like the Renoir's and the Polycolors about the same actually. I would definitely save and get the Polychromo's though. They are many levels better. Thanks for the heads up on the link. All the best, Marty
+Pennie Malinke Hi Pennie - I'd say these are considerably better than the Raffine's by a good margin. Better layering, blending and deeper color as a result of better pigments. Hope that helps. Thanks for the question and for watching! - Marty
+Owings Art Wonderful--thank you! I already have the Raffines and really like them. The Raffines are very popular in the "adult coloring" world; however, there's not much information readily available regarding the Renoirs. Definitely going to add them to my wish list!
These look great, but not having the color name on the pencil doesn't work for me as a color blind person. Looking at Blick Studio for my knock around set or when I want to spare my Polychromos.
+Dee Dee Blick's are a good choice and they're made by Koh-I-Noor in the Czech Republic so they are pretty good and a great value for the price. - Marty
Hi, I watched a couple of your colored pencils reviews and I have a small question for you. Right now I own a box of 72 coloursoft pencils I bought a couple of years ago but i never really liked them - I can't do too many layers with them, I also think it's difficult to use them for details. I've seen your review on coloursoft pencils as well, but how are they compared to marco renoir pencils? I know they are way cheaper, but from what I've seen in your video I think they may be better for me...
+Magdalena Piechula Thank you for the question and I think I know the problem. You should consider using Faber-Castell Polychromos. The FC Poly's are oil based and I think you'll like the layering and blending properties better than the Coloursoft. The Marco Renoir's are nice pencils and very affordable, but the Faber-Castell's are better quality and more lightfast. Good luck and I hope this information was helpful. Thank you! - Marty
+Owings Art Thank you so much for your help! I've been thinking about polychromos for quite some time, but I don't really draw that much and I'm usually short on budget :) I think I might give these marco pencils a try, and if I like them I may switch to polychromos in the future when I improve my drawing skills. Thank you once again, your videos are extremally helpful! :)
+Magdalena Piechula the Coloursoft pencils are so very soft, they wear down quickly, and that's why I think they are hard to use. The Marco raffines are not as soft, so they are a bit easier to use, and much easier to use for detail work. I didn't care for the grey box raffines (which he has also reviewed) because they were very scratchy. The Renoir were not quite as scratchy, and seemed a better pencil than they grey ones. You might really like these, but colored pencils are one of those things where everyone has a different opinion. Lol. Amazon has 72 lyra polycolor pencils for a very good price-they will be back in stock 4-18-16-and you might think about these as an option as well. Hope that helps. :)
tammynwes Thank you so much, this is really helpful :) I'm still trying to do something with my Coloursoft pencils, but I will definitely replace them in the near future. I recently bought a set of 36 Lyra Polycolor pencils, but I didn't have a chance to test them yet so I'm glad to hear that I may like them :)
please make some comparisons on color pencil brands,,,, im very confused which brand should i pick for realistic portraits,,, i dont have enough money to buy prismacolors or other brands so i ordered marco raffine 72 set and marco renoir 48 set,,, i need some recomendations ,,,
raizo wanderer I'm sorry to hear you spent that money on those sets. They're okay, but they aren't great. For the money you spent you could have picked up a nice set of Faber-Castell Polychromo's or even Koh-I-Noor pencils. I've done many comparison videos, just search my channel and you'll find lots of them. :-) Hope that helps and good luck, the Marco's aren't bad, but they aren't as good as FC's or other brands. They are definitely better then Prismacolor though. IMO. ~Marty
Where did you order these? I know you said China, but through Amazon or directly from the company? Are they as soft as Polychromos? I have wrist issues and need the soft pencils, but would love this set when I travel or to play with and keep my Polychromos for better works. Do you like these better than the Spectrum Noir you reviewed previously? Thanks!
+Maureen Hayes Hi Maureen - I had to order these on eBay and they shipped from China. I don't know if they have a US distributor or not and couldn't find them in North America. They seem to be a little softer than FC Poly's. The colors are great though and these would be ideal as a second set. Yes, I liked these better than the Spectrum Noir's. These seem to be better made and the pigments were much richer. :-) - Marty
+Maureen Hayes you can order through Aliexpress.com this marco renior 48 pencil set available for 29$ free shipping to 59 countries.But it will take some 50 days to reach your destination.It's a very good pencils.
Sathish Kumar Maureen Hayes Just an fyi that it didn't take nearly that long for me to get them from China - I think it was about 10 days. Make sure the seller is reputable. :-)
Owings Art I've ordered from reputable seleller called bianyo art supplies from Ali express.but to India it took 30 to 40 days normally even though it's very near to china..
+Maureen Hayes if u have wriste issuse and u need a soft pencil u can get the prismacolor soft core that are high quality as well and they have a ton of pigmant inthem
hi Marty, how do these pencil work compared to the higher priced Mitsubishi Polycolor? I just watched your review of Mitsubishi Polycolor, and they seem pretty good (if not really good :p), but this Marco Renoir seems good too, and they are cheaper, aren't they? I'm on a tight budget, here. So I need advice to choose good pencils with affordable price. thank you for the review anyway.
+retno ika Widyastuti Thanks for the question. The Mitsubishi might be slightly better, but not worth the extra money compared to these in my opinion. These are really good for the price and I think they do a great job. I use them in my work. Thanks for stopping by and watching the videos. - Marty
I love these pencils, I've just posted a review on my blog and linked your video, if this is a problem please let me know and I'll remove your link. They are about £17 on amazon in uk, they are cheaper on ebay but as they are shipped within UK on amazon I'd rather pay a little more for next day delivery, than wait for shipping from China. I also reviewed the Marco Renoir watercolour pencils and enjoyed them too. Have you tried them?
+Owings Art myrandomreviewsblog.wordpress.com/2016/03/09/marco-renoir-fine-art-coloured-pencils-review/ I'm new to blogging so it's probably not that good but I'm having fun :)
Another great review :) One question that comes to my mind : how do you store all your pencils ? I was rearranging my room today and I was at loss on what would be the most ergonomic way to store all my coloured pencils. If you have one bigger set in a tin, its easy but I have few smaller sets that I like to work with simultaneously. And they are very different (watercolour, oil based, wax based ect)so I don't want to mix them.But its so hard to find a place (or a way) to arrange all those tins around you when you are working. Do you have any idea on how to make it easier?
+Karolina Skórska Hi Karolina - Thank you very much for the question. The answer is YES! I have a nice storage method. Please view this video and skip ahead to 6:50 for some ideas on pencil storage. th-cam.com/video/dnMR4ejDSVU/w-d-xo.html I hope this helps you. Thanks for watching.
+Owings Art Thank you ! That's a great idea, I had few of those tackle boxes just lying around my house (picked them up on a great sale last year and had no idea what to to use them for). Hope you will feel better soon. Karolina
Based on your review I ordered a set of these pencils and am not disappointed. Your videos are the best. If you send me your email address, I will forward you the complete color chart for these pencils, which includes the names and numbers for all 72 pencils. I printed out a list of the names in 6pt type, cut them up, and glued them to my pencils. Took forever, but I am happier with the names on my pencils. Thanks again for your great videos!
