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.
November is almost here, and life has been really hard lately. My sister-in-law passed away extremely unexpectedly, and our family is devastated. The last ten days have gone by in a blur. While I’ve taken some time off to grieve with my family, I found myself in need of both structure and a bit of joy. This month’s SketchBox arrived, and though I set it aside for a few days, I eventually turned to it as a way to find some creativity amidst the heartbreak. Read on to see what I came up with.
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 transitioned to a full pamphlet that showcases the box’s contents. It includes a QR code for SketchBox School—where you can learn how to use the materials—along with extra tips and information on how to enter a giveaway. This month even features a written tutorial! You’ll also find the winner of the monthly contest featured in the pamphlet, a spot that’s usually reserved for the shipping box. This month’s winning artwork, created by @trails.views.art is of a really beautiful red fox! Gorgeous in color and texture, Charlie loved this work so much that we had to check out Mariya's instagram page! Be sure to check her page out - she truly is talented!
ShinHan Professional Designer Gouache 15mL - Retail Value $24.42
The first item we received was definitely the showstopper! Inside was a set of four professional designer gouache tubes by ShinHan. These 15 mL tubes are generously sized and packed with plenty of product. The pigments are rich and absolutely dreamy—this set included Permanent Yellow, Cobalt Green Pale, Carmine, and Prussian Blue. Similar to watercolor, gouache is a fascinating medium that offers a wide range of thicknesses and hues. The colors blended beautifully to create even more options and proved to be incredibly versatile. A fantastic start to this box!
M. Graham Artists' Gouache - Burnt Umber - Retail Value $8.99
The next item we received was another tube of gouache, this time from the brand M. Graham. The Burnt Umber hue was a beautiful addition and helped balance out the brighter colors from the rest of the set.
SketchBox Signature Bright Size 4 - Retail Value $9.99
I always enjoy receiving new tools in my monthly SketchBox subscription, and this month’s was a great one! The SketchBox Signature Bright Size 4 brush is small enough for fine details yet large enough to cover broader areas. With its comfortable handle and square end, I felt I had better control than with many of my other brushes. It was perfect for this month’s peacock tutorial—so versatile that I didn’t even need to reach into my brush collection for any backups!
Stillman&Birn Premium Cold Press Mixed Media - Retail Value $9.95
The last item I received was a 15-sheet pad of cold press mixed media paper by Stillman & Birn. The bright white color contrasted beautifully with the included gouache tones and held up wonderfully without folding or curling when wet. It was a perfect pairing with this month’s items, and I can’t wait to use it to create some Christmas postcards for friends and family!
Testing
Aren't these bright colors gorgeous?! I loved the curation this month!
SketchBox November Projects
I have to say, I was thrilled to see a peacock on the front of this month’s pamphlet—especially because it came with step-by-step instructions! While a video tutorial was also available, I decided to follow the written directions, and I was actually really happy with the results. I started by sketching the outline with a regular pencil, then applied a light wash of color. Following the pictures and written instructions, I used the included brush and added heavier layers of gouache, mapping out the darker areas first. Next, I layered in the different shades of blue and painted the beak. Once finished, I used the brush to add detailed strokes of color along the feathers. While it’s not perfect, I’m proud of how my peacock turned out—and I had so much fun experimenting with a medium I’ve only used a few times before.
The Verdict
SketchBox is a fantastic subscription service that delivers high-quality art supplies across a wide range of mediums. This month’s Illustrative Gouache Premium Box offered a medium that I'm not 100% versed in, but do enjoy. There were enough materials to create at least 15 pieces of artwork, and I was genuinely impressed by the thoughtful curation. I’m looking forward to experimenting more with these supplies and fill up this new sketch book. Overall, I had a ton of fun, and I can’t wait to see what December’s box has in store. Any guesses?
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Value Breakdown
You can find all these items as a set in the Sketch Shop listed at the top of the page as the Illustrative Gouache Premium Box for $40. The included contents card had a $53.35 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 November box was October 21st, but you can still subscribe to get next month's box or buy this box in their shop as the Illustrative Gouache Premium box.
What do you think of SketchBox?
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