The STAEDTLER Coloured Pencil 72pcs set (Model 175-M72A6) is widely considered one of the best choices for students, hobbyists, and artists seeking reliable quality. It features a rich spectrum of 72 vibrant, blendable colors with smooth leads that resist breakage thanks to a protective ABS coating, offering exceptional value and performance for diverse creative projects.
Finding a reliable medium-sized collection of art supplies often feels like a balancing act. You need enough variety to render complex color gradients without carrying around a massive, cumbersome tin of 120 or 150 pencils. If you find yourself in that exact creative sweet spot, evaluating the best 175-m72a6 staedtler coloured pencil 72pcs set is a smart step for your studio setup. Staedtler has manufactured reliable stationery and artist tools for decades, and this particular 72-count tin strikes a rare balance between professional pigment delivery and everyday affordability.
Priced at just $28.99, this comprehensive collection gives you a broad spectrum of hues without requiring a major financial investment. Whether you are stocking up for advanced high school art classes, diving into adult coloring books as a mindful hobby, or sketching preliminary concepts for larger illustrations, having seventy-two distinct shades changes how you approach color mixing. Instead of forcing three or four pencils to do the work of a dozen, you can pull exact tints and shades straight from the tin.
In this guide, you will find a thorough breakdown of how the 175-m72a6 set performs under real working conditions, what makes Staedtler’s manufacturing process unique, and how to get the most out of your new art supplies. We will look at core pigment characteristics, blending methodologies, structural pros and cons, and common questions buyers ask before purchasing.
Table of Contents
1. Why Choose a 72-Piece Colored Pencil Set
When you browse art supply stores, you will typically see colored pencils packaged in sets of 12, 24, 36, 72, and 120+. While a 12-pack works fine for basic drawings, you will quickly run out of color options the moment you try to draw realistic portraits, landscapes, or botanical illustrations. On the other hand, sets exceeding 100 pencils often introduce redundant shades that look nearly identical on paper, while driving the price past the fifty-dollar mark. A 72-piece collection represents the optimal middle ground.
When you select the best 175-m72a6 staedtler coloured pencil 72pcs configuration, you secure a full spectrum that covers every primary, secondary, and tertiary variation you might need. The assortment includes deep earth tones, vibrant primaries, subtle skin variations, and rich botanical greens. This eliminates the frustration of having to mix three different colors just to achieve a basic forest green or a muted ochre.
Furthermore, managing 72 pencils is significantly easier than keeping track of a massive 150-count box. The metal tin fits comfortably on most standard desks, drafting tables, and easel trays. You can see your entire color palette at a glance, which speeds up your workflow and keeps your creative momentum moving forward without stopping to search through layers of duplicate trays.
2. Key Features of Staedtler Coloured Pencils
Staedtler constructs these pencils with specific design choices aimed at both durability and performance. The core feature that users notice immediately is the break-resistant lead formulation. Snapping a pencil tip right in the middle of a detailed drawing is frustrating, but Staedtler utilizes a special ABS (Anti-Break-System) white protective coating around the colored lead. This invisible layer reinforces the core, dramatically increasing break-resistance even if you apply heavy hand pressure or drop the pencil on a hard floor.
Pigment Quality and Laydown
The wax-based cores deliver a smooth, even laydown that covers paper grain efficiently without requiring excessive pressure. While they are not as intensely soft as high-end artist soft-cores that tend to bloom and crumble, they hold a sharp point much longer. This makes the best 175-m72a6 staedtler coloured pencil 72pcs set exceptionally well-suited for detailed work, intricate mandalas, and sharp outlines where precision matters.
Wood Casing and Ergonomics
Each pencil features a traditional hexagonal barrel made from certified wood sourced from sustainably managed forests. The hexagonal shape prevents the pencil from rolling off your desk or drafting table while you work. The wood sharpens cleanly in both manual rotary sharpeners and standard handheld blade sharpeners, exposing a fresh, centered lead without splintering or chewing up the casing.
3. Best Techniques for Blending and Shading
Mastering colored pencils requires understanding how the binder and pigment interact with your drawing surface. Because these Staedtler pencils feature a firm, wax-based core, they respond brilliantly to traditional layering techniques. Instead of pressing down hard on your first pass, build your colors up slowly using light, circular strokes. This method fills in the tooth of the paper gradually, creating a rich, luminous depth that heavy, single-layer application simply cannot match.