377 likes with no dislikes?!!? WOW! Thanks for this video, I think I'll buy a set in the future. I am colorblind so them not having the names of the colors on the pencil is a bummer. :( Can someone suggest similar grade pencils around the same cost but with the names printed on them? Thanks!
Thanks for the note. You could try either these, which are also sold as Blick: th-cam.com/video/3R2GvUEXSyE/w-d-xo.html Or you could try these: th-cam.com/video/byuELVefHaQ/w-d-xo.html
According to the Official Marco Shop on Amazon, both pencil sets are wax-based. The message I received today: "Renoir and Raffine are both wax based but with different formulation. Actually, most of the colored pencils you can see in the market are wax based. There're very few top high end brands producing oil based pencils as wax based pencils are more cost effective for people who donâ™t want to spend hundred bucks for one set. Good formulation for wax based pencils can also deliver great artwork. We designed different formulations for Raffine and Renoir, you can take a try and let us know how you feel. Hope my answer is helpful. Marco Official Shop"
Very helpful. Thank you Debi. I use Polychromo's by Faber-Castell and I think you can still get sets for well under $100. They aren't cheap, but they are good, oil-based, pencils. ~Marty
Hello¡I from Argentina .My inglish is basic sorry..I have DERWENT SOF COLOR 24 and policromos pencil.I love .Next Abril an Autralian friend comes to visit and he want to buy marco Renoir pencil to me.,He is not an artist but he want to know what kind of pencil is the best .Here in Argentina Prismacolor imposibilite to found so I d like to ask you what pencil recomend to me.My dreams...caran dache Pablo.Thank you and sorry for my inglish
+Mariaraquel Oliver Hi Mariaraquel - Thank you for the great question. I also love the Caran d'Ache Pablo. Also the Faber-Castell Polychromo's are outstanding. If you want to save some money you might try the Cretacolor colored pencils. Have a great day! - Marty
Hey, Marty. Thanks again for another fabulous review. A pricing & sharpener update (June 2017) Sorry it's so long, but hopefully good info... M. RENOIR vs PRISMACOLOR: I have the Renoirs and the Prismacolors (and others), and really like both although (in my opinion), the Prisma cores make them the better pencil. Unfortunately, the Renoirs are (in my opinion), no longer competitive in their price range. They now have a 100-set on Amazon for $59 but they're still not available as open stock and there is no lightfastness info. Prismacolor prices have been drastically reduced, and it pains me to say it, but the Renoirs actually cost the same or more than the Prismas, now. If you watch the Prismas, you can often find a 150-set on Amazon or DickBlick.com, or Jerry's Art-o-Rama (I think), on sale for around $78-$79. This is the only set that contain the wonderful French Greys. Of course, Prismas are available as open stock and their lightfast info is readily available, making them the best investment and giving you more options. SHARPENERS: This goes for most any brand/type colored pencils... Get an electric or handcrank HELICAL (blade) sharpener (apparently the technology has changed a LOT since you last used one, LOL), and you won't have the issues with cores breaking. Seriously. My Prismas are now as useable as any other brand. (For off-centered pencils, I sharpen them with my helical sharpener then trim the woodier bits with a craft knife/blade or single razor blade. Just takes a few seconds. You don't have to do this every time you sharpen.) I picked up a helical sharpener on Amazon for just around $15. (Mine is by "Laneco" but there are others.) Best $15 I ever spent. IT MUST BE A HELICAL (BLADE) SHARPENER. Mine is battery operated so I can use it anywhere without worrying about an outlet. When the pencil is sharp, it still runs but it doesn't continue sharpening - you can tell by the sound and it's not pulling more pencil in. Apparently, it's magic! So, most(?) electric sharpeners no longer eat pencils! Yea! Also, the helical sharpeners put a very, very long point on the pencils, which I LOVE. Thanks for all you do, Marty. As I can no longer travel, I really have enjoyed your travel videos as well. Keep up the GREAT work!
Greetings and thank you for the info on the sharpeners, I had no idea and will need to look that up for sure. The reason Prisma's are so cheap now is because they are not very good pencils and they are losing market share badly. I believe that their lightfast information may be misleading. I think the information they provide is for the pencils that used to be produced in the US. My tests have not yielded great results for them. Although some of their colors, especially their whites are tremendous. I would spend a little more and always choose the Faber-Castell Polychromo's over almost every pencil made today. I keep testing the Prismacolors and hoping they'll improve, but they don't, they just seem to get worse. If you absolutely must save money, I recommend the Black brand colored pencils made in the Czech Republic by Koh-I-Noor, they're really good. Thanks for the tips again on the sharpener, I must check them out. May I ask what your real name is, if it isn't Gooey? Have a great day! ~ Marty
There is this woman in my art group that keeps arguing that the Marco Reniors and the Marco Raffines are both wax based. She says she got an email from the company that says this, But the Marco Reniors Definitely feel oil based, But she argues and argues that they are wax. So is there a definite difference with these on the oil and the wax?
They are oil based. Yes you're right there is a difference, but it can be subtle. Almost all colored pencils contain some wax, some clay and some oil and of course pigment. They dominant ingredient in the formula seems to define what category they best fit into. Make her show you the email, because I contacted the company as well and they stated clearly to me on the phone that these are predominantly oil-based.
Just got my set of 72... lol.. .so cheap I couldn't believe the quality... Chinese pencils to go with my Chinese Cell phone..! Now - if only I can find a blank color chart...
Owings Art No.. I serious... I think they are wonderful pencils and I love my cell phone! But - I do need a blank color chart... guess I'll create one and then share because I cannot find one on the internet!
Lol me to. I just bought the 72 sets, and i love them. My favorite part about them is that i can blend with water and paint thinner to get a smooth seamless finish.
Hey, nice review. Why are you so inclined to read the names of the colors? I guess if one orders specific colored pencils online in great numbers it could be somehow useful, but otherwise? If you get them in a store, it's easy to try the pencil out and see the color (it's quite easy to remember, unless one is colorblind, but then just get graphite). Also i'm jus having fun naming colors myself. (sometimes obscenely) Oh, and about sharpening. I've often encountered opinions, that one must only sharpen with a knife and sharpeners are for kids and stuff. So i wasted half a pencil, cut my finger, swore a little bit and just went back to my selection of differently colored sharpeners. Does that mean i'm not gonna be a real artist? *sobs* P.S. Real nice videos you make. Wish there were more tutorials though. Gonna watch how to draw hands now, thank you.
+Александр Самарин Thank you for the feedback. For the names of the colors, I think it's just a good convenience to have the names on the pencils and not have to look up a color chart, especially when there are similar colors. I don't use knives or razors to sharpen my pencils, just a little German sharpener that works great. Look up my video on it if you're interested. Artists aren't defined by the sharpening technique they employ, however they may go broke buying pencils if they use an electric machine sharpener. :-) Thank you for watching and for the comments. Have a fantastic day!
It will sound odd but I actually know an artist who is color blind, so he needs the names of the colors to refer to especially when mixing media, say from water colors to pencils.
Made in China. These are sold all over the world, not to just English speaking countries. The world no longer revolves around us. I wish the reviewers would state quality in absolute terms, not adjusted for price.
