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 December 2019 Review
This month features Golden Fluid Acrylic Paints! December's Paletteful Packs Premier includes enough supplies to create a 6X12 canvas panel, a 6X6 smooth primed artist panel, and a 4X4 smooth primed artist panel. Plus excess paint and supplies for many projects to come!
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 Holiday, Hygge/Cozy, Gift, and Excitement.
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Golden Artist Colors Fluid Acrylics Color Benzimidazolone Yellow Medium - Listed Value $8.02, Retail Value $5.17
Golden Artist Colors Fluid Acrylics Color Phthalo Blue/Green Shade - Listed Value $8.02, Retail Value $5.38
Golden Artist Colors Fluid Acrylics Color Quinacridone Magenta - Listed Value $8.02, Retail Value $7.20
Golden Artist Colors Fluid Acrylics Color Titanium White - Listed Value $8.02, Retail Value $4.68
The first items in this box are these four 1 oz bottles of fluid acrylic paints. These paints are extremely intense, are permanent, and have a consistency like heavy cream. They are a lot thinner than any other acrylic paint I have used, but are much more pigmented than even the thickest regular acrylic paint. I found the fact that they are lightfast pigments and not dyes very interesting. They also have no fillers or extenders added. Based on the research I conducted, they are very high-quality paints and can be used in multiple ways including fine brushwork, glazing, staining, water media techniques, dry brush application, and spraying. These paints are extremely smooth when applying, and blend incredibly well. After scouring Pinterest for ideas on how to use these paints, I found some very interesting pouring techniques that I would love to try! (I would have tried them out, but you need supplies that were not included in this box.)
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Robert Simmons White Sable Brush - Listed Value $10.25, Retail Value $9.56
The next item we received is this long-handled, size 14, white sable brush. It is 17/32" wide, and features a basic spring and flexible point. I enjoyed the fact that they clean easier, and supposedly last longer than red sable. They can be used for acrylic, watercolor, and oil paints, so they are very versatile. Another great feature is that Robert Simmons brushes are guaranteed for life- you can't beat that! I really enjoyed using this brush. While it wasn't the only brush I used for my paintings, it was my main brush for the background paint in all 3 of my projects. I also have to mention, it looked brand new after washing- even after using the navy blue and magenta paints! I am definitely a fan!
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Ampersand Smooth Primed Artist Panel 6X6" - Listed Value $2.21, Retail Value $2.10
No Paletteful Pack would be complete without some sort of canvas to paint on! Here we have a 6X6" smooth primed artist panel. It features an ultra-smooth finished surface that works great for oils, acrylics, and mixed media. It is 1/8" thick and is warp-resistant, non-flexible, and has a smooth acrylic coating. I was a little nervous it was going to be really slippery and that the paint wouldn't adhere well, but you can see on my finished projects I had no such issues. I loved the smooth finish and how easily the paint glided on this panel. I also like the fact that is is uncradled and features slots on the back for easy hanging!
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Ampersand Smooth Primed Artist Panel 4X4" - Listed Value $2.21, Retail Value $1.33
We also received a 4X4" smooth primed artist panel this month. I really love varying shapes of artwork when they are hung together- I feel it really makes the paintings more interesting, so I was excited to receive a smaller size of the same type of panel. Everything is the same on this panel as the larger sized one, it's just a mini version!
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Art Alternatives 6X12" Canvas Panel - Listed Value $2.95, Retail Value $1.48 .
I am loving the size of this canvas panel! I don't paint enough to see a lot of 6X12" canvases, so I was really excited to try this size out! Honestly, I get a little nervous working on bigger canvas sizes because I feel like it's easier to mess up, but I loved this one! This panel is made with unbleached 3 oz. cotton and is primed with acid-free acrylic titanium gesso. It can be used with acrylic paints, oil paints, and other wet or dry media. I saved this canvas for last because it was the largest one and I felt like I needed some practice before use! You can definitely feel a BIG difference in painting on the smooth surface panels compared to this textured surface, but it was really fun!
Spray Bottle - Listed Value $2.99
The last item in the box was this unmarked spray bottle. It is small in size and can be filled with water to provide a fine mist to keep your paints wet and produce a variety of effects. I used it a few times to wet my acrylic paint to be able to blend colors. It worked well and produced a good result.
Project #1 Romance in the Moonlight
I have to say, I did not follow the prompts at all this month. When I saw the included colors my mind went immediately to a short tutorial I saw on Pinterest for a romantic moonlight silhouette painting, instead of Holiday. I headed straight to my Pinterest board and checked out the provided video for instruction. While I used acrylics a ton for birthday party decorations, I haven't done a lot of canvas paintings, so I was a little nervous- but very excited to try a new technique! The first step had me place drops of paint in the middle of the 6X6" smooth canvas to create the background.
Once the drops were applied, I used the included Robert Simmons brush and gently spread the paint back and forth. I had a paper towel handy to wipe off the brush so I didn't just blend all of the colors together. Because the paint dried really fast, I used the spray bottle to apply a little water. It created the star looking effect on the top, and I liked it so I left it be.
