Paletteful Packs is a carefully-themed 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 provided to create a unique project
Ships to: The US for free, Canada for $10, and International for $15
Paletteful Packs July 2020 Review
The July Paletteful Packs Premier box included all of the supplies to create ten 8 1/2" X 11" inch projects, an 8" X 10" panel, and a 5" X 5" panel.
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This month we are back to receiving our postcard with the content list and I am soooo happy!!! I never realized how much I counted on it for the tips and technique hints until it went on hiatus for a few months! I know all of this information was on the website, but I just appreciate having the card right next to me as I'm working. This month's prompts are "landscape" and "farm animal." If you post it to social media with the included hashtags, your art could be featured on their social media pages!
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Ampersand Scratchbord 8"X10" - Listed Value $5.70, Retail Value $8.07
Scratchbord is a clay-coated hardboard panel that is coated with India ink and used for scratch art. It is more durable and easier to scratch than traditional scratch paper and creates cleaner, crisper lines and details. I love the size of this panel and the thickness of it. I'm newish to scratch art, so I will definitely be saving this for after I've had a bit of practice, but I can't wait to try it out!
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Ampersand Scratchbord 5" X 5" - Listed Value $3.65, Retail Value $2.62
We also received a smaller version of the panel. This 5" X 5" size is a little less intimidating looking, and I can't wait to give it a go!
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Ampersand Scratchbord Knives Set of 2 - Listed Value $9.76, Retail Value $6.28
This set of knives includes a fine nib and a curved nib for a variety of lines. The handles are made from red plastic and are easy to hold onto. I found I preferred the curved nib, as it produces a thicker line, but both worked very well and produced different textures.
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Royal & Langnickel Engraving Tool Set - Listed Value $6.19, Retail Value $5.98
Here we have more engraving tools! These look very similar to the Ampersand tools but feature different tips for different sized strokes. We received 4 tools, each with a different tip. If you noticed, the red handle has no tip at all. I checked the package to see if it had fallen out, but I came up empty. In the many boxes I have received from Paletteful Packs, I have never received a damaged item, so this is the first time I have had to reach out to customer service. Through email, I learned that if you have a defective item, they will ship a replacement out ASAP! The other tools worked well and really did create various textures and lines. I had a lot of fun playing around with these, and plan on looking up a few YouTube tutorials to get some more tips and hints on how to best utilize these!
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Scratchbord-Claybord Inks - Listed Value $17.40 (Buy a 6 pack for $16.66)
Also included this month were 4 bottles of ink. We received 1/2 oz. bottles in carmine red, ultramarine blue, yellow, and black repair. These inks can be used to add color to scratchboard and claybord without leaving inky residue over black areas. They can be used for painting, calligraphy, airbrush, and technical pens. I found the ink to be easy to use and beautifully pigmented. Like I said above, I have done a little scratch art in high school, but mostly using the pre-colored paper that included a toothpick-like engraving tool. The inks were a bit intimidating at first, but I found them to be quite fun after I got the hang of them!
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Scratch-Art Scratchboard 8.5" X 11" Pack - Listed Value $6.70, Retail Value $12.63
The last item in this month's box were these 10 sheets of heavyweight scratchboard paper that are coated with India ink. I like that this paper can be cut down to size and used to create different sized pieces. After scouring Pinterest, I found a really neat project that involves cutting the paper into leaf shapes and adding vein details with the engraving set. I think I may have to make a few of those!
Dandelion Project
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To dip my feet in the water of scratch art this month, I used the 8.5" X 11" paper and decided to make a dandelion going to seed. Using a #2 pencil, I sketched out the stem of my dandelion and proceeded with the engraving tools. I used all of the tools to test them out. It was amazing to see how each tool gave you a different shaped line depending on how you were holding it, how much pressure you put into it, and how fast you moved the tool. I then decided to mix up a bit of blue and yellow ink to create green for my stem. Using a paintbrush, I applied it to my stem and added some yellow highlights. As you can see in my photos, I must have had a greasy fingertip, as it smeared onto the background creating a glossy smudge. I used the repair black paint over it and it seemed to fix it up, as you can see in the last photo. This piece was a good jump into the world of scratch art, and I had a lot of fun trying out my new tools!
Sunflower Project
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My next trial was one where I wanted to try some broader strokes. I sketched out a sunflower with pencil, and again, used the variety of carving tools to create different textured lines and strokes throughout the petals of the sunflower. When my flower was complete I added a bit of yellow ink and dabbed it around with a paintbrush and a paper towel. I found the scratching to be quite relaxing and the inking to be fun!
Kids Corner
This month Hank asked if he could try his hand at scratch art and made a tree and a honeyberry bush. He commented that while this was fun, he likes doing scratch art on the pre-stamped paper instead, but did ask if he could add onto his creation a bit later.
The Verdict: Every month I wonder what is going to be coming in my Paletteful Packs box, and this month, I have to say, was a surprise! Like I have said before, I haven't done a whole lot of scratch art, and the stuff I did do wasn't near this caliber! I really enjoyed receiving such a variety of surfaces to create on, as I am still not comfortable enough to work on my panels. I have a board saved on Pinterest for ideas I want to try on the paper first, and I will continue perfecting my technique before I make my final masterpiece. I really appreciate the fact that this sub box sends items that I would never think to buy for myself. Hank and I really enjoyed giving this type of art a whirl, and loved spending time together while crafting! I was a little disappointed that one of my engraving tools came broken, but with a message out to customer service, I learned that for defective or missing items, they send replacements out ASASP, which is great. I can't wait to see what they send next month!
This subscription costs $35.95 a month. The listed value on the website's content card came to $49.40. I was able to find all of these supplies online for $52.24 (that does include 2 extra inks that I did not get though.) I found the variety of paper and panels, scratching tools, and inks to be a very fun curation and something I probably wouldn't have thought about ordering but am now glad to have.
To Wrap Up
Can you still get this box if you sign up today? No, you'll receive the August box. The 26th of every month is the cutoff date to order the box for the coming month. If your order is placed after the 26th, 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 6 unique items, you’re paying approximately $5.99 per item.
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What did you think of the Paletteful Packs July box? What would you create?
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