First, thank you for creating and posting this and your other videos. After commenting I realized how absurd it is to rate art media in absolute terms. As for pencils there so many different factors to consider. Coloring Book or sketching. Paper type. Available palette. What you are trying to accomplish. The final look. Availability of individual replacements. Price is no consideration for me except for Polychromos. I just started up sketching again after 50 years. I like the look of Crayolas, I can get airbrush smooth even at maximum layers or intensity. My goal is airbrush smooth. And I do not want to resort to blending tools and fluids. That is just my own chosen technique. Prismacolors in many colors lay down little tooth size micro globs even with the lightest touch, deep color and layers are nowhere airbrush smooth. But the palette of 150 is exactly what I want for landscapes. My Leisure Arts 80 pencils for $10 has an excellent full palette that is easy to manage while plein air sketching sitting on the tailgate of my tiny car. Performance is difficult to distinguish from crayolas. They all blend nicely for color gradients and transitions but to me, all fail at easily mixing colors, technically speaking but that is why I want the large palette. Are there enough grays to do clouds? Are there enough greens to cover all the shades of trees in the foreground along with the deep dark greens of trees on the horizon? Enough blues, magentas, pinks and golden yellows to do a sunset? So now I am looking for a huge palette of 100 plus that performs like crayolas. If I want the intensity of Prismacolors at their wax blooming intensity then I think I should look for another media. The next challenge is a way to manage 150 plus pencils while sitting on the tailgate of a tiny car. Elastic loops and flimsy trays don't work.
I have a tin of 12 Polochromos on the way right now to test before I make the investment. I wish I would have tried a small box of Prismacolors first. I just tried a 24 box of Koh-I-Noor 24 Woodless Pencils. I consider those perfect except they only have a palette of 24. They are great to just grab and go to get out of the house and to do practice work.
Yes, the Koh-I-Nor are very good, especially considering price point. I think you will love the Poly's. Let me know what you think of them John, once you've had a chance to test them. ~Marty
+Fayy16Chat Merci pour la question. Pas ce ne sont pas les mêmes que les Raffine de . Les Raffine de sont considérés comme qualité d'étudiant , et les Reniors sont considérés comme de qualité de l'artiste , donc de meilleure qualité . J'espère que ceci vous aide. Marty
I just recieved these based on your review and I'm not disappointed at all. Of course I got spoiled with polychromos, but these are very nice for the price. I was looking for a cheaper pencil to extend my polychromos life span during practice peices and these will work wonderfully. Thanks for your review.
+Verna Bailey Thank you Verna, I'm happy they worked out for you. Thanks for leaving me this note as well. Have a GREAT day! - Marty
Really enjoyed this review. I usually use Polychromos for my commission work [because I know colours won't fade etc], but when I'm just doodling or doing a practise drawing I use cheaper alternatives. I've really enjoyed watching your reviews on Marco Raffine, Marco Renoir and Spectrum Noir, but I think a comparison video of these slightly less expensive pencils might be useful - not just to me, personally, but for anyone who has limited means [most everyone!] and would like to buy a set of "play around"-pencils for less important work. I think a lot of younger viewers especially, who may only just be starting out and who might not have the funds to spring for Faber-Castell Polychromos or Caran Dache Luminance pencils. Maybe you could even get your "young assistant" to test them out alongside yourself? Just a thought.
PS. The tackle box tip was great - it's how I store pencils too - with a home made, numbered / named colour chart taped to the inside of the lid, to make it easier to know exactly what each pencil will look like in use. [As I'm sure you know ;), not all pencils match the pretty "lacquered" colour on the outside...]
I could watch you draw for hours! Thank you for the review.
Thank you Patricia. Very kind. ~Marty
I've used prismacolor for many years and just purchased the 72 color set and completed an illustration with the Marco Renoir pencils which proved to be outstanding, especially for the price. I read that they are coconut oil based.
That's good news. The Prisma's have gone down hill in the past 15 years.
Great review, btw!
Lucas Boyd Thank you Sir.
thank you for this review, I bought the 72 color set and I'm not disappointed, I'm very happy with the results
That's. Great to hear Rafael. Thanks for the note.
I have the set of 100, find the colours to be lovely, the one problem is I have had some of the pencils crumble when sharpening. For the price though I think they are a nice pencil.
I had some of the same problems and I think it's a batch to batch issue. You get some good ones and sometimes the occasional dud.
Crafty Crafter’s Place I had that same issue, with two out of the tin with 36.
I absolutely loved your video. Precise and to the point. You've saved me money and time! ❤ I am so pumped and inspired thank you
Hi Iza - Thanks for watching and thanks for taking the time to comment. ~Marty
Hi I purchased the 48 set, I didn't see one higher than that, sometime in the winter or spring of 2015 like you direct from China using Aliexpress. Last fall I came across another set that had the same type of case, different picture, but the pencil casing was black and honestly I didn't notice the name but could tell it was the same manufacture as Renoir. I put the 2 sets together and they had the same name one was 3100, other 3200, but the colors and numbers were the same. Just an FYI in case you get a review request they are identical except one has natural wood and one black. Thanks again great video! Oh and they have become popular last few months they are on Amazon and eBay now so don't have to get directly from China now.
+Michelle C Hi Michelle - Thank you for the heads up on this. I appreciate it. - Marty
Thank you for your wonderful review !
+Hân Nguyễn Sure, no problem Han.
Sorry for the double post, I have a connection problems and the post gone twince :(
Another great review! Thanks so much.
Thanks again Kris.
Debating buying these to try oil pencils before taking the leap on faber castell polychromos pencils however I have a few quick questions based on your very detailed review above.
1) Lightfastness - did you find anything out about this/have you experimented on this yet?
2) How black is the black - one layer vs. 3-5 layers?
3) You blend alot using the white pencil, how does it blend with the derwent blender pencil you have used in previous reviews?
4) You mention spending a "considerable time" blending, was this because you needed to?
5) Around the 7 minute mark with your blending it looks like there's some cast off colour/debris, did you find there was alot of this? Did this then smudge on the paper?
6) Was there any bleed through with the darker colours on your paper?
I like the flower drawing, although I missed the fruit you usual draw!
Sorry to bombard you with all these questions, I just want to be prepared!
+Tori Amethyst Hi Tori and thank you for the questions. Here are some answers I hope they help:
1) Lightfastness - did you find anything out about this/have you experimented on this yet?
Answer: These pencils have moderately good lightfastness. I would expect the lighter colors to fade over time in a bright or well lit room. These aren't 100 year pencils, but fine for sketchbook or regular drawing.
2) How black is the black - one layer vs. 3-5 layers?
Answer: It takes quite a number of layers to get a deep black. Instead I use a Faber-Castell Pitt Oil pencil which yields an outstanding black.
3) You blend alot using the white pencil, how does it blend with the derwent blender pencil you have used in previous reviews?
Answer: Yes, they blend well. That was actually pretty impressive with these.
4) You mention spending a "considerable time" blending, was this because you needed to?
Answer: That was just me spending a lot of time blending, nothing to do with the pencil really.
5) Around the 7 minute mark with your blending it looks like there's some cast off colour/debris, did you find there was alot of this? Did this then smudge on the paper?
Answer: Yes, that was the green and there was some chipping of the tip of the pencil, however that was the only time any of them really chipped and I had just sharpened it.
