SketchBox Subscription Box Review + Coupon – December 2020

SketchBox is a monthly subscription box for art supplies. Each month, they’ll send you 4-9 art supplies (often full kits) 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/month Basic box.

The Subscription Box: SketchBox

The Cost: $35 + $5 U.S. shipping. Save with longer subscriptions.

COUPON: Use code HALFOFFSKETCHBOX to get 50% off your first box of a 3, 6, 12 month subscription with code .

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

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

Their info card includes a list of the products and why they were chosen for the box. There is also a link to SketchBox School, a video they release each month showing you how to use your items and demonstrations, too! If you are new to art, these are really great, and even if you aren’t, they are filled with helpful knowledge and smart tidbits.

You also get a card with a drawing by this month’s featured artist, Gris.

There was also a super cute SketchBox box sticker. This month, it is in the shape of a little tube of paint.

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SketchBox Signature Watercolor Pencils – Retail Value $11.99

I absolutely enjoy watercolor pencils, but I already own some really great ones and I am kind of a snob. These didn’t offer quite the payoff of my super $$$ selection, but they worked really quite well. The included colors (brown, grey, green, orange, yellow, and blue) lend themselves to landscapes and loads of other subjects. You can use them dry or wet them with water for a watercolor look.

Here are swatches of the pencils, both dry and wet.

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Marabu Art Crayon in ‘Caramel’ – Retail Value $3.99

Marabu Art Crayon in ‘Terracotta‘ – Retail Value $3.99

These felt like super-soft pastels to me. They were smooth and buttery on paper and drop a ton of color down with very little effort. They extend with a simple twist of the barrel, so you don’t have to worry about sharpeners. I was sent a mustard yellow and a brick red.

Top, Caramel, Bottom, Terracotta

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TCW Watercolor Sparx Powder in ‘Olive’ – Retail Value $6.00

I was pretty intrigued by this. It is a legit powder inside a bottle, which squeezes out. When I first added some to a sheet of paper, I was sure the color was mislabeled because the powder was bright orange! I added a little water and it turned into an olive dream! These pigments are blends of different shades that together create olive, but in water the pigments “break” a little, creating these unpredictable color blends. Using a toothy paper only magnified this effect because different pigments have different weights and will collect in the grooves of the paper!

This stuff is EXCITING.

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Holbien Artist Gouache in ‘Permanent White’ – Retail Value $6.10

Phew, after the excitement of that powder, this addition might seem a little boring, but I promise it is anything but. It is a beautiful opaque white that can be used to lighten other paints, add crisp white details, and more. What it might lack in pizzaz, it more than makes up for in pure utility.

Perfect for highlights or creating tints!

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4 x 6 Custom Hahnemuhle Toned Watercolor Pad – Listed Value $10.00

Our little paper pad was a toned peach color with a watercolor paper weight. The toned shade is great for adding depth and interest to your paintings or sketches and if I am being totally frank, a toned sheet of blank paper often feels less intimidating that a blank sheet of white paper!

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Marabu Fluid Arts Brush Set of 3 – Retail Value $9.99

I love water brush pens like this for on the go watercolor painting. They spare me from hauling water along that I will totally spill and make a huge mess with! Simply twist these pens open, add in some water, and go on with your day! They always last me a lot longer than I expect and between colors, I simply wipe the brush tip off on my pants or a napkin if I have one. This set has three different brush sizes too, adding even more variety to my on the go kit.

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0.8 Derwent Line Maker in Black – Retail Value $3.99

Ahhhh, the humble black fineliner. Always welcome in an art box since I use them all the time and they all seem to start dying together for some odd reason. This one has my tip size of choice, a bold 0.8 size that is ideal for strong and certain lines. This ink is also permanent when dry, so you can watercolor over it!

I didn’t put a ton of thought into my project this month. I just knew I wanted to use that amazing powder as a background!

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14 of 14 | I added in some black pen work and finished this little still life up!

1 of 14 | First, I started by lightly sketching with one of the watercolor pencils.

2 of 14 | After, I started to fill in rough areas with the different colors.

3 of 14 | I kept this pretty loose since the gaps would be easy to fill in once I got the pencil wet.

4 of 14 | I then added a little more to the glass bud vase below the flower stems.

5 of 14 | Popped in the stems...

6 of 14 | And introduced some water with the included water brushes.

7 of 14 | I grabbed a little of the white gouache to add some highlights.

8 of 14 | I chose to fill in the background with the powder pigment.

9 of 14 | Since some of the area on the bud vase was still wet, it latched onto some of the powder in the air.

10 of 14 | I grabbed my yellow crayon to add in a little more saturated color.

11 of 14 | And did the same with the terra-cotta color.

12 of 14 | I added a little white to the petals as well.

13 of 14 | I actually love the little speckle accidents in the vase.

14 of 14 | I added in some black pen work and finished this little still life up!

1 of 14 | First, I started by lightly sketching with one of the watercolor pencils.

2 of 14 | After, I started to fill in rough areas with the different colors.

3 of 14 | I kept this pretty loose since the gaps would be easy to fill in once I got the pencil wet.

4 of 14 | I then added a little more to the glass bud vase below the flower stems.

5 of 14 | Popped in the stems...

6 of 14 | And introduced some water with the included water brushes.

7 of 14 | I grabbed a little of the white gouache to add some highlights.

8 of 14 | I chose to fill in the background with the powder pigment.

9 of 14 | Since some of the area on the bud vase was still wet, it latched onto some of the powder in the air.

10 of 14 | I grabbed my yellow crayon to add in a little more saturated color.

11 of 14 | And did the same with the terra-cotta color.

12 of 14 | I added a little white to the petals as well.

13 of 14 | I actually love the little speckle accidents in the vase.

14 of 14 | I added in some black pen work and finished this little still life up!

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Here is my finished mini-painting.

The Verdict: This month’s SketchBox was magical. I loved how both wild and fun products were included along with tried and true staples like the fineliner and white paint. It makes for a well-rounded experience to be sure! How incredible is that powder though? I need to buy more colors because I am smitten. Most of you know this is among my absolute favorite subscription boxes, but even if you are new to art supplies, this is a lot of fun! If you have ever wanted to dabble, this is the box for you!

To Wrap Up:

Can you still get this box if you sign up today? No. At the time of publication, you’ll likely receive the January box. Also, SketchBox is currently fully operational during COVID-19.

COUPON: Use code HALFOFFSKETCHBOX to get 50% off your first box of a 3, 6, 12 month subscription with code .

Value Breakdown: Since this box costs $40 after shipping, each of the 7 items has an average cost of $5.71.

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!

What do you think of SketchBox?