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.
July is here, and summer vacation is flying by before our eyes! We're still in the throes of baseball season, but it's starting to wind down. Right now, we're in full celebration mode with the Fourth of July, my birthday, and our 19th wedding anniversary! Since all of this falls during the holiday week, we've had plenty of time to relax, celebrate, and even enjoy a few fancy drinks! ❤️🤍 💙
This month's SketchBox arrived packed with fresh art supplies and an awesome step-by-step tutorial, giving me the perfect opportunity to try out some new artistic skills that I finally had a little time to explore. Read on to see what was included and how my project turned out!
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
Each month, SketchBox sends a lovely curation of supplies in a simple white box featuring key information and a QR code. Everything is packaged in bright blue tissue paper (this time with white lettering) and arrives safe and secure. It’s always a special treat when I see this in my mailbox!
What's Inside the Box
Content Pamphlet
Instead of the traditional postcard, SketchBox has switched 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 (and illustrated) tutorial!
You'll also find the winner of the monthly art contest featured in the pamphlet—a section that was previously showcased on the shipping box. This month's winning artwork, created by @Hannah_party_of_one, features a beautiful lighthouse scene that captures the essence of Minnesota, even if that wasn't her intention! Be sure to check out her work on Instagram—she's incredibly talented and creates some really cool skull paintings!
SketchBox Signature Watercolor 12 - Set - Retail Value $24.99
If you know me, you know I love watercolors! I love using them to paint bookmarks, postcards, and pictures for the fair. Honestly, though, I haven't had much time to enjoy my favorite medium lately. Between chauffeuring my kids around, trying to keep up with our garden and lawn, and staying on top of household chores, there hasn't been much time left for myself.
This month, that changed when I finally got to sit down and use this fabulous watercolor set! It features lemon yellow hue, alizarin crimson, permanent rose, sap green, cad red pale, burnt umber, ultramarine, khaki green, pale peach, denim, rainforest green, and smoky—a beautiful selection of colors. Each one produced a vibrant hue that could easily be diluted for softer, more delicate shades.
The tin itself is compact, closes securely, and allows you to replace individual colors when needed. It also provides plenty of mixing space for creating custom shades, yet it's small enough to store easily or take along while traveling. I absolutely loved this addition to my art supplies!
Daniel Smith Luminescent Watercolor - Iridescent Electric Blue - Retail Value $10.70
The next item I received was another watercolor, but this one came in a tube and was made by Daniel Smith. This brand produces some of the best watercolors available, and since I don't own many of them, the Iridescent Electric Blue shade was completely new to me.
With its beautiful metallic sheen, this paint offered an effect that the Signature set didn't, and I appreciated the generous amount included in the tube. While I personally prefer pan watercolors because they're more nostalgic for me, I do think tube watercolors can offer slightly better quality and versatility. I was thrilled to add this gorgeous color to my collection.
Willow Wolfe Hummingbird Starter on Watercolor Paper - Retail Value $2.99
The next item I received was a really cool one! Willow Wolfe created a beautiful hummingbird design and printed it on watercolor paper. I've seen similar watercolor projects in craft stores—usually in books with pre-printed designs—and I actually had one in my cart at one point but never ended up buying it. I wasn't sure how I'd feel about it because, in a way, it almost seemed like cheating.
That being said, this is the artwork I've created so far, and I absolutely love how it's turning out! Having the sketch already done meant I could jump right into painting with color. It made the whole process feel much more relaxing and reminded me of adult coloring—but for watercolor enthusiasts.
While I do enjoy sketching my own designs, I sometimes get so caught up in getting the drawing just right that it becomes stressful. With this, I could simply start painting, follow the printed design, and enjoy watching it come to life. It was a fun twist on traditional watercolor painting, and I really appreciated this inclusion. I had an absolute blast getting straight to the fun part!
Winsor & Newton Fineliner 0.5mm - Retail Value $3.59
This girl loves a fineliner, and the ones from Winsor & Newton are some of the best! Featuring a 0.5 mm nib, this pen produces crisp, consistent lines and is waterproof once the ink is dry. The rich black ink is perfect for outlining artwork or adding fine details and accents.
I truly can't say enough good things about this pen—it feels like perfection! It performed beautifully, and I really hope we receive more of these in future boxes.
Willow Wolfe Siren #5 Round Brush - Retail Value $11.80
This girl also happens to love paintbrushes, so receiving one that's perfect for watercolor made my heart swoon! This #5 round brush features synthetic squirrel bristles, which are designed to hold a generous amount of water. It has a fine enough tip to easily reach the small details in the watercolor design while still holding plenty of paint and water for smooth, even washes.
It had everything I look for in a watercolor brush, and I absolutely love it!
Rockwell Academy 100% Cotton Pad - Retail Value $9.99
The last item I received was a set of twelve 4" × 6" sheets of cold-press watercolor paper from Rockwell Academy. The paper has a beautiful texture and is thick enough to stand up to water and paint without buckling or curling. Made from 100% cotton, it's archival quality and was an absolute pleasure to paint on!
Testing
This month's color set was absolutely gorgeous. With a variety of hues, the opportunities are seriously endless!
SketchBox July Project
Typically, I review the included step-by-step tutorial, but this month I decided to share my finished version of the Willow Wolfe Hummingbird Starter instead. Printed on watercolor paper, the starter featured a faint outline of a hummingbird and flowers. Since hummingbirds are one of my favorite subjects to paint, I was excited to jump right in.
I started by creating a soft background wash before moving on to the hummingbird and flowers using the included watercolor set. I even added a touch of the Iridescent Electric Blue for a little extra shimmer. Once everything had dried, I outlined the artwork with the Winsor & Newton fineliner and proudly hung it on the fridge!
This project was an easy and enjoyable way to dip your toes into the world of watercolor if you're a beginner, while also providing a relaxing painting session for more experienced artists. Overall, I had a wonderful morning creating and can't wait to start working on some of my own watercolor designs!
The Verdict
SketchBox is a fantastic subscription service that delivers high-quality art supplies across a wide range of mediums. This month’s Willow Wolfe Watercolor Premium Box featured a medium I LOVE and was so excited to explore! With enough materials to create multiple pieces of artwork, I was very happy with the overall curation and variety in this box.
While my schedule has still been busy, I’m looking forward to using these supplies more in the near future. Overall, I had a lot of fun, and I can’t wait to see what August’s box has in store. Any guesses?
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Value Breakdown
You can find some of these items as a set in the Sketch Shop listed at the top of the page as the Willow Wolfe Watercolor Premium Box $40. The included contents card had a $64.06 value, which is quite a bit 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 July box was June 21st, but you can still subscribe to get next month's box or buy this box in their shop as the Willow Wolfe Watercolor Premium Box.
What do you think of SketchBox?
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