6) Was there any bleed through with the darker colours on your paper?
Answer: Nope. I had no problem with that, however if you press too hard, like I tend to do, then you'll leave some indentations on the paper.
I hope this helps you Tori. Have a great day! - Marty
Can you please make video’s again ???!!! I’m missing your video’s ...
What's the difference between these and the black wood Renoirs?
Not sure, I haven't looked into or tested the black wood Reniors. My guess is they are very similar.
My sister bought me the 100 colored pencil set and I love them so far. They do not hurt my hands when I am having trouble with them. Love Terri Simmers.
It's so beautiful,...
+Nguyen Tri Thank you!
Lovely pencils, I'm pretty happy with your test! Very informative! Thanks again Marty! :)
+Cris Costa Great to hear from you Cris. I'm always happy to see your comments. :-) - Marty
hi i really enjoy your reviews iv'e been considering these pencils for a little while but couldn't find much info about them thank you for doing this video :) jem.
Thanks Jem. Happy New Year.
Bought these due to your review! I love them, my new favourite pencils
Thank you for following up Lucia. Glad to hear you love them, they're reasonably priced and decent quality. :-) ~Marty
Thanks for sharing your thoughts! I am looking to buy a good but cheap pencil set, then this one came up in my research... I am really going to buy these! :D All the best!
I hope you like them Kallyne.
Would you say that these are the better quality ones, then the Marco raffine pencils?
About the same Kelly.
I know this video was from long ago but thanks very much. I was looking through aliexpress.com (coz Amazon is not delivering to my region due to covid) for art supplies and my God, it's crazy how much products they have, eye candy!!! Then I remembered vaguely about Marco renoir being mentioned in one of your videos. So glad I looked this up. I've made my decision😊
Glad I could help! Thank you for the note and kind remarks.
the website is www.marco.com.cn/ it is a 3.8mm core. All specs on the website or through the official Marco Renoir store on Amazon
Hey thanks Tanya!
Thank you so much for this review as I was wondering the difference between these and the Marco. Now I know ...Thanks again.
+JoAnn Brewer Happy it helped you JoAnn. - Marty
Thanks for the demo Marty. Great job! Wow, it doesn't sound the same. New audio equipment? There's a little more bass in your voice.
+hitgar Ha! Thanks for noticing the sound, but it's just a common cold. :-)
lol I was noticing the same thing and wondering if there was a voice over but the language style and pacing were so you that it would've taken someone weeks to get that right.
Thanks for review by the way; you do great work.
Do oil base pencils contain solvents?
+tony the awsome gamer They contain the petroleum in the oil, but also wax. Thanks! - Marty
Yes Marty I do have Polychromos. I also see that Marco R has a watercolor pencil. Have u tried those?
I think I have tried them Yvette, but can't remember off hand. I will take a look in my inventory. ~Marty
could you tell me how much the price of these color box "24 color penciles" these days in china?
I have no idea, I live in the US. You could check online though.
thanks ,, but in US how many much,please?😓
This video talks about colors but you should adjust the gamma of the camera because seems that it's shifted to the reds..
Roberto Ventilii Thank you. I don't adjust color on the camera, it's a go pro so it uses whatever the cam has built in or the compression algorithms in the upload process maybe. I don't do any post Production color enhancement, just turn up the light balance if the video is dark. I use incandescent lights which may slightly contribute the pinkish hue. In the end I strive for the truest possible representation of the color. Thanks for the note.
I just recently purchased these, and was so happy to find your review. I really didn't know what to think of them, because I was comparing them to my wax based pencils. I really like how nicely they blend too. Thank you for taking the time to make such an informative video!
Hi Katheryn - Glad to hear you like them. They are very affordable as well. ~Marty
I live in Romania and I found them at the library on 48 set. (and 20 I think)
That's a good deal.
Cartof prăjit super pret
It is said that the Bruynzeel Design Pencils are the exact same Pencils as the Marco Renoir. You have tested both Pencils, do you feel they are the same? Deciding on which one to buy....
Interesting. I don't think they are exactly the same, but maybe I'm wrong. Yes I've tested both and I like the Marco's slightly better, but maybe that's just because I haven't had as much experience with the Bruynzeel's.
Owings Art Thank you for your fast reply, I really appreciate it 😊
THANK YOU so much for this...now, for the end-
which would you recommend for purchase:
these or Marco Raffine, in the terms of color vibrancy and color palette?
Marco Raffine has 72 colors and Marco Renoir has 48 (if they blend well, I guess, that can make up for the less colors)
+Jasmina Grbic - Thanks for the question Jasmina - I would definitely recommend these over the Raffine. These have better pigments, blending and layering. I think you'd be happier overall with these. Have you ever tried Faber-Castell Polychromo's?
+Owings Art I have but a few Faber'Castell Polychromos and love the texture...but Marco Renoir are much more affordable to me, so this is extremely helpful :) Thank you again!
Jasmina Grbic For sure and good luck. - Marty
Are there any differences between this and Marco Raffine?
Yes. Raffine is student/artist grade. Renoir is artist grade, they are a better grade than Raffine.
Btw, have you tested Marco Renoir Watercolor pencils?
and... thank you for another great review.
+Miquel Matas Hi Miquel - I haven't tested them yet, but they are on my list now, so thank you very much! Have a great day Miquel. - Marty
hi.. i usually use water color pencils or oil crayons for my hobies. i hv plan to try oil color pencils soon. but do the oil colors will stains? i want to buy it for coloring my adult coloring book. i'm afraid if they give stain each others like crayons, it will ruin the side by side pages when the book closed. i'm really new with this kind of pencils .. thankyou
+Leoni Mariana Hi Leoni - I'm not sure if they will stain or not, but you could try a few test areas to see. I don't think they will, but I'm just not positive. They do not seem to bleed in my sketchbooks. - Marty
No, oil pencils do not normally rub off onto the next page when the coloring book is closed! When you are coloring in your book, you might want to keep a sheet of paper under the page you are working on, to avoid any transfer of the ink that was used to print the book (but this can be erased easily, if it happens). Hope that helps! :)
If I had to ask, what is the difference between Marco Renoir and Marco Raffine and what do you think is the better of the two?
The Renoir are better quality. Strictly speaking that's about it.
In Amazon, the box of 132 prismacolor is the same price as the box 100 Marco Renoir, ¿Which one would you choose?
Marco Renoir.
The way they color look like marker color, very Solid! what's the bigest pack they have? if you know... 😄
+Joey OneArts Hi Joey - 72 I think.
+Owings Art aww man thanks for the reply!
There is now a set of 100 on Amazon (US) for around $60. The biggest drawback to the Renoirs is no open stock. See my note above on Renoirs vs Prismacolors prices.
I noticed some breakage/flaking of the lead while you were blending (7:00) - has this posed a problem or concern? Was it because you were pressing really hard? Does it bother you enough to recommend a different type of pencil?
I found an incredible deal on a Marco Renoir pencil pack in Canada, and I am on the fence about getting them to compliment my prismacolors, crayola and laurentians!
