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RLB Art Box Studio Subscription Review – July 2015

Anna Rodriguez
ByAnna RodriguezJul 21, 2015 | 7 comments

RLB Art Box Studio Subscription Box Review - July 2015 - july

RLB Art Box Studio is a monthly fine arts subscription for artists of all experience levels. They include all supplies and instructions to create your own masterpiece each month.

RLB kindly sent us this box for review purposes. (Check out the review process post to learn more about how we review boxes).

RLB Art Box Studio Subscription Box Review - July 2015 - inside

The Subscription: RLB Art Box Studio

The Cost: $25 per month with discounts for longer subscriptions

The Products: All materials and instruction needed to complete one work of art per month

Ships to: The appear to ship everywhere, but shipping costs are unclear on their website

Ships via: USPS

RLB Art Box Studio Subscription Box Review - July 2015 - intro

I'm including a picture of this little introductory slip of paper that was included because it does a great job summing up their entire service. It says:

"RLB Art Box Studio is a monthly subscription that is delivered right to your door. Inside each package you will find all the contents to make and create your own work of art. Each month subscribers will receive a different art project which includes all necessary supplies and easy to follow written, visual, and video directions to cater to all learning needs. No prior art experience is necessary. Our mission here at RLB ART BOX STUDIO is to provide the ingredients that allow you to express your creative passion, conveniently. It's time, Get Your Art On!"

RLB Art Box Studio Subscription Box Review - July 2015 - info

This info card lists the project that you will be doing, all the supplies included plus some details, estimated time to completion, and even suggested cleanup methods! They do make it really easy to plan for this project!

RLB Art Box Studio Subscription Box Review - July 2015 - original

This is a little postcard with the original work on it, from which we are to get our inspiration. This month's artist is Kandinsky.

RLB Art Box Studio Subscription Box Review - July 2015 - directions

These are the step-by-step visual instructions. They also included written directions on the back of the info cards, but the lettering was too small to make a useful photograph. They were very clear and thorough, though. They also have video instructions available on their website.

RLB Art Box Studio Subscription Box Review - July 2015 - supplies

These are all of the materials that were included to complete the project. I was super impressed that they even included a good pair of sharp scissors! They really did include everything!

RLB Art Box Studio Subscription Box Review - July 2015 - collage

This is my completed collage made of poster paper and felt. I did take one additional step that changed my outcome a bit. The completed project should have had a pure white background with a black grid on it. I wanted my background to be colored (like the original); I felt that a black and white grid in the background added a technical element that I didn't want in my finished product. So, I used some of my own supplies (crayons) to give my grid some light coloration.

The Verdict: I ended up not really liking my finished product that much. I like Kandinsky's original, but I felt that moving this piece of art into the third dimension added something undesirable for me. It's important to note, however, that my opinion of my work is strictly a matter of taste! RLB delivered on everything they promised. The instructions were very thorough, and absolutely all materials needed were included. I completed my work of art in about 45 minutes, which was true to their prediction. The quality of the materials that were supplied is not the highest, in my opinion, but the price of this service is much less than other services of the same nature. I think RLB is a great subscription service for people who would like to experiment, learn, and create their own art, but don't want to spend a fortune to accomplish those goals.

What do you think of RLB Art Box Studio?

Anna Rodriguez
Anna Rodriguez
Anna has been a fan of subscription boxes since joining Birchbox in 2013, but didn't become a true addict until discovering subscriptions she could share with her children. Her favorites include Kiwi Crate and Fab Kids.

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7 comments

Andrea

So, I love this painting, and the school I used to work at always had the preschoolers do different takes on it in different mediums. My favorite was one year when they had each kid cut out a stack of colors from fabric, and in the end they made an art quilt. It was quite beautiful! I think maybe you could go in with some watercolors on yours or something. It turned out nicely, but I’m not wild about the crayon.

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Kristen

I have been a subscriber of RLB Art Box for a few months, and I want to say I love it! You all can only see this one project and the materials used, but each month is different and uses different materials that you might already have and many that you wouldn’t have, such as chalk and oil pastels. This particular project has actually been the simplest so far so don’t let it fool you into thinking that all projects are easy or juvenile. If you like to create 2 or 3 dimensional art, this subscription is for you!

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sheryl

Decided to try it out for one month. Maybe I can find my inner artist.

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Mailbox Junkie

I like the project! Makes me think of art school how copying the masters helps you learn technique, composition and etc. I like that they put their own spin on it. I think your final look project looks modern and fun. Kids room wall art? Or in the bathroom? Or Kitchen?

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Sarah

This feels more like “crafts” to me than “art” and very juvenile at that… I personally don’t feel that there’s a lot of value here. Chances are that most people have everything they’d need for this already around the house, except for the felt, and that’s sooo inexpensive. On a positive note, I like that it uses fine art for inspiration.

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Andy

I agree that I like the postcard version a little better, BUT I think it looks awesome, and if you put it in a black frame, it’d be a great little art piece. I really like this subscription! Thanks for the thorough review! 🙂

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Anna

Awwww, thanks Andy! That makes my day. 🙂

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