February Premium Sketchbox 2018

February is here!  Every month, I receive a Sketchbox. This month, I have the premium box for $35 plus $5 shipping. The basic box is $25 plus $5 shipping. When you look at all the products inside, they all retail for around this. Now there are things that come every month, this includes; Sketchbox Sticker, Artist of the month box, Artist of the month tile, and a product description card. I will go through each of these items in detail below so that you can see what you get for the price.

In every box, you get a special inspiration piece from the featured artist of the month. The artist creates something from everything that is offered in the box each month. You can read more about the Artists of the month by clicking here. This month we received this gem:

So, what do you get in this months box? Sometimes you get more than $40 and other times you may get just under. In this months box, we received more than $40 worth of product. This month is all about blending. Well, let’s take a look below!

Derwent Inktense 12 Set – $33.99

Ecoline Liquid Watercolour Brush Pen – $3.95

Sakura Pigma Brush Pen – Black – $2.89

Prismacolor Premier Brush Pen – $3.75

Strathmore Tone MIxed Media Pad – BONUS ITEM

Total Retail: +$44.58

Derwent Inktense 12 Set – $33.99

Combining the brilliant intensity of pen and ink with the versatility of line and wash, these pencils can be used for dry, rich, intense color or washed out with a little water to create a vivid translucent effect. The rich pigment extends further than traditional watercolor pencils and is more opaque for a true ink effect. Once dry, the color is permanent, allowing for artwork to be washed over with other media without bleeding.

Ecoline Liquid Watercolour Brush Pen – $3.95

This pen features highly intense, saturated dye-based liquid watercolor that dries within minutes, can be rewetted and is blendable.

Sakura Pigma Brush Pen – Black – $2.89

Sakura’s Pigma Brush was specifically developed to meet the needs of free-hand artists who require a fine point, flexible, brush-style nib. The ink is quick-drying, waterproof, fade-resistant, and of archival quality. It will not smear once dry. Use it to outline your art this month.

Prismacolor Premier Brush Pen – Red (colors will vary) – $3.75

We’ve added another fantastic brush pen to add a pop of color and allow you to compare the nibs between Sakura and Prismacolor.

Strathmore Toned Mixed Media Pad – BONUS ITEM

Make the most of your supplies this month with a special bonus item from our friends at Strathmore. The paper in their Toned MIxed Media Pad combines the characteristics of a watercolor paper and the finish of a drawing sheet, for use with both wet and dry media.

All in all, this box introduces me to only the first two products that I haven’t tried before but they are definitely products that I am eager to use. If you would like to get your hands on this Sketchbox, or any in the future, please use this link so that I can get a credit to use towards next month’s box. I love being able to bring these unboxings to you from me.

 

July 2017 Sketchbox Grab Box

So, here is a special treat for you. I received the Grab Box. Now because I am new to Sketchbox, I am not sure how often they release Grab Boxes, but according to the website, it sold out in a matter of days last time, so I pre-ordered mine. Boy was I surprised when it showed up. It was heavy and you could tell it was packed with a lot of great products!

Usually, I do my unboxing straight on the camera, but because this was a special box, I wanted to make sure I did my research on the products. I’m happy that I did open it because there was no product description card. So, let’s go through everything that came inside. The box cost $49.00 and I didn’t pay to ship.

Cretacolor Oil Pencil Pocket Set-6pk – $16.55

Zig lean Color Real Brush Pens, Deep Color Set, 4pk – $11.22

KUM Wedge Sharpener – $4.13

Spectra AD Twin Marker – Tan (087) – $9.67

Generals Charcoal – 2pk – $4.83

Derwent Blender & Burnisher – $9.73

2 Zig Art & Graphic Twin Markers – $13.26 ea

Ironlak – Permanent Marker 0.4mm – $4.00

Fabriano Ecoqua Notebook – $7.76

Tombow Color Pencil Set Recycle Tin – 12pc – $14.99

Prismacolor Scholar Kneaded Eraser – $5.12

Faber-Castell Eraser Pencils 2pk – $6.00 (Blick)

TOTAL = $120.52

Now, something I should mention is that I priced all of these items according to Amazon.  The only thing I couldn’t find on the Amazon Website was the Faber-Castell Eraser Pencil pack at the bottom of the list. With these prices, I saved $71.52 on art supply products of high quality. This is a great deal for anyone who wants to try something new and challenge themselves to use new products. You never know if you are good at the different mediums if you never try them. Ok, let’s go through each product now.