Hi there and thanks for the questions. I was pressing hard and didn't really find it to be an issue in any drawing I did. I think these are a nice value for the performance you get. The Marco's are good, but the pigments aren't nearly as vibrant. You'll find you need to work harder with the Marco Raffine's. Hopr that helps. - Marty
That really helps! I don't tend to press hard, so the splintering shouldn't be an issue.
I watched quite of few of your videos today -and loved them! - I did notice the Raffine's don't have the vibrancy of the Marco Renoirs thanks to your reviews.
I really appreciate your input!
+Organic Road Map Happy to help! Have a great weekend. - Marty
.. I still haven't purchased a set of pencils - I was curious as to which was your favorite brand? I watched the Prismacolor Premier review, where you say it would be a second choice, but if you mentioned it, I didn't catch what your personal favorite colored pencils are!
+Organic Road Map Here are some of my favorites and Prismacolor is about dead last on most of my lists. Faber-Castell Polychromo's, Caran d'Ache Luminance, Caran d'Ache Pablo's, Lyra Polycolors, Koh-I-Noor Colored Pencils, Derwent Coloursoft, Marco Renior, Spectrum Noir, Cretacolor and Irojiten Colored pencils. These are followed by many student grades pencils and somewhere at the bottom of that list is Prismacolor unfortunately. This is mostly due to the fact Prismacolor was bought by Rubbermaid-Newell in the mid 1990's and the quality has declined since. Hope this helps you. - Marty
Thank you for great video!!! It's in my Amazon wish list!!! :)
+Ruta Racaite Happy it helped Ruta. - Marty
In your opinion, would these work well on fabric as I want to use them for art quilts. Thanks
Not sure to be honest. Never tried them on fabric. I think Faber-Castell Polychromos might work better simply because they are oil based.
Hi Marty. I was wondering, between the Marco Renoir and Koh I Noor Polycolor pencils, which would you recommend? I will be mostly using it for adult coloring. Nice review, btw :) Thanks in advance!
+Melanie Abellera-Palingcod Hi Melanie - They are close, but I'd say the Koh-I-Noor Polycolor are slightly better for that application. Hope that helps. ~Marty
Hello, could you please tell me wich one should I buy : marco raffine 72 pcs, marco renoir 72pcs or faber castell classic 48pcs ?
Hi Estrela - Faber-Castell is excellent. The Renoir's are pretty good. However if you were gong to spend the money I would recommend Faber-Castell Polychromo's. ~Marty
+Owings Art I want something cheaper, I think im gonna buy faber castell classic because I trust in the brand and later marco renoir to give it a try, thank you for your recommends and your excellent reviews, they're the best I can find. Also love your work, goodbye! :)
on a scale of 1-10 how would you rate marco renoir, Marco raffine, kohinoor polycolor, lyra polycolor, fc classic, fc polychromos. thanks..
Ha - That's why you have to watch my videos. I rank each one at the end. If you binge watch you'll get all of my insights into each brand. Happy viewing. ~Marty
Thanks for the great review. I've been thinking of buying these. I've just begun in the coloring book world, and I do have a question. When blending with oil based colored pencils, can I still use the Prismacolor colorless blender pencil? Also, will blending with Gamsol still work also? See - I told you that I'm a novice!
Yes, you can still use the blender Cindy. I do. However, just don't do it with the Gamsol. Use a q-tip or paper stump when using the Gamsol. Hope that helps! ~Marty
Hi, I'll start coloring soon. As a beginner, do you recommend me Marco renoir or raffine?
Renoir. It's a little more $ but slightly better quality.
Im trying to decide whether I should buy this set of 72 or the Derwent Coloursoft 72 set. I've tried the Derwent, and I liked how it felt and how the colors applied on paper. I haven't tried this brand, but it's really popular here in my country these days. Which do you say is a better deal when it comes to price and value? :)
These are great colored pencils. I think that either one would be fine, but yes I would go with these. Good luck. ~Marty
Did you make a lightfast test? :)
Thanks for the review!
+Zab Nilsson Not yet Zab.
+Ownings art what sharpener do you use
Hi Coles - I used a small german pencil sharpener - You can find it here: amzn.to/2qLexSl
Marty one doubt came to my mind : I saw those pencils selling in black tin (like this one on the test) and in golden tin. The one in golden tin have the pencils all black in the wood. Do you have any idea if they are different in quality?
Hi Cris - They are exactly the same pencils, just colored differently. Don't be fooled. :-) Hope you are having a wonderful day in Rio. Did my package arrive for you yet? ~Marty
Hi Marty! Thanks a bunch for your quick reply! What a relieve to hear about that! I think of buying the 72 set someday in the future. I tested them last Saturday in the shopping mall during a meeting with colorists' colleages. This meeting was sooo fun and informative! Right now i have received the 72 set of Derwent Colorsoft in the wooden box I got in a super super promo here in Brazil. Unbeatable price! They are the most perfect pencils I tried so far for the swedish coloring books (which are printed in deluxe edition with excelent paper). Could not be more satisfied. I always loved Derwent's products anyway. Last but not least answering your question: no, it did not but it's certainly on the way! The brazilian aduana sometimes keeps the Internacional mails and packages longer with them than the expected. I'll let you know about it as soon as I have the news. Take care my friend and have an excelent and pleasure week! :)
I meant "pleasant week" :)
Cris Costa LOL @ Pleasure week. I laughed when I saw it.
Hahahahaha
Hi Marty. I am very new to coloured pencils. What make would you suggest I buy? I already have Derwent
Inktense which I love. Is it better to buy a wax based or oil based pencil. I am working my way through your videos which are very informative so thank you.
+Helen From the UK Hi Helen - Thank you for the note and the questions. As far as pencil, I can tell you what I recommend, but ultimately it comes down to the Artist preference. As far as wax versus oil, they both have pro's and con's but I prefer oil for its general softness and blendability. For colored pencils I always recommend two brands above all others, Faber-Castell Polychromo's and Caran d'Ache Luminance. The next tier and more affordable recommendations would be Lyra Poly's, Derwent Coloursoft and Marco Renoir. I hope this helps you! Thanks for watching. ~Marty
Tbh idk if i should get a set of 24 Renoir or get a set of 12 polychromos
Poly's.
Hi Mr. Marty, I am young artist still trying out different mediums. I wanted to find from different colored pencils that could help enhance my paintings in acrylic and normal coloring for people and sich so I was looking for colors that will blend well and vivid colors to appear in the paintings. I am a college student on a budget so I wondering what would fit and I wanted your recommendation. I was looking at the faber castell classic, the marco raffine or renoir, and blick studio color pencils or if you have other colored pencils in mind. I was going for prismacolor at first but it seems from your review and others that they don't seem worth it anymore. I hope I don't seem rude and I thank you for wonderful reviews.
Hi and thanks for the question. I would recommend the Faber-Castell Polychromo's if you can afford them. If not, I'd next recommend the Blick colored pencils because they're made by Koh-i-Noor and are good quality. The Poly's are oil based, the Blick is wax based so there are differences, but they are both great, but the FC Poly's are excellent. Good luck and remember to draw every chance you get. ~Marty
Do u think they are better than the regular Marcos? I have those and never use them because I don't like them much. I have several artist grade sets already but have been looking for a small decent sett to travel with.
