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 U.S. for free, Canada for $10, and international for $15
Paletteful Packs January 2021 Review
The January Paletteful Packs Premier box included all of the supplies to create twelve 5.5" X 8.5" watercolor pictures.
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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: ocean, flowers, twilight, and still life. They also include a YouTube link that offers more info and inspiration - I recommend checking it out, as they have some really cool videos!
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Daniel Smith Extra Fine Watercolor in Mayan Blue Genuine, Rose Ultramarine, and Viridian - Buy all 3 for $25.69
As I have expressed before, watercolor is much more my jam than any other type of paint. I like how easy it is to clean-up, the "looseness" of the paint, and I like that it dries so fast. I have tried watercolor in tubes, pans, and liquids in the past, but find myself drawn to pans because it is one less step for me. I was excited this month because we received these tubes AND a pan to put them in! Perfect! Anyways... how do these "extra fine" watercolors stand up to alternate types? Let's just say they are pretty amazing. We received Mayan Blue Genuine, Rose Ultramarine, and Viridian and they are gorgeous. Right away I noticed how strong and vibrant the colors were, and how easy they were to use. All three colors blend together beautifully and are a watercolorist's dream to work with. I do want to note how amazing the Rose Ultramarine is though, as it is a blend of Quinacridone Rose and Ultramarine Blue. When used, the blue settles as the rose floats, creating a vibrant, dimensional purple. You will see how apparent this is in one of my flower paintings. The color is gorgeous!
Here are the colors swatched. You can't see the blue dimension in the rose as well as in my painting below, but these colors are even more beautiful in person!
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Daniel Smith Masking Fluid & 5-Tip Applicator System- $12.77
Now, this is something I have never used before! This Daniel Smith Masking Fluid can be applied either with the included tips, or a brush to create an impervious barrier to protect and preserve white areas on the paper. Upon application, it is off-white and dries to a transparent caramel color. It peels off pretty well, but they do mention not letting it dry too hard or it may rip the paper upon removal. Because I have never used this before, I didn't quite know what I was doing at first but had I a lot of fun. Peeling off the medium was actually quite satisfying, and it worked really well! Check out my photos below to see how it works.
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Daniel Smith Folding Palette - Listed Value - $7.99
With our watercolor, we received a Daniel Smith folding palette. This palette hosts 15 slots with 9 removable trays. I found this very useful for mixing colors and letting the colors dry to reactivate later. It opens from the side and closes pretty tightly. It worked great for the included tubes of watercolor and will come in handy with my stash of other colors, to keep everything in one place.
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Silver Brush Golden Taklon - 6 Round - $4.14
I love receiving new brushes, and this Golden Taklon brush was just what I was in the market for. The handle is comfortable and easy to grip, and the brush has the perfect amount of fibers to easily work with watercolors. It's large enough to cover a good amount of paper, yet small enough to add in details - the perfect sized brush for me!
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Strathmore 400 Series Watercolor Paper Pad 5.5" X 8.5" - $5.99
Lastly, to put all of our new items to use, we received a 12 sheet, 5.5" X 8.5" pad of Strathmore watercolor paper. This paper is acid-free and heavyweight, which is great for wet media and finished artwork. I love this brand, and found it holds watercolor excellently... even when done by an 8-year-old!
Watercolor Projects
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The first project I did this month was a test run of my new colors. I haven't had as much "creative" time between distance learning and working, but managed to sit down for a little session after I got the kids tucked into bed. Isn't that Rose Ultramarine color awesome?
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This is the flower I mentioned above, where you can really see how the rose floats and the blue settles, creating this vibrant dimensional purple. I love how the paint did that, and can't wait to try it out on a little more time-consuming project!
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Lastly, I did a little canvas using the paints and the masking fluid. I did a little research before I dug in, and now after doing it once, I have more ideas for next time. I wanted to try and do a wash background with light flowers, so I drew them out with pencils and used the applicator to add the masking fluid. I didn't shake the bottle, as the instructions mention because of bubbles, but ended up with some anyway. Using a paintbrush, I covered the flowers entirely and set the paper aside to dry. Because it was pretty thick, it took about 45 minutes to dry. Once dry, I applied my wash of paint. Letting that dry for a bit, I was able to start peeling. The masking fluid peeled off really well and was relaxing to do. I noticed the thicker it was applied, the easier it was to peel. I did some "spots" and I had to basically rub that fluid off. See how crisp the lines were?? Not exactly my best work, but really fun to experiment with! I can't wait to try this again!
Finished Projects
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Here are this month's finished projects. I worked on a couple of flower pieces, while Hank decided to create a Northern Lights piece. I can definitely say I think I like his the best!
The Verdict: Like always, Paletteful Packs, sent amazing, new, and fun items to create some really cool artwork. Watercolors are my favorite, and the brilliance of these colors was second to none. I love, love, loved the Rose Ultramarine and how it created that dimensional purple, and I am very excited about the masking fluid. I am no professional artist, but I love trying new mediums and products, but wouldn't have a clue where to begin without this box. That coupled with the fact that I can share this experience with my kids is definitely worth the price!
This subscription costs $35.95 a month. The listed value on the website's content card came to $62.80. I was able to find most of these supplies (or close versions) online for about $56.58 which is almost $20 more than the subscription cost! If you are into trying high-quality art supplies and new techniques, I highly suggest this box!
Can you still get this box if you sign up today? No, you'll receive the February box.
Please note that we have a cutoff date of the last day of every month to order the box for the coming month. For example, a box ordered Oct. 1-Oct. 31st would be for the November box. Boxes will ship around the 1st of each month.
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 January box? What would you create?
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