SketchBox is a monthly subscription box for art supplies. Each month, they'll send you 4-9 art supplies (often full kits) plus a piece of art to inspire you. The items included are for 2D media, such as pens, markers, pencils, paints, etc.
SketchBox runs an ongoing contest to put a subscriber's artwork on the lid of their box each month. There's information on how to enter their monthly contest on the info card!
This box was sent to us at no cost for review. (Check out the review process post to learn more about how we review boxes.)
This is a review of the $35/month Premium box. SketchBox also offers a $25.00/month Basic box.
About SketchBox
The Subscription Box: SketchBox
The Cost: $35 + $5 U.S. shipping, with savings on longer length subscriptions.
ACTIVE DEAL: Save $5 off your first box!
CODE: SKETCH5
The Products: A selection of hand-picked art supplies, plus an art print to inspire
Ships to: The U.S. for $5, Canada for $10, International for $15
My SketchBox February 2020 Review
Before we jump in, I have to mention that this box was my choice for MSA Team's 2020 Resolution Subscription Box round-up! Is this the only resolution I have kept so far? I will never tell.
Their info card includes a list of the products and why they were chosen for the box. This box contains 4 different watercolors, so I am pretty pumped!
You also get a card with a drawing by a featured artist, plus information about them. It looks like this month's artist actually used the same supplies to create this art as we received in the box.
There was also a cute sticker.
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Sketchbox Exclusive Signature Fineliners, set of 12 - Listed Value $16.00
You know that feeling when you open a box and you almost scream in happiness? That is what happened when I saw this box was FULL OF PENS. I use pens in my sketching more often than not. I just never really took to pencils. I especially love colorful sets, so this pack of 12 had me freaking out with joy. They each have a 0.4 mm tip which is fine, but also allows these custom colors to be appreciated.
Here is a peek at all of the colors! I love, love, love these.
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Custom Chameleon Fineliners, set of 6 - Listed Value $11.99
Oh, more pens! These have a fancy little feature though. You can swap out their caps and create a perfectly blended ombre effect. I have never owned pens like this. Simply change the top of one color to the base pen, hold upright, count to 5, then draw! Your pen will change from the second color to the first as you use it. These will take a little bit of learning to use comfortably, but I am so intrigued.
Here are all of the shades.
And here is a little demo of the ombre effects you can create with these unique pens.
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Tombow Fudenosuke Pens - Retail Value $3.49 each
I have a soft spot for Japanese pens in general, and I love these because they have a firm but flexible tip so you can create super fine lines and easily transition into something thicker with a little pressure.
I like these two shades a lot.
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Staedtler 308 Pigment Liner Fineliner in Brown - Buy a 3 pack for $13.89
More pens, more pens! This time a handsome brown fineliner with a 0.3mm tip!
Here is the brown pen swatched!
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ALVIN Techliner 02 Technical Drawing Marker - Retail Value $2.69
Ok, wow. I am on pen overload in the best way possible. Our final pen is an incredibly fine 0.2mm black technical pen. This fine tip is perfect for detail work and though it is a small tip, the black ink is bold.
That is one fine line.
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Isosketch Tool - Retail Value $10.66
PHEW. Our only non-pen item this month is a sketching tool that helps you draw in 3D. This sort of thing is a little too technical for the average work I do, but I kind of want to explore with it more. The ability to draw technically in 3D without lines for assistance would be incredible!
Let's see what I ended up testing out all of these pens on, shall we?
I have loads of vintage and antique design reference books because they are incredibly valuable to me when I need to feel inspired. Lately, I have been flipping through my assortment of American Folk Art books more and more, specifically a book from 1983 called Pennsylvania Dutch Designs by Rebecca McKillip:
It is full of quirky and odd little designs that focus heavily on line work. I am really fascinated by Pennsylvania Dutch art because they were a community that was heavily isolated, so their artwork has a flavor that is truly specific just to them. There is A LOT of heritage in their work. Widely known for the decorative motifs in bold, bright colors, these designs heavily reference a quaint style of living centered on the home/farm. Truly, my own life is way different, but there is something about the bold colors, thick lines, and repetitive patterns that really speak to me. And, let's be honest, some of this stuff is just wonderfully weird.
I really loved this bird and heart motif when I saw it, so I decided to do my own sketchy version.
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The bright colors that arrived this month worked really well in this design and there were so many that it was a joy to use all of them!
The Verdict: SketchBox, I LOVE you. It feels so amazing to get a box full of surprise art supplies each month and feel challenged and excited to explore new ways of sketching and creating. This box was quite literally full of colorful pens, and I am over the moon about it. I absolutely cannot wait until next month!
To Wrap Up:
Can you still get this box if you sign up today? No. Order by March 19 @ 4pm PST for the April box!
ACTIVE DEAL: Save $5 off your first box!
CODE: SKETCH5
Value Breakdown: Since this box costs $40.00 after shipping, each of the 7 items has an approximate cost of $5.71.
Check out all of our SketchBox reviews and the Craft Subscription Box Directory!
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