Hi Yvette - They are a bit better, both in vibrancy and overall quality as I remember. Do you have any Faber-Castell Polychromo's? ~Marty
how much is that?
Thanks for the review. I was undecided whether I should buy Raffine or Renoir, your reply to the comment below helped me to decide. Renoir it is! Im currently using FB Classics and have been wanting to try artist grade pencils. I think this would be a good start...would you agree? Your videos are very helpful and informative. Thanks again.
+Maya Mendoza Hi Maya - I agree and think these are an affordable alternative more expensive pencils. If you want to take one step up in quality but be at about the same price, you should look into Koh-I-Noor. I think they are also good pencils. - Marty
+Owings Art Thanks for the suggestion...will check those out as well.
Hello Marty. I really like your reviews and I think you always give very useful tips. I am trying to decide between polychromos and Renoir. I can afford polychromos but I would be really happy to save some bucks if I can. I currently have raffine 72 and polychromos 36 set.I want to buy a full set of good color pencils now. Many reviewers are saying that Renoir break as easily as Prismas. Also in India the price of Prismas and Renoir is almost same. Polychromos in India is about 4 times the price of Renoir. I want your opinion on whether I should invest in Polychromos or I should buy Renoir or Prismas. I am a hobbyist artist and I don't think I have ever used more than 5 layers. I want some pencils which will not limit my Artwork although I am no where near a professional level artist. I would be very glad if I could have your opinion on this. Keeping in mind the layering, blending and breakage issues for a beginner artist. Thank you so much.
What color pencil do you have ?
Hi Amber - Do you mean what types or brands?
Hi! I hear good things about your reviews!
How would you say the Marco Renoir Watercolors compare to the Lyra Rembrant Polycolor? I'm trying to get a new full set of pencils
Thank you so much for stopping by and the note. I like the Renoir's and the Polycolors about the same actually. I would definitely save and get the Polychromo's though. They are many levels better. Thanks for the heads up on the link. All the best, Marty
Owings Art Thanks for the replies! So the Polychromos 60 over the Poly color 72? I'll do that then, thank you.
Was wondering if you could comment about how these compare to the Raffines?
+Pennie Malinke Hi Pennie - I'd say these are considerably better than the Raffine's by a good margin. Better layering, blending and deeper color as a result of better pigments. Hope that helps. Thanks for the question and for watching! - Marty
+Owings Art Wonderful--thank you! I already have the Raffines and really like them. The Raffines are very popular in the "adult coloring" world; however, there's not much information readily available regarding the Renoirs. Definitely going to add them to my wish list!
+Owings Art Have you tried the watercolor Renoir pencils yet?
Pennie Malenke Hi Pennie - No, but they are on my list for sure. Have you tried them? What do you think?
No I haven't, but I'll let you know if I do!!
These look great, but not having the color name on the pencil doesn't work for me as a color blind person. Looking at Blick Studio for my knock around set or when I want to spare my Polychromos.
+Dee Dee Blick's are a good choice and they're made by Koh-I-Noor in the Czech Republic so they are pretty good and a great value for the price. - Marty
Hi, I watched a couple of your colored pencils reviews and I have a small question for you. Right now I own a box of 72 coloursoft pencils I bought a couple of years ago but i never really liked them - I can't do too many layers with them, I also think it's difficult to use them for details. I've seen your review on coloursoft pencils as well, but how are they compared to marco renoir pencils? I know they are way cheaper, but from what I've seen in your video I think they may be better for me...
+Magdalena Piechula Thank you for the question and I think I know the problem. You should consider using Faber-Castell Polychromos. The FC Poly's are oil based and I think you'll like the layering and blending properties better than the Coloursoft. The Marco Renoir's are nice pencils and very affordable, but the Faber-Castell's are better quality and more lightfast. Good luck and I hope this information was helpful. Thank you! - Marty
+Owings Art Thank you so much for your help! I've been thinking about polychromos for quite some time, but I don't really draw that much and I'm usually short on budget :) I think I might give these marco pencils a try, and if I like them I may switch to polychromos in the future when I improve my drawing skills. Thank you once again, your videos are extremally helpful! :)
Magdalena Piechula Happy to help.
+Magdalena Piechula the Coloursoft pencils are so very soft, they wear down quickly, and that's why I think they are hard to use. The Marco raffines are not as soft, so they are a bit easier to use, and much easier to use for detail work. I didn't care for the grey box raffines (which he has also reviewed) because they were very scratchy. The Renoir were not quite as scratchy, and seemed a better pencil than they grey ones. You might really like these, but colored pencils are one of those things where everyone has a different opinion. Lol. Amazon has 72 lyra polycolor pencils for a very good price-they will be back in stock 4-18-16-and you might think about these as an option as well. Hope that helps. :)
tammynwes Thank you so much, this is really helpful :) I'm still trying to do something with my Coloursoft pencils, but I will definitely replace them in the near future. I recently bought a set of 36 Lyra Polycolor pencils, but I didn't have a chance to test them yet so I'm glad to hear that I may like them :)
Thanks for the review; just ordered from eBay ... My first ever eBay order, so let's see !
+Jane Kerrigan :-) Let me know how it works out. - Marty
are these colors better than the marco eco plus?? please answer ...
I don't know I've never tried the eco plus.
please make some comparisons on color pencil brands,,,, im very confused which brand should i pick for realistic portraits,,, i dont have enough money to buy prismacolors or other brands so i ordered marco raffine 72 set and marco renoir 48 set,,, i need some recomendations ,,,
raizo wanderer I'm sorry to hear you spent that money on those sets. They're okay, but they aren't great. For the money you spent you could have picked up a nice set of Faber-Castell Polychromo's or even Koh-I-Noor pencils. I've done many comparison videos, just search my channel and you'll find lots of them. :-) Hope that helps and good luck, the Marco's aren't bad, but they aren't as good as FC's or other brands. They are definitely better then Prismacolor though. IMO. ~Marty
seriously!!!! better than prismacolors ??? glad to know it,,,,, would you please upload some works with the marco color pencils???
raizo wanderer You can find all of my work at owingsart.com
Where did you order these? I know you said China, but through Amazon or directly from the company? Are they as soft as Polychromos? I have wrist issues and need the soft pencils, but would love this set when I travel or to play with and keep my Polychromos for better works. Do you like these better than the Spectrum Noir you reviewed previously? Thanks!
+Maureen Hayes Hi Maureen - I had to order these on eBay and they shipped from China. I don't know if they have a US distributor or not and couldn't find them in North America. They seem to be a little softer than FC Poly's. The colors are great though and these would be ideal as a second set. Yes, I liked these better than the Spectrum Noir's. These seem to be better made and the pigments were much richer. :-) - Marty
+Maureen Hayes you can order through Aliexpress.com this marco renior 48 pencil set available for 29$ free shipping to 59 countries.But it will take some 50 days to reach your destination.It's a very good pencils.
Sathish Kumar Maureen Hayes Just an fyi that it didn't take nearly that long for me to get them from China - I think it was about 10 days. Make sure the seller is reputable. :-)
Owings Art I've ordered from reputable seleller called bianyo art supplies from Ali express.but to India it took 30 to 40 days normally even though it's very near to china..
