Sketchbox Subscription Box Review + Coupon – July 2017

Sketchbox is a monthly subscription box for art supplies. Each month, they’ll send you 4-6 full-size tools plus a piece of art to inspire you. The items included are for 2D media, such as pens, markers, pencils, paints, etc.

Sketchbox runs an ongoing contest to put a subscriber’s artwork on the lid of their box each month. There’s information on how to enter their monthly contest on the info card!

This box was sent to us at no cost for review. (Check out the review process post to learn more about how we review boxes.)

This is a review of the $35/month Premium box. Sketchbox also offers a $25.00/month Basic box.

The Subscription Box: Sketchbox

The Cost: $35 + $5 U.S. shipping = $40 per month, with savings on longer length subscriptions.

COUPON: Use code SKETCH5 to save $5 off your first box!

The Products: A selection of hand-picked art supplies, plus an art print to inspire

Ships to: U.S. for $5, Canada for $10, International for $15

Good to Know: They donate a portion of sales to provide art supplies to schools in need.

Check out all of our Sketchbox reviews and the Craft Subscription Box Directory!

Keep Track of Your Subscriptions: Add this box to your subscription list or wishlist!

Their info card includes a list of the products and why they were chosen for the box. There’s also a card featuring an elephant drawing by artist Carlijn Sturm and information about them. This month, the focus of the items is “technical sketching.”

You also get a sticker! It’s about eight inches long, so it’s a good fit for a laptop or a hard art supplies case.

Two Derwent Procolour Pencils – Total Value $5.28 USD

I love coloring with pencil since it’s so easy to work in small spaces and build color in precise ways. When you write with them, they feel like a very stiff chalk, which has a great pigment to it. I’m betting each box has different colors of pencils inside—I got a pale sandy brown (“Burnt Yellow Ochre 60”) and a soft, pistachio-pudding green (“Distant Green 43”).

Sakura Microperm 0.45mm Pen – Listed Value $2.79 (Found online for $6.58 on Amazon)

I really like drawing with felt-tip pens. This black pen has a nice, slightly wider point that draws a smooth, opaque black line. I particularly like that it seemed to dry really quickly—I’ve had so many pens smear or smudge while I draw! This permanent pen is going to be a staple at my drawing desk!

CUSTOM Alumicolor Pocket Scale – Listed Value $6.75

Yes! I have wanted one of these tools for such a long time and never got out to the store to pick one up. This triangular device is so handy—it functions as a ruler, features a “Fraction to Decimal” guide, and more importantly, is perfect for using as a straight edge. It could be a little heavier, just so it stays put on the paper a bit better, but regardless, it’s awesome. What a great piece to include in this box! Since this item is exclusive, I just referenced the listed value above, but I linked to something similar, if you’re curious!

FIRST LOOK Derwent Precision 0.7mm – Listed Value $9.99 (Found online for $10.29 USD on Amazon)

This is apparently Derwent’s newest mechanical pencil, which comes with a set of erasers and replacement lead (in a cartridge!). I start all of my drawings in pencil, but usually, I use simple mechanical pencils that you’d find at the local drug store. This pencil is significantly more sophisticated. First of all, it’s really hefty for being such a slender pencil, which makes it really comfortable to hold and easier to control, in my opinion. The lead has a velvety quality to it that’s great to draw with and blend. There’s a cap on the eraser end that I’m very worried I’m going to lose, but I like that it’s there to help keep that eraser clean and white while it’s in my drawer. This definitely is an upgrade for my drawing experience.

Staedtler Triplus Fineliner 10-Piece Set of Pens – Value $9.83

I told a friend of mine about getting these pens, and they mentioned that they were the pens that they always keep at their desk! A ringing endorsement! This rainbow of fine, felt-tip pens seems really high-quality, and the plastic case is awesome. The pens are triangular in shape, so they feel comfortable to hold in your hand. The ink goes on a little darker and dries just a smidge brighter. It doesn’t bleed too much, which is perfect for such a slender line.

Here’s a little example of something I made with the items in the box. (There were some cute baby deer in the backyard yesterday, so I used them as inspiration!) I really appreciated the fine tips of the colored markers—they made it easy to color in small spaces or to create tiny textures and patterns. I’d imagine if you’re someone who loves creating depth or texture through cross-hatching or stippling, these pens would be really fun to work with.

Verdict: I really enjoyed my Sketchbox this month! When I draw, I use a lot of tools similar to the ones in this box, except the quality of my current drawing supplies is way lower. The mechanical pencil, the nice felt-tip pens… these finds are going to be super useful to me. For $40.00, I got about $35.00 worth of products—I would’ve liked the value to come out a little more evenly, but seeing as a few of these pieces seem to only be available in the U.K. and that some of them are brand new releases, I feel like I’m getting my money’s worth!

What do you think of Sketchbox?