Burnishing and Layering
To create smooth, seamless transitions between two different colors, lay down your lighter shade first across both the highlight and transition areas. Next, overlap your darker shade into the transition zone with moderate pressure. Finally, take a white pencil or a light blender pencil and apply firm pressure over the blended boundary. This compresses the wax particles together, polishing the pigment into a solid, glossy finish that hides the paper texture completely.
Cross-Hatching for Texture
If you want to maintain a more illustrative or painterly aesthetic rather than a hyper-smooth polish, use cross-hatching. By laying down fine parallel lines in one direction, and then layering intersecting lines of a complementary or contrasting color at a 45-degree angle, you can mix optical colors right on the page. This technique works exceptionally well for rendering fur, fabric textures, and organic landscape elements like tree bark.
4. Ideal Uses for Students and Professional Artists
Versatility is one of the strongest arguments for investing in the best 175-m72a6 staedtler coloured pencil 72pcs package. For students enrolled in high school or university art programs, these pencils offer professional-grade lightfastness and blending capabilities without the steep price tag associated with specialty fine art brands. They hold up to rigorous daily use in sketchbooks, design portfolios, and classroom assignments.
Adult Coloring and Mindfulness
For adult coloring enthusiasts, intricate geometric designs and detailed nature scenes require tools that do not bleed through standard paper or break constantly under pressure. The fine points allow you to color inside tiny, complex spaces effortlessly, while the rich pigment load ensures your finished pages look vibrant and professionally rendered.
Architectural and Industrial Sketching
Architects, interior designers, and product sketchers often need to add quick, accurate color to concept drawings during client presentations. The vast array of grey, brown, and muted earth tones in this 72-piece collection makes it simple to indicate concrete, wood grain, shadows, and reflective surfaces rapidly on layout paper or vellum.
5. Pros and Cons
To give you an honest, transparent evaluation of this product, let us look at the primary advantages and drawbacks you can expect when working with these pencils.
Pros
- Anti-Break-System (ABS) white coating significantly reduces lead breakage during sharpening and heavy drawing.
- Comprehensive 72-piece color palette provides exceptional variety for mixing and matching shades.
- Hexagonal barrel design stops pencils from rolling away on slanted drafting tables.
- Affordable price point of $28.99 delivers high value for students and hobbyists.
- Wood casing sharpens cleanly and evenly without splitting or wasting lead.
Cons
- Wax-based cores are firmer than soft oil-based artist pencils, requiring more layers for deep saturation.
- Metal storage tin can dent if dropped repeatedly during travel.
- Not completely lightfast over decades of direct sunlight exposure, making them better suited for sketchbooks than museum pieces.
- Individual replacement pencils can be difficult to source locally if you run out of a specific favorite shade.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are these pencils oil-based or wax-based?
The STAEDTLER 175 colored pencils feature a wax-based binder. This makes them ideal for layering, dry blending, and maintaining a sharp point for fine details without constantly requiring a sharpener.
Do these pencils require a special sharpener?
No, you do not need a specialized sharpener. Any standard handheld pencil sharpener or desk-mounted manual rotary sharpener designed for colored pencils will produce a clean, sharp point on these hexagonal barrels.
Can beginners use this 72-piece set effectively?
Yes, absolutely. While 72 colors might feel slightly overwhelming at first glance, the intuitive color organization makes it easy for beginners to learn basic color theory, shading, and gradient blending directly on paper.
Are the colors blendable with solvents like mineral spirits?
Because these are wax-based pencils, they do not break down with odorless mineral spirits the way oil-based pencils or artist watercolor pencils do. Instead, they rely on dry-blending techniques, burnishing, and mechanical layering to mix colors.
What kind of paper works best with these pencils?
Medium-weight drawing paper with a slight tooth (such as 80lb to 100lb sketch paper or mixed media paper) works best. Smooth printer paper lacks the texture needed to grip the wax pigment, while heavy watercolor paper requires too many layers to fill in the deep pits of the paper grain.
If you are looking for an accessible, reliable, and pigment-rich colored pencil set that will not break your budget, the best 175-m72a6 staedtler coloured pencil 72pcs collection deserves a spot on your desk. With its break-resistant core technology, comfortable hexagonal grip, and expansive 72-color spectrum, it delivers dependable performance across everything from casual coloring books to detailed illustrative work.
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