+Maureen Hayes if u have wriste issuse and u need a soft pencil u can get the prismacolor soft core that are high quality as well and they have a ton of pigmant inthem
Amazing review, and your drawings are beautiful! Random question, but what size sketch pad is that?😅😊
+Sanlara53 I think it's 9 X 12. :-)
+Owings Art thank you! 😄
hi Marty,
how do these pencil work compared to the higher priced Mitsubishi Polycolor? I just watched your review of Mitsubishi Polycolor, and they seem pretty good (if not really good :p), but this Marco Renoir seems good too, and they are cheaper, aren't they? I'm on a tight budget, here. So I need advice to choose good pencils with affordable price.
thank you for the review anyway.
+retno ika Widyastuti Thanks for the question. The Mitsubishi might be slightly better, but not worth the extra money compared to these in my opinion. These are really good for the price and I think they do a great job. I use them in my work. Thanks for stopping by and watching the videos. - Marty
Thank you :D
+Jenny James :-)
I love these pencils, I've just posted a review on my blog and linked your video, if this is a problem please let me know and I'll remove your link.
They are about £17 on amazon in uk, they are cheaper on ebay but as they are shipped within UK on amazon I'd rather pay a little more for next day delivery, than wait for shipping from China.
I also reviewed the Marco Renoir watercolour pencils and enjoyed them too. Have you tried them?
+Cloud Puff What's the link to your blog?
+Owings Art
myrandomreviewsblog.wordpress.com/2016/03/09/marco-renoir-fine-art-coloured-pencils-review/
I'm new to blogging so it's probably not that good but I'm having fun :)
Cloud Puff Thank you for sharing the link and my video. I haven't tried their watercolors yet, but they are on my list.
Another great review :) One question that comes to my mind : how do you store all your pencils ? I was rearranging my room today and I was at loss on what would be the most ergonomic way to store all my coloured pencils. If you have one bigger set in a tin, its easy but I have few smaller sets that I like to work with simultaneously. And they are very different (watercolour, oil based, wax based ect)so I don't want to mix them.But its so hard to find a place (or a way) to arrange all those tins around you when you are working. Do you have any idea on how to make it easier?
+Karolina Skórska Hi Karolina - Thank you very much for the question. The answer is YES! I have a nice storage method. Please view this video and skip ahead to 6:50 for some ideas on pencil storage. th-cam.com/video/dnMR4ejDSVU/w-d-xo.html
I hope this helps you. Thanks for watching.
+Owings Art Thank you ! That's a great idea, I had few of those tackle boxes just lying around my house (picked them up on a great sale last year and had no idea what to to use them for). Hope you will feel better soon. Karolina
Lead is dry or water Lead
Dry.
okee
There is a color chart shown on eBay.
+Teresa Sadloski Thanks for the heads up Teresa.
Based on your review I ordered a set of these pencils and am not disappointed. Your videos are the best. If you send me your email address, I will forward you the complete color chart for these pencils, which includes the names and numbers for all 72 pencils. I printed out a list of the names in 6pt type, cut them up, and glued them to my pencils. Took forever, but I am happier with the names on my pencils. Thanks again for your great videos!
Hi Samantha - Thank so much for this note. My email is owings1064 (at) hotmail (dot) com.
377 likes with no dislikes?!!? WOW! Thanks for this video, I think I'll buy a set in the future. I am colorblind so them not having the names of the colors on the pencil is a bummer. :(
Can someone suggest similar grade pencils around the same cost but with the names printed on them? Thanks!
Thanks for the note. You could try either these, which are also sold as Blick: th-cam.com/video/3R2GvUEXSyE/w-d-xo.html
Or you could try these:
th-cam.com/video/byuELVefHaQ/w-d-xo.html
Owings Art Thanks for the fast reply! I'll check them out and see which pencils I like better. I subscribed! :D
According to the Official Marco Shop on Amazon, both pencil sets are wax-based. The message I received today:
"Renoir and Raffine are both wax based but with different formulation. Actually, most of the colored pencils you can see in the market are wax based. There're very few top high end brands producing oil based pencils as wax based pencils are more cost effective for people who donâ™t want to spend hundred bucks for one set. Good formulation for wax based pencils can also deliver great artwork. We designed different formulations for Raffine and Renoir, you can take a try and let us know how you feel. Hope my answer is helpful.
Marco Official Shop"
Very helpful. Thank you Debi. I use Polychromo's by Faber-Castell and I think you can still get sets for well under $100. They aren't cheap, but they are good, oil-based, pencils. ~Marty
Just bought the white Marcos. $10!!!!
Hello¡I from Argentina .My inglish is basic sorry..I have DERWENT SOF COLOR 24 and policromos pencil.I love .Next Abril an Autralian friend comes to visit and he want to buy marco Renoir pencil to me.,He is not an artist but he want to know what kind of pencil is the best .Here in Argentina Prismacolor imposibilite to found so I d like to ask you what pencil recomend to me.My dreams...caran dache Pablo.Thank you and sorry for my inglish
+Mariaraquel Oliver Hi Mariaraquel - Thank you for the great question. I also love the Caran d'Ache Pablo. Also the Faber-Castell Polychromo's are outstanding. If you want to save some money you might try the Cretacolor colored pencils. Have a great day! - Marty
Than you Owings. The Price is Not important. I want a good pencil adn qualite. Ehat hoy recomend me. Thank
Thor best? Policromos prisma ir cargan dache?
Mariaraquel Oliver Caran d'Ache Luminance. :-)
+Owings Art yes. bit si expensive!
Hey, Marty. Thanks again for another fabulous review. A pricing & sharpener update (June 2017) Sorry it's so long, but hopefully good info...
M. RENOIR vs PRISMACOLOR: I have the Renoirs and the Prismacolors (and others), and really like both although (in my opinion), the Prisma cores make them the better pencil. Unfortunately, the Renoirs are (in my opinion), no longer competitive in their price range. They now have a 100-set on Amazon for $59 but they're still not available as open stock and there is no lightfastness info. Prismacolor prices have been drastically reduced, and it pains me to say it, but the Renoirs actually cost the same or more than the Prismas, now. If you watch the Prismas, you can often find a 150-set on Amazon or DickBlick.com, or Jerry's Art-o-Rama (I think), on sale for around $78-$79. This is the only set that contain the wonderful French Greys. Of course, Prismas are available as open stock and their lightfast info is readily available, making them the best investment and giving you more options.
SHARPENERS: This goes for most any brand/type colored pencils... Get an electric or handcrank HELICAL (blade) sharpener (apparently the technology has changed a LOT since you last used one, LOL), and you won't have the issues with cores breaking. Seriously. My Prismas are now as useable as any other brand. (For off-centered pencils, I sharpen them with my helical sharpener then trim the woodier bits with a craft knife/blade or single razor blade. Just takes a few seconds. You don't have to do this every time you sharpen.) I picked up a helical sharpener on Amazon for just around $15. (Mine is by "Laneco" but there are others.) Best $15 I ever spent. IT MUST BE A HELICAL (BLADE) SHARPENER. Mine is battery operated so I can use it anywhere without worrying about an outlet. When the pencil is sharp, it still runs but it doesn't continue sharpening - you can tell by the sound and it's not pulling more pencil in. Apparently, it's magic! So, most(?) electric sharpeners no longer eat pencils! Yea! Also, the helical sharpeners put a very, very long point on the pencils, which I LOVE.
