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: $49.99 per month with free shipping
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 Ink Drawing Review
This month's project was creating an ink drawing! OK, that doesn't sound that thrilling, but it turned out to be really interesting. 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 India ink 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.
Pentel Aquash Brush - Light Black - Retail Value $9.89 (found here for $6.29)
Pen and Ink No-Shellac India Ink (black) - Retail Value $7.99 (found here for $6.39)
Marabu Graphix Aqua Ink, 2 ct (Petrol, Magenta) - Retail Value $2.99 each (found here for $1.50)
Zebra Zenzations Brush Pen - Medium Black - Retail Value $2.50 (found here for $2)
Sakura Gelly Roll Pen - White - Retail Value $1.99
Lauren Golden Synthetic Watercolor Brush - Filbert 4 - Retail Value $6.95 (found here for $2.98)
Artist's Black Book Mixed Media Sketchbook - 8.5"x5.5" - Retail Value $4.99
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 and I go back and forth on who is doing the Smart Art project every month, and this month it was his turn. I don't have the steady hand required to do precision drawing! His first step was to sketch the basic design with a pencil.
His next step was to outline the major components of the design with the Zebra pen. It is a brush pen, so applying different pressures and angles controls the ink flow and the width of the lines. He enjoys working with brush pens, and I think he is getting good at it!
His next step was to ink in the entire design with the black ink. After that, he applied the pink and blue ink washes with the brush to make the background. I love the vibrant colors!
This is his completed drawing! Yep, it's Thomas Jefferson, haha! I don't know what inspired him to ink up a founding father, but I'm so glad he did. He's a funny guy. And it turned out really good, too!
The Verdict: My husband and I are both huge fans of Smart Art! My husband really enjoys working with inks, so this was a fun project for him. The drawing turned out good - if odd - also. He's a funny guy! The value this month was a little low at $40.29 in a $50 box. That's low even for a fine arts subscription box, which tend to run low anyway. I definitely feel like the curation and instruction adds to the overall value of the box, but it is subjective, so you would have to decide for yourself if it is worth it to you.
To Wrap Up:
Can you still get this box if you sign up today? No, you will receive the November 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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