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 for 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 provided to create a unique project
Ships to: The US for free, Canada for $10, and International for $15
Paletteful Packs August 2020 Review
The August Paletteful Packs Premier box included all of the supplies to create twelve 9 " X 12" projects.
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Each month we receive a postcard listing all of the month's contents, along with tips, tricks, and techniques. The opposing side also includes the prompts for the month. This month's prompts are: pirate, pastry, shoe, and cityscape. I can't wait to check out the hashtags for these on Instagram as some very talented people submit their work!!
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Marabu Heat Graphix Sketch Markers - Listed Value $17.99, Retail Value $17.99
Aren't these markers brilliant?! I am loving the brightly pigmented colors along with the dual-sided tips for versatility! We received 6 of these alcohol-based markers in this set, and although I have never used this type of marker before, I can safely say I am hooked. The way these markers glided across the included paper reminded me of velvet in the texture, and looked so smooth compared to a traditional marker. Obviously, because they are alcohol-based, they do have a light alcohol scent, but not as powerful as, say, a Sharpie marker would. I found the square-shaped shaft to be easy to hold and control, all while being a lot of fun to use!
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Marabu Alpha Robot Graphix Sketch Markers - Listed Value $17.99, Retail Value $17.99
ANOTHER set of these cool markers?! Yes!!! I have to admit that this grey robot set was a little bit less exciting than the beautifully pigmented "heat" pack, but once I started drawing, I was really into them and appreciated the varying shades of grey. These are just like the previous set, just in a palate of grey, which worked great for the project I did this month.
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Faber-Castell Pitt Pen in Gold - Listed Value $5.05, Retail Value $4.17
I'm pretty sure I just discovered my favorite pen ever. This gold 1.5 mm marker/pen is odorless, permanent, and water-resistant. Plus it doesn't bleed through paper. Not only does it work on this month's included paper, but it also writes smoothly on copy paper, construction paper, cardstock, and plastic - even dark shades!! And who doesn't love a metallic gold color?! I used this pen for some fine detailing over the Graphix markers and it covered perfectly. I will definitely get a lot of use out of this one!
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Faber-Castell Pitt Pen in White - Listed Value $3.70, Retail Value $4.49
I was extremely excited to see another variation of the previous pen! While the white version obviously doesn't do much on a white piece of paper, this marker works beautifully over the top of the Graphix markers, and on colored cardstock! Like the gold pen, it is odorless, permanent, and waterproof. It doesn't bleed through paper, and the pigmented India ink is acid-free and pH neutral. While I would have rather had a brighter color, I was able to use this pen to create some highlights on this month's butterfly, and found it great for decorating my son's orange notebook!
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Art Alternatives Pigment Liners 0.7 mm - Listed Value $1.99
We have received these black pigment liners in previous boxes, but they are so versatile that I am happy to receive more. These pens are ideal for illustration, graphic and technical drawings, sketching, and lettering. I find them so comfortable that I like to use them in my planner because they just write so neat and fine. The varying nibs gave me the ability to add a lot of detail to my drawing, and they don't smear when placed over the Graphix markers.
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Art Alternatives Pigment Liners 1.0 mm - Listed Value $1.99
This slightly larger nib was great for outlining this month's butterfly, and helped create a real smooth finish. I love these pens!!
Aren't those Graphix markers awesome?! And check out that gold pen...I'll take 10 more, plus the silver and bronze, please!
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Seth Cole Bristol Plate Finish 9" X 12" Paper - Listed Value $9.60, Retail Value $7.90
The last item we received this month was this 9" X 12" paper pad that included 12 sheets of paper. This two-ply drawing paper has a smooth finish and is designed for pen, pencil, and markers. I had no trouble with markers bleeding, and found the Graphix markers glided on this paper so smoothly and evenly that it didn't even feel like I was using markers.
Black Swallowtail Butterfly Project
This month I wanted to make something that showcased the varying grey shades of Graphix markers that we received, so I chose to draw a Black Swallowtail Butterfly. My kids and I have raised and released 12 Monarch butterflies this year, so I am a butterfly fanatic, and this particular species gave me the opportunity to use all of my new markers!
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I first sketched out my butterfly onto the Seth Cole Bristol plate finish paper and got straight to work with the new markers. I used every shade of grey I received, and all of the "heat" markers except for the red. Using the pigment liners, I traced around the entire project, using the tip to create dots for detail. I added gold highlights to the yellow spots, and used the white Pitt pen to bring out a highlight in the eye and on the flower petals. This piece was fun to create and turned out kind of cool!
Kids Corner
Like every month, my boys asked if they could try out my new art supplies, so we enjoyed a little family art time. Charlie created a ranch scene complete with a cowboy, cactus, rattlesnake, and turtle. Hank decided to create a nature scene that included a milkweed plant and a butterfly. They too liked using these markers, but because they are alcohol-based, we put a placemat down to protect our table...too bad it was after Charlie accidentally colored it onto the table - thank goodness for nail polish remover!
The Verdict: This was one of my favorite Paletteful Packs boxes to date! While I have a lot of experience with Crayola washable markers, these alcohol-based Graphix markers really blew me away. The quality these markers have (which better be great because they are pretty spendy) is top-notch, and I found myself really excited to draw with them. The pigments were amazing, and the fact that the ink dried fast and didn't smear totally ruined any other marker for me for life. I found the curation this month to be spot on, as I used almost every single pen and marker for my drawing, and have 11 more creations to make! If it weren't for this subscription I probably never would have experienced these markers, and I am so glad I did because they are a game-changer! I can't wait to see what next month will bring!
This subscription costs $35.95 a month. The listed value on the website's content card came to $56.61. I was able to find all of these supplies online for $52.54 which doesn't even include the 2 pigment liners we received as they only come in a set. I found the variety of pens, markers, and paper to be a great curation and definitely worth the subscription cost as I will be able to use them over and over and over again.
Can you still get this box if you sign up today? No, you'll receive the September 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 7 unique items, you’re paying approximately $5.13 per item.
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What did you think of the Paletteful Packs August box? What would you create?
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