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 $10.00, and international for $15.00
Paletteful Packs March 2021 Review
The March Paletteful Packs Premier box included all of the necessary supplies to create three 8" X 10" black illustration boards.
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Each month we receive a postcard listing all of the month's contents, along with tips, tricks, and techniques. The month of March has been deemed "The POSCA Box" and I couldn't wait to dig in. The opposing side also includes the prompts for the month. This month's prompts are song, cactus/succulent, pixel art, and flower. They also include a YouTube link that offers more info and inspiration. I checked out POSCA's website, and found the art work truly amazing!
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POSCA Paint Markers - Retail Value $14.04
These paint markers are SUPER cool. I have worked with this particular brand in the past, and am obsessed. Because they are non-toxic and water-based, the paint in these markers covers well, is blendable, dries quickly, and can be layered. I've used these for decorating brown paper lunch bags, Easter eggs, rocks, wood, and cardboard, but they can also be used on ceramic, glass, fabric, metal, plastic, and canvas. They truly are versatile and fun to use. If you are having trouble using your marker, you must first shake it up and down with the cap on, then press the tip several times on a piece of scratch paper until the tip is filled with paint. If the paint flows less during use, place the cap back on and shake the marker again to re-prime. I found the larger nibbed markers (green and aqua green) flowed a bit more freely than the smaller nibs, but all worked extremely well and were colors that screamed spring. My kids love these markers as much as I do, and can't wait to color their Easter eggs with them!
Aren't these pigments bright and beautiful?
POSCA Pastel Pencils - Retail Value $5.88
While I have used the POSCA paint markers in the past, their line of pastel pencils is new to me. These pencils are about as wide as a crayon but much longer, and wrapped in a paper sleeve. I loved the pigment these pastels projected but was a little disappointed with their blending qualities. I felt these were more similar to a crayon than a pastel myself, but I'm definitely an amateur when it comes to pastel work, so maybe I'm wrong here. I did appreciate how clean my hands stayed while using these, and the colors were quite remarkable, so I am happy to add them to my stash.
These colors are so bright and cheerful!
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COPIC Opaque White Pigment - Retail Value $10.25
Another item that was new to me this month was this glass container of COPIC opaque white pigment. This jar contains a water-based pigment used for highlight effects. It doesn't bleed and gives sharp line definitions. It can be used on permanent ink surfaces, as well as with acrylic, watercolor, and color pencil. I had a grand time applying it over the POSCA paint markers, and right onto the illustration board. It dried with a tiny bit of texture, especially when applied heavy handedly. It worked amazingly for highlighting, and was really fun to use!
Here I applied the opaque white pigment over the top of the yellow POSCA marker, and it covered in one single stroke!
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Robert Simmons Sapphire Brush - Listed Value $12.95
I love painting in watercolor and have become addicted to these Robert Simmons brushes. The size of this brush is perfect for all sorts of mediums and paired with the COPIC opaque white pigment, was perfect for my stippling effect. This line of brushes is made up of a blend of red Kolinsky hair and synthetic filaments. Each brush is hand-made and carries a lifetime guarantee, has a kiln-dried beechwood handle and the ferrules are precision engineered and 22 kt gold-plated. I found this brush to be easy and comfortable to hold while being very precise and smooth.
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Crescent Ultra-Black Textured Board 3-Pack, 8" X 10" - Retail Value $7.34
To round out this month's curation, we also received a package of three textured illustration boards. Constructed with a solid black core, this thick board absorbs fast and doesn't curl. I found the beautifully bright POSCA markers and opaque white pigment to almost jump off the page when applied to this background.
Art
This month I was inspired by a little road trip we took to watch a little Snocross. Along the way, we saw multiple trains and my boys were fascinated with the "fancy" writing on the passing train cars. My oldest son, while impressed, decided people shouldn't color on train cars, and asked if we could give them paper instead. Between the amazingly talented graffiti, we encountered, and the colorful wrap kits decorating the snowmobiles at Snocross, I really felt I needed to somehow recreate that.
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After a little google research, I decided to trace out the word "Dream" in graffiti-style letters. Using the POSCA paint markers, I colored stripes in each of the letters. I found the larger nibbed markers flowed a lot more freely than the smaller ones but ended up enjoying the texture both created. I ended up added yellow stipples to help cover the black background and thought it added some fun-looking texture. Once I filled in the stripes, I outlined the letters in green to help them stand out from each other.
To help the pink stand out, I used my POSCA pastel and pressed really hard. Using the aqua green paint marker, I wanted to create a water effect, but felt it blended in too much with the letters, so I used the blue POSCA pastel to get that 6th color incorporated. Once my paint dried, I used the sapphire brush and opaque white pigment to add highlights to the letters and add a stippled look to the background for interest. Hank had no idea what word was incorporated into this art but thought it was pretty neat. He has decided he wants to try his hand at graffiti art when he comes home from school tonight. I'm excited to see how his will turn out!
The Verdict: This month of Paletteful Packs was bright and fun -- a wonderful way to jump into March! I found the "POSCA Box" theme to be perfectly fitting for this time of year, and I absolutely loved the color choices and curation. I found the black texture boards paired with the vibrant pens to be a perfect fit and really fun to use. I used every single item in my artwork this month, and had a great time trying my hand at graffiti art...especially utilizing the opaque white pigment! I can't wait to see what next month's theme might be!
This subscription costs $35.95 per month. The listed value on the website's content card came to $58.15. I was able to find the pens and the markers online for about $50.46, which almost $15 more than the cost of the subscription box, which is a great deal! If you are into trying high-quality art supplies and new techniques, I highly suggest checking out this box.
Can you still get this box if you sign up today? No, you'll receive the April 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 9 unique items, you’re paying approximately $3.99 per item.
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What did you think of the Paletteful Packs March box? What would you create?
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