Marco Raffine Colored Pencils Review (2021)

This time, I’m posting the Marco Raffine colored pencils review. These media are really worth mentioning at WoWPencils. Marco is a Chinese brand, but don’t be skeptical about it. The pencils of this manufacturer are a popular and decent choice among inexpensive coloring tools. They demonstrate high performance, durability, and good effects to be a worthy alternative to similar media from renowned brands.

Best Marco Raffine Colored Pencils

If you are new to this company and the Raffine collection, discover the most popular sets offered by the brand. What are they made from? Are they wax or oil based? Continue reading the review to know more about these writing instruments and make them your best friends.

Review	Name	Box	Rating
	Marco Raffine Set of 72 Art Drawing Colored Pencils	Cardboard	9.9
	Marco Raffine Set of 50 Assorted Colored Pencils	Metal	9.8
	Marco Raffine Set of 48 Non-toxic Colored Pencils	Cardboard	9.7
	Marco Raffine Set of 36 Fine Art Colored Pencils	Cardboard	9.6
	Marco Raffine Set of 24 Extra Smooth Colored Pencils	Cardboard	9.5

Features of Marco Raffine Colored Pencils

These oil-based pencils have a hexagonal wooden barrel, which is preferred by most artists since these tools don’t roll off the desk. Their body is lacquered silver with a color dipped end, which is true to the lead shade. The media are stamped with the brand name and color-coded. They feel quite light in hand, but they are well-balanced. Their length is 6.9’’ (175 mm) with a lead diameter of 0.12’’ (3.3 mm).

The pencils are good at sharpening and cause no breakage problems. However, this is not true for every pencil pack since the media can damage in transit. There is no need to buy an expensive sharpener: a regular sharpener from a dollar store will do. The lead is quite solid and strong, and it takes time to get a needle-sharp point.

Also, they can easily be erased, which is another benefit of an oil core. You may use an electric eraser that allows lifting more pigment off the paper.

The pencils don’t come with lightfast testing information. It means your colorings may fade over time. The tools cannot be recommended for artworks that you want to last.

Color Chart

The Marco Raffine pencils are available in sets of 12, 24, 36, 48, 50, and 72 media. The numbers range from 501 to 572. The largest color sets that contain 72 shades have green as a predominant color. This makes this collection ideal for nature coloring books. Anyway, they offer such a versatile range of shades that can be blended to create new hues.

The media are good at shading. I recommend you create color charts that are quite convenient and show all color transitions and shaded sections from light to dark. The color swatches will help you avoid accidental color combinations and get accurate shade transfers each time. This procedure may seem time-consuming, but the result is worth it.

Design of Packaging

The Marco Raffine pencil sets feature various types of packaging. Typically, they come in cardboard boxes. Larger sets are available in metal tins and canvas rolls with an individual slot for each medium. Some sets may include a sharpener, an eraser, and a pencil extender.

Cardboard boxes are not the best way to hold the media because searching for a proper one requires a lot of time. Besides, after regular sharpening, the tools become shorter and you have to dig them out of the box with your fingers. The better solution is to keep them in jars, pencil cases, or buy a separate pencil roll.

The pencils that come in tins and canvas wraps are easily displayed. You can arrange them in whatever order you prefer. The additional slots in the roll allow you to keep extra pencils for blending. These types of packaging are good for transportation and prevent the tools from breakage.

Quality of Drawing and Durability

Since the pencils come with a hard lead and keep a sharpened point longer, it makes them great for detailed coloring, while coloring large areas may become laborious. In addition, the hexagonal shape ensures a comfortable grip, which is important for detailed work.

On any type of paper, the media lay down colors smoothly without scratching. They are pigmented enough for layering and shading without hard pressing and hurting your hand. However, quality artist pencils offer darker color saturation. To make dark layering, you have to put a few color layers. If you need to eliminate white spots, you have to use a bit of pressure.

Marco Raffine offers supreme blending and allows you to create the third color if required.

Pros and Cons

The colored pencils under discussion have numerous advantages that encourage crafters and artists to purchase them. Let’s see if these writing instruments have any crucial drawbacks.

Best Place to Buy Marco Raffine Colored Pencils

There are a lot of places where to buy the Marco Raffine fine art pencils without ever leaving your home. Online crafts stores offer a wide selection of art supplies for both professional artists and occasional hobbyists. Frequent discounts offered by Michaels, Hobby Lobby, Blick Art Materials, Etsy, ColorIt, and other traders are a significant advantage of internet sales. Traditionally, huge conglomerates such as eBay and Amazon also feature endless options for purchasing these coloring tools.

Sum Up

These pencils can be recommended for novices, kids, and hobbyists who are coloring for fun with no intention to sell or keep their drawings. They are a superior choice for those on a budget. However, don’t think that their low price tag interferes with their coloring quality. The media are good at layering and blending but a bit harder in comparison to high-priced alternatives. They are affordable to be purchased for testing and enjoy a plethora of gorgeous shades.

References