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.
This is a review of the $35/month Premium box. SketchBox also offers a $25/month Basic box.
Summer vacation is here, and my to-do list is a mile long with tasks I’ve been putting off. We’re only two days in (though I do have to go into work tomorrow to tie up a few loose ends), but I’ve already managed to cram a surprising number of chores into these first 48 hours! One of my favorite things about summer break is having more time to craft - and this month’s SketchBox arrived right on cue! Check out the artwork I created with it below!
This box was sent to us at no cost for review. (Check out the editorial guidelines to learn more about how we review boxes.)
First Impressions
SketchBox used to have an ongoing contest where a subscriber's artwork was featured on the lid of their box. For the past few months, they’ve been sending out repeat boxes—likely to use up inventory—but they mentioned that new artwork would return in the new year. However, we've still been receiving repeat boxes up until now. But here’s a twist—there’s no artwork on the box at all this time! It looks like they’ve decided to continue showcasing the winning artwork on the back of the pamphlet instead, which you’ll see below.
What's Inside the Box
Content Pamphlet
Instead of the traditional postcard, SketchBox has now transitioned to a full pamphlet featuring the box’s contents, a QR code for SketchBox School where you can learn how to use the materials, additional tips, and even details on how to enter a giveaway! This month even includes a written tutorial! You can also see the winner of the monthly contest here, which is usually featured on the shipping box. This month’s winning artwork, created by @S.kastner102, is a fun cartoon gal featuring cherry wallpaper and an envelope! Check out her Instagram to see all of her awesome work!
Van Gogh Oil Pastel 6-Set - Retail Value $18.00
The Van Gogh Oil Pastel 6-piece set is a vibrant little treasure for any art lover! I received white, carmine, phthalo blue, yellow, fir green, and blue violet—and each shade is bold, creamy, and full of personality. They glide on effortlessly, making blending and layering a total breeze. Sure, they’re a bit messy (oil pastels always are!), but that’s part of the fun. Whether you're doodling or diving into a full piece, these pastels bring color and joy to every stroke!
Sennilier Oil Pastel 3 - Set - Retail Value $16.05
The next item we received was another set of oil pastels—but this time, they’re metallic! Featuring shades like red gold, reddish brown gold, and transparent blue, these pastels are incredibly creamy and glide onto the paper with ease. I found them even easier to blend than traditional oil pastels, and I absolutely love the color payoff! A fantastic addition to this month’s premium box!
SketchBox Signature Color Shapers 3 - Set - Retail Value $18.00
Oil pastels are great—but tools to blend them are even better! This month, we received a set of three color shaping tools featuring a bullet, cup round, and flat chisel tip. These rubber-tipped tools have long handles, making them easy and comfortable to use. Perfect for blending, scraping, and precisely controlling the pastels once they’re on the paper, they were a super helpful addition to this box. They even helped me discover a newfound love for oil pastels that I didn’t have before!
Legion Stonehenge Oil - Retail Value $11.99
The last item we received was a 12-sheet pad of 4" x 6" 300 GSM paper, specially formulated for oil pastels and paint. There was no bleed-through or edge curling, thanks to its nice, thick texture. The bright white, velvety surface was perfect for working with oil pastels, making the colors pop beautifully. I had a great time testing it out, and I can't wait to create 11 more pieces of art with this set!
Testing
Aren’t this month’s shades gorgeous? This color palette came just in time for summer! This month’s curation was so much fun!
SketchBox June Project
A relatively new addition to the monthly SketchBox is the paper pamphlet featuring step-by-step instructions for creating a piece of artwork. The tutorial includes photos and written directions to help you make the most of the included materials. This month, we learned how to create a cluster of plums hanging from a branch. The guide was easy to follow, and once I kept reminding myself to "trust the process," things started to come together nicely. Admittedly, I added way too many plums—but hey, that just makes it uniquely mine! Since I’m not very familiar with oil pastels, this was a great introduction to the medium, and I have to say, I’m pretty proud of some of my shading. Thanks, SketchBox!
The Verdict
SketchBox is a fantastic subscription that delivers high-quality supplies in a wide variety of mediums. This month's Oil Pastel + Color Shaper box featured a gorgeous color palette in a medium I was excited to learn more about. I appreciated the mix of colors and metallic inclusions—there was a great balance! With enough materials to create at least 12 different pieces, I was really pleased with the curation and plan to keep experimenting with them over the weekend. Overall, I had a ton of fun! I can’t wait to see what we’ll discover in July. Any guesses?
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Value Breakdown
Being a repeat box, you can find all these items as as set in the Sketch Shop as the Oil Pastel + Color Shaper Premium Box for $40. The included contents card had a $64.04 value, which is higher than the cost of the box and allowed me to discover products I probably wouldn't have discovered otherwise.
To Wrap Up
Can you still get this box if you sign up today? According to SketchBox's website, the cutoff to purchase the June box was May 21st, but you can still subscribe to get next month's box or buy this box in their shop as the Oil Pastel + Color Shaper Premium Box.
What do you think of SketchBox?
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