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
It's the start of a new year, and I have a ton of goals set for myself for 2025. While weight loss always seems to be a number one, this year I am focusing on creativity, and am hoping to dedicate 30 minutes of time each day to exercise my creativity in some way. To kick this goal off, I received the January SketchBox and am already feeling accomplished! 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 sometime in the new year, when the new boxes will arrive. The pretty flower and butterfly 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 @marilynwear, it was a fantastic portrait of a girl with French braid pigtails!
Artist Card
This month's artist card was created by Elizabeth Beaudoin and showcases a beautiful goldfinch and butterfly on an apple tree branch. This type of art is definitely my favorite, and while we are still a long ways from spring, gives me hope for the new year! Check out this fabulous artists instagram @janemaday for more of her art - she makes these awesome journals as well as beautiful traditional art -she is truly magnificent!!!
Art Graf Tailor Square 3 Set - Primary Colors - Retail Value $29.99
If you have read my reviews before, you know that watercolor is my favorite medium, so I was excited to find this large square set of pressed water-soluble pigment in this month's SketchBox. Including magenta, yellow, and blue, and close to 2" X 2" in size for each square, there is a large amount of pigment included, and the colors are absolutely brilliant! While it looks like a simple set, when mixed, this creates some beautiful hues, and the depth these color offer are second to none. Easy to use and offering light, dark, and opaque tones, this set is amazing!
Princeton Snap! Angle Shader - Retail Value $5.50
Brushes are definitely an item I look forward to receiving each month because they are just so fun. This Princeton angle shader version is one of my favorites. With a 1/4" brush, this works well for clean lines and geometric shapes, as well as large area washes. It feels nice in my hand, and was quite versatile. These brushes are high quality and I appreciate every time I receive one!
Derwent Tinted Charcoal Pencils - Sunset Pink & Slate - Retail Value $7.18
The next item we received was a set of two Derwent tinted charcoal pencils. These pencils can be utilized to sketch in our concepts before adding the other components of this box. We received the sunset pink and slate versions and found them to be easy to use, and a great way to sketch out an initial idea. Because they are charcoal, they blend nicely as well. A great addition to an already great box!
Sakura Pigma Medium Brush Pen - Retail Value $5.14
Brush pens are another one of my favorites, and this version was welcomed with open arms! Great for creating calligraphy or adding small dark details to your work, this has a deep hue that writes nicely on top of the water-soluble pigments and charcoal. Creating depth, I look forward to adding this to my art supply arsenal, as I utilize these types of pens often.
Speedball Fluid Watercolor Paper - Retail Value $7.99
The last item we received was a set of 4" X 6" cold press paper. These 12 pages are absorbent and slightly textured to add an extra fun aspect to any art. I utilized a lot of water on my pieces this month with very little edge curling. I'm excited to create 12 fun pieces!
Testing
Aren't this months shades beautiful? While primary colors might seem boring, once mixed, we found all sorts of beautiful hues to make this a very versatile set of supplies!
SketchBox January Projects
It is our last day of winter break, and I have done well so far at setting aside time to get creative while off of work. Today I utilized the SketchBox supplies to create two pieces of art. The first item I created was based off of our school art teachers latest project. She had students cut a picture from a magazine and draw out the rest of it. I received a spring flower catalog and decided to try this out with a photo of caladiums. These pink and green plants are magnificent in color and I found I was able to color match them pretty well with the primary set. A fun twist to my usual watercolor adventures, I had a good time trying this out! My next piece was done on a postcard as a thank you note for my sister-in-law. She gave all of us girls homemade gnocchis, homemade spaghetti sauce, a Swedish dishcloth, and a bottle of sparkling juice in a gift basket for Christmas. The hummingbird utilized more of this month's colors, as well as the brush pen and charcoal. While not super detailed, I did hit my goal for the day, and had a lot of fun!
The Verdict
SketchBox is a really great subscription that sends high quality supplies in all sorts of different mediums. This month's "Premium Multi-Media Box" featured my very favorite paint type and in a fun and versatile way. I definitely appreciated the large size of the paint palette, and really enjoyed the brush, pencils, and pen. With all high-quality tools, we are geared up with enough supplies to create over 12 pieces of art, which is a great way to start the new year! I can't wait to see what we will discover in February. Any guesses?
Keep Track of Your Subscriptions: Add this box to your subscription list or wishlist!
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 $55.80 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 January box was December 21st, but you can still subscribe to get next month's box.
ACTIVE DEAL: Save $5 off your first box!CODE: SKETCH5
What do you think of SketchBox?
Please do not enter your email address in the Name field or in the comment content. Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *. Remember to post with kindness and respect. Comments with offensive language, cruelness to others, etc will not be approved. See our full comment policy here.