Thanks for all you do, Marty. As I can no longer travel, I really have enjoyed your travel videos as well. Keep up the GREAT work!
Greetings and thank you for the info on the sharpeners, I had no idea and will need to look that up for sure. The reason Prisma's are so cheap now is because they are not very good pencils and they are losing market share badly. I believe that their lightfast information may be misleading. I think the information they provide is for the pencils that used to be produced in the US. My tests have not yielded great results for them. Although some of their colors, especially their whites are tremendous. I would spend a little more and always choose the Faber-Castell Polychromo's over almost every pencil made today. I keep testing the Prismacolors and hoping they'll improve, but they don't, they just seem to get worse. If you absolutely must save money, I recommend the Black brand colored pencils made in the Czech Republic by Koh-I-Noor, they're really good. Thanks for the tips again on the sharpener, I must check them out. May I ask what your real name is, if it isn't Gooey? Have a great day! ~ Marty
Uh, why does your voice sound so radically different? Your sound mixing must be mixed up Marty! lol
+SuperFlawless9 oh wait, it's because you have a cold. Hope you get well soon and thanks for making the vid during sickness! :)
+SuperFlawless9 LOL. No man I just have what they call the common cold. :-) I'm getting better now, but this thing just hung on for a week.
+SuperFlawless9 Thanks my friend.
Sounding like a whole other person marty lol. I thought I wasnt on your video for a second. Everyone getting sick.
+NoblesseObliged I guess it's that time of year. I'm over it now, but it was a nasty one. Thanks for the message my friend. - Marty
There is this woman in my art group that keeps arguing that the Marco Reniors and the Marco Raffines are both wax based. She says she got an email from the company that says this, But the Marco Reniors Definitely feel oil based, But she argues and argues that they are wax. So is there a definite difference with these on the oil and the wax?
They are oil based. Yes you're right there is a difference, but it can be subtle. Almost all colored pencils contain some wax, some clay and some oil and of course pigment. They dominant ingredient in the formula seems to define what category they best fit into. Make her show you the email, because I contacted the company as well and they stated clearly to me on the phone that these are predominantly oil-based.
Just got my set of 72... lol.. .so cheap I couldn't believe the quality... Chinese pencils to go with my Chinese Cell phone..! Now - if only I can find a blank color chart...
Ha! I can't tell if that's sarcasm or not.
Owings Art
No.. I serious... I think they are wonderful pencils and I love my cell phone! But - I do need a blank color chart... guess I'll create one and then share because I cannot find one on the internet!
Lol me to. I just bought the 72 sets, and i love them. My favorite part about them is that i can blend with water and paint thinner to get a smooth seamless finish.
Steneste Lee :-)
fyi :) I have these at Art by Jenny in Australia!
Hey, nice review. Why are you so inclined to read the names of the colors? I guess if one orders specific colored pencils online in great numbers it could be somehow useful, but otherwise? If you get them in a store, it's easy to try the pencil out and see the color (it's quite easy to remember, unless one is colorblind, but then just get graphite). Also i'm jus having fun naming colors myself. (sometimes obscenely) Oh, and about sharpening. I've often encountered opinions, that one must only sharpen with a knife and sharpeners are for kids and stuff. So i wasted half a pencil, cut my finger, swore a little bit and just went back to my selection of differently colored sharpeners. Does that mean i'm not gonna be a real artist? *sobs*
P.S. Real nice videos you make. Wish there were more tutorials though. Gonna watch how to draw hands now, thank you.
+Александр Самарин Thank you for the feedback. For the names of the colors, I think it's just a good convenience to have the names on the pencils and not have to look up a color chart, especially when there are similar colors. I don't use knives or razors to sharpen my pencils, just a little German sharpener that works great. Look up my video on it if you're interested. Artists aren't defined by the sharpening technique they employ, however they may go broke buying pencils if they use an electric machine sharpener. :-) Thank you for watching and for the comments. Have a fantastic day!
It will sound odd but I actually know an artist who is color blind, so he needs the names of the colors to refer to especially when mixing media, say from water colors to pencils.
i want that :3
Looks cartoonish can you do photo realistic portraits
Lol, sure.
They are all over eBay
Made in China. These are sold all over the world, not to just English speaking countries.
The world no longer revolves around us.
I wish the reviewers would state quality in absolute terms, not adjusted for price.
In absolute terms, they aren't bad for the price, but I prefer Faber-Castell Polychromo's.
First, thank you for creating and posting this and your other videos.
After commenting I realized how absurd it is to rate art media in absolute terms. As for pencils there so many different factors to consider. Coloring Book or sketching. Paper type. Available palette. What you are trying to accomplish. The final look. Availability of individual replacements. Price is no consideration for me except for Polychromos.
I just started up sketching again after 50 years.
I like the look of Crayolas, I can get airbrush smooth even at maximum layers or intensity.
My goal is airbrush smooth. And I do not want to resort to blending tools and fluids. That is just my own chosen technique.
Prismacolors in many colors lay down little tooth size micro globs even with the lightest touch, deep color and layers are nowhere airbrush smooth. But the palette of 150 is exactly what I want for landscapes.
My Leisure Arts 80 pencils for $10 has an excellent full palette that is easy to manage while plein air sketching sitting on the tailgate of my tiny car. Performance is difficult to distinguish from crayolas.
They all blend nicely for color gradients and transitions but to me, all fail at easily mixing colors, technically speaking but that is why I want the large palette.
Are there enough grays to do clouds? Are there enough greens to cover all the shades of trees in the foreground along with the deep dark greens of trees on the horizon? Enough blues, magentas, pinks and golden yellows to do a sunset?
So now I am looking for a huge palette of 100 plus that performs like crayolas.
If I want the intensity of Prismacolors at their wax blooming intensity then I think I should look for another media.
The next challenge is a way to manage 150 plus pencils while sitting on the tailgate of a tiny car. Elastic loops and flimsy trays don't work.
Have you tried the Faber-Castell Polychromo's? They are my favorites and they are pretty affordable.
I have a tin of 12 Polochromos on the way right now to test before I make the investment. I wish I would have tried a small box of Prismacolors first.
I just tried a 24 box of Koh-I-Noor 24 Woodless Pencils. I consider those perfect except they only have a palette of 24. They are great to just grab and go to get out of the house and to do practice work.
Yes, the Koh-I-Nor are very good, especially considering price point. I think you will love the Poly's. Let me know what you think of them John, once you've had a chance to test them. ~Marty
Omg you sound like that computer voice
Domo arigato Mr Roboto
Hi , Marco Renoir is the same of Marco Raffiné ? Sorry for my English , i'm French ! lol :)
+Fayy16Chat Merci pour la question. Pas ce ne sont pas les mêmes que les Raffine de . Les Raffine de sont considérés comme qualité d'étudiant , et les Reniors sont considérés comme de qualité de l'artiste , donc de meilleure qualité . J'espère que ceci vous aide. Marty
+Owings Art Yes , thank you , The Marco Renoir , are at oil ? :)
Fayy16Chat Yes, oil based.