Cretacolor Oil Pencil Pocket Set – 6pk – $11.55

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I have never used Oil Pencils so I will have to research how they work before I can give you a review. But according to the information, they will not smear and are effective on multiple surfaces. The six colors that came in this pack are classic white, sanguine, sepia light, sepia dark, nero-soft, nero-extra soft.

Zig Clean Color Real Brush Pens, Deep Color Set, 4pk – $11.22

The colors that came with this set are Dark Pink, Deep Blue, Olive Green and LIght Brown. I have tried these only to show the colors. I did notice that they did not bleed through the Fabriano Sketchbook that also came with this box. These brush pens claim to be blendable, but I have yet to blend them.

KUM Wedge Sharpener – $4.13

This sharpener is not like the average sharpener you get for everyday pencils. The feel of this is so nice, as well as the fact that it comes with an additional blade screwed into the side for when the initial one gets dull. This sharpener is made of magnesium alloy and made in Germany.

Spectra AD Twin Marker – Tan (087) – $9.67

This product looks like a Copic marker in that the barrel is shaped with flat edges to prevent it from rolling off the table. It claims that the cap matches the ink closely. When I tested this ink out on the Fabriano Sketchbook included in this box, the ink bled horribly onto the back side, I am not sure if this pen requires a different type of paper or if it just drops a lot of ink. Until I have a full set and can experiment with different types of paper, I can’t be for certain.

Generals Charcoal – 2pk – $4.83

Let me put out a disclaimer to let you know that I have never used charcoal before, however, when I used them to test them in the sketchbook, I found that they act just like I would think charcoal would. It smeared and smudged and ended up all over the side of my hand, but the color was smooth, rich and intense. The two I got were 2B and 6B, but it comes in HB, 2B, 4B and 6B.

Derwent Blender & Burnisher – $9.73

I tested the blender out with the color pencils that we will mention below and I have to say that I was pleasantly surprised with how rich the color pencil was after using it. I haven’t used the Burnisher and if you know exactly how I would love to know in the comments below.

2 Zig Art & Graphic Twin Markers – $13.26 ea

I got two beautiful colors. Sky Blue and  English Lavender. These look like they are going to be fun to use. I thought about using them in my bullet journal because I thought that maybe with the muted colors, it would be pretty, but when I tried them out, they showed a little darker than I thought they would. These will require more testing before I can really let you know what I think.

Ironlak – Permanent Marker 0.4mm – $4.00

I used this in the sketchbook and it bled through. This reminded me a lot of a Sharpie, the way it bled through the paper, and yet it was very rich in color. I did not really see anything that sets this permanent marker from any of the others on the market.

Fabriano Ecoqua Notebook – $7.76

Let me tell you, I was so skeptical of this sketchbook. I thought for sure that everything would bleed through the pages because they seemed thin and very smooth. I received the Rasberry Color, 40 pages, 5.8″x8.25″, 85gsm/60lb plain sketchbook. It was made in Italy. After using all the different products, which I will show you in my art supply review, I was pleasantly surprised at how well the pages stood up against the testing. The pages are extremely smooth and I used mixed media to create a full art piece.

Tombow Color Pencil Set Recycle Tin – 12pc – $14.99

Beautifully crafted with recycled cedar wood and finger joint technology which reduces waste and conserves our environment and forests. Lead is hard and dense for precise details and sharp lines, strong pigment for deep color saturation, blending and layers. Set is packaged in a reusable metal tin. Even though Tombow is a Japan-based company, these were made in Vietnam.

Prismacolor Scholar Kneaded Eraser – $5.12

I have seen a lot of artists using kneaded erasers, so I was excited when I saw this in the box. Kneaded erasers can be molded and shaped in any way so that you can erase fine lines or wider lines. It can be used with chalk, charcoal, pastels and color pencils. Once you have used the eraser, all you have to do is knead it like clay for it to clean itself. Therefore, these erasers tend to last a while. Eventually, you will have to replace it, but really the price is so low, I wouldn’t hesitate to buy a few.

Faber-Castell Eraser Pencils 2pk – $6.00 (Blick)

So I get the concept of this and I have always wondered why there wasn’t an eraser that was just as fine as the line you were drawing. Well, now there is. I watched a video where the artist claimed that these erasers were amazing for him because he worked with very fine details. He claimed that although he had several kneaded erasers, they just didn’t get as fine as these did. These erasers are ideal for erasing graphite, ink, India ink and ballpoint pen. It is soft for smear-free erasing. I could not find these on the Amazon website, but Blick does have them for the price mentioned above.


