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 November 2019 Review
This month features the M. Graham Oils - Grey Challenge! November's Paletteful Packs Premier includes enough supplies to create an 8x10 stretched canvas, an 8x10 canvas panel, and a 5x7 canvas 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! This month's prompts include winter, branches, cat, and blanket.
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M. Graham Artists' Oil Color Ivory Black - Listed Value $10.99, Retail Value $6.41
M. Graham Artists' Oil Color Payne's Grey - Listed Value $10.99, Retail Value $8.42
M. Graham Artists' Oil Color Titanium White - Listed Value $10.99, Retail Value $8.13
The first items in this box are these three 1.25 fl. oz. tubes of M. Graham Artists' oil paints. These paints are used with pure walnut oil for brilliant clarity, texture, and resistance to fading and yellowing. I found this particular brand to be especially creamy and easy to work with. They blend very, very nicely because they dry extremely slowly- as in it takes days to dry. I took an oil painting class in college, so I have worked with oil paints before, but am definitely not a professional. That being said, I found these to be very good quality.
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M. Graham Walnut Oil 2 fl. oz. - Listed Value $7.42 (Buy a 4 fl. oz. container for $6.39)
The next item we received was this 2 oz. container of walnut oil. Oil painting is extremely messy, and you need a good product to be able to get the paint off of your brushes. In college we used mineral oil, but this is a natural vegetable oil that doesn't evaporate or remove essential oils from brushes. You can also use this oil to add to your paint to enhance flow and increase sheen. I found it to work very well, and was a great item to receive with the oil paints.
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Robert Simmons White Sable Brush - Listed Value $10.25, Retail Value $11.65
No oil painting kit would be complete without a beautiful white sable brush! This size 6 brush has a long handle, and flexible, springy bristles that hold more color and are easier to clean than other brushes. They do recommend once you use this brush for oil painting, to designate this as an "oil brush." I found it very easy to clean with the walnut oil, and it was comfortable to hold onto while painting.
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Art Alternatives Palette Knife - Listed Value $4.95, Retail Value $4.99
This knife can be used to mix and apply oil paint and manipulate the texture with ease. It can also be used to clean unused paint after you are finished painting. I have never used a palette knife before until now, and I found it to be awkward at first, and then kind of fun! It was definitely easier to clean than the brush as well, which was a welcome bonus!
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Art Alternatives Canvas Surfaces - Listed Value $14.49
We also received 3 different painting surfaces. We received an 8x10 stretched canvas, an 8x10 canvas panel, and a 5x7 canvas panel. These canvases are primed with acid-free acrylic titanium gesso and ready to be painted on!
Project #1 Tree Reflection
In the past, I have found oil painting to be very messy, so I put a paper towel underneath my canvas to protect my table.
Here I started applying black paint to the canvas using the 3" palette knife. It felt a little awkward at first, but after a few minutes I almost felt like Bob Ross.....
I found a picture online I wanted to try and recreate, so I just played around using the palette knife trying to get the effect of my inspiration painting.
It's starting to look a little scary....
Onto the trees... I've never used a palette knife to create a tree before. It was really fun! I found it a little bit hard because of all the texture my painting had, but I figured it out.
Here is the finished product. It looks nothing like my inspiration painting, but I had a fun time trying a new technique, and my mom liked it (which is all that matters right?)
Project #2 Trees on a Mountain
For my next project I decided to use the 8x10 stretched canvas. I wanted to make my paintings similar to hang them as a set, so I decided to try creating some more trees. I painted the background white with the sable brush, and added a small amount of grey to create a darker color toward the bottom. I then got out my palette knife for some more tree practice.
I painted a few more trees, and added some shading for the mountain tops. I kept it pretty textured because I felt it added to the excitement and dimension of the piece. While it's far from professional, I felt it turned out okay, and looks nice with my previous painting.
Project #3 Moon Painting
With the smallest canvas, I wanted to do something simple that kept in the theme of my previous 2 paintings, so I opted for a moon painting.
I used the palette knife to add paint to the canvas. I found it hard to use to paint the moon, so I use the brush for that.
After I added enough paint, the palette knife just wasn't giving me the look I was going for, so I switched back to the brush and created a moon. It seems really simple and maybe even slightly boring when pictured by itself, but when placed next to my other paintings, it looked like it belonged.
Voila- the finished pieces! I struggle with using oil paints because I don't really know what I am doing, but when I only received 3 colors, it made it seem a little easier for me. I loved trying out the palette knife, and while my paintings look nothing like my inspiration pieces, I am happy I learned a new technique I otherwise would never have tried!
The Verdict: I honestly must say, I love Paletteful Packs. Each and every month I receive art supplies that really take me out of my comfort zone and get me to try new products and techniques I otherwise wouldn't get to try. Like I said above, I am not the biggest fan of oil paints, but it seemed a lot less intimidating in the comfort of my own home with only 3 colors to work with compared to college! I loved the fact that they sent the palette knife and the brush, so I could use both to create completely different looks. Plus, I have enough paint to add a few more pieces to my "tree/moon" collaboration! I can't wait to see what comes next month!
This subscription costs $35.95 a month. The content card shows a listed value of $70.08 in this box. While I couldn't find retail prices for all of the items I received, the total for the items I did find was $10 over the subscription cost, and that didn't include any of the canvas surfaces. The curation of this box, and the high-quality items they send, is definitely worth it! If you like to experiment with new art supplies and create your own pieces, I highly suggest this box.
To Wrap Up:
Can you still get this box if you sign up today? No, you'll receive the December box. The 26th of every month is the cutoff date to order the box for the coming month. If your order is placed after the 26thth, you'll receive the following month's box.
ACTIVE DEAL: Save 10% off your first box!
CODE: FIRSTMONTH10
Value Breakdown: At $35.95 for the box including 9 unique items, you’re paying approximately $3.99 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 November box? What would you create?
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