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.
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December is here, and with it is snow, ice, and basketball. Though busy, this is my very favorite month of the year. Today my oldest turns 12, and I'm feeling very thoughtful. As he celebrates at school, I had the day off and was able to take some time and reflect on how fast these last twelve years have flown by. Carving out a little creative time for myself with this month's SketchBox, I quietly painted while reminiscing on all of the adventures we have experienced. Read below to see what we received!
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
SketchBox runs an ongoing contest to put a subscriber's artwork on the lid of their box, but this month there was a twist. This was a recycled box from a previous month, so the new art was included with the pamphlet instead. It sounds like this will be a change until January, when the new boxes will arrive. The pretty bird art was appreciated though!
What's Inside the Box
Content Pamphlet
Instead of the traditional post card, SketchBox has now transitioned to an entire pamphlet featuring the boxes contents, a QR code for the SketchBox school where you can learn how to use the materials, other tips, and even information for your chance at a giveaway! Here you can see the winner of the monthly contest that is usually featured on the shipping box. Created by @fugitive.color, it was a beautiful side profile painted in black and pink. Cool!
Artist Card
This month's artist card was created by Elizabeth Beaudoin and showcases a fantastic jingle bell/pinecone/spruce branch close up. Because Christmas is my absolute favorite holiday, I have 3 large decorated trees in my home, and this painting reflected that, and its bright colors made me happy! Check out this fabulous artists instagram @beaudoinsbrush for more of her art - she is truly magnificant!!!
Custom Beam Paints Half Pan Watercolor 3 Set - Retail Value $19
So this is pretty much the coolest thing I have ever seen. Handmade by Beam Paints, this indigenous-owned and operated company specializes in natural pigments and I am in love! Poured on a birch bark slab, we received Orca, Shingwauk'aande Pine, and Mshiikenh Misud Turtle Belly. As the Indigenous Support Advocate at a public school in Minnesota, I work very closely with both Bois Forte and Fond Du Lac tribes and love supporting indigenous companies, so it was so cool to support Anishinaabe from Canada! The overall design of this palette is amazing, and so much fun. I love the natural palette, and the pigments are top notch. I also appreciate the fact that you can purchase refills for the palette. Overall, I am extremely impressed and am really hoping their M'shikenh turtle palette comes back in stock soon so I can order one for my classroom!
Daniel Smith Custom Watercolor Half Stick - Retail Value $7.88
Winsor & Newton Cotman Brush Series 111, Round 4 - Retail Value $9.19
Brushes are a girl's best friend, and this one was perfect for the Premium Watercolor Pan Box. Featuring a small round tip, this helps create fine details, while also being able to cover quite a bit of ground quickly. I love the blue handle, and find Winsor & Newton to be always be of utmost quality. Because I am sort of a brush hoarder,I am happy to receive more, especially when they are my favorite style and size.
Copic Acrea paint marker- Silver - Retail Value $4.45
I love a Copic marker, and this month's acrylic liner is definitely one of my favorites of all time. With a smooth glide, this liner is the prettiest metallic silver and layers on top of the watercolors. Great for crafts of all sorts, these pens are magnificent, and create the prettiest details. The silver color coordinates with this month's watercolors really well, and the versatility of this liner is perfect. Keep sending these, SketchBox!! 😃
Hahnemuhle Sugar Cane Watercolor Paper - Retail Value $10.49
When it comes to art, paper can make all the difference. I love the fact that SketchBox recognizes this and sends us a paper pack each and every month. This time around, we received a custom made pad from Hahnemuhle. These 12 sheets of 4" X 6" paper are 290gsm, and are absorbent, making them perfect for watercolor and wet media. The size makes for a perfect postcard or small framable piece. I appreciate the opportunity to try different papers to find what I like the best, and this one is pretty dang good!
Testing
With Christmas on my mind, I am loving the silver, green, and red tones. The purple threw me off a bit, but after playing around with it, decided it was a surprisingly fine addition to this month's box!
SketchBox December Project
As I mentioned above, the snow has been flying here in Minnesota, so I decided to encompass that with a little red house for my December project. Sketching it out with a pencil, I utilized each of this month's supplies - even the purple! I loved the palette watercolors, and found they blended and layered beautifully, all while creating magnificent tones! The Copic liner was also a great asset, as it helped me trim my windows, roof, and even add snow flakes! Overall, I was very pleased with this month's curation, and want to get my hands on more Copic liners and Beam Paints in the near future!
The Verdict
SketchBox is a really great subscription that sends high quality supplies in all sorts of different mediums. This month's "Premium Watercolor Pan Box" featured my very favorite paint type and in an incredibly lovely manner! This month's birch bark palette was probably my favorite product I've ever received from SketchBox, and the additional supplies worked great with it. With all high-quality tools, we are geared up with enough supplies to create over 12 pieces of art, and I've discovered a fantastic new brand! I can't wait to see what we will discover in the new year. Any guesses?
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Value Breakdown
Because some 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 $51.01 value, which is close to the cost of the box, but allowed me to discover products I probably wouldn't 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 December box was November 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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