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ArtSnacks Plus Subscription Box Review – July 2020

Megan K.
ByMegan K.Aug 11, 2020 | 11 comments

ArtSnacks
4.2 overall rating
13 Ratings | 6 Reviews

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 or $39 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. International boxes cost $34 for the base box or $39 for the Plus.

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 for free!

ArtSnacks Plus July 2020 Review

Shall we peek inside?

A very cute ArtSnacks sticker arrived.

As well as our little snack!

Here is the menu for July. 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.

 

Kuretake-ZIG Gansai Tambi Watercolor Pans - Retail Value $2.50 each (or buy a huge 48 pan set here for $49.99)

FYI: The shades I received were Lilac (no. 13) and Maroon (no. 72). You might receive different colors. 

I absolutely LOVE these paints! I really enjoy both watercolor and gouache, and these feel like some sort of in between the two. I also prefer to work out of pans, and these are downright huge, meaning loads of space to pick up paint. I knew I would really like the lilac shade at first sight, but I was super surprised that the other pan (which I thought was brown) was actually the most lovely maroon shade. The lilac paint is more opaque and feels like a gouache, while the maroon is sheer and reminds me of many of my watercolors. Both wet easily and reward with loads of pigment. Swooning over these.

Left, Lilac. Right, Maroon. Which rhymes with SWOON.

 

Kuretake-ZIG BrusH2O Petit Water Brush - Retail Value $4.00

These sorts of water brushes are ideal if you like to paint on the go. They house enough water inside for some decent painting time without the worry of hauling around water in a cup. It is easy to fill, too! Simply pull off the blue body, fill with water, and reattach! You can control the flow of water with the pressure of your hand.

Here is a little randomness using the water pen.

 

Plumchester P8 Fineliner - Retail Value $2.99

I LOVE large tips on pens because I love creating bold lines. This pen is exceptional! Because it is waterproof when dry, I can use it with watercolors. I plan on ordering a few more of these because it could easily become that sort of pen I use for a very long time for anything from painting and sketching to aggressive grocery lists.

I like thick nibs and I cannot lie!

 

Daniel Smith Extra Fine Watercolor Stick in 'Quinacridone Violet' - Retail Value $14.57

Daniel Smith is my go-to watercolor brand. They just have the most exceptional quality paints. I had never used one of the stick watercolors from this brand so I was thrilled to see a vibrant quinacridone violet arrive inside. The quinacridone gang is known for being pretty loud and vibrant and this shade totally lived up to that legacy. It looks rather dull when you first lay it down, but add water and wait to be AMAZED. This shade is a dream. It's rich, loud, and lush.

Oh, look. More SWOONING. This color!!

 

Grumbacher Hidden Wire Mixed Media Sketchbook - Retail Value $22.00

I tend to always keep a sketchbook on my person. It is a practice I picked up in middle school and I have just never quit. You never know when you might want to get a quick sketch or idea on paper! This is a very nice size for a larger purse or bag and the wire binding is covered so you don't have to worry about it bending or getting stuck on things. Another noteworthy mention of this notebook is that the pages have a custom "in and out" feature, meaning you can remove them but also place them back into the wire binding if you want. Pretty clever if you like working on paper outside of a book but want to put your creations back inside to keep them together and safe.

 

Molotow GRAFX Masking Fluid Pump Marker - Retail Value $12.38

For someone who uses watercolors so often, I haven't really ever taken to masking fluid. I think my style is very "happy accident" and masking fluid feels like I am trying to control a medium I cherish because it is so, well, uncontrollable! I get that this product has a place though. I have calligrapher + watercolor pals who LOVE it for laying down lettering before painting over.

 

I felt like these shades just screamed to be used in a big flower.

 

And here is the completed flower.

Verdict: ArtSnacks does it again. I absolutely loved this assortment. The fastest way to my artist's heart is with Daniel Smith products and it was a true joy to try out a watercolor stick in such a dreamy and bold shade. This subscription sends out the same sites in color variants, so you never really know what is going to arrive in your box color-wise. I feel like I hit the jackpot this time with lush maroons and lilacs. I also am in love with that Plumchester pen and the notebook is a dream for someone like myself. The total value of this box was over $60 too! I am pretty thrilled with this July box.

FYI, if you need help or inspiration, try the ArtSnacks online community

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 free shipping, meaning each of the 7 items has an average cost of $5.57.

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 July ArtSnacks items?

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ArtSnacks is a monthly subscription service that sends you 4-5 full size premium art supplies each month!
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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11 comments

Beth

Megan, such a beautiful flower! And I love how you showed the individual steps. thank you!!

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Megan K.

You are welcome, Beth! And thank you! Do the individual steps seem like a good amount or should there be more or less? I am always struggling to decide how many to add to these artsy reviews and would love your thoughts!

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Dawn

Megan, do you have a storage system for loose watercolor pans? This is intriguing but when I think about the possibility of accumulating various pans in different shapes and sizes I wonder how I’d keep them sorted, clean and portable.

Love the review!

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Megan K.

I could talk about my watercolor pans for hours Dawn! I have tried a few different things but my favorite is buying a pan case (searching for “MEEDEN Empty Watercolor Tins” on amazon will take you tot he last one I bought. These larger pans wouldn’t fit inside that though, so I have a few altoid tins I use to stash these with different shapes and sizes. If you just use some magnetic tape not he back they stay inside perfectly!

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Dawn

Thank you! These are both helpful suggestions and the Altoid tin idea has me immediately thinking about what else I could use that hack for! I really appreciate the tips.

Caroline

Definitely the right colors for a flower, it came out beautifully! I pretty much exclusively use watercolor (I’m trying to learn calligraphy though) and I don’t use too much masking fluid but it does have its uses. I mostly do naturalistic pieces, typically animals but some loose florals and an occasional landscape as well. Typically I use masking fluid just for little things. Last week I did a spotted ray and used it to put down the spots before I started painting. I use it to make sure I don’t get paint in the eye area prematurely for birds and smaller animals, as well as for snowy mountain peaks or random things like seaspray on an oceanscape. You could definitely use white goauche or ink instead but when I was first learning the teacher I had basically marked you down for it.

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Megan K.

I think I have just always replied on white gouache too to masking fluid feels like a weird habit! I love that I wasn’t the only one out there with weirdly strict teachers on random things though! 😂

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Mary

Your flower looks amazing!!

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Megan K.

Thanks, Mary! ♥️

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Jen

That is GORGEOUS! You are very talented. I don’t have an artistic bone in me, but this makes me want to get this box, true story.

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Megan K.

You might surprise yourself, Jen! I think finding a medium you really love enhances what you can create. You might be a secret artist and not even know it! 😉

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