Paletteful Packs is a carefully thematic selection of art supplies for artists of every skill level and all ages. Every box will include a variety of media. Products include paint, pens, pencils, brushes, markers, and more! There are 3 different pack options including:
- Petite Pack: 4+ artist quality supplies per box for $24.95/month
- Premier Pack: 5+ artist quality supplies per box for $35.95/month
- Young Artist: for ages 8 and up, 4+ items per box for $30.95/month
This review is for the $35.95/month Premier Pack.
This box was sent to us at no cost for review. (Check out the review processes post to learn more about how we review boxes).
About Paletteful Packs
The Subscription Box: Paletteful Packs
The Cost: $35.95 per month + free shipping. Save with longer commitments.
ACTIVE DEAL: Save 10% off your first box!
CODE: FIRSTMONTH10
The Products: Carefully-selected art supplies are provided to create a unique project
Ships to: US for free, Canada for $10, and International for $15
Paletteful Packs June 2019 Review
This month's theme is pastels! Paletteful Packs Premier included all the supplies needed to create 25 pastel projects!
Every month you receive a detailed content list with descriptions and retail values of all the included products, helpful tips, and a website for more resources! I have found the tips to be very helpful with unfamiliar products!
The back of the card features info about the June 2019 Paletteful Prompt. Each month they choose prompts for every week, and you can create a drawing or painting based on your interpretation of the prompt. If you hashtag it with #palettefulprompt and #palettefulpacks, you have a chance to win!
PanPastel Set of 2 (Ultramarine Blue and Hansa Yellow) Retail Value: $16.50 (found here individually for $5.71 each)
The first item I opened in this month’s box was this super cute set of 2 PanPastels! These pastels are highly pigmented, soft, low dust, and they apply like paint. The containers they come in are reusable and they interlock for easy storage and transport. The colors apply just like they look in the packaging. I found them easy to work with and fun to use!
Sofft Tools 8 - Piece Starter Set - Retail Value: $8.50 (found here for $5.62)
The next item was this Sofft tool starter kit. This kit contained a plastic knife, 5 knife covers, and 2 different sized sponge bars. These reusable sponges were actually designed to use with the PanPastel colors, and allow the artist to create varying marks, blends, layering, and more. We played around with these tools a lot and learned some new techniques, but most of all had a lot of fun!
General Pencil Multipastel Primary Set - Retail Value: $4.32 (found here for $3.16)
Here we received a primary color set of pastels. These are extra smooth and ideal for fine art drawing. They are oil-free, acid-free, and can be blended with the included Sofft tools. I found them easy to use, vibrant in color, but very messy!
General Pencil Multipastel Grey Tone Set - Retail Value: $4.32 (found here for $6.28)
Not only did we receive the primary color set, but we also received a grey tone set. It included a black, dark grey, light grey, and white pastel. They also are oil-free and acid-free.
Strathmore 400 Series Pastel Paper Pad - Assorted Tints - Retail Value: $8.35 (found here for $6.18)
They also included this 9” x 12” pastel paper pad to create your artwork on. This 80 lb. paper is designed especially for pastel techniques. It has a textured finish, and blends very nicely. I found the pages to have assorted tints for an added pleasant surprise!
Velour Board 8" x 10" - Retail Value $1.99
Lastly, we received this 8” X 10” black velour paper. It says on the content list that the velvet-textured surface is ideal for pastels, oil pastel crayons, chalks, and charcoal. I noticed the yellow paper filling in the box really liked to stick to this surface! While I struggled a little with this paper, it was fun to try something new!
Project #1 Raven
For my first project, I decided to try out the black pastel and make a raven. I loosely traced the outline of the bird in pencil on the included Strathmore paper.
I then slowly started adding color with the pastel, using the various grey tones. (I have hardly any experience with pastels so it was a little bit of a challenge for me!)
And here we have the completed project. I definitely am an amateur when it comes to this type of artwork, and I wish it would have come out better, but I still have 23 sheets of pastel paper left to practice on!
Project #2 Velour Abstract
The next project I did was an abstract piece using the velour paper. I lightly traced circles with a pencil and started adding color using the primary pastels.
Here is the piece halfway through with the yellow pastel. It did flow well on the velour paper, but just seemed so strange - almost like a backwards fuzzy coloring poster!
And here is my completed piece. It is so very basic, but it was interesting to try a new surface! I think this would really be cool with a portrait using the white and grey pastels, but I am better at stick figures than drawing real people!
And it is no joke that these things are messy! (Soap and water easily washes it off though.)
Kids Corner
No Paletteful Packs is complete without sharing it with my kids! Here we have Charlie working outside (for inspiration) on his masterpiece.
And here is Hank, using the Sofft tools to create a flower and cardinal.
And their finished creations! They loved this month!
The Verdict: As you can tell, we love Paletteful Packs! This is our third month, and we have thoroughly enjoyed each and every month! I must say this month has been the most challenging for me, but I really enjoyed going out of my comfort zone and trying something new! I can’t wait to practice more and create something frame-worthy! Because this subscription is for artists of all ages and skill levels, it is a perfect fit for my family. I am a beginner to the art world, so getting to try high-quality products that I probably wouldn’t have ever heard of before is an awesome experience! I can’t wait to see what will come next month!
This subscription costs $35.95 a month. The content card shows a retail value of $43.98 in this box. I found everything online (except for the velour sheet of paper) for around $34.65. That is a slightly lower value than the subscription cost. I do want to mention that they do a great job of curating this box, and if you were to purchase everything separately, I am sure you would spend more because of shipping.
To Wrap Up:
Can you still get this box if you sign up today? No, you'll get the August box. There is a cutoff date of the 15th of every month to order the box for the coming month. If your order is placed after the 15th, you’ll receive the following month’s box.
ACTIVE DEAL: Save 10% off your first box!
CODE: FIRSTMONTH10
Value Breakdown: At $35.95 for the box including 5 unique items, you're paying approximately $7.19 per item.
Check out all of our Paletteful Packs reviews and the best arts & crafts subscription boxes of 2019!
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What did you think of Paletteful Packs June box? What would you create?
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