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.
Spring is here, and I’m currently dreaming of weather to match. While we’ve had a 50-degree day sprinkled in here and there, we've also received 5 inches of snow, had highs in the 30s, and experienced a lot of wind lately. That being said, I’ve had quite a bit of time to spend indoors, which means craft sessions! The April SketchBox arrived during a stretch of yucky weather, so I had some time to play around. Check out what I came up with below!
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 used to have an ongoing contest where a subscriber's artwork was featured on the lid of their box. For the past few months, they’ve been sending out repeat boxes—likely to use up inventory—but they mentioned that new artwork would return in the new year. However, we've still been receiving repeat boxes up until now. But here’s a twist—there’s no artwork on the box at all this time! It looks like they’ve decided to continue showcasing the winning artwork on the back of the pamphlet instead, which you’ll see below.
What's Inside the Box
Content Pamphlet
Instead of the traditional postcard, SketchBox has now transitioned to a full pamphlet featuring the box’s contents, a QR code for SketchBox School where you can learn how to use the materials, additional tips, and even details on how to enter a giveaway! You can also see the winner of the monthly contest here, which is usually featured on the shipping box. This month’s winning artwork, created by @Megan_Hunt_Art, is a beautiful portrait of a woman. Check out her Instagram to see all of her awesome work!
Artist Card
This month's artist card was created by Kate Joiner and showcases some cherries amongst some very familiar SketchBox supplies! Extremely creative and unique, this artwork encompasses the literal contents and colors of this month's box! Check out this fabulous artist's Instagram, @katejoinerart for more of her amazing work—she's incredibly talented!
Custom Jacquard Matte Acrylic Set - Retail Value $19.50
If you've read my reviews, you might know that watercolor is my favorite medium. That being said, I do enjoy working with acrylics now and then. This month, the large item in our box was a set of three custom Jacquard Matte acrylic paints. Featuring lime green, turquoise blue, and deep red, this set is lovely in hue and super opaque and matte. When mixed, they create a variety of colors, and you can water them down as well. Overall, I found them to be quite fun to use and loved the color palette!
Princeton 3750 Angular Brush 1/4 Inch - Retail Value $6.65
Brushes are definitely one of my favorite things to receive in this subscription, and this month’s pick was awesome! We’ve received a variety of sizes in the past, but this 1/4" brush is small and perfect for details, yet also works well for large areas and hard edges. I had so much fun painting with it and was thrilled to add another brush to my collection!
KingArt Gold 9000 Series Round Brush Size 4 - Retail Value $9.99
Next up, we received a size 4 round brush. As I mentioned above, brushes are definitely one of my favorite things to receive in this subscription, and I love the KingArt Gold brand, so this was a win. With a small round tip, this brush is great for details and fine lines, and it will definitely come in handy when creating future artwork.
Karin Realbrush Pigment Rose Pink - Retail Value $6.99
Also included this month was a Karin Realbrush Pigment Marker. This bristled marker contains opaque, pigment-based acrylic and is fantastic for adding pink highlights and details. With its tiny tip, you can really get into small areas and even create some color mixes! I don't have many of these types of markers, so it was fun to try. While I think I would get more use out of a black or white marker, the inclusion of this pink color worked well with this month's curation.
Comic Area White- Retail Value $4.45
Speaking of white markers, we did happen to receive one! This Copic Acrea white pen gives off a very bright white pigment and creates clean lines and fun highlights. I absolutely love this pen and am so thankful it was included, as I already know I will use it often.
Strathmore Canvas Pad 300 Series - Retail Value $5.99
Also included in this month's box was a pad of medium-grain textured canvas sheets. This 4" x 6" primed cotton pad came with ten sheets, perfect for ten pieces of artwork. I haven't had much experience working with a fabric paper like this, but it was really fun! The texture created a unique look, and I loved the flexibility it offered. I can't wait to create on it some more!
Testing
Aren’t this month’s shades gorgeous? This color palette is just in time for spring! This month’s curation was so much fun!
SketchBox April Project
As I mentioned above, spring is in the air, and while the temperatures aren't convincing me of this, the calendar is! To bring a little brightness to my home on a chilly day, I decided to draw some flowers and try out the contents of this month's box. Using every supply, I created this little piece of art. I started by sketching the flowers and leaves, then used the round brush to paint them in. Once dry, I used the angular brush to fill in the background in a watercolor style. After finishing, I added the rose pink Real Brush paint and white comic marker. Overall, it was a pretty simple design that allowed me to test out all of this month's products and find that I love them all!
On a side note, I wanted to share a couple photos of the other crafty things I've been working on during the cold April temps. Earring making has become an obsession of mine, and I just can't seem to get enough! What are your guys' favorite hobbies when it's cold outside?
The Verdict
SketchBox is a really great subscription that sends high quality supplies in all sorts of different mediums. This month's "Premium Matte Paint Box" theme featured a beautiful color palette in a medium that I enjoy. I appreciated the variety of colors and tools, and the new to me canvas pad! With enough product to create at least 10 different pieces, I was happy with the curation, and plan on testing these out some more over the weekend. Overall, I had a lot of fun! I can't wait to see what we will discover in May. Any ideas?
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Value Breakdown
Being a repeat box, you can find all these items as as set in the Sketch Shop as Premium Matte Paint Box for $40. The included contents card had a $53.57 value, which is higher than the cost of the box and 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 April box was March 21st, but you can still subscribe to get next month's box or buy this box in their shop as Premium Matte Paint Box.
What do you think of SketchBox?
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