Paletteful Packs is a carefully-themed selection of art supplies for artists of every skill level and all ages. Every box will include a variety of media. Products include paint, pens, pencils, brushes, markers, and more! There are 3 different pack options including:
- Petite Pack: 4+ artist quality supplies per box for $24.95/month
- Premier Pack: 5+ artist quality supplies per box for $35.95/month
- Young Artist: for ages 8 and up, 4+ items per box for $30.95/month
This review is for the $35.95/month Premier Pack.
This box was sent to us at no cost to review. (Check out the review processes post to learn more about how we review boxes)
About Paletteful Packs
The Subscription Box: Paletteful Packs
The Cost: $35.95 per month + free shipping (save with longer commitments)
ACTIVE DEAL: Save 10% off your first box!
CODE: FIRSTMONTH10
The Products: Carefully-selected art supplies are provided to create a unique project
Ships to: The US for free, Canada for $10, and International for $15
Paletteful Packs October 2019 Review
This month’s theme is all about Alcohol Ink! October's Paletteful Packs Premier includes enough supplies to create ten 5"X7" pieces of art, and one 8"X10" Masterpiece Ink Panel.
Each month we are given a postcard with the content list, retail values, helpful hints, and a link to the Paletteful Packs YouTube channel. On the opposite side, we are given the Prompt and Challenge! If you choose to participate, you can make a drawing/painting based on your interpretation of the prompt, and post it to social media. If you are chosen, you could be featured on their Instagram! Usually they have 3 prompts, but this month there are 31!!!
Marabu Alcohol Ink: 7 Colors + Rainbow Additive - Listed Value $31.92, Retail Value $25.92
How cool are these?! I have never used alcohol ink before, but it has been popping up on my Pinterest page recently and I have been quite intrigued. This dye-based ink blends and creates magical, almost watercolor-like works of art. It notes that it works on a variety of non-porous surfaces, such as glass, plastic, and ceramic. The inks are fast-drying, permanent, and acid-free. To open, you must use a push pin to push through the tip; do not cut unless you want a wide tip. We received 7 colors in this box: Cherry Red, Caribbean, Turquoise, Magenta, Lemon, Aqua Green, Metallic Gold, and Rainbow.
Masterpiece Alcohol Ink Panel: 8X10 - Listed Value $4.99, Retail Value $3.99
This non-porous, double-sided vinyl substrate is designed specifically for alcohol inks. It has a light texture, and produces a pearlescent shimmer to the artwork. The ink will float and lift off the surface when wet- which I noticed is great for if you mess up!
Yupo Paper Pad: 5X7 - Listed Value $7.85, Retail Value $6.87
Here we have ten sheets of white synthetic paper made out of 100% polypropylene. These bright white sheets of paper are waterproof and exceptionally strong. It is perfect for alcohol inks and is made in the USA. As an amateur alcohol ink user, I must say this paper feels slightly like matte photo paper - I wonder if these inks would work on that too?
Princeton Brush Golden Taklon Set of 4 - Listed Value $12.50, Retail Value $8.92
Last but not least, we have this set of 4 Princeton synthetic hair brushes. We received a #2 round, #6 shader, #10 shader, and 1/2" angle brush. They can be used with a variety of mediums, and are great for blending and detail painting with the Marabu Alcohol Inks. I love the sizes of these brushes, and can't wait to try them out!
Alcohol Ink Projects
First things first, COVER your workspace! Alcohol ink is very fast-drying and permanent. Unless you want a wild-looking countertop, you better lay down a placemat or plastic tablecloth. Next, you can open the ink bottles. It says to use a push pin, but of course I didn't have one of those on hand, so I used a sewing pin. It was a little long, and a little hard to push through the plastic, but I managed to get them all open okay without too much of a mess. (The orange paint stains are from previous projects- I didn't make that big of a mess today.)
I did a little bit of research on alcohol ink techniques, and although there are a million different ways to use them, I came up with a game plan of my own. I found a lot of people just start by squirting the ink on the paper. I started with one color.
Then I decided to add a few more. I then used a straw (not included) to start spreading the ink out on the Yupo paper.
This ink dries surprisingly fast, and it takes some time to figure out what you are doing. I feel there is definitely a learning curve with these inks! I altered big breaths and little breaths, blew closer and farther away, and achieved very different results! I also noticed some people actually use little air guns or blow dryers. I would've busted out the blow dryer, but my husband and kids were sleeping so I didn't think they would appreciate that. Maybe tomorrow I will try that technique.
And here is the finished project. I wish I could have photographed the process a little more, but it was a 2 handed job. I was pleasantly surprised with my results, and by the time this one was finished, I had figured out a few techniques that worked better than others.
I was having a lot of fun with these. I searched art on Pinterest, and found such beautiful creations. I decided I was going to keep it light, and just play around and create bright abstract pieces. My kids are going to LOVE these as their lunch box notes!
Lastly I tried out the Masterpiece Alcohol Ink Panel. This surface was much more forgiving than the paper. If you made a boo boo you were able to easily wipe it off. I wanted to create a "field of flowers" based on a piece I saw on Pinterest, and feel like it came out pretty good for an amateur. I love how this ink shades itself and creates such beautiful color combinations and is so vibrant! I have more research to do to really utilize these inks, but I can't wait to play around with them more!
The Verdict: I honestly must say, I have never been disappointed with Paletteful Packs. Each month they send enough awesome art supplies to create finished pieces, and this month they blew me away! Like I said above, I have never used alcohol inks before, but really appreciated receiving something new to try- and I love it! To use these you don't have to be artistic, you can just play around and create vibrant, fun abstract pieces! I have big plans for these inks- Pinterest has a million ideas to use these- including a way to decorate wine glasses! I can't wait to see what they send next month!
This subscription costs $35.95 a month. The content card shows a listed value of $57.26 in this box. I found everything online for $45.78. which is almost $10 over the cost of the box, which is a great deal! If you like to experiment with new art supplies and create your own pieces, I highly suggest this box. I can't wait to use these more and try them on some different mediums!
To Wrap Up:
Can you still get this box if you sign up today? No, you'll receive the November box.
ACTIVE DEAL: Save 10% off your first box!
CODE: FIRSTMONTH10
Value Breakdown: At $35.95 for the box including 4 unique items, you’re paying approximately $8.99 per item.
Check out all of our Paletteful Packs reviews and the best arts & crafts subscription boxes of 2019!
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What did you think of the Paletteful Packs October box? What would you create?
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