RLB Art Box Studio Subscription Review – July 2015

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).

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

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!”

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!

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.

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.

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!

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?