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.
This is a review of the $35/month Premium box. SketchBox also offers a $25/month Basic box.
ACTIVE DEAL: Save $5 off your first box!
CODE: SKETCH5
We are currently in the throes of spring break, and I may have bitten off more than I can chew. After undertaking a huge painting project, I can tell you I am utterly sick of painting, and was in the mood for something a little more relaxing, enjoyable, and CLEAN! This month's SketchBox arrived just in time! While I waited for my second coat of paint to dry, I busted out my new supplies and got straight to work. I was excited by the contents, and couldn't wait to give them a whirl. Read below to see what I discovered.
This box was sent to us at no cost for review. (Check out the editorial guidelines to learn more about how we review boxes.)
First Impressions
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SketchBox runs an ongoing contest to put a subscriber's artwork on the lid of their box. This month featured art was created by Jen Doyle and was a fantastically realistic eyeball. Seriously folks, the talent is real! Included in this box is information regarding how to enter the monthly contest on the info card. Check it out if you are interested.
What's Inside the Box
Content Card
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Each month we receive a content list of all this month's featured products, along with a short summary of each item and listed retail prices. Also included is a QR code for the SketchBox school where you can learn how to use the materials, try different techniques, and even create your own piece of artwork.
Artist Card
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This month's artist card was created by Carrah-Anne Aldridge and depicts a fantastic comic-style girl adorned in flowers and bright colors. A self-taught traditional artist, this vivid portrait was wonderfully inspiring, and in perfect time for spring! More of her work can be found on her instagram page @creative.carrah or linktr.ee/creative.carrah. Check it out, she creates some really "out of this world" characters!
Sticker
This month's sticker features an adorable Pantone marker. Sticking to the theme perfectly, this will be adorable on the cover of my sketch book! (Also, I am kind of loving the sneaky addition of the date!)
SketchBox Exclusive Launch Partner with Royal Talent Pantone Marker 114, 218, 304, 2572 Retail Value $34.00
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The first (and most exciting) inclusion this month, is this set of Pantone markers. Because they partnered with SketchBox as part of an exclusive launch, we are the first to get our hands on these! Coming soon to stores, they will be available in 108 colors, and are beautifully pigmented. With a chisel and brush nib, they are magnificent in small and large spaces, and for fine details. My favorite aspect of these markers is how well they layer on top of each other to create a variety of hues. Drying with no marker lines, these create really professional looking art and are a blast to use.
Pantone Marker Ink 327 - Retail Value $12.95
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The next inclusion was one I struggled to use a bit. Coming in a large 30 mL pot, this deeply pigmented marker ink can be used to fill markers or use on its own with a brush. When I say this is very pigmented, I mean it! Looking almost black when dipped from the pot, a little goes a long way. Beautiful in tone, but sort of messy to use, I would rather have had an extra marker, but would like to try this in more of a watercolor application.
Princeton Round Brush Size 4 - Retail Value $1.65
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Because my kids steal my paint brushes, I have had to build up a new stash, and this size 4 round brush was exactly what I was in the market for. With a small tip for tiny details, the handle fits perfectly in my hand, and did a nice job applying the marker ink. I will definitely be using this baby the next time I bust out my watercolors, and think it will be my fave!
Faber-Castell Grip Pencil - Retail Value $1.50
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I am a pencil addict, actually preferring to use this writing tool over pen any day, and this triangular grippy version has me swooning all the more! Looking like a typical pencil, this guy worked perfect to sketch out my April design, and felt sooo cool in my hand! The little nubs kept the pencil from slipping, and the eraser worked great. Sweaty hands? No problem, this grip pencil has you covered!
Pantone Art Pad - Retail Value $12.95
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The last item we received this month was one that is specially formulated for the Pantone inks that were included in this month's box. With an impressive holding power, my ink-heavy art not only didn't bleed through this brilliant white paper, but it also didn't curl. Including 10 sheets of 82 pound, 4X6" paper, you have the ability to create a lot of fun art with this month's new supplies!
Testing
Look at those amazing colors! I have so many spring and summery vibes happening here!
SketchBox April Project
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This month's artist card really had me inspired, but because I am not great at character type art, I decided to base my design on the floral aspect that Carrah-Anne incorporated. Drawing out a rose with the nubby pencil, I added some greenery, but wasn't sure where to go from there. Because I felt it had an old style tattoo vibe going on, I decided to play off of that and ended up with a love letter, extra florals, and some scrolly designs. Slowly coloring in with the markers, I based my rose off of the one on the artist card. Hers looked so lovely, but mine was looking rough. I couldn't shade it quite right, and I headed off to the green unsatisfied. Layering the blue and yellow made a fantastic green, and covered amazingly. Going through and finishing up the color I was honestly hating this piece. It wasn't until I busted out my trusty black marker to retrace my pencil lines did things finally come together. I always tell the boys to "trust the process" and I definitely needed to heed that advice. Once traced out, I felt it looked a lot more finished, and I was actually pleased with how the rose looked!
The Verdict
SketchBox is such a fun and creative subscription. I am always excited to see what theme is next, and love the items they pack into their boxes. Receiving high quality supplies that coordinate and work well together is a huge necessity for me, as I get anxiety from sifting through millions of different art brands and supplies. Through this month's box, I discovered that new Pantone marker line, and can't wait to get my hands on the other 104 colors. I already can't wait to see what I discover next month!
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Value Breakdown:
Because most of this month’s products were custom sizes or custom made for SketchBox, it was hard to determine an accurate retail value. BUT, now you can purchase some individual products from the Sketch Shop, making it easier to buy more of the items you love! The included contents card had a huge $63.14 value, which is almost $30 over the cost of the box! Because we received exclusive launch items and this amazing of a curation, I felt this was a fantastic value, and a great way to try items I may not have discovered otherwise.
To Wrap Up
Can you still get this box if you sign up today? According to SketchBox's website, the cutoff to purchase the April box was March 21st, but you can still subscribe to get next month's box.
ACTIVE DEAL: Save $5 off your first box!
CODE: SKETCH5
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