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.
October is here, and I have to admit, I’m more than ready for some crisp fall air and shorter days! Football season in Minnesota is typically synonymous with chilly temperatures, blankets, and bundling up in layers, but apparently, Mother Nature didn’t get the memo this year. At my son’s game yesterday, I was sitting in the stands wearing a T-shirt—and somehow ended up with a sunburn! Meanwhile, my flowers were already hit with a killing frost. Make it make sense!
The weather may be confused, but I’m ready for the slower pace that comes with fall. I’m looking forward to cozy days at home, changing leaves, and having a little more time to settle into a new season. Even with everything going on, I did manage to carve out some time to get creative this month, and I really enjoyed staying inside and putting together this month’s project.
There’s something about creating on a cool fall day that just feels right. So, with a few new supplies in hand and a little inspiration, I was ready to see what I could come up with.
Now, let’s dig in and see what new supplies I can put to good use!
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 included in your box, along with extra tips, helpful information, and details on how to enter the monthly giveaway. I especially love that this month’s pamphlet even includes a written and illustrated tutorial!
You’ll also find the winner of the monthly art contest featured inside the pamphlet. This section was previously showcased right on the shipping box, so I think it’s a fun way to continue highlighting the talented artists who participate. This month’s winning artwork, created by @larks.arts, features a colorful mosaic reptile, and it’s absolutely fabulous! Be sure to check out her work on Instagram—she’s incredibly talented and has some seriously beautiful artwork.
Liquitex Professional Acrylic Ink - Carbon Black - Retail Value $10.12
Now that SketchBox has started including illustrated tutorials for the products we receive in each box, I was especially excited to dig into this month’s supplies after seeing the inspiration piece we had all the tools to create! Since it’s October and spooky season is officially here, a crystal ball filled with sparkling crystals felt like the perfect project. It was fun, festive, and just the right amount of mysterious!
The first item we received this month was a 30 mL bottle of black acrylic ink. This lightfast, permanent, and smudge-proof ink comes with a convenient dropper and delivers a beautifully rich black pigment. You can use it straight from the bottle for a deep, intense black or dilute it with water for softer, more transparent effects, giving you plenty of versatility depending on the look you’re going for.
I dropped a little onto my paint tray for mixing and was really impressed with the results. The pigment is wonderfully rich, and I loved how easily I could adjust the intensity. It’s definitely the kind of basic color that earns a permanent spot in an artist’s supply collection, and I was excited to see how it would work with the rest of this month’s materials!
Speedball Fountain Pen Ink - Metallic Purple - Retail Value $3.99
My very favorite part of this month’s box was this pan of Speedball ink! The metallic purple color was vibrant and gorgeous. Just be careful when opening it, as it can make quite a mess if you spill it!
Adding a fun shine to your artwork, I’ve never used an ink like this to “paint” with before, but I really liked the results. It felt somewhat similar to watercolor, making it a fun and unique medium to try. I’m definitely happy I had the chance to experiment with it!
SketchBox Signature Ink Brush 3 - Set - Retail Value $23.99
The next item I received was actually a three-piece set. This ink brush set included the colors Bordeaux, Punch, and Royal Purple. To use them, you unscrew the top and take off the black ring that keeps the pens from spilling during transit. They do take a bit of getting used to, as they go from 0-60 quite quickly and can make a mess if you aren’t careful.
The pigment is gorgeous but potent, and it will stain if you get it on anything. I really love the burgundy, red, and purple colors. They added a fun component to this month’s work and were really fun to try!
SketchBox Signature Tinting Medium - Retail Value $4.99
This month’s box came with some very vibrant colors, so I was happy to receive a neutral medium that could be used to mix and create more tints! Here we have a tinting medium with a thicker consistency that was nice to use for mixing with the inks to create lighter shades, as well as adding highlights.
It was easy to use, dried quickly, and worked just the way I wanted it to! It was a nice addition to this month’s supplies and gave me a little more versatility when working with the bolder colors.
SketchBox Signature Spot Detailer - Retail Value $7.99
I love a good brush, but I’ve never had the opportunity to try one of these spot detailers before! This curved brush has a tiny brush on the end for adding highlights and details with the included inks and mediums. I wasn’t quite sure how it would work with the bent end, but it actually worked pretty well.
This was a great little tool for adding details, and I think it will definitely come in handy when I do some watercolor work! I love this inclusion!
Winsor & Newton Cotman Angle Shader 1/4" - Retail Value $9.66
Like I mentioned above, brushes are one of my favorite things to receive, and I’m always happy to see a Winsor & Newton-branded one in my box! This blue-handled brush has 1/4-inch angled bristles and worked well for covering larger areas when used flat, but it can also be used for smaller details.
It’s comfortable to hold, feels high quality, and was a great addition to my ever-growing collection! I can never have too many good brushes, so this was definitely a welcome inclusion.
Clairefontaine Bristol Paper Pad - Retail Value $8.99
I love that SketchBox includes paper in every box, and this month’s Clairefontaine Bristol paper was extremely nice. Very smooth in texture, it’s great for working with ink and includes 12 sheets. The bright white color also made the pigments really pop, which was perfect for this month’s vibrant colors!
Testing
Aren't these colors gorgeous?! Had there been a lime green, my Halloween dreams would have been complete!
SketchBox October Project
This month, we received a really fun step-by-step tutorial for creating the coolest crystal ball filled with crystals. I’m helping with geometry this year, so it was fun to create my own 3-D shapes and count the edges, faces, and vertices of the crystals!
I honestly didn’t read the instructions as much as I followed the pictures. I’m no professional artist, but I found the illustrations to be pretty easy and self-explanatory, and the supplies were easy to use. While my artwork ended up being a little brighter than the original, I absolutely loved how it turned out and had the best time creating it! I can’t wait to try it again!
The Verdict
SketchBox is a fantastic subscription service that delivers high-quality art supplies across a wide range of mediums. This month’s Inspiration Premium Box featured a medium that was really fun to use, came in some really neat colors, and was perfect for the upcoming Halloween holiday! With enough materials to create multiple pieces of artwork, I was very happy with the overall curation and variety in this box and absolutely loved the included tutorial.
While my schedule is still busy, I’m looking forward to using these supplies during my waiting time at football games, and I can’t wait to try out some other crystal shapes! Overall, I had a lot of fun with this month’s box, and I’m already looking forward to seeing what November 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 Inspiration Premium Box $40. The included contents card had a $69.73 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 October's box was September 21st, but you can still subscribe to get next month's box or buy this box in their shop as the Inkspiration Premium Box.
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