So, there you have it! A detailed description of all the items that came in July 2017 Grab Box. Be on the lookout for the next one as they sell out quickly. I know I will be purchasing the next one when it comes available.  All in all, I feel like this box was very much so worth the price. Everything in this box is something that I will use in the future.  If you would like to get your hands on this sketchbox, or any in the future, please use this link so that I can get a credit to use towards next month’s box.

June 2017 Premium Sketchbox

Every month, I receive a Sketchbox. This month, I have the premium box for $35 plus $5 shipping. The basic box is $25 plus $5 shipping. When you look at all the products inside, they all retail for around this. Now there are things that come every month, this includes; Sketchbox Sticker, Artist of the month box, Artist of the month tile, and a product description card. I will go through each of these items in detail below so that you can see what you get for the price. This is my second month getting it. If you don’t want to read this post, you can watch the video below of the un-boxing here. 

In every box you get a special inspiration piece from the featured artist of the month. The artist creates something from everything that is offered in the box each month. You can read more about the Artists of the month by clicking here. This month we received this gem:

Frances

Ok, lets get started on everything you get in the box and I will have pictures to give you a good look at each product. First off, lets take a look at everything you get.


JUNE 2017 Premium Sketchbox

First Look Chameleon Color Top Set – $12.99

Chameleon Marker – Sky Blue – $5.99

3x PrismaColor Premier Brush Tip Markers – $3.75ea

Crescent RendR 3.5″x5.5″ Sketchbook – $10.34

Total Retail: $40.57

First Look Chameleon Color Top Set – $12.99

“Chameleon Color Tops are a whole new way to blend color. Simply pop a Chameleon Color Top on top of a Chameleon Pen. One color just flows into the other! Even opposite colors like orange and green can be blended together without a seam”  – Product description card.

As you can see, they sent me a small mixture of pinks, violet and blue. Now I will say, that I have never used these pens so I have no clue how to accurately use them. It will be a trial and error thing. I will update this post with my product review for these pens after I have completed it. However, I have been waiting for the opportunity to use these to blend out my mandalas a little more, so I am extremely excited for the opportunity to try them out.

Chameleon Marker – Sky Blue – $5.99

What good is a color top without a way to use it? We included a Chameleon Color Ton Marker so you can test out your new set of color tops. These let you change the intensity of the ink right on the nib, so you can achieve a variety of tons for highlighting, shading, blending, or for adding depth, dimension, and texture.” – Product description card

This is another product that I have no experience with. I have just recently gotten to know about the Chameleon brand itself. I’m more anxious to see how they all work together. When I do the product review for the tops, it will include this marker as well, as I believe they all go hand in hand. I have heard from other bloggers that sometimes you have to hold the nibs together for upwards of a minute, but I do need to do my own experiments with my own and I will let you know.

PrismaColor Premier Brush Tip Markers – $3.75

“We also included a black, blue and green brush marker from one of our favorite brands. These colors work well with the floral color set from Chameleon and allow you to get precise line work or thick broad strokes” – Product description card.

Now this is a product I stand behind. I have done a product review on the full set of PrismaColor Markers and you can find it here. I love that they have included the different colors, since all I had previously was black. The brush tip takes a little bit to get used to. You really have to concentrate on things like pressure, however, the ink is steady and does not skip. This does make it the perfect marker for outlining artwork or faux-calligraphy. (which is a different post for a different day) Either way, I would highly suggest that every artist have a few of these with different nibs for almost anything they might need fine lines for!

Crescent RendR 3.5″x5.5″ Sketchbook – $10.34

“With all the blendable ink this month. It was key to provide the proper surface to handle it. RENDR is a versatile, revolutionary paper that won’t bleed through no matter what media you use. RENDR lets you use every page in your sketchbook. Create on both sides of the page – even solvent-based markers and acrylic washes won’t bleed through to the other side. No more tearing out the next page, no more limitations on the types of media you can use to express yourself. This book will lend itself well to many months coming up!” – Product description card.

I am also very excited about this sketchbook and let me tell you why. I follow several artists on YouTube and furthermore their blogs. The one consistency between them is that they all have nothing but positive reviews about RENDR sketchbooks. Each artist has their own media that they gravitate towards and even though they are all different, they all still love the fact that the media doesn’t bleed through. They have suggested it to their readers/viewers and I have been dying to get my hands on here so that I can test it out myself. I have so many supplies that I would love to test on this paper from ink to watercolor and everywhere in between. I am sad that the book is smaller, but it gives me ample space to actually review it properly. Once I do get the chance to review this product, I will update this post to link it.

If you would like to get your hands on this sketchbook, or any in the future, please use this link so that I can get a credit to use towards next month’s box.