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
The countdown is on, and with only less than 24 actual days of school left, I feel as though I am whitewater rafting through these recent weeks. With the weather being less than ideal, everyone has been feeling a bit overwhelmed lately, so this month's SketchBox arrived at a critical time for some self care! Hank and I were excited by this month's contents, and couldn't wait to give them a whirl. Read below to see what we 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 Aimee Buresh and included a eccentric portrait and fish! 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 Keyla Valerio and depicts a beautiful portrait. Working as a private comic artist and illustrator, Keyla is incredibly talented and my son was especially impressed with how well she draws hands. (He has recently started drawing basketball players from his basketball cards, and found this feat to be almost impossible!) More of Keyla's work can be found on her instagram page @kvalerio_art or kvalerioart.com. Check it out, she really is amazing!
Sticker
This month's sticker features the bottle of liquid graphite we received along with the text "Celebrating 8 years of supporting artists". Small in size, this is a great addition for a laptop or notebook.
SketchBox Signature Liquid Graphite - Retail Value $8.99
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The first item we received this month was a bottle of water-soluble graphite. This liquid strays from the traditional graphite pencil, but can be applied using the tip to make thick lines. It can also be used with a brush to create a subtle wash. Interesting to use, I had the most fun using this with a watercolor style application, but look forward to testing out the applicator a little more.
Hero Arts Glimmer Gold - Retail Value $6.99
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This Hero Arts Glimmer Gold was definitely my favorite item in this month's box. This fast-drying ink is absolutely gorgeous and adds fantastic flair to any artwork. Because this ink is dilutable with water, it can be used in a variety of ways. Hank and I had a great time using this glimmery ink for the finishing touches on our work, and definitely need to get this substance in all of the other colors!
Custom Faber-Castell Matte Graphite Pencil Set (similar set linked here) - Retail Value $14.75
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The next item we received was a custom pencil set from Faber-Castell. These graphite matte pencils offset the metallic glimmer fantastically. We received 2B, 4B, 10B, 14B, and a white soft pastel that look beautiful on the included cream toned pad and are really fun to use. Hank felt like a professional using these pencils, and couldn't wait to show his buddies his new creations.
Royal Majestic Short Handle Shader Brush - Retail Value $6.49
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I love a good brush, and this one is really nice. As a size 6 with a chisel-edge, this is the perfect size to fill areas and create details. The shader works great, and the small brush size worked great with the glimmer gold ink. I love high quality brushes like this one, and am happy to have it for my collection!
Faber-Castell Eraser Pencil - Retail Value $3.60
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Another inclusion in this month's box was a Faber-Castell eraser pencil. This item was one I've never used before, but was interesting to try. Used to pick out highlights and keep your workstation clean, this worked pretty well at doing that, but is something I think I need a little more guidance on.
Pacific Arc Pencil Sharpener - Retail Value $1.10
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Always useful, we also received a metal pencil sharpener. Perfect for the use with all of our included pencils, this is a great addition to add to my pencil case.
SketchBox Signature Cream Toned Pad - Retail Value $10.99
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The last item we received was this cream toned pad of 4" X 4", 100% cotton, 140 lb paper. With 12 sheets, we have canvas' for twelve different creations. Perfect for dry and wet mediums, this paper doesn't curl or distort with the addition of the liquid graphite and glimmer gold, and makes for adorable pieces!
Testing
Look at that beautiful contrast! Black and gold are giving me all of the prom and graduation vibes, and I am here for it!
SketchBox May Project 1
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With the temps finally warming up, I am sooo in flower mode! While it still is too early to do any planting, I felt this pencil set and gold glitter could create a really neat floral design. Using all of this month's supplies, I started sketching out my flower. Honestly, to create this piece, I laid all of the supplies next to me, and just grabbed and set down as I was drawing, not paying exact attention to which pencils I used when. When complete, I used the shader brush and glimmer gold ink to add around the edges, making the graphite pencils pop.
Project 2
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The next project I created was one I was inspired by on Pinterest. I love butterflies and flowers, and with this color pairing, loved the idea of combining the two. Though I wish the lettering was done a little differently, this was a fun little project to complete!
Hank's Creations
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Like I mentioned above, Hank couldn't wait to try out these new supplies. He is super into basketball and has been drawing dozens of basketball shoes and players. Because the included paper pad was so small, he didn't want to try making a mini shoe, but he did feel inspired to create the Kyrie and Giannis logo. Doesn't that gold look superb?!
Because I am so proud of my little boy, I have to share his shoe drawing he just finished. I love being able to create art with my son, and hope he continues letting his creativity soar!
The Verdict
SketchBox is such a fun and relaxing subscription. I love the excitement opening this box gives each month, and can't wait to let those creative juices flow. Receiving high quality supplies that coordinate and work well together is a huge necessity for me, and takes the anxiety of shopping out of the equation! Through this month's box, I discovered new brands, and that fantastic metallic ink. While the supplies are great, the most heartwarming part of this box is being able to share it with my son. We already can't wait to see what we 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 $52.91 value, which is almost $20 over the cost of the box! Because we received exclusive launch items and this amazing of a curation, I felt this was a decent 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 May box was April 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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