The next step was to create the moon. I used a piece of thick paper and cut out a circle. I then waited for the background to dry slightly, and laid my pattern out on the side of the canvas.
Using a smaller brush (not included in the box,) I gently dabbed white paint to create the moon. My inspiration painting didn't apply the paint too thick, so I followed suit and left the background peeking through.
I then carefully removed the template and touched up the edges.
Because our kit didn't come with black paint, I made a mixture of magenta and blue to create a really dark navy color. I used another small brush and created the grass across the middle of the canvas.
I wanted it to look neat, but not completely perfect, so I variated the thickness a little bit. So far so good right?
I decided that this was the perfect step to add the stars. I didn't want my silhouettes to be covered in white splatters, so I went ahead and used an old bottle brush and flung white paint at the canvas. (This was the most fun part of the entire painting!) You really do have to be careful not to overdo it though!
Because I am NOT good at painting portraits/people/real-life characters, I really had to concentrate on this part, so I didn't get a lot of pictures. I used the same navy paint mixture, and tried my very best to follow my inspiration painting. I really could have used a smaller brush to enhance some of the details, but feel it turned out okay.
Once the adult characters were completed, I flipped the painting over and worked on it right side up. I created the young boy and girl, and tried my best to re-create my inspiration painting. I seriously need to invest in some smaller brushes. I feel it would have looked a lot better if I could have gotten the face shapes and pigtails more defined. That being said, I was pretty satisfied with how this turned out, and learned some really cool new techniques that make me want to paint more!
Project #2 Moon and Stars
Because I had so much fun with my first painting, I decided to use the 4X4" smooth canvas to create another galaxy type background, this time using a sponge instead. I first dropped the paint right on the canvas.
Using a foam brush, I sponged away to slightly blend the colors together.
It seemed a little too vibrant to me, so I added some more white paint to try and tone it down.
Now isn't this funny? This canvas looks nothing like the one I was just working on, does it? So I decided I didn't like how it was turning out so I added more blue paint and blended it all together. Because I was using the 4X4" smooth canvas, it is warp-resistant, and can withstand multiple layers of paint! Hooray!
Whoa! I had this small painting going in a million different directions! This time it looks completely different yet again! I didn't know what to do, so I added more blue and white paint, and decided to create a painting with another view of the moon. I like paintings that can be hung together and correlate, so I went that route instead. While it is very similar to my first painting, the size difference and darker shade of the moon give it a different perspective that I kind of like. Too bad it took so long for me to get it rolling! (I wanted to share this because it shows that you really can't mess up- everything can be fixed or changed, and it's all about the experience!)
Project #3 Tree Silhouette
Now for the most nerve wracking of them all... the 6X12" canvas! To start this painting, I stuck with what I know and dropped my paint colors right on the canvas. This textured canvas definitely sucked up a lot more paint than the smooth-surfaced ones, but the paint still glided on great!
After applying the paint drops, I used my included brush and blended it out. In between strokes I wiped off my brush to keep some of the ombre effect there.
After I blended out the background, I used a softer brush to dab white and magenta paint into the background for a "milky way" effect. I also created a dark navy paint mixture and added some tree silhouettes at the bottom.
Again, I used a still bottle brush and flicked white paint onto the painting. I want to add that I went a little crazy, and actually had to do more dabbing to fix up the background. I also wasn't thinking and splattered AFTER I painted the trees. This made the trees white, so I had to touch those up as well. Learning curve, right?
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Here are the finished products! My love, romance, and magic series is complete! While I initially had a hard time deciding what I was going to create, I am quite pleased with how these turned out!
Kid Corner
Because mommy was painting, Charlie wanted to give it a whirl too. He was working very hard on a Christmas tree picture for Santa. He too noticed how smooth these paints were, and wants to go to the store to buy a special canvas for himself!
The Verdict: I LOVE Paletteful Packs. Honestly, I count down the days until I receive this box! I love arts and crafts, and while I am pretty new to painting, I have learned a lot in a short amount of time, due to this box! I have never used fluid acrylic paints before, but I have to say I am a FAN! Not only are they beautiful, but they are really easy to work with. I love how I receive all the items I need to create finished pieces of art. While this month I did use some of my own brushes, I was satisfied with the items they sent. Everything was very high quality and curated to a T. Not only did I create 3 different items, but I have enough paint leftover to make many more! I really enjoyed this month and can't wait to see what comes next month!
This subscription costs $35.95 a month. The content card shows a listed value of $52.66 in this box. I was able to find retail prices for all of the items I received, except the spray bottle, and my total came to $36.90 without even including that. That's not to mention the price that it would cost to ship all of those items separately. They really do a fantastic job with the curation of this box, and I love the high quality items they send. If you like to play around with new art supplies and create your own work, I highly suggest this box!
To Wrap Up:
Can you still get this box if you sign up today? No, you'll receive the January 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 26th, 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 December box? What would you create?
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