Smart Art is a fine arts subscription service that sends a new project every month and all the supplies needed to complete it. My husband and I are both artists, and we have been having a blast with our Smart Art subscription!
This box was sent to us at no cost to review. (Check out the review process post to learn more about how we review boxes).
The Subscription Box: Smart Art
The Cost: $49.99 per month with free shipping. Save with 3, 6, and 12-month subscriptions.
COUPON: Use code MSA20 to save 20% off your first box
The Products: A fine arts project, complete with instructions and supplies
Ships to: U.S. only
Good to know: It's a different project in a different media every month, using different techniques!
Check out all of our Smart Art reviews and the Craft Subscription Box Directory!
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This month's project was to create a Blue Period inspired painting! This is the booklet that Smart Art sends every month. It includes art history related to the project, a list of the included supplies, project pointers, and instructions.
Subscribers can upload a picture of their finished project to Smart Art's Facebook page for a chance to win a free box! That's really cool! On the other hand, our projects usually take forever, so we always seem to miss the boat on this contest.
This is the inside of the booklet. On the left are the art history and project pointers, and on the right, there's some info on illustration markers plus the supply list.
The instructions are printed on the back of the booklet. They are pretty clear and easy to follow, but they still allow for as much creativity as you like.
Here are the supplies that were included for this month's project.
#Coloring Marker Set 5 pc - Value $11.99
Stabilo Pen 68 Marker Wallet Set of 15 - Value $19.95
#Coloring Colorless Blending Marker 2 pc - Value $5.99
Pen & Ink Sketch Book 5.5" x 8" - Value $13.99
Please note that most of the values listed here are list prices. Almost all of them can be found for less at most online discount art supply stores.
My husband started his "painting" by making a sketch of his design. He thought the paper was excellent, but he prefers a larger area for his drawing and painting. 5.5" x 8" is pretty small! I think this would be a perfect travel sketch book.
He then started filling in the larger shapes with his lighter blue colors. He absolutely loved the Art Alternatives large markers! He thought they colored really smoothly.
Continuing with the large marker set, he filled in darker areas of his design.
He then used the small marker set to create a background of whimsical shapes and patterns. He felt like the small markers were a little inferior in terms of quality to the large markers, but he appreciated receiving so many colors.
His final step was to use the blenders and shade in the drawing. He thought the blenders worked well.
And here is my husband's completed Blue Period "painting"! It's a self-portrait! Awesome! I think it turned out beautiful.
Verdict: My husband and I are both huge fans of Smart Art! My husband enjoyed this project, and he had the opportunity to try out some great new materials. I think his project turned out wonderful! The retail value of everything totals around $52, which is on the high side for this subscription and for fine arts subscriptions in general. The project selection, the instruction, and the material sourcing also adds a lot of additional value for me. We love Smart Art!
What do you think of Smart Art?
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