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ArtSnacks Plus Subscription Box Review – June 2020

Megan K.
ByMegan K.Aug 10, 2020 | 2 comments

artsnacks june 2020 subscription box review

ArtSnacks is a monthly art supply subscription service that curates products to help inspire you to create. ArtSnacks is the brainchild of siblings Lee and Sarah Rubenstein, founders of eatsleepdraw.com, a user-submitted art site.

There are two subscription tiers for ArtSnacks: $24 + free shipping, or $39 + shipping for the Plus box.

This is a review of the $39 Plus box. 

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.)

About ArtSnacks

The Subscription Box: ArtSnacks

The Cost: $24.00 a month, with savings on 6- and 12-month subscriptions OR buy the Plus box for $39.00 a month + shipping. International boxes cost $34 for the base box or $39 for the Plus + shipping.

The Products: 4-5 full-size premium art products in the base box OR 5-6 full-size premium supplies plus a full-size work surface in the Plus box.

Ships to: The US and worldwide—free for the regular ArtSnacks box, and at varying rates for the Plus box. (Shipping to Pittsburgh is $9.99.)

ArtSnacks Plus June 2020 Review

Shall we peek inside?

A very cute ArtSnacks sticker arrived.

As well as our little snack! I am not a fan of butterscotch, but our photog Andy loves it, so this was for him.

Here is the menu for May. These are also the items that should arrive in the base box.

And here is the card showcasing what additional items arrived in our Plus box.

 

Rembrandt Soft Pastels Set in 'Rich Oranges', set of 5 - Retail Value $9.95

I didn't love these pastels. The color shades were just not that inspiring to me and I am admittedly used to a softer pastel. I also found that on "toothier" paper, they were just plain messy, almost like using sidewalk chalk on cement with loads of powder/dust fallout.

Together, they do indeed make for quite a nice orange ombre, though.

 

Zebra Zensations Drafix Technical Pencil - Retail Value $6.85

I have a soft spot for technical pencils. They remind me of my Pop who always has one tucked into his front shirt pocket next to a rougher wood pencil. He is a well-rounded sort of man. This smart looking little pencil houses a 0.7 mm lead and also a hidden little eraser in the cap!

Hello!

 

Royal & Langnickel Artist Chamois - Retail Value $2.79

Chamois are quite nice for blending charcoal, graphite, pastels, pencils, anything really! They keep your fingers clean while also providing a smoother blend. They are generally made of super soft leather but are still washable! This is a smaller chamois but its a great size for an on the go kit.

Here are our pastels after being rubbed with the chamois.

 

Cretacolor Mega Colored Pencils in 'Indigo' - Retail Value $2.65

Cretacolor makes some of my favorite colored pencils. I love the larger size of this Mega line. This indigo is very pretty, and has that blue and purple mix that makes indigo itself so mesmerizing.

It's a great shade for adding accents to a dark sky or ocean waves.

 

Edding 1200 Metallic Colour Pen - Retail Value $2.60

This metallic marker is incredibly smooth, and the metallic aspect is very subtle. I love it when a metallic item is included with black paper (more about that below!).

Perfection.

 

Van Gogh Black Water Colour Paper Pad, 12 sheets - Retail Value $19.95

This is exactly what I look for in watercolor paper: a good weight (140 lb), lots of tooth, and a cold press finish. It just feels good in your hands! This paper is also black, which makes it a literal dream for metallic paints and milky colors.

 

General's MultiPastel Chalk Pencil in 'Indigo Blue' - Retail Value $1.70

Our second colored pencil this month is also indigo, but is certainly more blue-leaning than our other shade. This is actually a pastel pencil, meaning the lead is more chalky and soft, which lends itself to fun blending opportunities.

Another great sky and water shade.

 

Kuretake Nihondate Kabura Fude Brush Pen No. 55 - Retail Value $4.20

This Japanese calligraphy pen is just the bee's knees. I love it! It is double-ended: one side is a larger brush style and the smaller is a very delicate point. The larger brush is smooth as silk, while the point is a little scratchier and makes interesting little smudges and flecks as it writes on rougher paper.

Lots of character here.

The first little project I worked on was one where I tried to utilize all of the supplies together. I did cheat and use a yellow pastel from my collection, too.

I found the paper was just way too textured for these drier pastels. Granted, this is going to differ from person to person (we all have our likes and dislikes) but it was hard to get coverage on this paper, and loads of dust was created.

Another fun thing you can do with pastels is mix them with a little water. I wondered if this might make these pastels a little more my speed. I also grabbed a smoother mixed media paper in the hopes that they would perform better.

It took a lot of work to lay down enough color to make them work with water, but I did like them a lot more when combined with a wet brush. I went with a very simple desert night sky landscape because I am still on a Georgia O'Keeffe kick right now.

 

IMO, they worked so much better this way and the colors seemed brighter too!

Verdict: This wasn't my favorite assortment of colors, but boxes like this are perfect for getting out of your comfort zone! ArtSnacks delivered around $50.69 worth of value for a cost of $39.00 + $9.99 shipping, even before you consider the online community that makes this box even more fun and educational. My favorite items this month were easily the black watercolor paper, the black Japanese brush pen, and the technical pencil. I will use all of these a lot! I also liked both of the indigo pencils and needed a chamois in my kit anyway, so these were welcome additions as well. While the pastels aren't my sort of formula, I feel a lot more confident with this sort of stick now for sure!

To Wrap Up:

Can you still get this box if you sign up today? No, you will receive the July box if you subscribe. 

Value Breakdown: This box costs $39 with $9.99 shipping to Pittsburgh, meaning each of the 8 items has an average cost of $6.12.

Check out all of our ArtSnacks reviews and the best arts & crafts subscription boxes of 2020!

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

What did you create with the June ArtSnacks items?

Megan K.
Megan K.
I love natural/vegan beauty products, Korean skincare, unique jewelry, and weird candies from far away places. When I am not waiting for my next exciting box you can find me painting or taking photographs of interesting people. I never leave home without pug hair somewhere on my shirt and a bold lipstick on my smile.

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2 comments

Marion

Your landscape is beautiful. 🙂

The inclusion of the indigo pencils with that orange ombre pastel set is so, so smart.

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Megan K.

Thank you Marion! These colors were totally out of my wheelhouse. I agree on the orange + blue pairing! I feel like Artsnacks sends random colors in each box, so I am not sure if it was on purpose or a very happy accident. Thanks for reading (as always!).

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