The lead of MILAN colour pencils is formed by a blend of pigments, chalks and binding agents. Each lead is bonded to the full length of the wood barrel. As a result, the leads are more break-resistant and produce a uniform stroke. These MILAN colour pencils allow a wide range of strokes: shading in one direction, crosshatching, stripes, along with juxtapositions and superimposing of tones. Due to the smoothness of MILAN pencil's stroke, uniform tones and shading can easily be achieved. The pigments used in MILAN colour pencils are of the highest quality, lightfast and safe, complying with European (EN71) and North American regulations (ASTM).