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).
About Smart Art
The Subscription Box: Smart Art
The Cost: $49.95 per month with free shipping. Save with 3, 6, and 12-month subscriptions.
ACTIVE DEAL: $5 off your first subscription
CODE: ENJOYART5
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!
Smart Art February 2018 Review
This month's project was creating cartoon characters! 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 chameleon 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.
Chameleon Color Tones (Vermillion) - Retail Value $5.99
Chameleon Color Tones (Cool Tones), 5 Pc Set - Retail Value $26.99
Art Alternatives Fineliner Pen, 12 Pc Set - Retail Value $7.99 (found on sale here for $5.59)
Strathmore 400 Marker Pad 6"x8" - Retail Value $5.99
Please note that 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 took on this month's Smart Art challenge! His first step was to create a pencil outline of his design.
Next, he went over the drawing with different colors of his fine liner pens. He felt like the quality of the marker pens was pretty good, but he was more pleased to have a set with such fine tips.
Then he started using the Chameleon markers, and these appear to be real game changers! With these markers, you can blend colors within the markers themselves before applying them to paper, which results in a blended color that gradually fades to the original color. So amazing! This close-up of the face shows him using the vermillion marker with the neutral tip. You can see how the color goes from light to dark.
He then continued inking in his design with the Chameleon markers. You can see his use of blending purple and red in the king's robes.
This is his completed drawing! It's delightful!
The Verdict: My husband and I are both huge fans of Smart Art! My husband enjoyed creating his cartoon, and I think it turned out really cute! He really enjoyed having the opportunity to try Chameleon markers, they are so cool! The value this month was a little less than the cost of the box, $47 worth of materials for $50, but that's about right for a fine arts subscription box. Plus, I feel that the instruction and curation adds to the overall value.
To Wrap Up:
Can you still get this box if you sign up today? No, you will receive the March box. From Smart Art:
Sign up on or before the last day of the month to get the current box that will be released on the 1st of the following month! All orders processed after the last day of the month will ship the following month. For example, a purchase made on January 31st will be shipped February 1st. A purchase made on February 1st will be shipped March 1st.
Coupon – Use code MSA20 to save 20% off your first box
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