The entire Prismacolor series has not yet dissapointed me... you will read many people who call themselves "professional artists" say that Prismacolor is a beginners set of markers and brands like Copic are better in all aspects. I have both brands and the Copic marker set I have is already starting to kick the bucket after about 10 drawings... my prismacolor markers are still going strong. The markers have double ends which is great for finer details (although I almost wish the fine point side was slightly finer) and also great for large areas you want the same color. I would reccommend these colors to any academic or mid-level artist who is on a relatively low budget. These markers have lasted me about 10 full color drawings so far and the only one that is starting to struggle is the black one (they should probably include 2-3 black markers in the set and then it would be perfect). But for under $70, this is a great set that you can count on and produce great artwork with it. I am giving this 5 stars, not because they are the "best" markers out there, but because they are the best value for the quality they are capable of producing.